H E A D L I N E S
* Legislation: Brownfield Financing
* Briefing: Valuing America’s First
Suburbs
* Farmland Protection Program: $50 Million Available for FY 2002
LEGISLATION: BROWNFIELD
FINANCING
----------------------------------
Reps. Jack Quinn (R-NY) and
Marty Meehan (D-MA), co-chairs of the Northeast Midwest House Coalition,
together with Reps. John McHugh (R-NY), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Dale Kildee
(D-MI), and Rob Simmons (R-CT), introduced the Brownfields Site Redevelopment
Act (H.R. 4894). The bill would authorize $60 million for the Economic
Development Agency (EDA) in the Department of Commerce to establish a grants
program for brownfields-related economic development activities. EDA currently
funds brownfields out of its general authorization, but brownfields must compete
with other EDA activities for this funding.
Contact: Olwen Huxley
at the Northeast-Midwest Congressional
Coalition (226-9497).
BRIEFING: VALUING AMERICA’S FIRST
SUBURBS
------------------------------------------
The Northeast-Midwest
Senate Coalition on Tuesday, June 11, will sponsor a briefing on the challenges
faced by older, inner-ring (or "first") suburbs. These communities have their
own unique set of assets and challenges that set them apart from center cities
and newer suburban areas further out from the core of metropolitan areas. This
briefing will examine the challenges that are beginning to hamper ability of
first suburbs to remain, or become, economically competitive. It also will
present recommendations to correct "policy blind spots" that prevent first
suburbs from receiving the kind of federal and state support that is directed to
inner cities and outer-ring suburbs.
The briefing will be led by Robert Puentes, with the Brookings Institution’s
Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy. It will begin at 10:30 am in room 418
of the Russell Senate Office Building.
Contact: Kris Sarri at the Northeast-Midwest Senate
Coalition (224-0606).
FARMLAND PROTECTION PROGRAM: $50 MILLION AVAILABLE FOR Fiscal
2002
------------------------------------------------------------------
As
a result of the recently-enacted Farm Bill, USDA has announced that up to $50
million in funds will be available in fiscal 2002 for the Farmland Protection
Program (FPP). Development pressure on the urban fringe causes large amounts of
land in the Northeast-Midwest region to be converted to nonagricultural uses.
The FPP provides funds to state, tribal, and local agencies and nongovernmental
organizations to assist in the purchase of development rights on agricultural
lands. Proposals must be submitted to National Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) state offices by July 15, 2002.
Contact: Allen
Hance with the Northeast-Midwest Institute (544-5200).