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1) Next Communities Initiative 3) Conservation Lands (GIS) Portal 4) Scenario Modeling Evaluation 5) LID Evaluation and Promotion 6) Infrastructure Forecasting Models 7) Stormwater Utility Assistance 8) Follow-up to the Blaine House conference on Natural Resources 9) Collaborative Environmental Services
1) Next Communities Initiative. There are many smart growth tools available to local land use decision makers and stakeholders, everything from model ordinances to financial tools. However, skills for implementation of these tools are sometimes lacking. The Next Communities Initiative trains community leaders in the skills necessary to make constructive change happen in their towns. We have developed a curriculum to help participants explore the values they feel are important in relation to their own community; to teach people to think through trade-offs and compromises that come into play when doing land use planning; and to teach community leaders step-by-step methods to make change happen at the local level. The curriculum is more about the democratic process than the principles of smart growth in particular. We have delivered the curriculum as a three-day workshop three times: in Rhode Island, Maine, and Massachusetts. We are now working with municipal associations to deliver the curriculum to their memberships in several New England states. 2) A Library of Case Studies. One obstacle to smart growth across New England is that so few "smart" developments have been built in the past three-quarters of a century. Here and there on the New England landscape they are beginning to appear, however, and as they do it is important we learn how and why they do. The EFC is developing a series of case studies as the basis for both establishing the causes and means of these developments, and as useful tools for instructing others how they may be replicated on the landscape. The cases are being identified in collaboration with EPA Region I and, as they are completed, are posted on the EFC website in an accessible and interactive format for "lay planners" to use (click here to see case studies posted to date). 3) Conservation Lands (GIS) Portal. The EFC's online conservation lands portal has recently been updated by with cutting-edge webservices technologies, and has been beta-tested by the MA Office of GIS and others. The EFC is now working with government and other contacts around New England to assist in incorporating portions of the tool where possible into existing agency programming for digital conservation lands data management. In each state where such incorporation becomes possible, the EFC will additionally network with land trust and municipal organizations to raise visibility of the tool and encourage its use. 4) Scenario Modeling Evaluation. "Scenario planning" has been described as the art of storytelling applied to the future. In an era where newspapers go unread and comprehensive plan update meetings go unattended, scenarios provide a new and accessible tool for thinking about implications of the choices we make today. The approach is to determine possible outcomes for a region 20 or 30 years into the future, based on good or bad decisions made today. Then the essence of what life might be like in each 'scenario' is captured using scripts, actors, directors, and film producers. This has been done most effectively by The Valley Futures project in southern California (www.valleyfutures.org). We are conducting preliminary work for a similar effort in New England. Steps include communicating with interested parties to discuss potential audiences for the effort, what the first several future scenarios might look like, likely costs of the effort, and how it would be administered. 5) LID Evaluation and Promotion. While many groups throughout New England are involved in efforts to promote Low Impact Development (LID), the EFC sees a beneficial role in fostering better understanding of the economics and financial components of this development approach. Current work involves: 1. Inventory what LID projects are now on the ground or in the process of being built in New England, and maintaining a database for tracking and contact purposes. 2. Interviews with selected developers in Maine and other New England states to gain insights on what financial and other factors influence their decision-making on whether to incorporate LID features into their projects. 2. Research, develop and promulgate approaches for financing and managing long-term maintenance of LID features; and 4. Conducting a financial analysis of LID costs and benefits based on New England case studies. 6) Infrastructure Forecasting Models. As part of the development of a state water plan, New Hampshire is interested in what approaches may exist for determining future infrastructure needs for water and wastewater systems - other than the surveys conducted periodically by EPA. The State is particularly interested in what approaches might better serve and account for smaller water and wastewater systems. This involves a literature search of approaches used by other states and regions, and critique them based on such factors as cost, sampling methods, and level of detail and accuracy. 7) Stormwater Utility Assistance. We are reserving time to provide selective technical assistance and respond to inquires regarding stormwater utilities. Several Portland, Maine, area communities are moving forward on stormwater utilities, and the concept is being discussed elsewhere in New England. We are promoting the approach, continuing to work with Maine's Interlocal Stormwater Working Group, revising our existing stormwater options report to appeal to a broader audience, attending meetings and workshops on the topic, and providing information to decision-makers. 8) Follow-up from the Blaine House Conference on Natural Resources. Since 2004 an EFC representative has served as Chair of a "Steering Committee to Oversee Implementation of Recommendations from the Blaine House Conference on Maine's Natural Resource-based Industries." The Steering Committee has overseen significant progress on implementation of most of these recommendations by the executive agencies directly responsible. The EFC is continuing this chairmanship, overseeing implementation of additional recommendations and activities of the Steering Committee. These activities include creation of a report on Maine's Green Infrastructure and organization of the second full Blaine House Conference on Natural Resources, in 6/07. 9) Collaborative Environmental Services. Following release in March 2006 of our video "Growing Together: Consensus Building, Smart Growth, and Community Change", and the six or so facilitated public discussions around the video, numerous requests for the video have come in along with inquiries about our availability to help convene and facilitate consensus-building processes. We are reserving staff time to respond to some of these opportunities through our existing Collaborative Environmental Services program. On a case-by-case basis we will examine opportunities to serve as a neutral convener.
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