Welcome to the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission's bi-weekly roundup of news, trends, and events. To see previous edition of this newsletter, click here .

In This Edition News From Around the Region A Greater Madison Vision Survey to Launch in 2018 As We Look Forward to Spring: Attract Native Bees to Pollinate Crops Brownfield Development Assistance Grants Other Funding Opportunities in the Region

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News From Around the Region

Stay up to date with our roundup of planning and development news around the region.  View the map here

A Greater Madison Vision Survey to Launch in 2018

In 2018 the team from A Greater Madison Vision will release a survey for public input on three alternative futures of the region with the goal of collecting 10,000 responses from residents of the Greater Madison region.  Throughout 2017 the team engaged with over 900 people and got over 7,000 pieces of individual feedback to assist with the compilation of the survey, and we thank you for your participation.  When the survey is released later this year, we will notify you.  In preparation, we encourage you to continue to explore the region using an interactive map that illustrates the wide range of landscapes including natural resources, land use, and our dynamic economy.

By clicking on the the image above you will be able to access a navigable map that highlights where in the region you can find developed land, agricultural land, pasture, wooded land, sensitive natural resource areas, and the region’s major employers. Zoom in to see where you can find these landscapes and features, or zoom out to see the whole region in context. When exploring our map, think about what changes will occur within the next 30 to 40 years as we expect a population growth of approximately 160,000 people. How will that look? How will we address key issues such as environmental protections, transportation, and affordable housing? How will we continue to form and implement a vision and plan that balances major issues and concerns and helps create a better future for the Greater Madison Region? These are the questions you will help answer when A Greater Madison Vision survey goes live later this year.

As We Look Forward to Spring: Attract Native Bees to Pollinate Crops

Between 2014 and 2015, Wisconsin Honey Bee ( Apis mellifera ) populations saw as much as a 60 percent decline. [1] Recent reporting on the effects of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and Varroa mite ( Varroa destructor ) infestations underscores agriculture’s reliance on pollinators. Thirty-five percent of global crop production relies specifically upon bees. [2] In Dane County, 1,500 acres of commercial crops depend upon bees. But honey bees are not the only game in town.

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Brownfield Development Assistance Grants

Visit almost any community and you’ll find brownfields—former industrial or commercial sites where redevelopment is affected by real or perceived environmental contamination. They range from the vacant gas station to the old industrial property that used to employ hundreds. The Wisconsin Assessment Monies (WAM) Program provides local governments with funding for professional environmental assessments of contaminated properties, helping to turn these properties around and get them ready for a new use.

Sites in our region that have received WAM Program grant funds to conduct assessments in recent years include; a site on Index Road in the City of Fitchburg, the former MillFab/Holley Moulding site in the City of Stoughton, and a riverfront redevelopment site in the City of Monona.

The WI Brownfields Coalition, a collaborative effort of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin’s nine Regional Planning Commissions (including CARPC), received a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in late 2016 for the WAM Program. There is currently still about $350,000 available for new projects. If you are aware of any sites in your community that could benefit from the WAM Program, contact the program administrator, Tom Coogan, at (608) 267-7560 or via email . For more information about the WAM Program, including eligibility requirements, you can also visit the program website .

Other Funding Opportunities in the Region

Seed Grant The City of Madison SEED Grants are open! Applications are due: Monday, February 26, 2018 by 4:30pm

Emerging Opportunities Program   The 2018 Emerging Opportunities Program guidelines and application are now available. Applications are due March 5, 2018 by noon

Events Next RPC Commission meeting March 8th, 2018 @ 6:15pm City County Building Rm 351 210 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard Madison WI, 53703

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