November 2017 - Parks & Recreation - 35

For parks to thrive, receiving water-beneficial uses must be protected.

of their drinking water treatment systems. Funding will be needed for programs and projects to improve stormwater quality, and there still is not an
effective way to pay for them. Stormwater funding programs cannot continue to
compete with public works, public safety
and public parks. The following steps are
necessary to obtain public funding:
First, change how the public views
and values water. Clean water at the tap
should be linked to clean water in the environment.
Second, package clean water projects
with other improvements that achieve
multiple benefits. For example, a stream
restoration project in an urban park can
be combined with road improvements,
bike lanes, street furniture, sports fields
and trails.
Third, provide better information
on the state of water resources in the
environment. In all instances, the value
of clean water, and the cost of polluted
water, must be quantified and provided
in practical terms.
Clean water is in the public interest, as
are high-quality recreation areas. Each
supports the other, and each depends on
the other. The National Municipal Stormwater Alliance (NMSA) will be dedicating a significant portion of its resources
to education and awareness targeting both
the public and decision makers in local,
state and federal government.
Funding and Financing Partnerships
It is not uncommon for an urban stormwater management project to require
input from various municipal departments, such as environment/stormwater,
streets/roads, parks and recreation, public works, wastewater treatment services,
economic development and even public
education. Finding solutions that satisfy
the competing interests of stakeholders
can be challenging, but can also provide opportunities for multiple revenue

streams and financing sources at all levels. Groups, such as NRPA and NMSA,
should work to shed light on avenues
where additional opportunities may exist
to develop synergistic approaches.
At the federal level, agencies - such
as HUD, FEMA, EPA, USDA, DOT -
various military branches and other departments and programs have an interest
in stormwater management and associated investments. These investments could
be further expanded through coordination between programs at the federal,
state and local level. Bringing park-related agencies into the fold would further
expand the capacity to leverage additional funds to meet the needs for green space
as well as stormwater management.
In addition, there has been an interest
in engaging with private partners to enhance overall investment potential. Examples include the use of urban green
space to develop and harvest lumber
(sustainably) using private investment
capital that is repaid based on lumber
sales; ecosystem services (carbon sequestration, water quality treatment, etc.),
such as being championed in cities like
Flint, Michigan, and Youngstown, Ohio;
or the use of a public-private partnership
(P3) to implement and maintain stormwater infrastructure, as is being done
in Prince George's County, Maryland.
Prince George's County is currently retrofitting up to 15,000 impervious acres

through implementation of green infrastructure on land controlled by churches, schools and parks. In these examples,
credits associated with meeting stormwater requirements could be generated
on park space and sold to private developers or to other municipal departments
that may have regulatory obligations associated with stormwater management.
The Future
The NMSA will be seeking partnerships with park professionals to improve the quality of surface waters and
change public perceptions about water.
Multi-benefit projects, improved communication with feedback on problems,
solutions and costs are needed. Funding
and financing will be pivotal - for both
parks and stormwater programs. Collectively, we can bring more resources to
bear on problems of mutual importance,
while demonstrating to the public that
such projects offer high-value returns on
investment.
Detailed references for this article are
available at www.parksandrecreation.
org/2017/November/making-stormwater-great-for-the-first-time.
Scott Taylor, P.E., is Vice President of Michael
Baker International (staylor@mbakerintl.com).
Seth Brown, P.E., is the Principal/Founder of
Storm and Stream Solutions, LLC (seth.brown@
stormandstream.com).

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