The proposed amendment summary, including meeting minutes from a Public Planning Meeting on November 9, a draft summary form, and the draft reallocation sheet, is now available to download and review.

H-GAC will hold a public hearing from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 6. The hearing will be at 3555 Timmons Lane, Houston, and on Zoom. Registration is requested to attend the hearing in person, and registration is required to attend the hearing online.

For more information, including additional ways to provide public comment, visit www.h-gac.com/go/cdbg. 

As part of our Regional Conservation Initiative, H-GAC will actively assist with preparing grant applications, convening stakeholders, and otherwise supporting the implementation of priority conservation projects across the 13-county H-GAC region. To guide our efforts, we are collecting information about planned conservation projects from local governments and non-governmental organizations and categorizing the projects in a priority list.

There is no funding associated with this project priority list, but selected projects will be eligible to receive H-GAC staff assistance.

See the current priority project list and learn more about our work online. The list will be updated quarterly.

Staff encourages you to submit your conservation projects by Friday, January 13, 2023, or email [email protected] with any questions.

Fall Planning Workshop – December 2 (Online)

Make plans to attend H-GAC's annual Fall Planning Workshop from 9 a.m. to noon, Friday, December 2.

The event will be online, and registration is required.

Topics and presenters include:

This event is eligible for 3 CM credits from the American Planning Association.

For more information, contact Cheryl Mergo.

Caney Creek Public Meeting – December 8 (In-Person)

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has made available for public comment the draft Implementation Plan (I-Plan) for two Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for indicator bacteria in the Caney Creek watershed of the Brazos-Colorado Coastal Basin within Brazoria, Matagorda, and Wharton counties.

The TCEQ will host a public meeting for the draft I-Plan at 6 p.m. on Thursday, December 8, at the Caney Creek Municipal Utility District, 405 County Road 298, Sargent, TX 77414 (¼ mile down CR 298 southwest of its intersection with Highway 457 in Sargent).

During this meeting, individuals will have the opportunity to present oral statements. An agency staff member will give a brief presentation at the start of the meeting and will be available to answer questions before and after all oral statements have been received.

H-GAC worked with communities in the watershed to develop the I-Plan. The I-Plan describes the strategy and activities that TCEQ and watershed partners will implement to improve water quality in the affected watershed. After the public comment period, staff may make appropriate changes to the proposed I-Plan and will respond to public comments. Following the public comment period, the TMDL Program will request that the TCEQ consider approval of the final I-Plan. Upon approval of the I-Plan, the final I-Plan and a response to all comments received will be made available on TCEQ’s website. The I-Plan, combined with the TMDL, provides local, regional, and state organizations with a comprehensive strategy for improving and maintaining water quality in an impaired watershed.

East Fork San Jacinto River Watershed Partnership Meeting – December 12 (Hybrid)

H-GAC, in partnership with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), will hold an informational meeting to introduce the East Fork San Jacinto River Watershed Partnership on Monday, December 12, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Participation in the meeting will allow stakeholders to be directly involved in the development of a Watershed Protection Plan to improve water quality by reducing sources of pollution in the East Fork of the San Jacinto River and its tributaries.

This meeting will be hosted online via Zoom and in person at the Montgomery County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 9020 Airport Road, Conroe.

Registration is required to attend online and requested to attend in person.

For more information about this project, visit the East Fork San Jacinto River Watershed Partnership webpage or contact Rachel Windham.

Chocolate Bay Stakeholder Meeting – December 13 (Hybrid)

H-GAC invites residents, local governments, businesses, and non-profits within the watersheds that make up Chocolate Bay—Chocolate Bayou, Mustang Bayou, and Halls Bayou—to attend a stakeholder meeting from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, December 13. 

The meeting will be at the Alvin Public Library, 105 South Gordon, Alvin, and on Zoom. Registration is required to attend online. 

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss water quality issues affecting communities in the Chocolate Bay watershed, including Algoa, Arcola, Alvin, Fresno, Hillcrest, Iowa Colony, Liverpool, Manvel, Missouri City, Pearland, and Santa Fe. Pollutants, specifically fecal bacteria, in these waterways may impact public health, local economies, and the natural environment. Residents and organizations are invited to participate and provide input toward the development a watershed-based plan to address water quality and reduce fecal bacteria. 

For more information about the project, visit https://www.h-gac.com/watershed-based-plans/san-jacinto-brazos-coastal-basin-tmdl-and-implementation-plan or contact Steven Johnston. 

Oyster Creek Stakeholder Meeting – December 14 (Hybrid)

H-GAC invites residents, local governments, businesses, and non-profits within the Oyster Creek Watershed in Brazoria and Fort Bend counties to attend a stakeholder meeting from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, December 14. 

The meeting will be at the Lake Jackson Library, 250 Circle Way, Lake Jackson, and on Zoom. Registration is required to attend online. 

For more information about the project, visit https://www.h-gac.com/watershed-based-plans/san-jacinto-brazos-coastal-basin-tmdl-and-implementation-plan or contact Steven Johnston. 

Missing Middle Housing Peer Exchange – January 19, 2023 (In-Person)

Save the date for the next Missing Middle Housing: A Regional Conversation peer exchange from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Thursday, January 19, 2023, at the Learning and Development Center - Houston, 4501 Leeland Street, Houston.

Registration is requested.

At the first peer exchange, participants shared their ideas and the challenges they’ve identified around Missing Middle Housing in the Houston-Galveston region. At this second event, attendees will hear innovative approaches to developing Missing Middle Housing and preserving affordable workforce housing from a panel of housing experts.

Presenters include:

Jeffrey B. Goodman, AICP, Planning Policy Consultant, Granicus

Jennifer Ostlind, AICP, Deputy Director, Community and Regional Planning, City of Houston

Curtis M. Davis, R.A., Development Consultant, Houston Housing Collaborative

For more information, contact Jose Cantu. 

Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable – January 24, 2023 (In-Person)

Save the date for the next Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable on Tuesday, January 24, 2023.

The time, location, and topic will be announced.

The Bringing Back Main Street initiative offers local communities a place to share best practices and engage in a regional dialogue about revitalizing and supporting vibrant downtown spaces. Each quarter, community leaders gather for a roundtable on topics ranging from small business support to sidewalk infrastructure.

For more information, contact Andrea Tantillo. 

Parks and Natural Areas Summit and Awards Ceremony – February 10, 2023 (In-Person)

Save the Date for the Parks and Natural Areas Awards recognition ceremony from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, February 10, 2023, at H-GAC, Second Floor Conference Rooms.

Registration is requested, but not required to attend.

Award-winning projects serve as models for planning and project implementation for parks and natural areas in the region. Projects will be honored in four categories: Planning Process, On-the-Ground Projects Over $500,000, On-the-Ground Projects Under $500,000, and Programming. Participants will also hear about trends in parks and natural areas from industry experts.

For more information, contact Andrea Tantillo.

Trash Bash – March 25, 2023 (In-Person)

Mark your calendar for the 29th River, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous Trash Bash®, Texas’s largest single-day waterway cleanup on Saturday, March 25, 2023. 

Since its inception, more than 117,000 volunteers have collected over 2,400 tons of trash, 22 tons of recyclable materials, and 11,965 tires. Find out how to volunteer and promote a healthy Galveston Bay watershed at one of their many cleanup locations on March 25.

Cleanup supplies, event t-shirts, and lunch are provided to all volunteers. Trash Bash hopes you will come out and help “Clean it like you mean it !” ® 

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) invites students in 6th through 12th grades to enter the annual Take Care of Texas Video Contest. Student videos should be 30 seconds long and portray positive ways Texans can help keep air and water clean, conserve water and energy, or reduce waste. The contest deadline is Friday, December 2, and the public will have the opportunity to pick their favorite videos January 17-23, 2023. There will be six winners. Waste Management of Texas, Inc. will provide prizes—gift cards and scholarships.  

Around 70% of sanitary sewer overflows in Houston are caused by clogs from cooking fats, oils and grease poured down the drain and wipes flushed down toilets. Each year when temperatures drop, Houston Public works responds to twice as many sewer overflows due to blockages caused by grease. This can cause untreated wastewater to back up into our homes and streets, harming the environment and our health. The City of Houston’s Protect Our Pipes digital toolkit provides resources to educate residents on how they can help prevent sewer overflows in their community. The materials are an aggregate of resources for websites, emails, newsletters, news stories and blog posts.

Becoming an Outdoors Girl Camp – December 10, February 4

The Environmental Institute of Houston is offering Becoming an Outdoors Girl, a free, one-day camp for girls in grades 6 through 12. The camp will be from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, December 10, and Saturday, February 4, 2023, on the University of Houston-Clear Lake Campus. Participants can choose from different sessions, including archery, art in nature, birding, camping skills, fishing and dip-netting, geocaching, iNaturalist, mammals, plant and mushroom walk, and scavenger hunt. All activities will be outdoors. Space is limited, and registration is required. Camp organizers are also looking for volunteers. Email [email protected] for more information.

Audubon Christmas Bird Count – December 14-January 5

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is December 14 through January 5 each year. Organized by the National Audubon Society, this global, all-volunteer effort collects data on local bird populations. Individual counts are open to birders of all levels, and there is no fee to participate. Several events are scheduled across the region.

H-GAC's Community and Environmental Planning Department has compiled a list of local, regional, state, federal, and private funding sources for local governments and other organizations. H-GAC also maintains a list of ongoing funding opportunities for parks improvements, and conservation projects.

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

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.

H-GAC has a Facebook page where information about current and upcoming events is posted. Please visit and like H-GAC's page. While there, visit other H-GAC pages on Facebook, including Recycling, and Trash Bash.