Pleasant Dale Park District
Environmental Policy
For Use at Recreation Center and Flagg Creek Golf Course
Drafted: February 10, 2009
Purchase and use environmentally safe and sensitive products – purchase products for use in facility and park operations which minimize negative environmental impacts, taking into consideration the effects of product production, use, storage and disposal.
When looking for services/products use the E.P.A.’s Environmentally Preferred Products (EEP) program or the Green Seal at Greenseal.org.
When purchasing through Cooperative – identify vendors of environmentally friendly products.
Planting a tree on Earth Day
- Purchase products with recycled content whenever possible for use in recreation programs, offices, park maintenance and development projects.
- Encourage the conservative use of paper and wood in place of plastics and other non-biodegradable and non-renewable products.
- Eliminate the use of Styrofoam products by staff, concessionaire and park / facility users.
- Minimize the use of petroleum-based products such as inks, stains and plastics.
- Reduce the use of disposable products by staff, concessionaires and park / facility users.
- Make use of electronic mail resources such as phone or computer message systems in place of paper memos.
- Inventory all hazardous materials including cleaners, paints, solvents, sealants, wood preservatives, and office products and investigate environmentally sensitive alternatives.
- Avoid the use of chlorine-bleached paper products.
- Reduce indoor air pollutant such as fluorocarbons from spray can fumes from cleaning solutions, sealants and paints by using less harmful alternatives.
- Minimize indoor pesticide use by incorporating integrated pest management within all facilities.
- Avoid using products harvested from rainforests or other endangered natural communities.
- Develop an agency environmental policy statement for use in bidding documents.
Wise use and protection of air, water, soil and wildlife – actively seek and implement ways to conserve and protect water and soil, enhance air quality, limit the production and release of damaging pollutants, and protect wildlife.
- Reduce vehicle emissions through regular tune-ups and other applicable vehicle maintenance.
- Identify sources of indoor air pollution and implement a prevention program.
- Adopt a resolution, which reduces or prohibits second-hand tobacco smoke within facilities and vehicles.
- Develop a program to monitor and remove asbestos.
- Conduct an inventory of toxic air emissions and implement an action plan to reduce emission levels.
- Retrofit all facilities with water conservation hardware, and develop a leak detection and correction program.
- Develop a water conservation plan for swimming pools, skating rinks and other special facilities.
- Evaluate the impact of cleaners, solvents and other products on the water source and investigate environmentally sensitive alternatives.
- Use drought resistant and native species for landscaping.
- Investigate alternative snowmelt products, using those, which have the least impact upon the surrounding soil, water and plant life.
- Establish a comprehensive integrated pest management program for parks grounds, including selection of plant species, preventive maintenance, early detection of problems, natural control methods and minimized use of pesticides.
- Ensure that underground storage tanks do not leak, and remove or replace any defective equipment.
- Practice soil management and appropriate landscaping to prevent erosion.
- Incorporate environmental impact considerations in the design process of facilities and parks.
- Ban the release of balloons in parks.
Wise use of energy resources – actively seek and implement ways to conserve energy resources and investigate methods of applying alternative energy technologies.
- Plant shade trees near buildings to reduce energy consumption due to summer air conditioning.
- Plant evergreens and shrubs as windbreaks along building foundations and walls to reduce energy consumption due to heating.
- Design and build energy efficient buildings, giving consideration to insulation and energy efficient appliances and incorporating alternative, renewable technologies such as solar and wind energy.
- Conduct energy audits and retrofit buildings with energy saving devices.
- Improve the efficiency of existing lighting by retrofitting outdoor and indoor lighting with energy efficient bulbs and requiring new lighting to be energy efficient.
- Properly maintain refrigerators and air conditioners for more energy efficient cooling.
- Establish minimum and maximum thermostat temperature settings for all facilities, and reduce heating and cooling usage when buildings are unoccupied.
- Insulate hot water heaters and pipes and reduce temperature settings.
- Consider alternative fuels such as propane and natural gas and alternative energy technologies such as electrically powered vehicles.
- Maintain vehicles to reduce fuel consumption and implement energy saving fleet operation procedures.
- Support the use of transportation alternatives such as bicycles, mass transit, car pooling and walking and provide incentives for staff and park / facility users.
Reduction of handling of waste – reduce waste production, reuse and recycle materials from facility and park operations, and handle hazardous and all other wastes according to lawful and safe procedures.
Make recycling bin locations known and encourage ALL staff usage.
- Investigate source reduction of waste, including purchasing in bulk, minimizing packaging, reducing excess use of paper, and choosing reusable and recyclable products.
- Reduce paper use by sharing subscriptions, making double-sided reports, reducing junk mail, using memo routing slips, and keep mailing lists current.
- Investigate ways to reuse office, recreation program, and maintenance/construction materials that are typically discarded.
- Compost or otherwise reuse all landscape waste.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive in-house and parks recycling program including metals, glass, plastics, paper, cardboard, magazines, and other recyclables.
- Recycle batteries, antifreeze, motor oil, freon and other automotive by-products.
- Train staff in the proper handling, use, storage and disposal of hazardous materials.
Open space planning and preservation – protect and restore indigenous natural communities such as grasslands, woodlands and wetlands, and promote the reclamation, acquisition, preservation and management of other open space areas including river corridors, greenways and trails.
- Develop and implement plans for the re-establishment and/or restoration of native grasslands and woodland ecosystems.
- Re-establish and protect river corridors, wetlands and other wildlife habits.
- Provide appropriate recreational access to and enhance public awareness of such restored and protected natural sites.
- Support local efforts to establish greenways.
- Work with commercial or private landowners in an effort to acquire or otherwise ensure the use of these lands for open space.
- Develop relationships with land trusts and preservation/conservation organizations to assist in open space and natural habitat preservation.
- Develop a plan to balance appropriate recreational use of environmentally sensitive lands with preservation goals.
- Utilize native species for park landscaping.
- Eliminate or control exotic and invasive plant and animal species that inhibit ecological diversity and integrity.
- Abide by existing laws to protect rare, threatened and endangered plant and animal species.
- Develop a tree planting and replacement program to reforest park areas in the community.
- Organize a volunteer tree planting and maintenance program.
- Adopt a resolution to protect heritage trees.
Environmental education and interpretation – provide education and interpretation opportunities for staff and the public, which increases appreciation for the natural world, and promote environmentally conscious lifestyles, emphasizing selective consumption and low-impact resource use.
- Organize an environmental committee consisting of agency staff from all facilities and or departments.
- Involve agency staff in an environmental education program, which explains the commitment of the agency to the environment, provides information about environmentally conscious lifestyles and workplace choices and habits, and stresses the need for staff input and involvement.
- Develop and implement an energy awareness program for employees and park facility users.
- Develop plans for dealing with environmental disasters such as chemical spills and floods.
- Ensure that contractors and vendors comply with the agency’s adopted environmental polices.
- Promote leisure activities that minimize environmental impact an energy use.
- Develop a public relations program to inform the public about the agency’s environmental efforts, provide community leadership, and serve as a role model.
- Include environmental lifestyle information in materials distributed to the public.
- Develop and present public programs, which enhance the public’s relationship with the natural world and teach environmentally responsible lifestyles.
- Interpret the natural resources specific to the community via programs, presentations, signage or brochures.
- Use Earth Day as a vehicle to educate the public about the environment.
- Work with other interested community agencies and organizations to develop and enhance a strong environmental ethic.