Capital Area Regional Planning Commission

09/11/2026

Wisconsin Stormwater Week is just around the corner! 💧 There will be educational webinars throughout the week where you can learn more about simple ways to help protect our local waterways.

This year’s call to action is to adopt a local storm drain! It only takes about 15 minutes a month to keep a storm drain clear of leaves, trash and other debris that could otherwise end up in our lakes and streams.

Learn more about Dane County’s program: www.ripple-effects.com/adopt-a-storm-drain

Check out the full Wisconsin Stormwater Week lineup: www.wistormwater.com/

09/04/2026

Our new Grants Database is live! 🔎

Our team compiled funding opportunities available to communities and organizations across Dane County, making it easier to find possible funding sources for upcoming projects and initiatives. Browse opportunities by project type and find information about local cost-share requirements, all in one place.

We’ll continue updating the database throughout the year as new opportunities become available.

Take a look: capitalarearpc.org/grants

09/04/2026

It’s that time of year again! The RoundTrip Smart Trips Challenge is happening all September. Bike, take the bus, carpool, and walk/roll, then log your trips for chances to win some fun prizes! 🚲🚌🚶‍♀️

Get all the details and join: bit.ly/SmartTripsChallenge2026

09/01/2026

Happening tomorrow! ❄️

WEBINAR ALERT!

September 2 - Battle of the Blades
Lance Wilkinson, City of Appleton Operations Foreman - Streets Division, discusses the pros and cons of various plow blades. Background: Several years ago the City of Appleton made a significant policy change. They used to plow streets at 2” or more of snow accumulation and apply salt to anything below 2”. Now, they plow mains at 0.25” and residential streets at 1.5”. In addition to reducing salt use, the new policy provides a better overall situation for motorists. Mechanically removing as much snow as possible prior to salting, rather than “burning off" snow, means more wear-and-tear on plow blades. Operators saw quickly that not all blades were up to the challenge!

https://www.youtube.com/live/hm_RJfdErU4

APWA Wisconsin The Snow & Ice Management Association, Inc.

08/28/2026

Applications for the Watershed Protection Grants are open through September 15! Farmer-led groups can apply for funding to support projects that improve local soil and water quality—including cost-share programs, on-farm research and demonstrations, and conservation education.

Learn more and apply: https://vist.ly/5gexc

DATCP is now accepting application for the Watershed Producer-Led Protection grants through September 15th. Click the link to get grant information and application materials: https://vist.ly/5gexc All application must be submitted via email in Microsoft Word format. Learn more about the grant at https://vist.ly/5gexb

08/21/2026

What do GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and mapping actually look like in action—and how can these tools support environmental and planning work? 🗺️

This summer, CARPC and the State Cartographer’s Office teamed up to explore just that with local teens through two hands-on workshops—one with Sustain Dane’s Powerful Teen Leaders program and another with Maydm. We also had a familiar face in the Maydm group: our summer intern, Zaida, joined in too!

Students started with the basics of GIS and mapping, then put what they learned into action—exploring natural areas, working with real data, and creating maps of their own. A big thank you to Alliant Energy for helping make these workshops possible through a Community Grant! The State Cartographer’s Office shared more about the workshops and what students worked on—give it a read! 👉 bit.ly/2026-gistraining

08/18/2026

🌧️ Dane County is updating its Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan looks at risks from flooding, severe storms, extreme heat, and other natural hazards—and how we can better prepare for and reduce their impacts.

📝 Take a short survey by September 14 to share which hazards concern you most and what could help make our communities more prepared!

Dane County is updating its Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan. You can help identify the risks facing the region by taking this survey between now and September 14.

This plan is reviewed and updated every five years as part of ongoing efforts to reduce the impacts of natural disasters on communities. Public feedback helps to guide this process, as the county and participating municipalities work to complete the update in 2027.

Take the survey at https://bit.ly/DCNHMP-2026

08/14/2026

How neat is this?! At the new Madison Public Market, there’s even a WI Salt Wise-themed bathroom! ❄️🧂

08/10/2026

📝 At the July meeting, CARPC Commissioners held a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the Sun Prairie Urban Service Area, held a public hearing on a proposed minor amendment to the Town of Westport's River Road Limited Service Area, and acknowledged receipt of the 2025 audit.

🗓️ The next Commission meeting will be held virtually via Zoom on Thursday, August 14, at 6 p.m. Find the agenda, meeting materials, and more at www.capitalarearpc.org/meetings