Keep Texas Beautiful, in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation, is excited to announce the 2018 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards (GCAA). For more than 30 years, these prestigious awards have been awarded Texas communities for outstanding efforts to keep their communities beautiful.
This year, ten winning communities will share $2 million in landscape awards from the Texas Department of Transportation, with the amount based on population size. The funds are used for landscaping projects along local rights-of-way. Each winning community will be awarded a cash prize according to their population size category.
Landscape Awards by Population Size Categories
|
Category |
Population |
Landscape Award Amount |
|
Category 1 |
Up to 3,000 |
$90,000 |
|
Category 2 |
3,001 – 5,500 |
$110,000 |
|
Category 3 |
5,501 – 9,000 |
$130,000 |
|
Category 4 |
9,001 – 15,000 |
$160,000 |
|
Category 5 |
15,001 – 25,000 |
$180,000 |
|
Category 6 |
25,001 – 40,000 |
$210,000 |
|
Category 7 |
40,001 – 65,000 |
$250,000 |
|
Category 8 |
65,001 – 90,000 |
$270,000 |
|
Category 9 |
90,001 – 180,000 |
$290,000 |
|
Category 10 |
over 180,000 |
$310,000 |
A community’s environmental program is judged on achievements in seven areas:
- Community Leadership and Coordination
- Public Awareness
- Education
- Beautification and Community Improvement
- Litter Prevention and Cleanup
- Solid Waste Management
- Litter Law and Illegal Dumping Enforcement
For those who have applied to the GCAA in the past, you will notice a few things are different. Most importantly, the application process is now entirely online! Other changes:
- Population categories have been updated using the 2015 census
- Photo collages will no longer be accepted in the portfolio
- Portfolios may only contain photographs, not images (no art or design pieces)
- The application fee is now $25
The new application boils the whole application process down to five simple steps:
Step One
Review the GCAA Guidelines and Eligibility Requirements.
Step Two
Visit our new Awards Software and create an account.
Step Three
Once you’re ready to begin, select GCAA at the top to begin your application.
Step Four
Answer all questions and upload all supplemental information. Don’t forget to save as you go! This will allow you to leave the page and return at a later time if needed.
Step Five
Once you’ve completed your application, submit and pay. You’ll have a chance to save a copy of your application when you’re finished.
Step Six
Pay the $25 fee online with a credit card or mail your check to:
Keep Texas Beautiful- GCAA
8850 Business Park Drive, Ste 200
Austin, Texas 78759
Relax – you’re finished! Congratulations on completing the 2018 GCAA application!
Remember! Every community in Texas can win! Though many applicants come from communities that are part of the Keep Texas Beautiful affiliate network, that is not a requirement to apply. Our goal is to recognize and assist communities with comprehensive environmental and beautification programs. To give applying communities time to compile needed information, all application questions have already been released on this blog. The application for the 2018 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards will open on our website (https://ktb.org) on January 1, 2018.
