Local Government: GLRPPR Sector Resources

Event: Comparing Non-Traditional Water Treatment in Cooling Towers

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:19:26 GMT

Hear about how GSA, Region 8, and DOE/NREL are finding ways to dramatically reduce cooling tower water usage and treatment chemicals, which saves money and can support climate adaptation and resilience efforts.

Cooling towers, which are installed in many federal buildings, consume large amounts of potable water and contribute greatly to annual utility, maintenance and operation costs. Conventional cooling towers require that chemicals and fresh water is periodically added to the cooling tower system to prevent scale formulation, hinder biological growth, and inhibit corrosion in the chillers and piping systems. GSA and DOE/NREL analyzed several non-chemical cooling tower water treatment systems to identify systems that reduce building operation costs through reduced water and chemical use, and improved chiller energy efficiency.

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Resource: Climate Smart Communities: Local Action to Combat Climate Change

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:32:54 GMT

Climate Smart Communities is a state-local partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save taxpayer dollars and advance community goals for health and safety, economic vitality, energy independence and quality of life.

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Resource: How to Boost Energy Efficiency in Municipal Facilities/Operations

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:31:19 GMT

This page provides links and information to help local governments make their buildings, facilities and public services more energy efficient.

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Event: State Electronics Challenge Introductory Webinar

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:37:52 GMT

This Webinar will provide an overview of the State Electronics Challenge for any public sector organizations interested in learning more about the Challenge. Register at the link provided. The webinar is scheduled for 2:00-3:00 Eastern (1:00-2:00 Central).

View more information on this Event: State Electronics Challenge Introductory Webinar

Funding Opportunity: 2014 National Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:31:13 GMT

The Secretary of Agriculture has a congressionally designated advisory council that assists the U.S. Forest Service in establishing the grant categories and recommendations of final proposals for the Forest Service to consider. This is the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (Council).The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council seeks innovative (new, cutting-edge or builds upon existing studies) grant proposals for program development, study, and collaboration that will address strategies in the Ten Year Action Plan.

Specifically for this Request for Proposals, the Council is considering proposals to address the following priority issues:

Making Urban Trees and Forests More Resilient to the Impacts of Natural Disasters and the long-term Impacts of Climate Change

Green Infrastructure Jobs Analysis

Utilizing Green Infrastructure to Manage and Mitigate Stormwater to Improve Water Quality

Organizations, local governments, tribal agencies, and partnerships are encouraged to submit proposals that will demonstrate the reach, resources, and expertise needed to address the three priority issues in ways that will lead to meaningful, replicable results across the country.

Potential Innovation grantees are should work collaboratively with other organizations and entities not traditionally involved in urban and community forestry.Applicants should consider multi-year projects and other sources of funds, which may include other Federal cooperative conservation sources.While other Federal dollars or technical support may contribute to the project, they may not be used to match these Federal grant program dollars.

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Funding Opportunity: Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:20:51 GMT

The Choice Neighborhoods program targets funding to improve severely distressed public and/or HUD-assisted Multifamily housing that is located in distressed neighborhoods.

Planning Grants support the development of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plans which, when implemented, will be expected to achieve the following three core goals:

Housing: Replace distressed public and assisted housing with high-quality mixed-income housing that is well-managed and responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood;
People: Improve educational outcomes and intergenerational mobility for youth and supports delivered directly to youth and their families; and
Neighborhood: Create the conditions necessary for public and private reinvestment in distressed neighborhoods to offer the kinds of amenities and assets, including safety, good schools, and commercial activity, that are important to families' choices about their community.

To achieve these core goals, communities must develop and implement a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization strategy, or Transformation Plan. This Transformation Plan will become the guiding document for the revitalization of the public and/or assisted housing units, while simultaneously directing the transformation of the surrounding neighborhood and positive outcomes for families.

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Funding Opportunity: Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities Local Sustainability Matching Fund

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:17:35 GMT

The Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) joined together to launch a Local Sustainability Matching Fund. Now a project of the Funders' Network, the fund is supported by the JPB Foundation, the Kendeda Fund, New York Community Trust, Summit Foundation, and Surdna Foundation. The fund provides matching investments from national foundations on a competitive basis to build partnerships between sustainability directors and local place-based foundations to advance discrete sustainability initiatives that demonstrate broad-based community support and engagement.

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News: Project aims to track big city carbon footprints

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:00:44 GMT

For years, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse pollutants have been closely monitored around the planet by stations on the ground and in space. Last week, worldwide levels of carbon dioxide reached 400 parts per million at a Hawaii station that sets the global benchmark -- a concentration not seen in millions of years. Now, some scientists are eyeing large cities -- with LA and Paris as guinea pigs -- and aiming to observe emissions in the atmosphere as a first step toward independently verifying whether local -- and often lofty -- climate goals are being met.

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News: Bike Share Programs to Launch in New York, Chicago

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:59:36 GMT

Capital Bikeshare -- the Washington,D.C.-area bike sharing program -- has long been the darling of the bicycle community as the largest program of its type in America. But in a few weeks, it'll lose that title twice over, when Chicago and New York are both scheduled to launch bike shares of their own that are even bigger.

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News: How Milwaukee Became a Center for Water Innovation

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:12:34 GMT

The world needs water. Milwaukee not only has lots of it, but it also has transformed itself into a hub for water research and technology.

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