Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability

Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability
Name	Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability
Abbreviation	SRPPS
Formation	2013
Type	Regional planning consortium
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia
Region served	Southeastern United States
Leader title	Executive Director
Leader name	(vacant)
Website	(organization website)

Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability The Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability is a multistate consortium focused on coordinated land use and resource management across the Southeastern United States including states such as Georgia (U.S. state), Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Virginia (U.S. state) and Arkansas. It brings together municipal, county, state, tribal, academic, and nonprofit stakeholders to address cross-jurisdictional challenges in coastal management, watershed planning, transportation planning, habitat conservation, and climate adaptation with links to federal agencies and regional authorities. The partnership emphasizes data-sharing, scenario modeling, and collaborative policy development drawing on expertise from institutions such as Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Florida, Duke University, Vanderbilt University, and Tulane University.

Overview

The partnership operates as a consortium that aligns state agencies like the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality with regional entities including the Southeast Coastal Area of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and metropolitan planning organizations such as the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Metropolitan Planning Organization network. It coordinates with federal bodies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to integrate planning for hurricane response, sea level rise resilience, and ecosystem services. Members exchange datasets from projects like the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, US Geological Survey products, and NOAA Coastal Services Center resources to enable regional scenario planning and remote sensing analysis.

History and Formation

The consortium traces its roots to intergovernmental initiatives following major events such as Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, when states, tribes, and academic centers including Florida State University and the University of South Carolina sought coordinated responses for recovery and resilience. Early convenings included representatives from the Southern Governors' Association, the National Governors Association, and regional nonprofit organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and Audubon Society chapters. Funding and technical assistance from foundations like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and federal competitive grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National Science Foundation supported pilot programs and the formal incorporation in the wake of multistate memoranda of understanding modeled after efforts by the Chesapeake Bay Program and the Great Lakes Commission.

Governance and Membership

Governance follows a council-and-committee model with an executive council comprising elected officials from member states, tribal representatives from nations such as the Choctaw Nation and the Seminole Tribe, and leaders from academic partners including Emory University and University of Mississippi. Advisory committees include specialists from American Planning Association (APA), the Urban Land Institute, the Sierra Club, and trade associations like the American Society of Civil Engineers. The bylaws establish working groups on topics linked to agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration, the National Weather Service, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and maintain liaisons with regional commissions like the Southeastern Louisiana Flood Protection Authority and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs span coordinated coastal restoration projects with partners such as Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, regional habitat restoration initiatives with Ducks Unlimited, urban resilience planning with municipal partners like the City of Atlanta, and cross-jurisdictional transportation corridor studies tied to the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor. Initiatives include a regional climate modeling hub leveraging supercomputing centers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and university consortia, a watershed connectivity mapping program adapted from the NatureServe methodology, and an emergency response interoperability project integrated with FEMA Region IV and National Response Framework protocols. The partnership also runs workforce development and community engagement programs in collaboration with Community Development Block Grant recipients and nonprofit partners such as Greenpeace USA and Environmental Defense Fund.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding is a mix of federal grants from agencies like the U.S. Department of Transportation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, philanthropic contributions from organizations including the Kresge Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, and cost-sharing agreements with state agencies and metropolitan planning organizations such as the Hillsborough County MPO. Private-sector partners include engineering firms registered with American Council of Engineering Companies and technology providers used by Esri and cloud partners. The partnership has received competitive awards through programs such as the National Coastal Resilience Fund and cooperative agreements under the Coastal Zone Management Act.

Impact and Assessments

Independent assessments conducted by university research centers at University of Georgia, Florida International University, and Louisiana State University report improvements in regional coordination for floodplain management, reductions in duplicated infrastructure investment, and enhanced cross-border habitat connectivity. Performance metrics aligned with standards from the U.S. Green Building Council and the ISO 37120 framework indicate gains in emergency response times, conservation acreage under cooperative management, and stakeholder satisfaction measured through surveys facilitated by institutions like RAND Corporation and Brookings Institution research affiliates.

Controversies and Criticisms

Critics drawn from advocacy groups including Sierra Club chapters, local community organizations, and some tribal representatives have raised concerns about transparency, the influence of private developers represented by trade groups such as the National Association of Home Builders, and the adequacy of safeguards for culturally significant sites noted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Disputes have arisen over project prioritization where state transportation agencies and port authorities including the Georgia Ports Authority advocated for infrastructure investments that environmental NGOs and academic reviewers argued could harm estuarine habitats. Legal challenges invoking provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act and litigation involving state courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit have occasionally delayed projects, prompting calls for clearer governance and stronger tribal consultation consistent with precedents involving the Department of the Interior and federal trust responsibilities.

Category:Regional planning organizations in the United States