Monday Mailing
Year 24 • Issue 28 16 April 2018 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
When It Comes to Broadband, Millennials Vote with Their Feet Why Millennials Are About to Leave Cities in Droves Have U.S. Cities Reached 'Peak Millennial'? A Grass-Roots Movement for Healthy Soil Spreads Among Farmers Acquitted, Convicted, Fined or Free: After the Oregon Standoff Can This Affordable 3-D Printed House Address the World’s Housing Shortage? Is Inclusionary Zoning Creating Less Affordable Housing? New Website is Latest Piece in the Carfree Columbia Gorge Puzzle Free Online Workshop – How to Build a Thriving Nonprofit, Runs April 16-26 How to Design an Emotionally Intelligent PowerPoint Presentation Federal Funding Announcements
1. When It Comes to Broadband, Millennials Vote with Their Feet Cities are the future and the countryside is doomed, as far as population growth, jobs, culture and lifestyle are concerned. Right? Certainly, that is the mainstream view expressed by analysts at organizations such as Brookings. This type of analysis says the “clustering” of business that occurred during the industrial age will only accelerate as the digital economy takes hold. This argument says digital economies will only deepen and accelerate the competitive advantage that cities have always had in modern times. Quote of the Week: “Everything that is made beautiful and fair and lovely is made for the eye of the one who sees.” ~Rumi Oregon Fast Fact: The State of Oregon is approximately 350 miles from east to west. Also, from north to south, which is from Washington to California, it is between 250 and 300 miles.
But other pundits and researchers argue that the digital age will result in “decentralization” and a more level playing field between urban and rural. Digital technologies are insensitive to location and distance and potentially offer workers a much greater range of opportunities than ever before. To access the full story, click here. 2. Why Millennials Are About to Leave Cities in Droves As businesses and governments have struggled to understand the so-called millennials—born between roughly 1980 and 2000—one frequent conclusion has been that they have a unique love of cities. A deep-seated preference for night life and subways, the thinking goes, has driven the revitalization of urban cores across the U.S. over the last decade-plus, and permanently reshaped the patterns of American life. But there’s mounting evidence that millennials’ love of cities was a passing fling that became a shotgun wedding thanks to the Great Recession. Millennials don’t love cities any more than previous generations, the counterargument goes—they’ve just been stuck there longer, pining for the suburbs all the while. To access the full story, click here.
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3. Have U.S. Cities Reached 'Peak Millennial'? For all the talk of city-loving Millennials, some surveys show that plenty of them actually prefer the suburbs overall, and still plan to move there eventually. Census data released last year suggests that the suburban shift may merely be being delayed, not foregone: while Americans aged 25 to 29 are moving to the suburbs today at a slower rate than they did in the mid-1990s, those aged 30 to 44 are moving there at a faster one. USC urban planning professor Dowell Myers is among the doubters. At the University of Texas City Forum last month, he ventured that cities have reached “peak Millennial,” or the highest influx and presence of Millennials living in urban areas—and, he argues, it’s only going down from here. To access the full story, click here. 4. A Grass-Roots Movement for Healthy Soil Spreads Among Farmers In American farm country, a grass-roots movement is spreading, a movement to keep more roots in the soil. (Not just grass roots, of course; roots of all kinds.) Its goal: Promoting healthy soil that's full of life. I met three different farmers recently who are part of this movement in one way or another. Each of them took me to a field, dug up some dirt, and showed it off like a kind of hidden treasure. "You can see how beautiful that soil [is]," said Deb Gangwish, in Shelton, Neb. "I'm not a soil scientist, but I love soil!" To access the full story, click here. 5. Acquitted, Convicted, Fined or Free: After the Oregon Standoff The final defendant in the court case stemming from the 2016 armed occupation of Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is set to be sentenced this June in Portland. Blaine Cooper of Arizona, who recruited militia members to join the takeover, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to impede federal officers in July 2016. Since then, 25 people have been acquitted, convicted or had their case dismissed for their parts in the refuge occupation. The 26-person indictment came after Ammon and Ryan Bundy, sons of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, led a group of people to take over U.S. Fish and Wildlife buildings at the refuge near Burns, Oregon, demanding the lands be handed over to local control. The Bundys described the action as a stand against federal tyranny and government mismanagement of natural resources. Dozens of people from across the country joined the occupation, which lasted 41 days. It ended on Feb. 11, 2016, when FBI agents forced the final four protesters to surrender. To access the full story, click here. 6. Can This Affordable 3-D Printed House Address the World’s Housing Shortage? At this year’s South by Southwest Festival (SXSW), Austin-based startup ICON unveiled the first residential permitted 3-D-printed house in the United States. ICON is partnered with the non-profit New Story, which has constructed homes for thousands of displaced residents across Haiti, El Salvador, and Bolivia. The young firm views their technology as an practical tool to address the sheltering needs of the approximately billion people on the planet that lack a home.
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The home was constructed with ICON’s Vulcan printer, a prototype developed specifically for the project. The printer is capable of assembling a single-story, 600 to 800-square-foot home in twelve to twenty-four hours, at a cost of $10,000 per unit. ICON hopes that ongoing research on the prototype will reduce the construction cost to under $4,000. According to the New Atlas, the firm will use the model home as its own office to properly gauge its performance. The unveiled 3-D-printed house consists of a bedroom, bathroom, living room, and porch, arranged around a modest 350-square-foot floor plan. Future models will include a kitchen and an additional bedroom and larger square-footage. To access the full story, click here. 7. Is Inclusionary Zoning Creating Less Affordable Housing? Washington State is home to 19 Squaws, six Coons, five Negros, three Jim Crows, two Redmen, and a Chinaman. What is the source of this offensive list? The state map. Inclusionary zoning — the requirement that real estate developers include below-market-rate units in new projects — has grown in prevalence in cities across the country since the 1970s. Fast growing and shrinking cities alike are turning to the policy with the hope of increasing access to housing for low-income households. But by making it more expensive to build market-rate housing, inclusionary zoning has the potential to reduce access to housing. Does this popular policy achieve the opposite of its goal to improve housing affordability? The Economics of Inclusionary Zoning As its name indicates, inclusionary zoning is framed as an antidote to exclusionary zoning that has shut low-income households out of expensive neighborhoods and cities. It seeks to achieve this by mandating that developers subsidize new housing for low- and middle-income households. By itself, inclusionary zoning does nothing to address the exclusionary policies that came before it, and it increases the cost of building market rate housing. To access the full story, click here. 8. New Website is Latest Piece in the Carfree Columbia Gorge Puzzle The Holistic As the Portland region grows, so too has the popularity of the Columbia River Gorge. That’s a good thing; but not if too many people visit it by car. Thankfully, Oregon’s tourism and transportation agencies understand this. Two summers ago, faced with congestion and overflowing parking lots, the Department of Transportation launched the Columbia Gorge Express bus service to encourage people to experience the Gorge without a car. That’s been such a huge success they’ve upgraded service and features each year. Now comes another piece of the puzzle: ColumbiaGorgeCarfree.com, a website funded in part by a grant from Travel Oregon. To access the full story, click here. 9. Free Online Workshop – How to Build a Thriving Nonprofit, Runs April 16-26 Nonprofit consultant Joan Garry is offering a series of free videos on how to thrive as a small nonprofit.
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During this workshop you will learn how to: • • • • • • •
A step-by-step blueprint, especially perfect for leaders – board and staff – of smaller nonprofits Build the board of your dreams! Get more and bigger donations Discover how the "co-pilot" model of leadership changes EVERYTHING about nonprofits Inspire your constituents to learn more and do more for your organization An introduction to the Nonprofit Leadership Lab And much more! To register for this workshop, click here.
10. How to Design an Emotionally Intelligent PowerPoint Presentation If you ask anyone what they think of PowerPoint presentations, they’ll probably give you a strong reaction. But whether you love, hate, or want to ban them from your world forever, the truth is that slide decks are (and will continue to be) part of your professional life for the foreseeable future. But don’t despair. PowerPoint is just a tool. Whether a presentation is bad or good depends on the person creating the slides. Bad presentations are a user problem, not a software problem, and the worst of them tend to make sense to the presenter, just not to the audience. Creating a presentation that will succeed and resonate with your audience requires a dose of emotional intelligence–long before you actually start building your slides. Here are a few easy, lowtech steps to help you do that. To access the full story, click here. 11. Federal Funding Announcements
NEW Brownfields RLF – EPA Announces $7M to Supplement FY18 Loan Funds. Apply by April 13.
EPA announced the availability of an estimated $7 million in FY 2018 funds to supplement eligible Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grants. Grants eligible to request supplemental funds are Brownfields RLF grants that have been previously awarded competitively under Section 104(k)(3) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) or that have transitioned to Section 104(k)(3) of CERCLA, and subject to other identified criteria (see links below). Requests for funding must be postmarked by April 13, 2018. Specific information on eligibility and criteria for submitting a request can be obtained by contacting your EPA Brownfields Coordinator listed in the Federal Register Notice (see link below). • FY 2018 Supplemental Funding for Brownfields RLF Grantees (Federal Register Notice). See also: • FY 2018 Supplemental Funding for Brownfields RLF Grantees (PDF)
Brownfields and Capacity Building : NPS Groundwork Program - Letter of Interest Due Apr
30 Groundwork USA, in partnership with the National Parks Service and EPA, is accepting Letters of Interest from communities wishing to form a nonprofit trust to improve the environmental, economic and social conditions in communities impacted by brownfields and derelict lands. One community will be selected for the Groundwork Program through this RFP process. It will be eligible for up to $200,000 in funding and technical assistance from NPS, EPA and GW USA to plan, Page 4 of 7
establish and build the capacity of its local Groundwork Trust organization. For complete, click here. Submit Letter of Interest by April 30, 2018
Innovation and Disaster Resilience – US Forest Service - 2019 National Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program –Apply by Apr 30: The USDA’s Forest Service anticipates approximately $900,000 in grant funds to be awarded through the 2019 National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program. Funds are to support national urban and community forestry projects on nonfederal public land that have a national or multi-state impact and application. This Request for Proposals is to address priority issues within the research needs of the action plan: D: Prepare for Pests, Threats, Natural Disasters and Associated Changes and Risks. More information available here. The grant opportunity number is USDA-FS-UCF-01-2019. Applications due April 30, 2018 International Trade : SBA’s FY18 State Trade Expansion (STEP) Program – Apply by May 2
SBA’s Office of International Trade (OIT) invite proposals for funding under the FY18 State Trade Expansion Program (STEP), from eligible state entities interested in and capable of providing assistance and guidance to eligible small business concerns to increase the number of such firms that export and the value of small business exports. The objective of STEP is to increase the number of US small businesses that export, to increase the dollar value of exports, and new export opportunities. Applicants can apply for awards ranging from $100,000 (minimum) to $900,000 (maximum). Details on funding allocations, match requirements, eligible activities and other instructions are posted at Grants.gov under Funding Opportunity Number: OIT-STEP-2018-01
Rural Energy - USDA Announces Funds Available for Rural Energy for America (REAP)
Program. Disaster Areas Eligible. Apply by Apr 30. The Rural Business-Cooperative Service within the Department of Agriculture has issued a Solicitation of Applications (NOSA) for financial assistance under Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) for Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. REAP has two types of funding assistance: (1) Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Assistance, and (2) Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grants. Noted among the criteria for selection: • Projects owned by a veteran; • Projects owned by a member of a socially-disadvantaged group including Federally declared disaster areas; • The proposed project is located in an impoverished area, has experienced long-term population decline, or loss of employment. The application closing date for this cycle is April 30. Application materials may be obtained by contacting one of Rural Development’s Energy Coordinators, as identified via the following link: https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/RBS_StateEnergyCoordinators.pdf. For more information, view Funding Opportunity Number RDBCP-REAP-EEI-2018 on Grants.gov.
Rural Broadband Grants – USDA FY18 Community Connect Grants for Broadband Service. Apply by May 14. The purpose of the Community Connect Grant Program is to provide financial assistance in the form of grants to eligible applicants that will provide service at the Broadband Grant Speed to all premises in currently unserved, lower-income, and extremely rural areas. RUS will give priority to rural areas that demonstrate the greatest need for broadband services, based on defined criteria. The deadline for proposals is May 14. View announcement in Grants.gov here: RDRUS-CC-2018
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Rural Broadband Loans - USDA Rural Broadband Access Loans and Loan Guarantees Program USDA’s Rural Utilities Service is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2018 for the Rural Broadband Access Loans and Loan Guarantees Program (the Broadband Program). Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout FY 2018. Applications can only be submitted online through the RD Apply website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rd-apply through September 30, 2018. Full background man be found at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-03-28/pdf/201806175.pdf New Rural Innovation Grants – USDA Telemedicine and Distance Learning program. Apply by June 4 The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) in the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the opening of the application window for the FY 2018 Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program. See Grants.gov Opportunity Number: RUS-18-01-DLT for application package or view the Federal register notice https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-04-03/pdf/2018-06503.pdf for full background and application requirements. Rural Businesses - USDA Grants to Support Local Food Systems, Specialty Crops Growers and Product Marketing. Apply by May 7 or 24 USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced nearly $89 million in available funding to support specialty crop growers, strengthen local and regional food systems, and explore new market opportunities for farmers and ranchers. • $1M avail under the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP). Applications due by May 7 2018. • $26M avail under the Farmers Market (FMPP) and Local Food Promotion Programs (LFPP). Applications for FMPP and LFPP must be submitted by May 7, 2018. • $72M avail under the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). States must submit SCBGP applications electronically through www.grants.gov by May 24, 2018. Visit the AMS Grants & Opportunities web page to learn more about eligibility and grant uses.
NEW: Aquaculture Industry - USDA Research Grants Available. Apply by May 17
USDA National Institute for Agriculture (NIFA) requests application for grants under the Aquaculture Research program, to support the development of an environmentally and economically sustainable aquaculture industry in the U.S. and generate new science-based information and innovation to address industry constraints. Results of projects supported by this program may help improve the profitability of the U.S. aquaculture industry, reduce the U.S. trade deficit, increase domestic food security, provide markets for U.S.-produced grain products, increase domestic aquaculture business investment opportunities, and provide more jobs for rural and coastal America. The Aquaculture Research program will fund projects that directly address major constraints to the U.S. aquaculture industry and focus on one or more of the following program priorities: (1) genetics of commercial aquaculture species; (2) critical disease issues impacting aquaculture species; (3) design of environmentally and economically sustainable aquaculture production systems; and (4) economic research for increasing aquaculture profitability. Applications due by May 17. Click below for more info • Request for Applications • Apply for Grant
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Grants for New Product R&D – NSF Funds Small Business R&D for Science and
Technology Products. Apply by June 14. The National Science Foundation's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs- also known as America's Seed Fund powered by NSF provides small businesses with equity-free funding to conduct research and development (R&D) work. The funding is intended to allow recipients to bring innovative new products and services to market that drive the commercial success of the small business. The NSF STTR and SBIR programs seeks innovative proposals that show promise of commercial and societal impact. Information on science and technology topics of interest is available here). Further information about the program is available at seedfund.nsf.gov.
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