| More Funds Available for Urban Farmland Conservation | https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/environmental-programs/2480 | Environment & Sustainability | | 9/15/2022 6:30:00 PM | https://www.phoenix.gov/newssite/Lists/NewsArticle/Attachments/2480/Newsroom _OEP_1.jpg | | More Funds Available for Urban Farmland Conservation | <div class="ExternalClassAAF88FE1DDC548BCAD717436FA24BCE6"><html>
<p style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:"trebuchet ms", helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:15px;">The City of Phoenix has set aside an additional $2 million to continue protecting urban farmland from development. Through a partnership with <a style="color:rgb(175, 43, 1);" href="https://action.phoenix.gov/c1.pl?6b5e739eedb1ef959e80eaa4ee985fe6fb4a5b199cf1c6743e2fb30c608d0743" target="_blank">Central AZ Land Trust</a> (CALT), <a style="color:rgb(175, 43, 1);" href="https://action.phoenix.gov/c1.pl?77d298308996ee534dc0c60c44cc96b8ef6d7e6e97e849d52178319ed97fdd67" target="_blank">Maya’s Farm</a> has been permanently protected from development via a conservation easement, and additional funds are now available for more conservation easements.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:"trebuchet ms", helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:15px;">In June 2021, the Phoenix City Council approved $1 million for the <a style="color:rgb(175, 43, 1);" href="https://action.phoenix.gov/c1.pl?23d1a00c7a7123c91a464d46cda03209e9c7d3b8e57938ba92b212c90e07483a" target="_blank">Farmland Preservation Program</a>, part of its Phoenix Resilient Food System Program, for which CALT is the administrator. Since then, the Phoenix City Council approved $2 million more for this program. This means other farmland owners can be paid to sell their development rights while maintaining their farms for the benefit of all.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:"trebuchet ms", helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:15px;">Governed by A.R.S. 33-271, et seq., conservation easements are voluntary contractual relationships between a land trust and a landowner whereby the landowner sells or donates their development rights while still owning the land. A landowner can get paid 60-80% of the full sale value of the property (based on a qualified appraisal). Because the conservation easement binds all future owners of the property, the farm will remain in agricultural production and open space in perpetuity.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:"trebuchet ms", helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:15px;">"We are very excited that this Program will receive double the funding this year to conserve more vital urban farms within Phoenix," said Rosanne Albright, Environmental Programs Coordinator for the City of Phoenix.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:"trebuchet ms", helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:15px;">“We are grateful that the City of Phoenix continues to recognize the importance of maintaining working lands and prioritizes conserving our local farms and food supply,” said Becky Ruffner, President of the CALT Board.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:"trebuchet ms", helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:15px;">With the success of having conserved Maya’s Farm, CALT will continue to engage other farmland owners to participate in this Program. Interested farmland owners in Phoenix can contact Sharma Torrens at agconserveconsulting@gmail.com.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:"trebuchet ms", helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:15px;">CALT needs help from the community to conserve these local farms; the City will pay 75% of the conservation easement value, and CALT will fundraise for the remainder. Click <a style="color:rgb(175, 43, 1);" href="https://action.phoenix.gov/c1.pl?6b5e739eedb1ef959e80eaa4ee985fe6fb4a5b199cf1c6743e2fb30c608d0743" target="_blank">here</a> for details on how to contribute to the cause.<br></p>
</html></div> | https://www.phoenix.gov/oep | News | environmental-programs |
| ‘Planting For Monarchs Month’ Invites Phoenicians to Help Struggling Butterfly Species | https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/environmental-programs/2467 | Environment & Sustainability | | 9/1/2022 3:45:00 PM | https://www.phoenix.gov/newssite/Lists/NewsArticle/Attachments/2467/OEP_monarch month.png | | ‘Planting For Monarchs Month’ Invites Phoenicians to Help Struggling Butterfly Species | <div class="ExternalClassA4B5B696590A4CEAAEA4EB993332205E"><html>
<p>As Arizonans begin the fall planting season, the City of Phoenix's Office of Environmental Programs encourages families and gardeners to plant native plants that help the monarch butterfly population. September is <a target="_blank" href="/oep/monarch">Planting For Monarchs Month</a>.<br></p><p>The western population of the monarch butterfly has declined by more than 90% over the last 20 years. Researchers believe one of the primary causes is habitat loss. Because the butterflies migrate through the Phoenix each year from about September to May, milkweed and native nectar plants can help give them a food source and a place to lay eggs while they're here.</p><p>“We want to make sure that we are helping to provide the migratory resources that this species needs to be able to complete its life cycle and its migration cycle," said Environmental Programs Coordinator Tricia Balluff.</p><p><strong>What can I do to help the monarch?</strong></p><ul><li>Plant native milkweed such as desert (rush) milkweed or Arizona Milkweed.</li><li>Plant native nectar plants such as pink fairyduster, desert lavender, blackfoot daisy, and desert marigold.</li><li>Protect your monarch garden by avoiding the use of pesticides as much as possible</li><li>Trim monarch plants when the flowers aren't blooming.</li></ul><p>“It can be any size of effort, from a potted plant on a balcony to a whole yard full of native nectar resources," Balluff said.<br></p><p>Mayor Kate Gallego proclaimed <a target="_blank" href="/oepsite/Documents/Mayor%27s%20Monarch%20Proclamation.pdf">September 2021</a> as 'Planting For Monarchs Month' to raise awareness for the need for more milkweed and nectar in the area. The City of Phoenix also made the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nwf.org/mayorsmonarchportal/Community?communityId=327&programYearId=2">National Wildlife Federation's Mayor's Monarch Pledge</a><strong>.</strong> This pledge commits the city to take action to support the monarch butterfly population.<br></p><p><br></p>
</html></div> | https://www.phoenix.gov/oep | News | environmental-programs |
| Applications Open For Backyard Garden Program | https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/environmental-programs/2435 | Environment & Sustainability | | 8/3/2022 11:30:00 PM | https://www.phoenix.gov/newssite/Lists/NewsArticle/Attachments/2435/raised bed garden 2.jpg | https://youtu.be/Uj3hPslz1LY | Applications Open For Backyard Garden Program | <div class="ExternalClass2E69FAB9CB8548B8BC9F48356C8C7A19"><html>
The City of Phoenix Office of Environmental Programs is beginning the next cohort of the <a href="/oep/backyard-garden" target="_blank">Backyard Garden Program</a>, where participants will receive, at no cost to them, a garden system, including training, support, and maintenance (as needed) for one year.<br><br>Thanks to American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, the program already supplied 92 garden systems to community members in the first year. In year two, the program will provide 178 households with either a traditional raised bed garden (provided by <a target="_blank" href="https://tigermountainfoundation.org/non-profit-community-garden/">TigerMountain Foundation</a>), a regenerative agriculture system called a '<a target="_blank" href="https://lehrgarden.com/">LEHR Garden</a>,' or an aquaponics system (provided by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nxthorizon.com/Home.html">NxT Horizon</a>).<br><br>“Literally I can go outside, harvest what I need, use it to cook that night. That's really convenient and inexpensive," said Xavier Jones, who has a city-funded aquaponics system in his backyard. He grew more than ten pounds of produce in the first few months.<br><br>Aquaponics systems grow produce on rafts floating in water. Inside the water are fish that provide nutrients for the plants, which in turn clean the water for the fish. Aquaponics expert and instructor Dr. George Brooks, Jr. makes the whole process simple for backyard gardeners.<br><br>“To see them as their individual plants start to grow and prosper and vine out and bloom and then produce fruit has been great," he said.<br><br>The City of Phoenix is looking for passionate community members with an interest in growing food and who are willing to make a yearlong commitment to backyard gardening. Gardens will be installed in either the fall of 2022 or early spring of 2023. <br><br>“It doesn't feel like work to me. It doesn't feel like a chore. It's something I'm passionate about," said Jayleen McGehee of working in the raised bed garden that was installed in her backyard for free. “I go outside, get sun, grow things, and I provide for my family, because food is expensive right now."<br><br>This program is for residents living in single-family homes only. Check out the <a target="_blank" href="https://phoenix-gov.formstack.com/forms/bgp_2_en">application</a> for the full requirements. Applications for the Backyard Garden Program are open until 11:59 pm on August 30, 2022.<br><br><br><span id="ms-rterangepaste-end"></span><p><br></p></html></div> | https://www.phoenix.gov/oep | Video | environmental-programs |
| Phoenix Greenhouse Gas Emissions Decreased in 2020, Report Finds | https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/environmental-programs/2430 | Environment & Sustainability | | 8/1/2022 5:30:00 PM | https://www.phoenix.gov/newssite/Lists/NewsArticle/Attachments/2430/Newsroom_OEP_1.jpg | | Phoenix Greenhouse Gas Emissions Decreased in 2020, Report Finds | <div class="ExternalClassBEDF875230A8467E807BA68C15384A37"><html>
<p>
<span id="ms-rterangepaste-start"></span>The City of Phoenix's <a target="_blank" href="/oep/GHG">2020 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory</a> shows both community scale and government operations emissions decreased during that year.<br></p>“Our investments in energy efficiency, transportation electrification, and renewable energy have demonstrated progress toward Phoenix's Climate Action Plan goals," said Mayor Kate Gallego. “This work is crucial to ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future, and we will continue to deliver results in city operations and across our community."<br><br>Overall, 2020 community-wide GHG emissions were 14% lower than the 2012 baseline, while the metro economy grew by 42% and the City's population increased by 12%. Researchers from Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University found these reductions were primarily due to the electricity grid having a lower carbon intensity due to the closures of coal-fired power plants. Some of the reductions were also due to decreased travel from commuting and lower air travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.<br><br>In government operations, Phoenix 2020 GHG emissions were 25% lower than the 2005 baseline – well on their way to meeting the 2025 goal of a 40% reduction from 2005.<br><br>“These inventory numbers show the steps Phoenix is taking to cut down on emissions are working. While there is still plenty of work to be done, we are certainly headed in the right direction," said Environmental Programs Administrator Nancy Allen. “We've been reaching and exceeding emission reduction goals for 15 years, and we don't plan to stop."<br><br>While the City Vehicle Fleet did see an increase in GHG emissions due to increased service miles, Phoenix has lowered carbon intensity of the fleet with the use of alternative fuels. City Council also recently adopted the Transportation Electrification Action Plan, which calls for electrification of vehicles within the fleet and installation of on-site electric vehicle charging stations.<br><br>Thanks to investments in energy efficiency projects, buildings and facilities saw a decrease in electricity use. Water Services saw a decrease in emissions due to the capture and reuse of biogas at the 91st Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant, and a telework program led to decreased GHG emissions from employee commuting.<br><br>In 2021, the City of Phoenix's Climate Action Plan laid out another ambitious goal of reducing community carbon emissions from buildings, transportation, and waste by 50% by 2030, thereby moving toward becoming a carbon neutral city by 2050.<br></html></div> | https://www.phoenix.gov/oep | News | environmental-programs |
| Agri-Food Tech Innovation Grant recipients named | https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/environmental-programs/2398 | Environment & Sustainability | | 6/24/2022 10:30:00 PM | https://www.phoenix.gov/newssite/Lists/NewsArticle/Attachments/2398/Newsroom _OEP_1.jpg | | Agri-Food Tech Innovation Grant recipients named | <div class="ExternalClass2447CD2BC23645AD976DE7A7028DC810"><html>
<p>The Phoenix City Council <a href="/cityclerksite/City%20Council%20Meeting%20Files/6-15-22%20Formal%20Agenda-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">approved</a> seven recipients of the <a href="/oep/food-grants" target="_blank">Agri-Food Tech Innovation Grant</a> to help them adopt agri-food technologies and innovations into their operations.</p>
<p>The grant is part of the ARPA-funded <a href="/oep/food-overview" target="_blank">Phoenix Resilient Food System Initiative</a>, which provides for increased local food production and access to healthy foods; support for food banks, food pantries and community agencies; and business and employment opportunities throughout the food system spectrum.</p>
<p>The Office of Environmental Programs selected five recipients that are committed to advancing food equity through their modern methods and processes:</p>
<ul style="" class="" dir="">
<li>
<strong>
<a href="https://freshkube.com/?msclkid=a088bbb4d0b011ec89a257f28f5a93cf" target="_blank">FreshKube Inc.</a> </strong>will put the grant funding toward sensors, refrigeration, and solar panels as they help small growers and distributors. The money will allow them to build six mini containers and a portable micro-solar farm, giving growers cost-effective, transportable, temperature-controlled containers that can be powered by renewable energy.<br></li>
<li>
<strong>
<a href="https://sites.google.com/asu.edu/indoorfarminglab" target="_blank">Arizona State University (ASU) Indoor Farming Lab</a>
</strong> is focusing on Indoor Vertical Farming (IVF). The Agri-Food Tech Innovation Grant will help the research lab conduct two, three-day workshops about the benefits of IVF within the food system. Funds will pay for personnel, publication, and training expenses. ASU is also providing a 100% cost share match.</li>
<li>
<strong>
<a href="https://lehrgarden.com/" target="_blank">Lehr Innovations LLC</a>
</strong>, with its existing Linking Ecosystem and Hardware for Regeneration (LEHR) Gardens, is no stranger to agricultural technology. With this grant, Lehr Innovations will be able to improve growing efficiency by building a testing site to measure the differences in water usage, soil carbon sequestration, costs, and productivity between its LEHR gardens and traditional, in-ground farming methods.</li>
<li>
<strong>
<a href="http://www.nxthorizon.com/Home.html" target="_blank">NxT Horizon LLC</a>
</strong> uses aquaponics to help urban farmers maximize food yield without toxic wastes or chemical runoffs. Funds awarded to NxT Horizon will go toward developing a pilot program to demonstrate methods using the giant freshwater prawn within the Phoenix Backyard Garden Program's aquaponics garden system.</li>
<li>
<strong>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/yobroaz/" target="_blank">YoBro Farms</a>
</strong> will expand its vertical microgreen growing business by implementing an outdoor, solar-powered farming system that will enhance resiliency and expand sustainable food production practices. The farm will use funds to buy photovoltaic supplies, a shed, and other materials.</li>
</ul>
<p>The Office of Mayor Kate Gallego is awarding funds to the following:<br></p>
<ul style="" class="" dir="">
<li>
<strong>
<a href="https://phxfood.coop/" target="_blank">Phoenix Food Cooperative</a>
</strong> will create the “Phoenix Cooperative Food Hub," a tech-enabled online directory and marketplace for producers, consumers, and distributors in the Phoenix food system. Grant funds will be used primarily for labor costs as Phoenix Food Cooperative establishes Phoenix's first cooperative grocery store that aggregates local food sources from Phoenix growers and producers and connects residents, retailers, and other consumers.</li>
<li>
<strong>
<a href="https://homerfarms.com/" target="_blank">Homer Farms Inc.</a>
</strong>, a vertical farm startup, will locate in Phoenix to build the first vertical farm in the City of Phoenix. The facility will use LED lights and deep-water hydroponic cultivation technologies, which will produce a minimum of 500,000 pounds of produce per year while using 95 percent less water than traditional agriculture. Grant funds will be used for equipment such as growing racks and lighting. </li>
</ul>
</html></div> | https://www.phoenix.gov/oep | News | environmental-programs |
| City Council Adopts Transportation Electrification Plan | https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/environmental-programs/2388 | Environment & Sustainability | | 6/17/2022 9:45:00 PM | https://www.phoenix.gov/newssite/Lists/NewsArticle/Attachments/2388/newsroom _OEP_01.jpg | | City Council Adopts Transportation Electrification Plan | <div class="ExternalClass551FB6710FF240A5A81803B2739314A6"><html>
<p></p>In a 9-0 vote on Wednesday, June 15, the Phoenix City Council voted to adopt the <a target="_blank" href="/sustainabilitysite/MediaAssets/sustainability/electric-vehicles/Draft%20Transportation%20Electrification%20Action%20Plan.pdf">Transportation Electrification Action Plan</a> (TEAP), which prepares the city for a future filled with more electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and e-mobility equity.<br><br>“We often call it the EV Roadmap because that is exactly what it does – it charts a path for us to get 280,000 EVs on Phoenix roads by the year 2030," said Mayor Kate Gallego. “EVs matter because they are the road to our future."<br><br>There are three, main focus areas to the plan – prioritizing equity, accelerating public adoption of electric vehicles, and the City of Phoenix leading by example. <br><br>On the equity front, the plan requires that at least 40% of the city's investments in transportation electrification be made in underserved communities. It also calls for the launch of a local model of micro-mobility by December of 2024.<br><br>“It is our duty to make sure that Phoenicians have affordable and easy access to the infrastructure needed to power a clean, all-electric future, and this plan puts us on track to do exactly that," said City Councilwoman Yassamin Ansari (Dist. 7). “We realize that there are currently many barriers to EV adoption, especially in low-income and underserved communities. This plan utilizes community input to address their needs."<br><br>Along with helping people move towards the use of EVs, the TEAP also guides homebuilders, developers, business owners, and employers on best practices to provide infrastructure for electric vehicle charging.<br><br>Finally, the plan lays out goals for the City of Phoenix to begin electrifying its own fleets, expand employee charging opportunities, and install at least 500 public charging stations by the year 2030.<br><br><p>“[This is] an ambitious plan, and will have many partners along the way," Gallego said. “The future of mobility is happening now in Phoenix, and we are investing to be top-in-the-nation for a concentration of manufacturers and parts providers that will create quality jobs for our residents."<br></p><p></p></html></div> | https://www.phoenix.gov/oep | News | environmental-programs |
