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Director's Corner
"One Conservation Framework, Endless Possibilities for Partnership"
I like the description above, coined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It succinctly describes what we are seeking to achieve over the coming months as several departments of NCTCOG work together, and with a myriad of federal, state, and local partners, to establish a Regional Ecosystem Framework for North Texas.
The idea was first presented as part of the agency’s strategic plan for 2007-2011. The concepts were captured in an interagency agreement among eight federal agencies as described in “Eco-Logical”. We are testing out these concepts... [more]
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Vision North Texas to Examine "Alternative Futures" at September Event
By 2050, almost 12 million people will live in North Texas. If current trends continue, traffic conditions will only intensify. Current sources won’t provide enough water to meet their needs. Energy demands will be 20 percent above capacity. Many more acres of agricultural and open space lands will be converted to subdivisions and shopping centers.
North Texans can create a region that succeeds by offering better and more sustainable choices. Vision North Texas—a private, public, and academic partnership–has been studying alternatives to “business as usual”, and is inviting regional stakeholders to join the “Alternative Futures” discussion... [more]
The three subcommittees of the Resource Conservation Council (RCC), the “Time To Recycle” Subcommittee, the “Stop Illegal Dumping” Subcommittee, and the “Assuring Capacity for Trash” Subcommittee, are now in the process of drafting the Fiscal Year 2010-11 Regional Solid Waste Grant Funding Process document. This document outlines the process that will be undertaken for the region’s solid waste funding for the upcoming biennium.
These funds are generated by solid waste disposal fees collected by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and are the only TCEQ funds available for solid waste implementation projects to local governments. [more]
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Regional Voices
North Texas Needs Collaboration
Betsy del Monte
Vision North Texas Advisory Committee Member
They are coming, whether we invite them or not. According to NCTCOG's Demographic Forecast, the 10-county urban area of North Central Texas is projected to reach 9.1 million persons by 2030. That's a growth of almost 4 million new residents in 30 years (2000 to 2030). Although this projection is not news, the current economic situation is likely to make it even higher. Nowhere in the country is the economy better off than in Texas. Even now, those abandoning troubled spots such as Florida and California are coming to try their luck here.
These new residents can be seen as a problem to be dealt with, or as a resource to be managed. This population growth can be a drain on our resources, or our engine for economic viability, our political and intellectual capital. To manage this growth successfully, we must have a regional vision in place that can be implemented by all cities, towns, and counties. [more]
What's Going on In and Around the Region
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