Governor Announces Environmental Excellence Award Winners

Governor Terry McAuliffe has announced the winners of the 2016 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards, which were presented at the Environment Virginia Symposium at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington.

In addition to recognizing significant environmental contributions in sustainability, environmental projects and land conservation, this year’s awards also recognize exemplary implementation of the Virginia Outdoors Plan. Winners represent businesses and industrial facilities, not-for-profit organizations and government agencies located throughout the Commonwealth.

“These winners have made a commitment that all Virginians benefit from,” Governor McAuliffe said. “I congratulate and thank these organizations for their leadership, innovation and commitment to Virginia’s natural environment.”

The Gold Medal winners are:

• The City of Richmond and the Virginia Green Travel Alliance for implementing green practices at the 2015 UCI Road World Championships, which successfully managed waste with a 76 percent landfill diversion rate, offset 100 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions from event operations, and created a positive legacy with resources available to future events.
• The Luray Hawksbill Greenway Trail for the exemplary implementation of the Virginia Outdoors Plan by connecting the community to the natural environment along the 2-mile walking and biking trail that borders the Hawksbill Creek.
• The Virginia Outdoors Foundation, which is also celebrating its 50^th anniversary, for its leadership in land conservation including the protection of more than 750,000 acres throughout the Commonwealth. 

Award winners were chosen based on criteria including environmental benefit, stakeholder involvement, public outreach, transferability and innovativeness.  The awards are sponsored by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.  Additional information on the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards is available on the DEQ website at www.deq.virginia.gov.

For Community Gardens to Thrive, Education is the Key

From WCVE:

http://ideastations.org/radio/news/community-gardens-thrive-education-key

City Receives Gold Level Certification for UCI Road World Championships

The city received the Gold Level Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport for its sustainability efforts with the 2015 UCI Road World Championships.

To commemorate the 2015 UCI Road World Championships, the event's colors will be painted as stripes at what was the finish line for the event at E. Broad and 5th streets. (Artist rendition. Actual work will be done this summer.)

(left to right) Keith Peters, executive director for the Council for Responsible Sport; Alicia Zatcoff, sustainability manager for the City of Richmond; Tom Griffin, executive director for Virginia Green Travel Alliance; and Mary-Stuart Torbeck of Virginia Green Travel

The Council for Responsible Sport presented Mayor Dwight C. Jones, City officials, and partners with the Gold Level Certification April 4 for their sustainability efforts during the 2015 UCI Road World Championships. 

The Council for Responsible Sport event certification is based on an objective verification of the event’s actual performance in key areas of social and environmental responsibility. Gold certification is the second highest level of certification available. The City of Richmond and partners met or exceeded all of their sustainability goals for the event, passed an on-site validation process and submitted documentation to receive a total of 48 out of 61 available credits in the areas of planning, procurement, resource management, access and equity and community legacy.

“I commend Mayor Jones, the City of Richmond, the event management team and partners for their significant achievement. Hosting such a large event and doing so in a socially and environmentally responsible way required a huge amount of sustained effort,” said Keith Peters, executive director for the Council for Responsible Sport. 

“The Gold Certification recognizes the tremendous effort our dedicated City employees and partners put forth to make the 2015 Road World Cycling Championships a sustainable event,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “I especially want to acknowledge Alicia Zatcoff, the City of Richmond Sustainability Manager, and Tom Griffin, Executive Director of Virginia Green Travel Alliance for their leadership and commitment in this undertaking.”

Sustainability was a key factor in the success of the Worlds and in giving athletes and spectators an immensely positive experience. In making the 2015 Road World Championships a sustainable event, the city also moved its broader RVAgreen sustainability initiatives forward.

Initiatives include making the city more bike friendly with over 23 miles of new bike infrastructure and 450 new bike racks. This event also set a new standard for sustainable events and festivals in the city. 

During the press event, which was held at the corner of Broad and 5^th streets, Mayor Jones and City officials also announced a project designed to commerorate Richmond, Virginia's hosting of the 2015 Worlds – the first time the event had been held in the United States in nearly 30 years, and only the second time the event had been held in the United States in its 88 year history.

“The event brought international attention to our City and the region,” noted Mayor Jones. “Right here at 5^th and Broad is where the finish line was, and right here is where we will memorialize the City of Richmond hosting the event.”

The Mayor announced plans to stripe the pavement across Broad Street with the UCI rainbow stripe colors to mark the spot of the official Finish Line of the 2015 Road World Cycling Championships.

“This project will be a part of our downtown corridor improvement project that will take place over the spring and summer months and will be part of our restoration effort for this corridor, post-event,” said Jones.