The team ULI HQ and ULI Washington are collaborating with the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy & Environment(DOEE) to spread the word about the Stormwater Retention Credit (SRC) Trading and Stormwater Management Facility Self-Inspection and Self-Reporting (SISR) programs.

The programs incentivize private investment to build and maintain new green infrastructure to manage stormwater runoff. Installing green infrastructure both helps the environment and benefits local communities. In order for green infrastructure to be most effective, projects should be placed in locations that maximize benefits to the environment and water quality of local waterways. Encouraging the construction of green infrastructure in strategic locations throughout the District is key to helping reach ambitious water quality goals.

A Stake in Stewardship

The Maryland/DC Chapter of The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) wholly-owned subsidiary, District Stormwater, LLC (DS) participates in the SRC and SISR programs as a stormwater retention credit “aggregator.” DS partners with landowners to install green infrastructure in the most high-impact areas, which generates credits that can then be sold to developers and landowners who have opted to use off-site stormwater retention to meet regulatory requirements.

“If we disperse green infrastructure all throughout the District, it can act like a sponge, absorbing and filtrating more water,” says Aileen Craig, Stormwater Program Manager at TNC’s Maryland/DC Chapter. This effect contributes to cleaner, healthier aquatic ecosystems. Projects like plant-centered filtration and bioretention can reduce the velocity of stormwater flow, which can overwhelm local waterways. They also help prevent erosion and protect streams and rivers from pollutants like phosphorus and nitrogen.

Craig notes that investment in green infrastructure projects in the places that matter most is also an investment in community access to green space and increased sense of environmental stewardship for many local landowners and development teams.

Additional Resources:

▶ Click here to view the previous case study, “Aggregating Benefits for Businesses, Communities and the Environment”.
▶ Visit DOEE’s SRC and SISR websites for more information on how to sign up for the programs. And, stay tuned for insights and tips from more participants as new case studies are published throughout the summer.