CDRW Updates 4.22.2016

Happy Earth Day! In a truly awesome way to celebrate the environmental movement – we had several big wins for clean water and conservation, first the passing of permanent authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund in the Senate and the defeat of an amendment that would have blocked the Clean Water Rule. Thank you to all our conservation champions who have supported these important issues! Please read on for additional updates, including an important sign-on opportunity for the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act, more information on these conservation victories, and happenings from around the watershed.

CDRW Updates

Important sign-on opportunity to support the DRBCA – As many of you know, the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act would support our Coalition's shared goal of protecting and restoring the Watershed by establishing a coordinated strategy for the region and bringing in additional resources ($5 million annually for grants and technical assistance!) Consideration of the bill (also known as a markup) in committee is the next step in legislative process and crucial for this bill to reach the Senate floor.  Last June, we had our largest Coalition sign-on in support of a hearing in the House and we're able to have our first ever hearing in a House Committee - let's do it again on the Senate side!

The Coalition is sending a letter to urge the Senate Committee to consider the bill. This is a really simple way to show your support for conservation funding and efforts for the Watershed and, we hope you consider signing on. Click hereto view the letter – if you are interested please email Maddy Urbish (madeline.urbish@njaudubon.org) by Thursday, April 28th.

Land & Water Conservation Fund – Earlier this week, the Senate passed the energy bill (S. 2012) with strong bipartisan support, which included the first time permanent authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund! The Senate’s version of the bill must still be reconciled with the House’s energy bill before it can be signed into law, but this nevertheless less a big step forward!

Clean Water Win – Senator Hoeven’s amendment attacking the Clean Water Rule failed yesterday with a vote of 56-42. We had strong support again from our Watershed's Senators, with all except Senator Toomey opposing this bad amendment. Retweet us to say thanks to your reps!

America's Great Waters Coalition – As a member of the America's Great Waters Coalition (similar to CDRW but on a national level), the Coalition signed on to four joint letters sent to Senate Appropriations Subcommittees in support of funding for key agricultural conservation programs, including RCPP, and aquatic ecosystem restoration programs without policy riders that could harm these programs and our nation’s watersheds.

Member News

Earlier this month, CDRW member Trout Unlimited hosted a great roundtable discussion on the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act with Congressman Ryan Costello. Several Trout Unlimited Chapters, CDRW members, and other partners had an opportunity to share the conservation projects they are working on in Congressman Costello's district, as well as talk about the challenges they face that could be addressed by the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act.

Great Opportunity for Water Monitors - The Pisces Foundation and Intel Corporation are beginning an exciting initiative to empower citizen protection of their water by identifying how low cost technology can improve water quality monitoring. Depending on the findings, the Pisces Foundation and Intel Corporation will launch a subsequent phase of the project to help expand access to equipment, incentivize the design of new equipment, or facilitate sharing/use of data. This is a great way to connect with a funder who is interested in water quality projects. Additionally, those who participate will be eligible for a prize drawn from a random set of "prizes" as an incentive for their involvement. If you have any questions or are interested in participating, please email madeline.urbish@njaudubon.org.

Upcoming Events

From the Wilmington Earth Day Celebration to the Schuylkill Scrub this weekend is full of fun Earth Day events and volunteer opportunities. Don't forget to check out about your local breweries for events, we're seeing cool partnerships from breweries like SlyFox and Yards Brewing Co!

Spreekend (April 24-24)  –  Kayak, cycle, run, hike or walk with Sly Fox Brewing Company and the Schuylkill River Heritage Area during a full weekend of celebrating one of our area's most valuable recreational resources—the Schuylkill River Trail! - For more info on, click here.

Arbrew Day (April 29th) – Yards Brewing Co. and Tree Philly have partnered for the 3rd year to offer FREE yard trees to Philadelphians on Arbrew Day! Join them at one of 10 locations to adopt your tree, have a beer or two and do your part to increase Philly's tree canopy.

Delaware River Sojourn (June 18-25) – Registration is now open! It is for novice to experienced paddlers of all ages; participants can sign up for the whole event or for the section(s) or day(s) of their choice. This year's theme is Find Your River: Celebrating 100 Years of the National Park Service!  For more information, click here.

Book Signing (May, 7th)– Doug Tallamy will present "Bringing Nature Home" as part of the WheatonArts Ecofair. This presentation is FREE to the public and has been sponsored by the Watershed Institute as part of the CU Maurice River Watershed Stewards' Program. For more information, click here.

Funding

National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program – The U.S. Forest service has announced the 2017 U.S. Forest Service National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program Request for Pre-Proposals (RFP). The Request for Proposals addresses the following priority issues: Developing a National Urban Forestry Funding Assessment and Methodology and Understand Urban Forest Ecosystem/Ecological Services. Proposals due June 17, 2016 – for more information, click here.
 
National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced funding to acquire, restore, and enhance wetlands in coastal states through competitive matching grants to state agencies. Ranking criteria for proposals include describing how the proposed project addresses climate change concerns, how it will be affected by climate change impacts, and references to any relevant plans and models.  Proposalsdue June 29th  –For more information, click here.

Jobs/Internships

Partnership for the Delaware Estuary is seeking a full-time Science Planning Specialist to aid in collecting, tracking, and reporting of watershed-based data needed for the National Estuary Program. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit a resume and names/addresses of two references by May 11th. For a full job description, click here.

The Nature Conservancy has several job openings in the Watershed including a Land Steward in Long Pond, PA (application deadline April, 28th) and a Water Fund Program Manager in Wilmington, DE (application deadline April, 24th). For more information, on these and other opportunities, see their job page.