Fall 2011 will bring a number of training, conference and funding opportunities for community leaders looking to increase environmental sustainability and/or speed implementation of complete streets:

• Global ReLeaf of Michigan is offering two free training sessions titled "Creating and Implementing a Community Forestry Management Plan". The sessions are August 23 in Midland and August 24 in Traverse City. The organization is also soliciting applications for assistance with community tree planting events this fall. For more details and/or to register, email globalreleafmi@aol.com or call 800-642-7353.
• The Michigan Department of Community Health is offering five Complete Streets Institute trainings beginning September 7. The Complete Streets Institute is a comprehensive and standardized 5-module training program designed to increase awareness of complete streets principles, support local advocacy efforts, and provide practical, realistic instructions and techniques to help communities create, adopt, and implement Complete Streets policies and projects. The curriculum was designed to cover all aspects of Complete Streets, from introduction of the concept (Module 1) to design applications in your community (Module 5). You pick the modules YOUR community needs to move ahead with success. For more information, click here.
• The US Department of Housing and Urban Development is offering $28 million in Sustainable Community Challenge Grants for local governments working to update master plans, zoning ordinances and other policies to promote mixed-use development and neighborhood sustainability. Applications are due September 9. Learn more here.
• MDOT is offering bicycle facility design training in eight communities across the state starting September 12. "Training Wheels" is an educational course on the planning and design of on-road bicycle facilities. It will consist of two hours of classroom instruction on the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities followed by an on-road, on-bike portion. For more information click here. 
• The national Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference is coming to Detroit May 10-11, 2012. This fall, the conference organizers are seeking proposals for workshops and panel presenters. Proposals are due September 30. Visit http://www.greenjobsconference.org/2012-Conference/Workshop-Proposals for the application guidelines and form. Michigan's Green Communities have made great strides in adopting policies and projects that create green jobs, so we encourage you to submit proposals and spread the word at the conference next year.

Stay tuned to the Center for 21st Century Communities blog for future updates, including an announcement about the 2nd annual Michigan Green Communities conference coming soon. You can also join the Green Communities group on micheen.org.

Luke Forrest is Project Coordinator for the Center for 21st Century Communities. Contact him by email, by calling 734-669-6323 or on Twitter @l4est.

Earlier this summer HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan visited Detroit to announce the Strong Cities, Strong Communities program, a multi-departmental White House effort to invest in urban economic development strategies. In phase one, Detroit and five other cities will receive additional federal support to help administer existing programs, including the Detroit Works project. Phase two of Strong Cities, Strong Communities is the Visioning Challenge, in which six additional cities will be awarded up to $1 million to conduct a local competition to come up with innovative place-based economic development strategies. The US Economic Development Administration (EDA), which is coordinating the Visioning Challenge, is requesting comments on how the Challenge should be constructed and executed. Visit the Federal Register notice to read more details about the Challenge and the questions EDA is asking. Responses are due Tuesday, August 9 so act quickly!

Luke Forrest is Project Coordinator for the Center for 21st Century Communities. Contact him by email, by calling 734-669-6323 or on Twitter @l4est. 

League members are invited to participate in a one-day Grants Workshop on August 3, 2011 in East Lansing from 9:30am to 4:00pm. The workshop will be held at the Hannah Center First Floor Banquet Room, 819 Abbot Road. It will provide an excellent opportunity for community leaders and staff to learn more about federal resources available to them to assess, cleanup and redevelop brownfields. The workshop also will provide an opportunity to receive advice from experienced grant writers on how to improve your community's grant proposals. The workshop will be a combination of presentation, interactive discussion, and individual grant writing feedback sessions. Specifically, participants will learn about the following: Grant Writing Tips, Different EPA Brownfields Grant Types, Eligibility Requirements, Grant Application Process, Threshold and Ranking Criteria and Other Federal Grant Funding Opportunities.

Please note that time will be available during the afternoon of August 3 for one-on-one interactions with experienced grant writers. If you are interested in taking advantage of this tremendous opportunity, please indicate your interest on the registration form. To register or learn more about the event, contact Amanda Avila at Amanda.Avila@primacivitas.org.

Federal agencies are offering two new grant opportunities for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. US EPA will fund feasibility studies for renewable energy developments on brownfields or other contaminated properties. Local governments are eligible grant recipients. Applications are due May 20. The Department of Agriculture is offering grants and loans to rural small business owners and agricultural producers for energy efficiency or renewable energy projects through its Rural Energy for America Program. Applications for the next round of grants are due June 15. 

Luke Forrest is Project Coordinator for the Center for 21st Century Communities. Contact him at lforrest@mml.org or 734-669-6323.