Sf:PA United States Environmental Protection Agency Region HI EPA 903-F-00-01 August 2000 mm working toward a healthy environment strong economy, and high quality of life ------- livable is your community? *-... fei. ': ' '" ? -vi" ^^k'S.; ^i i?l , ------- How livable is your community? oes your community face any of these environmental, economic, or quality-of-life issues? traffic congestion poor air qualih contaminated soil and ground water polluted streams abandoned industrial buildings vacant storefronts lack of open space and recreational opportunities flooding sprawl high unemployment 11 so, EPAs Green Communities On-Line Tool Kit can help you begin your journey toward a healthier, more livable community. The kit is packed with valuable information and links to over 1,000 other web sites. Check it out now! ..epa.gov/greenkit ------- can your community ecome a Green Community? ------- PAs Green Communities On-Line Tool Kit will lead you ^.through the following five steps: Step 1: Where Are We Now? Step 2: Where Are We doing? Step 3: Where Do We Want to Be? Step 4: How Do We Gel There? Step 5: Let's Go! To become designated hy EPA as a "Participating Green Communiiv you must first complete community planning. Steps I through 4, and must have already started making changes, Step 5. Also, at me public involvement is a critical ingredient throughout the entire process. A http://www.epa.gov/greenkit ------- of being a Green Community? ------- enve a variety ot benems trom your designation as an EPA Green Community. including a healthy environment, a strong economy, and a high quality of life. Benefits Prior to Designation Training by EPA on how to use the Green Communities On-Line Tool Kit Recommendations by EPA and its partners for adapting successful approaches to your com- munitys particular needs. Benefits ot the Time of Designation A joint community-EPA announcement, pro- viding higher visibility for your local sustain- abiiiu initiatives. A highway-approved city limit or town center sign that reads: "Vour Community, A Participating Green Community, in nwpcraiion with U.S. EPA and other sponsoi m Publication ol your community's success story in EPAs Green Communities On-Line Tool Kit. A Green Communities certificate signed by the EPA Regional Administrator. Ongoing Benefits Networking opportunities to learn about other communities' successes in pursuing suslain- ahility. Timely information about EPA grant funds that could help support your sustainability efforts. Status that can serve to leverage additional support and resources. http://www.epa.gov/greenkit ------- ere are we ------- Answering the question: "Where Arc \\c Now?" will help you take stock of your community's social, economic, and environmental assets. The resulting Community Assessment, containing maps and/or photographs, will provide a view of the present condition of youi community. It will help you idcnnh what is and what isn't working, what i^ highly valued, and what needs to be improved. As a communiiv \ou 11 In- better able to identify and rank problems based on their risks to your environment, quality of life, and economic vitality. You can then use that information to set priorities for future actions. http://www.epa.gov/greenkit ------- 1 ere are we GOING? 1 .: --"^ *- ------- Results: What arc the trends in your community? Are your activities sustainable? Will your actions today degrade the quality of life for future generations?Where will your community likely be tomorrow if nothing is done today to intervene:1 You can take several approaches in developing the Trends Analysis. For example, you may want to illustrate possible future scenarios by using text, graphs, tables, maps, and computer or hand-drawn illustrations. Tools you can use arc in the On-Line Tool Kit. http://www.epa.gov/greenkit ------- ------- Results: "Visioning" focuses on the type of community your community would like to be in the future, whether 5, 10, 20. or 30 years down the road. Capturing the values and interests of the entire community is critical to a successful visioning process. The resulting Vision Statement will help your community focus its energies and resources on achieving its identified shared goals. "A community vision is an expression oj possibility, an ideal future state that the community hopes to attain. Such a vision must be shared by the entire community so that it is truly owned by all so thai it is "ours" in the inclusive sense." uly Visioning and mint; Handbook http://www.epa.gov/greenkit ------- do we GET THERE ------- Results: Your Action Plan translates your vision into specifics on what needs to be done to become a Green Community. Action Plans should contain goals and objectives, iden- tify issues and concerns, list recom- mended actions, and assign responsibility for doing the work. Plans may also set time frames for priority actions and may include estimated funding and other resources needed for implementing them. While some communities may develop one compre- hensive Action Plan, in hers may choose to develop several plansfor instance, plans for historic preservation, pollution prevention and recycling, and nomic growth. Each plan will be part ol the larger strategy lor the community 1 lilies to consider are identifying short- and long-term actions and learning from other communities successes. Step 4: How Do We Get There? http://www.epa.gov/greenkit ------- IMF ------- Results: Implemented v Action Plans turn visions into reality only through implementation. A vari- ety of tools will help you implement your plans. Some tools can be used by high school students and interested volunteers, while others will require a high level of expertise. Once you've begun implementing your plan, you may apply to be designated as an EPA "Partici- pating Green Community." The application is contained in the On-Line Tool Kit, or a hard copy can be sent to you. Step 5: Let's Go! http://www.epa.gov/greenkit ------- II .. .government alone cannot accomplish long-term solutions to community problems.... Lasting solutions are best identified when people from throughout a community... are brought together in a spirit of cooperation to identify solutions." President's Cbilncil on Sustainable Development fry^v-^ ^fy 'W#£!^^y±&M ' ------- |