Cooperative Agreement 95311601

DESCRIPTION:THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING TO LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT CENTER TO CREATE A MID-ATLANTIC ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE CENTER. URBANIZATION, INDUSTRIALIZATION, AGRICULTURE, AND AGING AND INADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE - COUPLED WITH THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE - POSE ONGOING CHALLENGES TO HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. WHILE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE, THE COMPLEXITY OF THE ISSUES, THE MAGNITUDE OF COSTS, AND THE LOGISTICAL RESOURCES REQUIRED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS SUCH ISSUES ARE SUBSTANTIAL AND PERVASIVE. THIS PROPOSED EFFORT WILL BUILD AND INTEGRATE INTO THE EXISTING FINANCING SYSTEM A NEW, INNOVATIVE MID-ATLANTIC ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE CENTER (MID-ATLANTIC EFC, OR THE CENTER). THE MID-ATLANTIC EFC WILL ENGAGE, EDUCATE, TRAIN, CREATE PARTNERSHIPS, FACILITATE CONSISTENT PATHWAYS TO FUNDING, AND SUPPORT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS EPA REGION 3 ON MULTI-MEDIA POLLUTANT SOURCES/ISSUES AND THE RESTORATION OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. FEDERAL FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $5,071,509 ARE CONTINGENT UPON AVAILABILITY.ACTIVITIES:THE MID-ATLANTIC EFC WILL PROVIDE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES TO ADDRESS MULTI-ENVIRONMENTAL MEDIA FINANCING NEEDS, INCLUDING WATER-RELATED ACTIVITIES. THE MID-ATLANTIC EFC WILL COVER EPA REGION 3 IN ITS ENTIRETY. THOUGH ALL COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE REGION WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MID-ATLANTIC EFC'S CAPACITY BUILDING SERVICES, IT WILL FOCUS ON COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN MARGINALIZED IN THE FINANCING PROCESS. THESE INCLUDE UNDERSERVED, ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED, RURAL, SMALL, AND/OR TRIBAL COMMUNITIES. THE CENTER'S PROJECT TEAM WILL ENHANCE COMMUNITY CAPACITY TO ADDRESS FINANCING CHALLENGES FOCUSED ON THREE FUNDAMENTAL PROGRAMMATIC AND PROJECT OUTCOMES:SUBRECIPIENT: $3,388,480 FOR FOUR SUBAWARDS TO SUPPORT THE SPECIFIC TASKS OUTLINED IN THE WORK PLAN: $1,835,322 ($367,064 PER YEAR) TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY (CGS) ; $748,549 ($149,709 PER YEAR) TO THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, URBAN SUSTAINABILITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (CAUSES) UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (UDC); $390,440 ($78,088 PER YEAR) TO INTERNATIONAL CITY COUNTY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (ICMA); AND $259,169 ($51,833) TO THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION (SRBC).OUTCOMES:ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES AND OUTCOMES INCLUDE: (1) DIRECTLY ENGAGING, INFORMING, AND ASSISTING LOCAL LEADERS, COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, AND PRIVATE SECTOR PRACTITIONERS THROUGH SUCCESSFULLY DEMONSTRATED COMPREHENSIVE LEARNING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES; (2) IMPLEMENTING THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TAP) TO CREATE A NETWORK OF LOCALLY SUPPORTED ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE SYSTEMS THAT WILL SIMULTANEOUSLY MITIGATE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME SERVE AS MODELS AND CASE STUDIES FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE REGION; (3) IMPLEMENTING THE EFC OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATION PROGRAM TO EXPAND ON THE IMPACT OF THE TAP PROGRAM BY PROVIDING LOCAL LEADERS FROM ACROSS REGION 3 WITH ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND RESOURCES RELATED TO A VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCING ISSUES; (4) AUGMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH OFFERINGS WITH COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING AND EDUCATION RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS, WHICH WILL BE PREDICATED ON TWO DISTINCT YET COMPLEMENTARY GOALS: TO NURTURE A NEW GENERATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS; AND, TO PROVIDE ONGOING KNOWLEDGE BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL OFFICIALS; AND (5) IMPLEMENTING THE ADAPTIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT ALL PROGRAM AND PROJECT RESOURCES AND MONIES ARE INVESTED MOST EFFECTIVELY. THE OUTREACH PROGRAM WILL RESULT IN THREE CRITICAL OUTCOMES: PROVIDING A MECHANISM TO FACILITATE TARGETED INTERACTION BETWEEN AND AMONG LOCAL PARTNERS, GUIDING THE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY OF ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCING LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE TOOLS AND SYSTEMS TO COMMUNITY LEADERS ACROSS REGION 3, AND CREATING