The next Regional Recycling Roundtable will be Thursday, September 8, from 10 a.m. to noon at H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor.

Learn about the circular economy and how companies like Dow Chemical and Hewlett-Packard  are incorporating recycling and circular economy objectives into their operations.  

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. To RSVP or be added to the list for notices of upcoming meetings, contact Erin Livingston at 832-681-2525.

Learn about H-GAC's Interactive Web Applications at a half-day workshop from 8:30 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, September 13. 

The workshop focuses on applications that 

• Identify existing activity centers based on the connectivity index, and population and employment density; 
• Visualize workers' commuting patterns between home and workplace in different geographic levels;  
• Provide quick and easy access to US Census American Community Survey (ACS) data; and 
• Visualize and query current and forecasted population, employment, and land use.

Participants are encouraged to bring their laptops/tablets to participate in an interactive session to master the use of these web applications. 

Check-in and breakfast begin at 8 a.m. The workshop is free; but space is limited, and online registration is required.

The 24th River, Lakes, Bays 'N Bayous Trash Bash® is Saturday, March 25, 2017.

In 2016, nearly 4,600 volunteers collected 54 tons of trash, 1.4 tons of recyclable materials, and 518 tires at 15 locations in the Galveston Bay watershed. In 2017, you can make a difference by volunteering to "clean it like you mean it" or supporting the event as a sponsor.

H-GAC's Designing for Impact is a National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) 2016 Innovation Award recipient. The awards honor NADO members for their creative approaches to advancing regional community and economic development and improved quality of life.

The Designing for Impact project promotes the use of Low Impact Development (LID) techniques in new development by providing information and strategies for educating the public about LID functions, benefits, and barriers to implementation. The project included the publication of a LID guide for local governments, education through a series of workshops,  and a webpage and interactive mapping tool highlighting LID projects already implemented in the region.

The H-GAC Parks and Natural Areas Subcommittee (PNA) Awards applications will be accepted through Wednesday, September 7.

PNA Awards honor projects in four categories: Projects $500,000 or more; Projects under $500,000; Planning Process; and Policy Tools. Winning entries demonstrate best practices and collaboration between developers, local governments, engineering and planning agencies, businesses, resources, environmental groups, and citizens. Entries are evaluated on innovation, merit, and regional impact. These projects serve as models for planning and project implementation for parks and natural areas in the region.

Winners will be notified in November, and the awards ceremony will be in January 2017. For more information, contact Andrea Tantillo.

H-GAC's call for planning study partners is now available. Local governments are invited to submit proposals to conduct pedestrian/bicyclist implementation studies within their jurisdictions.

For more information, attend the optional pre-submittal meeting at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 21 at H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor, or contact Andrew Pompei at 832-681-2598.
 

Applicants must notify H-GAC of their intent to apply by 3 p.m. Wednesday, October 16, using an online application. Full applications are due by 3 p.m. Friday, November 18.

Dates to remember: 

• Wednesday, September 21 - optional pre-submittal meeting
• Wednesday, October 19 - notifications for intent to apply due
• Friday, November 18 - full applications due

PlanSource, H-GAC's program for cooperative purchase for planning services, is soliciting qualifications for a broad range of community planning services and related services for local governments. 

For more information, attend a pre-submittal conference at 1 p.m. Tuesday, September 13, at H-GAC Conference Room C, Second Floor, or contact Amanda Thorin.

Responses are due by Wednesday, October 26. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has accepted the Bastrop Bayou Watershed Protection Plan (WPP). H-GAC and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) facilitated a partnership of local stakeholders to develop the WPP to identify causes and sources of water quality issues in Bastrop Bayou and recommend voluntary solutions to address them.

Solutions identified in the WPP include fixing malfunctioning septic systems, assisting agricultural producers with land improvement projects, addressing pet waste, and education. The acceptance of the WPP by EPA is a major milestone toward improving water quality in Bastrop Bayou. 

The City of Houston, Houston Parks Board, and other organizations are working to build a network of pedestrian and bicycle facilities along White Oak Bayou. When complete, the White Oak Bayou Trail will stretch approximately 15 miles, connecting neighborhoods in Northwest Houston to the downtown area. Many segments are complete, and additional portions are under construction. Hundreds of Houstonians walk and bike along White Oak Bayou Trail each day, according to H-GAC's pedestrian/bicycle counters. 

Construction of White Oak Bayou Trail has helped spur redevelopment in surrounding communities. In August, community members in Northwest Houston celebrated the opening of Raspado Xperts, a bicycle-friendly business near White Oak Bayou Trail with a drive-thru for cyclists. As part of its Pedestrian-Bicyclist Program, H-GAC helped a property management company identify ways to make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to access their shopping center from White Oak Bayou Trail.