The Wisconsin DNR Urban Nonpoint Source & Storm Water Management (UNPS) Planning Grant Program applications are now available on the WDNR website and are due mid-April of 2019 for the 2020-2021 grant period.
UNPS Planning Grants offer municipalities an excellent opportunity to develop plans to meet municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) and total maximum daily load (TMDL) water quality requirements. UNPS Planning Grants can be used to cost share 50% of an urban storm water planning project, up to a maximum award of $85,000.
Example storm water management plan components that UNPS Planning Grant funds can be applied to include, but are not limited to, the following:
MS4 program updates
MS4/GIS map development
Assessment of pollutant loading compared to TMDL and MS4 permit requirements
Analysis of alternatives for long-term strategic plans to reach TMDL goals
MS4 permit compliance plans
Ordinance updates
Water quality improvement initiatives for important recreation and tourism water resources
GETTING CREATIVE
Applying for a UNPS Planning Grant as a partnership offers an alternative, more creative, approach to storm water management planning. Partnerships can consist of MS4 permit groups, groups in municipalities with common interests, collaborations between municipalities and lake management districts, etc. Partnerships allow the planning effort cost to be distributed between multiple parties. Likewise, downstream implementation costs from the recommendations of the planning effort can be shared in a partnership.
GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS
R/M has extensive experience assisting municipalities with determining which plan components are necessary, as well as applying for grant funding and carrying out the planning effort to meet the municipality’s needs.
For more details on potential components of a storm water management plan or TMDL plan, attend our upcoming complimentary webinar, Cost-Conscious Strategies to Meet TMDL Goals: Partnerships and Planning on February 6th at 12 PM. This webinar will dive deeper into the ways in which you can take advantage of partnerships and long-term strategic grant planning to meet TMDL goals.
About the Author
Maureen A. Schneider
Project Engineer
Maureen is passionate about finding effective, efficient, and environmentally sustainable solutions to engineering problems. She has experience in the development of storm water management plans, stream restoration projects, regulatory permit processes, agricultural pollutant reduction program implementation, and other storm water quality improvement projects. Maureen has been with Ruekert & Mielke, Inc. since 2017.
