The
staff of the Cities Initiative wishes you a very happy New Year! We look forward to working with you to advance the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River in 2017.
2017 Annual Meeting - Registration to Open 1/13!
Registration for the 2017 Annual Meeting and Conference will open online on January 13, 2017. Please visit http://glslcities.org/events/annual-meeting/ on the January 13th to register for the Annual Meeting and Conference, to be held in Montréal, QC June 14-16. Early bird pricing for registration fees will be in effect until Friday, April 28, 2017.
Brenda Scott-Henry of Gary, IN Highlighted
Brenda Scott-Henry, Gary's Director of Green Urbanism and Environmental Affairs and Stormwater, was recently highlighted in the Northeastern Area Association of State Foresters and US Department of Agriculture Forest Service Profiles in Conservation. The article explores Ms. Scott-Henry's work to green Gary and revitalize neighborhoods. To read the article, please click here.
We are fortunate to work with so many dedicated people like Ms. Scott- Henry in our efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.
Traverse City Commits to Clean Energy
Traverse City has joined a handful of other municipalities leading the way on clean energy with a 100% clean energy commitment. The city has pledged to power all electricity for city operations entirely by renewable sources like wind, solar, geothermal, and landfill gas by 2020. Grand Rapids, MI is another Cities Initiative member that has a commitment to 100% renewable energy by 2025. To learn more, please
click here.
Asian Carp Region Coordinating Committee Stakeholder Call
Join the USFWS and the USEPA for a stakeholder call on January 11, 2017 at 1:00 PM EST for an update from the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) on the 2017 Asian Carp Action Plan.
The Action Plan builds on the work of previous years and includes new initiatives, including addressing alternative dispersal pathways and additional emerging Asian carp species of concern. The Plan also supports the development and implementation of critical new early detection, monitoring, prevention and control tools.
The 2017 Action Plan will be posted on
asiancarp.us
by 10 a.m. CST on January 11.
The call will provide an overview of the Plan and time to ask questions of ACRCC staff. To participate in the January 11th call at 1 PM EST, use the following call-in information:
- Conference line: 800-779-9946
- Participant passcode: 6352776
Sustain Our Great Lakes Funding Opportunity
The Request for Proposals for the 2017 Sustain Our Great Lakes funding opportunity is now open. This opportunity may be of particular interest for our member municipalities given its binational nature and a new funding priority on green storm water infrastructure. In 2017, grant funding will be awarded in three categories: 1).
Stream and Riparian Habitat; 2). Coastal Wetlands; and 3). Green Stormwater Infrastructure. With respect to the green stormwater infrastructure priority area, funding will support the following strategies: 1). Installing green infrastructure; 2). Creating and enhancing urban wetlands; and 3). Restoring urban forests.
To be eligible for funding, projects must occur within the Great Lakes basin. Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and state, tribal and local governments. Up to $7.8 million is expected to be available for grant awards. Individual awards will range from $50,000 to $1.5 million.
Applications are due February 21, 2017. To learn more, visit
https://www.sustainourgreatlakes.org/
. Don't forget to register for the January 10, 2017 webinar!
EPA Awards Small Businesses for Environmental Innovation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced $1.3 million to 13 small businesses nationwide to develop and commercialize technologies to help solve current environmental issues. Each of the 13 companies will receive a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract for up to $100,000 to develop their green technology. If Phase I is successful, companies will be eligible to apply for a Phase II contract of up to $300,000 to develop and commercialize their technology for the marketplace. Of the 13 recipients, four are focused on nutrients:
- Faraday Technology, Inc., Englewood, Ohio, to develop an improved nutrient extraction technology that will be used to treat agricultural nutrients in wastewater.
- Microvi Biotech, Inc., Hayward, Calif. to develop a cost-effective solution for treatment of nutrients in wastewater and recovering the nutrients as a valuable bioproduct.
- NanoSonic, Inc., Pembroke, Va., to make an ultra-thin membrane used to recover phosphorus and other nutrients in wastewater.
- XploSafe, LLC, Stillwater, Okla. to recover excess nutrients in wastewater using sorbent pellets that can release the nutrients back into the soil.
More information about the EPA SBIR Program:
www.epa.gov/sbir
Events and Webinars
Improving Collaboration Using the Great Lakes Clean Communities Network (GLCCN)
Webinar on collaboration features of the GLCCN. Learn how to create and manage a group, develop collaborative working docs, share files and more.
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Wednesday, January 11, 2017
12 - 1 PM EST
Click here to register. |
Climate Leadership Conference
Gathering of forward-thinking leaders from business, government, academia, and the non-profit community to explore energy and climate solutions, and provide support to leaders taking action on climate change.
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March 1-3, 2017
Chicago, IL
Marriott Downtown Chicago
Use code below for 15% off registration:
CLC-Great Lakes-15%
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Funding Opportunities (U.S.)
Five Star & Urban Waters Restoration Grants
The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds and the species and habitats they support.
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Proposals due January 31, 2017
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U.S. EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
Up to $26 million will be available for grants to state, tribal, interstate and local governmental agencies, institutions of higher learning and other nonprofit organizations.
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Applications due January 13, 2017
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Funding Opportunities (Binational)
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Sustain Our Great Lakes
In 2017, grant funding will be awarded in three categories, focused on protecting, restoring and sustaining Great Lakes fish, wildlife and habitat:
- Stream and Riparian Habitat
- Coastal Wetlands
- Green Storm Water Infrastructure - New funding category in 2017
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Informational webinar January 10, 2017
11 AM EST /10 AM CST
Applications due February 21, 2017
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Reminders
C
ities Initiative Hiring President / CAO
After over a decade of serving as the Executive Director of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, David Ullrich will be retiring next summer. The Cities Initiative is hiring a new President/CAO based out of the Chicago, Illinois office. The Cities Initiative is looking for a candidate with experience and knowledge related to: Great Lakes/St. Lawrence advocacy and policy, municipal government, non-profit management, coalition building, and bi-national collaboration. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and should be sent to
to view the full position description.
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Membership
Please join the 127 Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative members in protecting and restoring the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River by clicking
here for a membership application. If you are already a member, please encourage your neighboring communities to join, and be sure to renew your membership when you receive your notice.
If your municipality would like to share news with the Cities Initiative, please email information to Melissa Soline at
[email protected].
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