Iowa Department of Economic Development

The GreeNetwork is a free electronic newsletter that is sent out every 4-6 weeks by staff of the Iowa Department of Economic Development’s Community Development Division. This page also contains an archive of the past issues of E-Network.

Issue 4 – June, 2008

Welcome to GreeNetwork update, produced by Iowa Department of Economic Development team members.

Thanks for your interest in sustainable community practices and happenings. The following information will assist you in promoting socially, environmentally, and economically sound attitudes and practices in your community. These updates include material sent in by people active in community sustainability efforts in Iowa.

We encourage submissions of local examples of sustainable community activities, tools, resources, studies, speakers, conferences, workshops, meetings, policies and grant and loan funds that might be of interest to readers of GreeNetwork. Please send GreeNetwork content suggestions to greenstreets@iowalifechanging.com . Please forward this update to others and reprint material from the update as needed.

Updates:
                Iowa Green Communities Workshops
                Woodbury County Local Foods Program
                National Civilian Community Corps Comes to Vinton
                1000 Friends of Iowa Best Development Awards
                Life Cycle Building Challenge

Resources:
                Healthy Homes Newsletter
                Green Government Initiative
                Iowa Downtown Resource Center
                Getting to Smart Growth II

Reports:
                Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council
                Smart Growth Infill Emissions Report
                PATH Home in Omaha
                Job Opportunities for the Green Economy
                Addressing Blight and Vacant Properties

Iowa Green Communities Workshops – SAVE THE DATE - July 21(Mt. Vernon Area), July 22(Sac City), July 23(Des Moines & ICN sites)
http://www.iowalifechanging.com/calendar/new/calpage/lifesrchcal.asp?id=131 (details will become available the week of June 23)
The Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) is releasing the new Iowa Green Communities Criteria. The Iowa Green Communities Criteria establishes minimum performance-based green building design and construction standards for all upcoming applications for financial assistance from the department’s Housing Fund, Community Development Block Grant Community Facilities program, and Main Street Iowa Challenge Grant program. A draft of the new criteria is available online at http://www.iowalifechanging.com/community/downloads/green-criteria08.pdf .

The purpose of this workshop is to provide information on the new Iowa Green Communities Criteria to users of the department programs listed above and those interested in green sustainable community and construction projects. The workshop will also feature presentations of the best practices and lessons learned by developers of green building projects. The workshop will be presented by staff of Enterprise Green Communities, www.greencommunitiesonline.com and staff of the Iowa Department of Economic Development.

Woodbury County Local Foods Program
http://www.woodburyorganics.com
Woodbury County has initiated a comprehensive effort to revitalize the community through innovative agricultural practices with a focus on connecting local foods producers to commercial, school and residential consumers. The National Association of Counties awarded Woodbury County’s efforts in 2007 with one of only ten national Center for Sustainable Communities awards for this innovative program that provides a variety of incentives to increase both the supply and demand for local foods.

National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) Comes to Vinton
http://www.volunteeriowa.org/americorps/nccc.html
A new regional campus for the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is coming to Vinton, Iowa this summer. AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, team-based, 10-month residential program for men and women ages 18-24. NCCC members respond in teams of 10-12 to address unmet needs that are identified by local and national nonprofit organizations and government agencies. NCCC members will be coming from all over the country to train in Vinton before heading out to do service work in Iowa and the Midwest. This new corps of 160 members is currently seeking applications for corps members. If you are interested in becoming a corps member or learning more about the NCCC please visit the Web site above.

1000 Friends of Iowa Best Development Awards
http://www.1000friendsofiowa.org/content/view/180/130/
1000 Friends of Iowa is now accepting nominations for the annual Best Development Awards. The deadline for nominations is Wednesday, June 25, 2008. The Best Development Awards program recognizes quality development and redevelopment projects that conserve and protect agricultural and natural resources; revitalizes neighborhoods, towns, and cities; and improves the quality of life for future generations

Life Cycle Building Challenge2
http://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/index.php
Enter the second year of the Lifecycle Building Challenge competition, to shape the future of green building and facilitate local building materials reuse. Submit your innovative project, design, or idea for reducing to conserve construction and demolition materials and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by designing buildings for adaptability and disassembly. Lifecycle building is the design of building materials, components, information systems, and management practices to create buildings that facilitate and anticipate future changes to and eventual adaptation or dismantling for recovery of all systems, components, and materials. Deadline for submittals is July 31, 2008.

Iowa Downtown Resource Center Downtown Assessments
http://www.iowalifechanging.com/community/community/downtown.html
Each community is unique in its priorities and challenges. Realizing this, the Iowa Department of Economic Development’s Downtown Resource Center has developed a tool assisting communities with downtown development known as a Downtown Assessment Visit. Four areas of economic development activity, implemented comprehensively, must be addressed in order to increase the value of downtown. The Assessment Team, consisting of two downtown development professionals, work together to develop observations and recommendations based on these four areas: Physical (design),Social (promotion), Economic (business improvement), and Political (organization).

Healthy Homes Newsletter
http://www.fhasecure.gov/offices/lead/library/hhi/HH_Newsletter_9Apr07.pdf
The purpose of this quarterly publication from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is to promote healthy homes principles, including best practices, research findings and education/outreach initiatives.

Green Government Initiative
Green Government Initiative Web Site
Launched in 2007, the National Association of Counties (NACo) Green Government Initiative provides comprehensive resources for local governments on all things green, including energy, air quality, transportation, water quality, land use, purchasing and recycling. The above Web site also includes a searchable database of county green practices, programs, plans and policies.

Getting to Smart Growth II
http://www.smartgrowth.org/library/articles.asp?art=870
Getting to Smart Growth II: 100 More Policies for Implementation is a primer following the very popular first volume of Getting to Smart Growth in the ongoing series from the Smart Growth Network and International City/Council Management Association. The publication serves as a road map for states and communities that have recognized the need for smart growth but are unclear on how to achieve it. Getting to Smart Growth II provides 10 policy options to achieve each of the 10 Smart Growth Principles. These policies are supported with ''Practice Tips'' which offer additional resources or brief case studies of communities that have applied the approach to achieve smart growth.

For additional sustainable community resources, visit the new Community Development Division Web site at www.iowalifechanging.com/community/ .

Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council
http://www.iaclimatechange.us/
The Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council’s (ICCAC) was established legislatively in 2007. The council’s responsibilities include submitting a proposal to the Governor and General Assembly that addresses policies, cost-effective strategies, and multiple scenarios designed to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions. A preliminary report was submitted to Governor Culver and the Iowa General Assembly on January 1, 2008 and a final proposal is to be submitted in December 2008.

Smart Growth Infill Emissions Report
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/impacts_infill.htm
Key findings of this EPA report suggest that strong support for infill development can be one of the most effective transportation and emission-reduction investments a region can pursue.

PATH Home in Omaha
http://www.pathnet.org/sp.asp?id=24487
The Partnership for Advancing Housing Technology (PATH) has completed an affordable sustainable green concept home in Omaha, Nebraska. One of the most technologically advanced homes in the country, the PATH Concept Home was driven by a desire to demonstrate building more sustainable and durable homes better and faster. The project Web site includes extensive information, a virtual tour, a video tour of the many project facets and a series of interviews with project participants.

Job Opportunities for the Green Economy
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/06/pdf/green_jobs.pdf
This report from the Center for American Progress provides a snapshot of what kinds of jobs are needed to build a green economy in the United States. The report focuses on six key strategies for attacking global warming including building retrofitting, mass transit, energy-efficient automobiles, wind power, solar power, and cellulosic biomass fuels.

Addressing Blight and Vacant Properties
http://www.vacantproperties.org/resources/partner.html
The partners of the National Vacant Properties Campaign have completed a number of reports on strategies to prevent and address vacant and blighted properties.

Iowa Green Communities Workshop – SAVE THE DATE
July 22, 2008 July 23, 2008 July 24, 2008
Sac City, IA ICN Sites across Iowa Mt, Vernon, IA
More information will be available soon at www.iowalifechanging.com/community/ . Questions, contact anne.raife@iowalifechanging.com

I-Renew Energy and Sustainability Expo
September 13-14, 2008
Cedar Falls, IA
http://www.irenew.org/expo/

Green Residential Building Workshop – Sponsored by the Center on Sustainable Communities
November 9-15, 2008
Iowa Locations to be Determined
http://www.icosc.com/

The GreeNetwork is a free electronic newsletter produced and sent out approximately every 4 weeks by team members of the Community Development Division of the Iowa Department of Economic Development a resource hub for sustainable community activities and resources. The purpose of GreeNetwork is to serve as a resource for organizations, agencies, and individuals working on sustainable community efforts in and around Iowa. An archive of past issues of GreeNetwork will be available online at www.iowalifechanging.com/community/ as they become available. Please distribute this e-mail to other parties that may be interested in this information.

We encourage submissions of local examples of sustainable community activities, guidebooks and other tools, studies, speakers, conferences, workshops, meetings, grant and loan funds, and courses that might be of interest to readers of the GreeNetwork. Please e-mail your submissions to greenstreets@iowalifechanging.com . Your information will not be posted directly to this list, but will be considered for inclusion in a future issue of GreeNetwork. Thank you.