| Northeast-Midwest Institute Weekly Update |
|
|
Delaware River Basin Conservation Act of 2011 Introduced
| On Thursday, June 23, Congressional leaders in both the House and Senate introduced the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act of 2011. The legislation requires the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to establish a Delaware River Basin Program to further coordinate restoration and conservation activities throughout the entire watershed. The bill creates a competitive grant program to support on-the-ground habitat enhancement, water quality improvement, and flood damage reduction efforts. The House bill, led by Congressman John Carney (D-DE), has nine additional cosponsors: Delaware River Basin Task Force Co-Chairs Reps. Rush Holt (D-NJ), Charles Dent (R-PA), and Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) were joined by Reps. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Rob Andrews (D-NJ), Jon Runyan (R-NJ), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Pat Meehan (R-PA). Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) has led the effort in the Senate, and is joined by Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Robert Casey (D-PA). Background information and a summary of the bill can be found here.
For more information, contact Rachel Dawson, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. |
|
Recap: Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms Briefing
| An informational briefing on the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) program took place last Monday, June 20th. The event, which was hosted by the NEMW Congressional Coalition and the House Manufacturing Task Force, was attended by both Senate and House staffers from the NEMW region and beyond, as well as by organizations interested in United States trade and small business issues. Hosts and speakers introduced the TAAF program, discussed qualifications for businesses, and described the positive results of the program on our economy and job creation. The TAAF program's investment in manufacturing and potential for growth and job creation is particularly important to the NEMW region; 46% of total TAAF assistance went to states in the NEMW region in 2009. Presenters included:
- Robert S. Taylor, Executive Director of the American Business Council, Inc.
- William J. Bujalos, Director of the MidAtlantic Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (TAAC)
- Thomas Zieser, President and CEO of JACE Systems, Inc.
- Paul Belham, Vice President of Bell's Powder Coating, Inc.
- Laura Lane, Managing Director and Head of International Government Affairs at Citigroup, Inc. and Co-Chair of the American Competitiveness Coalition
For more information, contact Kate Ostrander, Legislative Director of the NEMW Congressional Coalition. |
|
HUD Announces $67 Million for Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants
| Last week, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced that HUD will be investing an additional $67 million in its Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant program. This year's program will encourage grantees to support regional planning efforts that integrate housing, land-use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure developments in a manner that empowers regions to consider how all of these factors work together to bring economic competitiveness and revitalization to a community.
For more information, visit the full HUD press release for more information about the Notice of Fund Availability or contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
|
Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Notice of Fund Availability
| The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released a Notice of Fund Availability (NOFA) for the Administration's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative. The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative aims to transform distressed neighborhoods and public and assisted projects into mixed-income neighborhoods by linking housing improvements with appropriate services, schools, public assets, transportation, and access to jobs. In addition to public housing authorities, the Initiative will involve local governments, non-profits, and for-profit developers in undertaking comprehensive local planning with residents and communities. Full details of the NOFA are available from Grants.gov. The Northeast-Midwest Institute tracks funding for the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, among other programs; for FY2011, the Initiative is funded at $65 million.
For more information, contact Fritz Ohrenschall , Research Associate at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
