There is a sea of acronyms churning at the local government level.

Yet, presenters should break away from the lingo upon occasion. It may help to briefly define what each program is and what it does.

Fast-forwarding on an acronym could leave a few listeners behind. Part of the grass roots government process can be lost if the public does not understand.

Some senior citizens may not catch the quick reference to a program's abbreviated name. Budding interest from younger audiences could wane without full their full meaning. Here are just a few examples:

Planning

ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act. An act requiring easier access and use in public buildings for those with disabilities. Requirements include parking, doors and bathrooms.

PUDs - Planned Use Districts.

MIDAbonds - Municipal, Industrial Development Administration funding.

TIF - Tax Increment Financing.

MRI bonds - Municipal Rural and Industrial funds.

CDBG - Community Development Block Grants.

Transportation

NDDOT - North Dakota Department of Transportation.

MPO - The Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Planning Organization. It works on future road projects.

LRTP - The Long Range Transportation Plan, created for the Bismarck-Mandan area. MPO completes this for 20-year road planning. The plan identifies transportation needs for communities. It prioritizes projects, and looks at costs and financing.

North-South Beltway - A 25-year plan to find routes that ease traffic around Bismarck-Mandan.

TIP - Transportation Improvement Program. It plans federal road projects in Bismarck-Mandan for four years.

UPWP - Unified Planning Work Program. It helps MPO look at what studies communities wish to complete every two years.

STIP - Federal State Transportation Improvement Program. Incorporates all NDDOT projects on statewide basis. Funding consists of combo of federal, state and local matching funds.

FTA - Federal Transportation Administration.

TE - Transportation Enhancement program. These are federal transportation dollars earmarked for recreation purposes. NDDOT gives out the money for multi-use paths, landscaping of transportation corridor and historical features.

FAA - Federal Aviation Administration, the agency which oversees airport regulations and funds.

EAS - Essential Air Service. A federal aviation subsidy that ensures smaller airports will continue air service based upon need.

LED - Light Emitting Diode for a street light project.

Economic development

BMDA - Bismarck Mandan Development Association.

CVB - Convention and Visitors Bureau. Seeks activities that brings more visitor-generated revenue into town.

Water

FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency.

CFS - Cubic feet per second, as in how much water was released from the Garrison Dam.

Health

HIPAA - the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which protects the privacy of health patients.

Education

NCLB - No Child Left Behind.

AYP - Annual Yearly Progress report for the No Child Left Behind program. It measures test proficiency for different grade levels.

CAB - Central Administration Building for the Mandan School District.

GPA - Great Plains Sixth Grade Academy, also known as the former junior high school in Mandan.

MREC - Missouri River Educational Cooperative. a group of school districts that offer incentive programs to its school members.

Workers

WSI - Workforce Safety and Insurance, the former state workers compensation program.

OSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Agriculture

USDA - United States Department of Agriculture.

APUC - Agricultural Products Utilization Commission. It awards grants to develop value-added ag products.

(Reach reporter LeAnn Eckroth at 250-8264 or leann.eckroth@bismarcktribune.com.)