FUNDING RESILIENCE IN WISCONSIN SMALL & MID-SIZED CITIES

Privately owned lands typically constitute a relatively large portion of impervious areas in urban and semi-urban settings. As stormwater programs continue to evolve, more municipalities are looking to increase the adoption of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) on private lands. Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) practices, such as green roofs, bioswales, cisterns, and permeable pavers mimic natural processes to infiltrate stormwater runoff and provide many important co-benefits to communities, including beautifying neighborhoods, reducing localized flooding, providing shade, promoting groundwater recharge, and/or reducing costs associated with traditional “gray” infrastructure stormwater management solutions, among others. Developing incentive programs can entice property owners to implement GSI solutions and contribute to addressing stormwater challenges in the watershed and reduce fiscal and capacity constraints on municipal stormwater management.