Presented by: Jill Spisiak Jedlicka, Director of Ecological Programs & Buffalo River RAP CoordinatorBuffalo Niagara RiverkeeperTips from the TrenchesAdministering Federal Grants

HOW ConferenceSeptember 24-25, 2010Buffalo, New York

Presentation OverviewBuffalo Niagara Riverkeeper ContextBuilding CapacityThings your mother never told you about grant managementTop 10 Tips & Lessons Learned

The Buffalo River Watershed

How do you make this.turn into this?Photo courtesy of:Photo courtesy of: Lower Lakes Marine Historical SocietyPhoto courtesy of:

19242004Photo courtesy of: Photo courtesy of:Photo courtesy of: National Aniline and Chemical COmpanyPhoto courtesy of:1951And this..to this?

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.-Margaret Mead

Buffalo River AOC- Riverkeeper ContextTIMELINE 1987-1989 RAP Stage 1/Stage 2 Completed 1987-1989 Friends of the Buffalo River (predecessor to Riverkeeper) is incorporated 1989-2003 Buffalo River RAP Coordinated by NYSDEC 2001 First major NYS grant to Friends for aquatic habitat assessment 2003- Friends granted Buffalo River RAP Management authority from USEPA 2005 Riverkeeper-Army Corps 312 Agreement, RAP Coordination extended 5 yr 2007- Riverkeeper-GLNPO Legacy Act Agreement 2010- Commence Buffalo River sediment removal with Army Corps 2010- Finalist for 5 GLRI awards = $1.9 million

Building Capacity

USEPA-GLNPO R/V MudpuppyPhoto courtesy of Buffalo Niagara RiverkeeperTheres cleaning-up...then, theres clean-up.... Pre and Post Capacity- Build a Portfolio. Staffing, volunteers, and Board members Organizational standards and requirements

Things you never knewTimeframes are never as you expect or hope for- EVER.You need unrestricted funds or overhead to get started.Whats a QAPP, a DUNS #, an SFR, an RFQ, an RFP, an MOA, an MOU, an Article 404? Ask someone.Master the art of information management- track in kind match, deliverables, and build and maintain institutional knowledge.Boilerplates for everything, then adapt.Embrace your mistakes and learn from them.

Step 1 Organize Or Re-Organize Identify local group, individual, or agency that is unequivocally committed to the restoration of your river.

Have the courage to lead and take risk, others will follow.Photo credit: Buffalo Niagara RiverkeeperPhoto credit: Erie County Historical SocietyTips & Lessons Learned

Step 2 Inform, Educate and Engage Reach out to and educate local elected officials and agency representatives.

Know your audience.

Be prepared to follow up your words with actions.

Never complain about an issue without offering a solution or next step.

Take responsibility and build credibility through small scale pilot or demonstration projects .Photo credits: Buffalo Niagara RiverkeeperTips & Lessons Learned

Step 3 Partnerships, collaborations and the art of compromise. Partnerships are only as strong as its weakest link. Try not to be the weakest link.

Invite everyone to the table, but dont compromise on what really matters.

Identify the strength and value of every stakeholder or partner and leverage it to the fullest capacity.

Challenge, inspire, mobilize, and collaborate with others who can support or derail the efforts the Team of Rivals model.

Keep the perspective- the big picture and grand vision balanced with a dose of reality. Photo credits: Buffalo Niagara RiverkeeperTips & Lessons Learned

Step 4 Celebrate & Communicate Dont be afraid to contact or utilize the local press. Public meetings, tours, presentations and invite feedback. Self promotion is never a bad thing (i.e.: completion of major grant project, signing of Legacy agreement, award of new funding). Be creative- guerilla tactics, social media, in-your face or subtle.Tips & Lessons LearnedPhoto credits: Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper

Questions?Contact:

Jill Spisiak JedlickaDirector of Ecological Programs &Buffalo River Remedial Action Plan CoordinatorBuffalo Niagara Riverkeeper(716)852-7483jedlicka@bnriverkeeper.org

The BAD NEWS:

7.1 mile slow flowing urban waterway that snakes its way through neighborhoods and former industrial brownfields in South Buffalo, New York. It drains a 440 square mile watershed that encompasses 25 municipalities and 3 counties. The mouth of the Buffalo River, at the confluence of Lake Erie and the Niagara River, served as the eastern most terminus for the Erie Canal, and was a major conduit for goods and migrants traveling between New York City and the Midwestern United States. Buffalos proximity to Niagara Falls and access to cheap hydropower, lake freighter access, and significant rail infrastructure all combined to make Buffalo one of the top ten economies in the world in the early 1900s. Heavy industry, including chemical and dye manufacturing, grain milling, oil, petroleum, and coke processing and pesticides, all crowded the 13 miles of shoreline of the Buffalo River. By 1965 the River was declared dead by the US Department of Interior, had no oxygen, only supported minimal pollutant-tolerant aquatic or benthic life, and occasionally caught fire. What began as a 5 foot deep wetland throughout south Buffalo in the 1700s transformed into a 23 foot deep, dredged navigation channel with nearly 100% hardened shoreline by the mid 1900s. Much of the surrounding land of the Buffalo River AOC is zone for light-heavy manufacturing, existing industry or brownfield and vacant land. (See Figure 1.2).

*The GOOD NEWS:clean slate:Buffalo re-branding itself as a Great Lakes city. Future economic redevelopment focus on waterfront.

BUT HOW DID THIS RESURGENCE HAPPEN? In partMargaret Mead, famous anthropologist.The Buffalo River Remedial Action Plan (RAP) All AOCs in the Great Lakes maintain either a Stage 1 or Stage 2 RAP, based on the condition of 14 Beneficial Use Impairments, or BUIs. (See Table 1.1) Each BUI was defined as being impaired, not impaired or unknown. It is the goal of all AOCs to identify and implement remedial and restoration actions in order to make progress towards delisting of the individual BUIs and ultimately the entire AOC.The Buffalo River RAP was developed between 1987-1989, at that time was coordinated by the NYSDEC but also had significant input from a handful of residents known as the Buffalo River Citizens Committee. Upon completion of the RAP document, these citizens incorporated as a non-profit organization known as Friends of the Buffalo River. The all volunteer Board consisted of local academics, citizen activists, and community leaders. The initial focus and mission of the Friends was to promote the community stewardship and education of the BuffaloRiver. During the first decade in its existence, the Friends also helped secure local, state and federal funding for three habitat restoration pocket parks along the River, developed a framework for the Buffalo River Greenway Trail, implemented a local education program called the River Rats, and coordinated annual clean-ups and festivals on the River.NYSDEC made progress on Buffalo River BUIs, primarily in the area of Inactive Hazardous Waste Site remediation and some preliminary contaminated sediment nature and extent evaluation. However, by the late 1990s/early 2000s progress had stalled on the RAP due to NYSDEC personnel resource limitations, lack of funds, and political will. In 2003, USEPA issued a request seeking out applicants to take over the role of Buffalo River RAP Coordinator. Friends applied for the grant and was awarded a two-year RAP Coordination agreement. In 2005, the Friends joined the international parent organization Waterkeeper Alliance and has since been known as Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. Riverkeeper was awarded a five-year extension for Buffalo River RAP Coordination from 2005-2010, and is currently applying to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to continue coordination for at least another three years. (Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, June 2008).

*Army Corps 312 agreement story.GLNPO invitation.Legacy Act agreement story.Honeywell invitation.RI/FS progress to date.Remedial Design to commence.****