The EcoAdvocate September 2022

September 2022 Newsletter

Weigh in on the Draft Forestry and Natural Resources Plan

Arlington County is currently soliciting feedback on its draft Forestry and Natural Resources Plan (FNRP), which will guide county efforts to protect and enhance its tree canopy and natural resources for at least the next decade. County staff has produced a comprehensive plan that addresses the importance of equity in public spaces, public participation in preserving green spaces, engagement with Arlington Public Schools, acknowledgment of our natural resources as natural capital that requires sustained investment and maintenance, and inclusion of NOVA Parks in the Plan.

EcoAction Arlington has identified a number of elements of the Plan that should be prioritized and enhanced to better protect trees and natural areas, ensure tree canopy equity, mitigate stormwater runoff, promote stewardship and cooperation across Arlington, and more.

Ways to provide your feedback before the comment period ends on October 3:

Share your thoughts in the Online Feedback Form – this is a short survey that allows you to indicate your priorities for the plan and provide general comments.

Provide comments directly in the draft – this allows you to make comments on specific components of the draft plan, which is is almost 100 pages long.

Email your comments directly to the Department of Parks and Recreation staff at: fnrp@arlingtonva.us

Help Defend a Key Virginia Clean Economy Initiative

Governor Youngkin is requesting that the State Air Pollution Board (aka Air Board) repeal Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cap-and-trade program that requires power producers to pay for their carbon emissions and is intended to accelerate the move to renewable energy for electricity production. RGGI has a proven track record and Virginians have been benefiting from Virginia’s participation over the last year and a half.

From 2010 to 2020, RGGI states dropped greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent, while Virginia power plant emissions remained flat. Moreover, according to the Virginia Mercury, residents of states with a higher percentage of electricity generated from renewable sources have lower utility bills than Virginians and are better protected from rising utility rates resulting from increasing fossil fuel costs.

Almost $400 million dollars have been raised through RGGI and are now helping Virginia’s households and communities lower their energy costs through energy efficiency improvements and address recurrent flooding from increasingly frequent high-intensity storms.

Virginia’s General Assembly mandated Virginia’s participation in RGGI in 2020 legislation and only the General Assembly can repeal the law; it cannot legally be done by regulatory action.

The Air Board is currently accepting public comments on its Notice of Intent for Regulatory Action to remove Virginia from RGGI.

Tell the Air Board that you oppose this illegal action to repeal Virginia’s participation in RGGI. RGGI is an important market-based mechanism that is increasing the supply of clean, more secure renewable energy for electricity and benefitting Virginians.

Letter from EoAction Arlington to the Arlington County Board on Missing Middle Housing

EcoAction Arlington recently sent a letter to the County Board supporting, but describing its concerns, with proposed plans to change residential zoning throughout the County to allow small-scale 2 to 8 units residential buildings (aka Missing Middle) in lots currently zoned for single-family residences. Higher density housing is more environmentally friendly as it increases energy efficiency and walkability, reducing the need for long commutes in fossil fuel-powered vehicles, and preventing sprawl. This proposed change also addresses historical practices introduced to exclude racial minorities from living in large portions of Arlington. Our letter, however, expressed serious reservations that under current regulations and conditions, which are also applicable to construction of single-family homes, Missing Middle Housing could exacerbate tree canopy loss and stormwater runoff and urged the County to explore changes to zoning and land use ordinances and other policy options to mitigate potential impacts.

Read Our Letter

You can learn more about the County’s Missing Middle Housing Study on its website and share your opinions and concerns about the proposals to County staff at housingarlington@arlingtonva.us or directly to County Board members at countyboard@arlingtonva.us.

Circular Economy Program

Zero Waste: Building a Better Community

Building a Circular Economy: Breaking the Produce-Consume-Dispose Paradigm

Transforming to a Zero Waste Community will hinge on rethinking how and where we produce, use, and reuse materials and goods. This program will explore how products and business practices can be redesigned to reduce impact on the environment, promote durability and reuse, and ultimately be recycled into new products for a more resilient community.

Tuesday October 11, 7:00-8:30 pm via Zoom

Speakers

Jamie Rhodes, Interim Chief Strategy Officer, Upstream Solutions, Transitioning to a Circular Economy

Jim Schulman, Executive Director of the Alliance for Regional Cooperation, Reimagining our Regional Business Ecosystem

Moderator

Janine Finnell, Executive Director, Leaders in Energy