Hello,
Please see below for Durango-area sustainability updates, events, and ways to take action. Feel free to pass this newsletter along to others who might be interested and please encourage folks to sign up hereto receive these monthly updates on sustainability activities in our area.
Local First Local First is a community-led Independent Business Alliance with a mission to work alongside independent, locally-owned businesses in shaping an economy that values people, planet, and prosperity. Founded in 2008, Local First continues to drive forward the value of "local" with programs and initiatives such as Eat Local Month, Move your Money, and Shop Local for the Holidays while also fostering an environment in which locally-owned businesses can thrive through advocacy at the city, county, and state level. Learn more and get involved in the Local Movement by visiting local-first.org
The Environmental Center is excited for the start of another school year at Fort Lewis College! Each semester, they hire 15-20 students who build leadership skills through spearheading and supporting sustainability projects on campus and in the community. This fall, the center welcomes Marcel Gaztambide as the Environmental Center’s Director. Fall is an especially active time for students working in their garden landscaping spaces on campus, as well as reducing waste and energy consumption through their Move-In/Move-Out and e-bike programs. Stay tuned- they’ll announce the exact date for our FLC Sustainability Summit, to occur in mid-October, and open to the greater Durango community.
COMMUNITY NEWS
City of Durango
Updates
Household Hazardous Waste Collections - It’s time to clean out your basement and garage of anything toxic, flammable, or corrosive! The City of Durango and La Plata County are partnering to once again offer a FREE Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collections event September 23 & 24. These events are the BEST and EASIEST option in our region to properly dispose of toxic and hazardous items. For a full list of accepted materials and event details, visit www.durangogov.org/HHW
Table to Farm Compost and the City of Durango are Seeking Compost Ambassadors - Are you passionate about the magic of compost? Volunteer canvassers are needed to help with a targeted market study aimed at understanding how to best expand composting services in Durango. Interested folks should contact the City of Durango Sustainability Manager, Marty Pool, at marty.pool@durangogov.org
City EV Chargers See 400% Increase in Use - One year ago, the City of Durango installed two Electric Vehicle (EV) Fast Chargers as part of the ALT Fuels Colorado Corridor grant program. Since the chargers were installed, the city has seen a 400% increase in energy use for charging compared to the previous year when the City only had level-2 stations available. This is in line with state-wide and national trends that are showing a dramatic, exponential increase in EV adoption, EV car sales, and expanding charger networks. Customers are increasingly showing their desire for more fast-charging locations in key locations, alongside more level-2 stations in homes, workplaces, and key service locations like grocery stores. Level 2 stations add about 30 miles of driving range per hour of charge, while fast chargers provide up to 200 miles per hour of charging (this is commonly called RPH or “range per hour” for chargers).
The city of Durango was designated as a Bronze-level Walk Friendly Community on June 21, 2022 by the Walk Friendly Communities program. This was the city’s first application to become a Walk Friendly Community. Walk Friendly Communities is a nationally recognized program that evaluates communities based on a set of criteria looking at programs and infrastructure and designates them a level based on how well they meet the criteria. There are 5 designation levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention. Durango is now 1 of 4 designated Walk Friendly Communities in Colorado.
Durango City Council meets every other Tuesday from 5:30-8:30PM. Upcoming City Council meetings are Tuesday, September 6 and 20 at 5:30 p.m. Study Sessions are the same days starting at 2:15 p.m. Find the agenda and meeting link at DurangoGov.org/meetings. Durango City Council regular meetings and study sessions can now be viewed live on the city's YouTube channel.
Public Commentcan be shared at a meeting with a scheduled Public Participation agenda item. If the meeting does not have Public Participation scheduled, comments can be submitted via email to: PublicComment@DurangoGov.org. Comments must be submitted no later than noon on the Monday preceding the meeting.
Please participate in a city-wide survey designed to help the city identify parking solutions. Take the Survey Here:https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DurangosParkingFuture Those who complete the survey will be entered to win gift cards to local businesses provided by Durango Business Improvement District and the Durango Chamber of Commerce.
Other City Meetings
Natural Lands Preservation Advisory Board In-Person Meeting - September 12, 2022 from 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM at the Recreation Center (2700 N. Main Av, Durango, CO 81301)
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board In Person & Virtual Meeting - September 14, 2022 from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM at the Recreation Center (2700 N. Main Ave, Durango, CO 81301)
La Plata County
Updates and Get Involved
The County is co-hosting having HHW (Hazardous Household Waste) event with the City of Durango this fall, Sept 23 & 24.
Sept 23 is a Friday and we allow commercial drop offs by appointment, but we don’t turn anyone away.
Sept 24 is a Saturday and it’s open to residential drop offs.
The Board of County Commissioners and Planning Commission are meeting together this month to review the first draft of the oil and gas regulations that will be a complete rewrite of County Code based on State of Colorado Senate Bill 19-181, that put health safety and welfare on par with production. To receive updates on ways to get involved, please subscribe to this newsletter here.
Sign up here to get the Nine Basins Bulletin newsletter from the Southwestern Water Conservation District (SWCD) and the Water Information Program (WIP), a summary of the latest updates from southwest Colorado
La Plata County Commission Meetings
Here is the schedule for upcoming County Commission Meetings. All meetings are held at 10 a.m. in the County Administration Building, 1101 E. 2nd Ave. Meetings are accessible via Zoom using the links or phone numbers below. Join the meeting at https://zoom.us/j/819094582
COVID-19 vaccines will continue to be available in La Plata and Archuleta counties through health care providers, local pharmacies, and other partners. In addition, SJBPH will offer COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters at its offices in Durango and Pagosa Springs.
San Juan Basin Public Health (SJBPH) provides free COVID-19 testing in partnership with COVIDCheck Colorado.
La Plata Electric Association
TAKE ACTION
La Plata Electric Association Co-op members can provide input to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by asking for an expedient ruling about its Buy Down Payment (BDP) settlement with Tri-State. Please call FERC or send them an email message using the talking points here. This will not only benefit us LPEA Coop members, but other Tri-State Coop's and the nationwide movement of Coop's seeking to increase their use of lower cost renewably generated electricity with the added benefit of supporting the local economy. In addition, this will result in a desperately needed reduction of greenhouse gas emissions! The key points to make are that FERC decides in our favor and quickly.
LPEA offers many rebates - check them out here and here for new outdoor equipment and E-Bikes rebates.
Find out about current LPEA happenings and news here and read the Watt's Up monthly Newsletters here.
Meetings
The next regular LPEA Board of Directors meeting is Wednesday, September 21 at 9:00 a.m. via zoom. Input from Coop members is always welcome. Comments or questions to the board can be made shortly after 9 a.m.
Durango 9R Board of Education meetings are generally held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month starting at 5:30 and are always open to the public. The 2nd Tuesday of the month is usually a work session while the 4th Tuesday is the official public meeting where actions are taken and there is always an opportunity for public input. If you wish to participate, you much fill out this form 24 hours in advance.
Visit engage.durango.org to give feedback and submit ideas to Visit Durango.
If you want to start a new event or have a current event visit durango.org and apply for an event marking grant.
Care for Durango Campaign, a partnership between Visit Durango, San Juan Mountains Association, and Durango Trails is update running and getting good engagement. There are printed material being distributed along with the videos, and other ads.
Here are the dates to save for Durango Green Drinks in 2022! We'll start up again on the last Thursday of the month from 5-7PM outside at 11th Street Station in March.
Know an organization that might be interested in hosting a Green Drinks in 2022? Please have them reach out to DurangoGreenDrinks@gmail.com!
Looking for some good news? Sign up for Durango's Darcy Hitchcock's blog here.
The Sustainability Alliance of Southwest Colorado (SASCO) networks with local organizations, businesses, governments, and individuals to create a more just society which prioritizes environmental stewardship, social equity, and a thriving local economy.
. Therefore, all Board Meetings and Board Retreats are open to the public. 
