NADO.org » EPA

NADO Staff Address Sustainable Communities Initiative Working Group

Kathy Nothstine — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:52:39 +0000

On Wednesday, December 7, NADO Associate Directors Carrie Kissel and Kathy Nothstine provided an update on NADO Research Foundation work to the Rural Implementation Group. This working group was formed to implement the principles of the Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI) in rural areas and comprises leadership and staff from the three agencies that are members of the SCI—the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Transportation—as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Kissel and Nothstine were invited to participate in the meeting to present information on two of the NADO Research Foundation’s initiatives that relate to the agencies’ Sustainable Communities work. These programs include the recently released reports Regional Approaches to Sustainable Development (PDF) and Transportation Project Prioritization and Performance-based Planning Efforts in Rural and Small Metropolitan Regions (PDF), both funded through cooperative agreements with the Federal Highway Administration. View the presentation here.

New Partnership for Sustainable Communities Report: Supporting Sustainable Rural Communities

Kathy Nothstine — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:26:01 +0000

The HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities and the USDA have released Supporting Sustainable Rural Communities, a report that discusses how the four agencies are collaborating to support rural communities. This publication highlights how small towns and rural places across the country are using federal resources to strengthen their economies, provide better quality of life to residents, and build on local assets such as traditional main streets, agricultural lands, and natural resources. The report includes sections on how HUD, DOT, EPA, and USDA programs support environmentally and economically sustainable growth in rural places; performance measures rural communities can use to target their investments; and 12 case studies of rural communities using federal resources to achieve their development and economic goals. It also outlines steps the Partnership for Sustainable Communities is pursuing to support small towns and rural places. Read the report here. For more information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, please visit: http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov.

EPA Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Program

Kathy Nothstine — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:53:38 +0000

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently accepting letters of interest for the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance (SGIA) program. The SGIA program is an annual, competitive solicitation open to state, local, regional, and tribal governments (and non-profits that have partnered with a governmental entity) that want to incorporate smart growth techniques into their future development. Once selected, communities receive direct technical assistance from a team of national experts. This program focuses on complex or cutting-edge issues and can take about 18 months. These projects explore innovative ideas to overcome barriers that are preventing communities from getting the kind of development they want.

One of the categories of assistance this year is rural communities. This category is framed as follows:

Economic Viability of Small Towns and Rural Communities

Attracting economic growth in slow-growing rural communities while ensuring a sustainable built environment.
Implementation of land use strategies that enhance the economic value of rural landscapes and protect rural livelihoods.
Implementation of land use strategies that promote urban-rural links to bring rural products (such as farm or forest products) to urban markets.

Potential topics for this round of assistance include economic development for rural communities, resilience planning for natural hazards, linking planning for land use and economic development, using locally generated energy, and smart growth for tribal communities. EPA will choose up to four communities to receive assistance.

Letters of interest are due October 28. More information on the SGIA program and the request for letters of interest can be found here.