Local Government Resources
Quick Links:
Information and Technical Assistance Providers
Publications
Environmental Laws and Regulatory Compliance
Funding Resources
Training Opportunities and Resources
Model Ordinances
Misc. Tools and Resources
| Information and Technical
Assistance Providers |
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American Water Works Association
An international nonprofit scientific and educational society
dedicated to the improvement of drinking water quality and supply.
www.awwa.org
Center for Watershed Protection
Provides objective and scientifically sound information on effective
techniques to protect and restore urban watersheds. Also serves
as a technical resource for local governments around the country
to develop more effective urban storm water and watershed protection
programs.
www.cwp.org
Conservation Technology Information Center
A non-profit, public-private partnership working to equip agriculture
with realistic, affordable, and integrated solutions to environmental
concerns.
www.ctic.purdue.edu
EPA Center for Environmental Information and Statistics
EPA's one-stop source providing public access to EPA's information
resources so that individuals, communities, businesses, and other
organizations can obtain these data, learn about their quality,
potential applications and limitations, and then apply them in
ways that enables them to protect public health and safeguard
the natural environment. Environmental Profiles are available
for each state, county, and territory in the United States. You
can find information on air quality, drinking water and surface
water quality, and the management of hazardous waste and toxic
chemicals in a county.
www.epa.gov/ceis
EPA Community-Based Environmental Protection
Community-Based Environmental Protection integrates environmental
management with human needs, considers long-term ecosystem health,
and highlights the positive correlations between economic prosperity
and environmental well being.
www.epa.gov/ecocommunity/
EPA EnviroFacts Warehouse
The Envirofacts Warehouse allows you to retrieve environmental
information from EPA databases on Superfund sites, drinking water,
toxic and air releases, hazardous waste, and water discharge
permits. The site features online queries to retrieve data or
generate maps of environmental information.
www.epa.gov/enviro/index_java.html
EPA EnviroMapper
Offers a dynamic way to use maps to see environmental information
online. Users can create a custom map of any U.S. area, featuring
the types of environmental and geographic information they select.
www.epa.gov/enviro/html/em/index.html
EPA Office of Water
EPA's main Internet site for water-related information and resources.
The site offers access to dozens of water-related topics, including
water pollution and water quality, drinking water protection,
groundwater protection, industrial wastewater, municipal wastewater
treatment, and much more.
www.epa.gov/ow
EPA State, Local, And Tribal Environmental Network
Provides links to EPA information and resources for state and
local governments. Features include:
- The Mayor's Desk - a one stop shop for mayors who have questions
about EPA programs, policies and procedures;
- Grants & Finance;- Environmental Topics - links from A
to Z on environmental protection;
- Contacts - state environmental agencies, EPA people locator,
and organizational chart;
- Tools & Technical Assistance - training centers, case studies,
software, technology transfer, and;
- Laws and regulations
www.epa.gov/epahome/slate.htm
Ground Water Protection Council
A nonprofit organization representing state and federal groundwater
agencies, industry representatives, environmentalists, and concerned
citizens - all dedicated to the protection of the nation's groundwater
supplies.
http://gwpc.site.net
Kansas Rural Water Association
Provides leadership and educational opportunities to help its
municipal and rural water district members and other professionals
wisely manage water and wastewater resources.
www.krwa.net
Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN)
A clearinghouse for local governments providing environmental
management, planning, and regulatory information.
http://lgean.org
Midwest Assistance Program
Provides training and technical assistance to small communities
to facilitate improvements in water, wastewater, solid waste
management and community development.
www.map-inc.org
National Association of Counties - Environmental Programs
Provides county officials with best practices, information, and
technical assistance on a variety of environmental issues, including
nonpoint source pollution, watershed management, and source water
protection.
www.naco.org/programs/environ/index.cfm
Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials
Teaches local officials about the sources and impacts of nonpoint
source pollution, how different land uses affect water quality,
and what towns can do to protect water quality.
www.canr.uconn.edu/ces/nemo/
Water Environment Federation
An international not-for-profit educational and technical organization
of over 40,000 water experts.
www.wef.org
Waterways Restoration Institute
www.urbanstreamrestoration.com
| Publications |
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Better Site Design: A Handbook for Changing Development Rules
in Your Community
The companion guide to Consensus Agreement on Model Development
Principles to Protect our Streams, Lakes, and Wetlands (see Model
Ordinances). Provides detailed rationale for each of the principles
and examines current practices in local communities, potential
barriers to implementation, economic and environmental benefits,
and case studies from across the country. Consensus Agreement
on Model Development Principles to Protect our Streams, Lakes,
and Wetlands.
www.cwp.org
www.cwp.org/publicat.htm :Outlines
22 principles and presents a basic rationale for their implementation.
Choosing an Environmental Consultant
Provides a brief overview of issues to consider when selecting
an environmental consultant.
www.kdhe.state.ks.us/pdf/doe/ze8009.pdf
Ecologically Based Municipal and Use Planning
Provides nuts and bolts solutions for controlling urban sprawl,
emphasizing the integration of federal, state, and local land
use plans. The book discusses ecological resources and provides
practical solutions that municipal planners can implement immediately
and how scientific data can be applied to the local and use planning
process.
www.crcpress.com
Environmental Planning for Small Communities:A Guide for Local
Decision-Makers
Outlines a process for developing a community environmental plan.
www.epa.gov/ordntrnt/ORD/WebPubs/smallcom.pdf
Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Introduction for Public
Agencies Manual
Provides decision-makers the tools to learn how to implement
a geographic information system. Provides essential background.
www.ctic.purdue.edu
Getting in Step: A Guide to Effective Outreach in Your Watershed
Provides tools to develop and implement an effective watershed
outreach plan.
www.statesnews.org/clip/policy/step.pdf
Green Development: Literature Summary
and Benefits Associated with Alternative Development Approaches
Includes information on environmentally sensitive infrastructure
program and projects, case studies on urbanizing suburbs, model
ordinances and plans, and environmentally friendly transportation
plans.
www.smartgrowth.org/bibliographies/greenlit_search/green_lit.html
Guide to Environmental Issues
Offers basic information on numerous environmental topics. Frequently
asked questions are answered in plain English, and an extensive
glossary gives non-bureaucratic definitions for more than 200
environmental terms.
www.epa.gov/epadocs/guide
How to Hire an Engineer
This step-by-step guide helps small communities through the difficult
task of hiring an engineering consulting firm.
www.map-inc.org
Low-Impact Development Design Strategies: An Integrated Design
Approach
Describes a radically different approach to conventional stormwater
management that combines a hydrologically functional site design
with pollution prevention measures to compensate for land development
impacts on hydrology and water quality.
www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lidnatl.pdf
Nonpoint Source Pollution: A Guide for Local Governments
Intended to help local governments understand nonpoint source
pollution and assist in the development of strategies to prevent
or minimize its effects.
www.planning.org/bookstore
Protecting Drinking Water: A Workbook for Tribes
Includes information on the importance of protecting both surface
and groundwater from pollution and provides a step-by-step workplan
for tribes interested in developing their own water protection
plans.
www.water-ed.org
Protecting Floodplain Resources: A Guidebook for Communities
Includes discussions on the history of floodplain and natural
resource management; multiple uses of floodplains; planning for
resource protection and restoration; and four case studies.
www.epa.gov/ncepihom
Public Involvement in Environmental Permits: A Reference Guide
A valuable resource for communities and local governments who
want to learn more about environmental permits and when they
can engage in the process. Particularly useful for local governments
seeking to develop methods of conducting public participation.
www.epa.gov/permits/publicguide.htm
Public-Private Partnerships for Environmental Facilities: A Self-Help
Guide for Local Governments
A practical guide designed to give local officials the key information
necessary to establish public-private partnerships.
www.ntis.gov
Putting Together a Watershed Management Plan Guide
Describes the process of putting together a plan that all with
a stake in the watershed can agree to implement.
www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/Brochures/PutTogether.html
Restoring Streams in Cities: A Guide for Planners, Policymakers
and Citizens
Offers alternatives to traditional practices that can be used
both to prevent and repair ecological damage to streams.
www.islandpress.org/books/bookdata/reststr.html
Site Planning for Urban Stream Protection
Explains new concepts and terminology for transforming outdated
subdivision codes into more environmentally sensitive and economically
attractive development criteria.
www.cwp.org
Solid Waste in Rural Communities: A Decision-Makers Guide to
Water Pollution Prevention
www.rcap.org
Source Water Assessment Using Geographic Information Systems
Provides guidance to municipalities and public water utilities
for assessing source waters using geographic information system
(GIS) technology.
www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/wswrd/SWAPJ18.PDF
State and Federal Water Programs 1999
Provides program descriptions, authorities, and contacts for
state and federal agencies with water resource responsibilities.
www.kwo.org
Stormwater:The Journal for Surface Water Quality Professionals
A publication for professionals working in the area of surface
water quality and stormwater management.
www.forester.net/sw.html
Tapping Your Own Resources: A Decision-Maker's Guide for Small
Town Drinking Water
The basic premise of this workbook is that a well-managed system
can continue to supply safe, affordable drinking water for most
small and rural communities.
www.natat.org/ncsc/Pubs/Environment2.htm
Treat it Right: A Local Official's Guide to Small Town Wastewater
Treatment
Intended to help decision-makers become more "educated consumers."
http://natat.org/ncsc
Water and Wastewater Services: Meeting Current Challenges
Discusses how to provide water and wastewater services in the
face of aging infrastructure, rigid federal requirements, and
rising demand for service expansion.
http://icma.org
Water Quality: A Catalog of Related Federal Programs
This catalog provides information on federal programs and initiatives
to help states, municipalities, and individuals protect and improve
surface and groundwater threatened by pollution.
www.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=gao&docid=f:rc96173.txt.pdf
Water Quality Information Center
Provides electronic access to a broad range of information on
water quality and agriculture.
www.nal.usda.gov/wqic
A Watershed Approach to Urban Runoff: Handbook for Decision-makers
A handbook for local officials and citizens that outlines the
process for understanding your watershed; the watershed management
approach to assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating;
an overview of assessment and management tools; and provides
detailed insights into best management practices and sample site
plans.
www.terrene.org
Visual Tools for Watershed Education
A report that focuses on how visual tools such as maps, graphics,
models, and stories can help leaders, teachers, and the media
communicate meaningfully on the concept of watersheds.
www.neetf.org/pubs/watershedfinal.pdf
| Environmental Laws and Regulatory
Compliance |
|
EPA Major Environmental Laws
www.epa.gov/epahome/laws.htm
Kansas Statutes
Kansas Statutes include a variety of sections related to water
quality protection, including water pollution control and surface
water quality standards.
www.kdhe.state.ks.us/pdf/regs/28-15.pdf
Plain English Briefs of Environment Laws
http://lgean.org/html/english.cfm
Plain English Regulatory Guides & Fact
Sheets
http://lgean.org/html/englishreg.cfm
Profile of Local Government Operations
This guide is designed to assist local governments in achieving
compliance with federal environmental laws.
http://es.epa.gov/oeca/sector/#localgovt
Regulations Affecting Local Government Operations
http://lgean.org/html/lgo/toc.html
Everything You Wanted to Know About Environmental Regulations...But
Were Afraid to Ask - A Guide for Kansas Communities
A quick reference to environmental regulatory issues facing Kansas
communities of 10,000 or less.
www.kdhe.state.ks.us/environment/evrythng.html
| Funding Resources |
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Catalog of Federal Funding Sources for Watershed Protection
Highlights nearly 70 federal funding sources (grants and loans)
that may be used at the local level to fund a variety of watershed
projects.
www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/fund.html
Federal Funding Sources for Small Community Wastewater Systems
The publication contains 10 fact sheets of possible funding sources
to help small, rural communities attain adequate wastewater systems.
The fact sheets provide information on the types of help each
program offers, what projects are funded, who is eligible, and
how to reach the program contacts to apply for the funds.
www.epa.gov/owm/eparev.htm
Financing Models for Environmental Protection: Helping Communities
Meet Their Environmental Goals
Describes several methods for financing public environmental
facilities and projects through the use of public-private partnerships.
www.ntis.gov
Funding Sources for Water Quality
Describes a variety of federal funding programs for water quality
protection.
www.nal.usda.gov/wqic/funding.html
Guidebook of Financial Tools: Paying for Sustainable Environmental
Systems
Features 340 tools for governments and the private sector to
use to pay for environmental programs, systems and activities.
www.epa.gov/efinpage/guidbk98/index.htm
State and Local Government Guide to Environment Program Funding
Alternatives
Provides information to resolve two types of funding shortfalls:
capacity (program personnel) and capital infrastructure needs.
www.bts.gov/NTL/DOCS/322PFA.html
| Training Opportunities and
Resources |
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EPA Drinking Water Academy
Source of training courses and materials and other information
to support Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) implementation efforts
by state and local governments.
www.epa.gov/safewater/dwa.html
EPA Watershed Academy
Provides training and information on implementing watershed approaches
to local officials and private practitioners of watershed management.
Sponsors training courses and develops training materials; it
also publicizes watershed-related training materials developed
by others.
www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy.htm
EPA Watershed Academy 2000
Offers a distance learning program of self-paced training modules.
www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/acad2000.html
Inventory of Watershed Training Courses
Provides one-page summaries of 180 watershed-related training
courses offered by federal and state agencies, as well as resource
professionals in the private sector. (1998, Publication # EPA
841-D-98-001)
www.epa.gov/OWOW/watershed/wacademy/catalog.html
Kansas Environmental Leadership Program
A training program featuring activities and resources that combines
the most current in leadership studies and practice with current
thinking and research on water and water quality.
www.bae.ksu.edu/kelp
National Environmental Training Center for Small Communities
Provides environmental training to improve drinking water, wastewater,
and solid waste services in small communities.
www.estd.wvu.edu/netc/NETCSC_homepage.html
Watershed Training Opportunities
Describes watershed training opportunities sponsored by EPA's
Watershed Academy, including training courses, publications,
watershed management facilitation services.
www.epa.gov/OWOW/watershed/wacademy/wtopps.html
Working at a Watershed Level
An introductory watershed training course based on principles
of watershed ecology, analysis, planning, management and community
involvement.
www.epa.gov/OWOW/watershed/wacademy/interfed/shedcors.html
| Model Ordinances |
|
City of Lawrence, Kansas Draft Stormwater Ordinance
www.lawrenceks.org/stormwater/pdf/040301pollution.pdf
Consensus Agreement on Model Development Principles to Protect
our Streams, Lakes, and Wetlands. Outlines 22 principles and
presents a basic rationale for their implementation.
www.cwp.org
Local Ordinances: A User's Guide
Preparing local ordinances and regulating new development comprise
the theme of this comprehensive guide for local planners. Each
chapter gives the scientific, environmental and regulatory backgrounds
and basic problem associated with each issue, and concludes with
ideas for creating a community ordinance that can help developers
and citizens protect water quality and conserve wildlife and
habitat.
www.terrene.org
Model Ordinance for Wetland Protection
Covers applicability and non-conforming activities, permit requirements,
standards and procedures for permits, sanctions for violations,
and enforcement procedures.
http://bookstore.icma.org
Model Ordinances on the Web
Features real-world and sample ordinances intended to provide
language and ideas that communities can incorporate when constructing
an ordinance for their local area.
www.cwp.org/
Model Ordinances to Protect Local Resources
Provides information needed to develop effective resource protection
ordinances. Includes model ordinances to serve as a template.
www.epa.gov/owow/nps/ordinance/
Turning Rain Into Recreation:Lenexa's New Approach to Storm Water
Management
www.ci.lenexa.ks.us/Stormwater/index.html
| Misc. Tools and Resources |
|
Data Access and Support Center
Maintains the state's database of digital spatial information.
This information is used in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
to create electronic maps.
http://gisdasc.kgs.ukans.edu
Environmental Planning for Small Communities
A software program offers a complete one-stop introduction to
a wide range of environmental issues and decisions that affect
small to medium-sized communities.
www.epa.gov/glnpo/seahome/trilogy.html
EPA Grant Writing Tutorial
This interactive software tool walks the user through the grant
writing process and helps them learn to write more competitive
grants.
www.epa.gov/seahome/grants.html
EPA National Environmental Publications Internet Site
EPA's largest electronic documents site allows you to search
view and print, including full images of all original pages and
full-text, from a collection of over 7,000 archival and current
documents. This collection may include documents that are no
longer available in print form.
www.epa.gov/ncepihom/nepishom
EPA National Service Center for Environmental
Publications
A
clearinghouse for EPA publications .
www.epa.gov/ncepihom
Farm-A-Syst /Home-A-Syst
Supports the voluntary efforts of farmers, ranchers, and urban
and rural residents in protecting the quality of the environment
by building awareness of how activities pose pollution risks,
as well as the importance of water quality and environmental
protection.
www.wisc.edu/farmasyst/
www.uwex.edu/homeasyst/
Floodplain Maps
Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) identify areas of 100-year flood
hazard in a community.
www.fema.gov/msc/
Geologic Maps
Geologic maps are an important source of natural resource information,
depicting the bedrock (solid rock directly beneath the soil)
at or near the earth's surface as if the soils and vegetation
had been removed. These maps present a three-dimensional shape
of the bedrock geology on a flat piece of paper using lines,
symbols, and colors.
www.kgs.ukans.edu
Hydrologic Atlas
www.kgs.ukans.edu
Internet Watershed Educational Tool
Provides a technical and multi-perspective response to local
watershed issues intended to help educate local officials and
other concerned citizens about water resources.
http://server.age.psu.edu/dept/grads/parson/research/home.htm
Kansas Environmental Leadership Program
A training program featuring activities and resources that combines
the most current in leadership studies and practice with current
thinking and research on water and water quality.
www.bae.ksu.edu/kelp
KDHE Division of Environment Service Guide
A directory of KDHE offices and programs, listed by issue.
www.kdhe.state.ks.us/environment/servguid.html
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
Phone: 800 / 426-479
E-Mail: hotline-sdwa@epamail.epa.gov
Assists public water systems, state and local officials, and
the public with information about EPA regulations and programs
authorized by the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986
and 1996. This includes drinking water regulations, other related
drinking water topics, wellhead protection and ground water protection
program information.
Topographic Maps
Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, topographic maps show
important natural features such as lakes, reservoirs, rivers,
and streams. Topographic maps also show the contour elevations
of the land surface and allow users to visualize the three-dimensional
surface.
www.kgs.ukans.edu
Urban Stream Restoration: A Video Tour of Ecological Restoration
Techniques
An information packed video tour of six urban stream restoration
sites.
www.urbanstreamrestoration.com/index2.html
USDA National Extension Water Quality Database
An information management tool for locating water quality and
waste management educational resources created by the 50 State
Cooperative Extension Services.
http://hermes.ecn.purdue.edu:8001/server/water/water.html
Water Well Completion Records Database
Contains information from records submitted by water well drillers
to KDHE since 1975.
http://magellan.kgs.ukans.edu/WaterWell/index.html
