Monday Mailing
Year 22 • Issue 12 07 December 2015 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Oregon Congressional Delegation At Odds on Klamath Basin Bill Klamath Commissioners Oppose Crater Lake Wilderness Proposal Flurries Fly As Snowpack lags In Northeast Oregon Recent Research: Best Practices in Rural Economic Development Congress Approves Transportation Reauthorization Bill Carbon Tax Ballot Measure Appears to Gain Needed Signatures in Washington CDFA Brownfields Technical Assistance Program Oregon Scenic Bikeways Contribute $12.4 Million In Economic Activity The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design 2016-17 Request for Proposals 7 Paths to Development That Bring Neighborhoods Wealth, Not Gentrification Funding Opportunities
1. Oregon Congressional Delegation At Odds on Klamath Basin Bill Republican Rep. Greg Walden and Oregon's two Democratic senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, were at odds Thursday over legislation to implement a landmark agreement covering the Klamath Basin.
Quote of the Week: Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. -Lao Tzu
Oregon Fast Fact: A 1923 state law provided for "the sterilization of all feebleminded, insane, epileptics, habitual criminals, moral degenerates and sexual perverts who are a menace to society...." Sterilization was used until 1967.
Walden, the only GOP member of the state's delegation, introduced a draft bill that is silent on dam removal on the Klamath River and that would turn over 200,000 acres of National Forest to two counties in the basin. That drew a quick rejoinder from Merkley and Wyden, who issued this statement: While we appreciate this step, the draft House legislation falls short of implementing the carefully-negotiated agreement of the Basin stakeholders. The giveaway of federal lands to counties is a known nonstarter in the Senate. It also eliminates a provision on dam removal that is central to the bargain worked out over years with blood, sweat, and tears. To access the full story, click here. 2. Klamath Commissioners Oppose Crater Lake Wilderness Proposal Klamath Falls, Ore. – The Klamath County commissioners say they want nothing to do with a proposal to expand wilderness areas around Crater Lake National Park. The proposal by Oregon Wild would designate an additional 780 square miles of wilderness in and around Crater Lake. But, the Klamath County commissioners are against the concept.
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Commissioner Kelley Minty Morris read the proposed resolution: “And we, the Klamath County board of commissioners, support and continue to enjoy Crater Lake National Park, but strongly oppose Oregon Wild’s proposal to designate a 500,000 acre Crater Lake wilderness area.” The commissioners say 58% of Klamath County is already under government management. To access the full story, click here. 3. Flurries Fly As Snowpack lags In Northeast Oregon Pendleton woke up to another inch of fresh snow Wednesday morning, but snowpack throughout the Umatilla Basin still has a ways to go before catching up to normal. Snow water equivalent — that’s the amount of water contained within snow — is just 67 percent of normal for the Umatilla, Walla Walla and Willow basins, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service. Oregon is already coming off its lowest snowpack on record for the 2015 water year, which carried over into a brutally dry summer with Gov. Kate Brown declaring drought in 25 counties. Snowpack peaked around 50-60 percent of normal in the Umatilla, Walla Walla and Willow basins and melted four to nine weeks earlier than usual. Mountain snow is critically important for farms and fish, acting as a natural source for refilling streams and reservoirs as winter thaws. Without enough snowmelt, state and tribal fisheries managers were forced to truck spring salmon up the Umatilla River nearly two months early as water flows dropped to potentially lethal levels for the fish. Local irrigation districts also ran out of water as McKay Reservoir filled to just 82 percent of capacity. To access the full story, click here. 4. Recent Research: Best Practices in Rural Economic Development Across the globe, the proliferation of innovation-led economic development is typically viewed in an urban context. Despite cities receiving the bulk of the attention, researchers have begun to focus on how to leverage best practices in rural economic development. Just as is the case in nearly all economic development scenarios, practitioners and policymakers working in rural areas benefit from a better understanding of local strengths and opportunities, according to new research from the United States, Canada, and the European Union. As part of its 10-year growth strategy Europe2020, the European Union added the concept of smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth to its innovation policy agenda. In What is Smart Rural Development?, four Swedish researchers analyze how the European policy on “smart growth,” which refers to innovation policy rather than urban planning attempts to mitigate sprawl, can best be applied to rural areas. The researchers distinguish between rural areas located close to cities and integrated within metropolitan systems and peripheral rural areas with much weaker demand from cities. To access the full story, click here. 5. Congress Approves Transportation Reauthorization Bill Both the U.S. House and Senate approved a multi-year $305 billion transportation bill yesterday. Passage of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act for Transportation avoided today’s expiration of federal transportation spending authority. Representative Peter DeFazio, the
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ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, was instrumental in fashioning the compromise proposal, which is now headed to President Obama’s desk for signature To view a summary of the Fast Act, click here. 6. Carbon Tax Ballot Measure Appears to Gain Needed Signatures in Washington Washington, which has had pioneering initiatives in recent years on marijuana and gay marriage, could provide the first ballot test in 2016 of a carbon tax that would be used to lower other taxes. Activists fighting climate change said Wednesday that they've gathered enough signatures to send the proposal to the Washington Legislature and to the November, 2016 ballot if lawmakers don't adopt the plan. The measure, sponsored by a group called Carbon Washington, would cut the state sales tax by 1 percentage point, provide a tax credit of up to $1,500 for low-income families and reduce the state's business and occupations tax on manufacturing companies. To access the full story, click here. 7. CDFA Brownfields Technical Assistance Program CDFA is excited to announce the Brownfields Project Marketplace as part of the CDFA Brownfields Technical Assistance Program. Brownfields redevelopment financing solutions are increasingly sought across the country in order to restore contaminated sites and/or to return abandoned industrial land to productive use. The cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield sites can advance a region’s economy, restore the local environment, and ultimately lead to permanent job creation and greater attraction of external capital to the community. The CDFA Brownfields Project Marketplace provides communities the opportunity to receive special assistance with brownfields redevelopment projects. Communities will detail important information on a site and engage in open discussion with financial and brownfields experts. The purpose of these discussions is to provide initial suggestions for the communities' redevelopment plans and financing sources. CDFA will provide two in-person and two virtual marketplaces each year. For more information, click here. 8. Oregon Scenic Bikeways Contribute $12.4 Million In Economic Activity On an early June morning, a group of spandex-clad tourists pedaled down a the highway out of the tiny town of Prairie City, Oregon. “All right! Take a left here, and don’t take off until you see the ghost town!” said Brad Gordon, a guide for Bicycle Adventures and leader of the nine-day cycling trip. Gordon leads trips all over the Northwest, but he said he loves the roads in Oregon. “When you get out on the rural roads in Oregon, people are very respectful,” Gordon said. Part of the group’s route follows the Old West Scenic Bikeway in Eastern Oregon. Most U.S. states have scenic byways for vehicles, to draw motorists to attractions and special places. But in Oregon, you also find scenic bikeways: state-designated routes designed for cyclists. Oregon’s Scenic Bikeways program is unique in the nation, according to state officials. The bikeways are signed Page 3 of 6
routes along some of Oregon’s most beautiful, bicycle-friendly roadways. Some bikeways are short and easy. Others are epic rides designed for three- or four-day tours. To access the full story, click here. 9. The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design 2016-17 Request for Proposals 2016-2017 Request for Proposals is now open for rural communities facing design challenges, from main street revitalization to art-based community development. CIRD will select up to six communities, with populations 50,000 or less, to host a two-and-a-half-day workshop aimed at solving local design challenges and planning for the future. Selected communities receive a CIRD stipend of $10,000 dollars and in-kind professional assistance to organize the workshop and follow up activities. The workshops are interdisciplinary and feature a wide range of design, planning, and creative placemaking professionals, bringing together local leaders from non-profits, community organizations, and government agencies to develop actionable solutions to a community's pressing design challenges. To apply and learn more, click here. 10. 7 Paths to Development That Bring Neighborhoods Wealth, Not Gentrification In cities across the nation, a few enjoy rising affluence while many struggle to get by. An August 2015 study by The Century Foundation reported that—after a dramatic decline in concentrated poverty between 1990 and 2000—poverty has since reconcentrated. Nationwide, the number of people living in high-poverty ghettos and slums has nearly doubled since 2000. This situation is created in part by the practices of traditional economic development, which prioritize corporate subsidy after corporate subsidy over the needs of the local economy. Current trends threaten to worsen, unless we can answer the design challenge before us. Can we create an economic system—beginning at the local level—that builds the wealth and prosperity of everyone? To access the full story, click here. 11. Funding Opportunities Environmental Protection Agency FY 2016 Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants EPA announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals from eligible entities, including nonprofit organizations, to deliver environmental workforce development and job training programs that recruit, train, and place local, unemployed and under-employed residents with the skills needed to secure full-time employment in the environmental field, with a focus on solid and hazardous waste remediation, environmental health and safety, integrated pest management, and wastewater-related training. The total funding available under this competitive opportunity is approximately $3,500,000, subject to availability of funds, quality of proposals received, and other applicable considerations for FY 2016. EPA anticipates awarding approximately 17-18 environmental workforce development and job training cooperative agreements at amounts up to $200,000 each. Deadline: January 14, 2016 Applicants are encouraged to review the Frequently Asked Questions. View the Funding Opportunity Announcement.
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U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Public and Indian Housing Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants Program HUD announces the availability of new funding to help local communities across the country to redevelop severely distressed public and HUD-assisted housing and transform surrounding neighborhoods.HUD anticipates awarding approximately 4 Planning and Action Grants not to exceed $2 million each, and approximately 4 Planning Grants not to exceed $500,000 each. If funds are appropriated by Congress, HUD may, at its discretion, use additional FY2016 Choice Neighborhoods funding to make additional awards under this NOFA. To receive Promise Zones Bonus Points, applicants must submit form HUD 50153, Certification of Consistency with Promise Zone Goals and Implementation, signed by the Promise Zone Official authorized to certify the project meets the criteria to receive bonus points. To view the list of designated Promise Zones, please go to the Promise Zones website. For more information, please refer to pages 48-49 of the application. Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant funds are available for public housing authorities, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and tribal entities. Applicants must submit a completed electronic application through www.grants.gov by February 9, 2016. Read HUD’s Funding Notice. U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration $100 Million TechHire Grants Competition Earlier this year, President Obama announced that as a part of the TechHire initiative, the Administration would commit $100 million to expanding accelerated tech training. On November 17, 2015, the Department of Labor (DOL) released the application for those grants. DOL will award $100 million or more in H-1B funds, including at least $50 million specifically dedicated to supporting young Americans, ages 17 - 29, with barriers to training and employment, to partnerships that can rapidly train and connect workers to well-paying, high-growth jobs across industries such as information technology, health care, and advanced manufacturing. Deadline: Application must be received by 4:00PM EST on March 11, 2016. Read DOL’s Funding Notice. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration FY 2016 Economic Development Assistance Programs The Economic Development Administration's (EDA's) mission is to lead the Federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for economic growth and success in the worldwide economy. EDA fulfills this mission through strategic investments and partnerships that create the regional economic ecosystems required to foster globally competitive regions throughout the United States. EDA supports development in economically distressed areas of the United States by fostering job creation and attracting private investment. Specifically, under the Economic Development Assistance programs (EDAP) Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) announcement, EDA will make construction, non-construction, and revolving loan fund investments under the Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Programs. Grants made under these programs will leverage regional assets to support the implementation of regional economic development strategies designed to create jobs, leverage private capital, encourage economic development, and strengthen America's ability to compete in the global marketplace. Through the EDAP FFO, EDA solicits applications from rural and urban communities to develop initiatives that advance new ideas and creative approaches to address rapidly evolving economic condition. Deadline: EDA is employing a new two-phase review process for proposals/applications submitted under this FFO. There are no submission deadlines. Proposals and applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the publication of a new EDAP FFO. Proposals will be reviewed by EDA within 30 days of receipt; and following the proposal review, full applications will be reviewed within
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60 days of receipt. Please see Section IV of this FFO for complete information on EDA’s two-phase review process. Read EDA’s Funding Notice. U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program The USDA Rural Development Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program (EECLP) program provides eligible utilities with low-cost federal financing for energy efficiency and conservation in rural communities of a population of 20,000 or less. Utility borrowers design their own Energy Efficiency programs and can re-lend Rural Development funds to end-users to meet their energy needs. Borrowers can also upgrade their systems to furnish the energy needs of their customers more efficiently. Learn more about the EECLP program. More information is available on the USDA Rural Development website. Quality Health Foundation Issues Request for Proposals Grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded to programs designed to improve access to healthcare services for the unserved and underserved. Projects should demonstrate that improved access through measureable outcomes and stated goals. Link to the RFP DEADLINE: January 15, 2016 Walgreen Community Grant Program The Walgreen Community Grant Program supports organizations seeking funding for projects focused on improving: •Access to health and wellness in the community •Pharmacy education programs and mentoring initiatives •Civic and community outreach •Emergency and disaster relief Program website Deadlines: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
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