In this issue:

• Reminder: Coalition call TODAY, Thursday, May 31 @ 4pm ET
• Federal Policy Update
• National Complete Streets Coalition to become an official program of Smart Growth America
• Send Smart Growth America your "Smart Growth Stories"
• Register for the LOCUS Leadership Summit on June 5-7, 2012
• Submit your session proposals for the 12th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference by June 30, 2012
• Webinar: Managing the Impacts of Wildfires - June 27, 2012 12:00pm MST
• Free Webinar Presentations of the 2012 Southern Growth Innovator Award Winners: June 6, 13, and 20

Reminder: Coalition call TODAY, Thursday, May 31 @ 4pm ET

This call will feature Renee Kuhlman from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Scott Wolf from Grow Smart Rhode Island (both SGA coalition members) talking about historic preservation tax credits (HPTC). Renee will bring us a national look at HPTCs and Scott will talk about Grow Smart's efforts to reinstate the tax credit in Rhode Island.  The call will also feature federal policy updates and an update on SGA's state DOT fiscal reform project from Roger Millar.

Federal Policy Update

• The House T-HUD subcommittee has not officially announced a markup for their FY13 appropriations bill, though we expect that it will take place next Thursday, June 7. We will be in contact shortly with more info.
• EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson testified before the Senate Interior & Environment appropriations subcommittee on the EPA budget. A large portion of the discussion focused on fracking. Neither the Brownfields program nor the Smart Growth Program was brought up.

National Complete Streets Coalition to become an official program of Smart Growth America

The National Complete Streets Coalition, a group of advocates and transportation practitioners that works to improve the look, feel, and function of roads and streets in America’s communities, has approved a proposal to incorporate the Coalition as an official program of Smart Growth America.

The partnership will become official on July 1, 2012. Click here for more information.

SGA's latest blog series: "Smart Growth Stories"

Smart Growth America is collecting ideas for its latest blog series and e-mail campaign, “Smart Growth Stories.” Not only will the stories provide coverage for some of the country’s most exciting projects, they will also serve as a resource for SGA coalition partners. Looking for fresh news content? Feel free to pull from the blog and to re-post. If there are opportunities to further spread the word or to get a posting in front of a new audience, alert us. For more information, send an e-mail to SGA’s press manager, Tom Madrecki.

Register for the LOCUS Leadership Summit

Real estate developers, investors and professionals are invited to join LOCUS: Responsible Real Estate Developers and Investors for the first annual LOCUS Leadership Summit in Washington, DC. In partnership with Smart Growth America, this three-day event will provide real estate professionals from across the country the opportunity to meet with Congressional leaders and smart growth industry leaders, to network with fellow professionals, and gain in-depth information about the federal financing of real estate and other innovative solutions to challenges facing the real estate industry. Click here for more information.

Submit your session proposals for the 12th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference by June 30, 2012

Mark your calendars for the 12th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference! This exciting event will be held February 7-9, 2013 in Kansas City, MO. The Call for Session Proposals (CFSP) process is open through June 30, 2012. Click here for more information.

Webinar: Managing the Impacts of Wildfires - June 27, 2012 12:00pm MST

This webinar, which  is sponsored by Western Lands and Communities (a joint venture of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Sonoran Institute and the National Fire Protection Association) will address defensible space, how to incorporate fire-resistant building and landscaping materials into urban spaces, as well as preventative measures for managing growth in the wildland-urban interface. Learn more and register.

Free Webinar Presentations of the 2012 Southern Growth Innovator Award Winners: June 6, 13, and 20

The winners of the 2012 Southern Growth Innovator Awards in Workforce and Education will be presenting their programs in three consecutive webinars on Wednesdays, June 6 – June 20. All webinars will begin at 10:00 Eastern and last a maximum of one hour. To register, choose the webinar date that you prefer: June 6, June 13 or June 20.