M-NCPPC Celebrating Sustainability

Transcription

1 M-NCPPC Celebrating Sustainability Working for an environmentally sustainable future The Nature of Our Mission

2 New Sustainability Practice

3 Sustainability Coordinating Committee Members John Nissel, Deputy Director of Operations, Montgomery County Parks Ellen Bennett, Advancement Programs Manager, Brookside Gardens, HFEE Division, Montgomery County Parks Geoffrey Mason, Senior Natural Resources Specialist, Park Planning & Stewardship Division, Montgomery County Parks Christine McGrew, Acting Principal Administrative Specialist, Management & Technology Services, Montgomery County Planning Jim Poore, Chief, Facilities Management Division, Montgomery County Parks Arnold Ramsammy, Assistant Chief - Utilities, Facilities Management Division, Montgomery County Parks

4 Define sustain

5 sustain verb (used with object) 1. to support, hold, or bear up from below; bear the weight of, as a structure. 2. to bear (a burden, charge, etc.). 3. to undergo, experience, or suffer (injury, loss, etc.); endure without giving way or yielding. 4. to keep (a person, the mind, the spirits, etc.) from giving way, as under trial or affliction. 5. to keep up or keep going, as an action or process: to sustain a conversation. 5

6 Define sustainability

7 sustainability noun 1. the ability to be sustained, supported, upheld, or confirmed. 2. Environmental Science. the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance: The committee is developing sustainability standards for products that use energy. 7

8 What is Sustainability? 1. What would be important to sustain related to the environment? 2. What are you doing daily which is a part of a sustainability plan?

9 Sustainability means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. United Nations Brundtland Commission, 1987 Sustainable means using methods, systems, and materials that would not deplete resources or harm natural cycles. Rosenbaum, 1993

10 Three Pillars of Sustainability

11 Environmental Sustainability Of the three, the most important is environmental sustainability. If this is not solved, then no matter how hard we try The others cannot be made strong Because they are dependent on the greater system they live within The environment

12 Objectives of the Practice Conserve energy and water Use renewable resources Buy sustainable goods and services Build green buildings and sites Manage natural resources and habitats Train staff and public Comply with County and State mandates Promote safety, health, and wellness Create new sustainability programs and projects

13 Recycling

14 Energy Retrofit Project

15 Solar

16 Zero Waste Events Policy

17 Evans Parkway Neighborhood Park: Sustainable Sites Initiative Pilot

18 Composting Landscaping Debris at Pope Farm Nursery

19 Protect and Manage Natural Resources on parkland: Streams, forests and wildlife

20 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Clean Water and Healthy Streams

21 Volunteer Park & Stream Cleanups FY Cleanups 5,447 Volunteers 13,061 Hours 119,561 Pounds of Trash 607 Bags of Recyclables 1,138 Tires

22 TRANSPORTATION

23 CELLPHONE RECYCLING January 2012 through August ,647 Cellphones were recycled Prevented contamination of up to 65,880,000 gallons of water Reduced greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking cars of the road for a year Saved enough energy to power a laptop for 72,458 hours and provide households with electricity for an entire year MONTGOMERY COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT Prevented the release of pounds of lead into the environment Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission 1

24 MRO Community Garden

25 Trees, Trees, Trees

26 Forest Conservation Program Forest Conservation Easements State Mandated Annual Report In lieu Planting and Volunteer Program Shades of Green Forest Conservation Program Development Review Tracking Forest Mitigation Banks Internal Program Development and Analysis

27 Urban Tree Planting

28 Urban Areas Areas defined by the Urban Road Code: Existing Tree Cover Bethesda 24% Clarksburg Town Center 33% Cloverleaf Center 23% Damascus Town Center 33% Flower/Piney Branch/Arliss Center 13% Friendship Heights 31% Germantown Town Center 19% Glenmont 41% Grosvenor 44% Montgomery Hills 8% North Bethesda 23% Olney Town Center 21% Shady Grove 22% Silver Spring CBD 14% Twinbrook 16% White Flint 19% Wheaton 26%

29 Shades of Green Wheaton

30 The pilot Wheaton (26%) Montgomery Hills (8%) Bethesda (24%) Long Branch/ Piney Branch (13%) Silver Spring (14%) Westbard (?) Friendship Heights (31%)

31 2013 Partnerships: Casey Trees Pope Farm

32 Creating Sustainable Communities at the Neighborhood Scale Public Sector Initiative LEED-ERS PLANNING

33 neighborhood planning Neighborhoods and Place Making Linkage Pedestrian Orientation Compatibility and Energy Conservation Principles Environmental Protection - Mixed Use - Public Use Space - Housing Variety -Near Transit - Public Art - Pedestrian Access - Links to Transit - Streetscape - Bicycle Network - Dedication of ROW - Compatibility - Site Orientation - Solar Access - Green Neighborhood - Green Buildings - Forest Conservation - Stormwater - Tree Canopy -Coverage - Habitat Protection

34 neighborhood planning

35 Next Steps Convene Sustainability Workgroups Assessment of Current Sustainability Efforts and Goals for the Future Work to create two year Sustainability Plan for Montgomery Parks and Department of Planning

36 Content Expert Workgroups Employee Education, Training, and Engagement Community and Patrons Education and Engagement Utility/Energy Conservation Fleet Management Conservation Water Conservation and Management Sustainable Acquisition and Use of Agency Supplies Recycling and Solid Waste Management Sustainable Infrastructure and Natural Areas Natural Resources and Habitat Preservation Health and Wellness

37 The Nature of Our Mission At M-NCPPC, sustainability is the nature of our mission Healthy communities, economic viability, and the natural environment Contributing to a better quality of life in Montgomery County

38 Questions