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local leaders in county, city and private industry. In 2003 the awards will be given to 4-6 additional communities. The Byte-Back Program continues to increase the amount of electronics components deterred from landfills. The program began in 2001 and is a collaboration of Voices & Choices and Computel, Inc. - a local computer/electronics supply firm. Computel accepts many electronic devices including televisions and separates the devices into true scrap and recyclable parts. Last year we diverted over 400 tons from landfills. The 2002 total figures are not in yet, but to date we are 12% above the third quarter figures of last year. Voices & Choices applied for and received a $5,000 grant from the NC Department of Pollution, Prevention & Environmental Assistance to produce and distribute a promotional brochure about Byte Back. Ten thousand brochures were printed and we are currently working to get them out to the public. Voices & Choices fostered the concept and enlisted the Charlotte Regional Partnership in the formulation and dissemination of the first Annual Regional Report Card. This project will include assessing the status and trends of the region in the areas of Quality of Life, Transportation and Economic Vitality and Attractiveness. The Report Card will first be revealed to a summit of the most influential 100-150 business leaders within the region the Spring of 2003. The report card and comments from the business leaders will then be taken to the elected officials in a summit held separately for them. Public outreach with the report card findings will take place in numerous meetings and town forums, some of which will be televised. Voices & Choices and The Trust for Public Land agreed to form a formal alliance to develop and implement a Greenway System connecting four-counties, six-cities that would extend for 150 miles, making it one of the largest and most comprehensive in the nation. V&C is currently working with Mecklenburg County, the Sugar Creek Greenway Committee, the Nation Ford Land Trust, Lancaster County, York County, Rock Hill, Gaston County and Gastonia on the project. The project is just beginning and representatives met for the first time in December. The next step is to present the groups with a conceptual structure to the organization of the project. We continue to work closely with the Centralina and Catawba Regional COGs on the Regional Planning Alliance. Roles are currently being defined and to date we have been asked to oversee facilitation and collaboration of the environmental, grass-roots groups within the region. Voices and Choices began the process for independent status from the Foundation. Beginning January 2003, V&C will have an outside CPA, accounting firm, separate bank account and payroll service. An FEIN was applied for and received and the application for non-profit tax- exempt status was submitted in October 2002. The approval fi'om the Federal Government is expected in early 2003.