Thursday, January 03, 2013
Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County has adopted an Environmental Sustainability Plan to encourage more local participation in strategies for protecting and conserving natural resources, reducing waste and pollution, and contributing to a healthier environment.
"This plan clearly describes Boulder County’s environmental sustainability accomplishments, and lays out the strategy and vision for next steps," said County Commissioner Cindy Domenico. "We look forward to input from the public as we move forward."
The plan was adopted today with slight modifications following an hour-long public hearing where members of the public provided feedback and input on the proposed plan.
“Boulder County has made great strides with programs like the ClimateSmart Loan program, BuildSmart and EnergySmart programs," said County Commissioner Will Toor. “The plan sets a vision for how we can continue to move forward towards a more sustainable future.”
County Commissioner Deb Gardner added, “What really shows in this plan is the enthusiasm and collaborative spirit of everyone who contributed to it, including staff from all county departments. We all look forward to seeing the plan implemented as well as the incorporation of the social and economic pieces of sustainability as we move forward.”
The next phase of the environmental sustainability planning process will be to solicit feedback and insight from the greater public, key stakeholders and experts on what is missing from the plan and how to best carry out the strategies outlined. It is also hoped that the plan will act as a launching point to help set community wide environmental priorities and develop shared resources to achieve more regional environmental sustainability goals.
“My team is thrilled about the adoption of the plan, and knows that this reflects Boulder County’s commitment to environmental sustainability,” said Boulder County Sustainability Coordinator, Susie Strife.” We’re excited to begin the implementation process and look forward to including key stakeholders and the public on how to best achieve tangible results from the plan.”
The plan addresses county internal operations as well as the environmental services provided for residents and businesses. It is broken into nine categories including air quality, climate, ecological health, energy and buildings, health and wellness, local food and agriculture, transportation, water and zero waste.
Each section concludes with policy priorities and actions that employees, residents and businesses can take to positively impact Boulder County. More specific timeframes, funding sources, selection of implementation leaders and/or partners will be addressed in an implementation plan.
For a copy of the plan, visit: http://www.bouldercounty.org/sustainability/bc/pages/envsustainabilityplan.aspx
Barbara Halpin
Boulder County Public Information Officer
BHALPIN@bouldercounty.org
303-441-1622
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