Environmental Collaborative
Environment Subcommittee:
Ozarks Clean Air Alliance
The Environmental Collaborative mission is: "To contribute to the protection of the earth's resources through research, teaching, and outreach; to generate knowledge and develop techniques and skills to help practitioners manage and conserve natural and environmental resources to meet the full range of human needs on a sustainable basis."
The Environmental Collaborative celebrated a huge accomplishment with the completion of the State of the Environment Report and Recommendations. In 2001, The Environmental collaborative teamed up with the Springfield/Greene County Environmental Advisory Board to complete an environmental assessment project through the Center for Disease Control and the National Association of Cities and Counties. The completion of this effort marks a true achievement for our community as Springfield was the first in Missouri and one of ten in the country to undertake a community environmental assessment initiative such as this.
During 2005-2006, forty-five workgroups members comprised the Environmental Collaborative and the Environmental Advisory Board, community experts and stakeholders dedicated months of research and planning to complete the recommendation component of this comprehensive report. These workgroups have provided nearly 150 recommendations for planning and action related to the following:
- Air Quality
- Community Health
- Environmental Education / Environmental Justice
- Population Growth
- Solid Waste Management
- Water Quality
Collaborative members gathered input from the public on the recommendations before presenting this comprehensive report to the Springfield City Council and Greene County Commission for acceptance and adoption. Now adopted by these entities, various groups, organizations, businesses, etc. have taken a leadership role in the implementation of the initiatives/projects/ goals/recommendations from the report.