NWA Green Network Projects (Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Implementation Grant)

NWA Green Network Projects (Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Implementation Grant) is sponsored by Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (as part of Tri-Region Arkansas CPRG Coalition). The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, as part of the Tri-Region Arkansas CPRG Coalition, was awarded a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) Implementation Grant. $36.

25 million of this grant is allocated to projects in the Northwest Arkansas region.

Energy & Environment Innovation Plan | Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission Energy & Environment Innovation Plan The Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ), City of Fort Smith, Metroplan, and Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC) are leading an initiative to develop a plan that enables access to and enhances Arkansas’s competitiveness for federal funding for energy infrastructure and supports investment in technologies and practices that reduce pollutant emissions, create high-quality jobs, and spur economic growth in the state.

You can find updated information about this plan at the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment Energy and Environment Innovation Plan website. PHASE 1 – NWA Priority Action Plan (PAP) Supplement – completed December 1, 2023 PHASE 2 – NWA Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP) Supplement – completed February 28, 2025 PHASE 3 – NWA Status Updates – beginning early 2027 Thank you for your engagement!

Thank you to everyone who helped develop the NWA Energy & Environment Innovation (EEI) Plan ! Thanks to you, we’ve identified and prioritized voluntary regional strategies to protect natural assets, create jobs and spur economic growth, and enhance the quality of life in Northwest Arkansas.

The measures in the NWA EEI Plan were developed with the community through a public engagement process that included: 2 Online Public Surveys and Idea Boxes Tabling at Community Events across the region The NWA EEI Plan is a comprehensive roadmap, shaped by engagement efforts to identify regional and statewide priorities, designed to guide Northwest Arkansas communities and organizations toward a sustainable, resilient future by aligning efforts to address energy and environment opportunities while promoting job creation and economic growth.

NWA Energy & Environment Innovation Comprehensive Action Plan (NWA EEI Plan) – adopted March 26, 2025 by Resolution #2025-06.

NWA Energy & Environment Innovation Plan (NWA EEI Plan) NWA EEI Plan Appendices A – E NWA Energy & Environment Innovation (EEI) Priority Action Plan (PAP) – adopted May 22, 2024 by Resolution #2024-10 Nature-Based Solutions Map The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission strives to improve environmental quality in the region to ensure a bright future for its residents.

As part of this effort, NWARPC developed a geospatial analysis and model to better understand the distribution, condition, and vulnerability of natural infrastructure across Northwest Arkansas as part of the Phase 2 of the EEI Priority Action Plan.

By mapping and analyzing these crucial assets, the region will gain valuable insights into how to best protect, restore, and enhance natural resources for the benefit of both people and the environment.

This platform helps policymakers, planners, and community members understand Northwest Arkansas’ natural infrastructure in order to: Inform land-use planning decisions Evaluate environmental impacts Prioritize green infrastructure investments Engage community members. The Nature-Based Solutions Geospatial Analysis report can be found here.

You can also view the result of the model of analysis through the Nature Based Solutions interactive map.

Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Authorized under Section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program provided $5 billion in grants to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to develop and implement ambitious plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution.

This two-phase program provides $250 million for noncompetitive planning grants, and approximately $4. 6 billion for competitive implementation grants. CPRG Implementation Grant NWARPC Announces $36.

25 million, part of EPA’S $100 million CPRG Implementation Grant Award to Arkansas Tri-Region Coalition The Tri-Region Arkansas CPRG Coalition, including Metroplan (Little Rock-Lead), Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC), and the City of Fort Smith was awarded a $99,999,999 Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) Implementation Grant for “ Energy and Environment Innovation for the Natural State ”.

This transformative grant will fund projects throughout Central Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas, and the Arkansas River Valley, representing half the Natural State’s population. The selection is a result of the partnerships forged to develop this groundbreaking proposal, with over 50 communities, agencies, and organizations across Arkansas’ three largest metro areas. $36.

25 million of the Tri-Region Implementation Grant is allocated to projects in the Northwest Arkansas region.

NWARPC coordinated regional partners to identify and develop 18 shovel-ready “NWA Green Network” projects across ten (10) cities, and two (2) regional-serving programs, including E-bike Incentive Program and Workforce Training Program, to protect and restore natural cores and corridors and increase access to connected active transportation networks. Click here to learn more. View the NWA Green Network interactive map here .

Energy & Environment Innovation Plan Northwest Arkansas Open Space Plan Municipal Small Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s)