Climate Action Plan Newsletter

Welcome to the September Climate Action Plan newsletter! Below you will read about the exciting rebirth of the beloved ClimateWise program, now led by a venerable community organization. You’ll find tips for free recycling options, advice for the solar curious, and opportunities for savings on water-wise planting.

As autumn arrives, it is also a new season for the City of Fort Collins Climate Team. We are saying goodbye to our excellent program assistant, Katsí Peña, who has been responsible for these newsletters, among many other duties, as she moves on to supporting the City’s Natural Areas Department. We have hired a permanent data analyst in Adelle McDaniel, who has valiantly been crunching the numbers for climate metrics in an interim role since 2019.

Finally, I am excited to introduce myself as the new Climate Program Manager! Joining the Climate Team as just the second person in this role, I am thrilled and humbled to lead as the community, your elected officials, and City staff come together to make the vision of Our Climate Future a reality.

With gratitude for all you do,

Honore Depew, Climate Program Manager

Exciting Update: the annual greenhouse gas inventory will be shared with City Council during their regular meeting on October 19. A summary will be shared in next month’s newsletter!

Don't lose out on $50!

Don't miss out on a chance at $50!

This is a reminder that tomorrow, Oct. 1, is the last day to turn off your outdoor irrigation to save water and earn a chance to win $50 off your next Fort Collins Utilities water bill.

In 2020, 91% of all Fort Collins Utilities customers turned off their outdoor irrigation by October 1 saving over 100 million gallons of water. Let’s do it again this year!

Join the Shift Your Water Challenge today and pledge to turn off your outdoor irrigation by tomorrow, October 1.

Eligible Fort Collins Utilities residential water customers who pledge and turn off their irrigation by October 1 will be entered to win $50 off their next water bill! You could be one of the 100 winners!

ClimateWise Updates

For 20 years, Fort Collins businesses who participated in the City of Fort Collins ClimateWise program saved over $94 million and reduced carbon emissions by 1.4 metric tons. In partnership with the Sustainable Living Association (SLA), the City is now handing off its program model, which ended in 2020, to ‘reimagine’ and develop a new sustainability program for businesses based on the current needs of the Fort Collins business community. One focus of reimagining a new sustainable business program is to ensure the voices of Fort Collins’ historically underrepresented businesses and stakeholders are heard. 

The redesign of ClimateWise will assess barriers to participating in the program, past challenges and strengths and how to align to existing City community goals. Additionally, the team is co-creating a steering committee to aid in the process of the barrier analysis, broader business engagement and pilot program implementation.

For more information, visit here or complete this form to have someone contact you.  

Considering Solar? Start with Fort Collins Utilities!

More than 2,000 Fort Collins Utilities customers generate their own clean energy at home. Their actions add up, helping the City achieve its climate goal for local renewable energy production.

By 2030, our goal is to have 5% of energy generated where it’s used. Utilities needs customers to install solar to help us meet this goal. With solar on your roof, and the option to add batteries to store surplus solar energy, you can reduce or avoid purchasing expensive energy during On-Peak Time of Day periods.

Visit our website to learn about how the technology works here in our community. 

Each of us has a role in our community’s future. Turn to Fort Collins Utilities to get answers to your solar questions.

Xeriscape Incentive Program (XIP)

Planning to make your HOA or commercial landscape more water wise? The 2022 Xeriscape Incentive Program (XIP) application is open!

XIP is a water conservation grant program designed to help Utilities commercial water customers (HOAs, multi-family complexes, businesses, faith-based organizations, schools, parks, government entities and more) save water outdoors.

Eligible properties can receive up to $1.50/square foot of area converted, up to $15,000 per project, if the proposed project demonstrates long-term water reduction through landscape transformation. Funds are limited. 

Annual program deadlines:

• Pre-applications due Nov. 1
• Full applications due Dec. 1
• Award announcements made in February
• Approved projects must be completed by Oct. 31

Free ABOP (antifreeze, batteries, oil, paint) Recycling

There is no entry fee in 2021 at the Timberline Recycling Center’s Hard-to-Recycle Materials Yard to recycle antifreeze, batteries, oil, or paint. Thanks to funding from the City’s Stormwater Utility, the Timberline Recycling Center can accept these materials from community members to keep them out of our water supply and improve indoor air quality. In 2020, just over 92 tons of these materials were collected.

OCF Tip of the Month: Grow and Eat Locally

Food is an essential component of each of our lives. Nearly 40,000 residents in Larimer County are considered food insecure, while one third of school-aged children receive free or reduced meals. A sustainable, local food system can have other broad reaching and positive impacts ranging from improved soil, water, and ecosystem health to providing a healthy and reliable food source for all members of our community.

Through innovative partnerships, all of us can have increased access to healthy, fresh foods grown and raised close to home. Get started today with the following tips: 

• Sign up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program
• Sign up for a community garden plot
• Take a class at the Gardens on Spring Creek related to local food, gardening, cooking and more
• Plant it Forward, plant extra produce in your garden to donate when harvested

Contact Us

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Katsí, Jensen, or myself if there is more we can do to support you in your own climate action journey.

Honore Depew
Climate Program Manager
hdepew@fcgov.com 

Jensen Morgan
Community Engagement & Climate Action Specialist
jmorgan@fcgov.com

Katsí Peña
Climate Program Assistant 
kpena@fcgov.com

View this email in your web browser

Sustainability Services

222 Laporte

Fort Collins, CO 80521