COMMUNITY
GREEN MOUNTAINS Local governments set sustainability goals and initiatives to achieve them BY MARTINIQUE DAVIS
Tony Demin
T
elluride, Mountain Village and San Miguel County are stunningly beautiful, with a diverse, pristine backcountry that provides locals and visitors alike with a multitude of options for outdoor recreation. Less poetically, the region’s economy depends heavily on this pristine backcountry and its opportunities for outdoor recreation. So, as the impacts of climate change become a sobering reality for communities across the globe, including the Telluride region, it’s no wonder that local governments here have heeded the call. Initiating meaningful change for more sustainable futures can be a daunting challenge, but local governments have committed to carbon neutral, zero waste and other environmental goals in the coming decades, and are in the process of putting projects and programs into place to realize those goals. To reach its carbon neutral goals, as well as improve efficiencies and decrease costs, San Miguel County recently partnered with the state Department of Local Affairs and the Colorado Energy Office in launching an energy performance and solar installation project for county facilities. “Becoming carbon neutral will give us long-term stability and ensure quality of life as climate change is becoming more apparent,” says County Manager Mike Bordogna of the program, which will see the installation of on-site solar photovoltaic and battery systems at key county facilities, as well as
identify facility improvements that will reduce enprograms designed to help residents take steps ergy usage. All told, these improvements will result towards more green behaviors are available, inin a total reduction of 7,704 tons of carbon dioxide. cluding a Compost Incentive Program, where reIn Telluride, the citizen-led Ecology Commiscipients receive a free home-composter unit; the sion has been hard at work updating the comSmart Building Incentive program, where those munity’s Carbon Action Plan, hiring consulting building a new home can qualify for up to 100 company Cascadia to crepercent building fee waiver; ate an updated plan that and a Solar Incentive Program, ‘ BECOMING CARBON will serve as the town’s where the town partnered with NEUTRAL WILL GIVE US sustainability roadmap. the Telluride Mountain Village The plan highlights sourc- LONG-TERM STABILITY.’ Owners Association and nones of carbon emissions profit Solar United Neighbors Mik e B or dogn a and ways to reduce and to create a solar energy co-op. eventually eliminate them, and outlines some of A total of 15 local families received up to a $5,000 the expected impacts climate change will have rebate to install solar panels on their homes in on the community in the coming years. Says 2021, thanks to the program. Commission Chair Kiersten Talbert, “Our hope To help manage these programs and seek grant is that the updated CAP will guide the actions funding for future sustainability projects, the town of the town government in order to reduce our has hired an environmental efficiencies and grant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and coordinator. Lauren Kirn, who began in August, the effects of climate change, and to prepare our points out that green practices are as much about community for some of the changes that are protecting the environment as they are about propredicted for our region.” moting innovation. “We are constantly researching The commission has also focused on reducing environmental efforts and developing relationships single-use plastics and is in the process of creating a to understand and evaluate the best path forward reusable takeout container pilot program. for our community,” says Kirn. “One of my perMountain Village, meanwhile, has put its monsonal goals is to demonstrate that environmental ey where its mouth is when it comes to promoting efficiencies and sustainability efforts coincide with environmental stewardship. A slate of incentive economic growth and productivity.” telluride.com | 855.421.4360
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