|
 University
of Illinois Extension’s Community and Economic Development team,
in partnership with the University of Minnesota-led TCTAC, will
receive $750,000 over five years to form and coordinate a
technical assistance center in Illinois.
Illinois Extension CED team members will partner with other
Cooperative Extension System members and non-profit partners in
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio to
apply for federal funding for environmental and energy projects
in remote, rural, and disadvantaged communities in the region.
Each state will establish “one-stop shops” for grant and
planning assistance.
The process will be oriented around three activities:
Identify underserved and overburdened communities that
could benefit from environmental and energy-related programs.
Help communities develop their own ability to engage in
environmental decision-making and access technical assistance.
Provide tailored, accessible, culturally appropriate
assistance that allows communities to secure funding and
resources that materially improve their social, economic, and
environmental outcomes.
Illinois Extension Community and Economic Development Specialist
Lisa Merrifield will serve as project manager and Illinois
representative for the EPA Region 5 TCTAC. Lisa is an
environmental scientist and regional planner with over 25 years
of experience working with Illinois communities to build
environmental, economic, and social resilience in response to
the changing climate.
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“The state and federal support available for rural
and coal transition communities right now is unprecedented,” says
Merrifield. “But we are aware that just making funding available
isn’t enough. Rural communities often don’t have the staffing to
envision, apply for, and administer these kinds of grants. Our goal
is to help provide and build some of that capacity and help break
down the barriers for Illinois communities.”
“Illinois communities are ready to build local economic activity on
sustainable sources of energy and environmentally sound practices.
The help we can provide, through this project, will be timely and
relevant to what they want to accomplish,” says Anne Silvis,
assistant dean, Community and Economic Development.
Assessing Community Needs
In Illinois, the initial phase is to assess community needs in
partnership with Prairie River’s Network and state agencies involved
in environmental infrastructure funding for communities. Extension
will design and implement programming on topics identified during
the assessment. Topics might include material on helping communities
navigate federal grant application systems, providing guidance on
community engagement, leading community-specific strategic planning,
and helping communities secure funds to address legacy pollution and
invest in clean energy technologies.
Environmental Justice Thriving Communities
Technical Assistance Centers Program
Learn more about the USEPA Environmental Justice Thriving
Communities Technical Assistance Program awardees, their partners,
and the TCTAC program here. To explore more news from the Region 5
Great Lakes Environmental Justice TCTAC visit here.
[SOURCE: Lisa Merrifield,
Community and Economic Development Specialist, Illinois Extension
WRITER: Dolan Klein, Sr. Manager for Marketing and Communications,
Illinois Extension]
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