News and Events

This section includes information about activities and upcoming events of interest to PAW members and friends.  Please feel free to suggest news items for posting on this page.  You can reach us at vicky@planningpaw.org. THE LEADERSHIP SERIES: UPCOMING MEETINGS The Self-Governance Communication & Education Tribal Consortium is organizing its 2012 Cultural Resource Protection Summit on May 22 and 23 at the Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo, Washington.  This will be the fifth anniversary of this gathering, which allows for an open dialogue regarding the interplay between cultural resources and land use.  For more information, please click here.   REVITALIZE WASHINGTON CONFERENCE The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation will be conducting its 2012 Statewide Preservation and Main Street Conference from May 22 to 24 in Chelan.  Contact the Washington Trust for more information.  NATIONAL PRESERVATION CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation is offering scholarships for attendance at the National Preservation Conference in Spokane from October 31 to November 3, 2012.  The scholarships will cover conference registration fees and provide a small travel stipend.  General information about this opportunity can be found here, and the scholarship application can be accessed here.  The deadline for submittals is June 21. HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM Letters of Intent to apply for mitigation grant assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for the January 2012 Winter Storm Disaster and the Fiscal Year 2013 Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs are now being solicitied by the State Emergency Management Division.  Please look here for a full description of this process. COASTAL TRAINING PROGRAM Registration is now open for Coastal Training Program classes to be held between April and June of 2012. These Department of Ecology classes will be conducted on both sides of the state. To read class descriptions and sign up for sessions, please click here. STORM WATER INSPECTOR TRAINING The National Stormwater Center is offering Storm Water Inspector training in Seattle, Washington on June 6-7, 2012. Click here for more information. SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL The Washington State Department of Transportation has issued a ”call for projects” for the Safe Routes to School program. The primary objective is to design and build projects that enhance safety for children walking or biking to school. More information on the grant program and the application process is available here. VOLUNTARY STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM Following several years of discussion by stakeholders, the Washington State Legislature in 2011 approved the Voluntary Stewardship Program to meet the state’s goal of agricultural viability with environmental protection. Of Washington’s 39 counties, 22 decided to participate in this program rather than continue to operate under existing laws. Click here to learn more about this topic. 2011 JOINT PAW/APA AWARDS In 2011, for the 25th year, the Planning Association of Washington and the Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association jointly honored outstanding contributions to the field of planning in Washington.  The awards program is designed to bring public attention and deserved recognition to public and private sector planning efforts, as well as to student projects in university planning programs.  The awards program for 2012 is under way.  Look to this space for updates as the process continues.  For more information on this program, please contact Awards Co-Chair Richard Hart, AICP, at rhart@ci.covington.wa.us. REGIONAL PLANNERS’ FORUMS These forums, held in the Eastern, Northwest, Southwest, and Peninsula regions of Washington state, offer a unique opportunity for planning practitioners, state agency personnel, planning commissioners, and elected officials to share information and learn about pertinent issues.  The Planning Association of Washington, the Washington State Chapter of the American Planning Association, and the Washington State Departments of Commerce and Ecology sponsor these forums.  AICP CM credits are offered for many of the sessions. For updated information on times, locations, and topics, please refer to the Department of Commerce website here. SHORT COURSE ON LOCAL PLANNING The Planning Short Course offers basic education on land use planning to the citizens of Washington state.  For more information about Short Course presentations, visit the PAW Short Course Page, or send e-mail to Janet Rogerson, Senior Planner, Growth Management Services, Department of Commerce at janet.rogerson@commerce.wa.gov.  For a list of upcoming Short Course presentations, please visit the Washington State Department of Commerce site.