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SWRPC |
May 2008 |
| Commission Highlights |
Vol. 14 - No. 5 |
2008 Annual Commission Meeting
There is still time to register for the Planning Commission's Annual Meeting which is scheduled for June 24th at Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center located in Greenfield, NH. Our featured guest speaker will be Donald Shumway, President of the Crotched Mountain Foundation. Registration deadline is June 17th. For additional information or to register, please contact Becky Baldwin of Commission staff.
Community Conservation Partnership
The Community Conservation Partnership (CCP) is assisting five towns of the Southwest Region in developing open space plans using technical, training and facilitation skills of the Monadnock Conservancy, the Planning Commission, Antioch New England Institute, the Center for Land Conservation Assistance, and UNH Cooperative Extension. Community forums for the towns of Alstead and Westmoreland were held in May with over 60 community members participating in each town. The forums featured participants providing input about what they value in their community that they want to still be around in 2025 as well as a "draw on the map" exercise where community members provide geographic reference to the natural, cultural and recreational places that define their town and why. The Planning Commission is assisting work groups from each town to begin developing the information into a clear set of values that will be used to prioritize town conservation efforts. For more information, please contact Tim Garceau of Commission staff.
2008 Brownfields Conference
Planning Commission staff attended the 2008 National Brownfields Conference in Detroit, Michigan from May 4th - 7th. The conference drew over 6,000 attendees from as far as Hawaii and Alaska to meet and learn from each other the best practices on how to transform Brownfields back into productive use. Brownfields are real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The conference, sponsored by the US Environmental Protection Agency and International City/County Management Organization, featured over 150 educational sessions and more than 200 exhibitors as well as several networking events. Planning Commission staff focused on session tracks dealing with community and economic development, outreach, planning and design approaches, and sessions to understand developer and investor perspectives and practices. For more information, please contact J.B. Mack of Commission staff.
2008 Regional Economic Development Conference
On May 12th and 13th, Planning Commission staff attended the US Economic Development Administration's (EDA) "Beyond Innovation" Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. This three day conference hosted by the EDA's Philadelphia and Chicago Regional Offices consisted of information on the latest programs and regulations specific to the EDA. Several breakout sessions were scheduled on topics such as broadband development and a very interesting panel discussion on taking a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) to the next level. The Northern New England Region was well represented in both presenters and attendees. For more information, please contact Matthew Suchodolski of Commission staff.
Cool Monadnock Event June 26th
A panel of local climate and energy leaders will introduce software being used by Cool Monadnock staff to perform municipal energy audits. Data for towns that have completed the audits will be shared at the event which will take place in the Dance Studio at Antioch University in Keene beginning at 6:30 p.m. For more information, please contact Tim Garceau of Commission staff.
Gas Prices Got You Down?
The Planning Commission continues to facilitate and participate in a number of projects and initiatives with local, regional and state partners that are designed in part to provide short and long-term relief for our Region's residents and workers to adapt to the high cost of fuel. These projects include the Planning Commission's facilitation of a Transportation Demand Management Group for Keene and Beyond (www.tdmforkeene.com), a feasibility study of an alternative transportation service for the Route 10 Corridor south of Keene, an upcoming study on expanding Brattleboro transit service to Hinsdale and Winchester, development of one of the first Regional Coordinating Councils for Public Transportation in New Hampshire, participation in a statewide coalition of Rideshare service providers and Transportation Management Associations, support for a multimodal Connecticut River Valley transportation corridor, and active participation in the New England Association of Regional Council's recommendations for the next Federal Transportation Bill. To learn more about these initiatives and projects, contact J.B. Mack of Commission staff.
NH DES 2008 Drinking Water Source Protection Workshop
On May 19th Commission staff attended the NH DES 2008 Drinking Water Source Protection Workshop in Concord, NH. The program was sponsored by the American Ground Water Trust and was targeted for planners, municipal officials and commissions, and professional consultants. Workshop session topics included improving water quality through community awareness efforts and citizen involvement, environmental effects of pharmaceuticals and personal care products, better water quality through the use of Low Impact Designs, the Shoreline Protection Act, groundwater vs. gravel mining operations, challenges to local aquifer boundaries, and key changes to federal and state rules concerning water conservation. For further information, please contact Lisa Murphy of Commission staff.
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Southwest Region Planning Commission
20 Central Square, 2nd Floor, Keene, NH 03431
Ph: (603) 357-0557, Fax: (603) 357-7440
General E-mail: admin@swrpc.org
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