Page 9 - Clinton Currents Volume XIX Issue 1 - Winter 2019

Winter 2019 Page 9
Clinton Township takes silver again in MGC Challenge
Clinton Township was among 30 communities earning awards in last September’s statewide Michigan Green Communities Challenge. Communities across the state were recognized for taking on a wide range of sustainability projects – everything from using electric lawn mowers to water conservation measures. Overall, the awards acknowledge clean energy and environmental leadership.
This marks the second year that Clinton Township earned a silver designation for its efforts toward sustaining green environment initiatives that center on recycling and reducing the amount of pollution that enters the Clinton River.
“The Township completed the requisite number of action items and reporting items, which allowed us to maintain our silver standing,” said Deputy Supervisor Elizabeth Vogel. “Action items include our community-wide residential recycling program, annual shred day and electronics recycling programs, and installing infrastructure to support non-motorized transportation,” she said.
Several examples of reporting items include total acres of park land, percentage of tree canopy, number of vehicles in the government eet, and total lane miles of non-motorized infrastructure such as bike lanes and sidewalks.
Shanna Draheim, manager of the MGC Challenge Program, attended Clinton Township’s Oct. 29 Board of Trustees meeting to present a silver award certi cate.
“This impressive number of sustainability actions taken shows that more and more communities understand the value and importance of green
Township Supervisor Bob Cannon accepts a silver award certi cate from Shanna Draheim, manager of the MGC Challenge Program.
initiatives as it relates to the health and economic well-being of their community,” said Draheim. “The Green Challenge program gives them the tools and network to help advance environmentally conscious goals,” she said.
The challenge is organized by the Michigan Green Communities Network, which aims to connect community leaders through training, education, and communications. The MGC Network is a partnership between the Michigan Municipal League, Michigan Association of Counties, and Michigan Townships Association.
The rst MGC Challenge was launched in 2009 and emphasized energy efficiency projects. In 2016, MGC Network members, with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, revised and relaunched the challenge to include numerous other initiatives. In 2018, Michigan communities took more than 450 actions toward becoming more sustainable and reported over 290 metrics to track their progress. From 2016 to 2018, the challenge has seen more than a 60 percent increase in actions reported by communities, demonstrating a growing commitment to sustainability in the state.
About Michigan Green Communities
Michigan Green Communities is a statewide network of local government and university staff that collaborate with one another to promote innovative solutions and move sustainability initiatives forward at the local, regional, and state level. MGC network members collaboratively learn and share with one another through webinars, monthly newsletters, face-to-face events, and the annual MGC Challenge. For more information, visit migreencommunities.com.