This tool provides consumers with customized recommendations for improving energy efficiency and comfort at home.

Project Builder (ePB) is a secure, web-based data management platform that allows customers and energy service providers (ESCOs/utilities/contractors) to preserve, track and report information for their portfolio of energy projects in perpetuity. ePB offers a full-featured suite of capabilities for all users. NEW ePB introduces eProject eXpress (ePX) for state and local governments and other users seeking streamlined functionality.

This website contains guidance and tools to help facility managers implement the ISO 50001-based energy management system.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation will host the National Preservation Summit on September 22–23 at Washington National Cathedral, bringing together preservation, civic, business, and community leaders to explore the theme "All People Are Created Equal." Held during the nation's 250th anniversary, the Summit will focus on community revitalization, interpreting history to build a shared future, and the role of historic places in strengthening democracy and belonging. The event concludes with an Advocacy Day and reception on Capitol Hill on September 24.

This strategy, released on July 20, 2011, specifies Federal actions for ensuring electronic stewardship in the US. An interagency task force co-chaired by CEQ, EPA and GSA developed recommendations that focus on incentivizing design of greener electronics, ensuring the Federal government leads by example in acquiring, managing, reusing and recycling its electronics, increasing domestic recycling efforts, and reducing harm from US exports of electronic waste and improving safe handling of used electronics to developing countries.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is proposing amendments to its procedures for implementing the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). This proposed rule would also include technical amendments to the Agency's procedures to improve clarity, correct errors, and update office names and titles. This proposed rule would amend EPA's NEPA implementing procedures by incorporating proposed revisions to create efficiencies in the implementation of NEPA and to harmonize EPA's NEPA Implementing Procedures with other federal agencies' procedures, where possible. The proposed rule also incorporates the amendments to NEPA enacted through the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA) and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBBA); makes changes consistent with Executive Order (E.O.) 14154, Unleashing American Energy; makes changes based on the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) subsequent rescission of its NEPA regulations; and to reflect the Supreme Court's May 29, 2025 decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, 605 U.S. 168(2025). Comments must be received on or before 27 July 2026. POC is Nancy Abrams, tele: (202) 564-8783; email: abrams.nancy@epa.gov. (Federal Register 25 June 2026 [Proposed Rule] Pages 38359-38382)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed the Building Life Cycle Cost (BLCC) Programs to provide computational support for the analysis of capital investments in buildings. BLCC conducts economic analyses by evaluating the relative cost effectiveness of alternative buildings and building-related systems or components. Typically, BLCC is used to evaluate alternative designs that have higher initial costs but lower operating costs over the project life than the lowest-initial-cost design. It is especially useful for evaluating the costs and benefits of energy and water conservation and renewable energy projects.

The purpose of this paper is to identify research needs for all aspects of the research-to-decision making pathway that will help us understand and mitigate the health effects of climate change, as well as ensure that we choose the healthiest and most efficient approaches to climate change adaptation. The paper is authored by the Interagency Working Group on Climate Change and Health (IWGCCH) an ad hoc group formed by participating federal agencies and organizations at the invitation of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The Northeast Ocean Data Portal is a free, publicly accessible resource that provides expert-reviewed maps and data about the ocean ecosystem, economy, and culture of the northeastern United States, from the Gulf of Maine to Long Island Sound. It was established in 2009 and is maintained by the Northeast Regional Ocean Council with contributions from government agencies, researchers, nonprofits, and other stakeholders. The portal serves as a decision-support tool by bringing together ocean-related data from many sources to help government agencies, businesses, researchers, nonprofits, and the public make informed decisions. It includes topic pages covering marine life, habitats, and human uses of the ocean; an interactive data explorer; downloadable datasets; resources related to federal agency actions; and updates on new data and projects.

EPA report that shows the most severe harms from climate change fall disproportionately upon underserved communities who are least able to prepare for, and recover from, heat waves, poor air quality, flooding, and other impacts. EPA's analysis indicates that racial and ethnic minority communities are particularly vulnerable to the greatest impacts of climate change. This report is one of the most advanced environmental justice studies to date that looks at how projected climate change impacts may be distributed across the American public.

Use this web mapping tool to visualize community-level impacts from coastal flooding or sea level rise (up to 10 feet above average high tides). Photo simulations of how future flooding might impact local landmarks are also provided, as well as data related to water depth, connectivity, flood frequency, socio-economic vulnerability, wetland loss and migration, and mapping confidence.

Is an online tool for Tracking Methane Emissions from Solid Waste. The Rocky Mountain Institute released the Waste Methane Assessment Platform, developed with the Clean Air Task Force and funding from the Global Methane Hub. WasteMAP is a tool to improve methane emissions transparency and help identify opportunities for mitigation of methane emissions from solid waste and is accompanied by a decision support tool.

Three innovative technologies are being developed to support safer, more sustainable demilitarization and disposal of defense-related materials. First presentation demonstrates an electrochemically assisted process that uses commercially available equipment to degrade dissolved and solid energetic materials, including Composition B and nitrocellulose fines, offering a potentially safe and cost-effective alternative to traditional demilitarization methods. The second presentation focuses on research that introduces a solvent-free reactive extrusion process that rapidly deconstructs crosslinked polyurethane (XPU) composites into reusable thermoplastic oligomers and separable fillers, enabling high-throughput recycling while avoiding open burning and detonation. The final project focuses on task-specific ionic liquids designed to selectively dissolve fluoropolymers such as Teflon and Viton from metal-containing defense composites under mild conditions, facilitating material recovery, reducing hazardous waste generation, and providing a safer alternative to conventional disposal techniques. Together, these technologies advance environmentally responsible, economically viable solutions for managing energetic materials, polymer composites, and fluoropolymer-containing defense waste streams.

These presentations showcase innovative, science-based approaches to invasive species management that support the protection of DoD installations and surrounding ecosystems. The first presentation will present the development of advanced surveillance tools that combine environmental DNA, rapid genetic techniques, AI-assisted image analysis, and field surveys to improve the early detection and monitoring of invasive marine species, with initial testing in Pearl Harbor and broader application across the Indo-Pacific. The second presentation will discuss the use of RNA interference technology to develop species-specific control methods for invasive ants, offering a more targeted and environmentally compatible alternative to conventional insecticides. Together, these efforts provide DoD resource managers with innovative tools to enhance invasive species detection, monitoring, and mitigation while reducing ecological impacts and supporting mission readiness.

For holdings or collections subject to NAGPRA, a Federal Register notice is published when a museum or Federal agency determines the appropriate person or group to repatriate the cultural items. This table shows the museum or Federal agency submitting the notice, the publication date of the notice, a link to the published notice, and the total number of cultural items identified in the notice. These notices represent active repatriation claims by tribes for the objects indicated.

These DOI guidelines provide guidance to cultural landscape owners, stewards and managers, landscape architects, preservation planners, architects, contractors, and project reviewers prior to and during the planning and implementation of project work.

A computerized communications network for the archeological and historic preservation community--was established to improve access to information on archeological activities nationwide. This internationally recognized resource is maintained through a cooperative agreement between NPS and the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) at the University of Arkansas. Includes links to permits, reports and maps.

ASCE2027 is the place for bold ideas and transformative solutions. Connect with top minds, explore future-focused innovations, and sharpen your expertise through deep dives into cutting-edge practices and tech. Reconnect with peers in exclusive institute hubs and engage with leaders across the full infrastructure spectrum--from engineers and planners to policymakers and social scientists.

The EPA is conforming EPCRA hazardous chemical inventory reporting regulations to the OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard amendments of 2012 and 2024. EPCRA and its regulations rely on the OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard for the definition of a hazardous chemical and for the categories of health and physical hazards that must be reported under the hazardous chemical inventory regulations. This action conforms the terminology used and information that must be reported on the hazardous chemical inventory forms to the Hazard Communication Standard amendments. As a result, this action improves first responder and community safety, reduces discrepancies and confusion, prevents interpretation burdens on facilities when using (Material) Safety Data Sheets to complete annual hazardous chemical inventory reports, and enhances clarity. This final rule is effective 21 August 2026. POC is Jennifer Barre, tele: (202) 564-9026 or (240) 644-4559; email: barre.jennifer@epa.gov. (Federal Register 22 June 2026 [Rule] Pages 37022-37043).

These awards recognize efforts to promote cultural resources stewardship in DoW by highlighting outstanding examples of Cultural Resources Management (CRM). Awards are designed to showcase DoD's extensive cultural resources including archaeological sites, the historic built environment, and cultural landscapes.

This document summarizes the theoretical and empirical literature addressing benefit-cost and impact assessment of the cleanup and reuse scenario. When possible, recommendations are provided for conducting economic analysis of land cleanup and reuse sites and programs.

This conference aims to bring together engineers, hydrologists, soil scientists, ecologists, foresters, environmentalists, and professionals from other related disciplines to discuss current and emerging issues and knowledge related to watershed management, particularly watershed health and sustainability.

Find resources to help companies, communities, and citizens understand and prepare for the impacts of coastal flooding and sea level rise. Over time, you'll find more datasets, web services, and tools, as well as other themes such as the vulnerability of the food supply and the threats to human health from climate change. Check out the data catalog to browse relevant datasets. If you are looking for a streamlined list, the resources page features datasets and services on coastal vulnerability.

This is a web-based interactive tool that integrates over 300 separate data layers, helps decision makers understand the implications of planning and policy decisions on our fragile ecosystems and the communities who depend on goods and services from these ecosystems. EnviroAtlas is designed for people from all levels of government, professionals, researchers, educators, non-governmental organizations, and anyone interested in considering the benefits or impacts of a decision, such as siting a new road or city park. EnviroAtlas uses seven broad benefit categories to organize its information and data on ecosystem services: Clean Air, Clean and Plentiful Water, Natural Hazard Mitigation, Climate Stabilization, Recreation, Culture and Aesthetics, Food, Fuel and Materials, and Biodiversity Conservation.

EPA's tool for calculating your carbon footprint.

The Department of Energy (DOE) plays a critical role in accelerating the commercialization of clean energy technologies and enabling the nation's broader industrial strategy -- creating high quality American jobs, strengthening domestic supply chains and global competitiveness, and facilitating an equitable energy transition.

This Resource Directory introduces and describes key EPA water programs or initiatives that our partners can explore as they work to make their own program operations, communities, water resources, and infrastructure more resilient to the changing climate.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing this interim final rule to amend its agency procedures for implementing the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Since VA last updated its NEPA regulations in 1989, Congress amended NEPA through the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, the Council on Environmental Quality rescinded its NEPA regulations, and substantial changes have occurred in VA's delivery of care and benefits to veterans. The revisions to VA's NEPA regulations improve the efficiency and quality of VA's NEPA process and align the NEPA process with decision-making across VA by more clearly focusing on the planning stages of VA actions, improving consistency in NEPA implementation throughout VA, updating the VA categorical exclusion list to reflect current VA activities, and complying with NEPA, as revised. This interim final rule is effective 15 June 2026. Comments must be received by 15 July 2026. POC is Glenn Elliott, Office of Construction & Facilities Management (003C2), (202) 360-1243. (Federal Register 15 June 2026 [Rule] Pages 36044-36069)

The Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable (FRTR) works to build a collaborative atmosphere among federal agencies involved in hazardous waste site cleanup. FRTR was established in 1990 to bring together top federal cleanup program managers and other remediation community representatives to: Share information and learn about technology-related efforts of mutual interest, Discuss future directions of the national site remediation programs and their impact on the technology market, Interact with similar state and private industry technology development programs, and Form partnerships to pursue subjects of mutual interest.

Provides information about EPA's Emergency Response programs, their emergency management partners, and locating information resources for cleanup or response activities.

Newsgroup operated by the Center for Public Environmental Oversight (CPEO). Addresses brownfields concerns and issues at governmental and non–governmental locations. Subscription Info

This website provides technical assistance for restoration programs to help them consider where to invest their efforts for greater likelihood of success, based on the traits of their own geographic area's environment and communities. There are three main website components. Step-by-step instructions in recovery potential screening provide watershed managers with a methodology for comparing restorability differences among their waters. The steps in the methodology link to several online tools and resources that are used in recovery potential screening. A library of recovery potential indicators offers technical information on specific recovery-related factors (ecological, stressor, and social), how they influence restorability, and how to measure them. Contains links to Resources to Support Strategic Planning of Priority Waters and Watersheds

ChemHAT, the Chemical Hazard and Alternatives Toolbox, is an internet database designed to offer up easy to use information that we can use to protect ourselves, our families and our co-workers against the harm that chemicals can cause. ChemHAT was created to answer two questions: "Can this chemical in my workplace affect my health?" and "Are there safer alternatives?" You can look up a chemical from a product or an SDS either by its chemical name or Chemical Abstracts Services (CAS) registration number.

EPA is partially withdrawing two final actions finding that 13 States and/or local air pollution control agencies failed to submit State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions to address the Agency's 2015 findings of substantial inadequacy and "SIP call" for provisions applying to excess emissions during periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM). The partial withdrawal affects six air pollution control agencies. Withdrawing relevant parts of the findings for failure to submit is consistent with the decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Court (D.C. Circuit) partially vacating the findings of substantial inadequacy and SIP call. This final action renders no longer applicable certain CAA deadlines for the EPA to impose sanctions if a State does not submit a complete SIP revision addressing the outstanding requirements, and to promulgate a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP). This final action is effective on 13 July 2026. POC is Carrie Wheeler; tele: (919) 541-9771; email: wheeler.carrie@epa.gov. (Federal Register 12 June 2026 [Rule] Pages 35628-35631)

EPA is reconsidering certain aspects of the January 2025 final rule entitled State Implementation Plan Submittal Deadlines and Implementation Requirements for Reclassified Nonattainment Areas Under the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards ("January 2025 final rule"). Among other things, the January 2025 final rule codified a policy that certain State Implementation Plan (SIP) requirements for a prior classification remain due upon an area's reclassification to a higher classification. In this proposed action, the EPA is proposing a new interpretation that, upon reclassification, an area is subject only to those requirements in Clean Air Act (CAA) section 182 that are specific to that area's current classification. If finalized, this proposed rule would apply nationwide to all past and future reclassifications associated with the 2008, 2015, and any future ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The EPA is not reconsidering or reopening any other aspect of the January 2025 final rule in this rulemaking and is not addressing the scope of applicable requirements for NAAQS other than the ozone NAAQS. Comments must be received on or before 13 July 2026. POC is Stephen Senter; tele: (919) 541-3042; email: senter.stephen@epa.gov. (Federal Register 12 June 2026 [Proposed Rule] Pages 35639-35649)

This guide produced by the National Association of State Procurement Officials helps procurement officials develop their own environmentally preferable purchasing programs.

This Defense Acquisition University (DAU) course describes key developments in the field of energy and sustainability planning, and emphasizes the importance of master planning to integrate energy and sustainability factors.

Topic is Procurement at the Front Line: "Responsible Sourcing as an Enterprise Risk Lever." The SPLC Regional Connects are intentionally designed as intimate, place-based gatherings for sustainable procurement professionals to connect, share real-world strategies, and engage in focused peer exchange. Each event will feature curated sessions, regional perspectives, and a live Peer Learning Circle to foster deeper conversation and collaboration.

The SPLC Regional Connects are intentionally designed as intimate, place-based gatherings for sustainable procurement professionals to connect, share real-world strategies, and engage in focused peer exchange. Each event will feature curated sessions, regional perspectives, and a live Peer Learning Circle to foster deeper conversation and collaboration.

Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN) is an international network of buyers dedicated to socially responsible and environmentally sustainable purchasing. Website provides purchasing guides for a variety of items (bottled water, paint, food service ware, rechargeable batteries, etc.) designed to save money, conserve resources, reduce waste, and improve efficiency.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is removing the northeastern bulrush (Scirpus ancistrochaetus) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants. Their review of the best scientific and commercial data available indicates that the threats to the northeastern bulrush have been eliminated or reduced to the point that the species no longer meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the ESA. Accordingly, the prohibitions and conservation measures provided by the Act, particularly through sections 7 and 9, will no longer apply to the northeastern bulrush. This rule is effective 10 July 2026. POC is Audrey Mayer, Field Supervisor, New England Ecological Services Field Office; telephone 603-223-2541; email audrey_mayer@fws.gov. (Federal Register 10 July 2026 [Rule] Pages 35147-35155)

The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) Annual Conference and Technology Fair is a premier event focused on advancing sustainability, energy efficiency, and decarbonization in laboratories and other high-tech facilities. Scheduled for September 13–16, 2026, at Encore Boston Harbor near Boston, the conference brings together approximately 500 professionals--including laboratory owners, facility managers, architects, engineers, researchers, and sustainability leaders--to share innovative solutions and best practices. The program features more than 100 technical presentations, pre-conference workshops, facility tours, networking opportunities, and a Technology Fair with around 50 exhibitors showcasing products and services for sustainable laboratory design and operation. Key topics include energy-efficient building systems, green labs initiatives, operational optimization, emerging technologies, and strategies for reducing the environmental impact of research facilities while improving performance and resilience.

The chart on this page characterizes how standards/ecolabels included in EPA's Recommendations of Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). The recommendations help purchasers identify and use private sector environmental performance standards and ecolabels within federal procurement to help them meet various sustainability goals and requirements.

The website provides resources to help federal agencies buy the Print Management Solution needed. This includes Benefits of GSA's Managed Print Services; Buying Guides; How to Decide Whether to Purchase, Rent or Lease; Understanding Leasing Terms & Conditions, and Sample Acquisition Documents.

The WaterPro Conference is the flagship annual event of the National Rural Water Association, bringing together water and wastewater utility professionals from across the United States, including utility managers, operators, board members, engineers, regulators, and industry suppliers. The conference focuses on the operational, management, governance, and technical challenges facing rural and municipal water systems, offering more than 70 educational sessions, expert-led discussions, and extensive networking opportunities. Attendees can connect with peers, learn about emerging technologies, regulatory developments, funding opportunities, and best practices, while exploring solutions from more than 120 exhibitors in a large exhibit hall. Recognized as the "Industry Event of the Year" by NRWA, WaterPro attracts over 2,000 participants annually and serves as a premier forum for advancing the sustainability, efficiency, and resilience of water and wastewater utilities nationwide.

AEE World Energy Conference & Expo is the flagship event of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), bringing together energy, sustainability, and decarbonization professionals from industry, government, utilities, academia, and consulting organizations worldwide. Held annually in the United States, the conference serves as a platform for sharing practical solutions, real-world case studies, and emerging technologies that advance energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable energy systems. The event features keynote presentations from recognized industry leaders, more than 140 technical sessions across multiple educational tracks, a large technology expo showcasing innovative products and services, professional training programs, and extensive networking opportunities. With attendees representing dozens of countries, AEE World is designed to help professionals move from strategy to implementation while earning continuing education credits and building global connections that support organizational and career growth.

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Annual Conference is the premier gathering for parks and recreation professionals, bringing together thousands of practitioners, educators, students, advocates, and industry partners from across the United States. Held annually for more than 50 years, the conference offers hundreds of educational sessions, keynote presentations, networking opportunities, and a large interactive exhibit hall featuring the latest products, services, and innovations in the parks and recreation field. The 2026 conference will take place September 29–October 1 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, providing attendees with opportunities to earn continuing education units (CEUs), exchange ideas with peers, explore emerging industry trends, and discover strategies for building healthier, more resilient, and connected communities through parks and recreation.

The National Transportation in Indian Country Conference (NTICC) is the premier annual gathering of tribal transportation professionals in the United States, bringing together tribal leaders, transportation directors, engineers, planners, federal agency representatives, and industry partners to advance transportation systems throughout Indian Country. Organized by the Center for Tribal Transportation, the conference provides professional development, technical training, networking opportunities, and hands-on learning experiences focused on topics such as transportation planning, transit, safety, project development, road maintenance, emerging technologies, and federal transportation programs. The 2026 conference will be held November 15–19 at the Gila River Casino & Resort – Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Arizona, and is expected to attract more than 700 attendees from tribes across all 50 states, along with exhibitors, sponsors, and federal transportation partners.

The United Soybean Board's Resources page with links to The latest on biobased products and activities in the federal, state, and local sectors. Across the nation, U.S. companies are now offering hundreds of biobased products, ranging from cleaning supplies to carpet backing to energy efficient roofing materials, made with ingredients grown right here on American farms

Combined heat and power (CHP) technologies are on-site generators that produce both electricity and usable heat, achieving higher fuel efficiency by capturing waste heat typically lost in power generation. CHP technologies can provide cost savings to federal facilities while also providing energy security, allowing a site to island from the grid in the case of an outage. Join this training to explore how the National Laboratory of the Rockies' REopt® web tool can evaluate the techno-economics of CHP technologies and systems to assess performance and financial viability. Participants will gain practical insights into using REopt to optimize site energy strategies, reduce energy costs, and improve site energy security and outage recovery.

EPA is finalizing the residual risk and technology review (RTR) conducted for the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) from Hazardous Waste Combustors (HWC). Specifically, the EPA is finalizing that risks due to emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) from this source category are adequately addressed by the existing standards; that the NESHAP provides an ample margin of safety to protect public health; and that no developments in practices, processes, or control technologies necessitate revision of the standards. In addition, the EPA is promulgating emission standards for hydrogen fluoride (HF) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) emissions from major source HWC incinerators, cement kilns, solid fuel boilers, and liquid fuel boilers under Clean Air Act (CAA) sections 112(d)(2) and (3) and 112(h). These final amendments also include work practice standards under CAA section 112(h) for periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM); new electronic reporting provisions and requirements; provisions allowing States to choose to exempt area source HWCs from certain permitting requirements; and certain typographical and technical corrections and clarifications. This final rule is effective on 3 June 2026. POC: Rachel Smoak, tele: (919) 541-0253; and email: smoak.rachel@epa.gov. (Federal Register 3 June 2026 [Rule] Pages 33484-33572)

This session introduces ESTCP EW-201142 which focused on the development and demonstration of Energy Performance Monitoring and Optimization (EPMO) system that generates optimal control schedules by integrating various energy management tools with weather, sensor, and metering data. Project technical objectives and key technical components are introduced first. Then, the demonstrations in Buildings 7113 and 7114 at Naval Training Center, Great lakes, IL, which achieved greater than 40% building total electricity consumption savings, are presented with details, including site facts, sensor and meters, data acquisition system, selected results from real-time optimization through model-predictive control and energy diagnostics. Finally, issues and lessons learnt are discussed.

Whole-Building Energy Modeling (BEM) is a multipurpose tool for energy efficiency, supporting design, operations, codes and standards, and research. This session aims to cover the various aspects associated with BEM in a practical but comprehensible way from the perspective of a practitioner. Besides the basic principles of BEM, such as the heat transfer in building systems and common energy modeling tools, this seminar also schematically illustrates the benefits of BEM in the design and operation of buildings for better energy performance. For beginners with limited experience on BEM, how to accurately and elegantly model the building energy system and its various components such as the envelopes, internal heat gains, central plant, and air distribution system is introduced from the perspectives of both engineering physics and hands-on experience.

USFWS designate critical habitat for the rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), a bumble bee historically known to occur broadly across the eastern United States and portions of Canada, under the ESA. In total, they are designating approximately 1,534,951 acres (621,172 hectares) of occupied critical habitat in 14 units across 33 counties in 6 States. This rule is effective 1 July 2026. POC is Robert Tawes, Field Supervisor, USFWS, Minnesota-Wisconsin Ecological Services Field Office; telephone 612-240-6343; robert_tawes@fws.gov. (Federal Register 1 June 2026 [Rule] Pages 32516-32553)

Cities worldwide face unprecedented challenges: extreme heat, intense flooding storms, rising ocean levels, growing populations, inequity combined with declining human and ecosystem health. Future proofing cities is about designing built environments, public spaces, services and policies that make our communities more adaptable and resilient in the face of these challenges. Green infrastructure involves capturing stormwater as a resource, and using it to grow plants in, on and around buildings. Green infrastructure remains a fundamental and underutilized opportunity for us to secure a healthier and more prosperous future. At CitiesAlive hundreds of experts will come together to share new research, design practices, products, policies and services that help all of us advance our collective ability to future proof our cities.

This foundational session introduces the Outdoor Recreation Professional Competency Framework, developed through a partnership between the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals (SORP) and the U.S. Forest Service. Participants will explore what professional core competencies are, how this framework was developed, and why it represents a landmark step in legitimizing the outdoor recreation profession. Ideal for all professionals

No two organizations are alike -- and neither are their workforce development needs. This session explores how the Outdoor Recreation Professional Competency Framework is designed with flexibility in mind, allowing agencies, nonprofits, and organizations of all sizes to tailor it to their unique contexts, missions, and staffing structures. Ideal for supervisors, HR, agency leaders

Incorporating Competencies into Degree Programs As the outdoor recreation profession grows, so does the need for academic programs that prepare students with the skills and knowledge employers expect. This session examines how the Outdoor Recreation Professional Competency Framework can be integrated into university and college curricula to better align academic preparation with professional practice. Ideal for faculty, academic program directors

Using Competencies to Identify Career Pathways One of the most powerful applications of the Outdoor Recreation Professional Competency Framework is its ability to help professionals chart meaningful, intentional career pathways. This session guides participants through using the framework as a personal and organizational tool for career planning, skill gap analysis, and professional growth. Whether you are just entering the field, mid-career, or supporting others in their development, this session will provide actionable strategies for using competencies to set goals, identify learning opportunities, and navigate advancement in the outdoor recreation profession. Ideal for all professionals, mentors, supervisors