CCLR is open during the Federal Government Shut Down
RESOURCES FOR REVITALIZATION
OCTOBER 2025
Move Forward with Your EPA MAC Grant Application
We are still awaiting the highly-anticipated release of the EPA FY26 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup (MAC) grant application. While we don’t know exactly when the NOFO and Guidelines will be released, there are still a number of ways you can prepare for your application:
Confirm your SAM.gov and Grant.govaccounts are up to date and accurate.
Draft your Threshold Criteria Response and share it with EPA (and us!) EPA regional staff can review and provide feedback on your Threshold Criteria Response even after the competition has opened.
Schedule a meeting with CCLR to receive cost-free one-on-one support for your land reuse project. We can talk through your application strategy, respond to questions, review pieces of your narrative, and help you connect with partners and peers.
How a Government Shutdown Impacts Brownfields
CCLR is Open and Available to Help
You may be wondering how the ongoing Federal Government shutdown might impact your program, or who you can go to for answers. Many EPA employees, including program/grant managers, are furloughed due to the government shutdown. This leaves few people to process grant activities. The Center for Creative Land Recycling is open and available to answer your questions and provide assistance. Schedule a meeting with CCLR.
Additionally, we can expect that pending or not-yet-awarded grants will not be awarded/processed, nor will new funding opportunities be released, until the federal government reopens. This includes the FY26 EPA MAC grants. It is important to maintain a steady course at this time. Maintain compliance with your grant (including submitting your Quarterly Reports, ACRES entries, and SF-425 FFR on time!) . Continue to prepare for any future applications. And most importantly, keep up the good work.
Region 10 Vision to Action spotlight!
Vision to Action is an intensive form of technical assistance where CCLR’s revitalization experts work with you, your partners, and your community to develop a vision for your brownfield site. Read more and inquire about your own Vision to Action plan!
Tazlina Alaska plans for new Tribal Community Hall
On August 30th, the Native Village of Tazlina and CCLR came together for a milestone community workshop that exceeded attendance expectations and supported the development of a new Tribal Community Hall! CCLR’s Devyn Rainwater and Joy Britt led an engaging 2.5-hour visioning with over 30 community participants to showcase the conceptual designs developed by Norman Wright through earlier community visioning sessions and an online workshop.
The designs sparked excitement and productive discussion, with community members offering thoughtful input and heartfelt support for the project. Thanks to the project team’s dedicated work, Tazlina is now one step closer to developing a new hall that will serve as a vibrant gathering place. Final revisions are underway, with a polished plan set to be delivered in November.
A New Vision for the St. Elmo Hotel in Palouse Washington
In Palouse Washington, CCLR joined the Mayor of Palouse and Cascadia Partners as they led community members through the initial Vision to Action workshop for the St. Elmo building. A historic landmark, the St. Elmo is a major focal point of Downtown Palouse but it has reached a point of degradation where it can no longer be repaired.
Facing the prospect of demolition, community members have voiced their concerns and showed their support for the City’s efforts to find the next chapter for reuse. Solutions center around historic preservation, public-private partnerships, and mixed-use development in a style that will emulate the best of what people love about the St. Elmo. Workshop #1 was held at the Public Library and will be followed by a “virtual” online workshop to be held in early October. Feedback will shape the design concepts that will be presented at Workshop #2 scheduled for November 5th followed by a final Vision to Action plan by the end of December 2025.
The vision anticipates sustainable development of a more urban downtown environment with 5 story mixed use developments along the waterfront supported by upgraded, walkable streets, public plazas and art installations, and a new Activity Center along the west edge where a major roundabout will be installed along Highway 20.
The critical steps to deliver the first phase of this vision involve the brownfield sites at 1081 and 1091 Pioneer Drive. These sites have undergone remedial investigation and a cleanup plan is underway. The existing structures have been demolished and the site will soon be ready for development through a developer offering or other form of public/private partnership. The Council expressed their gratitude to the City leadership team and CCLR and moved to approve the plan with "fierce conviction" when casting their unanimous vote.
EVENTS & WEBINARS
FY26 Brownfield Grant Workshop with National League of Cities’ Local Infrastructure Hub in Collaboration with CCLR
Thursday, October 9│9:00 AM PT on Zoom │Register Now
In collaboration with the National League of Cities, CCLR will give an insiders’ look at program changes, application tips, and strategies to make your FY26 EPA Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Brownfields Grant application stand out. This is more than just a webinar, join us for a cost-free, four-hour workshop with interactive exercises to sharpen your funding strategy, gain exclusive resources you can put to work immediately, and have the chance to book one-on-one office hours with our team for personalized guidance after the session. Whether you intend to apply in FY26 or need support to grow your brownfields program, this workshop will provide insights and resources!
EPA Grants Webinar: Competition Process
Wednesday, October 22nd | 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET | Register Now
This webinar is intended to help grant applicants learn how to find and successfully apply for competitive EPA grants. The EPA will also provide an overview of the competition process from application through evaluation and selection.
Meet Your Fulcrum Potential: Balancing Power Between Community Members and Land Reuse Practitioners
Wednesday, October 29│11:00 AM PT on Zoom │ Register now
Join CCLR and Groundwork USA for this dynamic webinar where you’ll discover practical strategies for bridging the gap between community needs and decision-making authorities. We'll delve into the "fulcrum concept," highlighting the critical role nonprofits can play in balancing power dynamics to empower residents to lead redevelopment initiatives.
Let's Create a Park: Building Creative Funding Strategies for Park Development
Tuesday, November 18│10:00 AM PT on Zoom │ Register now
Parks transform communities — but park funding is often the greatest challenge to realizing this potential. Join the Center for Creative Land Recycling (CCLR) and WRT for a webinar introducing the Let’s Create a Park! funding guide. This practical tool helps communities understand the park development process, identify and stack funding sources, and create sustainable strategies to make parks a reality.
Alaska DEC Virtual DBAC Information and Q&A Session
Are you thinking of applying for DEC Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup (DBAC) Services? Don't miss this chance to learn about the application process and ask questions! DEC staff will go over what information is needed to apply, and what makes for a strong application. The second hour will be an open Q&A that participants can pop in and out of to ask questions about the DBAC application, specific sites, or the DEC Brownfields program.
Grow America EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Office Hours
Bring your questions, opportunities, and challenges regarding Brownfields financing and redevelopment.
Wednesday, September 24 @ 3-5pm ET/12-2pm PT: Register here.
Wednesday, October 22 @ 3-5pm ET/12-2pm PT: Register here.
Wednesday, November 19 @ 3-5pm ET/12-2pm PT: Register here.
FUNDING & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
EPA Targeted Brownfield Assessments
EPA’s Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) program helps communities understand potential contamination at a brownfield site and plan for cleanup and redevelopment. TBAs are conducted by an EPA contractor on behalf of an eligible entity. Services include site assessments, cleanup options and cost estimates, and community.Learn More
New Guides from EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization:
Alaska: Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)'s Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup (DBAC) Services
Application Closes Friday November 14, 2025 |Apply Now
DBAC services can cover a variety of site-specific or community-wide assessment, cleanup, and planning activities. Completed applications must be received by 5 p.m. on November 14, 2025. Submissions can be sent using the form below or saved as a PDF and emailed to dec.brownfields@alaska.gov.
Alaska: Zender is Accepting Job Trainee Applications
Brownfield Job Training provider Zender is accepting applications to their FREE RaceJT 2026 spring program. The last day to apply is Nov. 28, 2025. If you have upcoming projects and need people trained or if you know of anyone unemployed or under employed, this might just be what you are looking for! Here is the link to the application and info to join Q&A sessions
