Keeping you up to date on the community planning, economic development,
and environmental planning programs at H-GAC.
Your Monthly News & Updates
Upcoming Events
Texas Stream Team Training in the field
Texas Stream Team Trainings - February 16, May 4

A Texas Stream Team Phase I and II training will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, February 16, at Sea Center Texas, 302 Medical Drive, Lake Jackson. 


Registration is required, and the class is limited to 20 volunteers. 

Save the date for the next training from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, May 4, at Buffalo Bayou Partnership, 1803 Memorial Parkway, Houston. This training is for volunteers who wish to monitor in the greater Houston area. Registration will open in March.

Learn more about H-GAC's Texas Stream Team three-phase training program online. For more information, email  Stream.Team@h-gac.com.

used electronics for in a box
Regional Recycling Roundtable - February 22

The  Regional Recycling Roundtable will be from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, February 22, at H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor. 

The topic is electronics recycling, and presentations include How to Hold a Repair Cafe (Green Building Resource Center) and to Dell Reconnect: Technology Recycling with Goodwill

Registration is requested. 

H-GAC hosts quarterly Regional Recycling Roundtables to promote recycling and waste reduction and provide a forum for discussion about recycling issues within the region.

 For more information, contact Becki Begley at 713-993-2410.

Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable - March 12

The Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable will meet from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Monday, March 12, at H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor.  Tentative discussion topics include parks maintenance and low impact development. 

The Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable serves as a forum for discussion of issues related to parks and natural areas in the H-GAC region and is open to anyone who would like to participate. 

For more information, contact Andrea Tantillo at 832-681-2507.

Trash Bash Logo Celebrating 25 Years 1994-2018
25th Trash Bash - March 24

On Saturday, March 24, the River, Lakes, Bays 'N Bayous Trash Bash , the largest, single-day waterway cleanup in Texas, will celebrate its 25th consecutive cleanup event. In 2017, 3,242 volunteers collected 52 tons of trash, 1.5 tons for recycling, and 574 tires, while cleaning 150 shoreline miles at 14 locations.
 
Over the event's 24-year history, almost 106,000 volunteers have collected 2,189 tons of trash, 16 tons for recycling, and 10,709 tires. Trash Bash makes an impact on Texas's waterways, especially given its location at the end of the trash stream, as it collects in the Galveston Bay watershed.
 
Volunteers receive cleanup supplies, free lunch, and t-shirts. They also have a chance to win door prizes. There are 14 cleanup sites around the region.
 
This event is an opportunity to get hands-on education about the effects of littering and to learn more about simple ways to protect stormwater quality at home at educational exhibit areas. 

Clean Waters Initiative Logo
Clean Waters Initiative Workshop - March 28

Save the date for the next Clean Waters Initiative workshop from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 28, at H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor. The topic is Transportation Projects and Water Quality

Speakers from the Texas Department of Transportation, H-GAC, and Harris County Engineering Department will provide participants with greater understanding of how environmental factors, such as water quality, are incorporated into transportation project planning and implementation.

Registration is requested.

The Clean Waters Initiative program offers workshops that help local governments, landowners, and residents develop effective strategies to reduce pollution in area waterways.

For more information, contact Kathy Janhsen at 713-993-2423.

Announcements
Regional Demographic Snapshot screenshot
Regional Demographic Snapshot

H-GAC launched the Regional Demographic Snapshot, an interactive tool providing a quick summary of key demographic variables for a user-defined geography in the 13-county H-GAC region. The user can select a customized geography by drawing a point, rectangle, lasso, circle, or line in the tool. 

The data is based on U.S. Census American Community Survey 2012-2016 five-year estimates and is available at county, city, ZIP code, census tract, and block group levels. 

H-GAC also updated the Demographic Data Explorer application with the latest U.S. Census American Community Survey 2012-2016 five-year estimates.  

Educational Materials Available Through Coastal Communities
Coastal Communities Stormwater Pollution Outreach Project

H-GAC is kicking off Coastal Communities, a public awareness project to help small communities in coastal watersheds work with residents to identify steps they can take at home and around town to help reduce pollution in local waterways.  

The project will focus on common sources of water pollution, including pet waste; fats, oils, and grease; litter and illegal dumping; and maintenance of on-site sewage facilities.   

If you or your city, neighborhood association, school, church, or civic group would like to see if you live in a qualifying community, and receive more information about this project or explore how we might be of assistance, contact Becki Begley at 713-993-2410. 

The 2045 Regional Transportation Plan: How to Get Involved

Planning efforts for the H-GAC 2045 Regional Transportation Plan continue, and there are numerous opportunities for residents to voice their ideas. Public meetings will begin in March and run through April.  

What Happens at Public Meetings? 

Public meetings are used to disseminate material, provide a setting for public discussion, and get community feedback. Public meetings give residents the opportunity to meet staff, ask questions, share concerns, and learn more about how the planning process works.

The RTP is a guiding document that sets multimodal transportation investment priorities for the region. It has an impact on all residents who face daily transportation challenges. 
 
As this long-range plan grows and evolves, the RTP website will also evolve. H-GAC answers Frequently Asked Questions, communicates details about public meetings, and provides residents a chance to get involved
Partner Announcements
Keep Texas Beautiful logo
Keep Texas Beautiful Awards
Each year, Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB) honors Texas communities, businesses, schools, media outlets, and individuals who work to keep the environment clean. Learn more about the  Keep Texas Beautiful Awards, the  Governor's Community Achievement Awards, and the  Youth and Educator Awards. Applications are due in February and April. See website for individual deadlines.

Adopt a Beach logo
Treasures of the Texas Coast Art Contest
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) Adopt-A-Beach program invites kindergarten-sixth grade students to participate in the annual Treasures of the Texas Coast Children's Art Contest. The purpose of this contest is to encourage young artists to learn about natural resources along the Texas coast. The deadline to enter is Thursday, March 1.

Take Care of Texas Proud Partner Logo
Take Care of Texas Art Contest
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is hosting the Take Care of Texas Art Contest for kindergarten-fifth grade students to depict positive ways to help keep the air and water clean, conserve water and energy, and reduce waste. The deadline to enter is Friday, March 2.

Scenic City Certification Program
The  Scenic City Certification Program, a project of Scenic Texas in cooperation with H-GAC, Texas Municipal League, and additional partners, is accepting 2018 applications through Saturday, March 31. The program supplies cities an objective review of existing infrastructure ordinances for public roadways and public spaces, evaluated against the Scenic City model.
More Upcoming Events
Texas Watershed Steward Workshop
Texas Watershed Steward Logo
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, and H-GAC will host a   Texas Watershed Steward workshop from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, February 8, at the Don McLeod Recreation Center, 10717 Langston Drive, Mont Belvieu. The workshop will include a discussion of watershed systems, types and sources of water pollution, and ways to improve and protect water quality. There also will be a group discussion on community-driven watershed protection and management. More information, including preregistration, is available  online or by contacting  Tyler Fitzgerald at 409-374-2123.

Galveston Bay Plan, 2nd Edition Open House
Galveston Bay estuary program logo
The Galveston Bay Estuary Program will host an open house to provide information on The Galveston Bay Plan, 2nd Edition Draft, from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, March 5, at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension offices at 4102-B, Main Street, La Marque. This plan offers strategies for sustaining and protecting the waters in the Galveston Bay watershed. Public comment will be open on the project website from March 5 through April 4. 
News and Notes
Zagster bike rental
New Bike Rental Option Available in Houston Area

Zagster, a national bike sharing company, offers free rides to Houston-area riders who use the bicycles for less than 4 hours. Just use Zagster's mobile application, website or text message feature to rent a bike. 

More information, including pricing structures and a map of locations, is available online.
Funding Sources
Tree with $ Money
H-GAC has compiled a list of local, regional, state, federal, and private funding sources for local governments and other organizations. H-GAC also maintains a list of ongoing funding opportunities for parks improvements.

If you know of a funding opportunity, forward it to Andrea Tantillo .

All content, including links to websites, is for informational purposes only. Users of this content are responsible for checking its accuracy, currency, and suitability.
Community and Environmental Planning Programs
GIS Globes
Mapping Applications
Looking for interactive applications or GIS data related to the H-GAC Community and Environmental Planning Department? Visit H-GAC's interactive applications web page to see the latest information, including Census, Regional Forecast, and more.
 
Facebook
find us on facebook
H-GAC has a Facebook page where information about current and upcoming events is posted. Please visit and like H-GAC's page. While there, visit other H-GAC pages on Facebook, including  Recycling, Trash Bash, Bacteria Implementation Group (BIG), West Fork Watersheds Partnership, and  Cedar Bayou Watershed Partnership.

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Twitter
Find the latest information about activities around the region at H-GAC's Twitter feed  @hgaccog. H-GAC's water resources program also offers Twitter updates on water quality issues in the region  @HGACwater.
Would you like us to consider featuring your municipality, program, or regional photo on the C&E Planning Update banner? Just forward Andrea Tantillo your picture, along with some information about the subject and the photographer, and you might see it in a future month's newsletter.   
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