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Environmental Action Plan Progress Report
2016:
In 2015, citizens of Tacoma, partner organizations and city
staff came together to develop a plan for meeting the environmental goals
outlined in the Tacoma 2025 Strategic Plan. The resulting Environmental Action
Plan is a list of meaningful, high-priority actions the City of Tacoma and
community will take over five years to co-create a healthier environment. This week the City of Tacoma released its first annual
Environmental Action Plan Progress Report. The report summarizes successes and
offers updates that keep all of the stakeholders accountable to their five year
responsibilities. The report shows how much progress has been made towards each
target, and provides a progress rating and status update for each action.
View the 2016 Progress Report and the full Environmental Action
Plan at cityoftacoma.org/EAP.
We want to help you, the citizens
of Tacoma, learn more about Sustainability.
Our power point presentations are designed be watched on line or to have staff
scheduled to come to your event or group meetings.
1. Overview of the Office of Environmental Policy & Sustainability.
2. Food: Too Good to Waste
3. Sustainability Challenge 2.0
Call or email to schedule your
presentation today!
EnviroHouse is in year eleven of providing the Tacoma-Pierce County
community with opportunities and resources to learn more about achieving an
environmentally friendly lifestyle. In the first quarter of 2017, the
EnviroHouse welcomed close to 600 visitors to the house and grounds, including
223 attendees in 13 home and garden workshops and 49 group tour visitors.
If
you are planning an upgrade or need inspiration and ideas for a home project,
stop by the EnviroHouse and see our sustainable exhibits to help you create a
new look and a healthier environment inside and outside your home. There are
hundreds of sustainable products, green-building materials, energy and water
saving applications, landscape and garden displays plus numerous resources to
help.
Workshops are free and are open to Tacoma and Pierce County
residents. You’ll find a variety of topics including water-smart natural yard
care, native plants, gardening with herbs, composting (yard waste and with
worms), non-toxic solutions for weeds and pests, simple household repairs &
tools, making your own rain barrels, and, especially for when it finally heats
up, ductless heat pumps for heating and cooling!
Advance Registration is required: cityoftacoma.org/workshops
or call the EnviroHouse at (253) 573-2426.
Looking
for an activity for your garden club, sustainability group or students? Group
tours may be arranged by appointment. Email ehouse@cityoftacoma.org
EnviroHouse Public Hours: Wed.-Fri. 10-3; Sat.-Sun. 11-5
www.cityoftacoma.org/EnviroHouse
In 2016, the Tacoma City Council passed the Bring Your Own
Bag (BYOB) ordinance. The law goes into effect on July 12, 2017 and regulates
the use of checkout bags given to customers at stores in Tacoma. The main
elements of the law are:
- Thin plastic checkout bags will no longer be
distributed at any Tacoma retail establishments (grocery stores, convenience
stores, farmers markets and others).
- Recycled paper or reusable carryout bags can
still be distributed by retail establishments, but the retailer must collect a
minimum pass-through charge of five cents for each bag requested by customers.
- Customers must pay the pass-through charge for
paper or other retailer provided checkout bags. People with EBT/WIC/TANF benefits cards will not have to pay the
pass-through charge.
- Customers should bring their own bags when they
shop to avoid the pass-through fee.
- Bags other than checkout bags, such as produce
bags, dry cleaning bags and newspaper bags, will continue to be available for
free.
Before the law goes into effect, City staff will distribute
free reusable bags, conduct focused engagement in low-income communities, and
provide educational resources to businesses. Staff will also conduct a study of
the impacts of the law after implementation. Annually, retailers will be asked
to report to the City on the number of recycled paper carryout bags distributed
to help determine effectiveness of the law. Check cityoftacoma.org/shoppingbags for more details.
Highlights from the
2017 South Sound Sustainability Expo:
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98 vendor booths and displays
-
2,315 attendees with 68%
attending for the first time
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Nearly 100% of event survey respondents
reported an increase in knowledge about local organizations and sustainability
issues
- Standing room only for the workshops
on mason bees, electric vehicles, and tiny houses
Highlights from Tollefson Plaza:
-
1,300 attendees at Tollefson Plaza; 56% of total attendees
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300 sustainability pledges made
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50 trees given to Tacoma residents to
plant
Attendees enjoyed a
walkthrough of a tiny house, live music from local musicians, local food
trucks, and tours of electric cars.
Pearl Street
Planting Project
This project occurred in planting strip on the east side
of N Pearl St. between N 11th and N 21st, and was designed
to eliminate the need for extensive maintenance associated with overhead
power lines. Several trees were removed and along North Pearl Street. These
trees were replaced with more appropriate tree species, whose mature
height will not conflict with the overhead utilities in the future.
This one-time tree replacement saves the City annual maintenance costs,
beautifies this prominent street, and provides a sustainable canopy cover for
the future.
This tree removal and planting project was a partnership between Tacoma
Power, the City of Tacoma’s Public Works and Environmental Services
Departments, and 14 private property owners.
Accomplishments:
- 26
nuisance trees removed from under overhead powerlines
- 48
new overhead utility appropriate trees planted
Our
program team has learned to embrace these New Year rains with a smile and
worked with local high school interns to knock on 328 doors in the Lincoln
neighborhood, chatting with residents about the Lincoln District
Revitalization Project and various eco-friendly resources that
benefit our health, communities, and wallets, too. These conversations and
engagement with community groups produce dozens of referrals to partner
programs each month, to the benefit of these homes. Meanwhile, we co-organized
a well-attended Open House for the Revitalization Project and continue
oversight for a community garden and street mural to be
unveiled this summer.
And,
we’re planning for the 2017-2018 program! Suggest Tacoma neighborhoods in need
of eco-friendly, cost-saving resources to pbabbitt@cityoftacoma.org.
Washington’s
Regional Coastal Resilience Project
The Coastal Resilience Project is a three-year
effort to rapidly increase the state’s capacity to prepare for natural events
that threaten the coast, such as coastal flooding, wave damage and shoreline
erosion which will increase as climate change continues. The City of Tacoma is
acting as a case study to help understand resilience issues at a local scale by
lending its tideflats, steep slopes, restoration projects and Owen Beach to
study. Grant partners include Washington Sea Grant and WA Department of Ecology
as leads, and UW’s Climate Impacts Group, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S.
Department of Energy and others.
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