Permitting GI: A Guide to Improving Municipal Stormwater Permits and Protecting Water Quality

PermittingGIProduced by American Rivers, 2013

This project’s “goal is to provide information about new trends in stormwater permitting and examples of permits that demonstrate leadership toward standards that will build green infrastructure and compliance with water quality standards.” Sample language for permits is provided.

“Stormwater permitting is often an esoteric area of practice, familiar to a specialized cadre of engineers, permit writers, program managers, regulatory agency staff, and environmental advocates. Although this guide will likely be useful for this professional community, it is primarily intended for community and watershed advocates, and other interested citizens, who are concerned about stormwater pollution and looking for ways to improve stormwater management in their communities.”

Available here.

Upgrade your Infrastructure: A Guide to the GI Portfolio Standard (GIPS) and Building Stormwater Retrofits

GIPSGrand Rapids, MI, and Milwaukee, WI. Produced by American Rivers, CNT, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, c. 2012

This guide outlines an approach to strategically planned GI implementation taken by Grand Rapids and Milwaukee: the Green Infrastructure Portfolio Standard (GIPS), which is based on the concept of the renewable energy portfolio standard, meeting GI implementation targets over time. The process involves

  1. Defining measurable goals
  2. Establishing a task force
  3. Selecting project areas
  4. Calculating baseline runoff
  5. Identifying GI features to be used
  6. Calculating capacity of features
  7. Establishing annual GIPS goals
  8. Monitoring progress, and
  9. Expanding the project range