Public Investments in the Delaware River Basin

PublicInvestmentsinLandscapePreservationandWaterQualityBestManagementPracticesintheDelawareRiverBasin2014-2022 FinalProjectReport Rutgers,TheStateUniversityofNewJersey NOVEMBER2023 Pleasecitethisreportas:VanAbs,D.J.,O’Neill,K.M.,Marxen,L.,Stuart,M.,S.Malone,andVelasquez-Lieferman,T.2023.PublicInvestmentsinLandscapePreservationandWaterQualityPracticesintheDelawareRiverBasin.Rutgers-TheStateUniversityofNewJerseyfortheWilliamPennFoundation. Acknowledgements ThisprojectwasfundedbytheWilliamPennFoundationasatwo-partproject.ItincorporatesandexpandsuponworkperformedinthefollowingPhase1report,whichisentirelysupersededbythis2023report: VanAbs,D.J.,K.M.O’Neill,S.J.Malone,K.KeysandA.Parker.2021.EstimatingPublicInvestmentsinLandscapePreservationandWaterQualityBestManagementPracticesintheDelawareRiverBasin.Rutgers-TheStateUniversityofNewJerseyfortheWilliamPennFoundation. TheRutgersteamispleasedtoacknowledgethestrongFoundationstaffsupportandcooperationforthisproject.TheprojectmanagerswereElizabethThompson,SeniorEvaluationandLearningOfficer(Phase2)andHilaryRhodes,DirectorofEvaluationandLearning(Phase1).StuartClarke,ProgramDirectorforWatershedProtection,AndrewJohnson,formerProgramDirectorforWatershedProtection,andNathanBoon,SeniorProgramOfficer,werecloselyinvolvedintheprojectthroughregularmeetings,commentsondraftmaterials,networking,andmore.Theprojectwasstrengthenedgreatlybytheirinsightsandguidance.Ourthanksfortheopportunitytoworkwithyouall,andforthefoundation’ssupportofthisproject. TheRutgersTeamfortheprojectinvolvedthefollowingfacultyandstaff: PrincipalInvestigators: DanielJ.VanAbs,PhD,FAICP/PP,ProfessorofProfessionalPracticeforWater,SocietyandtheEnvironment,DepartmentofHumanEcology,RutgersSchoolofEnvironmentalandBiologicalSciences(SEBS) KarenM.O’Neill,PhD,AssociateProfessor,DepartmentofHumanEcology,SEBS StaffandGraduateAssistants:DataCollectionandAnalysis,Phase1 SaraJ.Malone,SeniorResearchSpecialist,EnvironmentalAnalysisandCommunicationsGroup,EdwardJ.BlousteinSchoolofPlanning&PublicPolicy KevinKeys,GraduateStudent,EdwardJ.BlousteinSchoolofPlanning&PublicPolicy AmandaParker,GraduateStudent,EdwardJ.BlousteinSchoolofPlanning&PublicPolicy StaffandGraduateAssistants:DataCollectionandAnalysis,Phase2 LucasMarxen,AssociateDirector,OfficeofResearchAnalytics,NJAgriculturalExtensionService,SEBS MichelleStuart,Web/ApplicationDeveloper,OfficeofResearchAnalytics LucasBrunskill,GraduateStudent,PublicAdministration,RutgersUniversity(Newark) TamaraVelasquez-Lieferman,DoctoralCandidate,GlobalUrbanStudies,RutgersUniversity(Newark) NikhilChavan,GraduateStudent,RutgersBusinessSchool AkshitaSaini,GraduateStudent,EdwardJ.BlousteinSchoolofPlanning&PublicPolicy MarziyaFarooq,GraduateStudent,EdwardJ.BlousteinSchoolofPlanning&PublicPolicy ExpertPanel TheRutgersteamwasveryfortunatetohaveexpertassistanceinframingthePhase1projectfromthefollowingexpertsworkingintheDelawareRiverBasin: CarolCollier,FAICP,Sr.Advisor,WatershedManagement&Policy,AcademyofNaturalSciencesofDrexelUniversity JenniferAnneCotting,Director,EnvironmentalFinanceCenter,UniversityofMaryland RachelDawson,ProgramDirector,DelawareRiver,NationalFishandWildlifeFoundation AndrewDuMoulin,Director,CenterforConservationFinanceResearch,TrustforPublicLand PatriciaElkis,PP/AICP,DirectorofPlanning,DelawareValleyRegionalPlanningCommission GeraldJ.Kauffman,Jr.,PhD,Director,UniversityofDelawareWaterResourcesCenter KathyKlein,ExecutiveDirector,PartnershipfortheDelawareEstuary EmilyKnearl,DirectorofAdvocacyandExternalAffairs,DelawareNatureSociety AndrewM.Loza,ExecutiveDirector,WeConservePA SandraMeola,Director,CoalitionfortheDelawareRiverWatershed StaceyMulholland,GovernmentAffairsLead,DelawareRiverBasinCommission BillRawlyk,Mid-AtlanticFieldCoordinator,OpenSpaceInstitute MichaelSlattery,LandscapePartnershipsCoordinator,U.S.Fish&WildlifeService IraStern,DeputyDirector,WaterInnovationandResearch,BureauofWaterSupply,NewYorkCityDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtection MargaretWaldock,ExecutiveDirector,DukeFarmsFoundation(formerlywiththeGeraldineR.DodgeFoundation) ThepanelworkedwiththeRutgersteamthroughtheprojectandprovidedgreatinput,insightsandassistance.Wegratefullyacknowledgetheirhelpandnotethatanyremainingmethodologicalissuesarenotthefaultoftheexpertpanel! Disclaimer ThisreportwasdevelopedunderacontractbetweentheWilliamPennFoundationandRutgers-TheStateUniversityofNewJersey.Theopinionsexpressedinthisreportaresolelythoseoftheauthors,anddonotrepresentanyfindings,conclusions,oropinionsonthepartoftheFoundationorRutgers. Contents Acknowledgementsiii ProjectPurposeandOverview1 ExecutiveSummary4 KeyFindings4 ProjectFundingandExpenditures4 DataAnalysisandEquityIssues8 ExpertPractitionerInterviews9 Recommendations:DatabaseManagement10 Recommendations:PolicyImplications10 ProjectMethodology12 GovernmentFundingandExpenditures14 ExpenditureCategories14 BasinFundingandExpenditures15 MissingData18 FederalAgencyFunding18 StateAgencyFunding19 County,MunicipalandWaterUtilityExpenditure