Work Plan & Progress Report - Rhode Island Department of ...

evaluation of the project submittals. EPA questioned if DEM could use some of the unexpended prior
year NPS funds to move some of these projects along? At this point Sue provided a background of the
status of NPS funds. She mentioned there was approximately $1M of grant years 2002-2005 NPS 319
money that was being worked on this year. She said 4 projects are completed and six are ongoing, and
should be completed by the end of September. There is one outstanding project in Warwick that will
not be completed by October 1. She indicated the city is in the bid stage, but does not see the work
being completed in time. She mentioned that Warwick was hit very hard with the spring flood and she
would recommend shifting some funding around to allow Warwick to complete the project. Sue would
like to discuss this matter further with Margherita. Sue indicated she anticipates all $1M NPS 319
funding from grant years 2006-2007 to be completed by September 30, 2011. NPS 319 funding from
grant years 2008 is progressing and may also be spent by September 30, 2011. Sue indicated it is
sometimes difficult to estimate the progress of municipal spending because they tend to submit bills to
DEM after the project has been completed. EPA would like to see incremental draw-downs. Sue
indicated this will be a feature in future awards where payments will be tied to specific milestones.
Margherita questioned if it was possible to use unexpended NPS funds to work on additional
Watershed plans. Sue questioned if there were any additional funds remaining in this category. She
indicated the excess funding was reprogrammed last year. The only way there might be excess funding
is if a project is completed under budget (FY02-FY07) or possibly cancelled (FY08-FY10). DEM will
not know if this happens until all the project bills are submitted. Sue indicated she would like to meet
with EPA in two weeks to review the submitted NPS projects to develop a revised list of funded
projects that makes some adjustments to the assigned funding years in order to support closing out the
FY02-FY05 PPGs as of September 2010.
Other topics discussed in this segment included:
• Margherita indicated the contractor paperwork for the Watershed Plan is under review and
should be issued in September
• EPA was looking for success stories in NPS implementation
● DEM was doing fine in providing EPA with 319 work plan and annual reports, progress in
meeting PPA/PPG metrics (GRTS, restoration of primarily NPS restored water segments)
• There is a farm in Rhode Island causing problems. DEM will be working to address the issues
• DEM may have some specific issues that are interstate that EPA can help with. There is also a
role for EPA to help in working with NRCS. There are confidentiality issues that can get in the
way of getting information. DEM supports the idea of a regional NRCS meeting.
● NPS Management Plan update: DEM is working with a committee to develop an integrated
water quality plan that would incorporate several water quality state guide plan elements
(including the NPS Management Plan) into one element of the state guide plan. It is still
anticipated that a stand alone “NPS Management Plan” will be prepared.
Wetlands
To close out the FY02-FY05 PPGs, DEM needs to request some adjustments or possible
reprogramming of funds associated with the 2002-2004 Wetland Demonstration Program Grant.
Funds are unexpended in part because of difficulties in getting the localities to complete the local
demonstration grant projects and Sue is recommending this funding (Approximately $135K in the
older program and $65 K in the Pilot Grant) be reprogrammed; with a large portion assigned to the
DEM Fish and Wildlife Division to execute a wetland restoration project on state lands managed for
wildlife habitat. She requested this funding be folded into the 2011 PPG and use the flexibility of the
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