Announcements

Application Period Open for Water Innovation Strategies of Excellence Awards   

The 2026 Water Innovation Strategies of Excellence (WISE) Awards application portal is scheduled to open today, March 2.

This program is overseen by the Natural Resources Advisory Committee, an advisory committee to the H-GAC Board of Directors, and seeks to recognize innovative projects, programs, or individuals in the 13-county region that serve as models for improving and protecting water quality.

Applications close at noon on Friday, April 3.

For more information, visit www.h-gac.com/wise-awards or email Rachel Windham. 

H-GAC Celebrates Winners of 20th Annual Parks and Natural Areas Awards

A total of 42 projects across the Houston-Galveston region were honored for serving as models for best management practices in parks, natural areas, and water quality as part of H-GAC's 20th annual Parks and Natural Areas Awards recognition ceremony.

The event was held at H-GAC on February 6.

Winners were selected for recognition by a panel of expert judges and industry professionals.

Those recognized include:

Winners

• Projects Over $500,000 · Club Creek Park & Houston Vietnam Veterans Memorial (TIRZ 20)
• Projects Under $500,000 · Green Up Greens Bayou (Colleen Gilbert)
• Planning Process / Policy Tools · Burnett Bayland and Bayland Park Master Plans: Anchoring Revitalization in Gulfton and Sharpstown (Harris County Precinct 4 - Commissioner Lesley Briones)
• Programming · Beyond Bees at Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens (Harris County Precinct 3 - Commissioner Tom S. Ramsey, P.E.)

Honorable Mentions

• Projects Over $500,000 · Camden Park (Westchase District)
• Projects Under $500,000 · Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center - Fuel Reduction and Mulching Project: Phase I (Harris County Precinct 3 - Commissioner Tom S. Ramsey, P.E.)
• Planning Process / Policy Tools · Deer Park Comprehensive Master Plan For Park, Recreation, and Open Space: 2024-2034 (City of Deer Park)
• Programming · Baytown and GCCISD Nature Education Programs (City of Baytown Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department)

For more information about these awards, scroll down to the Parks and Natural Areas Awards Continued section near the end of this newsletter.

Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable – March 9 (Online)  

H-GAC's next Parks and Natural Areas roundtable will be from 2 to 4 p.m., Monday, March 9, on Zoom.

Registration is required to attend. 

Presenters include:

• Seneca McAdams, Executive Director of the Texas Historical Commission Texas Independence Trail region, who will discuss information about the trail region
• Cornell Gordon, Baytown Parks and Recreation Superintendent, who will discuss the award-winning Jenkins / Holloway Perfect Trail Improvements Project
• Belinda Halfin, President of the 1093 Rails to Trails Local Government Corporation, who will discuss an overview and update on a 31-mile rails to trails project in Austin, Fort Bend, Wharton, and Colorado counties

Attendees will also engage in a roundtable discussion of events and activities in the region.

For more information, contact Andrea Tantillo. 

Save the Date for Trash Bash – March 28 (In Person)

Mark your calendar for the next River, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous Trash Bash®, Texas’s largest single-day waterway cleanup, on Saturday, March 28. 

Since its inception, more than 121,000 volunteers have collected over 2,505 tons of trash, 23 tons of recyclable materials, and 12,410 tires. Find out how to volunteer and promote a healthy Galveston Bay watershed at one of the many cleanup locations.

Cleanup supplies, event t-shirts, and lunch are provided to all volunteers.

Regional Resilience Roundtable – April 2 (Hybrid)

If you are involved in hazard mitigation or resilience planning, save the date for H-GAC's first Regional Resilience Roundtable on Thursday, April 2. The morning session will be from 9 to 11 a.m. in person at H-GAC's second floor conference rooms and online on Zoom. Lunch and the afternoon session will be from noon to 2 p.m. at H-GAC.

This event will convene regional, local, and state partners involved in hazard mitigation and resilience planning.

Participants will have the opportunity to:

• Strengthen collaboration across agencies and disciplines
• Explore innovative approaches to community engagement, green infrastructure, and flood mitigation funding
• Learn from current projects and successful mitigation investments
• Share tools, data, and best practices to enhance regional preparedness and implementation
• Identify opportunities for cross-sector funding and partnership development

Additional information, including registration details, will be available soon. For more information, contact Amanda Ashcroft or Bryant Clark.

Fair Housing for Local Governments Webinar – April 13 (Online)

H-GAC will host a Fair Housing for Local Governments webinar from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, April 13.

Join us as Jeffrey Riddle, Training and Outreach Coordinator with the Civil Rights Division of the Texas Workforce Commission, shares an overview and training information that government employees, landlords, and developers need to know to be in compliance with federal and state Fair Housing laws.

Mr. Riddle will also invite questions from government staff who are not directly involved in Fair Housing work but may get questions from residents.

Registration is required to attend.

AARP Community Challenge Grants Applications Due March 4 

The AARP Livable Communities Community Challenge grants program is now open for applications. Funding is available for local governments and nonprofits to work on community improvement projects that can be started and finished by year end. AARP is accepting applications across three different grant opportunities: Flagship Grants ranging from $500 to $15,000, Capacity-Building Microgrants up to $2,500; and Demonstration Grants from $10,000 to $25,000.

H-GAC staff is available for technical assistance or letters of support. Contact Ellary Makuch to learn more.

The application deadline is Wednesday, March 4.

Take Care of Texas Kids Art Contest Closes March 5

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is hosting the Take Care of Texas Kids 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 theme for 2026 is Water Quality or Water Conservation, and the contest sponsor is Texas Chemical Council. The deadline to enter is Thursday, March 5.

Keep Texas Beautiful Governor's Community Achievement Awards Applications Due March 12

For more than 30 years, Keep Texas Beautiful, in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation, has awarded the

Governor's Community Achievement Awards to Texas communities for their outstanding overall efforts to keep their communities beautiful. This year, 10 winning communities will share $2 million in landscaping awards from the Texas Department of Transportation, with the amount based on population size. The funds are to be used for landscaping projects along local rights-of-way. The deadline to apply is Thursday, March 12.

Application Available for 2026 Downtown Revitalization Program 

The Texas Department of Agriculture announces the release of a new grant opportunity for the upcoming Program Year 2026: 2026 Downtown Revitalization Program, including Main Street Set-Aside (CDM).

The Texas Community Development Block Grant (TxCDBG) Downtown Revitalization Program provides funding for infrastructure improvements to promote pedestrian-centered economic activity. Eligible municipalities may apply to address slum and blighted conditions in the downtown district – these projects most commonly include sidewalk and lighting improvements. Applicant communities that qualify as predominantly low- to moderate-income may apply for other downtown improvements to support pedestrian-based economic activity.

Maximum Grant Amount: $1,000,000

Community Application Deadline: Friday, April 3

Application Webinars and Technical Assistance

The application process for Program Year 2026 includes two distinct phases. The Community Application, due Friday, April 3, will collect information needed to assess community eligibility and scoring. Applicants that score within the funding range will be invited to submit a Project Application that identifies a project and details the specific work to be performed.

For more information, contact [email protected].

Green Infrastructure for Texas Offers Free Class

Green Infrastructure for Texas provides a free online course, Introduction to Green Infrastructure, designed for professionals involved in community development, infrastructure planning, and environmental management. This self-paced course is available for users to take a closer look at tools and skills for local communities' green infrastructure needs.

Texas Infrastructure Funding Fair – March 24

Communities in the region are invited to attend a free Texas Infrastructure Funding Fair from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, March 24, at Brandt 1910, 6503 Commerce St., Wallis.

Participants will learn about water and wastewater infrastructure funding in Texas, including, but not limited to, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs, the State Revolving Fund, and Community Development Block Grant funding.

Registration is requested to attend this event. For information, contact Janelle Saucedo at Communities Unlimited.

8th Annual Texas Plastic Pollution Symposium – March 25

Make plans to attend 8th Annual Texas Plastic Pollution Symposium, Wednesday, March 25, at the Aggie Special Event Center, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston. This day-long event brings together scientists, researchers, and advocates to explore Texas’s latest studies on plastic pollution. Beyond sharing the latest research, the symposium aims to inspire action and raise awareness about the impacts of plastics on the environment. 

Registration is free, but space is limited.

Keep Texas Beautiful Conference – May 12-14

The 2026 Keep Texas Beautiful Conference will be online May 12–14.

Topics include:

• Strengthening local capacity
• Turning stewardship into measurable action
• Building partnerships that scale impact
• Creating lasting community value

Early Bird registration is open now and ends March 6.

Honorees Celebrated in 20th Annual Parks and Natural Awards

Certificates of Recognition

Projects Over $500,000

• 57 Acre Nature Facility (City of Kemah)
• Bayland Health and Wellness Hub Initiative: Transforming Community Wellness Through Integrated Park Programming (Harris County Precinct 4 - Commissioner Lesley Briones)
• Bayside Park (City of Seabrook)
• Challenger 7 Memorial Park (Harris County Precinct 2 – Commissioner Adrian Garcia)
• Colonel James Morgan New Washington Prairie (City of Morgan's Point)
• Cullinan Park Phase II (City of Sugar Land)
• Jenkins / Holloway Perfect Trail Improvements Project (City of Baytown Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department)
• Joe Matthews Park (City of Mont Belvieu)
• Lockwood Park with Buffalo Bayou Partnership: Guiding Ecological Renewal (Buffalo Bayou Partnership)
• Louie's Together Playground (City of Tomball)
• Mahan Park Boat Ramp Expansion (City of La Marque)
• Stephen Woodring Park (Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 71)
• The Kraken at Carol Fox Park (City of Jersey Village)
• Wussow Park Renovation (North Houston District)

Projects Under $500,000

• Alief Pocket Prairie (AliefVotes)
• Cherry Point Park (City of Mont Belvieu)
• Dakota's Peace Grove (Friends of Columbia Tap and Rotary District 5890)
• Deputy Tommy Berry Pocket Park Renovation (Harris County Precinct 2 – Commissioner Adrian Garcia)
• Highland Bayou Park All-Inclusive Playground (City of La Marque)
• James Foster Park Renovation (City of Kemah)
• Pitner Pocket Park Community Mural (Harris County Precinct 4 - Commissioner Lesley Briones)
• Sugar Land Memorial Park Butterfly Garden Pavilion (City of Sugar Land)
• The Lookout a.k.a. The Bird Blind (The Woodlands Township)

Planning Process / Policy Tools ·

• Arts in the Parks: Sensory Sidewalk Project (City of La Marque)
• Columbia Tap Trail: Action Plan (Friends of Columbia Tap, Community Design Resource Center [University of Houston])
• Housing and Opportunity Toolkit (Friends of Columbia Tap, Community Design Resource Center (University of Houston), and Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice [Texas Southern University])
• Kemah Beacon at Betty Joann Blackledge Park (City of Kemah)

Programming ·

• Beach Heroes of Galveston County (Galveston Bay Area Chapter - TX Master Naturalist)
• Harris County Precinct 2 and Texas 4-H Programming (Harris County Precinct 2 – Commissioner Adrian Garcia, Carly Martin)
• Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center - Events, Education, and Engagement in our Communities (Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom S. Ramsey, P.E.)
• Programming for Park Visitors at Evelyn’s Park (Terry Leavitt-Chavez) ·
• Rally on the River (Bay City Parks and Recreation)
• Sustainability Initiative Program (City of West University Place) ·
• Texas Horned Lizard Conservation Program (City of Pearland)

Congratulations to all of the honorees. The next H-GAC Parks and Natural Areas Awards application period will be in September 2026.

Funding Sources

H-GAC's Community and Environmental Planning Department maintains a list of ongoing funding opportunities for parks improvements, conservation projects, active transportation projects, and downtown revitalization projects. H-GAC also provides a Funding Resources Hub with the new Funding Development Program and a listing of many funding opportunities for individuals, local governments, organizations, and others.

If you know of a funding opportunity, forward it to Andrea Tantillo.

All content, including links to websites on these funding lists, is for informational purposes only. Users of this content are responsible for checking its accuracy, currency, and suitability.

Mapping Applications

Looking for interactive applications or GIS data related to the H-GAC Community and Environmental Planning Department? Visit H-GAC's interactive applications web page.