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Work groups reveal 41 actionable climate recommendations to meet carbon goals

The Routt County Climate Action Plan open house event to reveal 41 recommendations drew an attendance of about 175 people of diverse ages on Wednesday, June 21, 2023.
Suzie Romig/Steamboat Pilot & Today

With an optimistic, almost party-like vibe — complete with free commemorative pint glasses for the kombucha or beer on tap — Routt County Climate Action Plan organizers and volunteers revealed 41 actionable recommendations to help lower greenhouse gas emissions countywide.

Organizers of the open house Wednesday said they were happy that the estimated 175 people in attendance ranged from 20-somethings to retirees. The reveal-style event and presentation included printed displays spread around the auditorium at Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat Springs and outlined recommendations in five areas — energy, transportation, waste, land use and the economy.

In Routt County, the largest sectors for carbon pollution emissions include energy at 54% and transportation at 26%.



“We hope everyone left feeling inspired and ready to get involved in the implementation phase of the Climate Action Plan,” said Ashley Dean, collaborative initiatives manager at Yampa Valley Sustainability Council, the management entity for the CAP process.

“This is very regionally focused, and the recommendations were tied to the strategies that are identified and adopted in the CAP,” Dean said. “There is a strong emphasis to implement all these recommendations because that’s what’s necessary to even just meet the goals for the CAP.”



CAP goals aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Routt County by 35% by 2030 and 74% by 2050 based on a 2018 baseline emissions study. The 41 recommendations were developed through 1,400 hours of work by 65 volunteers and agency staff through the past nine months and are intended to be implemented within the next five years.

Some of the recommendations involve topics that local environmental leaders have been talking about for years, while some of the measures are full-court-press-type steps that scientists and environmentalists say are best practices, such as a recommendation for local governments to ban single-use plastics including water bottles, straws, lids and utensils.

Other recommendations include extending projects countywide that are already underway in Steamboat Springs, such as an electric vehicle readiness plan and requirements for commercial and multi-family recycling collection. Some recommendations would expand newly introduced local programs such as growing the Colorado Green Business Network of the Yampa Valley.

Some measures are what environmentalists say should already be happening to bring municipal leaders to the same page, such as requiring all new municipal building construction and capital energy equipment replacements to utilize best practice and lifecycle cost decision-making that includes a social cost of carbon.

While most of the recommendations are specific, some are vague and address big-picture issues such as an economic recommendation to fund and develop a feasibility study that examines a regional circular economy.

The Climate Action Plan working groups and overarching collaborative board solicited input in several ways during the open house and asked other community members to comment online on the draft recommendations for the next 30 days at RouttClimateAction.com/public-comment-still-welcomed.

The 41 recommendations can be found in their entirety at RouttClimateAction.com.

Energy

• All CAP governments approve the International Energy Conservation Code 2021 building code and adopt planning/zoning regulations that minimize outdoor energy use unless it is provided by a low- or no-carbon energy source, or offset by 100% renewable energy.

• CAP governments implement an energy- and carbon-reduction program targeting high-energy-use existing buildings based on their variance from an established-energy-use profile.

• Adopt policies requiring that all new municipal building construction and capital energy equipment replacements require best practice and lifecycle cost decision-making that includes a social cost of carbon.

• Engage with Atmos Energy to position Routt County as a targeted market area and implementation partner in their Clean Heat Plan scheduled for implementation in 2023.

• CAP governments and partners develop a local renewable energy plan that will replace 5% of both CAP baseline electricity and natural gas with local renewable energy.

• CAP governments develop a strategic action plan that will meet the 2050 CAP energy efficiency and beneficial electrification goals for existing residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

Transportation

• Adopt and implement a countywide electric vehicle readiness plan as well as vehicle miles-traveled reduction plans with specific benchmarks.

• The city of Steamboat Springs should identify and pursue dedicated revenue streams to support the expansion of Steamboat Springs Transit services to include increased route availability, timing and expanded service area for a 25% increase service over 2023 levels.

• Implement a voluntary carbon-offset plan for the Yampa Valley Regional Airport.

• Adopt electric vehicle readiness requirements in the next countywide building code update process.

• Complete the Colorado Department of Transportation-funded Regional Transportation Authority

• Study and bring to voters a regional transit authority for the Yampa Valley.

Waste

• Ban single-use plastics including water bottles, straws, lids and utensils.

• Require contracted residential hauling for trash and recycling as well as residential volume-based pricing for trash services.

• Require that all takeout materials be zero waste.

• Revise municipal codes/design standards to include water-bottle filling stations in commercial buildings and public spaces.

• Establish a Community Recycling Center for collection of traditional recyclables, hard-to-recycle materials, household hazardous waste, construction and demolition materials, and organics including food and yard waste. Include satellite drop sites for recyclables.

• Support compost programs accessible to all.

• Require all permitted events be zero waste and require commercial and multi-family unit recycling. Require construction and demolition diversion at all construction sites.

• Establish a regional materials recovery facility or transfer station for commingled recyclables that is accessible to all.

Land use

• Develop new projects and secure funding for climate-smart agriculture practices.

• Restore wetlands and riparian areas in Yampa River basin headwaters using low-tech restoration techniques.

• Increase capacity to accelerate tree planting on wildfire burn areas and other forested areas in need. Increase tree planting in urban and residential housing areas through government urban forestry programs.

• Plant canopy trees along the Yampa River to increase shading to help meet water temperature standards.

• Increase the area of wildfire risk mitigation projects, including prescribed burns, that help reduce the risk of large, intense fires.

• Adopt land-use regulations that establish or update appropriate wetland, stream and shoreline buffer widths and adjacent land uses and that avoid conversion of wetlands in new construction.

• Evaluate and develop smart siting/mitigation rules or guidelines for utility-scale solar development to minimize clearing of native habitat or productive agricultural lands.

• Develop land-clearing regulations and incentives for protecting natural habitat within new residential developments in the county and include protections for urban trees.

• Include strong water conservation requirements, including limits on new turf installation, in updated landscaping standards and county land-use regulations.

• Encourage the use of Land Preservation Subdivision exemptions and clustered development to protect natural habitat when 35-acre subdivisions are proposed in unincorporated areas.

Economy

• Create and incentivize green purchasing programs/policies at government and commercial levels.

• Develop and expand a buy-local campaign that promotes businesses that use low-emission production and transportation practices.

• Evaluate and pursue carbon-reduction pathways in value-added agriculture programs and pursuits.

• Support and incentivize sustainability and carbon neutral/low emission zones in industrial parks and industrial zones. Identify and pursue initiatives that support clean economy workforce development.

• Expand Colorado Green Business Network of the Yampa Valley program to educate and provide technical assistance.


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