Resources

Please expand the following categories below to view the resources. 

SNEP Network Buffer Restoration Guide (Website)
This guide is intended to assist public and private property owners in RI and southeast MA who are interested in restoring and improving buffers along a river, pond, lake or the coast. While this guide is not an exhaustive resource, it is intended to give buffer property owners enough information and resources to design and implement their own restoration project.

The Maidford River Buffer Restoration Guide
The buffer restoration guide is intended to assist property owners who are interested in restoring and improving riparian buffers along the Maidford River. While this guide is not an exhaustive resource, it is intended to give buffer property owners enough information and resources to design and implement their own restoration project. 

Stormwater Solutions for Homeowners Fact Sheet: Vegetated Buffers
This vegetated buffers fact sheet explains how trees, shrubs, high grasses, perennials, and other vegetation can be strategically planted to help slow, capture, and filter runoff and reduce stormwater impacts. The factsheet was developed by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).

Planning to Action: Climate Toolkit (PACT) Tutorial Video
Throwe Environmental has adapted and expanded the existing US Climate Toolkit to support its broad range of SNEP Network technical assistance projects. This new resource, called the Planning to Action: Climate Toolkit (PACT), guides communities through the process of turning
climate planning into sustainable financing of on-the-ground projects—all while ensuring the necessary community engagement and resilience priorities are in place to support meaningful change.

Leadership Exchange Podcast Series- 2020
This podcast series invites community leaders to share their stories and experiences with resilience planning. The topics range from green infrastructure, integrated action planning, waterfront redevelopment, and smart growth. The podcasts were done in conjunction with the Wareham Leadership Exchange and Webinar Series that invited guests to help guide the future redevelopment plans for Wareham Village. 

Leadership Exchange Case Studies and Webinars- 2020
The first leadership exchange included a variety of case studies from community leaders to provide assistance with sustainable development topics. This document provides short summaries of each case study with links to the webinars and podcasts. 

Final Report: Wareham Leadership Exchange and Sustainable Redevelopment
This report gives the full summary and findings from the first leadership exchange held with Wareham, Massachusetts and selected case study communities. The four themes covered for this leadership exchange were green infrastructure, climate, social, and economic resilience, waterfront redevelopment, and smart growth. 

Bourne, MA Coastal Resilience Financing Assessment
This report provides local leaders with a financing plan of action to address civic and stormwater infrastructure needs into the future. The project team worked in direct partnership with Bourne, MA leaders to address stormwater impacts within the context of a changing climate. 

Wareham, MA Leadership Exchange and Sustainable Redevelopment Financing Assessment
This document summarizes the findings and recommendations as a result from conversations, reviews, and existing reports. The team worked in partnership with the local leaderships of Wareham, MA to address climate resiliency financing as part of the town’s work to redevelop downtown Wareham Village.

Financing Climate Resilience, Stormwater Management, and Green Infrastructure in Rhode Island Report
The University of Rhode Island’s MPA Program, a SNEP Network Partner, completed a financing study which involved interviews with over 40+public, nonprofit, and private stakeholders that are part of the green infrastructure, stormwater management, and climate resilience network in Rhode Island. The report looked at the challenges and benefits of stormwater/climate resilience financing and describes a variety of financing mechanisms available to communities.

Stormwater Innovation Center 
The Providence Stormwater Innovation Center at Roger Williams Park is co-lead by Audubon RI and supported by SNEP Network funds. Learn more by visiting their website.

Stormwater Tree Trench Design Options Guide
This guide was developed to give municipalities a manual to help design and maintain resilient tree trenches. It was developed in companion to other existing manuals and can be used to assist with the design process.   

Rhode Island Green Infrastructure Coalition
A group of non-profits, environmental organizations, planners and policy makers who work and support the use of green infrastructure, and is co-lead by Audubon RI. Learn more by visiting their website.

Rhode Island Stormwater Solutions
A comprehensive list of resources that provides guidance and actions to help reduce stormwater pollution. 

Educational Materials for Stormwater Managers
An inventory of stormwater education materials that includes education, outreach and involvement plans.

Stormwater Solutions for Homeowners Fact Sheet: “Green” Lawn and Garden Practices
This fact sheet discusses environmentally friendly lawn and garden practices, such as planting native species, conserving water, and reducing fertilizer and chemical use. The factsheet was developed by developed by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).

Stormwater Solutions for Homeowners Fact Sheet: Rain Gardens
This fact sheet explains how rain gardens, which are specially designed and planted depressions, reduce stormwater impacts. The factsheet was developed by developed by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).

Stormwater Solutions for Homeowners Fact Sheet: Reducing Impervious Surfaces
This fact sheet focuses on reducing impervious (i.e., surfaces that prevent water from filtering into the ground). The factsheet was developed by developed by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).

LID Factsheets and Bylaw Review Tool- Mass Audubon
 Download the Bylaw Review Tool to learn what to look for in your local bylaws to encourage more cost effective LID. 

Ecosystem Service Resources- Mass Audubon
These “Value of Nature” fact sheets focus on the ecosystem services provided by five different ecosystems and pull from a literature review of over 100 technical papers

Losing Ground: Nature’s Value in a Changing Climate- Mass Audubon
The sixth edition of our report focuses on the pace and patterns of land development and land protection in Massachusetts between 2012 and 2017. It comes at a time when the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident across the Commonwealth—and around the world—and the value of undeveloped land has become even more crucial to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing resilience in the face of growing environmental threats.

URI NEMO’s LID/GI Website
University of Rhode Island’s Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) website that houses information about LID regulations, resources, and definitions. 

Maidford River Restoration Project Case Study: Collaborative Approach to Watershed Scale Restoration Using Nature Based Solutions. Over the last 3.5 years, SNEP Network partners worked with the Town of Middletown, Rhode Island and the Aquidneck Land Trust to plan and design for nature-based solutions to reduce flooding and improve water quality of the Maidford River and downstream receiving waters which include two sources of Aquidneck Island’s water supply, Nelson, and Gardiners Ponds. Read more about the project’s key findings, lessons learned, and next steps of the project 

Nature Based Solutions Case Study: Cold Brook Restoration Project
The Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Reserve, located in Harwitch, MA, is restoring a retired cranberry bog back to a natural wetland. The restoration project will increase stormwater storage capacity, reduce flooding, and improve the site’s resiliency to sea level rise. The project also serves as a good example of restoration work that has many co-benefits such as improved water quality, biodiversity and wildlife passage.

Nature Based Solutions Case Study: Green Infrastructure and Climate Resiliency Policy
The Town of Deerfield, MA, enacted a policy that serves as a regional model for municipalities to promote green infrastructure and sustainable practices for stormwater management.

Nature Based Solutions Case Study: Green Roofs on Fairmount Line Bus Shelters
The Fairmount Line Bus Shelters were retrofitted with green roofs to improve air and water quality in an urban setting. The project employed local youth through YouthBuild Boston and TNT Eco-Teens Program to install the retrofits and complete monitoring.