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 Parks and Natural Areas Summit and Awards Ceremony - February 14
H-GAC will host the
Parks and Natural Areas Summit and Awards Ceremony from 9 a.m. to noon
Friday, February 14, at H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor. The Summit will feature presentations on equity in parks planning, including concepts and on-the-ground examples, by Katie Coyne (Asakura Robinson) and Claire Hempel (Design Workshop).
The event will also include the annual Parks and Natural Areas Awards recognition ceremony. These projects serve as models for planning and project implementation for parks and natural areas in the region. Projects will be honored in three categories: Planning Process, On-the-Ground Projects Over $500,000, and On-the-Ground Projects Under $500,000.
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 Solid Waste Workshop: Enforcement - March 5
H-GAC's next
Solid Waste Workshop will be from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 5, at H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor. Topics include rules and criminal enforcement, building a case, and interview techniques.
H-GAC's Solid Waste Workshops focus on in-depth studies of different topics each quarter.
Online registration is requested. For more information, contact
Andrea Tantillo at 832-681-2507.
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 Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable - March 9
The next
Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable
will be from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Monday, March 9, at H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor. Attendees will learn about the Nature and Eclectic Outdoors' Healthy Outdoor Communities initiative and Exploration Green.
The Roundtable meets the second Monday of March, July, and September with field trips scheduled in May and November. The group is open to anyone interested in participating.
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 Trash Bash - March 28
Every year, thousands of volunteers pick up trash and debris along area waterways by participating in the largest, single-day waterway cleanup in Texas, the
River, Lakes, Bays 'N Bayous Trash Bash
. Join them on Saturday, March 28, for the 27th annual cleanup.
With locations across the Galveston Bay watershed, there's a cleanup location near home, work, or school. Educational areas at each site offer opportunities to learn more about protecting water quality. Participating in Trash Bash is free, with supplies, t-shirts, lunch, and door prizes provided. Scouts and students are encouraged to participate.
Learn more about becoming a
volunteer
for Trash Bash 2020.
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 Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable - April 28
H-GAC hosts quarterly roundtables to help local governments, chambers of commerce, and economic development interests promote the economic revitalization of downtown areas.
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 Deadline to Submit WISE Awards Application - February 6
The
WISE Awards
honor innovative strategies and projects in the Houston-Galveston region that serve as models for improving water quality in four categories: Planning and Policy; Education and Public Awareness; Built Project (Greater than $500k); and Built Project (Less than $500k). Winning projects must exhibit efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation.
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 H-GAC to Open Application for Solid Waste Grants - March 3
H-GAC receives a portion of the money collected as tipping fees at landfills across the state as pass-through funding from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to fund solid waste grant projects throughout the 13-county region.
The grant application period will open
Tuesday, March 3. Grant applications will be due at noon
Thursday, April 16. H-GAC will host a workshop on how to complete the grant application from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 19, at H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor.
Registration is requested.
For more information about the grant program or to be added to an e-mail list to receive future solid waste grant notifications, contact
Erin Livingston at 832-681-2525.
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 Broadband Surveys Underway in Liberty, Walker and Wharton Counties
Connected Nation, through a grant provided by the
Texas Rural Funders Collaborative, is conducting rural broadband studies in Liberty, Walker, and Wharton counties in the region. Connected Nation is conducting surveys of residents, businesses, and organizations to gather data on their internet access and needs. If you live in
Liberty,
Walker, or
Wharton counties, please take the survey and share the link with your friends and neighbors. Understanding internet use and needs is crucial to making the business case for expansion in rural areas. Your participation is appreciated.
 General Land Office Launches Economic Recovery Program
The Texas General Land Office launched
Texas Back in Business, a $100 million economic revitalization program for small businesses impacted by Hurricane Harvey. The program provides grants from $50,000 to $250,000 to small businesses for hiring, training, operating capital, machinery, equipment, supplies, or inventory. The application period is through
Monday, March 2.
 Exhibitor Registration Open for Earth Day Houston
Registration for exhibitors for
Earth Day Houston at Discovery Green is open through
Friday, February 14. Hosted by Discovery Green Conservancy in partnership with Citizens' Environmental Coalition, and sponsored by Green Mountain Energy, this year's event will be from noon to 5 p.m.
Sunday, April 19. Featuring exhibits, bands, food, and speakers, the 2020 celebration supports Discovery Green's mission of providing free events that promote a healthy environment and sustainable operations. Exhibitor space is limited.
 Treasures of the Texas Coast Art Contest
The Texas General Land Office 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
Wednesday, March 4.
 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 6.
 Keep Texas Beautiful Awards
Each year,
Keep Texas Beautiful honors Texas communities, businesses, schools, media outlets, and individuals who work to keep the environment clean. Learn more about the
Individual and Organization Awards, the
Governor's Community Achievement Awards, and the
Youth and Educator Awards. Applications open and close at various times throughout the year.
 Get Involved With Trash Free Texas
Trash Free Texas strives to keep trash out of area waterways by working with communities and organizations across the state to connect people to places that need routine litter cleanup activities. Local governments and organizations can get involved by using the
Adopt-a-Spot online interactive mapping application.
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APA National Planning Conference
The American Planning Association
2020 National Planning Conference will be
April 25-28 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. The event is the premier planning event of the year, bringing together
thousands of planners, planning commissioners, appointed and elected officials, and students to discuss fresh ideas and innovative planning. Early bird pricing for
registration is available through
Wednesday, March 4.
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Livable Centers Included in National Mobility Report
H-GAC's Livable Centers program participated in the creation of
What Does it Take to Get Mobility Right, a 26-page white paper exploring building an urban data marketplace to deliver sustainable mobility as a service. The report was developed by Reuters Events, in coordination with input from H-GAC and other organizations across the country, including Los Angeles Metro, Sacramento Area Council of Governments,
Dallas Area Rapid Transit, and
San Diego Association of Governments.
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TDEM launches Local Catastrophic Debris Management Guide
The Texas Division of Emergency Management recently released the
Local Catastrophic Debris Management Guide to assist entities across the state in their planning, response, and recovery efforts for disasters that generate catastrophic amounts of debris.
The Texas Department of Transportation, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the numerous dedicated Local Officials, First Responders and Emergency Management Coordinators volunteered their time to assist with the creation of this guide. Publication of the guide is required by Senate Bill 6 and House Bills 5 and 6 of the 86th Legislature.
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 Funding Opportunities
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.
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 Mapping Applications
Find the latest information about activities around the region at H-GAC's Twitter feed @HouGalvAreaCog. H-GAC's water resources program also offers Twitter updates on water quality issues in the region @HGACwater.
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