BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Rising demands threaten wetlands

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Rising demands threaten wetlands

Editorial: Make your garden a political statement | burlingtonfreepress.com | The Burlington Free Press

Editorial: Make your garden a political statement | burlingtonfreepress.com | The Burlington Free Press

Rain gardens reign -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY

Rain gardens reign -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY

Disappearing crabs change life in Chesapeake Bay - CNN.com

Disappearing crabs change life in Chesapeake Bay - CNN.com

Seattle Public Utilities -- Stormwater Facility Credit

Seattle Public Utilities -- Stormwater Facility Credit City tax credit for stormwater facilities such as rain gardens, green roofs are up to 50% of property's drainage bill.

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Think Organic Video Blog

Erica Guttman talks about the Native Plant Salvage Project in Thurston County.

Save Money - Incentive for residents to manage stormwater runoff in Portland

Portland's Clean River Rewards program (launched Oct. 31, 2006) allows residents to apply to receive a discount on their utility bill if they manage stormwater runoff. This could be a good thing to mention for people who live in Portland, where this incentive program already exists, or to inspire people who live in other areas to ask for this kind of progressive development in city management. Seems like a very good way to get residenes and comercial businesses interested in managing stormwater.

Check out the discount calculator!

copied from the website:

Registration Types

Different types of property are uniquely billed for stormwater charges. Because of this, the discount program is divided into two categories for registration purposes: residential, which includes single family and duplex properties and commercial, which includes commercial, multi-family residential (3 units or greater), industrial, and institutional properties. If you are unsure which of these categories you are being billed for, check your utility bill and look at your billing type.

Program Requirements

• You must register to receive a discount
• For residential properties, the discount is based on managing stormwater runoff from roof areas only.
• For commercial properties, the discount is based on managing stormwater runoff from both roof and paved areas.
• How you manage stormwater cannot threaten or damage property or the environment
• The maximum discount is 100% of the on-site stormwater charge.
• The discount remains in effect through June 2017. To maintain the discount, the utility account must remain active, stormwater facilities must be properly maintained and operated, and the City must be granted access to the property for limited inspections of stormwater facilities
• The city will charge penalties and retract awarded discounts if a ratepayer files a fraudulent registration.

Ratepayers that are able to manage only a portion of their stormwater runoff are encouraged to apply for the discount. Partial credit is available on a sliding scale for properties that manage any portion of stormwater on their site, including partial credits for tree coverage and a credit for residential properties that have less than 1,000 ft² of total impervious area (roofs, driveways and paved areas).

If you currently manage stormwater on your property, then you already qualify for Clean River Rewards. If you would like further assistance on stormwater management, the online technical assistance page provides ratepayers with resources on how to retrofit properties with safe and effective stormwater management techniques. Options range from simply disconnecting your downspouts to landscaped areas or rain gardens to installing drywells and soakage trenches. The City also offers workshops on stormwater management options and discount calculators to help calculate your discount.

Registration Verification

The City will process Clean River Rewards registrations without conducting a site visit to verify the accuracy of ratepayer registrations. However, the City will randomly visit sites to verify private stormwater facilities. The City may impose civil penalties and recover stormwater discounts in cases where the ratepayer has filed a fraudulent application or failed to keep their private stormwater facilities in good operating condition.

Program Costs

The Bureau anticipates that 112,000 ratepayers will apply and qualify for stormwater discounts. The first year program costs will include $10 million for discounted user fees, $9.2 million for retroactive credits, and about $2 million for accounting systems and customer support services.

Stewardship Partners

Stewardship Partners is a Puget Sound non-profit that wants everyone to install a rain garden, among other things. They've offered to help Seattle Tilth install one when they undergo a big renovation next year and they are teaching a rain garden clinic at Tilth this Wednesday.

I've emailed the Rain Garden guy, David Hymel, about economic research that they've used to make their recommendations.

Rain Garden Initiative

Black & Veatch is the environmental consulting firm that has a contract to build a rain garden program for the city of Fort Wayne, IN. From their website www.bvraingardens.com:

Rain Garden Economics 101

Rain gardens filter pollutants from stormwater run-off, lessen localized flooding during heavy storms, and enhance landscapes with native plants, but rain gardens also produce measurable economic benefits.

In Somerset, Maryland, where rain gardens were introduced in 1990, each residential property features a 300- to 400-square foot rain garden. Besides the ecological benefits and opportunity to showcase native plants, the Somerset project saved the city nearly $300,000 on curbs, sidewalks and gutters, traditional infrastructure features that were unnecessary with the addition of rain gardens.

In Seattle, an innovative project known as SEA Street for Street Edge Alternatives, transformed three blocks of a residential street into a cost-effective renovation. With 11% less impervious surface than the original roadway, the rain garden reduced construction costs substantially while enhancing the environment with 100 evergreen trees and 1,110 shrubs.

In Kane County, Illinois, researchers calculated that stormwater management in upstream areas, including the addition of rain gardens, would reduce the risk of flooding and boost property values from $14,538 to $36,345 per acre in downstream areas. The conservation initiatives would also eliminate the need for new concrete culverts, saving between $3.3 million to $4.5 million on infrastructure expenses.