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Regional Excellence Awards celebrate 7 projects and leaders in northeastern Illinois
The Regional Excellence Awards celebrate seven projects and leaders who exemplify the ingenuity and dedication that makes northeastern Illinois a better place to live, enjoy, work, and do business.
Through their projects and careers, these three winners have helped strengthen our region:
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Regional Resilience Award: Pace Suburban Bus, for its zero-emissions commitment
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Regional Resilience Award: Village of Oak Park, for its Climate Ready Oak Park resilience plan
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Visionary Leader: Peter Wallers, chairman of Engineering Enterprises, Inc., for his career in water conservation
Visit the 2023 awards webpage to meet all seven winners and watch videos about their achievements.
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How residents feel about northeastern Illinois
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) conducted the public opinion survey to better understand the priorities and experiences of community members and see how ON TO 2050, the region's long-range plan, can address the most pressing issues.
The State of the Region survey reveals residents' attitudes toward key quality-of-life issues — including transportation, the economy, and climate — and identifies successes and challenges across the region.
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High school students can apply for Future Leaders in Planning
Applications are open for CMAP's Future Leaders in Planning (FLIP) program. FLIP is a free summer program for high school students to explore the field of urban planning and learn about the issues that shape our region and communities. Students must apply online by Tuesday, May 30.
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Climate Committee recap
The Climate Committee met this week to discuss regionally significant project evaluation measures, Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium's ozone research, CMAP's climate mitigation and air quality work, and more.
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Learn how to maintain green stormwater infrastructure
Do you have green stormwater infrastructure maintenance responsibilities? Are you interested in learning more about green stormwater infrastructure, maintenance, and tree care? Attend a training on Wednesday, May 17 to learn the basics of green stormwater infrastructure, plant identification and invasive species, basic maintenance tasks, tree care, and staying safe on the job. This session is free, but you must register by Wednesday, May 10.
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Apply for the Chicago Region Carbon Program
Applications are open for the Chicago Region Carbon Program (CRCP), a regional carbon crediting program that works with communities throughout northeastern Illinois to create greener, more sustainable communities through tree planting and tree preservation projects.
Ready to apply? Review the CRCP website for eligibility requirements, project examples, CRCP information packet 1, and planting information packet 2. Then, fill out this survey or schedule a consultation with the CRCP Team by emailing Colette Copic at ccopic@mortonarb.org with details about your project. Once a meeting is scheduled, you will receive information packet 3 about starting your project. Applications are due on Friday, June 2.
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Funding to replace diesel school buses with electric
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is providing funding for school districts and bus providers to replace their diesel school buses with new, all-electric school buses. IEPA can also fund new electric charging equipment. All required forms and information can be found on Driving A Cleaner Illinois. Applications close on Tuesday, September 5, at 5:00 p.m.
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Funding available to support local government clean energy goals
Applications are open for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Competitive Program. The EECBG Program will award $8.8 million in Infrastructure Law funding to teams of local governments that are ineligible for the program's formula grant. Grantees will be able to use the funds to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and reduce overall energy use. Through the EECBG Program, the U.S. Department of Energy will invest in communities representing over 250 million Americans to help accelerate the transition to a clean energy future. Concept papers — the first step to apply — are due Monday, June 5, at 4:00 p.m.
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