Spring is in full swing and so are we! We've been pushing forward on multiple fronts including hosting our annual Hill Day trip last week, presenting at the kick-off meeting for the development of Delaware River Basin Restoration Program, and commencing planning our annual Delaware River Watershed Forum. There's a lot packed in here, so please read on for more from around the watershed!

At a glance:

CDRW Updates: Special recognition award, Hill Day update, Forum Planning Committee - volunteers needed, DRB Program update
Watershed News: Press Highlights, NEPA Environmental Awards, PALTA Conference
Member Resources: Elevate your success through the powerful perspective of flight and a new USGS mapping tool
Events, funding, and 7 new job opportunities!

CDRW Updates

CDRW Earns Special Recognition Award – The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed will be recognized at the Water Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin's 35th Annual Recognition Dinner on April 19th for its work on the successful passage of the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act. Our allies in Congress will also be recognized for their work on the bill, including Senator Tom Carper, Congressman Mike Castle, and Congressman Frank LoBiondo.

Delaware River Watershed Hill Day a Success – Last week we hosted our Annual Delaware River Watershed Hill Day. Thirty of our members and partners traveled down with us to attend 31 meetings on Capitol Hill over two days! Our team visited every office in the Basin to advocate for strong funding for the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program and other federal programs and agencies that help us protect clean water including the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the Highlands Conservation Act. Our message focused primarily on securing funding for the newly established program for the Delaware to ensure a successful start and that money flows to important projects throughout the watershed. We also emphasized the importance of funding for federal programs and agencies across the board that help keep our nation's waterways clean, ranging from supporting Drinking & Clean Water State Revolving Funds to maintaining NRCS staff levels to implement Farm Bill programs. We collaborated with our partners at the Choose Clean Water Coalition for offices that are in both the Delaware River and Chesapeake Bay regions, which helped us convey an even stronger message on the importance of the programs that support our important water resources nationally.

THANK YOU to everyone who was able to join us on Capitol Hill! We had an amazing group of over 30 individuals, representing a wide range of organizations and regions of the Basin to help us tell a collective story about the importance of the Delaware River Watershed. We have many reasons to be encouraged that our Congressional allies will stand up for clean water and the Delaware River Basin funding during the budget process, but we must keep showing them that this is a top priority in our region.

Delaware River Basin Restoration Program – Last month we joined U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as they kicked-off planning efforts for the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program. Coalition Director Maddy Urbish presented to over 60 attendees, including many of our members, on the Coalition’s work to advance the DRBCA over the past several years. Many of our members were also invited to present, including Grant La Rouche of National Wildlife Federation, Amanda John of National Parks Conservation Association, and Mark Zakutansky of Appalachian Mountain Club. We left the meeting energized by the commitment of nonprofit and government partners to making this program a success and are excited to continue working with USFWS as they develop the framework for the program!

Join our Forum Planning Committee – Help us with planning this year's Delaware River Watershed Forum. Please contact Madeline Emde if you are interested in participating in our planning committee or have any questions.

Watershed News

In the News:

2017 Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference, May 4-6 – Pennsylvania Land Trust Association's conference this year focuses on "Where Land Meets Water". Madeline Emde will present on behalf of CDRW along with Stacy McCormack of the Trust for Public Land, on coalition building and success. To learn more or register, visit their website.

2017 Northeastern Pennsylvania Environmental Awards – Nominations are now being accepted for awards that recognize the achievements of individuals or organizations that have achieved excellence in environmental protection or conservation. Nominations are due June 16, 2017. For more information and to submit a nomination, click here.

Member Resources

Soar to New Heights with LightHawk – In sharing an aerial perspective, LightHawk flights illustrate conservation opportunities and provide partners with invaluable information. It may seem too good to be true, but their pilots donate their planes, expertise, and fuel to accelerate conservation success and LightHawk's staff help to plan and implement missions with measurable outcomes. LightHawk has worked with many organizations in the Delaware River Watershed and wants to continue their work – they encourage all members of the Coalition to contact them to learn more. For more information, visit their website or contact Jonathan Milne.

USGS Interactive Mapping Tool for Long-term Water Quality Changes – USGS has launched a new interactive mapping tool that provides a comprehensive, long-term look at changes in the quality of our Nation’s rivers and streams over the last four decades. For the first time, monitoring data collected by 74 organizations at almost 1,400 sites has been combined to provide a nationwide look at changes in the quality of our rivers and streams in the 40 years since the passage of the Clean Water Act.

Jobs/Internships

New Jersey

Camp Manager – Appalachian Mountain Club
Academic Instructor – Isles Inc
Project Director, GIS & Sanctuary/Facilities Management – NJ Audubon Society

Pennsylvania

State Director – The Trust for Public Land
Hawk Count Internship – Lehigh Gap Nature Center (application deadline April 15)
Land Stewardship Internship – Brandywine Conservancy

Delaware

Advocacy Campaign Manager – Delaware Nature Society

Upcoming Events

April
4/13 Webinar: A Unique Tool for Funding Land Conservation Projects with the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)
4/15 Musconetcong Watershed Association's Spring Clean Up
4/18 Webinar: Assembling Resource Data for Field Inventories: GIS, Imagery, and Other Tools to Get Started
4/22 24th Annal Brandywine River Cleanup
4/27 Webinar on Innovative State Water Agency Practices: Working Toward Resilience
4/28 FUDR's One Bug Kick Off Party
4/29 Darby Creek Watershed Cleanup

May
5/4   Pennsylvania Land Conversation Conference - register by April 15
5/6   Delaware Nature Society Native Plant Sale
5/6   White Clay Creek Fest
5/8   River Rally
5/11 DRBC Water Quality Advisory Committee
5/13 Love Your Park Week

For more events, check out our calendar

Funding

Schuylkill River Restoration Fund Grant Program – This grant offers up to $4,000 per project to assist transaction costs for permanent land protection projections within the Schuylkill River Watershed. This can include conservation easements, full fee acquisitions, or donations. Applications due April 17, 2017. For more information, click here.

USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program – The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will award up to $252 million dollars to locally driven, public-private partnerships that improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability. Pre-applications due: April 21, 2017. For more information, click here.

NJDEP Water Quality Restoration Grant Program – This grant focuses on issues surrounding reducing or eliminating combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and improving resiliency to storm events like Superstorm Sandy, which will be advanced by implementing NPS pollution reduction strategies, including green infrastructure, living shorelines, and environmental education. Applications due May 4, 2017. For more information, click here.

CDRW Updates 4.12.17