SRS RN Track 2 - Aligning upstream and downstream: increasing equity in watershed management with and for underrepresented communities

目标是规划一个包容和公平框架，以改善研究，规划和水资源管理的区域战略，从而提高有效的跨社区和跨利益攸关方的水资源管理的帕塞克河流域（PRB）。该项目正在与“上游”Munsee Lunaape长老和“下游”被剥夺权利的社区，特别是纽瓦克（和大纽瓦克）的非裔美国人和泛拉丁美洲社区合作，以促进公平和环境正义的价值观。帕塞伊克河流经北方新泽西州和东南部纽约州，包括十个县和许多城市和郊区。该地区是美国最早的工业中心之一，以水力发电、供水和河口港口为基础，所有这些都毗邻迅速扩张的纽约市。随着时间的推移，这些活动导致城市供水受到污染，从而将供水转移到流域内更上游的地区。 由于这种污染，上林伍德的拉马波海龟部落定居点两次被指定为超级基金地点。 2020年EPA的研究证实了持续的危险。 流域内的危险污染、撤资和工业衰退使PRB社区的弱势群体在有毒和脆弱的地点生活和工作的比例很高。在纽瓦克地区，污染源包括影响水库的整个流域上游的水污染物。下游工业污染物包括生产除草剂的设施排放的二恶英，用于生产橙子剂和铅管。 该项目的愿景是通过包容性的方法，让弱势社区和其他利益相关者参与PRB，从而开展补救活动，以恢复水质并改善整个社区的生活质量，从而提高PRB及其周围地区的可持续性。虽然PRB的上游和下游社区以前很少相互连接，但它们通过该地区不断增长的城市中心相互连接，这些城市中心依赖于帕塞伊克河流域的供水。协调上游和下游社区将：（a）建立一个以公平为中心的实践社区;（B）使水系统成员能够进行资产测绘;（c）促进共同学习的关系;（d）制定一种参与性、可持续、以公平为主导的办法。正是这种对良好水质的共同兴趣和解决过去的排斥，为合作学习和共同制定方法提供了机会，特别是通过价格研究所与罗格斯大学环境和生物科学学院（SEBS）及其合作推广（NJAES）相互联系。这项规划赠款将开始在地方社区和利益集团之间培养一种管理文化，以促进水系统的健康和可持续性，并与区域领导人保持联系。在实施过程中，历史上被边缘化的社区将增加水科学的知识和应用，参与和公共资源管理。更多的本地研究参与更多的数据输入和见解也将提高准确性，细微差别和对PRB的理解。一个共同的研究兴趣的社区将促进更大的公平和包容的道德。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The goal is to plan an inclusion and equity framework to improve regional strategies for research, planning, and water resource management thereby increasing effective cross-community and cross-stakeholder water resources stewardship for the Passaic River Basin (PRB). This project is working with “upstream” Munsee Lunaape Elders and with “downstream” disenfranchised communities, notably African American and pan-Latin American neighborhoods in Newark (and Greater Newark) to promote the values of equity and environmental justice. The Passaic River flows through Northern New Jersey and Southeastern New York State encompassing ten counties, and numerous urban and peri urban municipalities. This region was among the earliest US industrial centers, based on a combination of waterpower, water supply, estuarine ports, all adjacent to rapidly expanding New Yor City. Over time these activities resulted in pollution of the urban water supply and consequent shift of water supply to areas further upstream to areas within the basin. As a result of this pollution, the Ramapough Turtle Clan settlement at Upper Ringwood has been twice-designated Superfund site. 2020 EPA studies have confirmed the ongoing danger. Dangerous pollution within the basin, disinvestment, and decline of industry have left the PRB communities with high proportions of disadvantaged peoples living and working in toxic and vulnerable sites. In the Newark area, pollution sources include water pollutants of the entire Basin upstream impacting reservoirs. Downstream industrial pollutants include dioxin discharges from a facility making herbicides, used in making Agent Orange, and lead pipes. The vision in this project is to enhance sustainability of the PRB and its environs through an inclusive approach that engages the disadvantaged communities and other stakeholders in PRB leading to remediation activities to restore the water quality and improve quality of life for the entire community. While the PRB upstream and downstream communities had little prior interconnection, they are interlinked by the area’s growing urban centers that depend on the Passaic River Basin for water supply. Aligning upstream and downstream communities will: a) develop a community of practice centered on equity; b) enable asset mapping of water system members; c) promote relationships of co-learning; and d) develop a participatory, sustainable, equity-led approach. It is this combination of shared interest in good water quality and addressing past exclusions that provide an opportunity for collaborative learning and shared development of approaches, notably interlinked via The Price Institute with the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), with their Cooperative Extension (NJAES). This planning grant will begin to cultivate a culture of stewardship among and between local communities and interests for the health and sustainability of the water system and ongoing connection to regional leaders. During implementation, historically marginalized communities will increase knowledge and application of water science, engagement, and public resource stewardship. More local research involvement for more data inputs and insights will also improve the accuracy, nuance, and understanding of the PRB. A community of shared research interests will promote an ethic of greater equity and inclusion.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.