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- Why Sustainability?
- Why The Natural Step?
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- As service providers and major employers, both the City and County of La
Crosse have huge impacts on the environment.
- The City consumes approximately 20.4 million kWh’s in electricity per
year.
- This is, on average, a 6.4% increase since 2006.
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- City & County impacts continued:
- Our Municipal Transit Utility (MTU) consumes over 154,000 gallons of
diesel fuel each year.
- Overall miles per gallon has improved to around 4.95 mpg from 4.16 mpg
in 1994.
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- City & County impacts continued:
- There are over 220 miles of paved streets within the City of La Crosse.
- La Crosse County hauls approximately 125,000 tons of solid waste each
year.
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- Plan B 2.0 by Lester Brown outlines a number of indicators related to
chemical and air pollution, among others.
- There are tremendous impacts to our environment caused by the burning of
fossil fuels, synthetic chemicals and habitat destruction.
- Most of us are carrying around several hundred chemicals in our body fat
that don’t belong there, according to Theo Colburn, scientist.
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- Because the City & County are both consumers of our resources and
stewards of our environment, we must incorporate the principles of
sustainability.
- “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their needs.” -- U.N. Brundtland Report, 1987
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- Four system conditions are:
- Nature is not subject to systematically increasing concentrations of
substances extracted from the Earth’s crust.
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- Four system conditions are:
- Nature is not subject to systematically increasing concentrations of
substances produced by society.
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- Four system conditions are:
- Nature is not subject to systematically increasing degradation by
physical means.
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- Four system conditions are:
- People are not subject to conditions that systematically undermine
their capacity to meet their needs.
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- Why The Natural Step Framework?
- Developed by a group of scientists in Sweden in 1980’s.
- Led by leading researcher in childhood cancers, Dr. Karl-Henrik Robčrt
became convinced that environmental factors were the cause of rising
cancer rates.
- That work eventually led to four system conditions, a planning process
and a metaphor.
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- What is The Natural Step Process?
- A planning process that involves “Backcasting” from a desirable future.
- Uses A-B-C-D approach.
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- What is The Natural Step Process?
- Awareness: Understanding sustainability & The Natural Step
Framework.
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- What is The Natural Step Process?
- Baseline Mapping: An assessment of “today.”
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- What is The Natural Step Process?
- Compelling Vision: Creating a positive vision of a desired future.
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- What is The Natural Step Process?
- Down to Action: Prioritize and manage opportunities.
- The Chequamegon Bay area in Northern Wisconsin created a strategic plan.
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- What is The Natural Step Framework?
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- The Natural Step Framework has been implemented by cities and villages
all over the world.
- Applicable to any sized municipality.
- Currently being studied and utilized in Wisconsin communities: Washburn, Ashland, Madison, La Crosse,
Jefferson, Marshfield, among others.
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- What is an Eco-Municipality?
- A city, town or county that seeks to develop an ecologically, socially,
and economically healthy community.
- The eco-municipality model uses a systems approach to development, and
uses The Natural Step Framework as a guideline.
- It involves citizens and sectors of the larger community in the process
of becoming a sustainable community.
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- Earlier this year, both the City & County of La Crosse adopted resolutions
endorsing The Natural Step and its principles of sustainable development.
- The resolutions created the Joint Oversight Committee on Sustainability.
- Membership in the JOCS includes City, County and Community
representatives.
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- The resolutions established the goal for the City & County to become
Eco-Municipalities.
- The resolutions also directed the JOCS to create a sustainable action
plan or “to do” list for the City & County.
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- Raising Awareness &
- Celebrating Success!!!
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- The La Crosse planning process:
- Awareness: Understanding
sustainability & The Natural Step Framework.
- The community has hosted three study circles and has two more planned
this fall.
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- The La Crosse planning process:
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- April 2007 Country Home magazine ranked La Crosse as the “4th
best green small city in the United States!”
- The rankings looked at air and water quality, mass transit use, farmers
markets and organic groceries.
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- In 2006 the Gathering Waters Conservancy named the City of La Crosse as
the “Policy Maker of the Year” for the Bluffland Protection program.
- The City, in partnership with the Mississippi Valley Conservancy, has
preserved more than 700 acres of blufflands.
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- In 2007 the League of American Bicyclists named the City of La Crosse a
Bronze level “Bicycle Friendly Community.”
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- The La Crosse planning process:
- Baseline Mapping: An assessment
of “today.”
- Staff is measuring indicators in the following areas:
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- La Crosse is measuring:
- Energy consumption, conservation & efficiency
- Water consumption, conservation & quality
- Waste generation & recycling
- Habitat protection & restoration
- Sustainable agriculture & local foods
- Transportation & transit
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- La Crosse is measuring:
- Green building & LEED certification
- Affordable housing programs
- Green & Healthy schools
- Redevelopment projects
- Green purchasing policies
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- Energy consumption, conservation & efficiency:
- Approximately 20% of the City’s energy is created by the Xcel Energy
waste-to-energy facility on French Island.
- The facility processes approximately 100,000 tons of waste per year.
- And burns a mixture of 50/50 solid waste & wood fuel (railroad
ties, scrap and sawdust)
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- Energy consumption, conservation & efficiency:
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- Energy consumption, conservation & efficiency:
- Gundersen-Lutheran Healthcare is incorporating a number of energy
conservation & renewable measures.
- Working with City Brewery to turn waste methane into energy.
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- Water consumption, conservation & quality:
- The City has constructed a rain garden demonstration project.
- The City also works with private property owners to construct rain
gardens.
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- Waste generation & recycling:
- La Crosse County has implemented a household hazardous waste &
recycling program.
- La Crosse County has also implemented a shingle recycling program.
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- Waste generation & recycling:
- Since 2006 when it opened, the La Crosse Habitat Re-store has saved
over 60 tons of building materials from the landfill.
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- Habitat protection & restoration:
- Bluffland Protection Program.
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- Habitat protection & restoration:
- Boulevard Restoration & Tree City USA.
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- Habitat protection & restoration:
- Boulevard Restoration & Tree City USA.
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- Habitat protection & restoration:
- Boulevard Restoration & Tree City USA.
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- Sustainable agriculture & local foods:
- Food Co-ops & farmer’s markets.
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- Sustainable agriculture & local foods:
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- Transportation & transit:
- In 1990, 69.1% of City commuter trips were by private automobile.
- In 2000, this number was 75.6%.
- In 1990, 74.2% of County commuter trips were by private automobile.
- In 2000, this number was 89.9%.
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- Transportation & transit:
- Transit rider ship is approximately 975,000 trips annually.
- This is a 3.5% increase since 2004.
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- Transportation & transit:
- The La Crosse area contains over 100 miles of pedestrian and bicycle
trails.
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- Transportation & transit:
- The City has adopted an ordinance allowing neighborhood electric
vehicles.
- La Crosse County has purchased two hybrid vehicles for their fleet.
- Gundersen-Lutheran Healthcare has purchased four hybrid vehicles for
their fleet.
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- Green building & LEED certification:
- Madison developer Gorman & Company recently redeveloped the former
Gund Brewery.
- Facility includes solar hot water.
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- Green building & LEED certification:
- Gundersen-Lutheran developing parking ramp that will generate all of
its own energy needs including solar panels.
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- Affordable housing programs:
- The City administers two programs including the housing replacement
program.
- 23 houses have been completed and are now occupied by low-income
families.
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- Affordable housing programs:
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- Affordable housing programs:
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- Green & Healthy schools:
- In addition to energy conservation efforts.
- The City of La Crosse & La Crosse School District have developed a
“Safe Routes to School” program.
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- Green & Healthy schools:
- Safe Routes to School plan analyzed physical infrastructure, where
students lived, transit availability and vehicle/ped/bike crashes.
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- Redevelopment projects:
- Transit Center in Downtown La Crosse.
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- Redevelopment projects:
- Former La Crosse Business College & Rowley’s Office Supply in
Downtown La Crosse.
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- Green purchasing policies:
- City has developed a central purchasing supply process.
- City is collaborating with both La Crosse County and La Crosse School
District.
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- Green purchasing policies:
- City purchases many green products and is researching more.
- Georgia Pacific compact coreless toilet paper, Envision Jumbo toilet
paper, and Envision Singlefold paper towels.
- Zep Powerhouse cleaning spray.
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- Summary of La Crosse process:
- The Natural Step Framework.
- A-B-C-D planning process.
- Celebrate successes!!!
- Coordination of all of the various efforts.
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- Contact:
- Tim Kabat
- City of La Crosse Planning Department
- 400 La Crosse Street
- La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601
- 608.789.7512
- kabatt@cityoflacrosse.org
- www.cityoflacrosse.org
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Notes
