H-GAC Application for Solid Waste Grants Closes October 17

H-GAC receives a portion of the money collected as tipping fees at landfills across the state as pass-through funding from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to fund solid waste grant projects throughout the 13-county region. 

As part of this program, H-GAC will award $1 million in solid waste program grant funds to eligible projects through a competitive process. Grants will begin in March or September 2024, and all work must be completed by June 2025. This is the only call for projects planned for this biennium. 

The grant application period will close at noon Tuesday, October 17.

For more information about the grant program or to be added to an email list to receive future solid waste grant notifications, contact Erin Livingston.

H-GAC Seeks Public Input on Hazard Mitigation Planning Survey

H-GAC is working with the City of Angleton and Austin, Liberty, and Walker counties' Offices of Emergency Management to update Hazard Mitigation Plans for the entities and participating jurisdictions within them. We are seeking public input to help develop the plans that will include a risk assessment, capability assessment, and a hazard mitigation action plan.

If you reside, work, or own property in Angleton or Austin, Liberty, or Walker counties, please consider completing this important survey.

Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable – October 10 (In Person) 

Make plans to attend the next Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable from 9:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday, October 10, at Doyle Convention Center – Goyens Room, 2010 5^th Avenue North, Texas City. 

Join us to learn more about Texas City's Downtown revitalization efforts, including how to attract and support downtown development and the City's downtown assessment focusing on the historic district. We will also discuss the transformative impact of landscape architecture on community revitalization.

Speakers include:

·        Kristin Edwards, Texas City Director of Economic Development

·        Titilayo "Titi" Smith, Texas City Director of Community Development

·        Jason Miller, Clark Condon Operations Principal

Networking begins at 9:30 a.m. with presentations and roundtable to begin at 10 a.m.

Registration is requested, but not required, to attend. 

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. 

Texas Watershed Coordinators Roundtable and Tour – October 9-10 (In Person, Hybrid)

Texas Watershed Coordinators Roundtable and Tour will be Monday, October 9, and Tuesday. October 10, in Houston.

The tour will be from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. October 9 at Exploration Green, near Johnson Space Center.

The roundtable will be from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. October 10 at H-GAC second floor conference rooms and online.

Registration is required by October 5 for both events.

This Texas Watershed Coordinators Roundtable meeting will highlight the Houston Galveston Area Council's watershed based plan development and implementation program, including a panel discussion on implementing complex watershed plans, and will highlight several new data tools and resources useful for planning and implementation purposes.

More information can be found on the Texas Watershed Planning page or by contacting Lucas Gregory at 979-314-2361.

Houston GIS Day – November 16 (In Person) 

Save the date for the 2023 Houston Area GIS Day on Thursday, November 16, at the University of Houston – Clear Lake campus, 2700 Bay Area Blvd, Bayou Building, Houston. Houston GIS Day is a one-day celebration of Geographic Information Systems for local GIS professionals, universities, high school students, and teachers. 

This year’s activities include: 

• Live Educational Presentations for Students 
• Live Geospatial Presentations for Professionals 
• College and University GIS Program Exhibitors 
• Geospatial Exhibitors and Vendors 
• Student GIS Activities and Games 
• Professional Map Contests and More! 

For more event information including sponsor, exhibitor, speaker, and volunteer opportunities, visit the 2023 Houston Area GIS Day website.

Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable Field Trip – November 17 (In Person) 

Join us for the Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable field trip on Friday, November 17, for a tour of Galveston parks. We will learn more about the award-winning Women in Coastal Science program, tour parks around the city, and hear about using parks and parks programing as a revenue-generating, program-supporting opportunity.

We will meet at 10 a.m. at East Beach (R.A. Apffel Park), 1923 Boddeker Road, Galveston. Tours of parks on the island continue until noon.

We will meet at the park. Carpooling is encouraged, and transportation to Galveston is not provided. However, registration by November 6 is required for on-site transportation during the tours.. 

For more information, contact Andrea Tantillo. 

Bacteria Implementation Group Fall Meeting – December 5 (Hybrid) 

The Bacteria Implementation Group (BIG) Fall meeting will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, December 5.

The meeting will be at H-GAC, Second Floor Conference Rooms, and on Zoom. Registration is required to attend online and requested to attend in person.

Topics will include the 2023 annual report, BIG Implementation Plan revisions, Targeted Bacteria Monitoring and Total Maximum Daily Load updates.

For more information, contact Steven Johnston.

Fall Planning Workshop – December 5 (Online) 

Save the Date for H-GAC's annual Fall Planning Workshop from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 5.

The event will be online, and registration is required.

The topic will focus on how development can happen without displacement. Expert speakers will discuss strategies for more equitable development, reframing the conversation around revitalization.

For more information, contact Sarai Osorio.

Take Care of Texas Video Contest

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 1, and the public will have the opportunity to pick their favorite videos January 16-24, 2024. There will be six winners. Waste Management of Texas, Inc. will provide prizes—gift cards and scholarships.  

DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back – October 28

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 28. Check the DEA website in early October for area drop-off locations. The collection event provides a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications and environmental contamination. Law enforcement agencies interested in hosting a collection site should call the point of contact for this area. 

STAR Texas Recycling Summit – November 1-3

Register today for the 25th Annual Texas Recycling Summit November 1-3 in San Marcos. The State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR) hosts the summit to bring together more than 200 industry professionals from schools, cities, businesses, and NGOs to collaborate, educate, and network as we collectively advance recycling in Texas. Attendees interact with more than 40 exhibitors and gain useful insights from keynote speakers, workshops and breakout and plenary sessions. Registration is now open.

America Recycles Day – November 15

For more than two decades, communities have come together on November 15 to celebrate America Recycles Day. Find tools for organizing or attending special events online