Lexington, Ky.–Local permaculture designer Nachie Braga, representing Geomancer Permaculture, proposed a new scoring component to the Infrastructure Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grants, which was unanimously approved by the Water Quality Fees Board at a special meeting held on Thursday, February 16. The scoring metric will allow projects to receive higher scores if they enhance tree canopies in the project area. The Division of Water Quality also recommended the Board expand Braga’s proposal to include Neighborhood Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grants. The grants are available to churches, businesses, neighborhoods, and non-profit organizations to develop projects that improve water quality. The programs emphasize the reduction of impervious surfaces such as parking lots, concrete structures, and more. With the new scoring component, projects that include a higher tree canopy will receive a higher score, incentivizing the inclusion of more trees in the project area. This initiative aims to encourage more green spaces in urban areas, as trees have been proven to provide various environmental benefits such as reducing stormwater runoff, absorbing carbon dioxide, and improving air quality. The special meeting was held at 9 am on Thursday, February 16, at 125 Lisle Industrial Avenue, where the Water Quality Fees Board voted in favor of the proposal as a one-year pilot program. With the approval of this new scoring metric, the Infrastructure Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grants and Neighborhood Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grants will provide more opportunities for organizations to improve water quality in their communities while promoting a greener environment. Under the infrastructure grant program, design and construction projects have a maximum grant award of $360,000 with a 20 percent cost share of total project cost in cash or in-kind donation. Feasibility projects have a maximum grant award of $55,000 with a 20 percent cost share of total project cost in cash or in-kind donation.... Continue Reading

This change happened a few months ago now, but the aspects of the change - incentives for increasing tree cover and the reduction of impervious surfaces in watersheds - are the kind of policy changes we can work to have instituted where each of us are. In addition, including tree planting projects in these programs and giving weight to their inclusion (say, as a scoring component for receiving grants) brings access to historically disadvantaged community groups that don’t have the financial power to permit, bid, and build large industrial systems but could organize a community planting day.