Publication Summary

This plan has been written in response to Executive Order 02-03 which requires state agencies to create plans to reduce their environmental footprint. All businesses, government agencies included, consume natural resources, dispose of wastes, and generate air pollution and water pollution. As we do this, we are spending money managing those wastes and pollution and impacting the communities that host our facilities.

This plan is organized into 5 goals. The goals focus on buildings and grounds, employee support services, supporting sustainable communities, regulatory activities and employee involvement and awareness.

The plan identifies those responsible for accomplishing the strategies with anticipated dates of completion.

This is an ambitious plan. It is intended to push the agency beyond the familiar. We anticipate that we will accomplish the strategies discussed in the plan. And, we may run into unanticipated barriers that will prevent progress. In any event, we will continue to set the pace and maintain the vision that has brought us to this point, as illustrated by our prior successes.

Funding new initiatives is always a challenge within government. It is especially challenging now, due to revenue shortfalls and budget cuts. With that in mind, the agency is looking at funding alternatives to implement this plan. One potential idea is to create a Sustainability Reinvestment Pool. Using this approach, savings realized through sustainability strategies could be used to help fund others.

Employees will be encouraged to continue to provide input, even after we implement the plan. We will set up a system to update the plan that will allow for infusion of new ideas. The plan, rather than publishing a paper document, will be presented on the agency web site. We will track our accomplishments and present the results as well.

Updates and revisions will be inevitable as we learn. Many strategies outlined in this plan have not been tried before. We believe that we can accomplish them, but breaking new trail is often not easy. Sometimes you have to back track and re-direct efforts. Where appropriate we will use the "plan, do, check, act" cycle of total quality improvement.