H-GAC Community and Environmental Update- APR 2005

Manager's Welcome
This is the Special Earth Day Edition of the Houston-Galveston Area Council's (H-GAC's) Community and Environmental Planning (C&E)  April E-newsletter. In addition to keeping you up to date on the wide variety of community planning, economic development and environmental planning programs going on at H-GAC, we wanted to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Earth Day by letting you know about events going on in our region. We want this information to be useful and are very interested in your feedback! If you have any questions about any of our programs, please feel free to contact me at 713-993-4560 or Jeff.Taebel@h-gac.com. To unsubscribe, add another subscriber or offer any comments on the e-newsletter, please e-mail cep_news@h-gac.com. To view the current and past editions of the e-newsletter, please visit:
www.h-gac.com/CEeNewsletter

Please click on the links below to view information regarding each topic.

IN THIS ISSUE
Earth Day 2005
Texas Parks & Wildlife changes Recreation Grants Website 
Regional Urban Forestry Summit
Grants Available to Protect and Restore Watersheds
New Handbook Provides Local Governments with Source Protection Tools
Regional Review Committee Scoring Meeting

H-GAC MEETING NOTICES 
Bacteria TMDL Stakeholders Meeting
Local Enforcement Roundtable
Solid Waste Management Committee
Education/Training on Environmental Compliance & Enforcement

OTHER MEETING NOTICES 
Free Harris County Yardwise Course
Auto Salvage Business Related Workshops
Debris Management Course: Governor's Division of Emergency Management (GDEM)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Forum
"First Ever" Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event
Cinco de Mayo on Buffalo Bayou

IN THIS ISSUE
Earth Day 2005
April 22, 2005 is the 35th anniversary of Earth Day, but it started out as a grassroots protest organized by Senator Gaylord Nelson (D - WI, 1963-1981). Nelson organized a grassroots protest in reaction to severe water and air pollution that was becoming increasingly evident.  On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. Earth Day 1970 received political support and led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts. Sen. Nelson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- the highest honor given to civilians in the United States -- for his role as Earth Day founder. After more than 30 years, Earth Day continues to gain popularity across the world. It allows citizens of Earth to take one day and focus on what we are doing to our planet and how we can improve the way we treat our earth.

Below are activities and events taking place in the Houston region. Visit http://www.cleanup.org/ for more events in your area.

Brazos Bend State Park 15th Annual Earth Day Celebration – April 2
The event will raise awareness of our natural environment and its inhabitants and educate the public on environmental and conservation issues. For more information call 979-553-5101.

Don't Mess with Pearland, Texas Trash off – April 2
KPB will begin the day with a continental breakfast served at 8a.m. at the new Pearland Recycling Center at 3423 Harkey Rd. inside the Southwest Environmental Center.  Groups can check in at this location and pick-up trash bags for litter collection that day.  KPB will also be giving participants free gifts as a reward for a hard day's work of picking up litter.  Most groups have completed their clean-up by noon, and can return to the Pearland Recycling Center for lunch.  Call Keep Pearland Beautiful for more details at 281-652-1659.

Keep Sugar Land Beautiful, Texas Trash Off, April 2
Volunteers of all ages work together to pick up litter across the Sugar Land area.  This event is part of the nation-wide Great American Cleanup each year.  Trash Rally kicks off the day, then volunteers go to assigned locations to pick up litter.  Trash Rally takes place at 8:00 am at the Sugar Land Community Center, 226 Matlage Way.
For more information, contact Vicki Gist at 281-313-5752, email info@kslb.org, or check out the web site at http://www.kslb.org/.

Woodlands Earth Day Festival – April 2
The Woodlands Earth Day Festival offers a day of environmental exploration in a "street fair" atmosphere and is a free, fun, family event! Commemorating 15 years of celebrations in 2005, our Earth Day is a community tradition! Saturday, April 2, 2005, 9 A.M. to 2 P.M., Market Square at Town Center

Pearland  9th Annual School Environmental Fair – April 5
Keep Pearland Beautiful in cooperation with three middle school environmental clubs, the Pearland Independent School District and the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is planning the ninth Annual School Environmental Fair for Tuesday, April 5, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Sablatura Middle School, 2201 N. Galveston in Pearland. There is no admission charge and all of the activities at this event are free to the attendees. For more details call the offices of KPB at 281-652-1659.

Downtown Aquarium's Planet Earth Kids Fest – April 9-10
Buffalo Bayou Parnership
April 9th, 11 am - 6 pm
Downtown Aquarium, 410 Bagby St. at Memorial

Harris County HHW Collection Event - April 9
Galena Park ISD parking lot
14705 Woodforest Blvd.
9 AM to 3 PM only
http://www.cleanwaterclearchoice.org/ 
(713) 290-3000

Bellaire Citywide Garage Sale - April 16
Hundreds of Bellaire residents host garage sales throughout Bellaire. This event attracts bargain hunters from all over the Houston area. This is an excellent way to recycle since every item that is sold at a garage sale gets reused. The Bellaire Recycling Committee will publish a list with the address of all the garage sales with a brief description of what is for sale.  The list will be available Friday afternoon April 15 at the Bellaire Public Library and online at http://www.bellairerecycles.org/.

Bellaire Recycling Committee, Whole Foods Market, Nature Discovery Center Spring Fling– April 16
The Bellaire Recycling Committee, Whole Foods Market, and the Nature Discovery Center are hosting a Spring Fling in celebration of Earth Day on Saturday, April 16, 2005, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  This year's event will be held at two locations—Whole Foods Market at 4004 Bellaire Blvd. and the Nature Discovery Center at 7112 Newcastle Drive. Spring Fling includes children's crafts and activities, wildlife walks through Russ Pittman Park, and much more.  For more information, please see http://www.bellairerecycles.org/ or call the Recycling Hotline at 713/662-8173.

Earth Day Celebration Armand Bayou Nature Center – April 16
8500 Bay Area Blvd., Pasadena (Bay Area Houston). 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April 16. The celebration will feature an  educational day of guided tours of the nature center, mini-classes in gardening, birding and photography, environmental exhibits and activities for children and adults. For more information, call 281-474-2551 or catherine@abnc.org.

Stafford Spring Clean-Up, April 16
Call Gene Bane for more info 281-261-3946

UTMB "Healthy Planet, Healthy People" – April 22
The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston will be celebrating Earth Day Friday, April 22.  This years theme is "Healthy Planet, Healthy People", which focus on conserving our natural resources. The event will feature 20 plus exhibitors, Recycle Art contest, free tree seedlings and wild flowers, Eco Challenge games, Mayors Proclamation, "Zero Waste" lunch and much more.  There are many volunteer opportunities!  All volunteers will receive free lunch and T-shirt.  If you would like to volunteer for this "earthwhile" event, please contact Ken Steblein at (409)-772-3599 or email ksteblein@utmb.edu.

Harris County HHW Collection Event - April 23
Precinct 1 North Service Center
11801 West Hardy
8 AM to 2 PM only
www.CleanWaterClearChoice.org 
(713) 290-3000

Sugar Land E-Waste Recycling Event – April 23
City of Sugar Land to Hold Electronics Recycling Event
The City of Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, and Keep Sugar Land Beautiful are partnering to help local residents recycle old computers and other electronic equipment. The event will be held on April 23, 2005, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Eldridge Park, 2511 Eldridge Road.  Participation is open to all Sugar Land residents. A driver's license or other proof of residency will be required. There will be a $5 charge per item.

Harris County HHW Collection Event - April 30
Barbara Bush Library
6817 Cypresswood Drive
8 AM to 2 PM only
www.CleanWaterClearChoice.org 
(713) 290-3000

Environmental Institute of Houston – April 30
Water Smart Conference
April 30th, 8 am - 5 pm
7902 Fairmont Pkwy, Pasadena, TX
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Texas Parks & Wildlife changes Recreation Grants Website
IMPORTANT NOTICE Texas Parks & Wildlife is making changes to the Recreation Grants Website. The Recreation Grants webpage on the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department website will be undergoing some maintenance the next few weeks.  DO NOT USE DOWNLOADED APPLICATIONS - these have changed.  You may find many links have been disabled or under construction as TPWD incorporates the new changes approved at the January Commission meeting.  Please be patient, as the end result will be a site that is more user friendly and provides the most current and accurate information.  The target date for completion of the updated applications is April 15, 2005.  TPWD will be notifying TPWD Recreation Grants Branch Newsletter subscribers of the updating process in the newsletter. For additional information, please contact TPWD at (512) 912-7124. 

Texas Parks & Wildlife Parks Grant Application Deadlines:
The following grant submission deadlines are just around the corner. Please mark your calendars.  If you have any questions, please email TPWD at rec.grants@tpwd.state.tx.us or call (512) 912-7124.

June 1, 2005    Recreational Trails
July 31, 2005   Indoor, Outdoor -  NOTE:  New applications should be utilized
Oct. 1, 2005    Community Outdoor Outreach Program - NOTE:  New applications should be utilized.
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Regional Urban Forestry Summit 
H-GAC will hold a Regional Urban Forestry Summit on Tuesday April 26th that will run from 9am - 3pm.  The conference will include sessions on designing Community Gateway projects, selecting the best trees to plant in your cities, parks, and communities, and guidelines to help develop tree ordinances, tree registry programs, and community planting events.  For more information, contact Chuck Wemple at cwemple@h-gac.com or 713-993-4514.
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Grants Available to Protect and Restore Watersheds
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now accepting nominations for watershed proposals under the Targeted Watersheds Grant Program. Formerly called the Watershed Initiative, the Targeted Watersheds Grant Program is a competitive grant program designed to support the protection and restoration of the country's water resources through a holistic watershed approach to water quality management. The deadline for nominations is May 19, 2005. For more information, please visit http://www.lgean.org/html/whatsnew.cfm?id=875.
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New Handbook Provides Local Governments with Source Water Protection Tools
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) has released a resource called "Source Protection Handbook: Using Land Conservation to Protect Local Drinking Water Supplies." This handbook provides local governments, water suppliers and agencies, and community drinking water advocates with the tools to identify source water conservation opportunities, implement funded source water conservation programs, and acquire and protect the lands that will help keep our drinking water clean. For more information, please visit http://www.lgean.org/html/whatsnew.cfm?id=869. 
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Regional Review Committee Scoring Meeting
The Scoring Meeting for the Regional Review Committee (RRC) has been set for Thursday, April 7, 2005. The meeting will be held at the offices of the Houston-Galveston Area Council, 3555 Timmons Lane, on the second floor in Meeting Room A. The meeting will begin at 9:00am and should conclude by 5:00pm.  This Scoring Meeting is where the RRC will hear presentations in support of 2005-2006 Texas Community Development Program applications. The scores from this meeting will be used for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) project selection for years 2005 and 2006.  As determined at the Organizational Meeting, applicants have not been assigned a specific starting time for their presentation. Since each presentation is 10 minutes long, applicants have provided an estimated time on the agenda, but should plan to arrive at least 60 minutes before the estimated time to ensure you are not by-passed.  For more information contact Chris McGowan, 713-993-2459.
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H-GAC MEETING NOTICES
Bacteria TMDL Stakeholders Meeting
April 6, 2005
4:00 pm to 7pm
H-GAC, 3555 Timmons, Houston, TX 77027
2nd Floor, Room A

The focus of the meeting will be a discussion of key issues and the scientific conclusions drawn by the technical team and the TMDL process – where do we go from here, how it affects TCEQ programs, and what can be done now to reduce levels of bacteria in Buffalo and White Oak Bayous. For additional information, please contact Carl Masterson at 713.993.4561 or carl.masterson@h-gac.com. Please visit www.h-gac.com/bacteriatmdl  to look at past reports and meeting summaries.
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Local Enforcement Roundtable
April 14, 2005
9:30 am to 11:30 am
H-GAC, 3555 Timmons, Houston, TX 77027
2nd Floor, Room A

For more information, please contact Amy Smith Boyers at 713-993-2413 or via email at amy.boyers@h-gac.com.
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Solid Waste Management Committee
April 27, 3005
10:00 am to noon
H-GAC, 3555 Timmons, Houston, TX 77027
2nd Floor, Room A

For more information, please contact Cheryl Mergo at 713-993-4520 or via email at cheryl.mergo@h-gac.com.
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Education/Training on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement 
H-GAC is holding two workshops on environmental compliance and enforcement as part of the H-GAC Environmental Circuit Rider Project.  Each of the sessions will be held in H-GAC Conference Room A from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon.  The workshops will address air, water, and waste concerns as well as enforcement. Peace officers and code enforcement officers will receive 3.5 hours of continuing education credit.  There is no charge for participating or for materials.  

The workshops are one component of the Environmental Circuit Rider Project (ECRP) which H-GAC has developed to address the environmental needs of county governments within its 13-county region. Over the next few years, H-GAC will be implementing the various ECRP components which were designed to educate and assist counties with environmental education, enforcement, prosecution, cleanup and funding.

Please contact Michelle Belco at (713) 980-6663 to RSVP and with any questions or requests for additional information. Your attendance is greatly appreciated.

     April 28, 2005 - Sandblasting and Metal Finishing Operations
     9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
     H-GAC Conference Room A (2nd floor)
     3555 Timmons Lane, Houston, 77027

Draft agenda items will include:  compliance issues; air quality regulations; waste handling and waste management; industrial wastewater and storm water permit requirements, management and inspections; enforcement, and TCEQ Small Business and Local Government checklist.  For more information, please contact Cheryl Mergo at 713-993-4520 or via email at cheryl.mergo@h-gac.com.

     May 12, 2005 - Concrete Production Related Activities
     9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
     H-GAC Conference Room A (2nd floor)
     3555 Timmons Lane, Houston, 77027

Draft agenda items will include:  compliance issues; air quality regulations; waste handling and waste management; industrial wastewater and storm water permit requirements, management and inspections; enforcement, and TCEQ Small Business and Local Government checklist.  For more information, please contact Cheryl Mergo at 713-993-4520 or via email at cheryl.mergo@h-gac.com.
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Auto Salvage Business Related Workshops 
Are you in compliance with all of the environmental rules for your business?  You can learn what you need to do to become complaint with storm water, waste management, and air quality regulations for your auto salvage business and avoid enforcement and penalties.  The training is sponsored by the Small Business and Local Government Assistance Program of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and is FREE and CONFIDENTIAL.

You may attend one of the following 3 hour sessions:
April 4, 11, 18 &25, 2005  All sessions will be held at the Leon Z. Grayson Center, 13828 Corpus Christi St., Houston, Texas from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  Seating is limited to 10 per session so sign up soon.

For more information, please contact Clarence Gray, TCEQ staff, by phone at (713) 767-3582, by fax at (713) 767-3691, or by email at cgray@tceq.state.tx.us.
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Debris Management Course: Governor's Division of Emergency Management (GDEM) 
April 4-8, 2005
American Red Cross Headquarters, 2700 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX
Cost:   There is no cost to attend GDEM sponsored courses.
Course Length:  Thirty-Six hours (36) (17 slots available)

Target Audience: This course is designed to provide local officials who may have to manage debris removal and disposal in the aftermath of a tornado, flood, or hurricane with the knowledge and skills to do so. The course covers staff development, pre-disaster planning, local response and recovery actions, contracting procedures, selecting and operating a temporary debris storage site, volume reduction methods, environmental regulations, and dealing with special debris situations.  For more information contact Trista Curwick, GDEM Training Registrar @ (512) 424-2196 or email: demtraining@txdps.state.tx.us.  Our website is www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem. 
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Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Forum 
On April 5, 2005, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will conduct a Flood Forum in the Houston area. A location has yet to be determined, but should be available for the March newsletter. The one-day forum will focus on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Reform Act and will feature a number of breakout sessions for insurance agents, Realtors, lenders, surveyors and community officials. 
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"First Ever" Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event 
The "First Ever" Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event
Cities of Friendswood and League City
Saturday, April 16, 2005
9am to 3pm at Centennial Park
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Cinco de Mayo on Buffalo Bayou 
The Endangered Species Media Project with The Education Foundation of Harris County and others will present a free interactive bayou ecosystem educational experience for students in grades 4-8 and their families. The action will take place at Buffalo Bayou Park-Charles Tapley Tributary at Sabine Street and Memorial Drive on the north side of Buffalo Bayou from 9AM – NOON on Saturday, May 7, 2005.
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H-GAC Community and Environmental Update April2005
End of document 3.31.05