H-GAC Seeks Conservation Best Practices for Local Government Toolkit

As part of our Regional Conservation Initiative, the Houston-Galveston Area Council catalogues conservation practices available to local governments and their partners. These include Policies and Practices, Potential Partners, and Funding Mechanisms. 

We are compiling a list of communities using these and other tools to showcase successes around the region to expand our online toolbox and facilitate peer exchanges.  

Please help us grow and maintain this list. If your entity has conservation practices or policies in place, works with partners, makes use of funding mechanisms for conservation, or employs any other conservation practices, please let us know by completing a brief questionnaire.

H-GAC Releases Four Decades of

H-GAC's Regional Solid Waste Program Report

Since 1983, H-GAC's Regional Solid Waste Management Program has worked to facilitate effective solid waste management in the 13-county H-GAC region.  

To celebrate 40 years serving the region, H-GAC published Four Decades of H-GAC's Regional Solid Waste Program. This 16-page report showcases the program's history, the changing landscape of solid waste management, and successful programs aimed at supporting solid waste management in the region. Solid waste management is proper handling and disposal of garbage, recycling, and composting, and the enforcement of illegal dumping. 

Program/Report Highlights

• H-GAC has awarded and overseen the investment of $32,652,338 in grant funds throughout the region since 1993. 
• H-GAC offers free training opportunities for community members and organizations by hosting seminars, workshops, and webinars, providing $100,000 in value since 2018. 
• H-GAC's program also develops and maintains plans to detail the status and projections of solid waste management and demographics in the region. The 2022-2042 Regional Solid Waste Management Plan provides goals, objectives, and recommended actions for the region. 
• In the coming decades, H-GAC will continue to develop region-wide resources to ease the burden on local government staff. 

Four Decades of H-GAC's Regional Solid Waste Program is available online to view or print. 

Criminal Justice, Victim Services Grant Application Workshops - Multiple Dates, Times (Online, In Person)

Texas Office of the Governor’s, Public Safety Office contracts with H-GAC to manage the application process for grant funding to support Criminal Justice and Victim Services programs. As part of the application process, applicants must attend a grant application workshop and submit a letter of intent/summary and grant application by February 8, 2024.

H-GAC is hosting the following grant application workshops:

Criminal Justice

• Wednesday, January 3, 2024, 8 a.m.-11 a.m., Webinar - Register to Attend
• Monday, January 8, 2024, 8 a.m.-Noon, IN-PERSON ONLY - Fort Bend County - Register to Attend
• Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 8 a.m.-Noon, Webinar - Register to Attend
• Thursday, January 11, 2024, 1 p.m.-5 p.m., IN-PERSON ONLY - Brazoria County Sheriff's Office - Register to Attend
• Friday, January 12, 2024, 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Webinar - Register to Attend

Victim Services

• Wednesday, January 3, 2024, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Webinar - Register to Attend
• Monday, January 8, 2024, 1 p.m.-5 p.m., IN-PERSON ONLY - Fort Bend County - Register to Attend
• Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Webinar - Register to Attend
• Thursday, January 11, 2024, 8 a.m.-Noon, IN-PERSON ONLY - Brazoria County Sheriff's Office - Register to Attend
• Friday, January 12, 2024, 8 a.m.-Noon, Webinar - Register to Attend

After attending a grant application workshop, an applicant may request additional technical assistance. Virtual technical assistance will be by appointment only from January 17 to January 26, 2024. To make request an appointment, email Laura Glaspie or Madeline McGallion.

Learn more by reviewing the attached flyer.

Regional Flood Management Committee – January 17, 2024 (Online)

The next meeting of the H-GAC Regional Flood Management Committee will be from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 17, 2024. 

The meeting will be online, and registration is required.

The committee will discuss selecting a new chair and co-chair, bylaws, updating the floodplain management/stormwater detention survey for 2024, and any other items raised by members.  

RFMC is changing from a hybrid meeting format to two in-person meetings and two virtual meetings. 

Future meetings will be as follows:  

• April 17, 2024, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at H-GAC - Register to Attend
• July 17, 2024, from 1:30-3:30 PM (online - registration link coming soon) 
• October 16, 2024, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at H-GAC - Register to Attend

We are seeking sponsors for refreshments at the in-person meetings. Reach out to Amanda Ashcroft if you would like to sponsor one of the in-person meetings.  

Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable – January 23, 2024 (In Person) 

Make plans to participate in the next Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable from 9:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday, January 23, 2024.

The event will be at the Brazoria County Historical Museum, 100 E. Cedar Street, Angleton.

Join us to to discuss how incremental changes can have a big impact on a small downtown, learn from experts during a panel discussion and share ideas during a roundtable. Expert panelists will discuss H-GAC's Livable Centers program, moving plans to implementation, aging downtowns and potential solutions to development forward; and a business owner's perspective.

The event will conclude with a walking tour of downtown Angleton, ending at the Dirty South restaurant. Enjoy lunch on your own and continue the conversation with other participants.

Check in and breakfast begin at 9:30 a.m. Program and walking tour will be from 10 a.m. to noon. Registration is requested.

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 9, 2024 (In Person) 

Save the Date for the Parks and Natural Areas Awards recognition ceremony from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, February 9, 2024, 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 equity in parks and natural areas planning from keynote speaker David Buggs, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

As our population becomes more ethnically diverse, we must consider:

• How do we engage the changing demographic in more outdoor activities and conservation careers?
• How do organizations who support and are engaged in natural resource conservation activities become relevant to this growing population and maintain its current participants and supporters?

For more information, contact Andrea Tantillo.

Recycling Grant Lunch and Learn Workshop – February 13, 2024 (In Person) 

H-GAC and The Recycling Partnership invite local governments and community groups to the Parks and Natural Areas Awards recognition ceremony from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at H-GAC, Second Floor Conference Rooms. Lunch will be provided

Registration is required.

Join us for insight into recycling grant opportunities available from The Recycling Partnership, behavior change and material specific research, community resources available, and an interactive discussion on regional challenges and opportunities. 

The Recycling Partnership wants to understand the local needs and recycling program goals in order to best support you in achieving those goals to improve the recycling system. 

Trash Bash® to Celebrate 30 Years of Waterway Cleanups – March 23, 2024 (In Person) 

Mark your calendar for the 30th River, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous Trash Bash®, Texas’s largest single-day waterway cleanup on Saturday, March 23, 2024. 

Since its inception, more than 119,000 volunteers have collected over 2,431 tons of trash, 22 tons of recyclable materials, and 12,184 tires. Find out how to volunteer and promote a healthy Galveston Bay watershed at one of their many cleanup locations on March 23, 2024.

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 !” ®

Treasures of the Texas Coast Children's Art Contest

The Texas General Land Office's 28th Annual Treasures of the Texas Coast Children's Art Contest is accepting entries. All public, private, and home-schooled students in kindergarten-sixth grade are invited to submit artwork depicting why the Texas coast is important or special to the student. Prizes include inclusion in a 2025 calendar and event tickets to Texas destinations, and a grand prize cruise. The teacher of the student with the winning artwork will also receive recognition and prizes. The deadline to enter is Wednesday, March 6, 2024. 

Take Care of Texas Art Contest

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is hosting the Take Care of Texas 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 2024 is Recycling, and the contest sponsor is Texas Chemical Council. The contest begins on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. The deadline to enter is Friday, March 1, 2024.

Keep Texas Beautiful Governor's Community Achievement Awards Due February 15, 2024

For more than 30 years, Keep Texas Beautiful, in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation, has awarded the prestigious 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 used for landscaping projects along local rights-of-way. There is a $25 application fee. The application period opens Tuesday January 2, 2024. The deadline to apply is Thursday, February 15, 2024. 

Audubon Christmas Bird Count – December 14, 2023-January 5, 2024

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.

Writing a Winning GCAA Application Webinar – January 10, 2024

Keep Texas Beautiful will host a webinar from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, January 10, 2024, to discuss tips for writing a winning Governor’s Community Achievement Awards application. During this webinar participants will hear from three GCAA-winning communities as they delve into the art of crafting a successful GCAA application. Winners will share their process for data collection for answering questions and how they work with others in the community to put the application together..

Registration is required.