Last chance to grow your water business & water policy updates

​​​​​Here are the latest news stories in local and national water policy for July. Scroll to the end for a list of water grants and RFPs to keep on your radar.

In The News

40,000 Louisiana Homes At Risk Of Chronic Flooding In 30 Years 
WWNO, Union of Concerned Scientists
A new report released by the Union of Concerned Scientists has dire protections for real estate at risk of chronic flooding in Louisiana and nationwide. The report, Underwater: Rising Seas, Chronic Floods, and the Implications for U.S. Coastal Real Estate, estimates that more than 300,000 homes and commercial properties nationwide will be at risk of chronic flooding in the next 30 years, defined as flooding that occurs 26 times per year or more; more than 40,000 of those properties are located in Louisiana, primarily in Terrebonne, Lafourche, and St. Charles Parishes. These findings raise serious questions about how coastal communities will cope with these losses to property value, given that property tax bases help fund schools, emergency services, and infrastructure repairs. Communities will need to adapt to contend with increasing flood risk, but in order to access the capital needed for mitigation measures, they will increasingly need to show they are making smart investments in resilience to maintain their credit ratings. The Union of Concerned Scientists has also released a data viewer, which allows users to view the impact of different sea-level rise on coastal communities across the country.

With slower moving storms, Louisiana’s flooding worries stronger than ever
The Advocate, Nature ​
A new study published in the journal Nature concludes that tropical storms are moving more slowly, dropping more rain as they move over land. Climate change, with warmer sea and air temperatures, means more moisture to fuel storms and increased intensity of rainfall. The study shows that tropical cyclone storm speed decreased globally by 10 percent between 1949-2016, with a 20 percent slow down over land areas in affected by storms in the North Atlantic. This slow down can have devastating effects, as seen with the “unprecedented rainfall totals associated with the ‘stall’ of Hurricane Harvey over Texas in 2017 [which] provide a notable example of the relationship between regional rainfall amounts and tropical-cyclone translation speed.” This is bad news for Louisiana, which has experienced significant flooding in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas due to rainfall.

New Report Release: Advancing One Water Through Arts and Culture
US Water Alliance
The US Water Alliance released a new report, Advancing One Water Through Arts and Culture: A Blueprint for Action, in partnership with ArtPlace America. The study, which includes local input from advisors Tyler Antrup (New Orleans Office of Resilience and Sustainability) and Jayeesha Dutta (StoryShift at Working Films), outlines how water sector leaders and artists can engage in cross-sector collaboration to advance a One Water approach to water management. It builds upon ArtPlace’s Farther, Faster, Together: How Arts and Culture Can Accelerate Environmental Progress, as well as the US Water Alliance’s One Water Roadmap and An Equitable Water Future.

More Water Headlines

• Ready or Not, Here Comes the Rain
• Louisiana hopes new oyster leases will ease pain of coastal restoration efforts
• Flood insurance extension advances
• Rising Risks: Baton Rouge emerges from devastating floods to lead the battle against rising water
• ‘Minimally acceptable’ N.O. flood protection system may not be as dire as it sounds
• SBA loan fix, federal flood-recovery changes floating through U.S. Senate could benefit Louisiana homeowners
• City Council demands records on Sewerage & Water Board billing system
• New Orleans S&WB picks new CFO in 1st permanent executive hire since August floods
• Industrial Canal has been a nightmare for residents | Opinion
• ‘People just give up’: Low-income hurricane victims slam federal relief programs
• ​​How New Orleans is Using Maps to Plan for Climate Change

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

• Propeller Startup Accelerator | Deadline July 22 – ​Propeller’s three month program for coastal, water management, or water industry businesses is still accepting applications. More information and apply here.  
• Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants Forum – FEMA is seeking input on hazard mitigation practices, project success stories, and lessons learned from the grants process through an online forum. Several ideas about safe rooms, drainage grants, and mapping finalization processes have been submitted seeking peer-to-peer input and comments. A wide-range of representatives from federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector are encouraged to contribute thoughts and opinions which will help other hazard mitigation counterparts across the country. Participate here.
• Gulf of Mexico Request for Proposals | Deadline July 31 – ​The EPA’s Gulf of Mexico Program is soliciting proposals that address water quality improvement; coastal habitat and ecosystems enhancement, restoration and/or protection; environmental education and outreach; and community resilience in the Gulf of Mexico region and its watersheds. Apply here.  
• Our Town Grant Program Request for Proposals | Deadline August 9 – ​Our Town is the National Endowment for the Arts’ creative placemaking grants program. These grants support projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes. Successful Our Town projects ultimately lay the groundwork for systemic changes that sustain the integration of arts, culture, and design into strategies for strengthening communities. Apply here.  ​
• New Orleans Tricentennial: Lots To Celebrate | Deadline August 17 – this initiative supports the creation and implementation of temporary public art and community event projects sited on New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) owned vacant lots in Orleans Parish. Proposed project lifespans can range from one day to several months and can include, but are not limited to: site specific art installations, community-focused events, and performing arts exhibitions. This application is intended for individuals and organizations seeking to temporarily activate vacant lots owned by NORA through creative programming interventions that highlight the culture and history of the surrounding community while celebrating the Tricentennial. NORA is accepting applications on a rolling basis through August 17, 2018. Apply here.  
• Teaching Responsible Earth Education (TREE) – ​TREE is hiring Part-Time Earth Educators (Overnight Programs), Part-Time Earth Educators (Day Program), Full-time Assistant Coordinator (Overnight Programs), and Full-time Assistant Coordinator (Day Program). More information here. 
• NOLA Ready has partnered with ISeeChange to distribute rain gauges to community leaders. Track rain data in your area, submit photos of flooding, and talk to your neighbors about rain and flood risk. Sign up here.