Looking for information on MAPC’s official meetings and legal notices? Find it here.
Solar Remote Permitting & Inspection Best Practices: COVID-19 Impacts and Long-Term Potential
Please join MassCEC, MAPC, and SolSmart to learn about best practices on remote permitting and inspection during COVID-19, and the long-term potential of those practices. The webinar will feature guest speakers from three Massachusetts communities; Gardner, Brockton, and Lowell. If you have questions regarding registration, please contact solar@masscec.com.
Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7565282524044732684
Municipal Webinar
Economic Development Administration American rescue plan act programs and funding
The Economic Development Administration received $3 billion in supplemental funding to assist communities in their economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
EDA is making funding available through six innovative “challenges.” This webinar will review those funding categories and provide guidance about eligible projects, submitting applications, and developing partnerships.
Read more about EDA’s ARPA funding and the six challenges here.
After you register for this webinar, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Municipal Webinar
How Municipalities can make meaningful investments with ARPA dollars
Massachusetts cities and towns have received $3.4 billion dollars through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. These dollars present an opportunity to make critical investments in communities and especially those that were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. This federal funding can help set the stage for an equitable and resilient recovery.
Join us for a discussion with Doug Howgate from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation on how cities and towns can make these strategic investments for a more prosperous and equitable region.
Speakers include:
- Lizzi Weyant, Director of Government Affairs, Metropolitan Area Planning Council
- Doug Howgate, Executive Vice President, Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
MAPC is holding an additional information session on Tech Hubs opportunity.
MAPC’s aims are to respond to questions and serve as a resource to those interested in pursuing funding available through the Tech Hubs Program. This session will provide a more detailed understanding of the application process, eligibility criteria, and connect you with other interested parties.
This opportunity is for government entities, higher education institutions, tech industry groups, economic development organizations, workforce organizations, and other potential consortia members.
If you are interested in attending, please contact Raul Gonzalez at rgonzalez@mapc.org.
Part of the “Rooted in Nature: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resiliency” online speaker series, this session serves as an introduction to indigenous kinship systems and how it informs how Tribal Nations and Peoples perceive climate health and how it informs the approach to solutions. Guest speaker: Ryann Monteiro.
Attempts to engage Tribal Nations are generally well-intended but under-informed. A general lack of understanding of Indigenous worldviews and tribal sovereignty has often led to “one size fits all” solutions that do not fit the needs, wants, or desires of that community. Layered with a history of non-indigenous entities utilizing extractive practices in their relationships, the result has been a legacy of distrust. In response to this, many tribes are highly selective in who they work with and why as they seek to protect the very things that have been, and currently are, under threat: their land, language, culture, families, and sacred teachings.
Part of the “Rooted in Nature: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resiliency” online speaker series, this talk focuses on the power of indigenous land management practices that have taken place for thousands of years, and the importance of traditional ecological knowledge in the preservation of these native ecological systems that have been severely damaged by human and industry impact for hundreds of years. Guest speaker: Leslie Jonas
Currently, the condition of the water is critical as our waterways are sick and dying. This current condition threatens the lifeways of the local indigenous people who have lived and thrived in these natural environments for millenia. Concepts like Rewilding were introduced to reverse biodiversity loss but can exclude the local traditional ecological knowledge systems that have kept the natural world in balance since time immemorial.
Part of the “Rooted in Nature: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resiliency” online speaker series, this presentation will delve into the intricate connection between traditional ecological knowledge and the Wampanoag perspective. Guest speakers: Linda Coombs and Bret Stearns
It will trace the evolution and expression of their worldview up until the time of initial contact. The discussion will cover how the Wampanoag people managed to preserve certain traditions despite colonization’s challenges. Moreover, it will emphasize the critical contemporary implications of these dynamics, particularly underscoring the pivotal role of the Wampanoag perspective in strengthening climate resiliency efforts in the present day.
Part of the “Rooted in Nature: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resiliency” online speaker series, this discussion will lead us beyond land acknowledgments to a more collaborative and rights-based approach to climate resilience. Guest speaker: Kristen Wyman
Learn how indigenous land back efforts in both private and public lands are benefiting municipal efforts to restore and manage forests and waterways for increased biodiversity, greater productivity and resilience to shock and disturbance. Specifically, we will explore the historical characteristics of local indigenous foodways and consider how a transition to an alternative food system grounded in indigenous knowledge and leadership can support a more robust and resilient ecosystem in the context of our rapidly changing climate.
Join the MAPC Economic Development Team for this webinar to learn more about three funding opportunities available now through the Commonwealth.
The presentation will provide insight into how MAPC can support your municipality to prepare and apply for grants available through the Commonwealth.
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Julie Pierce, Economic Development Director, Town of Acton
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Patrick Shannon, Community One Stop Coordinator, Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development. (EOED)
Register to join us for this webinar
We will discuss the following grant opportunities:
- EEA Planning Assistance Grants – Coming in April, due in May
- Community One Stop for Growth – Now open, due June 5th
- Community Compact Cabinet Best Practices Program – coming in August, due on a rolling basis until all funds run out
Questions? Please contact Gurdeep Kaur (gkaur@mapc.org)