News and Opportunities
Norfolk’s 2013 Lafayette Riverfest is April 27th!
This free event promotes the restoration of the Lafayette River in Norfolk. The event will take place on Saturday, April 27th from 10am to 4pm and include activities for water lovers of all ages! Music, art, games, food, and more will entertain and educate you. For more information on the event, please visit Lafayette Riverfest 2013.
The 2013 Isle of Wight County Great American Clean-up was a success!
Isle of Wight hosted the annual Clean A Road/Highway Day on Saturday, April 6, 2013 from 8am-Noon. Locations for trash pick-up were in Camptown and on Route 10. More than a TON of waste was removed from our roadways and prevented from entering our waterways!
Are you interested in heading up a clean-up effort in Isle of Wight County? Call 757-365-1659 for more information on how to get started.
Seedling Store is STILL Open
Are you interested in planting trees in our community? Maybe in your neighborhood, at your Church, or school? The Virginia Department of Forestry’s Seedling Store is still open for Spring 2013! Visit VDOF’s Nursery website for ordering information. Order soon before the store closes for the season!
Green Learning Guides NOW AVAILABLE
Do you know exactly where the water goes when it rains in Hampton Roads? Or the name of the watershed in which you reside? Green Learning is a free educational guide designed to teach the region’s sixth grade students these important concepts and about how their actions affect the environment in positive and negative ways. Download your copy from askHRGreen here!
Reusable Shopping Bags
Did you know the average American uses 7 plastic bags each week? That’s 364 bags a year! You can bring that number down by carrying at least one reusable bag every time you go to the grocery store (or holiday shopping!) Read more about reusable shopping bags at the askHRGreen website. If you would like an askHRGreen reusable shopping bag, please call the Engineering Department at 757-365-1659 for more information!
Mini Grants for Environmental Education
Need funding for your project? Submit an application to askHRGreen and receive up to $500 in funds to help reach your project goal! For information on submission requirements and acceptable grant-related projects, visit the Mini Grant Program page of the askHRGreen website.
Blackwater-Nottoway Riverkeeper Program
Meets every second Wednesday at the Paul D. Camp Community College Workforce Development Center in Franklin, Va. at 7:30 p.m. The public is always invited. Click here for more info.
Teachers and Youth Leaders
Find Bay-related teaching resources at http://www.baybackpack.com. Also, money is available to help fund environmental projects for youth. The application process is simple. For more information, visit the askHRGreen Mini Grant Program.
Prevent sewer overflows and keep your septic functioning properly! See the Fat Free Drains website for information and tips.
Forms for Land Disturbance
Attention contractors and designers: if you are working near any lowlands, wetlands, ravines, streams or water, consider using Futerra instead of EC matting with plastic mesh. Futerra is available locally and does not trap wildlife.
Land Disturbing Permit Checklist for Applicants – Click here
Agreement In Lieu of a Plan – Required for the construction of single-family homes. Contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at 365-6208 for more information.
Engineering Services Agreement – For commercial projects. Click here.
Surety Estimation Worksheet – For commercial projects. Click here
As-Built Certification for Stormwater Conveyance, Retention and Detention facilities – Click here
Construction Certification for Detention Retention and Impoundment BMPs – Click here
BMP Data Sheet – For the cover of site plans. Click here
How to Request a Bond Release -For commercial projects. Click here
Environmental Links
askHRGreen Blog and Website for the latest news and information on how to make greener choices every day and be an environmental steward!
Isle Be Green Blog – Practicing environmental responsibility in Isle of Wight County! Check back often for updates on plastic bag recycling at our elementary schools!
Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) – Frequently Asked Questions.
HR Green Blog : HR Green is an initiative of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) encouraging environmental stewardship among all residents in its 16 member cities and counties in southeastern Virginia.
Stormwater
- Report illicit discharges to stormwater@iwus.net. Illicit discharges include disposal of any material other than stormwater into the storm drain. Contact us at stormwater@iwus.net if you have questions about a discharge.
- HR Storm Telephone Hotline (757) 58-STORM
- Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook – Vol. I and Vol. II
- DCR’s Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP)
- Chesapeake Club Ads on lawn fertilization- Save the Crabs, Sod, Appetizers
- VDOT Customer Service Center – (800) 367-7623
Erosion and Sediment Control
- DCR’s E&S Program Homepage
- Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook
- Isle of Wight County Ordinances – Including Stormwater and Erosion and Sediment Control
Homeowners
- Take a soil test BEFORE you fertilize your lawn – it is easy and inexpensive. Download Virginia Tech’s soil sample form and instructions for homeowners.
- Homeowners Guide – Ways you can reduce the amount you pollute and improve water quality; published by the Maryland Coastal Bays program.
- Rainscaping – Visit this informative website for environmental resources and ideas for your yard.
For more information, please contact the Environmental Programs Manager at (757) 365-1659.
General Services Department – Engineering Division 13048 Poor House Road P.O. Box 80 Isle of Wight, VA 23397 (757) 365-1658