September 26, 2011

1) EPA Announces the Healthy Watersheds Initiative National Framework and Action Plan, 2011
2) Proposed Renewal of Reporting Requirements for BEACH Act Grants

1) EPA Announces the Healthy Watersheds Initiative National Framework and Action Plan, 2011
Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the release of the Healthy Watersheds Initiative (HWI) National Framework and Action Plan. The HWI is intended to protect the nation's remaining healthy watersheds, prevent them from becoming impaired, and accelerate restoration successes. The HWI National Framework and Action Plan aims to provide a clear consistent framework for action, both internally among EPA's own programs and externally in working with the Agency's partners. EPA will work with states and other partners to identify healthy watersheds at the state scale and develop and implement comprehensive state healthy watersheds strategies that set priorities for protection and inform priorities for restoration.

Healthy watersheds provide many ecological services as well as economic benefits. If successfully implemented, the HWI promises to greatly enhance our nation's ability to meet the Clean Water Act Section 101(a) objective of restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters. The HWI National Framework and Action Plan is available at www.epa.gov/healthywatersheds.

2) Proposed Renewal of Reporting Requirements for BEACH Act Grants
The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide grants to eligible states, territories and authorized tribes. EPA is requesting comment on its proposed renewal of the reporting requirements for the BEACH Act Grants Information Collection Request (ICR). As a grant condition, grant recipients are required to collect and submit beach monitoring and notification information to the EPA. Collection of this information allows EPA to evaluate the extent to which grant recipients fulfill the requirements of the BEACH Act.

The proposed renewal is available for public comment through November 21, 2011 at www.regulations.gov under Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0357. 

For more information on BEACH Act grants, see http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/beachgrants/.