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 How's the Water? 2020 Basin Highlights Report Available Online
The H-GAC Clean Rivers Program publishes an annual report for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality summarizing the state of water quality in the region.
The 2020 Basin Highlights Report includes a characterization of select watersheds within the program region. It provides updates on related water quality projects and outreach activities and includes interactive maps, photos, and graphics.
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 H-GAC Updates Regional Crash Data App with New Data, Tools
H-GAC recently updated the Regional Crash Data Application with 2019 data and added a 3D visualization tool to the online, interactive application.
Key statistics for the 8-county H-GAC Metropolitan Planning Organization compared to 2018:
- Number of crashes increased by 4%
- Number of fatalities increased by 8.7%
- Pedestrian-Bicyclist related fatalities increased by 24%
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 H-GAC Offers Regional Electronics Recycling Contract for Local Governments
H-GAC recently completed procurement for a regional electronics recycler. At the June 16 H-GAC Board of Director's meeting, CompuCycle was confirmed as the selected vendor. Once a contract is in place, local governments will be able to contact CompuCycle directly and reference the H-GAC regional contract for their electronics recycling needs. CompuCycle will be able to work with communities to collect used electronics from a one-day collection event or a permanent facility that takes in electronics.
For more information about this program, contact Erin Livingston.
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 Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable - July 13
H-GAC's Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable will be from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Monday, July 13. This roundtable will be held as a webinar.
Attendees will hear from
- Ashley Jones with Moore Archeological Consulting, Inc., who will discuss issues regarding parks development and cultural resources; and
- Dr. Chris Orlea, Director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Pearland, who will discuss operating Parks and Natural Areas in the dynamic environment we are all immersed in.
Participants will also discuss the annual Parks and Natural Areas Awards program.
The Roundtable meets the second Monday of March, July, and September with field trips scheduled in May and November. The group is open to anyone who is interested in participating.
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 Houston-Metro Jobs-to-Jobs Flow Information is Focus of U.S. Census Webinar
Dr. Pramod Sambidi is a Socioeconomic Modeling Program Manager at H-GAC will present "Analyzing Job-to-Job Flows in the Houston Metropolitan Area Using LEHD J2J Data" at a webinar from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 22. The Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Job-to-Job Flows data set provides new insights to the changing demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of a region's population.
Using this data, regional planners can better predict migration scenarios and employment structures.
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 Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable - July 28
H-GAC's next Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 28. The roundtable will be held as a webinar, and the topic is How Strategic Investments Enhance Downtown Revitalization.
The roundtable will include presenters from:
- Scenic Houston
- City of Brenham
- City of Lake Jackson
H-GAC hosts quarterly roundtables to help local governments, chambers of commerce, and economic development interests promote the economic revitalization of downtown areas.
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 Spring Creek Watershed Partnership Meeting - July 29
H-GAC and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will hold a public meeting for the Spring Creek Watershed Partnership from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 29. The meeting will be held as a webinar.
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss water quality issues impacting the Spring Creek watershed in Grimes, Harris, Montgomery, and Waller counties. Local stakeholders are invited to participate in the Spring Creek Watershed Partnership, which will develop a watershed protection plan to address these challenges.
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 Solid Waste Workshop - August 26
Save the date for H-GAC's next Solid Waste Workshop from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, August 26. This workshop will be held as a webinar.
Workshops are held on a quarterly basis and provide attendees with in-depth information on the selected topic. The topic for this workshop will be organics and textiles.
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Flood Mitigation Project Clearinghouse Now Available  The Texas Water Development Board, the Texas General Land Office, and the Texas Division of Emergency Management launched a website with information on flood mitigation funding opportunities for Texas' communities. The site includes an online Request for Information Form that entities can submit to get feedback on what state and federal financial assistance programs could be the best fit for their flood mitigation needs. The site also includes funding opportunities, general project and entity eligibility by program, upcoming events related to flood mitigation financial assistance, and other resources. For local governments interested in using the clearinghouse to access project ideas, visit the Texas Flood Clearinghouse website or call 512-463-8725. 2020 STAR Texas Environmental Leadership Awards  The State of Texas Alliance for Recycling is accepting nominations for the 2020 Texas Environmental Leadership Award. These awards recognize individuals, communities, organizations, and businesses developing and maintaining programs involving recycling, composting, sustainable materials management, public outreach, special event recycling, and more. The awards has a new category this year - the All-STAR Elected Official to highlight those in politics who are advancing sustainability and protecting the environment in Texas. Award nominations are due Friday, July 10.NADO Impact Awards  Each year, the National Association of Development Organizations recognizes member organizations that demonstrate innovative approaches to regional economic and community development through the Impact Awards program. Previous award-winning projects have showcased innovative efforts in a variety of program areas, including planning, brownfields, sustainability, technology, transportation, and workforce development. Applications are due Friday, July 17. For more information, contact Brett Schwartz or Laurie Thompson. Texas Main Street Designation Applications Open  The Texas Historical Commission is accepting applications from cities interested in becoming designated Main Street communities. Each year, the Commission may select up to five cities for official designation. Communities selected this year will enter the program in January 2021. Main Street is an economic development program focusing on small business development using historic preservation and reuse of historic properties as primary tools. Full applications are due Monday, August 31. Main Street communities in the region are Bay City, Houston-Emancipation Avenue, Huntsville, Rosenberg, and Sealy.
2020 Texas Environmental Excellence Awards  Each year, the Governor's Office and commissioners from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality honor the state's most outstanding environmental projects through the Texas Environmental Excellence Awards. Winners from across the state exemplify how Texans set the standard for ensuring clean air, clean water, and the safe management of waste. The application period for the 2021 awards is now open. See the winner videos for 2020. Applications will be accepted through Friday, September 25.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Resilient Texas Website
Texas communities working on long-term recovery from Hurricane Harvey can find Infoshare resources at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service's new Resilient Texas website. Visit the site for both new and previous information shared in weekly emails. FEMA's Texas Recovery Office partnered with AgriLife on the site and will continue to provide resources both in email and for the website.
 Free Technical Assistance Available for Brownfields
Re-use for EPA Region 6
Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields program provides free site re-use planning and visioning services, and site inventory and prioritization assistance to local governments that don't have the resources to get this done on their own. This assistance is usually enough to "start the ball rolling," for developing strategies and to attract funds to do more extensive planning work and to redevelop brownfields. For more information, contact Blase Leven, the Program Coordinator at Kansas State University, at 785-532-0780.
 Get Involved With Trash Free TexasTrash Free Texas strives to keep trash out of area waterways by working with communities and organizations across the state to connect people to places that need routine litter cleanup activities. Local governments and organizations can get involved by using the Adopt-a-Spot online interactive mapping application.
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STAR Recycling and Composting Summit
The State of Texas Alliance for Recycling will combine its annual recycling and composting conferences this year in an all-virtual event October 5-7. The Rethinking Recycling event will feature online tracts and panels covering the most pertinent topics in the recycling and composting industries. More information, including registration, will be available soon.
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Anticipated Mixed-use Development Project in Fulshear Informed by Livable Centers Study
H-GAC's Livable Centers program works with local communities to reimagine auto-focused infrastructure, policies, and programs to be more multi-modal friendly.
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 Sugar Land Student Wins Take Care of Texas Award
Congratulations to Aaria Arora, a second grade student at Walker Station Elementary School in Sugar Land for being named the grand prize winner in the Take Care of Texas Art Contest. The winning artwork was selected from more than 2,000 entries from across the state demonstrating how we can help keep the air and water clean, conserve water and energy, and reduce waste. The winning student will receive a tablet computer, and the winning art will be showcased on the Take Care of Texas websites, newsletters, and social media.
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 EPA Releases Disaster Debris Recovery Tool
This tool includes public datasets of over 20,000 composting facilities, demolition contractors, transfer stations, three types of landfills, and recycling facilities for construction and demolition materials, electronics, household hazardous waste, metals, tires, and vehicles in all 50 states and Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands.
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 Harvey Households Covered by FEMA Group Flood Insurance Need to Buy Standard Insurance by October 24
These three-year policies end Saturday, October 24, so policyholders must plan now to switch to a standard flood insurance policy to ensure continuous coverage. Those who received a GFIP policy as part of their FEMA disaster assistance after Harvey but don't buy a standard flood insurance policy won't receive federal disaster assistance for home repairs if they experience another flood event.
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 Funding Opportunities
If you know of a funding opportunity, forward it to Andrea Tantillo. All content, including links to websites, is for informational purposes only. Users of this content are responsible for checking its accuracy, currency, and suitability.
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 Mapping Applications
Find the latest information about activities around the region at H-GAC's Twitter feed @HouGalvAreaCog. H-GAC's water resources program also offers Twitter updates on water quality issues in the region @HGACwater.
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