•    DEC ACCEPTING URBAN FORESTRY GRANT APPLICATIONS
  

  DEC is requesting proposals for grants that will be available for a variety of Urban and Community Forestry (U&CF) projects, in support of State commitments to address issues of climate change, environmental degradation, Environmental Justice, and urban sprawl. 
  
  An anticipated $900,000 in grants will be available to municipalities, public benefit corporations, public authorities, school districts and not-for-profit organizations that have a public ownership interest in the property or are acting on behalf of a public property owner. Communities may request from $2,500 to $75,000, depending on municipal population, with a 50/50 match requirement. Eligible projects include tree inventories and management plans; tree and shrub planting and maintenance; and green infrastructure projects including green roofs and raingardens. Additionally, $1000 Quick Start Arbor Day grants, with no match requirement will be available to help communities generate support for a tree program with an Arbor Day celebration. Funds are made available from the Environmental Protection Fund and will be managed and allocated by DEC.
  
  For additional questions on the application process, the eligibility of your grant application, or its content, please call the New York State Urban and Community Forestry Program at (518) 402-9425.
  
  DEADLINE:  WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2008
  For more information contact your local DEC office.
  Program description, instructions and full application (85 kb pdf)
  Application form only (Microsoft Word)

• LOCAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT FUND
  Three types of competitive grants are available:  individual projects involving a single government; cooperative projects involving two or more local governments acting on one activity; and complex projects involving a single local government addressing  extremely copmlex recors managment issues.  Grants are available for inventory and planning, active records, inactive recors, historical records, and educational uses of local government records projects. 

• ELIGIBILITY:  Local governments, including, but not limited to, Boards of Cooperative Educations Services, cities, counties, fire districts, school districts, towns and villages.
• FUNDING:  Single up to $75,000; cooperative and complex, up to $125,000.
• For more information, please contact the NYS Archvies, Grants Administration Unit, Room 9A81, Cultural Education Center, Albany, NY 12230, phone 518-474-6926 or email.
• MUNICIPAL PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM
  Authorized by legislation passes last year and sponsored by the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets. Purpose: for municipalities to develop local agricultural economic development and farmland protection plans. Applications are expected to be released early summer. The guidelines and application will be posted on the Department’s Web site ( under funding opportunities). $800K has been set aside for the program in 2007-08. For more information, please contact John Brennan, Farmland Protection Specialist.

• ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES UNIT
  Sponsored by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Supports projects that lead to measurable pollution prevention and economic development results. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Please e-mail for more information.

• FEDERAL DHS ANNOUNCES GRANT PROGRAMS
  • State Homeland Security Program(SHSP):  $509.3 million
  • Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention
    Program(LETPP): $363.8 million
  • Urban Areas Security Initiative(UASI): $746.9 million
  • Metropolitan Medical Response System(MMRS):  $32.0 million
  • Citizen Corps Program(CCP):  $14.6 million
• Click here for more details, or visit the U.S. Office of Homeland
  Security's Web site.

Award Competitions

• 2008 AWARDS FOR MUNICIPAL EXCELLENCE
  Recognizing outstanding programs that improve the quality of life in America’s communities.

• Given through a partnership between the National League of Cities (NLC) and CH2M HILL, the Awards honor a range of population sizes, with two awards in each population category. 

  Past winning programs have had: Successful public-private partnerships; Productive citizen and community collaboration;  Effective Management of municipal resourceS; Innovative government policies; Tangible project results; and Potential program implementation in other cities

  Visit www.nlc.org, under “Resources for Cities” and “Awards and Recognition” for a nomination packet and information about the Awards program.  Nominated cities must be members of NLC.  Nominations must be postmarked by May 1, 2008.  For more information, please call 202-626-3130 or e-mail awards@nlc.org.  

   NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE CLERK TO THE 2008 MUNICIPAL

   CLERKS HONOR ROLL!

It is time again for the 8th Annual Municipal Clerks Honor Roll -- in honor of Municipal Clerk's Week, May 4th - May 10th.

The Municipal Clerk's Honor Roll was introduced in 2001 as a way to give municipal officials and citizens alike the chance to recognize specific Clerks for a job well done. We are proud to announce that, since its inception, more than 1200 Clerks have been nominated to the Honor Roll. Municipal Clerks and their Deputies are all eligible for this special recognition.

Click here for complete program details including frequently asked questions, past honorees, on-line nomination forms, and more.

   WOMEN IN PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERSHIP AWARD

The University at Albany has announced the 2008 Women in Public Service Leadership Awards, to be conferred as part of the Center's 30th Anniversary year commemoration and celebration.  Recipiants will be honored in September at this event.

This award recognizes outstanding service and achievements of acknowledged and diverse women leaders.  For the 2008 awards, there are four categories from which to nominate an individual committed to activism and social change for the Women in Public Service Leadership Award:  Center for Women in Government and Civil Society; State and Local Government; Civil Society; and Higher Education. 

Nominations must be received by May 5, 2008.  Please click here for more information regarding the award or selection process.