PDE is offering up to $10,000 in financial assistance for local partners working on greening and environmental projects in urban environmental justice communities. We received 47 applications totaling $436,216.32 in funding requests. Projects are currently under review. Applicants will be notified at the end of August with funding decisions, and media announcements are planned for September.
The goal of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership (UWFP) is to restore and reconnect urban communities, particularly those that are overburdened or economically distressed, to waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies and partners. There are 22 different Designated Urban Waters Locations in this national environmental justice program. Each Urban Waters location collaborates with local community-led revitalization efforts to improve water systems and promote their economic, environmental, and social benefits.
You can learn more about Urban Waters at the federal level here. You can view the federal Urban Waters Progress Report here.
The Greater Philadelphia Area/Delaware River Watershed Urban Waters Federal Partnership Location encompasses four major cities and their surrounding urban areas draining to the Lower Delaware River:
Over 15 million people (roughly 5 percent of the nation’s population) rely on the waters of the Delaware River Basin for drinking, agricultural and industrial use, most of which are concentrated in urban areas.
View our flyer with info about UWFP and the Delaware River Location HERE.
The Delaware River Location strives to, alongside community members, revitalize and remedy aging infrastructure, a history of environmental pollution, and the brunt of increasing climate change impacts on already-vulnerable communities. Priorities for the Delaware River Location include:
View our 2023 Workplan HERE for more information about the goals and initiatives of this location.
There are many ways to be involved as an Urban Waters partner! Do you need additional resources, letters of support, or funds for a project? Do you want to get involved in our monthly meetings?
Our workgroup meetings are made up of federal, inter-state, state, and regional non-profit organizations with a goal of sharing resources for cohesive environmental justice efforts in the region. Our next workgroup meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 19, 2023 from 11am-12pm Eastern Time on Zoom.
If you are community group working on a project, the UWFP Ambassador is more than happy to write you a Letter of Support from this Urban Waters location! Click HERE to download the guidelines are email the UWFP Ambassador with your letter of support request.
The Delaware River Location also has a Community Funding Program to assist with local restoration projects such as community greening and open space revitalization. The current round of applications for awards up to $10,000 is currently closed and under review.
Please reach out to this location’s Urban Waters Ambassador, Erica Rossetti, at ERossetti@DelawareEstuary.org.
Additional resources from past meetings and from our past webinar series can be found below.
Links to digitized natural history collections reviewed on the webinar:
This virtual series provided information on environmental justice policies, present Brownfield project updates in the Urban Waters cities, and focus on community activities related to environmental justice. Click here for the detailed agenda.
This virtual series explored the state of equitable and resilient housing today, showcased local success stories, and provided a platform to bridge the gaps between communities and federal agencies so that our resources are maximized. The goal of this series was to emphasize the inclusion of collaboration and green solutions in equitably revitalizing our cities. The future can be full of green infrastructure, climate resilience, equitable accessibility, clean energy and transportation, and thriving ecosystems and economies if we connect the dots on these intersectional issues together. Click on the presentation titles under each webinar for access to the slides.