KAMM Nature-based Solutions Summer Webinar Series Recap

Nature Based Solutions: Into the Green 2021 Webinar Recap

KAMM Nature-based Solutions (NBS) Summer Webinar Series: Into the Green explored new ways of integrating nature-based solutions into hazard mitigation planning and introduce funding opportunities available to communities in and around the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  The Summer Webinar Series showcased several subject matter experts during each of the four sessions. 

Climate change and extreme weather events are compounding the impact of natural hazards such as flooding, landslides, and heat waves. Aging infrastructure in conjunction with stronger more frequent storms are a rising challenge to communities. This “new normal” is constantly testing traditional ideas on hazard mitigation and how communities recover from disasters.

Nature-based solutions or Green Infrastructure can reduce damage from natural hazards as well as (or better than) traditional engineered projects, often at less cost.

The KAMM NBS Summer Webinars were developed with the following partnering agencies and organizations.

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Nature-based Solution Webinar Replays

Watch replays of our four NBS Summer webinars on KAMM’s YouTube channel!  

Visit the KAMM’s Into the Green webinar playlist to learn the whys, what’s, and how-to’s of utilizing natural solutions as mitigation measures.

 

 

Webinar # 1 Presentations

Who we are. Why NBS?

Link to – July 13 21 Nature Based Solutions Webinar Agenda

 

Follow the links to the presentations 

Nature-based Solution (NBS) Project Team Introductions and Infusing Nature Based Solutions Into Hazard Mitigation Plans – KY Overview – Carey Johnson

EPA Region 4 Pilot-Project Overview – Drew Parker

Kentucky Disaster Declarations and Deadlines For Grant Submission – Nick Grinstead

Our Changing World – the New Normals of KY Weather and Climate – Joe Sullivan

 

Webinar #1 Resources Handout

Link to Building Community Resilience with Nature-Based Solutions: A Guide for Local Communities

 

 

Webinar # 2 Presentations

What is NBS. Examples

Link to July 20 21 Nature Based Solutions Webinar Agenda

Follow the links to the presentations 

Nature-based Solution/ Green Infrastructure – Brooke Shireman

This presentation provides an overview of nature-based solutions that manage both stormwater quality and quantity with examples from across the commonwealth.  

Leveraging Intersections: Integrating Watershed Management & Hazard Mitigation Planning to Combat Climate Change – Mahtaab Bagherzadeh

Aligning diverse yet related management programs can be difficult for agencies where different legal mandates, programs, and work cultures can prevent obvious collaboration; however, plan integration can help to build efficiencies, improve hazard response, and reduce risks from natural and other disasters (e.g., flooding, drought, etc.).  A compelling vehicle of integration that targets the interrelatedness of natural hazards and water resource management is nature-based solutions.  Beginning with common ground shared by watershed managers and hazard mitigation planners, this presentation will explore how dovetailing watershed management planning and hazard mitigation planning can build climate resilience in Kentucky’s communities.  Link to the presentation.

Kentucky Nature-based Solutions Story Map – Perry Thomas

Together, KAMM, DOW, and other partners across the Commonwealth envision a Story Map highlighting the broad spectrum of best management practices that fit under the umbrella of nature-based solutions.  Our crowd-sourced Story Map illustrates different scales of solutions across rural, suburban, and urban areas.  Initial examples include collaborations among multiple organizations and demonstrate resulting synergies.  We invite webinar participants to contribute additional examples as we continue to build the Kentucky Nature-based Solutions Story Map.

Agriculture Water Quality Plans – Amanda Gumbert

All KY landowners farming 10+ acres are required by law to develop and implement a Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Plan (AWQP) for their farms.  An AWQP is a set of best management practices designed to protect water quality on the farm as well as support agricultural production.

NRCS – Do We Only Help Farmers?  (How NRCS Can Assist with Water Quality and Quantity Issues) – Sonya Keith

This presentation is a brief overview of various NRCS programs and opportunities that can assist local communities and private land owners with water quality and quantity problems.  Sonya will provide a high-level discussion of NRCS programs: Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations, Emergency Watershed Protection, Regional Conservation Partnership, and Landscape Initiatives.

TNC Floodplain Tool – Shelly Morris

The Nature Conservancy – Floodplain Tool: A brief overview of TNCs floodplain conservation priorities in Kentucky, and how they are evolving to address flood risk resiliency.  Also, an introduction to TNC’s Mississippi River Basin Floodplain Prioritization Tool and the opportunity to collaborate and adapt this tool specifically for Kentucky.

 

Webinar #2 Resources Handout

 

Webinar # 3 Presentations

How – Examples and Tools

Link to July 27 21 Nature Based Solutions Webinar Agenda

Follow the links to the presentations 

Kentucky Green Infrastructure and Open Space Analysis Silver Jackets project – Laura Mattingly and Rachel Byrd

The Commonwealth of Kentucky has seen an increase in flooding, and development related flooding across the state. The Kentucky Green Infrastructure and Open Space Analysis Silver Jackets project will create a geospatial suitability model to analyze existing data to prioritize areas within the state in which open space and green infrastructure would be most suited. This presentation will include an overview of the model development and what resources that will be made available once the project is complete.

U.S. EPA National Stormwater Calculator (SWC) – Jason Bernagros

EPA’s National Stormwater Calculator (SWC) is a software application tool that estimates the annual amount of rainwater and frequency of runoff from a specific site using green infrastructure as low impact development controls. This presentation will provide an overview of the tool and its analytic potential. The SWC is designed for use by anyone interested in reducing runoff from a property, including site developers, landscape architects, urban planners, and homeowners.

Community-enabled Lifecycle Analysis of Stormwater Infrastructure Costs (CLASIC): Tool Functionality and Case Studies – Harry Zhang and Sybil Sharvelle

CLASIC is an online tool that utilizes a life cycle cost framework to support feasibility and planning of stormwater infrastructure at a municipality or watershed scale. The CLASIC tool can help stormwater professionals, community planners, and local decision makers understand and weigh the estimated costs, reductions in runoff and pollutant loads, and co-benefits of various planning scenarios as they consider stormwater management projects, including under future climate scenarios

NBS Benefits Explorer -a new tool from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) – Gregg Brill

Introducing the NBS Benefits Explorer, an interactive tools for those looking to identify and account for the benefits from NBS investments. This tool helps build the business case for NBS.

Promoting Nature-Based Hazard Mitigation through FEMA Mitigation Grants & Tools – Nate Woiwode

The presentation will walk through the major components of the recently released guidebook “Promoting Nature-Based Hazard Mitigation Through FEMA Mitigation Grants” with a particular focus on (1) maximizing and capturing benefits and (2) making a project stand out in a crowded field.

Floodplain Wetlands – Bob Hawley

The mission to provide leading science, service, and solutions in the field of rivers/watersheds using an advanced interdisciplinary academic foundation and guided by sustainable principles with the belief that truly long-term solutions to river-system problems must be rooted in a natural, process-based framework.

 

Webinar #3 Resources Handout

 

 

Webinar #4 Presentations

Funding and Resources

Link to August 3 Nature Based Solutions Webinar Agenda

Follow the links to the presentations

Planning Related Activities- Ways to Integrate Green Infrastructure (GI) and Low Impact Development (LID) as Mitigation Alternatives in Local Hazard Mitigation Plans – Nick Grinstead

The presentation will provide a brief overview of FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant programs and examples of recent HMA-funded projects that included Nature Based Solutions.

Department of Local Government (DLG) Flood Control Match Fund – Aaron Jones

This presentation provides: Purpose of the Program; Types of Projects; Eligible Applicants; Matching Guidelines; and Application Process.

Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Grant Programs – Esther White

The presentation will provide a brief overview of FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant programs and examples of recent HMA-funded projects that included Nature Based Solutions.

Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) – Jory Becker

This presentation will give a brief history of the SRF for context and insight into the typical projects that are funded and how DOW prioritizes those projects for funding. You’ll learn about the calendar and process of funding, and tie in leveraging mitigation funds.

Permitting & Regulations for NBS – Alex VanPelt

Floodplains are the areas deemed the most likely to flood, and successful Nature Based Solutions requires going where the water is.  In this presentation, you’ll learn the development requirements at the federal, state, and local level for implementing NBS projects within the 1% chance floodplain.

Community Engagement and Environmental Justice Considerations – Larry Taylor

This presentation provides the history of environmental justice and an overview of the department’s processes to address environmental justice in Kentucky.

NBS Webinar Recap – Drew Parker

 

 

Mitigation Matters!  

 

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