Welcome to the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission's bi-weekly roundup of news, trends,events, and "A Greater Madison Vision" Updates. To see previous edition of this newsletter, click here .
In This Edition
  • Join the Green Tier Clear Water Initiatives to Help Clean our Lakes
  • 2018 Agricultural Enterprise Area(AEA) Application Available
  • POLCO Survey Question
  • New Dane County Housing Film Release-You're Invited 
Join the Green Tier Clear Waters Initiative to Help Clean Our Lakes
A Green Tier Clear Waters Initiative:
Using recycled construction wood waste as a mulch during construction provides superior erosion control by preventing the movement of soil from the construction si te.
Green Tier is a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources program that rewards businesses who demonstrate superior environmental performance with streamlined permitting and other benefits.

The Green Tier Clear Waters Initiative aims to reduce the sediment and nutrient delivery to Dane County's lakes and streams from construction activities, beyond the current state and local requirements. Their mission is also to develop alternative approaches and practices that will result in better erosion control and improved long-term stormwater management. Site inspections have demonstrated that Green Tier program participants have superior erosion control performance compared to non-participants. 

The Initiative is a partnership effort between Dane County, the City of Madison, the City of Sun Prairie, the Department of Natural Resources, and Veridian Homes LLC and Homburg Contractors. They invite other building and development sector businesses and municipalities to join the program. Potential participants should read the Charter and the 2016 Annual Report for more information.
2018 Agricultural Enterprise Area(AEA) Application Available
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is currently accepting applications for 2018 Agricultural Enterprise Area (AEA) designation. The AEA designation in conjunction with a preservation agreement with DATCP allows farmers to receive a tax credit of $5-$10 per acre. Additionally, the AEA designation can be used alongside local planning and zoning, easements, etc. to protect and promote farming within a community.

To qualify as an AEA, blocks of land should be primarily in agricultural use, include at least five landowners, and have local government support. Applications can take several months to prepare, and review of the applications considers the level of public support for the proposal. Interested businesses and landowners are encouraged to contact their local government officials early and to fully engage their communities in the application process.

Petition materials are available on the DATCP website by searching for “petition materials.” For additional information, contact Natalie Cotter at 608-224-4611 or email DATCPWorkingLands@wisconsin.gov .
New Dane County Housing Film Releases - You're Invited!!!
You’re Invited – New Film Release!
Minding the Gap: The Housing Crisis in Dane County
Tuesday, December 12, 4:30-6:30 pm
Forward Community Investments, 2014 Atwood Avenue, suite 101 A.

The Dane County Housing Initiative would like to invite you to the release of its new housing film, “Minding the Gap: The Dane County Housing Crisis.”

This new educational film, created and produced by the Housing Initiative and Tweedee Productions, is about the Dane County housing gap and why it matters. You will hear from seniors and residents, a Sun Prairie employer, a developer, and a housing policy expert about the impacts to our local economy, residents, communities, and businesses, and what can be done to address the issue.

For more information contact Olivia Parry at parry@countyofdane.com or (608) 266-4270.
POLCO Survey Question
The Greater Madison area recently entered the competition for the new Amazon headquarters, which promises to add 50,000 jobs. How do you think the addition of a major corporate headquarters such as Amazon would affect our region?

To tell us what you think, download the free Polco app for Android or Apple phones, or make an account at   www.polco.us . Creating an account is simple and quick, and you'll be able to answer our questions , along with those from other communities and agencies!  
Events

Next RPC Commission
December 14th, 2017 @ 6:15
City County Building Rm 351
210 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Madison WI, 53703