BIG Fall Meeting – October 29 (Hybrid) 

The Bacteria Implementation Group (BIG) Fall meeting will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, October 29. 

The meeting will be at H-GAC, second floor conference rooms, and on Zoom. Registration information will be available soon. 

Topics will include the 2024 annual report, BIG Implementation Plan revisions, and Targeted Bacteria Monitoring and Total Maximum Daily Load updates. 

For more information, contact Steven Johnston. 

NRAC Meeting – November 7 (Hybrid) 

The next Natural Resources Advisory Committee meeting will be hosted from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 7, at H-GAC, second floor conference rooms, and on Zoom.

Registration is requested to attend in person and required to attend online. Additional registration information will be available soon. 

The Natural Resources Advisory Committee serves as a forum to advise the H-GAC Board and local decision-makers on policy issues affecting natural resources in the 13-county Houston-Galveston region. Its membership includes diverse representatives from local governments, natural resource management agencies, environmental organizations, and the private sector.

For more information, contact Rachel Windham. 

Clean Waters Initiative Workshop – November 20 (Hybrid) 

Join H-GAC for a Clean Waters Initiative workshop from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, November 20, at H-GAC, second floor conference rooms, and on Zoom. The topic will be pathogen indicators.

Registration is requested to attend in person and required to attend online. Additional registration information will be available soon.

Clean Waters Initiative workshops offer education and information to local governments, nonprofit organizations, landowners, and residents to develop effective strategies to reduce pollution in local waterways.  

For more information, contact Rachel Windham. 

Houston GIS Day – November 22 (In Person) 

Save the date for the 2024 Houston Area GIS Day on Friday, November 22, 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 2024 Houston Area GIS Day website.

Fall Planning Workshop – December 6 (Online) 

Save the date for the next H-GAC Fall Planning Workshop, Between Home and Work: How Third Places Help Build Inclusive Communities. This workshop will feature expert speakers who will provide insight on how communities can encourage, embrace, and develop inclusive spaces where people spend time between home, work, and school. We will explore how third places, such as parks, libraries, retail spaces, restaurants, and other gathering spaces are important to communities and placemaking. 

The workshop will be hosted from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday, December 6, on Zoom. Registration is required to attend online. 

H-GAC's Fall Planning Workshop is an annual event for local governments featuring presentations on planning best practices for communities. H-GAC has offered this free workshop for local communities for more than 15 years. 

For more information, contact Sarai Osorio.

Hazard Mitigation Funding Available Following Two Texas Storms

The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) is accepting applications for funding under DR-4781 related to severe storms in April 2024 and DR-4798 related to Hurricane Beryl. All entities seeking funding under these opportunities must have a FEMA approved Hazard Mitigation Plan at the time the project is submitted to FEMA for consideration and at the time an award is made except for projects to develop or update mitigation plans. 

Applications under the DR-4781 program are due on February 28 2025, and applications under the DR-4798 are due on March 14, 2025. 

Eligible applicants for both programs must apply for funding using the TDEM Grants Management System (GMS). GMS Is used to apply for, track, and manage a variety of FEMA grants. To register, visit grants.tdem.texas.gov/. 

Applications Open for National Scenic Byways Program Funding

The Federal Highway Administration is accepting applications for the National Scenic Byways Program (NSBP). 

This funding opportunity will result in the award of up to $26.95 million in grants to States and federally recognized Tribes to implement eligible projects on highways designated as National Scenic Byways, All-American Roads (collectively America’s Byways®), State scenic byways, or Indian Tribe scenic byways; and plan, design, and develop a State or Indian Tribe scenic byway program. 

Applications for the NSBP 2024 Grants NOFO must be submitted electronically through grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, December 16, 2024. 

Information on upcoming webinars is available on the National Scenic Byways Program website. For questions related to the NSBP 2024 Grants NOFO, contact Kenan Hall at [email protected]. 

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 6, and the public will have the opportunity to pick their favorite videos January 15-24, 2025. There will be six winners. Waste Management of Texas, Inc. will provide prizes—gift cards and scholarships.  

DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back – October 26

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 26. Check the DEA website in early October for area drop-off locations and year-round pharmaceutical disposal locations. The collection event provides a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the 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.

Soil Health Workshop – October 29

During a free workshop focused on soil health in urban and suburban landscapes, participants can learn how soil can soak up more rainwater and reduce runoff, lower outdoor watering needs, and filter pollutants to improve water quality local waterways. The workshop, presented by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and other partners, will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, October 29, at Houston Community College (HCC) South Campus, 1990 Airport Blvd, Houston. Soil health applies to much more than growing food and rural land use. Healthy, living soils improve water storage and water quality, reduce disease and pest problems, are resilient to drought, temperature extremes, fire and flood, and much more. Local practitioners at parks departments, ISDs, counties, drainage districts, hospital campuses, MUDs, and municipalities will benefit from attending with homeowners, urban gardeners and farmers, and small landowners welcome. Space is limited, and registration is required to attend this in-person event.

Texas Downtown Conference – October 28-30

Save the date for the 2024 Texas Downtown Conference October 28-30 in Abilene. The annual conference includes networking, field sessions, and educational workshops highlighting new ideas, inspiration, and innovation for municipal and county staff working to shape the future of downtowns across Texas.

DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back – 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.

STAR Texas Recycling Summit – November 2025

The 26th Annual Texas Recycling Summit will be in Houston in November. Event details and registration will be available soon. The State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR) hosts the summit to bring together industry professionals from schools, cities, businesses, and NGOs to collaborate, educate, and network as we collectively advance recycling in Texas. Attendees interact with exhibitors and gain useful insights from keynote speakers, workshops and breakout and plenary sessions.

Funding Sources

H-GAC's Community and Environmental Planning Department maintains a list of ongoing funding opportunities for parks improvements, conservation projects and downtown revitalization projects. H-GAC also provides a Funding Resources Hub with 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.