Sustainable City Network Magazine - Vol. 21 - October 2016

FOR LEADERS IN GOVERNMENT, EDUCATION & HEALTHCARE.

SUSTAINABLE CITY NETWORK

VOLUME 21 October 2016

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RALEIGH: 21ST CENTURY CITY OF INNOVATION

BEST OF

E CITY SUSTAINAWBL ORK NET

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10 TREE PESTS COST U.S. COMMUNITIES $2 BILLION PER YEAR 14 SMALL TOWNS SHARE A ROADMAP TO ECONOMIC RECOVERY 22 TENNESSEE CITY BUILDS OUTDOOR CLASSROOM TO TEACH SUSTAINABILITY

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10TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OCTOBER 3-4 2017

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A two-day sustainability conference for municipal and business professionals.

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contents

cover story

RALEIGH: 21ST CENTURY CITY OF INNOVATION

Tree Pests Cost U.S. Communities $2 Billion Per Year

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Soil Erosion is Everyone’s Problem

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Small Towns Share a Roadmap to Economic Recovery

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New Tool Helps Improve Transportation and Health Policies

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Wetland Restoration Promises Many Benefits 20

Photo: Rossie Izlar

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VOLUME 21 October 2016

Tennessee City Builds Outdoor Classroom to Teach Sustainability

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Putting Schools in the Right Spots

25

Transforming Agricultural Waste into Fertilizer

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Can More Cattle Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

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Sustainable City Network Magazine

The Best of Sustainable City Network is a quarterly magazine highlighting the most popular articles posted on sCityNetwork.com, an online trade publication that serves government, education and healthcare institutions in all 50 U.S. states and the provinces of Canada.

The magazine is available in print or as a digital download at www.sCityNetwork.com/bestof.

The opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sustainable City Network or WoodwardBizMedia.

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Sustainable City Network magazine is produced by WoodwardBizMedia, a division of Woodward Communications, Inc. GROUP PUBLISHER Karen Ruden PUBLISHER & EXECUTIVE EDITOR Randy Rodgers ASSOCIATE EDITORS Kathy Regan Michael Manning BUSINESS MANAGER Maggie Vetsch CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alle Crampton Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies F. Alan Shirk Fred Love Jessica Chapman Mary Glindinning Patrick Lindsey Vaughn Cassidy CREATIVE DESIGN Eric Faramus Unless otherwise noted, all images used throughout © 2016 Ingimage, all rights reserved.

Sustainable City Network 801 Bluff Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001 Visit Us On The Web sCityNetwork.com Printed on recycled paper

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Upcoming Online Courses Seven Steps to Improving Your Organization’s Online Presence, Search Engine Ranking and Lead Conversion

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Sustainability in Raleigh, N.C.

Free 1-Hour Webinar – Oct. 27, 2016 Megan Anderson, Raleigh sustainability manager, and her colleagues will explain how one of the fastest growing cities in America is doing its best to grow smart and responsibly as its booming economy attracts more than 60 new residents per day. A leader in alternative fuels, electric vehicle charging stations, LED streetlights, energy analytics in city buildings, renewable energy and more, this “21st Century City of Innovation” has made sustainability a top priority, thanks to a supportive city council and a team of dedicated staff. Tune in to find out how they’re doing it.

Register now at http://sCityNetwork.com/Raleigh

from the editor Welcome to Sustainable City Network Magazine – the Best of sCityNetwork.com! This quarterly magazine is a compilation of the most popular articles on our web site and in our email newsletter, the InBox, which is delivered to more than 40,000 leaders in government, education and healthcare across the U.S. and Canada. Sustainable City Network produces advertiser-supported, non-partisan articles, webinars, trade shows and white papers that provide local institutions with quality, organized and timely information about sustainability projects, plans and best practices. This magazine is another way we fulfill our mission.

Randy Rodgers Publisher & Executive Editor SUSTAINABLE CITY NETWORK www.sCityNetwork.com 801 Bluff Street Dubuque, IA 52001 563.588.3853 randy@scitynetwork.com

OUR MISSION “To make U.S. cities more sustainable through quality and well-organized information.”

In this issue, we continue our Leaderboard Series with a profile of Raleigh, N.C. You’ll learn how this state capital, county seat and college town is trying to grow smart as its booming economy attracts more than 60 new residents per day.

In our cover story, you’ll meet Sustainability Manager Megan Anderson, Energy Manager Suzanne Walker, Senior Stormwater Engineer Scott Bryant, and Assistant Public Utility Director T.J. Lynch, who will explain how city staff is working with elected officials and community groups to make the city more sustainable even as its population explodes. Anderson and her colleagues will also be featured in an upcoming free Sustainable City Network webinar (sign up for the live event or download the recording afterwards at http://sCityNetwork.com/Raleigh).

In other top stories: Trees are an integral and cherished feature of most American cities, and now they are under attack more than ever before. Tree pests, mostly imported from overseas in wooden shipping containers, are costing U.S. cities $2 billion per year. A new report by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies calls for more investment into preventative steps against this problem, which is widespread in all 50 states.

Other articles in this issue focus on soil erosion, small-town economic recovery, the Transportation Health Tool, wetland restoration, edible gardening, the Smart School Siting Tool, and large-scale composting, among other topics.

The articles in this magazine have been selected by our readers. We’ve packaged them together in this convenient magazine format, available as a digital download or in print at sCityNetwork.com/Bestof.

We hope you find value inside.

City of Kiel WWTP, Wisconsin Unison Solutions Inc., based in Dubuque, Iowa is proud to be part of the team at this municipal treatment plant site. The anaerobic digesters produce 140 scfm of biogas which is treated with the biogas conditioning equipment designed and built by Unison Solutions. After removing hydrogen sulfide, moisture, and siloxanes, the gas is used to fuel a 280 kW Tech 3 engine. In addition to the electricity production, the heat from the system is used to supply hot water for the digestion process and to heat the facilities buildings. Learn more about it at www.unisonsolutions.com

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RALEIGH:

21ST CENTURY CITY OF INNOVATION NORTH CAROLINA CAPITAL GROWS FAST… AND SMART

BY RANDY RODGERS, PUBLISHER & EXECUTIVE EDITOR

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“We are a 21st Century City of Innovation focusing on environmental, cultural and economic sustainability.”

So proclaims the Raleigh, N.C. City Council in the leading sentence of its mission statement.

“So, our population growth is just crazy,” Anderson said. “It’s exciting, but also a lot to keep up with,” she said. “We want to grow smart.”

“I think that’s a pretty strong statement in support of the work we do,” said Raleigh Sustainability Manager Megan Anderson.

According to U.S. Census data, Raleigh’s population grew 49 percent between 2001 and 2014. As of 2015, it was the second largest city in North Carolina with 451,066 people. Raleigh is the seat of Wake County, which now has a population exceeding 1 million people.

Elected officials putting sustainability at the top of the agenda might seem a bit uncommon in a southern state where Republicans occupy the governor’s mansion and have commanding majorities in both chambers of the statehouse. But Raleigh – the state capital, county seat and college town – has always been more progressive than the state at large, and its rapid growth in recent years has helped make North Carolina a “swing state” in national elections of late.

In fact, perhaps the biggest challenge facing Raleigh now is its own success. With a booming economy that attracts more than 60 new residents per day, managing the growth has become more than a fulltime job. In 2015, Forbes ranked Raleigh number two on its list of best places for businesses and careers. Its portfolio of local companies is heavily laden with high-tech giants, bio-tech research firms, banking/ financial services, pharmaceutical companies and huge healthcare centers.

With all those high-tech companies and more than a dozen public and private colleges in town, Raleigh is also ranked as one of the most educated cities in America. It is one of the three cities and their respective research universities that make up the “Research Triangle” of Durham (Duke University), Chapel Hill (the University of North Carolina) and Raleigh (NC State University).

Megan Anderson is sustainability manager at the city of Raleigh, N.C.

Suzanne Walker is energy manager at the city of Raleigh, N.C.

Going Green The city of Raleigh opened its Office of Sustainability in 2008. The department reports directly to the city manager, which gives it easy access to every other department in city government. It now has three full-time and one part-time staff members who are sometimes supplemented with various fellows, interns and temporary staff that work closely with other departments and community partners to implement the city’s many sustainability initiatives.

Aside from its explosive growth, the city’s key sustainability “stressors” include reoccurring floods interspersed with periods of drought, exacerbated by the occasional hurricane. Protecting vulnerable populations and infrastructure from the intensifying effects of climate change has become a motivating factor in the city’s overall efforts to improve resiliency, Anderson said.

Last year, Raleigh was recognized as a 4-Star Community by the Star Communities sustainability rating system, scoring highest in the categories of Health & Safety and Economy & Jobs – not a big surprise, but it also pointed out some of the areas Raleigh needs to improve, particularly in infrastructure and the built environment.

Scott Bryant is senior engineer at the city of Raleigh Stormwater Management Division.

T.J. Lynch is assistant public utility director in the city of Raleigh Public Utilities Department.

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“The Star Communities process was a great benchmarking tool for us and was so interesting that we weaved it into our strategic plan,” Anderson said. “It showed us that it’s not just the big things you do, but also all the little things that add up.”

Energy Management Raleigh has been a leader in North Carolina and across the nation in energy conservation and renewable energy initiatives. It has been recognized for its use and support of alternative fuel vehicles, electric vehicle charging stations and energy analytics systems in its buildings.

In 2006 it became the first LED City in the world in partnership with CREE, and its convention center was the one of the first in the nation to be LEED Silver certified, according to Anderson.

As the city’s population has grown, so have its municipal facilities.

Suzanne Walker, Raleigh’s energy manager, said the square footage of city facilities recently increased 25 percent in 24 months. As new and expanded facilities come online the city’s approach to reducing fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions has focused on technology, collaborating with partners and taking a holistic approach to managing energy, Walker said.

“We have a very integrated facility management control and security system deployed in over 120 buildings now,” she said. “So, as the city was growing we were putting these smart building systems in place so we can manage the lighting; we can manage the HVAC, the submetering, the electrical.”

A Roadmap to Raleigh’s Energy Future: Climate/Energy Action Plan was approved by the City Council in 2012, according to project manager Cindy Holmes. It focused on a dollars and sense approach since the aggregated energy accounts for the City of Raleigh represent the second largest operating expense, surpassed only by personnel-related expenses.

Strategic focus areas were established that have been guiding the sustainability office ever since and include transforming the city’s fleet to cleaner alternative fuels and/or electricity, increasing the energy efficiency of its buildings, implementing a wide variety of renewable energy projects, and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.

Transportation Walker said the Raleigh Union Station project, a multi-modal transit center scheduled to open in 2017, is a great example of collaboration between the local, state and federal governments as well as GoTriangle, the regional transit authority in Wake County, and other partners. The project is part of a broader initiative to increase capacity, efficiency and safety in the railroad corridor between Raleigh and Charlotte.

The city has administered its own bus transit fleet since 1975. It operates 29 bus routes as well as a free downtown circulator service that runs in two 30-minute loops, so designated stops see a bus about every 15 minutes. As the city has grown, so has demand for improvements and more options in the transit system, Anderson said. The Union Station project is a major initiative in that direction and other regional projects are also in the planning stages, she said.

■■ Biofuel Trailer

Photo: City of Raleigh

A grant provided funds to develop a vertically integrated biofuel processor that can clean, crush and process sunflower and/or soybean into biofuels onsite for use in the Raleigh municipal fleet. The completed biofuel processor is self-contained, enclosed in this 46-foot trailer and powered by a generator fueled sustainably by the very biofuel it produces.

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A City within a Park Anderson said the Union Station project will include landscaping that provides support for bees and other pollinators, part of a long-term effort to improve pollinator habitats throughout the city. “There are a lot of local things going on with bee keeping,” she said, “on top of roofs at different buildings around the city, and we’re putting pollinator habitat in parks and in flood-prone areas of the city.”

“Because, that’s really what it’s going to take,” Bryant said. “It’s going to take the entire city’s efforts and all the residents in the community working together to manage stormwater better and to protect our resources and have a sustainable community.”

Raleigh, and North Carolina in general, is fortunate to have no combined sewer systems, Bryant said. But, the city has experienced an increasing

“Our IT department has been pretty innovative and they’ve won a lot of awards for getting involved in a lot of projects,” Anderson said. “Recently, we were having some issues with our downtown. Because of our growth we were starting to see some issues with keeping it clean. So, we got together with our solid waste department, IT, sustainability and parks & rec… and in a matter of about two weeks we came up with a little litter audit app that basically identifies our hot spots and tells us where to focus.

Then we built that into a longer process for coming up with a downtown clean plan that expanded way beyond just cleaning up litter,” she said.

Photo: City of Raleigh

With so many parks and green spaces, some folks joke that Raleigh is a “city within a park,” rather than the other way around, Walker said. Known as the “City of Oaks” for its many oak trees, Raleigh is proud of its 200-plus parks, four nature preserves and 117 miles of greenway trails, all of which combine to occupy 9,829 acres within the city. Keeping its streets and parks clean has been increasingly more difficult as the city has grown, and Anderson said Raleigh has developed a high-tech solution to assist.

■■ Tesla

A Tesla electric car gets charged at one of the charging stations installed by the city of Raleigh, N.C. The city has installed 29 charging stations; 18 are public charging stations and 11 are fleet charging stations.

Stormwater Management Scott Bryant, senior engineer at the City of Raleigh Stormwater Management Division, said the city’s stormwater utility is funded by a single-family residential user fee that averages about $5 per month.

Commercial and multi-family residential property owners pay fees based on the total impervious area of their properties (mostly roofs, driveways and parking lots). Those fees can be reduced when property owners install green infrastructure or take other measures to manage the stormwater on site. The utility fees generated about $23.7 million for the current fiscal year, Bryant said.

That money is spent on programs that provide flood control, reduce stream erosion, fund green infrastructure projects, restore water quality in designated “impaired streams,” reduce nitrogen and other nutrient loads in waterways, and expand volunteer engagement programs. He said Raleigh citizens have recently volunteered more than 1,500 hours per year on programs that clean up rivers and streams, mark storm drains to discourage illegal discharges, and monitor water quality in area waterways with city-provided testing equipment and training.

number of street and structure flood events in recent years and has 32.4 miles of EPA-designated “impaired streams,” where water is considered too polluted to meet the water quality standards established by the Clean Water Act. The Stormwater Management Division has a capital improvement program that is designed to focus on reducing floods, improving water quality and completing watershed studies to identify existing and potential future drainage system problems. The division has completed 125 projects at a cost of $31 million since 2004.

Turning Wastewater Treatment into ‘Resource Management’ The Raleigh Public Utilities Department has historically been the largest energy user in the city, and the department with the largest carbon footprint. But, according to Assistant Public Utility Director T.J. Lynch, all that is about to change.

About a year ago, the city changed the name of its Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant to the Neuse River Resource Recovery [7]

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Facility. The change reflected the city’s long-term goal of converting its 60-million-gallons-per-day treatment plant from an energy hog into an energy producer.

Lynch said the city is planning to install a $90 million anaerobic digester system at the facility. The project is in the detailed design phase and the city was recently promised a $50 million zero-interest loan from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s revolving loan program to help complete the project.

Once complete, the system will produce methane gas that can be used to make biofuel for vehicles or natural gas to produce heat and/ or electricity. The final decision about how to use the methane has not been made yet, but Lynch said the goal is to reduce the facility’s energy demand by 2.12 MW per day.

“That’s a huge shift for us,” he said.

Part of that plan includes the ability to accept fats, oils and grease (FOG) from restaurants and food processors to generate even more methane.

Currently, some FOG waste is being sent to rendering companies that convert it to biodiesel, but Lynch said most of it is taken to a farm field and land applied or illegally dumped into the sanitary sewer system where it clogs pipes and causes overflows.

“So, while we were planning this project, we decided it would be prudent to provide a beneficial outlet for this material,” Lynch said.

The city currently uses an aerobic process to create biosolids that it then uses to fertilize more than 1,000 acres of farmland the city owns surrounding the plant.

“We purposely grow some crops for market, but we also grow some crops for the production of biodiesel,” Lynch said. “We did a study in association with the Biofuel Center of North Carolina, NC State and some other partners, which estimated that with our current farming practices and crop production we’re actually capable of producing about 147,000 gallons of ethanol per year and about 19,800 gallons of biodiesel.”

The department currently uses between 13,000 and 25,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year to power the equipment it uses to farm the land, Lynch said.

Recently, the city purchased a 46-foot-long trailer that contains a mobile biodiesel production system. The trailer can be used to produce biodiesel on-site in any location and as a demonstration tool for educational purposes.

■■ Solar Thermal energy harnesses solar power for thermal

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The department is also leasing part of its land to a third party that has installed a 2.3 MW solar array on the property, Lynch said. ■ Photo: City of Raleigh

energy, heating water. The city of Raleigh, N.C. has embraced this technology, promoting its use at several fire stations and municipal facilities. The solar thermal panels at the Buffaloe Road Aquatic Center help offset the facility’s hot water needs and work symbiotically with the green roof installation, providing shade for plants.

Free webinar: Sustainability in Raleigh, N.C. Oct. 27 http://sCityNetwork.com/Raleigh

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Sustainable City Network Magazine

Tree Pests Cost U.S. Communities $2 Billion Per Year New Study Calls for Stepped Up Pest Prevention

BY THE CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES

MILLBROOK, N.Y. - Imported forest pests cause billions of dollars in damages each year, and U.S. property owners and municipalities foot most of the bill. Efforts to prevent new pests are not keeping pace with escalating trade and must be strengthened if we are to slow the loss of our nation’s trees.

Dr. GARY LOVETT is a forest ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.

So reports a team of 16 scientists in a new paper recently published in the journal Ecological Applications.

Dr. Gary Lovett, a forest ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and the paper’s lead author, explains, “Imported forest pests are the most pressing and underappreciated forest health issue in the U.S. today. We need to act now to strengthen prevention if we are going to protect billions of valuable trees in communities and forests all across the U.S.”

The paper is the most comprehensive synthesis to date on forest pests, covering ecological and economic impacts and evaluating policy solutions. Co-authors include scientists from Harvard Forest, the USDA Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, Dartmouth College, McGill University, and Michigan State. The Science Policy Exchange, a consortium focused on synthesizing ecological science for decisionmaking, convened the group.

Emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned beetle, hemlock woolly adelgid, sudden oak death – these are just a handful of the imported insects and diseases killing U.S. trees. Most arrived as stowaways in international cargo. Each year, 25 million shipping containers enter the U.S.; thousands have forest pests lurking among their goods.

Major pathways of forest pest introductions are solid wood packing material, such as pallets and crates, and live plants bound for the nursery trade.

Imported forest pests cause more than $2 billion in damages each year. The problem is widespread, with pests present in all 50 states.

New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, California, Idaho, North Carolina and Florida are among the hardest hit. Sixty-three percent of U.S. forestland, or 825 million acres, are at risk of increased damage from established pests. Urban and suburban trees are the costliest casualties. Removal and replanting are expensive, and loss of trees from streets, yards, and parks affects property values, cooling, flooding, air quality, and aesthetics.

“When the Asian longhorned beetle struck Worcester, Mass., more than 34,000 trees were removed. It looked like a hurricane had struck the city,” said David Orwig, a senior ecologist at Harvard Forest. “It will take decades or more for the community to recover the benefits of the trees.”

■■ Emerald Ash Borer: Poster Child, But Not the Only Threat

Woodpeckers find the Emerald Ash Borer so tasty that often the first sign of its presence are the birds hammering away at the tree to reach the larvae. Unfortunately they cannot make a dent in the borer population, and within two or three years, the tree usually dies. Now, a team of scientists warns that the Emerald Ash Bore is only one of dozens of invasive species causing $2 billion per year in damage to U.S. forests, both urban and rural.

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The stakes are higher than most people realize. Forest pests are the only threat that can decimate an entire tree species within just decades. They virtually eliminated American chestnuts from our forests and stately American elms from our streets. The loss of trees has heightened significance today as communities turn to trees as “green infrastructure” to help mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Current policies will still allow a wave of new pests to invade the country in the coming decades. Strengthening prevention would shift the economic burden of dealing with these pests from property owners and municipalities back to the importers and shippers responsible for introducing them. It also offers the best hope for limiting future

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invasions, and yields significant savings for communities and taxpayers. Current policies are projected to return $11 billion in net benefits by 2050, with the study’s authors projecting larger benefits with stronger prevention efforts.

Dr. Lovett is leading an alliance of scientists promoting Tree-SMART Trade, a series of five highpriority policy actions identified by the research. These prevention measures target the pathways that transmit pests. If adopted, they would dramatically reduce the arrival and establishment of new forest pests.

Lovett explains, “While existing measures to thwart forest pests have helped, we still see introductions of new pests every year. The good news is that we can do more to prevent new forest pests from arriving and establishing. That is the focus of Tree-SMART Trade.”

■■ Tree Pest Map

This USDA map shows the number of imported tree pests each state is currently dealing with (as of 2015). Sixty-three percent of U.S. forestland, or 825 million acres, are at risk of increased damage from established pests.

More than 90 percent of wood boring insects that have recently invaded the U.S. entered in wood packaging. The top Tree-SMART Trade action is adoption of alternatives to solid wood packaging, such

as plywood or strand lumber. Switching to non-solid-wood packaging could reduce pests and result in large economic benefits.

Historically, 70 percent of forest pests arrived in the U.S. on imported plants. Ending or greatly limiting imports of live trees and shrubs that share a genus or species with plants native to the U.S. is another high-impact option identified by the researchers. Intercepting pests by improving early detection programs in the U.S. and strengthening pest prevention programs with trading partners abroad are two additional priorities.

The fifth Tree-SMART Trade action is tightening trade enforcement guidelines. Current guidelines allow importers to violate wood packaging treatment requirements five times each year before facing penalties.

According to the study, taking action to prevent new forest pests will alleviate the economic burden borne disproportionately by homeowners and municipalities while safeguarding U.S. trees and the valuable benefits they provide to our forests and communities. ■

■■ Wood Packaging Enhances the Threat

Every year, 25 million shipping containers enter the U.S.; thousands have forest pests lurking among their goods. More than 90 percent of wood boring insects that have recently invaded the U.S. entered in wood packaging.

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Sustainable City Network Magazine

Soil Erosion is Everyone’s Problem Researchers Show Soil Loss Impacts Broader Economy

BY MARY GLINDINNING

Soil erosion had been declining since the late 1970s, but latest statistics show “we’re headed back up,” said Rick Cruse, professor of agronomy at Iowa State University in Ames.

RICK CRUSE is professor of agronomy at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

MATT RUSSELL is food policy project coordinator at Drake Agricultural Law Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

But conservation practices could help reverse the trend and actually rebuild soil, some experts say.

“There will always be some movement of soil,” said Matt Russell, food policy project coordinator at Drake Agricultural Law Center in Des Moines, Iowa. “However, we need to get much more serious about setting our goals for the least amount of soil loss possible. We need to keep innovating and challenging ourselves as farmers to strive towards zero soil loss even if it may not be technically possible. We should be able to rebuild soils, so a net gain in soil over a longer period is possible,” Russell said.

Cruse and Russell were both part of recently completed studies by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. The center is a research and education center at Iowa State University created to identify and reduce negative farming impacts and to develop new ways to farm profitably while conserving natural resources.

Cruse led the study on the economic impact of soil erosion in Iowa.

It measured topsoil depth on seven Iowa farms in a corn to soybean rotation to determine the impact on yield. The researchers found that the cumulative effect of soil loss is significant and can contribute to a large loss of revenue for the farming community.

Estimates put corn yield loss at $4.3 million the first year, and soybean yield loss at $2.75 million, for a $7 million total loss. Over 10 years, the loss could be $315 million, the study found.

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“Relationships between topsoil depth and yield varied among fields and with summer rainfall amounts. Across all sites the average drop in corn yield per inch of topsoil lost was 1.49 bushels of corn per acre. If sites for which manure was not part of the cropping history were considered exclusively, yield loss per inch of topsoil lost was 2.19 bushels per acre. Soybean yield loss was 0.79 bushels per acre per inch of topsoil thinning,” the study found.

The results of the study did not surprise Cruse, who said he believes they could be extrapolated to other lands.

“If the topsoil is already thin, the impact is much greater,” he said.

Farmers can tolerate the loss of soil and income, particularly in the short term. But erosion has a cumulative effect that compounds the loss.

“Topsoil thinning is closely linked to loss of crop production potential. Typical statewide average erosion rates have only a minor impact on crop yields in the subsequent year,” the study reported.

“However, cumulative effects are far more significant and contribute to a loss of state revenue that becomes much more important as time progresses. Short-term minor yield impacts on a per acre basis create little incentive for investing in short-term soil conservation strategies available for many farmland renters. However, as the cumulative effect compounds the economic effect over time, landowners that have longer term planning horizons are much better positioned to recover their financial investments in soil conservation practices.”

“Conservation costs,” Cruse said. Farmers who plan to pass the land down to the next generation might be more willing to spend money because someone in their family will see the returns.

Photo: Ingimage

Losing ground is never a good situation.

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But he cautions people not to paint farmers and landowners with a broad brush. Some farmers do the right thing because they believe in stewardship.

It’s a bell curve, he said, and “a few on the other end care less.”

If consumers were educated and engaged and asked questions about farming techniques, that could help change tactics, he said.

In conversations with farmers, they tell him that when state subsidies for cover crops end, it will also mean an end to the cover crops. One of the challenges is that if competing states don’t have the same practices, Iowa farmers can be at a disadvantage.

Less intensive rainfall, less row crops and reduced tillage would help decrease erosion, Cruse said. So would adding perennials, like alfalfa. That would mean having livestock and pasture on more farms, instead of concentrated in fewer large livestock operations. But he cautions that how the hay is tilled under makes the difference. Grass waterways also need to be protected.

Industrialization, with its economies of scale, worked well for most industries, he said. But most industries don’t raise living animals or plants.

Russell was a co-investigator on a study called “Protecting Iowa’s Land Legacy: Soil and Water Conservation, Past, Present and Future.”

One of the study’s suggestions was to focus work at the watershed level.

“A watershed provides a physical place where farms are connected,” Russell said. “It also provides a measurable outcome to show progress.

Finally, there are increasing examples of people in watersheds organizing as a community. In some ways, watersheds make more sense than county or other jurisdictional boundaries.”

Increasing cover crops would help, the study said, and they work well with keeping livestock.

■■ Conserving Our Soil

“Cover crops are just starting to take off. There is going to be a tremendous increase in research and innovation in the coming years.

I think we’ll see a wider variety of approaches as farmers tailor particular mixes and plantings to their specific needs on a field by field basis,” Russell said. “There are state and federal subsidies for cover crops, but they are limited. There is talk of expansion, and I would not be surprised if we see a real expansion of support for cover crops in the next farm bill.

“Cover crops are typically terminated on an annual basis or right before the growing season. I think the challenge is to keep farmers using cover crops even after a subsidy or incentive program is finished.”

The study said there is no acceptable soil loss.

“Ditch the idea of tolerable soil loss and focus on soil health. We need to change our thinking about... the idea there is an acceptable level of soil erosion. The goal should be no soil erosion. And we need to shift our attention to soil health so we take a more comprehensive view of our soil,” the study said.

“I think we need to look at the whole farm as a unit. This would encourage a greater number of crops, longer rotations, and the integration of livestock on more Iowa farms,” Russell said.

And there should be shared stewardship.

“We don’t all farm but we all participate in agriculture. Thus, we all have a stake in supporting better conservation. I think the agriculture community needs to continue to reach out beyond ourselves to invite others into helping us become the best stewards possible,” Russell said.

“We’re all in this together. There is so much room for greater dialogue, new leadership, and the development of new practices and products to promote sustainability,” he said. “Climate change is going to drive a lot of innovation all along the supply chains and that includes farmers and the crops they grow. While it’s mostly about the carbon footprint and climate change right now with retailers and manufacturers, Iowa farmers need to integrate water quality and soil health into the discussion so we can get the most bang for the buck in terms of sustainability.” ■ The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture was established in 1987 through the Iowa Groundwater Protection Act. The Center is named for Aldo Leopold, a native of Burlington, Iowa, known internationally as a conservationist, ecologist, and educator. He saw the need for development of a land ethic, outlined in his 1949 book of essays, “A Sand County Almanac.” Leopold was a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Researchers have found that the cumulative effect of soil loss is significant and can contribute to a large loss of revenue for the farming community.

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Sustainable City Network Magazine

Small Towns Share a Roadmap to Economic Recovery Communities Find Smart-Growth Principles Prove Successful

BY JESSICA CHAPMAN

If you’ve ever driven Interstate 35 north or south through the nation’s mid-section, you’ve probably stopped in Emporia, Kan. - or at least seen the exits. The highway bisects the small, Midwestern city, which lies approximately halfway between Kansas City and Wichita. If you’re familiar with the area as more than just a rest stop, you have likely observed some changes in recent years.

CASEY WOODS is executive director of Emporia Main Street in Emporia, Kan.

Like many small and mid-sized American cities, Emporia experienced population decline and economic stagnation in recent decades. Rather than resign itself to such a fate, though, the city picked itself up by its bootstraps.

In the last quarter of a century Emporia has taken consistent, incremental steps to revitalize and reinvigorate its economy - starting with the establishment of the nonprofit Emporia Main Street.

DENA BELZER is president of Strategic Economics, a Berkeley, Calif., consulting firm.

Between then and now, the city has crept back from 40 percent building vacancy rates to attracting new businesses - including a winery - as well as organizing dozens of events each year and raising tens of thousands of dollars for ongoing projects. From farmer’s markets to beer, wine and food tastings to bike races, Emporia has deployed an approach to its revitalization that has been demonstrative of its resilience but also of the perseverance and passion of its residents.

So, what, exactly, does it take to bring a community back from the brink of extinction? The paths to economic development are about as diverse as the cities themselves. However, certain strategies and guidelines for success - particularly as they pertain to smart growth approaches - have been put forward by organizations like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Main Street [ 14 ]

Program, the parent organization of Emporia Main Street, which boasts over 2,000 affiliates.

A handful of EPA officials, consultants and representatives from small and mid-sized towns that have successfully reoriented their economic development strategies came together to discuss and share their approaches and their successes at this year’s New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in Portland, Ore. Among the participants was Casey Woods, executive director of Emporia Main Street and the city’s designated cheerleader-in-chief.

Woods said Emporia’s economic development has been guided by a four-point approach as outlined by the National Main Street Program.

They are 1) organization, 2) promotion, 3) design and 4) business enhancement.

Smart growth principles come into particular focus via the design aspect of economic development, Woods said. This means, among other things, paying attention to the aesthetics of the community as well as creating walkable neighborhoods, which results in spending less money on fuel and creates opportunities for unique spaces and a closer community overall.

The overarching key to successful economic development, Woods said, is investment.

“You have a lot of communities that will say, ‘We have these different problems and we want to solve these problems,’ but we’ve always found that if you’re not willing to write a check you’re probably not going to solve the problem,” he said. “Investment usually denotes willingness to effect change. If you’re not willing to write a check then you’re probably not that serious.”

Woods admits it’s not easy though. “You usually start out pretty humbly,” he said. “It ended up being [a budget of] about $35-40,000 a year for the first few years.”

Once citizens and government officials in charge of the purse strings start seeing the return on their investments, he said, successes start to snowball.

“Governments have a hard time communicating the value of tax dollars,” Woods said. “But once you can say ‘Here’s all the things that occurred with the tax dollars and here’s the economic impact and these

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are not just feelings but these are actual numbers … then you start garnering more public support.”

In addition to investment, Woods said, it takes volunteers - lots of them. It also takes leveraging small wins into bigger ones. It takes patience. For Emporia, it seems the wait has been worth it. Last year, the city got more than a $152 return on every dollar invested in the city, according to Woods. (By contrast, he noted, the average return for a Main Street organization is $26 for every dollar invested.)

“If you’re 5’4” you better be fast and have good vision and shoot from outside. You have to spot opportunities and capitalize on them quickly.”

Other communities approach development directly via government itself, by applying for grants and pursuing assistance directed toward specific development purposes. This has been the approach taken

by Kelso, Wash., a small community on the southern border of the state whose timber and smelt industries had withered away. The town banded together with the regional government entity to apply for funding specifically designated for smart growth strategies.

For communities committed to economic development via smart growth, there exists a number of funding opportunities, namely through the EPA. Dena Belzer, another participant in the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference and president of Strategic Economics, a Berkeley, Calif., consulting firm that has assisted dozens of cities and other government entities with how to manage growth and change, worked with the EPA to develop a plan for Kelso.

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Their work resulted in a case study of Kelso as well as a more generalized framework for small cities and towns seeking smart growth economic development strategies.

The reports outline five basic steps to developing such a strategy: 1) select a focus area, 2) define the context, 3) set goals, 4) identify existing assets and barriers, and 5) select the right tools.

Successful economic development employing smart growth principles, they say, requires building on existing assets, taking incremental actions and building long-term value to attract a range of investment. To complement this, Belzer said, “Cities should be careful about not trying to reinvent the wheel and look at what resources are available nationally. …Look around and try to capitalize on the experience of other communities and think about how that helps you understand the context of challenges in your own community.”

There is also the constant need to be flexible and responsive.

Currently, Emporia Main Street is in the process of relocating its offices in order to put themselves in a position to co-locate with business startups, whereby the organization will take care of overhead costs and pay rent until the businesses can get off their feet. Woods made a sports analogy to relate the experience of working to help a small community to grow.

“If you’re 7’2” and 280 pounds, you can lumber down the court and you’re going to do just fine no matter what,” he said, referencing the advantage possessed by larger cities, “but if you’re 5’4” you better be fast and have good vision and shoot from outside. You have to spot opportunities and capitalize on them quickly.” ■

■■ Community Initiated Development

Last year, the city of Emporia, Kan., got more than a $152 return on every dollar invested in the city, almost six times the average return for a Main Street organization, according to city officials.

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Sustainable City Network Magazine

Can More Cattle Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

New Research Shows - in Iowa - It Might

BY FRED LOVE, ISU NEWS SERVICE

A new study co-authored by an Iowa State University researcher indicates that an increase in cattle production, and associated forage land, on Iowa’s agricultural landscape could lead to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

MARK RASMUSSEN is director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University.

The research, published recently in the peer-reviewed Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, found that cattle production yields a smaller percentage of greenhouse gas emissions than rowcrop cultivation.

That suggests integrating more cattle production into Iowa’s agricultural portfolio may cut the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and lead to other environmental benefits, said Mark Rasmussen, director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University and co-author of the study.

But those benefits largely would depend on new forage land on which the cattle would feed, Rasmussen said. More forage and pasture land means more roots in the ground holding soil in place and increasing the land’s capacity to store carbon, he said.

On the other hand, converting acres currently devoted to crops into forage land would cut down on carbon emissions that result from organic matter released by soil erosion, Rasmussen said. More forage or perennial grasses would improve the environment in other ways as well.

Less runoff from fields would protect water quality, and more grazing land would create new habitat for pollinating insects, he said. And adding forages such as alfalfa in longer crop rotations can actually build organic matter in the soil over the course of a few years.

“Soil degradation is a long, gradual process so it’s easy to ignore sometimes,” Rasmussen said. “Soil has been ignored for a long time, but this might be a way of rehabilitating vulnerable land.”

Rasmussen acknowledged that serious challenges stand in the way of integrating more cattle into Iowa’s agricultural infrastructure.

Converting land from row crops to grazing land for cattle would require a significant investment in new facilities and equipment, he said. And grass-fed cattle take more time to get to market than grain-fed cattle and require different genetics.

He also cautioned that the best results depend on cattle production that practices responsible use of forage land. Overgrazing a section of land can actually result in more erosion, Rasmussen said.n

“The paper shows that bringing more cattle back to Iowa and, as a consequence, adding more land for forage and perennial grasses, would actually be beneficial in the context of greenhouse gas emissions that result from agricultural activities,” he said. “It’s a way of putting more carbon away than you’re putting into the atmosphere.”

Photo: Ingimage

Cattle produce the greenhouse gas methane through their ruminant digestive process. But those emissions make up a smaller percentage of anthropogenic, or man-made, emissions than row-crop production, Rasmussen said. The study found that ruminants generate 11.6 percent of total anthropogenic emissions, while cropping and soilassociated emissions contribute 13.7 percent.

■■ Dandelion Salad

A cow seems to enjoy grazing in a field of grass and Dandelions. New research suggests that when pastures replace row crops, the environment benefits.

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New Tool Helps Improve Transportation and Health Policies Web Site Provides Stats and Strategies to Help Decision Makers

BY F. ALAN SHIRK It isn’t likely that a controversial highway like the Cross Bronx Expressway could be built in America in 2016.

begun to partner with transportation planning agencies to integrate health considerations into transportation work.”

The expressway, created by New York City planner Robert Moses in 1948 and open since 1955, is likely the shining example of how NOT to design a major transportation artery. Moses continues to be blamed for destroying the South Bronx neighborhood by putting the automobile first and ignoring vital social and public health concerns. Robert A. Caro’s 1974 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, “The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York,” details how it happened.

Architects of the THT describe it as a set of transportation and public health indicators to help show how different areas compare on several transportation and health metrics; a resource to help understand the links between transportation and health; and a set of strategies to improve public health through transportation programs and policies.

And, coincidentally, in 2010, President Barack Obama, after awarding Caro a National Humanities Medal, said “I think about Robert Caro and reading The Power Broker back when I was 22 years old and just being mesmerized, and I’m sure it helped to shape how I think about politics.”

That thinking, shared by others, no doubt influenced the Transportation Research Board about the same time to form a transportation and health committee, considered the “eureka moment” for finally recognizing that policy decisions like the Cross Bronx Expressway can seriously impact public health.

In April 2013, the Department of Transportation (DOT), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Public Health Association (APHA) began collaborating on ways to strengthen resources for making better transportation and health policy.

The result? The Transportation Health Tool, or THT, an informationpacked DOT website.

Katherine Robb, a policy analyst with APHA, said the THT website was launched last October and the three agencies have been promoting it at various conferences, workshops and webinars.

“Our goals are to raise awareness about the links between transportation and health in both sectors; encourage health-supportive federal, state and regional transportation policy and project decisions, and support more effective and efficient collaboration between the transportation and public health sectors,” Robb explained.

She added that emphasis has especially been placed on transportation inequities for low-income areas and communities of color.

“They have higher transportation costs and longer commutes, are more likely to live near a highway or major roadway and have inadequate infrastructure promoting active transportation (walking or cycling),” Robb said.

The THT is designed to encourage partnerships, for example, between DOT and CDC, state health and transportation departments and MPOs and health agencies.

While everyone benefits from using roads, sidewalks, trails, and public transportation, the web site notes, “transportation systems can also have harmful effects. These range from decreased air quality to a lack of safe places to walk, bike and engage in physical activity without unnecessary risk.

Equally important is expanding cross-sector collaboration between transportation and health across the board, said Ann Steedly of the private consulting firm Planning Communities in Raleigh, N.C., which was hired by the APHA for the project. “We also want to see health incorporated into transportation decisions and policies and to address inequities through a ‘health-in-all-policies’ approach,” she said.

“For a long time, transportation policy, program and funding decisions gave little attention to public health effects and benefits. That has begun to change. Many state officials, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and partners now include public health goals and health criteria in transportation planning and policies and transportation project selection. The public health community has also

Steedly said that from the start the team developing the THT put a lot of thought into what data to share. “We were not looking to create a plug-and-play tool, but one that starts a dialogue, a conversation between health and transportation officials who normally work in completely different arenas,” Steedly said. [ 17 ]

Sustainable City Network Magazine

Ed Christopher, a veteran transportation planning consultant based in Chicago, who helped design the THT, said the tool offers transportation related metrics that tie directly to health outcomes statewide, in urban or large metropolitan areas.

THT indicators were narrowed down to 14 from 190 potential choices, refined through research evaluation criteria, subject matter expert consultation, and expert panel workshop and agency reviews.

These were chosen: • Commute mode share.

• Person miles traveled by mode.

• Public transportation.

• Vehicle miles traveled per capita.

• Housing and transportation affordability.

• Land use mix.

• Proximity to major roadways.

• Alcohol-impaired fatalities.

can click on any of these links on the home page to find its relationship to public health and find research studies and other resources related to the topic.

“Studies show that almost one in four adults in the U.S. report they do not engage in any physical activity outside of their jobs,” Robb said.

“Sedentary lifestyles are an important reason why two of every three adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Thus, if you were trying to encourage people in your community to bicycle to work, you could get a lot of help by going to the THT Active Transportation link,” she said.

Christopher said visitors to the web site can drill down to a lot more detail to learn, for example, what the alcohol-impaired indicator encompasses, related strategies to combat it, its transportation and health connection, and other data.

Steedly said the THT team spent a lot of time developing the 25 strategies recommended on the website. The strategies had to be effective at positively impacting transportation and health outcomes, and had to support both short- and long-term goals.

“We reviewed 150 potential strategies, interventions and/or policies,” Steedly recalled, “and consolidated highly similar concepts. One of the most important is recommending the expansion of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

• Road traffic fatalities by mode.

• Road traffic fatalities exposure rate by mode.

• Physical activity from transportation.

• Seat belt use.

• Complete streets policies.

• Use of federal funds for bicycle and pedestrian efforts.

Christopher said THT provides a standardized score for each of the 14 indicators for each state. “It is comparable to a high school standard test score. If you were judging your state’s alcohol-impaired fatalities against a neighboring state, a score of 100 would be the best, a 0 the worst...

“For me, the THT is a catalyst, a way to really start the dialogue. It is not an instant pulse, but rather it gives you the bigger context. It provides the evidence and fuel to bring it up to the board. One of the beauties of the site, besides numbers and data, is that it gives you strategies... and it gives you a lot of reasons why a strategy affects health outcomes,” Christopher said.

How does THT work?

Robb said the easy-to-use website follows five primary pathways — active transportation, safety, cleaner air, connectivity and equity. One [ 18 ]

“Studies show that almost one in four adults in the U.S. report they do not engage in any physical activity outside of their jobs.”

“Our inspiration was the New York City Pedestrian Safety Report and Action Plan by the city’s Department of Transportation, which evaluated records of more than 7,000 pedestrian accidents with injuries or fatalities. As a result, NYCDOT installed pedestrian countdown signals at 1,500 intersections, retrofitted 60 miles of streets to improve pedestrian safety and revised 20 intersections for pedestrian safety on major two-way streets.”

Robb said the THT tool has drawn a lot of attention. “People attending our conferences and workshops are interested in using it, not only for the data, but also for ways to improve their communities. I find it exciting and I am learning a lot about transportation. I am meeting people who want to collaborate and I believe that five or 10 years down the road we’ll see improved healthcare.”

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Photo: Pedbikeimages.org/Laura Sandt

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■■ The Transportation and Health Tool

A new web site created by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Public Health Association was recently launched to help policy makers develop strategies to reduce the risks and harmful effects of transportation projects. http://www.transportation.gov/transportation-health-tool

Said Steedly, “For me, THT is one of the tools we have been involved with that has actually turned into something we can all use. We are getting calls every week now from federal highway agencies, the CDC and APHA. We are seeing more cross-agency coordination. There is a positive, strong and ongoing agency involvement and commitment for THT,” she said.

“The Transportation and Health Tool provides a useful resource for transportation practitioners by bringing together data to help them understand how the transportation system in their state or metropolitan area is performing from a health perspective, said Jason Broehm, transportation analyst in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation at the U.S. DOT. “It also provides useful resources to help them identify strategies for improvement.”

A staunch supporter of the tool is Clackamas County, Ore., perhaps the only county in the U.S. with a locally adopted Transportation Safety Action Plan.

According to the plan, “Building on the foundation of our existing assets, we envision a well-maintained and designed transportation system that provides safety, flexibility, mobility, accessibility and connectivity for people, goods and services; is tailored to our diverse geographies and supports future needs and land use plans.”

Marek said the THT tool offers advantages to engineers and public health professionals working together toward solutions. “In our case it’s encouragement and access to transit, a good tree canopy for air purification, planning and zoning options and sidewalks as places to exercise.”

While American cities have come a long way since the ribbon for the Cross Bronx Expressway was cut, they apparently have some distance yet to go. The National Safety Council just reported that traffic fatalities are up nine percent for the first six months of 2016 compared to the same period last year. The THT gives communities another tool in the struggle to reverse that trend .■

Joseph Marek, director of Clackamas Safe Communities, said, “At some point we need transportation and health professionals talking to each other. Our action plan adopted in 2012 focuses on safety, takes a broad approach and brings culture change.” [ 19 ]

Sustainable City Network Magazine

Wetland Restoration Promises Many Benefits Chapel Hill Project: Improving Ecosystem, Human and Economic Health

BY PATRICK LINDSEY Office of Sustainable Practices

CHAPEL HILL, Tenn. -- A 65-acre agricultural field has been restored to its original wetland state in the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee, producing ecological, human, and economic benefits for the local community.

The restoration project was completed at Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill through a partnership between park staff, the town of Chapel Hill, the Tennessee Environmental Council, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and local volunteers.

This project has successfully reintroduced one of the most diverse ecosystem types back into the region, while improving local water quality.

Two weeks after the water returned to the wetland, a chorus of frogs was heard and ducks were sighted in the newly constructed habitat.

The newly restored wetland will benefit the region’s ecological and human health, providing both safe drinking water and improved flood management.

Ronnie Bowers, a special projects coordinator with the State of Tennessee, emphasized the importance of this project, saying “The Duck River provides over 250,000 Tennesseans with their drinking water and wetlands are nature’s best filter to restore cleanliness

Photos: Ryan Jenkins

The now converted field was drained more than a hundred years ago for use as farm land. The land lies in a natural floodplain along the 269mile Duck River, making it a fertile site for farming, but an even more appropriate site for an ecosystem restoration project. The wetland will provide crucial habitat for native flora and fauna while also serving as a model and teaching tool for future restorations across the state and country.

Re-flooding and re-planting the land was a team effort. The field had been raised for agricultural use and before it could be flooded it had to be lowered to its original level and drainage points controlled to prevent water from entering the area too soon. Additionally, berms had to be rebuilt. Once the berm system was nearly complete, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation coordinated a crew of workers to plant a mix of wetland seeds prior to flooding the area.

■■ Restored Wetland

Henry Horton State Park’s new functioning wetland had been filled and drained more than 100 years ago to make way for agriculture. It was recently restored.

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■■ Lowering the Land

The reclamation of the wetland was a process that involved excavating the area back down to its former level.

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back into the state’s rivers. Wetlands are nature’s sponge soaking up water and releasing it slowly into our state’s rivers, waterways, and groundwater aquifers. Wetlands cleanse and filter sediment runoff from stormwater and reduce chemical content. This process provides Tennesseans with clean drinking water as well as healthy habitat for aquatic species and wildlife.”

Stormwater filtration is an important function of the wetland, particularly due to the fact that the wetland flows into the Duck River, which contains more biodiversity than any other river in the world.

It has more than 151 species of fish, 60 freshwater mussel species, and 22 species of aquatic snails. This diversity is due to numerous conservation efforts that help keep the river clean and healthy.

Conservation efforts range from educating farmers about responsible land management to assisting city and county stormwater directors with their programs in urban areas near the Duck River.

The Duck River is so clean that scientists are relocating an endangered mussel species from the Clinch River to the Duck to help preserve the species.

Danny Bingham, mayor of Chapel Hill, said he appreciates the clean water and looks forward to the economic benefits that the restored wetland will bring to the area.

“This restored wetland will add to the draw of the town of Chapel Hill… and will entice visitors from around the state to come and witness the beauty of this unique ecosystem in our own backyard.”

CEO of the Tennessee Environmental Council, Dr. John McFadden, an expert in waterway restoration, added that “natural resources, including this wetland, are the backbone of our economy, our community, and our quality of life.”

The wetland area will also provide opportunities for environmental education to visitors. Stacey Cothran, president of the Friends of Henry Horton State Park, has already started coordinating environmental education events at the wetlands. In March, Cothran worked with volunteers to plant trees in the wetland as part of the statewide 50K Tree Day event sponsored by the Tennessee Environmental Council.

“We are planning several more tree planting events with 5th graders from the Delk-Henson Intermediate School and Cascade Elementary School,” she said. “We plan to educate them about the importance of Tennessee’s wetlands and inform them of the plants and animals that the area supports.” There are also plans to add observation decks in the wetland area, and the berms may eventually serve as walking paths from which wildlife can be observed.

The Henry Horton wetlands serve as a great model of a successful ecosystem restoration project that will help to conserve and protect Tennessee’s waterways and drinking water while providing a reallife teaching tool. The newly-created wetlands are the physical embodiment of Henry Horton State Park’s motto: “We care about our nature, our history, and about you.”■

■■ Constructed Berm

These berms may eventually be used as walking paths to observe wildlife.

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Sustainable City Network Magazine

Tennessee City Builds Outdoor Classroom to Teach Sustainability Facility Sets Example for Green Development and Edible Gardening

BY ALLE CRAMPTON • TDEC Office of Sustainable Practices

Learning about green development

FARRAGUT, Tenn. -- Farragut’s eco-friendly outdoor classroom provides the residents of the East Tennessee town of 22,000 with hands-on environmental learning opportunities.

Visitors to the classroom can learn about stormwater management, water quality, composting, and environmental conservation, all while growing delicious fresh produce.

The outdoor classroom is a prime example of green Outdoor Classroomdevelopment and stormwater runoff best management practices, all which help the classroom’s vegetable garden stay healthy. There are multiple types of pervious surfaces across the classroom’s trails, paved walkways, and parking areas.

The outdoor classroom is within walking distance of Farragut High School and connects to the town’s popular greenway system. The classroom serves as a neighborhood center, and the space is host to civic engagements as well as a multitude of educational events.

Planning for the classroom began in 2010 with funding provided by a $2,000 Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association grant, as well as a $19,345 grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Green Development Project.

The parking area was constructed using permeable pavers that allow water to flow through. The water then flows down a slight hill and into the rain garden, which is a rainwater-fed native planted area.

Bioretention areas are incorporated into the landscape around the classroom and demonstrate natural methods of improving water quality. Bioretention is the process of removing contamination and sediment from stormwater runoff, and these basin areas are characterized by seven features:

The project was envisioned as serving the dual purpose of offering both recreational and educational opportunities, and the classroom has been successful in doing just that.

• A grass buffer strip that reduces runoff velocity and removes suspended solids; • Vegetation that helps to remove water and excess nutrients; • A shallow ponding area that provides capacity for excess stormwater storage; • Mulch that serves as an organic layer where microbes degrade petroleum-based pollutants, as well as reducing soil erosion; • Engineered soils that support vegetation growth and allow for nutrient and water uptake;

Photo: Alle Crampton

• A sand bed that allows for drainage and aeration of planting/ engineered soils; and

■■ Outdoor Classroom

The Farragut, Tenn., outdoor classroom is a living demonstration site for community gardens, stormwater management and environmental conservation.

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• An underdrain system that transports excess treated water to storm drains.

The actual covered classroom area is a uniquely shaped, slanted-roof pavilion. Water runs down the roof and ends up in a 1,500-gallon cistern, which is an above-ground container used to harvest rainwater.

The cistern was paid for by the Green Development Project grant, and funded components include installation of the system (tank, filters,

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From a learning garden to real-world solutions

Photo: Alle Crampton

The edible garden, managed by Valdyke and her two Girl Scout cadet daughters, has been a valuable and productive learning experience.

With the help of Farragut stormwater division staff, Valdyke and the girls have taken the garden to a fully functioning edible garden that grows produce year-round. Between August 2015 and April 2016 the garden donated approximately 22 pounds of produce to Faith Lutheran Church – Shepard of Good Hope Food Pantry. This donation is significant, particularly considering that in Tennessee, one out of every five residents is food insecure, which means that at some point they have experienced difficulty in acquiring sufficient food due to a lack of money or ability to get to the grocery store. Every pound of food donated helps to address this need.

■■ Pavilion

Producing those 22 pounds of produce required some innovation.

Initial struggles included determining when to harvest vegetables and keeping nuisance animals and bugs away. Some of the vegetables did not grow to the size that people are used to seeing in the grocery store. For instance, cauliflower grown in the edible garden was smaller, so Andrea and the girls were not sure about the appropriate time to harvest it and as a result some of the cauliflower ended up maturing too much to be donated.

A sidewalk made of porous pavement leads to the Farragut outdoor classroom pavilion.

Water runs off the pavilion’s slanted roof and is captured by the cistern.

etc.), the interpretive signage, and the decorative mural on the side of the cistern. The rainwater that is collected in the cistern is used to water the classroom’s vegetable garden, which was funded by the Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association grant. This grant covered materials for the raised beds, compost for soil, seeds, and plants. The classroom’s built elements, including the raised beds, the compost storage box, and the picnic tables were all projects completed by Eagle Scouts. The rich soil used for the vegetable garden is enhanced with horse manure supplied by Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding, a local non-profit therapeutic riding facility in Lenoir City.

Valdyke said, “It is good for kids to learn how to deal with making failure into a success. Volunteering in this outdoor classroom has helped them learn new skills and gain confidence.”

Andrea Valdyke, an enthusiastic outdoor classroom volunteer, said “Dixie Lee Nursery has really stepped up for this community and the outdoor classroom. They continually help us with the edible garden, either through much needed advice or demonstrations. We really appreciate their guidance and are extremely happy to be learning from them.”

The Knox County Master Gardener Program also serves as an important resource to the Outdoor Classroom, providing technical guidance and gardening expertise.

Photo: Alle Crampton

Town residents and local businesses worked together to get the classroom’s vegetable garden growing. Volunteers and Farragut stormwater division staff members started planting the vegetable garden in August 2015. All plants were purchased locally, from Dixie Lee Nursery and Greenhouse, and in under a year cabbage, kale, bok choy, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, lettuce, broccoli, and peppers are all thriving in the garden.

■■ Rainwater Harvesting

A 1,500-gallon cistern harvests rainwater off the roof of the Farragut outdoor classroom pavilion. The rainwater that is collected in the cistern is used to water the classroom’s vegetable garden.

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Sustainable City Network Magazine

The cauliflower provided an important lesson that many children don’t get to learn: homegrown vegetables are not necessarily the same size and shape as what is seen in the grocery store, but they often taste even better. The young gardeners learned from the initial hurdle and applied it to other similar situations in the garden.

Photo: Alle Crampton

During the winter, Valdyke and her daughters worried that their plants would freeze. After some creative problem-solving, they decided to use large pickle buckets purchased from a restaurant for $2 each. The buckets were placed over the individual plants. Some of the buckets were also used to collect rainwater when the cistern was winterized and unusable.

■■ Cistern Signage

The interpretive signage and the decorative mural on the side of the cistern were paid for with a grant from the Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association Green Development Project.

Lori Saal, the Farragut stormwater coordinator, said “The kids are starting to look at how to reuse things.

They are being creative and thinking outside the box.”

The outdoor classroom has gathered momentum in its first year and has plans to become even bigger and better, increasing the amount of produce grown and donated.

Saal said, “We are incredibly thankful for the leadership and innovative thinking of Andrea Valdyke and the girls and boys she has led along this gardening journey. They are the reason this garden is successful. We are lucky to have such a dedicated group of volunteers to maintain the garden and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them for years to come.” n

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Putting Schools in the Right Spots EPA Smart School Siting Tool Helps Planners

BY MARY GLINDINNING

Going to school is a big part of every day for students and their families.

Schools influence where families choose to live and how communities grow.

Deciding where the school should be is a big decision that affects community safety and health.

REGINA LANGTON is senior policy analyst for the EPA Office of Sustainable Communities.

NICK SALMON is president of the Collaborative Learning Network.

REBECCA STUECKER is architect and associate at IBI Group - Dull Olson Weekes Architects in Portland, Ore.

Asking the right questions and coordinating with the right stakeholders help with that decision. To aid in that process, the Environmental Protection Agency unveiled its Smart School Siting Tool earlier this year.

“A community is made up of the natural and built environments, and its people,” said Regina Langton, senior policy analyst for the EPA Office of Sustainable Communities. “The Smart School Siting Tool helps users consider all the needs of a community, and provides a holistic approach to siting that supports the community’s vision and goals for its future.

“Schools are an important factor in where some people decide to live, and how communities develop. Schools located close to where people live can lead to better neighborhoods and more livable communities. By applying the principles of smart growth to educational facility planning, the school siting process offers an opportunity to improve the quality of schools and communities,” Langton said.

Schools are central to communities.

It’s where families drop off and pick up children, take them to and from practices, go to games and concerts.

“EPA’s Smart School Siting Tool fundamentally reflects the idea that schools are part of the neighborhood and broader community fabric.

Community-centered schools that offer high-quality education and align with broader community goals benefit the environment, human health and well-being in many ways. In the U.S., the concept of community-centered schools can be traced back to the Colonial period and the one-room schoolhouse. School siting professionals note that the resurgence of interest in community-centered schools is a response to the negative environmental, social, and economic effects from building schools on large, undeveloped parcels at the edges of communities, away from the neighborhoods and people they serve,” Langton said.

First and foremost, schools must be safe destinations for walkers, bus riders, bicyclists, or for high schools, drivers. Putting a school within walking or biking distance of a neighborhood uses existing infrastructure and encourages physical activity.

The Smart School Siting Tool has two parts: First, the Assessment and Planning Workbook helps a community understand how well its school siting process is coordinated with land use and other community planning processes and develop an action plan to improve coordination. The Excel-based Workbook is intended to be used well before a community begins the final process to site a specific school.

Then, the Site Comparison Workbook helps a community directly compare the attributes of two or more candidate sites for a proposed school—which can include a new school, an existing school that is being renovated and/or expanded, or a school that is being relocated.

“The Excel-based Workbook is intended to be used when a community is ready to evaluate a short list of candidate sites,” Langton said.

“School agencies, planning departments, and other local government staff are encouraged to collaborate to answer the workbook questions, to cultivate long-term cooperation. The workbook uses 25 questions to compare sites.”

It also helps determine costs, takes about an hour to fill out for each site and has a one-page summary that compares the strengths and weaknesses of the sites.

“Every community has different circumstances, priorities, and challenges that will affect school siting. The goal of the Smart School Siting [ 25 ]

Sustainable City Network Magazine

■■ EPA School Siting Guide

The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled its Smart School Siting Tool earlier this year. The guide helps planners consider the environment when deciding where to locate schools.

Tool is to support more collaborative planning -- between local government, school agencies, and community members -- on topics including land availability, infrastructure, transportation, and funding,” Langton said.

The tool was beta tested in 20 western communities with teams of students, teachers, administrators, parents and community volunteers to help them work together and make informed school siting decisions.

“Municipal government offices may not easily coordinate with one another, nor with the local school agency, which can result in disconnected decisions about school siting and other community priorities.

Without integrated planning, opportunities for coordinated investments can never be realized,” Langton said. “The Smart School Siting Tool provides a district or community with a mechanism to learn about the needs, views and goals of other decision-makers, making it possible to create community-wide solutions to typical planning obstacles.

“Taken together, school siting and other community decisions influence housing and transportation choices, neighborhood vitality, economic development, costs of community services, environmental quality, and overall community health and well-being,” she said.

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Coordination saves tax money and can improve health and environment if there is more walking and less driving, she said. It can also improve accessibility for people who don’t have a car.

School buildings could be community centers, combine public and school libraries and become a hub for all residents of the community.

“I helped to beta test the Smart School Site Planning Tool while it was being developed by Bill Michaud of CSRA for the community of Billings, Mont.,” said Nick Salmon, president of the Collaborative Learning Network. “The tool includes an easy-to-complete spreadsheet with 25 categories of questions including the proximity of students to schools, the characteristics of the neighborhood, potential barrier to walking and cycling to school.

“After utilizing the tool with a number of communities and more than 25 school sites, I began to use the tool with teams of students, teachers, administrators, parents and community volunteers to help make informed decisions about the best utilization of six sites in a single community. It takes about an hour to fill in the spreadsheet for each site and it is helpful to be able to collaborate with the local city or county planning department in order to answer questions about zoning, location of students, etc.

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“Typically each of these entities (cities and other governing bodies) make decisions in their own silos. I have found the need for collaboration to be a helpful way to break through those silos and to seek community-wide solutions to typical obstacles. For example, if a city ordinance requires on-site parking for a school, can a portion of that requirement be addressed with adjacent on-street parking? A typical two-acre-site with four adjacent city streets can provide adequate pick-up/drop-off areas, bus/delivery/waste removal areas and staff parking for a school with up to 500 students and staff. Such a solution is found in our older neighborhoods across the country, saves taxpayers $1,000,000 in new utilities and site improvements, and maintains the connection between schools and communities,” Salmon said.

“The assessment tool is a series of questions geared toward making sure the district has a thorough and collaborative planning process and develops an Action Plan for future development. There are questions around demographics & population projections, site selection criteria, local jurisdictional codes and plans, etc. The Site Comparison tool uses a series of criteria by which to score a proposed site. As you run through the questions, you tally up a number of points and can use the tool on multiple sites in order to compare their relative value.”

“I have found numerous opportunities to bring schools and city governments together to help answer the questions in the Smart School Site Planning Tool, establish community priorities, and then develop solutions that reflect those priorities. In addition to parking and utilities, building a more robust network of trails reduces the need for parents and school systems to transport students to school. The entire community benefits from the trail system throughout the year,” Salmon said.

“Another challenge is projecting growth. We are fortunate to live in a city known for planning, but there are districts in Oregon that are shrinking and some are growing at unprecedented rates. Developers move fast and housing communities are built that bring new kids into a district’s system. Building a school in these areas requires a good deal of coordination and timing can be tricky to ensure the city’s basic infrastructure (water, sewer, roads, etc.) are in place and enough students are going to be in attendance to fill a school. Closing schools in districts with shrinking populations can be even more difficult,” she said.

“I have found the tool to be most helpful in communities that are faced with expansion or consolidation, and have used the tools in communities with as few as 100 students and as many as 8,000. I have not yet applied the tool to small communities with fewer than 25 students, but the tool, along with the community priority setting exercises should be helpful to communities large and small, urban, suburban and rural,” Salmon said.

Rebecca Stuecker, architect and associate at IBI Group - Dull Olson Weekes Architects in Portland, Ore., tested the tool for a suburban school district near Portland that was in the process of doing a facility assessment and 20-year planning report. She found the tool “userfriendly and visually appealing.

With school districts, whose borders do not follow city or county lines, more decision makers are involved. Planning together ensures that districts meet the needs of their population.

“All of the districts I have worked with work hard to ensure every student attends a school that is part of their neighborhood community,” Stuecker said. “It is not desirable for students to be bused great distances or housed in portable classrooms when schools become overcrowded. Schools have an effect on housing, traffic patterns, and population density in a community. These are key issues to city planners.” ■

The U.S. Leader in Sustainability News & Information Best Practices for Leaders in Government, Education and Healthcare [ 27 ]

Sustainable City Network Magazine

Transforming Agricultural Waste into Fertilizer Tennessee Creates a Circular Economy Around Composting

BY VAUGHN CASSIDY • TDEC Office of Sustainable Practices

With more than 300 food related industries in Tennessee, waste management can be a considerable – and costly – challenge.

Composting agricultural byproducts can be a cost-effective, sustainable solution that takes production waste out of landfills and puts it back into the soil.

The Compost Company in Ashland City, Tenn., is turning organic waste products into a high-yield compost material for farmers, landscapers, and gardeners.

Ed Wansing, founder and COO, along with company president Clay Ezell, owns and operates The Compost Company LLC. Operating a large composting facility can appear deceptively simple, but, “There’s more to the recipe than just dumping organics on the ground,” said Ezell. “The mix is really important. We take great care to mix the proper amounts of carbon and nitrogen so that it breaks down quickly, with little odor, and becomes the best natural fertilizer it can be.”

Customers of The Compost Company include Caterpillar, US Smokeless and Organix, a vendor to Wal-Mart. Nashville’s new Music City Center, which has its own sustainability management plan, provides feedstock to The Compost Company, as well, which includes food prep waste, compostable plates, box lunches, and paper towels and napkins.

The bulk of The Compost Company’s customers includes farmers, landscapers, and gardeners, “but there have been some surprises as well,” adds Wansing. “The most unusual use of our product was by a pet food facility for a bio-filter. They built the bio-filter to clean the air before discharge from the facility (to minimize odor).” The Compost Company has also sold compost for use in several rain gardens that filter stormwater runoff from parking lots before it enters the watershed.

In Tennessee, tobacco is a common crop and makes an excellent source of nitrogen for the composting process.

A partnership with American Snuff of Memphis came at a good time for The Compost Company. “We really needed a larger feedstock, and

Photo: Ed Wansing, The Compost Company

The temperature of the compost is also very important, and is partially dependent upon the mixture of materials in the compost. While using a probe to measure the temperature of the steaming piles of compost, Ezell added that, “Sight, smell, and consistency are our primary metrics.” Proper temperature, as well as the correct ratio of carbon to

nitrogen, guarantees that those three metrics remain correct, and that the compost does not smell bad.

■■ Screening Compost Mulch

Workers use heavy equipment to screen the final product at The Compost Company in Ashland City, Tenn.

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Rogers, senior environmental health and safety manager for American Snuff. It wasn’t until Rogers met Wansing at a conference that American Snuff was able to make composting a reality.

Composting is not the only sustainable initiative that American Snuff supports, and they have a sustainability team to help them make environmentally sound choices. They also land apply the process waste tobacco from their Clarksville, Tenn., facility to a local farm and require that tobacco farmers are provided with education on sustainable farming techniques. There are 3,700 acres of farmland in Tennessee that provide tobacco to American Snuff. “We call our corporate-wide sustainability initiative ‘Transforming Tobacco,’” said John Massey, manager of process improvement with American Snuff and member of the sustainability team.

PPhoto: TDEC

American Snuff is also concerned with making sustainable supply chain choices, both at their Memphis facility as well as their manufacturing site in Clarksville, and now uses biodegradable Gaylord boxes and other process materials that are compostable.

■■ Turning Tobacco Waste into Compost

The American Snuff Company is transforming their tobacco into compost with the help of The Compost Company. Members of the Sustainability Team are pictured here.

companies like American Snuff brought us over that hurdle,” said Wansing.

American Snuff manufactures snuff and chewing tobacco. Since tobacco is an organic material, returning it to the soil is a natural choice, but initially American Snuff had “looked for land application or composting and really didn’t find anything close by,” said Rhonda

Waste management solutions are growing more popular across industry sectors. According to a recent survey by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Office of Sustainable Practices, almost 30 percent of food and food-grade product manufacturers like ConAgra, Unilever, and the Mars Chocolate Factory use land application or animal feed supplementation to reuse process wastes. Large-scale composting, while a sought-after solution for many manufacturers, has not historically been an option in Tennessee.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation hopes to change that, and in 2016 provided the first round of grant funding to promote composting and build or update infrastructure that supports an increase in the diversion of organic wastes away from Tennessee landfills.

“Grants offered by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Division of Solid Waste Management will help to support and encourage the spread of composting programs both public and private across the state,” said Patrick Flood, director of the Division of Solid Waste and Hazardous Management. “Providing incentive to reuse and repurpose food wastes is a priority with our department.”

PPhoto: TDEC

The Compost Company provides one of the first of many outlets for companies with organic and compostable waste. Companies like American Snuff are taking advantage of an environmentally responsible and fiscally efficient method of waste management, and as opportunities for composting increase across the state Tennessee’s landfills will be less burdened. ■

■■ The Compost Company

The Compost Company has been creating high-yield compost since November 2011.

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