Issued: Nov 10, 2021 (1:40pm EST)

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EPA and DOI Announce Recommitment to Federal Partnership in Support of Urban Waters

Contact Information: EPA Press Office, press@epa.gov

LENEXA, KAN. - (NOV. 10, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, 13 other federal agencies, and non-governmental partners commemorated a decade of accomplishments under the Urban Waters Federal Partnership while pledging their recommitment to this partnership. Twenty partnership locations across the country are advancing economic, public health, environmental, and social benefits by enhancing community connections to water.

"With the 10^th anniversary of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership and the 50^th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, EPA is celebrating transformational improvements to our waters—including in our urban centers," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. "The Urban Waters Federal Partnership is supporting communities across the country, from the Bronx to Los Angeles to our newest location—the Rio Reimagined project in Arizona. I look forward to accelerating this progress with our renewed commitment."

The Urban Waters Federal Partnership brings together 15 federal agencies to work collaboratively with local communities and partners to restore urban waterways and their environments to boost recreational opportunities, help local economies, create jobs, and protect the health of Americans. The federal agencies currently support 20 locations across the nation with financial and technical assistance to address community-driven priorities.  The Partnership also provides support to hundreds of additional underserved communities with seed funding for local projects and public education through the Urban Waters Learning Network.

"The Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program recognizes that communities and clean water are integral to one another," said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. "For decades, this partnership program has demonstrated that restoring waterways reinvigorates communities by preserving areas that serve as natural flood protection, fish and wildlife habitat, and beautiful places where Americans can work and play safely outdoors. It's an honor to celebrate this milestone by reaffirming our commitment to advancing environmental justice, connecting people to nature, and tackling the climate crisis."

"The Interior Department is deeply committed to the goals and mission of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership. As we look to the future, we're particularly focused on strengthening our current locations with more resources and support, and looking to see how we can expand the impact of this innovative partnership to more communities across the country," said Tanya Trujillo, Assistant Secretary for Water and Science for the Department of the Interior. "The 10th anniversary recommitment to the program by the federal partners and non-governmental and academia partners supports the Biden-Harris administration's all-of-government approach to advancing equity and environmental justice and its goal of conserving and restoring 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030."

To learn more about collaborative efforts to uplift urban waters and their surrounding communities, visit: https://www.epa.gov/urbanwaterspartners and https://urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org/.

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Learn more about EPA Region 7: www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-7-midwest

 

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