COG Testifies at Homeland Security Funding Hearing
Concern about the National Capital Region’s 40 percent cut in federal homeland security grants for this year came to a full boil at a Capitol Hill hearing in June. Lawmakers called the Department of Homeland Security’s decision-making process “mind-boggling,” while COG and senior homeland security officials from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia also explained their frustration. George Foresman, DHS’s undersecretary for preparedness, defended the decision, saying “we need to do a better job in communicating with the communities.” DHS said it won’t reconsider its decision and hopes for supplemental funding from Congress are waning.

New Plan Prioritizes Pedestrian Safety
Responding to the rising number of tragic accidents in recent years, transportation officials say in their newest plan for the region that pedestrian safety is a bigger priority than traffic flow. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan for the National Capital Region, unveiled during the Transportation Planning Board's June meeting, accommodates pedestrians and bicyclists in transportation projects and connects trails throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. The regional projects it lists -- both funded and unfunded -- would add 680 new miles of paths, bicycle lanes, and other facilities to the region’s transportation system.

COG Board Acts to Strengthen Anacostia Watershed Restoration Partnership
A new leadership council and steering committee created by the COG Board will focus on stepping up collaborative efforts to restore the Anacostia watershed. "This new leadership group is a milestone in our efforts to restore one of the most polluted waterways in the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay watersheds," said D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams, who also requested recommendations for further action from COG's Chesapeake Bay and Water Resources Policy Committee. "We have accomplished a lot in recent years to get comprehensive cleanup efforts underway, and it is vital that this issue remains at the forefront of our work as regional leaders." Interest in the leadership council dates back to March 2005, when stakeholders gathered to discuss the need for a comprehensive restoration plan.

Loudoun County Tour Highlights Water Quality Projects
A group of officials from COG jurisdictions braved the summer heat to take a tour of innovative water quality projects in Loudoun County. The emphasis of the special one-day event was on learning about successful projects that can be readily applied elsewhere. Stops included a component of the Leesburg wastewater treatment plant that produces pellets for use as fertilizer, a new development using alternatives to traditional septic tanks and an automated greenhouse set up to grow high quality vegetables without soil and minimal nutrient discharges.

Report Gives Snapshot of Homeless Population
COG's sixth annual Homeless Enumeration Report found that the number of people who are homeless rose very slightly for a sixth straight year, while many of them are finding their way into programs that help solve the problems that lead to homelessness. Since its introduction in 2001, the annual count has made it possible for local jurisdictions to aggregate data on homelessness and measure the success of continuum of care programs.