Eric Carlson, chair, welcomed the NPS Liaison Workgroup members and all present and thanked them for their interest and involvement. Mike Sherman, Chief of the Watershed Support Division explained several new program initiatives including:

• Pennsylvania’s new Watershed Restoration and Assistance Program (WRAP)
• FY 99 Section 319 grant will focus on improving water quality on streams listed on the 303(d) List of Impaired Waters
• Potential for additional incremental 319 funds depends on developing a Unified Watershed Assessment by October 1, 1999.
• There is a potential for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to be expanded to include funding for NPS.

Sarah Blackman, EPA Region III representative, explained the Government Performance and Results Act and the need for Pennsylvania’s Nonpoint Source Management Program Update to include Measurable Environmental Results (MERs). Hank Zygmunt, EPA Region III, said that EPA will be checking to see what milestones are achieved each year. The federal government will be setting a new mark for funding. The regional EPA will determine if the states are meeting these milestones. States that achieve milestones will receive the additional funding. Eric Carlson charged the individual workgroups to do a reality check on the milestones and implementation steps in their action plan. A general discussion followed. The consensus was that each year the NPS Liaison Workgroup would meet at the end of October to document which implementation steps/milestones had been achieved that year. This information would then be included in DEP’s Annual Report to EPA on Pennsylvania’s 319 Program.

The NPS Liaison Workgroup then went into the Small Breakout Session of the agenda. Each of the six individual category workgroups focused on their action plan in light of the mornings presentations and discussion.

Following lunch, each of the six category workgroups made a brief report of their findings. All agreed to have changes back to Fran Koch by September 1, 1998 in order to meet the 9/8 deadline to publish a notice in the 9/19 PA Bulletin. Public comments will be due November 19, 1998. A draft will be sent to EPA by January 15,1999. The NPS Liaison Workgroup agreed to meet in April or May of 1999 after the Department has received EPA’s comments.