UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Managing stormwater will be the topic of a web-based seminar presented by Penn State Extension at noon on Aug. 15.
Presenting a 75-minute webinar will be Larry Fennessey, a Penn State stormwater engineer.
How stormwater from land development can have adverse effects on a municipality's infrastructure, stormwater management through off-site facilities, and new green infrastructure practices and regulations will be covered during the session.
"Historically, stormwater management has been through off-site control of runoff from land development through detention basins and other large-scale controls," said Fennessey. "The changes in stormwater regulations that address control of volume of runoff will be discussed, as well as new techniques like green infrastructure."
The historical challenges of stormwater management and different types of flooding that occur from that management will be presented, Fennessey noted. In addition, the various types of green infrastructure practices and low-impact development that can realistically address the different types of flooding will be addressed.
"We'll also look at pollution-reduction plans that municipalities are being mandated to develop as part of a MS4 or TMDL plan," he said.
The Changing Stormwater Landscape: Are We Creating Actual Solutions or Expensive Dreams?" is the second webinar in Penn State Extension's Summer/Fall Land-Use Webinar series that started on July 18 and concludes Nov. 14. The webinar series assists municipal elected and appointed officials, planners, landowners, farmers, and community organizations in being informed with regard to land-use issues and decisions in their communities.
Other topics and dates in the webinar series include (all of these programs are recorded and available for viewing):
— July 18: "Regulating Short-term Rentals"
— Sept. 19: "Addressing Noise in Pennsylvania's Communities and Neighborhoods"
— Oct. 17: "Economic Profiles and Assessments: What You Will Learn About Your Community and What Others May Learn About You"
— Nov. 14: "Property Law Issues Involving Public Rights, Open Space, and Access to Private Lands"
The cost of the webinar series is $50 for all five sessions, or $95 for all five sessions for those who want to receive AICP certification maintenance credits from the American Planning Association. The cost is also $95 for all five sessions for professional engineers needing PDH credits.
In addition, registered landscape architects can receive continuing education credits for a fee of $65.
For more information, contact Peter Wulfhorst at 570-296-3400 or by email at ptw3@psu.edu. To register for the webinars, visit agsci.psu.edu/land-use-webinar.