SNEP JANUARY UPDATES
Charlestown, RI: Dr. Alissa Cox educating University of Rhode Island students in her Principles of Onsite Wastewater Treatment course on sampling advanced on-site wastewater treatment systems (OWTS). OWTS are a primary focus of the Town of Charlestown SNEP Pilot Watershed Initiative. An update on the Charlestown PWI will be included in our upcoming Year in Review release. Photo credit: Matthew Dowling.
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
Program Updates
The SOAR Fund is Gearing Up for FY24. SNEP is preparing to recompete the SNEP Opportunity to Advance Resilience (SOAR) Fund this year. While a release date has not yet been announced, prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to begin developing project ideas and to establish community partners early in the process as they relate to the mission of the SOAR Fund: to improve and support the resilience of disadvantaged communities throughout the SNEP region with meaningful community involvement as it relates to the design and implementation of projects to address the anticipated effects of climate change and the historic, long-term impacts of environmental and social injustices.
SNEP is asking for your help to spread the word about this exciting funding opportunity and to help us reach applicants and communities that have not previously worked with our Program. The SOAR Fund is specifically designed to reduce the burden of applying for federal funding and to encourage new applicants (defined as those who have not received EPA funding within the past 5 years) to apply.
For more information, prospective applicants are encouraged to review the FY23 solicitation, which is now archived on grants.gov. More information will be made available later this year.
Steering Committee Notes Now Available from December Meeting. On December 1, the SNEP Steering Committee met in-person at the New Bedford Public Library for its first meeting of the fiscal year. The Steering Committee is made up of key partners throughout the region with a mandate to advise on the direction of the Program. During this meeting, the Steering Committee discussed: the state of the region report slated for release in 2025, the FY24 budget, plans for the upcoming SNEP Symposium, review of the SNEP Forum and salt marsh workshop, and the planned renewal of the SNEP Network. Meeting notes are now posted to the SNEP website.
Ian Dombroski on Detail. Beginning January 15, Ian Dombroski – our SNEP Program Coordinator – will be on a four-month detail at the EPA Chelmsford Laboratory. Ian will be temporarily serving as the Regional Science Liaison for EPA Region 1 and will coordinate research efforts between the Region and EPA’s Office of Research and Development. We wish Ian well on this exciting new endeavor! In Ian’s absence, SNEP Communications Coordinator, Adam Reilly, will be standing in as the interim SNEP Coordinator until Ian’s return in May. He can be contacted via email at Reilly.Adam@epa.gov.