New Resources for Local Governments
How To Do Parking Lots Right
The Center for Urban Forest Research has produced a colorful
four-page fact sheet on planning, designing, and installing trees
in parking lots to provide shade, and improve air and water quality.
It has ideas for ensuring that you actually get the amount of shade
and other benefits that parking lot trees provide, often a problem
for programs that have good intentions. 
The fact sheet is available in pdf format on the center's web site
(http://cufr.ucdavis.edu/).
Water Conservation Practices
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a new
54-page book of case studies of water utilities conservation programs
in North America. The case studies feature the efforts and achievements
of 17 water systems, including four examples from California: Goleta,
Irvine Ranch, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California,
and Santa Monica.
The systems range in size from small to very large, and their efficiency
programs incorporate a wide range of techniques for achieving various
water management goals.
In general, water conservation programs also produce many other
environmental benefits, including reduced energy use, reduced wastewater
discharges, and protection of aquatic habitat.
These case studies illustrate some of the tangible results achieved
by water conservation programs implemented at the local level. Many
have broader relevance to other communities facing similar water
resource management and infrastructure investment issues.
The book uses the terms "water conservation" and "water
efficiency" to include water loss management, wastewater reclamation
and reuse for non-potable purposes, adoption of conservation water
rates, changes to more efficient water-using equipment, and behavioral
changes that reduce water use.
The document is available in pdf format at http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/utilityconservation.pdf.
Both of these stories were brought to our attention by the e-mail
newsletter of the Local Government Environmental Assistance Network,
a project of the International City/County Management Association.
To subscribe to their newsletter: http://www.lgean.org/html/updateservice.cfm.
| Back | Back
to Beginning |
|
