DOT TIGER Grant NOFA is out & Link to Brownfields

Today the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) was released for DOT TIGER grants.  The program expects to make up to $500 million in transportation infrastructure awards.  This is a good opportunity to identify where there are transportation needs and linkages  to your Brownfield Area-wide Pilot project areas.  Note the highlighted section below, which calls out HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership efforts and specifically mentions the EPA Brownfield Area-Wide Pilot Program for special consideration (reference pg 34 of NOFA).

Pre-applications are due February 20 and applications are due March 19.

The eligible applicants list is on pg 6.  Nonprofits organizations -- please talk with your local MPO or government entity who will be applying for TIGER funds so your transportation needs can be considered.

Questions related to the application process, technical assistance, or debriefing requests can be sent to: tigergrants@dot.gov and more information is available at: http://www.dot.gov/tiger/

Sustainable Community Development Group - Technical Assistance to Small Town Mayors

Are you in a rural setting and need some help with "sustainability," "smart growth," and "brownfields"?  Consider taking advantage of the technical assistance of the Sustainable Communities Development Group.

Familiarity with smart growth tools and resources is critical for local elected officials. SCDG is hosting the engagement of a multi-state delegation of rural mayors in the San Diego conference through our Greening of Brownfields Program. This brownfields initiative builds the capacity of low income communities and communities of color to deploy sustainability programs, tools and investments as a driver for economic development. This is sustainability technical assistance for rural mayors supported by a partnership with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

SCDG’s technical assistance tackles economic development; contaminated property cleanup, re-use and financing; job creation; and coaches mayors towards community wealth-building in the emerging green energy economy. If you are a rural or small town mayor interested in learning more about the program, click on the link below link and let us know.

Click on the link to provide input and receive updates: info@sustainablecommunitydevelopmentgroup.org

Study: Commercial Real Estate Development and Construction annually contribute $288 billion to GDP; down from 2007 contribution of $549 billion, January 12, 2011

Washington, D.C., January 12, 2011 – Commercial real estate development and construction is a perpetual and valuable economic engine, with spending and directly related outlays generating a significant financial impact and helping to counter the recessionary forces that have undermined the economy's performance since December 2007.

In a new report issued by the NAIOP Research Foundation, the compounded economic impact of commercial development and construction spending reached $288 billion in 2009, as follows:

• $148.6 billion in hard costs (actual construction costs)
• $139.4 billion in soft costs (architecture, engineering, marketing, legal, management), site development and tenant improvements
• An additional $2.52 billion were spent on building operations (maintenance, repair, custodial services, utilities and management)

Download the full report on the NAIOP Research Foundation Web site. Development and construction spending declined in 2009 due to the recession's economic contraction, yet it still generated an overall positive contribution to the U.S. economy. Direct outlays for construction spending for office, industrial, warehouse and retail totaled $46.6 billion, down 48 percent from 2007. And although an additional 264.6 million square feet of building space was added to the inventory, it represents a decrease of 68.5 percent compared to 2007.

"This decline in construction spending has resulted in a noticeable effect on the nation's economy, and it has negatively impacted the ability for communities across the county to pull out of the recession," said Thomas J. Bisacquino, NAIOP president and CEO. "This report reconfirms that a healthy real estate economy is vital to a prosperous U.S. economy, and the industry is depending on lawmakers and the administration to continue to free sources of capital so that development can recommence, and the trickledown effect will be seen in increased employment numbers and consumer spending."

Commercial construction spending, employment and personal earnings in a 2009 vs. 2007 comparison:

	2009	2007
Commercial Construction Spending Totals	$288 billion	$549 billion
Employment Totals	2.4 million jobs	4.89 million jobs
Personal Earnings Totals	$89.1 billion	$170.1 billion

Report data shows that building (both commercial and residential) and non-building (roads, bridges, etc.) construction spending in 2009 totaled $908 billion and accounted for 6.4 percent of the GDP, well off its high in 2007 when construction spending totaled $1.16 trillion and accounted directly for 8.5 percent of the GDP.

The data and analysis are detailed in "The Contribution of Office, Industrial and Retail Development and Construction to the U.S. Economy" a report authored by Dr. Stephen S. Fuller, director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, and funded by the NAIOP Research Foundation.

Recession Effects
The effects of the 2008-2009 recession were felt by all segments of the economy, and the construction sector was disproportionately impacted by the collapse of the financial markets and subsequent decrease in demand for new housing and non-residential building space.

Residential construction peaked in 2005 with starts totaling 2.07 million units and declined to 554,000 housing units in 2009, a decrease of 73 percent. During the first three years of this same time period (2005-2008), non-residential building construction outlays continued to increase, peaking in 2008.

This extended spending helped offset an industry-wide decline that would worsen in 2009 and has continued through 2010. However, with the national economy's accelerating recession, non-residential building construction outlays fell by 20.4 percent in 2009.

Industry Prepared for Employment Growth
Commercial development must be on the leading edge of the eventual economic upturn and be equipped to meet companies' expansion needs as joblessness numbers decline and employment grows. Using standard jobs-per-square feet estimates, the new space developed in 2009 has the capacity to house 674,300 jobs with an annual payroll of $29.8 billion.

The potential productive value of this new building space represents a significant annual contribution to the local, state and national economies. In addition to the significant contribution to GDP and job and income growth nationwide that constructing 264.6 million square feet of new building space represents, these buildings continue to provide economic benefits to their economies after construction is completed. These economic impacts include outlays required to maintain and operate these buildings and the value of the work done in them.

• The operating outlays associated with the office, warehouse and retail space built in 2009 are estimated to total $871.2 million annually.
• This direct spending for building operations would add $2.525 billion to GDP, support 21,222 new jobs and generate $801.4 million in new personal earnings.
• These operating outlays are annual and recur yearly over the life span of the building.

State Rankings
The 10 states with the largest construction values (hard costs only) accounted for 56.1 percent of the construction outlays in the United States, while the top 20 states accounted for 79.4 percent. The most populous states and those with the largest or best performing economies tended to rank highest by value of construction outlays, although there were variations depending on building type. Top 10 States by Construction Value, 2009

Ranking	Office	Industrial	Warehouse	Retail	All Categories
1	New York	Illinois	Texas	Texas	New York
2	Virginia	Ohio	California	Florida	Texas
3	California	Texas	Florida	California	California
4	Texas	New York	New York	Illinois	Virginia
5	Florida	Arizona	Pennsylvania	New York	Florida
6	North Carolina	Pennsylvania	Arizona	Georgia	Illinois
7	Washington State	California	Georgia	North Carolina	Ohio
8	Maryland	New Mexico	Ohio	Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania
9	Oklahoma	Louisiana	Washington State	Ohio	North Carolina
10	Washington, D.C.	Colorado	North Carolina	Washington State	Arizona

Sources: McGraw-Hill Construction Analytics, GMU Center for Regional Analysis  
About the Report
This report enables the commercial real estate industry to quantify the numbers that demonstrate its considerable and sustained contribution to the U.S. economy. With this data, public and state and local governments can learn the ways that commercial development makes a positive and lasting contribution to their communities, including:

• Supporting the creation of jobs;
• Generating personal earnings, and;
• Promoting new spending activity across the breadth of the economy.

The report was produced using data provided by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, McGraw Hill Construction and a NAIOP member survey. The NAIOP Research Foundation published two previous editions of this report in 2006 and 2008.

To access a copy of the report, please contact Kathryn Hamilton, NAIOP vice president for marketing and communications, at (703) 904-7100.

About the NAIOP Research Foundation: The NAIOP Research Foundation was established in 2000 as a 501(c)(3) organization to support the work of individuals and organizations engaged in real estate development, investment and operations. The Foundation's core purpose is to provide these individuals and organizations with the highest level of research information on how real properties, especially office, industrial, retail and mixed-use properties, impact and benefit communities throughout North America. For more information on how to contribute or for complimentary research reports, visit www.naioprf.org.

About NAIOP:
NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, is the leading organization for developers, owners and related professionals in office, industrial and mixed-use real estate. NAIOP comprises 15,000 members in North America. NAIOP advances responsible commercial real estate development and advocates for effective public policy. For more information, visit www.naiop.org.

HUD-DOT-EPA-USDA Report on Rural Sustainability

The HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities and the USDA has released Supporting Sustainable Rural Communities, a report that discusses how small towns and rural places are using federal resources to strengthen their economies, provide better quality of life to residents, and build on local assets such as traditional main streets, agricultural lands, and natural resources.

The report includes sections on how HUD, DOT, EPA, and USDA programs support environmentally and economically sustainable growth in rural places; performance measures rural communities can use to target their investments; and 12 case studies of rural communities using federal resources to achieve their development and economic goals. It also outlines steps the Partnership for Sustainable Communities is pursuing to support small towns and rural places.

To read the report, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/2011_11_supporting-sustainable-rural-communities.pdf

For more information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, please visit http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov

Rock Hill, South Carolina, Considers Deal With City Schools Over Downtown Revitalization Project.

The Rock Hill (SC) Herald (1/24, Smith) reports, "The Rock Hill City Council will consider an agreement tonight that would post police officers at several city schools in exchange for the school district continuing to let tax dollars go toward downtown revitalization." The resolution will let the city "move forward with the Downtown Redevelopment Plan, which calls for an extension of the Tax Increment Financing district - or TIF - in the downtown area and adds 10 acres." The school will need to give up $230,000 as part of the agreement to fund the downtown development area.

Corpus Christi, Texas, Receives Grant For "Innovative" Green Space Project.

The Corpus Christi Caller Times (1/24) reports, "Corpus Christi is one of five cities in the US to receive a $25,000 grant from Scotts Miracle-Gro for an innovative green space project. Mayor Joe Adame's Fitness Council is spearheading the project." The construction of the garden "is expected to begin in late spring with the opening planned for late summer, said Angela Gonzalez, program coordinator the Mayor's Fitness Council." The garden, which "will include a raised garden area with 20 plots measuring 8 feet by 8 feet, a turf demonstration area, a network of rain water harvesting barrels and compost bins," will "benefit residents who already use the park, which are low-to-middle income families and children who qualify for reduced or free lunch at school. Families and organizations will have an opportunity to cultivate and harvest vegetables for their own meals, and be able to share or sell their goods at community events planned for the park."

EPA Encourages Use of Green Infrastructure, Water Quality Trading to Manage Discharges with DRAFT INTEGRATED PLANNING APPROACH FRAMEWORK

When it comes to brownfield redevelopment, particularly here in the Deep South, the integration of smart growth and green remediation/infrastructure principles has (it's sad to say) been lacking.  Ten points are given for "Environmental Benefits from Infrastructure Reuse/Sustainable Reuse" in the Brownfield Assessment Grant Criteria.  Yet, because "green infrastructure" is not typically addressed in Comprehensive Plans in a majority of southern cities/towns/counties, southern Brownfield Grant Proposals suffer and the grants continue to be funneled to other areas of the U.S.  It's time to think big picture and begin working green infrastructure principles into our Comprehensive Master Plans.  EPA has drafted guidance on the subject.  Here's a summary and link to the DRAFT framework.

In recent years, EPA has begun to embrace integrated planning approaches to municipal wastewater and stormwater management. EPA further committed to work with states and communities to implement and utilize integrated planning approaches to municipal wastewater and stormwater management in its October 27, 2011 memorandum “Achieving Water Quality Through Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Plans.”   Integrated planning will assist municipalities on their critical paths to achieving the human health and water quality objectives of the Clean Water Act (CWA) by identifying efficiencies in implementing the sometimes overlapping and competing requirements that arise from distinct wastewater and stormwater programs, including how best to make capital investments. Integrated planning can also facilitate the use of sustainable and comprehensive solutions, including green infrastructure, that protect human health, improve water quality, manage stormwater as a resource, and support other economic benefits and quality of life attributes that enhance the vitality of communities. The integrated planning approach does not remove obligations to comply with the CWA, but rather recognizes the flexibilities in the CWA for the appropriate sequencing of work. The purpose of this framework is to provide further guidance for EPA, states and local governments in developing and implementing effective integrated plans. The framework identifies the operating principles and essential elements of an integrated plan.....

See Full DRAFT Document - http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/integrated_planning_framework%20_draft.pdf

JUST RELEASED! NALGEP's Cultivating Green Energy on Brownfields: A Nuts and Bolts Primer for Local Governments

The innovative development of renewable energy on brownfields and other contaminated properties is bringing a host of benefits to communities around the country, including new jobs, new sources of energy and income, and the beneficial reuse of otherwise idle properties. Because local governments are uniquely situated to encourage the growth of these projects, the National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals (NALGEP) has released a primer entitled Cultivating Green Energy on Brownfields: A Nuts and Bolts Primer for Local Governments to aid local governments in investigating whether renewable energy development may be the right choice for brownfields in their communities.

This primer offers local governments a starting point for considering whether (and what) renewable energy facilities may be appropriate for local brownfield sites. It includes an overview of renewable energy options, tools for navigating the economic issues that determine project feasibility, information on the permitting, zoning, liability and other regulatory issues that affect the development of renewable energy projects on these sites, and suggestions for ways to promote the development of renewable energy on brownfield sites. Case examples, presented throughout the primer, demonstrate the success of existing policies and renewable energy projects operating on brownfields. The primer's appendix provides a list of resources for more information on developing a renewable energy project on a brownfield.

"Cultivating Green Energy on Brownfields highlights opportunities for creating more resilient communities by incorporating renewable energy as a redevelopment strategy for brownfields," said Chris Bird, Director of Alachua County, Florida's Environmental Protection Department and Chair of NALGEP's Board of Directors. "Local governments will find it a useful and accessible primer for recognizing and pursuing these opportunities."

This primer was developed by NALGEP with the assistance of Spiegel & McDiarmid LLP under a grant awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

Founded in 1993, NALGEP is the premier national organization representing local government professionals responsible for environmental compliance and the development and implementation of local environmental policy. NALGEP is managed by Spiegel & McDiarmid LLP, a national law firm based in Washington, DC.

Click here for the PDF ->

http://www.resourcesaver.com/ewebeditpro/items/O93F24962.pdf

Cleveland Tennessee Establishes Redevelopment Task Force

The Cleveland City Council approved establishing the Southside Redevelopment Task Force early in the year as a mechanism for redeveloping the Whirlpool site as soon as the appliance manufacturer moves to its new plant on Benton Pike.

SOURCE: Cleveland Daily Banner - Economic development remains on track

FREE Webinar: Aligning Remedies with Reuse: From Superfund Sites to Soccer Fields

While this Free Webinar uses "Superfund Sites" as its centerpiece, the same concepts can be used for brownfieds as well. With green space lands at a premium and communities looking for options to meet their recreational needs, some cleaned up Superfund sites are presenting a unique opportunity for development of soccer fields. EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (SRI), the U.S. Soccer Foundation and communities are working at Superfund sites to turn this opportunity into a reality. This webinar will share the stories of several Superfund sites from around the country that have been successfully redeveloped into soccer fields and how this transformation was accomplished. The U.S. Soccer Foundation, which has supported the reuse of Superfund sites as soccer fields across the Country, will share information on the webinar about resources available to communities looking to develop soccer fields. EPA will conclude the webinar by sharing tools and resources available to communities to think about future use of sites, including use as soccer fields, in the context of cleanup and long-term safety.

When:   Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 2:00 - 4:00 PM EDT

Registration:  http://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/sri/

	Presenters: Melissa Friedland, U.S. EPA, Superfund Program Manager for Redevelopment (friedland.melissa@epa.gov) Greg Griffith, Director of Development, U.S. Soccer Foundation (ggriffith@ussoccerfoundation.org) Regional Success Stories (Speakers TBA) Moderator: Michele Mahoney, U.S. EPA, Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (mahoney.michele@epa.gov)

EPA Introduces New Brownfields Funding Program

The Brownfields Multi-Purpose Pilot grant provides funding for the assessment and cleanup of a single site owned by the applicant. The EPA is piloting a new grant program that will provide a single grant to an eligible entity for both assessment and cleanup work at a specific brownfield site owned by the applicant. These grants may be used to address sites contaminated by petroleum or hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants (including hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum). Traditionally, the EPA has provided this funding in two separate agreements. The grant gives the recipient flexibility in conducting assessment and cleanup activities, and aims to eliminate the delay that may occur when moving from assessment to cleanup if additional funding has not been secured. Because this is a pilot, EPA expects to award only ten multi-purpose grants in FY12 (one per region). Each grant would not exceed $550,000 ($350,000 for assessment with a waiver and $200,000 for cleanup per statutory limitations). The performance period remains at three years, as the expectation is that projects will be ready to move immediately from assessment to cleanup.

Guidelines for this grant program are available at:

http://www.epa.gov/oswer/docs/grants/epa-oswer-oblr-12-01.pdf.

The proposal deadline is February 10, 2012 for FY 2012.

RFP: MISSISSIPPI - STATE ENERGY PROGRAM SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES MINI GRANTS

The Energy Program of the Mississippi Development Authority has allotted $50,000 of its U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Program funds, to offer mini-grants to local municipalities in the state of Mississippi. These funds may be used towards energy efficiency in three categories: programs, buildings and transportation. All projects must be in-state and impact publicly owned equipment and/or facilities. Deadline is February 17, 2012.


The Sustainable Communities program is designed to help local units of government design a plan towards creating healthy environmental practices in energy. Applicants are encouraged to develop and submit projects that provide measurable and verifiable benefits. A list of eligible activities for use of program funds is described below. Funds must be expended prior to May 30, 2012; therefore, projects that may be started and completed in a timely manner will be favored. These grant funds are not to be used for projects that have already begun or to recover funds that have already been expended.

1. Energy Efficiency Programs:
Funding under this category may be used to develop energy efficiency programs for public buildings and facilities. Projects may include but are not limited to energy management training for building tenants; designing an energy management program; and public education.


2. Buildings:
Grants may be used for the purpose of improving efficiency in buildings. Below are eligible purchases to reduce total energy consumption in facilities. Applications must demonstrate energy and cost savings of proposed retrofits.

3. Transportation:
Funding will be made to support initiatives to enhance Public Transit/ Park and Ride initiatives in areas of economic development such as providing rides for tourist and working adults. Rides must be open to the public and not exclusive to any special groups. Projects may only be conducted with existing Mississippi Department of Transportation public transit and urban system providers.

http://www2.mississippi.org/assets/docs/community/foa-en02172012.pdf

Brownfields 2013 Heads to Atlanta!

The 15th National Brownfields Conference is headed to Atlanta, Georgia on May 15–17, 2013. The Conference, cosponsored by U.S. EPA, is the largest and most comprehensive event in the nation that focuses on issues important to community revitalization and the assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties.

Brownfields 2013 will offer a diverse set of educational opportunities including, but not limited to, panel sessions, marketplace roundtables, mobile workshops, film screenings, plenary events, an exhibit hall and a redevelopment forum. Stay tuned to www.brownfieldsconference.org for more information on the 2013 conference!

PACE Program (Property Assessed Clean Energy) Financing

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What is PACE?

There has been a lot of buzz over the last year or so around PACE, or ‘property assessed clean energy’. Basically, it’s a way to finance solar systems or energy efficiency retrofits, where the city offers you a loan, and you pay it back through your property tax bills over 15 to 20 years. Please note that at the time of this writing, the PACE program has been put on hold.

So why is PACE good for you?

• For starters, the program doesn’t require shelling out any cash upfront or reducing equity in your home.
• Secondly, property tax financing solves the problem of “what happens when I sell my home?”  The simple answer is that the solar power system and whatever tax liability you have both go to the new owner of your home.
• Third, it’s backed by the city, so people know they won’t get scammed, and the financing is obviously secure since…well…it’s the IRS!

When did PACE get started?

It all started with Berkeley and the “Berkeley First Program.” A company called Renewable Funding developed a system for financing home solar energy systems and energy efficiency improvements by partnering with a city and adding the cost of the solar systems or improvements onto the homeowner’s property tax bill, amortized over twenty years.
The program was absurdly popular when it launched, and now, about a year later, cities are starting to run pilots of this program left and right. California has also passed AB811 to let any city that wants to do this go for it.

How does PACE work?

1. The city partners with a company to administer the program (or the city decides to do it themselves).
2. The program is then usually funded with municipal bonds.
3. The homeowner gets a site evaluation for solar power or energy efficiency improvements with any company they choose. (If this occurs in a One Block Off the Grid program, you’ll benefit from our discounts and vendor selection process).
4. Once a quote is given, the property owner applies with the city program administrator. A small fee covers the cost of the municipal solar financing program administration and discourages frivolous applications.
5. Once the homeowner’s solar system is approved by the city, the program administrator pays the installer for the system that the homeowner purchased. The check is forwarded directly to the solar installer. There is no upfront payment for the homeowner, except possibly a deposit.
6. The property owner pays it off on his or her property tax bill over 20 years, at a competitive rate of interest.
7. If the home is ever sold, the solar system goes with it along with any tax liability.

What can I do for more information?

The best thing to do is sign up (free) and we can answer your questions about this and other types of financing.

REMINDER: Applications for EPA Urban Waters Small Grants Proposals are due January 23, 2012

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency expects to award between $1.8 to $3.8 million in funding for projects across the country to help restore urban waters by improving water quality and supporting community revitalization. The funding is part of EPA’s Urban Waters program, which supports communities in their efforts to access, improve, and benefit from their urban waters and the surrounding land. Healthy and accessible urban waters can help grow local businesses and enhance educational, recreational and employment opportunities in nearby communities.

The goal of the Urban Waters Small Grants program is to fund research, studies, training, and demonstration projects that will advance the restoration of urban waters by improving water quality through activities that also support community revitalization and other local priorities such as public health, social and economic opportunities, general livability and environmental justice for residents. Examples of projects eligible for funding include:

• Education and training for water quality improvement or green infrastructure jobs
• Public education about ways to reduce water pollution
• Local water quality monitoring programs
• Engaging diverse stakeholders to develop local watershed plans
• Innovative projects that promote local water quality and community revitalization goals

Information about Urban Waters Small Grants including the Request for Proposal (RFP) and registration links for the webinars is available at http://www.epa.gov/urbanwaters/funding. EPA expects to award the grants in Summer 2012.

Note to Applicants: In accordance with EPA's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy (EPA Order 5700.5A1), EPA staff will not meet with individual applicants to discuss draft proposals, provide informal comments on draft proposals, or provide advice to applicants on how to respond to ranking criteria. Applicants are responsible for the contents of their proposals. However, consistent with the provisions in the announcement, EPA will respond to questions from individual applicants regarding threshold eligibility criteria, administrative issues related to the submission of the proposal, and requests for clarification about the announcement. Questions must be submitted in writing via e-mail to urbanwaters@epa.gov and must be received by the Agency Contact, Ji-Sun Yi, by January 16, 2012 and written responses will be posted on EPA’s website at http://www.epa.gov/urbanwaters/funding. 

Dates to Remember:

• Deadline for submitting proposals: January 23, 2012
• Deadline for submitting questions: January 16, 2012

Related Links:

• For more information on EPA’s Urban Waters program, visit http://www.epa.gov/urbanwaters.
• EPA’s Urban Waters program supports the goals and principles of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, a partnership of 11 federal agencies working to reconnect urban communities with their waterways. For more information on the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, visit http://urbanwaters.gov.

$36.74 Million Newly Available through USDA Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) and announced the availability of Fiscal Year 2012 financial assistance in the amount of (up to) $11.74 million under the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) and (up to) $25 million in the Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP) through the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI). The $36.74 million is available for new MRBI proposals.  The funding availability announcement appeared in the January 3, 2012 Federal Register. All proposals must be received on or before March 19, 2012. 

According to the Federal Register announcement, NRCS will provide assistance to eligible participants in the 54 designated focus areas (8-digit hydrologic unit codes (HUCs)) in the following 13 States: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, South Dakota, and Wisconsin (click on the figure on the left to see an enlarged map of the focus areas). Proposals from potential partners are to be based on one or more 12-digit  HUCs within the 54 designated focus areas. Partners who are currently involved in approved MRBI agreements through CCPI or WREP and want to work in other 12-digit watersheds must submit new proposals for a new project.  The specific 8-digit HUC "Designated Focus Areas" for the MRBI in FY 2012 are listed in the Federal Register announcement.

For additional information about this RFP, interested parties should contact Deena Wheby, MRBI Coordinator, NRCS Conservation Initiatives Team, by telephone at 859-224-7403 or by e-mail at deena.wheby@ky.usda.gov.

Register Now: New Partners for Smart Growth Conference, San Diego, CA, Feb.204

Registration Deadline: The registration deadline is Friday, January 13, 2012. Registrations will be accepted after this date if space is available, and a $50 late fee will apply. All walk-ins will also include a $35 “walk in” fee (in addition to the late fee).
The LGC's federal tax ID number is 94-2791699.
The full (3-day) conference registration fee includes:

• Access to all plenaries, breakouts, workshops and trainings in the main conference program (February 2-4)
• Conference meals and refreshment breaks
• Name badge, conference attendees list, and printed program booklet

Meals and breaks provided during the conference include:

• Thursday (2/2) — Morning and afternoon coffee breaks, Hosted Evening Networking Reception (LUNCH & DINNER ARE NOT INCLUDED)
• Friday (2/3) — Continental breakfast, and morning and afternoon coffee breaks (LUNCH & DINNER ARE NOT INCLUDED)
• Saturday (2/4) — Continental breakfast, lunch, and morning and afternoon coffee breaks

For more information, click <HERE>.