Thursday, February 11, 2010
CRP Students Draft Letter Supporting Proposed State Planning Office
Community and Regional Planning students recognize the importance of active participation in the creation of New Mexico’s policies and procedures. Student members of the UNM chapter of the New Mexico American Planning Association have drafted a letter supporting Senate Bill 63 – “The Strategic Planning Act.” The legislation promotes statewide collaborative planning for New Mexico. It supports a strategic planning process for New Mexico’s limited resources and growing demands, while preserving the state’s unique cultures and histories. Students will be presenting the letter to the NMAPA board at the upcoming board meeting for comments and approval.
Dr. José Rivera on "Acequia Culture: Historic Irrigated Landscapes of New Mexico"
The Resource Center for Raza Planning continues its Spring 2010 lecture and event series with a presentation by Dr. José Rivera. Please join us for his lecture entitled "Acequia Culture: Historic Irrigated Landscapes of New Mexico".
Dr. Rivera is a Professor of Planning in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of New Mexico. He has conducted fieldwork on rural development, public policy analysis, and water resources management in southern Spain, coastal Peru, Mexico, the Philippines, and the American Southwest. In 2009, the University of Valencia in Spain published a Spanish language translation of his book, Acequia Culture: Water, Land, and Community in the Southwest.
WHAT: Dr. José Rivera on "Acequia Culture: Historic Irrigated Landscapes of New Mexico"
WHEN: 5:15pm on Thursday February 18
WHERE: George Pearl Hall room P104 (Downstairs in the School of Architecture and Planning)
[See attached poster for details]
Also, please stay tuned for other Spring events, including a student led PechaKucha, a lecture on Environmental Justice in Colonia Communities, and a presentation of the book Building to Endure: Design Lessons of Arid Lands.
For more information, contact stcarv@unm.edu.
Dr. Rivera is a Professor of Planning in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of New Mexico. He has conducted fieldwork on rural development, public policy analysis, and water resources management in southern Spain, coastal Peru, Mexico, the Philippines, and the American Southwest. In 2009, the University of Valencia in Spain published a Spanish language translation of his book, Acequia Culture: Water, Land, and Community in the Southwest.
WHAT: Dr. José Rivera on "Acequia Culture: Historic Irrigated Landscapes of New Mexico"
WHEN: 5:15pm on Thursday February 18
WHERE: George Pearl Hall room P104 (Downstairs in the School of Architecture and Planning)
[See attached poster for details]
Also, please stay tuned for other Spring events, including a student led PechaKucha, a lecture on Environmental Justice in Colonia Communities, and a presentation of the book Building to Endure: Design Lessons of Arid Lands.
For more information, contact stcarv@unm.edu.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Tools for planning scenarios...
An excellent tool for planning scenarios are:
Criterion Planners INDEX Software: http://www.crit.com/
Click our work, then INDEX software.
Land F/X: http://www.landfx.com/site.php
More of a Landscape program, but allows for zoning, density and cost scheduling.
Community Viz for GIS: http://placeways.com/communityviz/
Criterion Planners INDEX Software: http://www.crit.com/
Click our work, then INDEX software.
Land F/X: http://www.landfx.com/site.php
More of a Landscape program, but allows for zoning, density and cost scheduling.
Community Viz for GIS: http://placeways.com/communityviz/
Monday, February 1, 2010
Environmental Justice in Mountain View
High Country News tells the story of Mountain View, a neighborhood in Albuquerque's South Valley whose 30-year fight against industrial polluters continues to this day.
Friday, January 29, 2010
INTBAU - Cuba Tour 2010
INTBAU - Cuba Tour 2010
Havana, the Malecon waterfront.
Street scene in Havana.
Seven nights accommodation in Casa Particular (rooms for rent in private apartments),
Bus and walking tours of Havana, Cienfuegos and Trinidad. Travel by bus from Havana to Trinidad and Cienfuegos.
Expert guiding by Prof. Julio Cesar Perez all week, and by local experts at some of the locations we will visit.
The fee does not include international travel to Havana, and does not include any meals.
Common Ground Education & Travel Services - www.commongroundtravel.com
Marazul - www.marazul.com
INTBAU
Council for European Urbanism
Academy of Urbanism
Havana described by Wikipedia
Trinidad described by Wikipedia
Trinidad described by a travel agency
Cienfuegos described by Wikipedia
Cienfuegos described by a travel agency
Cienfuegos described by Cuba-Junky
Havana, the Malecon waterfront.
The Cuban and Scandinavian chapters of INTBAU in partnership with the Academy of Urbanism (UK) and C.E.U. - Council for European Urbanism invite you to join a one week tour of three Cuban cities and UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Havana, Trinidad and Cienfuegos.
The one week Tour March 14 - 20 will include an introduction to the history of Urbanism and Architecture of Havana, Cienfuegos and Trinidad, all of them listed as UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. It will involve insights into the regeneration of Old Havana and one day tours by bus to two smaller historic cities, Trinidad and Cienfuegos.
Our expert guide will be Prof. Julio Cesar Perez who has been a speaker at several I.N.T.B.A.U. and C.E.U. conferences. A Loeb Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Design 2001-2002 and an Adjunct Professor at the School of Architecture in Havana he has lectured widely in the US, Europe, Canada and Bermuda about Cuban architecture. He is the author of a major book about Cuba, Inside Cuba, published worldwide by Taschen in 2006 and also of A Master Plan for a 21st Century Havana, a comprehensive urban plan aimed at the preservation of heritage values and the creation of new urban and economic qualities, registered at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.
Street scene in Havana.
Who is it for
Architects, planners, art historians, antiquarians, writers, students and others with an interest in the history of Cuban architecture, urbanism and culture, and anybody who wants to discover better ways to make cities for people.
Meet Cuban practitioners
Orestes del Castillo
Mr. del Castillo is an expert in the restoration and structural repairs of old buildings. He has recently retired from his position at the Office of the Historiador of Havana, where he for many years has been working closely with the Historador Eusebio Leal Spengler himself, who is in charge of the restoration of Old Havana. Mr. del Castillo is a professor at the Havana School of Architrecture and he has been awarded the National Award of Architecture. He has lectured widely in both the U.S. and in Europe.
Mr. del Castillo is an expert in the restoration and structural repairs of old buildings. He has recently retired from his position at the Office of the Historiador of Havana, where he for many years has been working closely with the Historador Eusebio Leal Spengler himself, who is in charge of the restoration of Old Havana. Mr. del Castillo is a professor at the Havana School of Architrecture and he has been awarded the National Award of Architecture. He has lectured widely in both the U.S. and in Europe.
Mario Coyula
Mr. Coyula is the former Director of Havana's Planning Agency known as Grupo para el Desarrollo de la Capital. He is the former Director of the School of Architecture and the former editor of Arquitectura Cuba magazine. Mr. Coyula is a professor at the Havana School of Architrecture and he has been awarded the National Award of Architecture He has taught in MIT, Harvard and has lectured widely in USA and Europe.
Mr. Coyula is the former Director of Havana's Planning Agency known as Grupo para el Desarrollo de la Capital. He is the former Director of the School of Architecture and the former editor of Arquitectura Cuba magazine. Mr. Coyula is a professor at the Havana School of Architrecture and he has been awarded the National Award of Architecture He has taught in MIT, Harvard and has lectured widely in USA and Europe.
We will also try our best to arrange a meeting with the Historiador of Havana: Eusebio Leal Spengler. But we cannot promise that we will manage to set up such a meeting, alternatively we will meet other key staff at the Historiador office such as Mr. del Castillo.
Cienfuegos and Trinidad
We will also meet several people involved with restoration / preservation / heritage / and urban development in the other cities we visit. In Cienfuegos we will meet the Historiador and Head Architect of the town Mr. Irán Millán, and in Trinidad we will meet the Historiador and Head Architect of the town Mr. Nancy González.
Registration fee
The cost of the tour program is 670 £ / GBP (approx. 740 Euro, 1100 US $) with single room accommodation. For two persons sharing a room the individual tour cost is 600 £ / GBP.
We can also arrange accommodation for additional nights in Havana if you arrive early or would like to stay longer. Please contact Audun Engh on audun.engh@gmail.com for details.
The registration fee includes:
The fee does not include international travel to Havana, and does not include any meals.
The participants are asked to arrange their own travel to Havana. Airlines with connections from Europe include Air France, British Airways, Iberia, and Virgin Atlantic (from London).
Some ATMs can be found, but they are rare compared to other countries. No cards issued by US banks will work in Cuba. It is recommended to bring cash for the trip. Euros, UK Pounds and Dollars are accepted in any currency exchange shop. US $ will be subject to a 10% tax when exchanged.
Registration and contact
Please register and pay online.
For further information, please refer to contact details below.
For further information, please refer to contact details below.
Accommodation
Havana
Casa Particular (rooms for rent in private houses and apartments) is a uniquely Cuban form of accommodation. Most of the rooms are in apartment buildings from the 1950s, and all are located in the El Vedado area of Havana, just a few blocks from the famous Hotel Nacional. The living and dining rooms are shared with the Cuba family. If you wish, the family will provide you with breakfast and other meals (against a surcharge). All guests will have single rooms unless otherwise agreed. Some bathrooms might be shared with other guests. The buildings are just five minutes away from the Malecón waterfront. We have stayed in the same area as during our last two trips, and the location has proven a superb starting point for exploring Havana.
Cienfuegos
We will stay in private homes (Casa Particular). Not all the group will be accommodated in the same area due to the character of the city. We will split the group in two neighbourhoods, most of our guests will stay in old colonial houses close to the city centre while others will stay outside of the city centre in early modernist bungalows close to the sea. In most cases the rooms will have air conditioning and private bathrooms, but standards may vary as we will stay in private homes.
Trinidad
We will stay in private homes (Casa Particular).Some of the houses have truly spectacular interiors from the height of the colonial time in Cuba.
Visa
You will need a visa to visit Cuba. Please contact your local Cuban embassy. A tourist visa will be the simplest to obtain. New regulations require you to submit the name of the hotel or the address and registration number of the Casa Particular bed and breakfast) when applying for a visa. We will provide you with this information in due time if you prefer Casa Particular accomodation.
US Participants
We have had US participants for the previous tours and workshops. But due to the US trade embargo, US citizens will have to travel under either a general or a specific license. For further information, please go to the website of the United States Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control
www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/cuba/cuba.shtml.
www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/cuba/cuba.shtml.
You may email us or contact one of the travel agencies listed below for additional information on licenses.
You may also contact the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York (Phone: 212-614-6464; Fax: 212-614-6499; Email: ccr@igc.apc.org ), for free legal advice on travel regulations.
Havana Urban Design Charrette
Following the tour, we will arrange an urban design charrette in Havana 22 -27 March 2010. You are welcome to join one of the events, or both. For more information on the charrette, please go to the Havana charrette 2010 web page.
The Organisers
The tour is organised by the Cuban and Scandinavian chapters of INTBAU, in partnership with the Academy of Urbanism, UK, and Cuban and Norwegian chapters of C.E.U. - Council of European Urbanism. We have organised similar events in Norway, Germany, the UK, Romania and Italy.
Prof. Julio César Pérez Hernández, Havana, will be the expert guide.
Prof. Perez was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Design 2001-2002 and adjunct professor at the School of Architecture in Havana (1998-2006), has lectured widely in the US, Canada and Europe about Cuban architecture. He is a member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba and the recipient of several international and national awards. His writings have been published in the New York Times, Arquitectura Cuba and Arquitectura y Urbanismo.
Julio Cesar Perez is the author of a major new book on Cuban architecture and culture, "Inside Cuba", published byTaschen. He is the president of the Cuban chapters of INTBAU and C.E.U. and the author of "A Master plan for 21st century Havana".
INTBAU Scandinavia will be represented by Audun Engh, who is also a member of the INTBAU College of Chapters.
Further information
Havana
Trinidad
Cienfuegos
Julio Cesar Perez
INTBAU Cuba
Email: jcesar@cubarte.cult.cu
INTBAU Cuba
Email: jcesar@cubarte.cult.cu
Audun Engh
Secretary
INTBAU Scandinavia
St Olavs Gate 9
N-0165 Oslo
NORWAY
Tel: +47-92-62-26-26
Secretary
INTBAU Scandinavia
St Olavs Gate 9
N-0165 Oslo
NORWAY
Tel: +47-92-62-26-26
Thursday, January 28, 2010
***SAVE THE DATE - King Corn and Big Water screenings at the UNM-SAAP***
This is a "Save the Date" announcement. A flyer including additional information will be sent out soon.
WHAT: Film screenings of King Corn and Big Water
(You can see trailers on the websites)
WHY: There are numerous recent studies illustrating that industrial agriculture is not only toxic and destructive in many ways, but also fails to feed the number of people that it suggests it feeds. Not only that, but traditionally grown, non-industrial, local, organic food is far healthier for our bodies and the planet. Let's talk about how to move away from a system that supports industrial modes of food production to one that encourages localized, small-scale and diverse agricultural practices. The student chapter of the NMAPA (American Planning Association of New Mexico) is showing these films to raise awareness and to facilitate a discussion about how citizens, professionals and academics can become more informed, take action and become better food system planners.
HOW MUCH: A $3 suggested donation. The funds generated will be helping to supplement travel costs for students attending the National APA Conference in April.
WHEN:
King Corn - Thursday, 2/25/10 at 7:00PM (Doors open at 6:00PM)
Big Water - Thursday, 3/11/10 at 7:00PM (Doors open at 6:00PM)
WHERE: The UNM School of Architecture and Planning Auditorium
WHAT ELSE:
This event is open to the public!!!
We will be setting up a bake sale at 6:00PM to raise additional funds.
We are currently working on putting together a panel that will follow each screening. Details regarding the panel will be released once panel participants have been confirmed.
About King Corn:
Synopsis (per the Press Release) - King Corn is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. In King Corn, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America’s most productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat—and how we farm.
Website: http://www.kingcorn.net/
About Big Water:
Synopsis (per the Press Release) - Following up on their Peabody winning documentary, the King Corn boys are back. For Big River, best friends Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis have returned to Iowa with a new mission: to investigate the environmental impact their acre of corn has sent to the people and places downstream. In a journey that spans from the heartland to the Gulf of Mexico, Ian and Curt trade their combine for a canoe––and set out to see the big world their little acre of corn has touched. On their trip, flashbacks to the pesticides they sprayed, the fertilizers they injected, and the soil they plowed now lead to new questions, explored by new experts in new places. Half of Iowa’s topsoil, they learn, has been washed out to sea. Fertilizer runoff has spawned a hypoxic “dead zone” in the Gulf. And back at their acre, the herbicides they used are blamed for a cancer cluster that reaches all too close to home.
Website: http://www.bigriverfilm.com/
Contact Lora Roberts for more information or to get involved.
Lora Roberts
Graduate Student, Community & Regional Planning
University of New Mexico
Student Representative, NMAPA
Cell: 505-414-2723
E-Mail: flutterbyldr1@mac.com
"You are not Atlas carrying the world on your shoulder. It is good to remember that the planet is carrying you" - Vandana Shiva
WHAT: Film screenings of King Corn and Big Water
(You can see trailers on the websites)
WHY: There are numerous recent studies illustrating that industrial agriculture is not only toxic and destructive in many ways, but also fails to feed the number of people that it suggests it feeds. Not only that, but traditionally grown, non-industrial, local, organic food is far healthier for our bodies and the planet. Let's talk about how to move away from a system that supports industrial modes of food production to one that encourages localized, small-scale and diverse agricultural practices. The student chapter of the NMAPA (American Planning Association of New Mexico) is showing these films to raise awareness and to facilitate a discussion about how citizens, professionals and academics can become more informed, take action and become better food system planners.
HOW MUCH: A $3 suggested donation. The funds generated will be helping to supplement travel costs for students attending the National APA Conference in April.
WHEN:
King Corn - Thursday, 2/25/10 at 7:00PM (Doors open at 6:00PM)
Big Water - Thursday, 3/11/10 at 7:00PM (Doors open at 6:00PM)
WHERE: The UNM School of Architecture and Planning Auditorium
WHAT ELSE:
This event is open to the public!!!
We will be setting up a bake sale at 6:00PM to raise additional funds.
We are currently working on putting together a panel that will follow each screening. Details regarding the panel will be released once panel participants have been confirmed.
About King Corn:
Synopsis (per the Press Release) - King Corn is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. In King Corn, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America’s most productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat—and how we farm.
Website: http://www.kingcorn.net/
About Big Water:
Synopsis (per the Press Release) - Following up on their Peabody winning documentary, the King Corn boys are back. For Big River, best friends Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis have returned to Iowa with a new mission: to investigate the environmental impact their acre of corn has sent to the people and places downstream. In a journey that spans from the heartland to the Gulf of Mexico, Ian and Curt trade their combine for a canoe––and set out to see the big world their little acre of corn has touched. On their trip, flashbacks to the pesticides they sprayed, the fertilizers they injected, and the soil they plowed now lead to new questions, explored by new experts in new places. Half of Iowa’s topsoil, they learn, has been washed out to sea. Fertilizer runoff has spawned a hypoxic “dead zone” in the Gulf. And back at their acre, the herbicides they used are blamed for a cancer cluster that reaches all too close to home.
Website: http://www.bigriverfilm.com/
Contact Lora Roberts for more information or to get involved.
Lora Roberts
Graduate Student, Community & Regional Planning
University of New Mexico
Student Representative, NMAPA
Cell: 505-414-2723
E-Mail: flutterbyldr1@mac.com
"You are not Atlas carrying the world on your shoulder. It is good to remember that the planet is carrying you" - Vandana Shiva
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Sourcemap
"Sourcemap: Map Tracks Manufacturing Impact/Footprint:
Sourcemap is a new open source tool from MIT Media Lab which assists consumers in tracking the origins of their products (and the material the product is made of.)
See example of this IKEA bed.Full Story: SourceMap Provides An Open-Source Tool For Tracking Manufacturing Impact"
(Via TOWARD A JUST METROPOLIS - Latest Blog Entries.)
Friday, January 22, 2010
Planning Commissioners Journal - Winter Issue Info
Available Soon: Our Winter Issue: "
"
(Via Planning Commissioners Journal.)
 | Subscribe to the Planning Commissioners Journal, and start with our Winter issue -- due out Jan. 27th. Order online, or call our office: 802-864-9083. Note: government orders can call and request to be invoiced. |
Contents of our Winter 2010 issue | |
 See also our online Public Hearings resource pages | Dealing With Contentious Public Hearings by Wayne Senville One of the toughest challenges facing planning commissioners is how to deal with public hearings involving controversial development projects and zoning amendments. Planners and planning commissioners from across the country offer practical suggestions based on what's worked in their communities. |
| Building Your Planning Process From the Ground Up by Joel Russell It's time for the final public hearing on a zoning revision or comprehensive plan amendment that the planning commission has been working on for over a year. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, massive opposition erupts as rumors spread around town about what they are about to do to us. You can minimize the chances of this happening if you build your planning process 'from the ground up.' |  |
 | Some Parting Thoughts by Elaine Cogan After writing some 70 columns for the Planning Commissioners Journal over the past 19 years, Elaine Cogan offers some parting thoughts in her final 'The Effective Planning Commissioner' column. |
| Top New Stories of 2009 by the Editors of Planetizen A look back at the top stories of 2009 involving planning, development, and the state of our cities. |  |
| Recent Back Issues: | Special Focus Issues: |
| Fall 2009: Zoning for Religious Institutions | Stand by Your Plan | Public Transportation in Rural Communities | Where's Art in Planning? | and more | Winter 2006: Bright Ideas: 21 creative planning-related ideas & programs you should know about |
| Summer 2009: Libraries at the Heart of Our Communities | Learn to Speak So People Will Listen | Are We There Yet? | Circle the USA Reports | and more | Fall 2005: This Land Is Your Land: on 'takings' and property rights, and how planners can respond |
| Spring 2009: Getting the Density You Want | Growing Safer: Improving Roadways for Everyone | Dialing for Citizens | Learning to Enjoy Your Service on the Commission | and more | Fall 2004: Back to School for Planners: on the impacts of school location, and the relationship between planning and school boards |
| Winter 2009: Managing Stormwater Runoff: A Green Infrastructure Approach | Taking Low Impact Development from Research to Regulations | The ABC's of Transit-Oriented Development | and more | Spring 2004: Sphere of Influence: water and its impacts |
| Fall 2008: Pattern Books: A Planning Tool | GIS & Planning | Where Do We Want to Go? | and more | Fall 2003: Planning for Historic Preservation: an introduction to historic preservation planning |
| Summer 2008: Greenways | Developing at the Edge | An Introduction to Charrettes | and more | Winter 2002: Opening the Door: planning for affordable housing |
| Winter 2008: Downtown Futures: continuing a series of reports from planners across the U.S., focusing on downtown issues | Spring 2000: The Promise of America: an historical look at 10 successes & 10 failures that having affected Americas cities |
(Via Planning Commissioners Journal.)
New Partners for Smart Growth Conf. 2/4/10-2/6/10
New Partners for Smart Growth Conf. 2/4/10-2/6/10: "
Registration is now open for the 9th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference, which will be held February 2-4, 2010 in Seattle, WA. Visit the website for more information."
(Via NMAPA.)
Take the Transporation Survey!
Take the Transporation Survey!: "Participate in the Transportation Survey! While one more year has blown by, we must prepare for the future. This month’s Air Notes promotes your participation in the Mid-Region Grande Council of Government’s Transportation Survey. MR-COG will be working on the 2035 Metropolitan Transportation Plan. This plan will shape our future transportation needs while maintaining our air quality and quality of life. Take the survey!"
(Via Albuquerque City News.)
Obama Administration Proposes Major Public Transportation Policy Shift to Highlight Livability
Per the US Dept. of Transportation
Available HERE
"Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Obama Administration Proposes Major Public Transportation Policy Shift
to Highlight Livability
Changes Include Economic Development and Environmental Benefits
to Highlight Livability
Changes Include Economic Development and Environmental Benefits
In a dramatic change from existing policy, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today proposed that new funding guidelines for major transit projects be based on livability issues such as economic development opportunities and environmental benefits, in addition to cost and time saved, which are currently the primary criteria.
In remarks at the Transportation Research Board annual meeting, the Secretary announced the Obama Administration’s plans to change how projects are selected to receive federal financial assistance in the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) New Starts and Small Starts programs. As part of this initiative, the FTA will immediately rescind budget restrictions issued by the Bush Administration in March of 2005 that focused primarily on how much a project shortened commute times in comparison to its cost.
“Our new policy for selecting major transit projects will work to promote livability rather than hinder it,” said Secretary LaHood. “We want to base our decisions on how much transit helps the environment, how much it improves development opportunities and how it makes our communities better places to live.”
The change will apply to how the Federal Transit Administration evaluates major transit projects going forward. In making funding decisions, the FTA will now evaluate the environmental, community and economic development benefits provided by transit projects, as well as the congestion relief benefits from such projects.
“This new approach will help us do a much better job of aligning our priorities and values with our transit investments” said FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff. “No longer will we ignore the many benefits that accrue to our environment and our communities when we build or expand rail and bus rapid transit systems.”
FTA will soon initiate a separate rulemaking process, inviting public comment on ways to appropriately measure all the benefits that result from such investments.
###
The remarks can be found at http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2009/lahood01132010.htm "
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
First tribal solar plant to be built in New Mexico
First tribal solar plant to be built in New Mexico: "The 3,000-member Jemez Pueblo tribe in northern New Mexico is on the verge of building the nation's first utility-scale solar energy plant on tribal land. The project, which could bring millions of dollars to the tribe, is moving ahead with the site selected and the contract to sell outsiders the four megawatts of electricity at hand, Susan Montoya Bryan of The Associated Press reports.
'Experts say tapping into the sun, wind and geothermal energy on Indian land could generate the kind of wealth many tribes have seen from slot machines and blackjack tables,' Bryan writes. 'We don't have any revenue coming in except for a little convenience store,' James Roger Madalena, a former tribal governor who now represents the pueblo in the state Legislature, told Bryan. 'It's very critical that we become innovative, creative, that we come up with something that will last generations without having a devastating impact on the environment.'
Renewable energy presents a new revenue option for Indian tribes, which control more than 55 million acres, Bryan reports. The U.S. Department of Energy's Tribal Energy Program estimates those lands are capable of producing 535 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year from wind power and 17 trillion kilowatt hours per year of electricity from solar power. The Pueblo plant will feature 14,850 solar panels than can supply enough electricity for about 600 homes. 'Not every tribe is a gaming tribe, but every tribe is an energy tribe,' Roger Fragua, a consultant working with the Council of Energy Resource Tribes, told Bryan." (Read more)
(Via The Rural Blog.)
Student Loan Forgiveness for New Farmers?
A Grassroots Push for Student Loan Forgiveness Could Remove Barrier to New Entry Farmers: "
The centerpiece of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness option that allows individuals employed in certain public service areas to have any remaining loan debt discharged after 10 years of repayment. It also allows participants to utilize the Income Based Repayment schedule during those 10 years to inspire people to go into under-served and low earning, not-for-profit or community sustaining fields. Farming, with it’s aging participants, low on-farm income earning capacity and importance to local communities, regions and the country at large, is a perfect employment area to be added to the list of professions eligible for forgiveness.
Income Based Repayment (IBR) prevents payments on federal student loans from exceeding 15% of a borrower’s disposable income above 150% of the poverty level. This plan also allows for the government to subsidize 3 years of interest payments and to have any remaining debt erased after 25 years. It is the combination of IBR with Public Service Loan forgiveness that might allow more young people to look at farming as a viable career.
For example, under the most common farm financial circumstances (based on USDA statistics):
A farm family of four, with on-farm income of $10,000 and student loans totaling $45,000 at an interest rate of 6.8%:
I recently contacted my elected officials to propose that farming become one of the areas of employment eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The following are the nuts and bolts of the request but you can find a sample letter that can be tailored to your own personal circumstances here.
If you are in need of assistance with repaying or dispatching your student loan, or simply care about the future of agriculture in this country, please take the time to contact your representatives and let them know that they can help build financial security for a new generation of farmers, and by extension their communities, by adding farming to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness plan.
(Via Civil Eats.)
The centerpiece of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness option that allows individuals employed in certain public service areas to have any remaining loan debt discharged after 10 years of repayment. It also allows participants to utilize the Income Based Repayment schedule during those 10 years to inspire people to go into under-served and low earning, not-for-profit or community sustaining fields. Farming, with it’s aging participants, low on-farm income earning capacity and importance to local communities, regions and the country at large, is a perfect employment area to be added to the list of professions eligible for forgiveness.
Income Based Repayment (IBR) prevents payments on federal student loans from exceeding 15% of a borrower’s disposable income above 150% of the poverty level. This plan also allows for the government to subsidize 3 years of interest payments and to have any remaining debt erased after 25 years. It is the combination of IBR with Public Service Loan forgiveness that might allow more young people to look at farming as a viable career.
For example, under the most common farm financial circumstances (based on USDA statistics):
A farm family of four, with on-farm income of $10,000 and student loans totaling $45,000 at an interest rate of 6.8%:
- under Standard 10-year repayment they would pay $517 a month, totaling $62,143.00
- under IBR they would pay $0 a month, leaving a debt that would accrue interest over 25 years to well over a $100,000.00, greatly impairing their ability to borrow money in the future
- under IBR, with Public Service Loan Forgiveness, they would pay $0 a month, but with the government subsidizing the first 3 years of interest, they would only accrue 7 years of interest before forgiveness – greatly reducing their debt load and allowing for borrowing that could help grow their business or help their own children go to college
- with an income of $20,000, would pay $0 a month
- with an income of $40000.00, would pay $87 a month, with total repayment equaling $10,400.00
- with an income of $70000.00, would pay $460 a month, with total prepayment equaling $55,200.00
I recently contacted my elected officials to propose that farming become one of the areas of employment eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The following are the nuts and bolts of the request but you can find a sample letter that can be tailored to your own personal circumstances here.
If you are in need of assistance with repaying or dispatching your student loan, or simply care about the future of agriculture in this country, please take the time to contact your representatives and let them know that they can help build financial security for a new generation of farmers, and by extension their communities, by adding farming to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness plan.
(Via Civil Eats.)
Monday, January 18, 2010
Urban Food Policy: Municipal Food Planning A-Z
"Urban Food Policy: Municipal Food Planning A-Z:
URBAN FOOD POLICY
POLICIES, PLANS, AND PROGRAMS FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN FOOD SYSTEMS
MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2010
Municipal Food Planning A-Z
New York, like most other US cities, lacks a comprehensive food system plan. Nevertheless, New York has implemented some of the most ambitious policies and programs in the nation to address issues of food security, nutrition, urban agriculture, and institutional purchasing of sustainably produced food. Every stage in the food system, from production to residuals management, is addressed by at least one city agency, typically with input from various stakeholders.
In the list below, I’ve briefly reviewed all of the major (and some minor) New York City agencies. I’ve provided a brief description of the agency’s mandate(s), how the agency’s activities (e.g., its purchases, contracts, programs, or regulations) currently affect the food system through. In a number of cases, I’ve speculated on how an agency might, in the future, contribute to a sustainab"
URBAN FOOD POLICY
POLICIES, PLANS, AND PROGRAMS FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN FOOD SYSTEMS
MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2010
Municipal Food Planning A-Z
New York, like most other US cities, lacks a comprehensive food system plan. Nevertheless, New York has implemented some of the most ambitious policies and programs in the nation to address issues of food security, nutrition, urban agriculture, and institutional purchasing of sustainably produced food. Every stage in the food system, from production to residuals management, is addressed by at least one city agency, typically with input from various stakeholders.
In the list below, I’ve briefly reviewed all of the major (and some minor) New York City agencies. I’ve provided a brief description of the agency’s mandate(s), how the agency’s activities (e.g., its purchases, contracts, programs, or regulations) currently affect the food system through. In a number of cases, I’ve speculated on how an agency might, in the future, contribute to a sustainab"
Thursday, January 14, 2010
"El Biblioburro" (Donkey Library) and Other Mobile Libraries
"El Biblioburro" (Donkey Library) and Other Mobile Libraries: "Recently, while I was traveling around the Magdalena River in Colombia, I heard a great story of how a elementary teacher of a small town was using two donkeys - Alfa (alpha) and Beto (bet) - to distr..."
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Mills Canyon Volunteer Service Project
"Mills Canyon Volunteer Service Project:
DATE: April 30 – May 2, 2010
THE PLACE: Mills Canyon, named after the famous lawyer Melvyn Mills. He represented the infamous Maxwell Land Grant, one of the largest private landholdings in the history of the United States.
Note: Melvin Mills had a fruit and vegetable empire in the canyon called the Mills Canyon Enterprise. It was ten miles long and was crisscrossed by irrigation channels and cisterns that fed hundreds of acres of fruit orchards and vegetable gardens. Mills planted 14,000 apple, peach, pear, cherry, plum, walnut, almond, and chestnut trees. He also cultivated melons, tomatoes, grapes, and cabbages. He was wiped out by a flood in 1904.
Mills Canyon is one of the more spectacular parts of our state. The canyon itself is wilder today than it was one hundred years ago. It drops from the wild and open Eastern Plains and is a product of the Canadian River, which carves its way south from its headwaters on Ted Turner’s Vermejo Park Ranch on the ColoradoNew Mexico border. The remote canyon is rich in grass and red rock cliffs, and here one can find bear, wild turkey, golden and bald eagles, and, of course, the beautiful mountain lion.
THE PROJECT: Steve West, NMWA staff scientist, will be leading us, and we will be doing a wildlife survey. We will train Saturday morning at breakfast. We will then disperse up and down the canyon for the day. Saturday night at dinner we will compile our information over enchiladas.
MEALS: Breakfast Saturday morning. Dutch oven dinner Saturday night.
MAXIMUM PARTICIPANTS: 20
PROJECT LEADER: Steve West
CONTACT: Go to nmwild.org and click on ‘Events’; there is a $10.00 administrative fee due at registration.
DRIVING DISTANCE: Approximately 1½ hours northwest of Las Vegas, New Mexico"
(Via New Mexico Wilderness Alliance» — New Mexico Wilderness Alliance ».)
DATE: April 30 – May 2, 2010
THE PLACE: Mills Canyon, named after the famous lawyer Melvyn Mills. He represented the infamous Maxwell Land Grant, one of the largest private landholdings in the history of the United States.
Note: Melvin Mills had a fruit and vegetable empire in the canyon called the Mills Canyon Enterprise. It was ten miles long and was crisscrossed by irrigation channels and cisterns that fed hundreds of acres of fruit orchards and vegetable gardens. Mills planted 14,000 apple, peach, pear, cherry, plum, walnut, almond, and chestnut trees. He also cultivated melons, tomatoes, grapes, and cabbages. He was wiped out by a flood in 1904.
Mills Canyon is one of the more spectacular parts of our state. The canyon itself is wilder today than it was one hundred years ago. It drops from the wild and open Eastern Plains and is a product of the Canadian River, which carves its way south from its headwaters on Ted Turner’s Vermejo Park Ranch on the ColoradoNew Mexico border. The remote canyon is rich in grass and red rock cliffs, and here one can find bear, wild turkey, golden and bald eagles, and, of course, the beautiful mountain lion.
THE PROJECT: Steve West, NMWA staff scientist, will be leading us, and we will be doing a wildlife survey. We will train Saturday morning at breakfast. We will then disperse up and down the canyon for the day. Saturday night at dinner we will compile our information over enchiladas.
MEALS: Breakfast Saturday morning. Dutch oven dinner Saturday night.
MAXIMUM PARTICIPANTS: 20
PROJECT LEADER: Steve West
CONTACT: Go to nmwild.org and click on ‘Events’; there is a $10.00 administrative fee due at registration.
DRIVING DISTANCE: Approximately 1½ hours northwest of Las Vegas, New Mexico"
(Via New Mexico Wilderness Alliance» — New Mexico Wilderness Alliance ».)
Organs an Economic Opportunity
"Organs an Economic Opportunity:
Albuquerque Journal
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
By Gilbert Apodaca
President, Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces
Early this month our organizations were proud to have sponsored the seminar ‘‘Wilderness Economics, Creating Jobs from Protected Lands.’ We, along with 150 other attendees, listened to an impressive lineup of speakers discuss many ways Doña Ana County could help create jobs and economic development through the protection and promotion of our important wilderness areas.
While we sometimes take for granted unique local treasures like the Organ Mountains, the reality is that we should capitalize on the appeal these public lands offer to families, businesses and recreationists. By protecting and promoting these resources, our wilderness will be good for our economy and quality of life. Wilderness Economics was a great education on how to create these economic opportunities, and given our tough economic times, this is one more reason to protect our wilderness now.
The Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces and the High Tech Consortium of Southern New Mexico are proud to stand in strong support of the Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks Wilderness Act to protect our wilderness areas in Doña Ana County and create national conservation areas around the Organ Mountains and Broad Canyon. We thank Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall for their vision and leadership in introducing this important legislation and helping to secure the quality of life and a bright economic future for our region.
Protecting our spectacular natural areas — like the Organ Mountains — is critically important to protecting the quality of life we all currently enjoy and that is so important to a thriving business climate. Our incredible open space and mountains are the reasons many people and businesses move to Las Cruces or choose to stay here. Enacting a meaningful conservation vision for our community will provide a long-term boost for business, tourism and our overall economy.
Like many communities, Las Cruces and Doña Ana County are seeking opportunities to attract and provide higher paying jobs that will allow our citizens to earn more and give families and kids the chance to have better lives. In order to attract new businesses and keep the best jobs in our community, it is essential that we protect our strongest asset, which is our quality of life.
A recent study by the nonprofit Sonoran Institute examined how our mountains and open space have been vital to the economic success we’ve already experienced — and that are likely to play a bigger role in our economy if we enact permanent high-level protection of them. The Sonoran study, along with related research done throughout the western United States, shows the advantages to a community of having protected natural lands nearby to help recruit high-wage jobs and quality employers.
Proof of this appeal is how our beautiful mountains and open space are often mentioned in national publications as a key reason for us being recognized as one of the top places in the country to live, run a business and retire.
In addition to the economic value and quality of life that our mountains bring to us, it should also be pointed out that they have been integral to our culture for hundreds of years. From the time of the horse-drawn wagon caravans, people have come to the fertile Mesilla Valley to farm and settle family roots. Along the historic Camino Real trade route, our region is rich with this history, culture and countless stories from past generations, which are still alive today throughout Doña Ana County.
Today we have a critical opportunity to advance our economy and honor our culture by protecting our Organ Mountains and other important natural crown jewels like Broad Canyon the East Potrillo Mountains. We support passage of Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks Act to secure this future; now and forever."
(Via New Mexico Wilderness Alliance» — New Mexico Wilderness Alliance ».)
Albuquerque Journal
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
By Gilbert Apodaca
President, Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces
Early this month our organizations were proud to have sponsored the seminar ‘‘Wilderness Economics, Creating Jobs from Protected Lands.’ We, along with 150 other attendees, listened to an impressive lineup of speakers discuss many ways Doña Ana County could help create jobs and economic development through the protection and promotion of our important wilderness areas.
While we sometimes take for granted unique local treasures like the Organ Mountains, the reality is that we should capitalize on the appeal these public lands offer to families, businesses and recreationists. By protecting and promoting these resources, our wilderness will be good for our economy and quality of life. Wilderness Economics was a great education on how to create these economic opportunities, and given our tough economic times, this is one more reason to protect our wilderness now.
The Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces and the High Tech Consortium of Southern New Mexico are proud to stand in strong support of the Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks Wilderness Act to protect our wilderness areas in Doña Ana County and create national conservation areas around the Organ Mountains and Broad Canyon. We thank Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall for their vision and leadership in introducing this important legislation and helping to secure the quality of life and a bright economic future for our region.
Protecting our spectacular natural areas — like the Organ Mountains — is critically important to protecting the quality of life we all currently enjoy and that is so important to a thriving business climate. Our incredible open space and mountains are the reasons many people and businesses move to Las Cruces or choose to stay here. Enacting a meaningful conservation vision for our community will provide a long-term boost for business, tourism and our overall economy.
Like many communities, Las Cruces and Doña Ana County are seeking opportunities to attract and provide higher paying jobs that will allow our citizens to earn more and give families and kids the chance to have better lives. In order to attract new businesses and keep the best jobs in our community, it is essential that we protect our strongest asset, which is our quality of life.
A recent study by the nonprofit Sonoran Institute examined how our mountains and open space have been vital to the economic success we’ve already experienced — and that are likely to play a bigger role in our economy if we enact permanent high-level protection of them. The Sonoran study, along with related research done throughout the western United States, shows the advantages to a community of having protected natural lands nearby to help recruit high-wage jobs and quality employers.
Proof of this appeal is how our beautiful mountains and open space are often mentioned in national publications as a key reason for us being recognized as one of the top places in the country to live, run a business and retire.
In addition to the economic value and quality of life that our mountains bring to us, it should also be pointed out that they have been integral to our culture for hundreds of years. From the time of the horse-drawn wagon caravans, people have come to the fertile Mesilla Valley to farm and settle family roots. Along the historic Camino Real trade route, our region is rich with this history, culture and countless stories from past generations, which are still alive today throughout Doña Ana County.
Today we have a critical opportunity to advance our economy and honor our culture by protecting our Organ Mountains and other important natural crown jewels like Broad Canyon the East Potrillo Mountains. We support passage of Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks Act to secure this future; now and forever."
(Via New Mexico Wilderness Alliance» — New Mexico Wilderness Alliance ».)
Take the Transporation Survey! - Official City News
"Take the Transporation Survey! - Official City News:
While one more year has blown by, we must prepare for the future. This month’s Air Notes promotes your participation in the Mid-Region Grande Council of Government’s Transportation Survey. MR-COG will be working on the 2035 Metropolitan Transportation Plan. This plan will shape our future transportation needs while maintaining our air quality and quality of life.
Take the survey!
Contact: Therese Martinez-Loner, (505) 768-1970
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Official website for the City of Albuquerque www.cabq.gov"
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