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	Solution to Pollution? Connection! The Story of the LID Working Group By Anne Donovan, CZM It all started with a conversation between colleagues. In 2003, Andrea Cooper (then the North Shore Regional Coordinator for the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management [CZM]) and Vicky Gartland (then a Hydrologist with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation [DCR]) were musing about what, if anything, they could do to stem the Bay State's sprawling development patterns by promoting this new-to-Massachusetts idea—Low Impact Development (LID). Being practical (and connected), they decided the first step was to gather a group together that could promote LID concepts. The goal was to evaluate what scientific, technical, and outreach resources were needed to promote LID in Massachusetts; identify what already existed; and determine what gaps remained. Cooper took over as coordinator of this ad hoc conglomeration of about 25 interested and active participants. Originally, those with a technical focus and those with an outreach focus met separately, talking among themselves about the resources that were available and the resources that were needed. Once the outreach group identified that one of the biggest gaps was technical assistance materials, however, the group decided to become one—the LID Working Group—to overcome the obstacles involved in effectively implementing LID at the local level together. The enthusiasm was infectious as collaborators constructively shared information. In one of its first tasks, the group developed a spreadsheet that served as an LID wish list, complete with what was already being done to fill the needs. The simple effort had big dividends. Within months, LID Working Group members were applying for (and receiving) grants to complete projects to fill in the spreadsheet holes. Specifically: DCR received a $1 million Targeted Watershed grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for pilot projects to demonstrate the feasibility of LID and water conservation techniques in the Ipswich River Watershed. The North and South Rivers Watershed Association received a Section 319 Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (which administers these EPA funds) to produce a Massachusetts edition of the national LID video called Reining in the Storm. The Boston Metropolitan Area Planning Council, in coordination with the I-495 MetroWest Corridor Partnership, received EPA funds to develop fact sheets, model bylaws, and other materials for an LID Toolkit, which is available online at http://www.mapc.org/resources/low-impact-dev-toolkit. For the first six months or so, the LID Working Group focused on updating each other on the flurry of LID activity happening in the state. Over time, however, this information exchange began to take place through group emails, while the meetings began to focus on educating members on different aspects of LID. The goal was to identify issues and obstacles from the diverse perspectives of the different members to resolve problems before the LID techniques were promoted outside the group. Topics covered have included: examining design criteria, methodology, and assessment data regarding the effectiveness of LID methods; green roofs; permeable pavers; bioretenion; and vegetated filter strips. The collaboration and communication have lead to resounding success. LID Working Group members are: Actively promoting model LID bylaws—five communities have bylawas in place while another 18 are preparing to adopt bylaws as of May, 2006. Spreading the word about effective LID models in Massachusetts, including an ambitious project in Cohasset to retrofit 52 catch basins with bioretention cells, complete with a community demonstration in the town center that shows how the cells look from the beginning of the installation to full grow out. Assisting the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Unit in ensuring that LID practices are considered for use in major development projects, such as the IKEA furniture store in Stoughton. Reaching local officials in LID workshops and seminars (500 so far and still counting). The LID Working Group now has more than 100 members, including representatives from: local, state, and federal agencies; conservation organizations and watershed associations; private law, planning, and engineering firms; developers and landscape architects; regional planning agencies; the University of Massachusetts; the University of New Hampshire; and the National Association of Home Builders. This true public-private partnership has resulted in a real pooling of resources, connecting those with funding and expertise with those with implementation strategies. And it all started with a conversation. For details on the LID Working Group, contact CZM's Coastal Smart Growth Coordinator, Andrea Cooper, at andrea.cooper@state.ma.us or (617) 626-1222. More than 100 and Still Counting On July 19, 2005, the membership of the LID Working Group officially reached 100, and membership continues to grow! As of press time, here is the complete list of member organizations: 495/MetroWest Corridor Partnership; A.D. Makepeace Company; Agresource; Allsopp Design; Ambient Engineering; American Hydrotech, Inc.; Anderson & Kreiger LLP; Boston Society of Architects; Buzzards Bay Project; Charles River Watershed Association; Cities of: Newburyport and Salem; Comprehensive Environmental Inc.; Conservation Law Foundation; Eight Towns and the Bay; Environmental Business Council of New England, Inc.; Essex County Community Foundation; GeoSyntec Consultants; Great Meadows LLC; greenGoat; Groundwork Lawrence; Horsley Witten Group; Lawrence Community Works; Low Impact Development Center; Massachusetts: Department of Conservation and Recreation, Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Resource Protection (Stormwater, Wastewater Management, and Wetlands Sections), Department of Fish and Game, Department of Housing and Community Development, Environmental Policy Act Unit, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Office of Coastal Zone Management, Office of Community Development, Riverways Program, STrategic Envirotechnology Partnership, and Water Resources Commission; Massachusetts Audubon Society; Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions; Massachusetts Bays Program; Massachusetts Watershed Coalition; Merrimack Valley Planning Commission; Metropolitan Area Planning Council; MetroWest Growth Management Committee; Miller Microcomputer Services; Nashua River Watershed Association; New England Civil Engineering Corp.; Norfolk Ram Group, LLC; North and South Rivers Watershed Association; North Shore Regional Conservation Commission Network; Patriot Resource and Conservation Area; Rainwater Recovery Inc.; Rubin and Rudman LLP; Salem Sound Coastwatch; Spear and Associates; Symes Associates, Inc.; The Green Round Table; The Neve-Morin Group, Inc.; Towns of: Andover, Cohasset, Duxbury, Framingham, Franklin, Gardner, Groton, Ipswich, Kingston, Littleton, Marshfield, Norwell, Plymouth, Southborough, and Topsfield; U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Natural Resources Conservation Service; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 1: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Storm Water Permit Program, Office of Wastewater Management, Office of Communities and Smart Growth, and Office of Wetlands, Oceans & Watersheds; U.S. Senator John F. Kerry's Office; University of Massachusetts; University of Massachusetts Extension; University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center; Wachusetts Working Landscape Partnership; Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve; Weston & Sampson Engineers, Inc.; and Woodard & Curran.
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