SAVE THE BAY
Warren, RI: Wenley Ferguson of Save The Bay worked closely with the Bristol County Water Authority to initiate the Kickemuit River restoration.
For more information on this project, please reference the project highlight in the SWIG Updates section of this newsletter.
Photo Credit: Restore America’s Estuaries.
Have a photo you want to submit? Submit your photos with a short caption and photo credit with permission of the photo owner to Reilly.Adam@epa.gov with the subject “SNEP Photo Submission.”
Photos will be posted to the SNEP Photo Gallery on our website. Our favorite photo of the month will be featured in our next newsletter, so keep those submissions coming! Click to view the complete SNEP Media Gallery
YEAR IN REVIEW
Year in Review: 2022 is Now Available. SNEP is a multi-faceted program with many key partners. We’re proud to present our third annual Year in Review summary document, Year in Review: 2022, which includes contributions from the SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants (SWIG) program, the SNEP Network, the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, and the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program.
SNEP Equity Plan Now in Review. In response to a request from EPA Headquarters, SNEP was asked to develop an equity plan that details past performance on allocating funding to disadvantaged communities and lays out plans for implementing an equity strategy for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funds.
In the report, SNEP is committed to allocating a minimum of $6 million in funding to support disadvantaged communities, which represents 40% of the $15 million in BIL funds that SNEP will receive over five years (2022 – 2026).
The equity plan is currently under review with EPA Headquarters; and will be made public as soon as possible.
RFP Informational Webinar Recording Soon to be Available on SNEP Website. On January 26, the SNEP Team hosted a virtual information session for those interested in applying to the 2023 Request for Applications for Rhode Island Decentralized Wastewater Improvement Grants. A recording will be made available and posted to the SNEP website.
Save the Date!
On June 13, SNEP will host its next biennial Forum. The goal of the Forum is to engage with our community members and program partners through an introspective look at the work of SNEP to provide input on the work that our Program has completed, the work ongoing, and the work still to be done.
Take the time to make your voice heard by joining us for this free event.
Registration will open next month.
Upcoming Steering Committee Meetings. EPA will host two Steering Committee meetings this quarter. The first meeting was held on February 6 to provide an update on SNEP Network and SWIG activities.
The second meeting will be held on February 27. Discussion topics across both meetings will include: FY23 budget allocation, news about the SNEP equity plan, and updates from our Monitoring and Ecosystem Services subcommittee chairs.
Meeting notes will be posted to the