Rhode Island Watershed Approach Coordinating Council

The Rhode Island Watershed Approach Coordinating Council includes leaders from state and federal agencies, statewide non-governmental organizations, private industry and other partners, and will guide the implementation of the Watershed Approach.  The Coordinating Council provides a vehicle for promoting inter-agency collaboration as well as cooperation among a wide range of interest and stakeholder groups.  They are responsible for allocating human and financial resources to priority watershed efforts statewide.  The Partners in Resource Protection, an existing organization with broad representation from resource management organizations, will provide technical support to the Coordinating Council.

Minutes

29 November 1999    7 February 2000

Introduction: 

Jan Reitsma welcomed all of those in attendance and made opening remarks.  The meeting of the Coordinating Council reconvenes what was previously known as the Core Group, which met twice in early 1999.  It was emphasized that the Watershed Approach is not just a DEM project, but rather DEM is one partner in a larger endeavor.

 Agenda Items

 Agenda Item #1: Walt Galloway, the meeting facilitator, reviewed the agenda with the Council and stated that there were three desired meeting outcomes:

1. Support going forward with the Watershed Approach;
2. Develop bottom-up process for the future; and
3. How do we establish the Coordinating Council and proceed?

Agenda Item #2: Meg Kerr of the Coastal Resources Center provided an overview of the Watershed Approach.  The four key points to the Approach are as follows:

1)      Organized around watersheds

2)      Partnerships

3)      Integrates initiatives

4)      Community based

Agenda Item #3: Meg Kerr also presented the role of the Coordinating Council:

-          Contribute resources

-          Leverage outside resources

-          Coordinate work plans

-          Set statewide priorities

-          Get mechanisms to assure equitable implementation statewide

 Agenda Item #4: Scott Millar from the Strategic Planning and Policy office of DEM provided an update on the status of the two Watershed Approach pilots: the South County Watersheds and Woonasquatucket River Watershed.  Scott gave an example of how the Coordinating Council may work with local watershed initiatives in the future.

 Agenda Item #5: The group participated in a facilitated discussion regarding the Coordinating Council and its role in the Watershed Approach.  Three questions were posted at the front of the room to stimulate discussion:

1)      How can we work together to identify and focus resources on important statewide issues?

2)      How can we more effectively coordinate to assist and support community efforts?

3)      Who else should be part of the Coordinating Council?

(The following points were raised in discussion but do not necessarily indicate consensus.)

·         Three key roles for the Coordinating Council were presented:

1)      Providing tools to local Watershed Approach efforts (money, education, training; etc.);

2)      “Big picture” thinking (What are the gaps?  Build local capacity); and

3)      Performance evaluation.

·         The importance of involving local planners was emphasized. The role of the RI Chapter of the American Planing Association should be explored.

·         No one representing the towns was present at the meeting.  The RI City and Town Managers Association and the League of Cities and Towns may be considered for membership on the Council.

·         The Watershed Approach should not be an either/or approach in terms of top-down and bottom-up process.

·         The Watershed Approach is not the exclusive medium through which to get bottom-up issues to the top, rather it exists as an option.

·         A group in New York similar to the Coordinating Council allocated Nonpoint Source Pollution funds.

·         The Council can play a role in performance evaluation by providing templates or the watershed planning cycle (i.e. watershed action plans) and evaluation of progress

·         The importance of generating business community participation in the Approach was stressed.  Quarterly meetings may help to attract the business sector.  If complete representation from local businesses is not possible, then the Council should aim for those who have credibility in their arena.

·         Public health issues should not be excluded from the Council’s agenda.

·         Need to develop a regional or statewide vision for water quality/resources and link to watersheds.

·         The Council should try to connect with the local Chambers of Commerce (can address via the DEM Business Round Table).

·         A resource guide describing available programs should be developed for local level people and organizations that want to be active in the Watershed Approach.

·         The Partners for Resource Protection (PRP) will continue to provide technical assistance and suggest topics for the next meeting.

·         Work with the Natural Resources Conservation Service State Technical Committee to enhance the Coordinating Council.

·         Data management could be a key function of the Council.

·         Better work planning coordination should be addressed.

Agenda Item #6: Several agreements were reached by the meeting participants:

·         Consensus to participate in the Watershed Approach was reached by all members present.

·         It was agreed to meet again on Monday, Feb.7^th from 10am –12pm at DEM, Room 300.

·         A rotating chair will be responsible for scheduling subsequent meetings and developing agendas.  Paul Sams, General Manager of the Water Resources Board, volunteered to Chair the next scheduled meeting.

·         Members agreed to contact others to participate on the Coordinating Council as appropriate.

·         Joe DelVecchio and Bob Mendoza agreed to reconvene the federal partners to coordinate with the Coordinating Council.

·         A facilitator will be used in Council meetings (please note that Walt Galloway of the EPA was well received as the facilitator for this meeting).

·         The PRP will consider the idea of preparing a Resource Guide (see above) which would provide help for local interests participating in the Watershed Approach.

·         Council members will consider what they and their organizations can contribute to the Watershed Approach.

·         The PRP will summarize the meeting and send out notes and a letter to reconvene the Coordinating Council meeting.  

DESIRED OUTCOMES:

1.         Confirm commitment of people to the Coordinating Council, and establish commitment of people to the Partners in Resource Protection (PRP);

2.         Develop a process to engage other partners;

3.         Develop a process for coordination of workplans; and

4.         Agree on a process to build capacity of locals for education and outreach.

 CALL TO ORDER/INTROS/AGENDA REVIEW

 Bill Falcone opened the meeting with a welcome and introductions around the room.  The desired outcomes from the meeting were reviewed.  The Water Resources Board recorded the meeting, a sign in sheet was circulated, and the “Rules of the Road” were presented.

 “Rules of the Road”

·                     Start and end on time

·                     All ideas are valid

·                     One person speaks at a time

·                     Stick to the subject.......use sound bites

·                     OK to disagree, not to blame

·                     Start and end on time

 APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The meeting minutes of the previous Coordinating Council meeting (Nov. 29^th, 1999) were approved.

 NEW BUSINESS

 A.     Coordination of the Watershed Approach

A brief overview was given of the Watershed Approach, and in particular the roles of the Coordinating Council and the PRP, and the importance of participation in both for the Watershed Approach to work (a theme which repeated itself throughout the meeting).

§         A request was made for a visual depiction of the organization of the Coordinating Council and PRP.

 Bob Mendoza reported on the Federal Partners Meeting.

§         Next steps for the Federal Partners include reviewing planning cycles and setting priorities over the next year

 B.      Update on Priority Watersheds

A brief review was given on how the South County Watersheds Action Program had provided a context for DEM to dovetail their workplans with local needs.

Brief updates were given on the two current priority watersheds: South County Watershed Partnership and the Woonasquatucket.  A description of the Aquidneck Island Partnership was given as an example of program coordination outside of the two pilots.

 =C.     Engaging Partners

We noted as we went through the discussions of additional examples of activities which are Watershed Approach related:

 §         Source Water Assessment Program – Department of Health; it is both place and community based and will occur in every watershed statewide.

§         Fishway restoration along the Ten Mile River – Save the Bay

§         Moshassuck River assistance – Save the Bay

§         Management of Information Services initiative – Water Resources Board

§         RI Information Resources Management Board

-         Government information location service

-         RIGIS – Plans to expand into non-environmental areas such as social services

-         State could provide QA & protocols for inclusion of myriad data

§         Two ways to go about the data management initiative:

1)      Build best possible tool from start; or

2)      Begin with a project and develop  the tool with specific demands in mind

The Coordinating Council confirmed their desire for the PRP to address each of these summary areas and provide recommendations to the Council for either specific actions to support, or processes to develop specific actions – i.e. how do we actually make the RI Watershed Approach work. (see next steps below)

§         Work Plans and Budgets

§         Information systems and data management

§         Education and outreach   

§         Technical assistance and grants

§         Policy and decision making

 Next Steps— How Do We Proceed with the Watershed Approach

§         Describe connections between groups working within the Watershed Approach — PRP (first parking lot item – literally draw the connections and explain the different activities that are occurring e.g. Pawcatuck Watershed Partnership – Water Use Stakeholders Group – South County Watershed Partnership – PRP – Coordinating Council; Woonasquatucket – Urban Rivers Team – PRP – Coordinating Council, etc.)

§         Provide recommendations for decision-making bodies with involvement of local people and water users – PRP will develop process

§         Involvement of local citizens – need to develop more community-based projects

§         Representative of cities & towns - as opposed to having all the cities and towns sit on the Council

§         RI Watershed Approach framework

-          Tiered approach

-          5 year game plan

§         Must consider how the Coordinating Council can conduct joint planning/sharing of resources – PRP

§         Criteria for additional watersheds and specific projects to be brought to table — PRP will develop these

§         Accountability and consistency – Templates for watershed action plans ( specific outcomes and resources needed), evaluation  – PRP

“Parking Lot”

§         Need to describe connections of all the groups working the Watershed Approach.

§         Source Water Assessment Program  –  RI DOH volunteered to make a presentation at next Coordinating Council meeting

 Next Meeting

§         The group agreed to establish a regular meeting time of quarterly, on the second Monday of the month, which mean the next meeting is May 8, 2000, 10:00 AM-Noon, DEM Room 300.

§         Jan Reitsma, DEM Director, volunteered to be the next Quarterly Chair

§         Agenda items will be as outlined above, and Bill Falcone requested members to offer additional items via Scott Millar, DEM, since Jan is the Quarterly Chair

*Note    A full transcription of the meeting (as well as audio tape) is available by request from Connie McGreavy at the Water Resources Board.