Environmental Standards and Participation

1. Where can I get help to help make my town more sustainable?
The National Civic League, a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging citizen participation in government, is helping develop sustainable action plans for communities across the U.S. You can contact their community services team at via their website.
2. How can I participate in city government decisions that affect the environment?
Attending city council meetings is a good start and your first step should be to determine if your city has a comprehensive environmental policy that is embedded throughout city departments as in Madison, Wisconsin. You may see an example of one here. Should you find that your city doesn't, contact officials with a draft text and write to your local newspaper urging that one be implemented. If you have the time, determine stakeholders in your community that might be enlisted for support, particularly if they would face impacts from such a policy. The more community members you can ally with, the more likely your ideas will be acted upon.

For more specific projects, such as putting a bike lane in a specific area, you will need to get in touch with the appropriate local, state or Federal department, but as noted above it is wise to gather likeminded residents before doing so.

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