MakingWaves - News from the Division of Water 

In This Issue:

• Survey Regarding Applying for WQIP Land Acquisition for Source Water Protection Grant
• First Ever State-Tribal Partnership for Area of Concern on U.S. Side of Great Lakes
• New York's Plastic Bag Ban: #BYOBagNY

Take Survey Regarding WQIP Land Acquisition for Source Water Protection Grant

The Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) program provides state funding for various project types, including Land Acquisition for protection of drinking water source areas. Grants provide money to municipalities, land trusts, and soil and water conservation districts for the purchase of parcels and/or conservation easements and are selected through an application and scoring process using established criteria to ensure appropriate areas are funded that will help safeguard a community's source of drinking water.

DEC is seeking participation in a survey to understand any barriers that would prevent potential applicants from using this funding source and how the state can resolve those issues for future rounds. The survey is available on DEC's WQIP Land Acquisition Projects for Source Water Protection Toolkit web page.

If you would like to learn about WQIP Land Acquisition Projects for Source Water Protection, visit the DEC WQIP website or contact WQIPsourcewater@dec.ny.gov.

First Ever State-Tribal Partnership Announced for Area of Concern on U.S. Side of Great Lakes

DEC and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT) have announced the signing of a historic cooperative agreement that will help accelerate restoration of natural resources and traditional Native American uses within the St. Lawrence Area of Concern (AOC) near Massena, NY, and the Akwesasne Territory. This cooperative agreement is the first of its kind across the United States portion of the Great Lakes and provides a new roadmap for coordinating studies and restoring natural and cultural resource uses between the two government agencies, while recognizing their unique jurisdictions and shared interests.

Areas of Concern are geographic areas around the Great Lakes that are environmentally degraded. Significant progress is being made in remediating and restoring these areas, but more work remains. For more information about the designated AOCs in New York, visit DEC's Areas of Concern website.

Plastic Bag Ban Starts March 1: #BYOBagNY

Did you know that New Yorkers use more than 23 billion plastic bags a year? That’s around 1,000 bags per person annually. When we improperly dispose them, plastic bags create pollution, often seen stuck in trees or floating in our waterways. They pose threats to fish and wildlife, clog machinery at recycling facilities, and litter the pristine outdoor places we love and enjoy spending time in with our friends and family.

Starting March 1, 2020, a new plastic bag waste reduction law will take effect in New York State, and your reusable bag should be in hand when going shopping. Whether you’re going to the grocery store, clothes shopping, or to a home improvement store, make sure to bring your reusable bags. You don’t need to wait for March 1st to take action! Start bringing your reusable bags to the store ahead of the ban to build a new habit. Remember, your reusable bag means conserving natural resources, creating less litter, and keeping New York beautiful for future generations.

Additionally, stores covered under the NYS Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Act will still be required to collect plastic bags and other film plastics from consumers for recycling. Film plastics include items such as bread bags and plastic wraps that come over cases of water, paper towels and other similar items. As a consumer, you can help by continuing to recycle these items at participating retailers.

Questions on the upcoming plastic bag ban? E-mail plasticbags@dec.ny.gov.