Clean Water Fund interagency systemwide meeting Clean Water

Clean Water Fund interagency system-wide meeting Clean Water Fund Interagency Coordination August 12, 2010

What brings us here today • Passage of Constitutional Amendment • Creation of Clean Water Fund (CWF) • State agency coordination • 25 -year timeframe 2

CWF Interagency Coordination Team • Charter includes: – Coordinating state agency clean water activities to achieve Clean Water Fund outcomes – Coordinating and leveraging funding opportunities to achieve Clean Water Fund purposes – Enhancing institutional knowledge for future water management activities, and – Providing consistent Clean Water Fund information for public use, reporting and administrative procedures 3

Clean Water Fund Interagency Coordination Team BWSR, MC, MDA, MDH, DNR, MPCA, PFA, U of M Team Purpose: Clean Water Fund activity coordination Clean Water Fund Coordinator Surface water monitoring / assessment Protection/ restoration strategy development Employ an integrated monitoring approach to understand the status and trends of Minnesota’s waters that will inform decisionmaking for protection / restoration development, implementation and research. Based on monitoring and assessment data, develop protection, restoration and implementation strategies (TMDLs) for Minnesota’s waters, via the state’s 81 major watersheds. Implementation Julie Blackburn, CT Liaison Rebecca Flood, CT Liaison Larry Kramka, CT Liaison Groundwater/ drinking water John Linc Stine, CT Liaison Coordinate drinking water protection and statewide groundwater sustainability efforts for drinking water and domestic use. dinate statewide protection and restoration implementation activities for non-point and point source water pollution. Coor Research and outreach Joe Martin, CT Liaison Coordinate interagency academic efforts related to research and outreach. Measures and outcomes – Deb Swackhamer, CT Liaison Create measures to report statewide outcomes of Minnesota’s water programs funded by the Clean Water Legacy and the Clean Water, Land Legacy Amendment. Communications – Jennifer Maleitzke, CT Liaison Develop coordinated communications materials that clearly and accurately describe all activities and outcomes of Clean Water Legacy Act and the Clean Water Fund. Legislative Coordinating Commission Public Information Web site

Early system-wide accomplishments • Bringing agencies together • Coordination of water quality management activities state-wide • Joint RFP, lead by BWSR • Coordinated CWF budgetary proposals 5

Questions?

Pollution Control Agency The MPCA’s mission is working with Minnesotans to protect, conserve and improve our environment and enhance our quality of life.

Surface water monitoring and assessment • Liaison – Larry Kramka, DNR • Members • Jason Moeckel, DNR • Dan Stoddard and Heather Johnson, MDA • Glenn Skuta, MPCA • Kent Johnson, Met Council • Randy Ellingboe, MDH 8

Surface water monitoring & assessment • Coordinating and optimizing MN surface water monitoring network – Moving toward integration of monitoring data and information • More than just the Clean Water Fund • TMDLs and beyond: moving toward healthier watersheds! Healthier Watersheds 9

Clean Water Fund Plus • Multiple funding sources and purposes – General Fund – Pesticide Fund – Game and Fish Fund – Met Council – LCCMR – Local Governments – EPA – More 10

Current MN monitoring network • Reasonably good monitoring coverage • Identify and clarify gaps • Data management, coordination, and sharing 11

TMDLs and beyond • 10 year cycle – systematic • Watershed scale – systems • Targeted investment Symptom Systems 12

On the Horizon • Coordination and integration of efforts • Continue tool development – e. g. IBI’s & habitat assessment • Stressor identification • Permanent (long-term) monitoring efforts to evaluate effectiveness (Link to Implementation teams and Measures/Outcomes) – Response scale and time? – Type: what’s needed? 13

Department of Natural Resources The DNR’s mission is to work with citizens to conserve and manage the state's natural resources, to provide outdoor recreation opportunities, and to provide for commercial uses of natural resources in a way that creates a sustainable quality of life.

Protection and restoration strategy development • Liaison – Rebecca Flood, MPCA • Members – Adam Birr, MDA – Steve Woods, BWSR – Dave Wright, DNR – Robert Finley & Glenn Skuta, MPCA 15

Current emphasis • Reviewing methods for developing watershed restoration & protection strategies – Targets, goals, & allocations for impaired & unimpaired waters – Priority Management Zones – Scale of resolution necessary • Integrating strategies into local water plans • Creating more opportunities for civic engagement 16

Plan to deliver recommendations • To Assessment team on nature and type of data needed for strategies • To Implementation team to influence targeted funding decisions • To Research team on research needs for strategy development 17

Progress • Revised charter • Reviewed key features of MPCA’s Watershed Approach – 10 -year cycle, stressor Identification, modeling, priority management zones, etc. • Draft White Paper describing how components fit together 18

Findings • Strategies that create strong linkages between Assessment & Implementation phases are critical • Better targeting is necessary but not sufficient for achieving goals • Effective strategies will depend on land-user input and adoption 19

Department of Agriculture MDA’s mission is to enhance Minnesotans' quality of life by ensuring the integrity of our food supply, the health of our environment, and the strength of our agricultural economy.

Implementation • Liaison – Julie Blackburn, BWSR • Members – Dave Weirens, Wayne Zellmer, Marcey Westrick, Matt Drewitz, BWSR – Jeff Freeman, PFA – Lisa Thorvig, Gaylen Reetz, MPCA – Rob Sip, Barbara Weisman, Bob Patton, MDA – Dave Leuthe, DNR – Art Persons, MDH 21

Current activities • • Have met three times Still getting organized Workplan is a work in progress Approach is to encompass implementation of CWF and non-CWF activities • Propose new title: CWF Implementation Team 22

Progress to date • Agency implementation funding program matrix • Reviewed MPCA, MDH, and BWSR implementation planning programs • Generating implementation concepts for further examination 23

Next steps and activities • Identify gaps, overlaps and conflicts between among State programs and policies and non-state sources of implementation funding • Form a sub-team to develop and evaluate the “Minnesota Recovers” implementation concept • Team will review the matrix for completeness and accuracy 24

Questions and issues • • • How should CWF implementation be coordinated with non-CWF implementation? Terms can be an issue – i. e. protection, restoration, point, nonpoint, etc. How should State agency program and policy conflicts be handled? • How can the State ensure that local governments are willing and able to be full partners in CWF implementation? 25

Department of Health MDH’s mission is to protect, maintain and improve the health of all Minnesotans.

Break time: 10 -10: 20 a. m. 27

Research • CT Liaison – Joe Martin, MDA • Members – Adam Birr and Bruce Montgomery, MDA – Joel Peterson, BWSR – Tim Larson, MPCA – Don Pereira, DNR 28

Current emphasis • Assess all past, current and/or anticipated research efforts and expenditures related to better understanding of impaired waters • Identify major gaps in understanding or assumptions of impaired waters causes and remediation efforts 29

Plan to deliver recommendations • To protection/restoration team research projects that will support strategy development • To implementation team research on implementation practices and associated effectiveness and costs • To measures and outcomes team measures for evaluating the effectiveness of CWF sponsored research projects 30

Progress • Developed a draft inventory of CWLA/CWF sponsored research projects. – Outlined plans for a comprehensive research inventory. • Identifying research gaps relative to impaired waters. – Collaborated on priorities for upcoming MDA RFP. • Discussing elements relative to protection/restoration strategy. 31

Findings • State agencies have sponsored and/or coordinated a number of research projects related to impaired waters • In some cases access to and awareness of research projects is limited • Research gaps remain relative to developing a process for identifying priority management zones 32

Board of Soil and Water Resources The BWSR mission is to improve and protect Minnesota's water and soil resources by working in partnership with local organizations and private landowners.

Groundwater / drinking water • CT Liaison – John Linc Stine, MDH • Members – Dave Leuthe and Jim Sehl, DNR – Shannon Lotthammer and Glenn Skuta, MPCA – Chris Elvrum, Met Council – Dave Weirens, BWSR – Dan Stoddard, MDA – Larry Gust and Randy Ellingboe, MDH 34

Current activities – Interagency coordination on • Data management • Groundwater and drinking water monitoring activities • Possible future interagency initiatives • Grants • Communications 35

Progress to date • Charter review and revision • Multiple areas of coordination • Updates on correlated activities such as MN Sustainability Framework (U of MN) and State Water Plan • Groundwater and drinking water management strategies 36

Questions that need to be answered • What is the best avenue for sharing water quality and quantity data among state agencies and with the public? • How should we engage citizens on groundwater and drinking water conservation and protection activities? • How can state agencies facilitate use of their resources (e. g. , for monitoring and assessment) for maximum efficiency? 37

Groundwater / drinking water • Vision of relationship between other sub teams (conversations that need to occur). – Informal meetings and communications as needed to coordinate issues of joint interest like data management and implementation 38

Public Facilities Authority The Minnesota Public Facilities Authority is a multi-agency authority that provides municipal financing expertise and infrastructure financing programs to enhance the environmental and economic vitality of the State.

Measures / outcomes • CT Liaison – Deb Swackhamer, U of M • Former members: Adam Birr (MDA) Randy Ellingboe (MDH), Shannon Lotthammer (MPCA) • Consultant: Kellie Dubay, Tetra. Tech • Members – Andy Holdsworth and David Wright (DNR), – Jeff Risberg, Brian Livingston, Dana Vanderbosch and Suzanne Hanson, MPCA – Marcey Westrick, BWSR – Sheila Grow and Tannie Eshenaur, MDH 40

Why measure systematically? • Everyone wants to know how the money is being spent and what they are getting as a result • Using adaptive management we can learn what works and what doesn’t – and be more effective in the future • If our current systems do not work, legislators and others will find alternative ways to distribute the money and decide what projects get funded • Both government and the private sector are being pushed to be more transparent

It all started with: • Clean Water Legacy Act and Clean Water Council • Multi-Agency & Stakeholder process hosted by Water Resources Center at U of MN – report 11/2008 • Clean Water, Land Legacy Amendment passed 11/2008 • Environmental Protection Agency – measures pilot • Clean Water Council Research & Measures Team • Interagency sub team – started 1/2009

Developing an Effectiveness Tracking and Reporting Framework for Implementing the Clean Water Legacy Act – Key Framework Elements: Organizational Performance Partnerships & Leveraging Environmental Outcomes Social Indicators Geographic Scale (project, watershed, region, state)

Other elements added after original framework created: Financial EPA Pilot Measures groundwater

Goal and philosophy • CAN’T MEASURE AND REPORT ON EVERYTHING • Need to collect data on key measures that show we are performing in context with other pressures

All teams connect to outcomes (and vice-versa) Groundwater /Drinking Water Strategy Implementation Research Monitoring/ Assessment Strategy Development Measures & Outcomes Communications

Challenges in front of us • Coordinating among agencies for meaningful measures and smooth communication when reporting on measures • Integrating with the new Data Portal System • Managing program areas to ensure data is collected and into the appropriate systems – following our metadata procedures • Analyze data to share key stories/trends – build understanding of multiple audiences • Communicating results in context

Next steps • “Finalize” measures and meta-data sheets for each measure • Add in measures and data sheets from other groups – research, groundwater, social indicators, wastewater • Create models to show gaps in work/thinking and manage those gaps • Create a written report that reflects work to date. • Start to operationalize as much as we can so that we can report some information and set expectations for what we can’t yet report on

Metropolitan Council The Metropolitan Council’s mission is to develop, in cooperation with local communities, a comprehensive regional planning framework, focusing on transportation, wastewater, parks and aviation systems, that guides the efficient growth of the metropolitan area.

Communications • CT Liaison – Jen Maleitzke, MPCA • Members – Cori Rude-Young, MPCA – Scott Pengelly, DNR – Jon Fure, BWSR – Margaret Mangan, MDA – Jeff Freeman, PFA – Nina Shepherd, U of M – Stew Thornley, Michele Ross, Tannie Eshenaur, MDH – Chris Elvrum, Met Council 50

Accomplishments • Developed interagency Power. Point presentation that described agency water activities • Developed a team work plan • Developed taglines and templates for joint communication products • Developed and maintain Clean Water Fund Web pages on each agency website, including agency CWF activities, joint funding opportunities, agency contacts 51

Ongoing tasks • Identify communication opportunities and execute accordingly (media pitches, web stories, op/ed pieces, joint news releases) • Collaborate with agency staff for data submittal to the Legislative Coordinating Commission public information website • Coordinate communication efforts from each sub team • Develop materials for legislative session as needed (fact sheets, presentations, reports, etc. ) • Following Amendment logo development for use by all agencies 52

Outcomes • CWF communications reflect interagency collaboration • Audiences are aware of and understand activities and outcomes of the CWF • Legislature receives timely and informational fact sheets and reports about CWF activities and outcomes • Agency Web pages and LCC site have timely, up-to-date CWF information 53

Contact your Communication Team representative when: • Interagency communication activities occur, including: - Press releases that discuss interagency activities • Or if you need communication assistance, including assistance with: - Press releases - Power. Point presentations - Fact sheets - Reports - Web updates 54

University of Minnesota Water Resources Center The WRC provides leadership in freshwater management through cutting-edge research, educational opportunities for students and professionals, and community outreach.

Table break-out discussions

Thank you Thanks to the Planning Team members: Jason Moeckel (DNR), Robert Finley (MPCA), David Weirens (BWSR), Randy Ellingboe (MDH), Adam Birr (MDA), Suzanne Hanson (MPCA), Cori. Ahna Rude-Young (MPCA) and Brian Stenquist (DNR). 57