A photo of Great Bay Estuary. (P hoto Courtesy of Walter Jalpert, via PREP)
Planning

This week various SRPC staffers virtually met on Thursday, Apr. 16 to discuss the update process for the Piscataqua Region Environmental Planning Assessments (PREPA). These assessments, compiled by the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP), gauge how the 52 municipalities in the watershed protect their water quality and natural resources. They are completed every five years with the help of municipal and regional planning commission staff. 

This information feeds into a larger analysis report, which was first completed in 2010. The report uses these assessments to document both regulatory and non-regulatory approaches to resource management. As explained on the PREP website, the  2015 report    "...provided updated information to inform ongoing and emerging planning and environmental protection efforts, and to identify gaps and inconsistencies in the standards of environmental protection reflected in the current ordinances, development regulations, and natural resource protection strategies..." It also documented "information on municipal land use policies and adaptation planning strategies designed to mitigate the impacts of climate change on the Piscataqua Region watershed." 

The reports next iteration is currently being drafted, with regional planning commission staff completing the first draft of the assessment. Following the first draft, communities will review the information before it is finalized and sent to PREP.  
 
Learn more on the   PREP website .  

Pieces of Interest


Transportation
Shayna Sylvia, communications and outreach planner, attended the CommuteSMART Seacoast zoom meeting on Thursday, Apr. 16. This meeting marked the last advisory committee meeting with CommuteSMART Seacoast as it is currently. For the last five years Anne Rugg has managed CommuteSMART Seacoast, a Transportation Management Association (TMA) established as part of mitigation for traffic issues caused by the  Newington-Dover Little Bay Bridge project .

The TMA was supported financially with Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Analysis (CMAQ) funding and by the NH Bureau of Turnpikes. Now that these funding sources are coming to a close, a group of regional planning commissions have been meeting to see what options there are for continuing to promote CommuteSMART Seacoast in order to build off of the recognition and participation record that Anne has created over the past five years. 

This "passing of the torch” was discussed at the meeting, in addition to updates surrounding the May B2B Commuter Challenge, the TMA's most popular and signature program. The challenge takes place for the entire month of May and encourages people to find sustainable ways to commute such as carpooling, taking the bus, or even alternate options, like telecommuting. 

In the lead up to this year’s challenge, Strafford MPO is posting a #throwbackthursday photo from past challenges on its  Instagram page  each week. 

To learn more about CommuteSMART Seacoast visit its website . To learn more about the B2B Challenge visit the event page .
Pieces of Interest


Economic Development
This week the new local business directory website, Mighty Small, went live. This website, a collaboration between SRPC and Somersworth business Teatotaller (owned by Emmett Soldati), is a platform for finding and supporting your favorite Main Street businesses under new terms of engagement. This resource aims to provide information about which shops are still open, which you can buy from online, and which you can support more generally. 

Currently about fifty businesses have listings on the site. For businesses looking to submit a listing, a simple form can be submitted on the site, accessible  here . Those looking to peruse businesses should utilize the search features on the  homepage .  
 
The site also has a  resources page  with helpful information for businesses owners during this time.  
 
Learn more at  www.mightysmall.io . 
 
Pieces of Interest


Strafford Regional Planning Commission | 603-994-3500 | srpc@strafford.org | www.strafford.org
April 17, 2020