WHAT IS THE CASP?
COMMUNITY-BASED PLAN
While a decade behind our peers in having a CASP, Yellow Springs has made significant – but disjointed – strides in sustainability. To build upon those successes, the first step of the CASP will be forming of a CASP steering committee made up of leaders of past efforts and key stakeholders. They will guide this continuation of their efforts, ensuring planning is done in a way that not only balances but enhances other community priorities like equity and the economy. The steering committee will help prioritize strategies that build resilience to protect the vitality of our community and align our CASP with national and international initiatives.
GET INVOLVED
Community members can join subcommittees for each of the 7 identified domains:
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Energy
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Transportation
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Buildings
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Native Habitat
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Water
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Local Food
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Waste Reduction
Community members also have the opportunity to help with information gathering, which includes mapping out existing initiatives and benchmarks and assessing stakeholder needs and resources.
This information will then be synthesized, coalitions built, and specific goals determined along with prioritized strategies for reaching them. Given the sheer quantity of stakeholders and past work to organize, and the importance of a community-based plan that achieves measurable results, it would be both unrealistic and detrimental to the CASP and community to rush a comprehensive final plan to completion within the timeline of this current project. But the intent is that a strong foundational structure, including a network of stakeholders and database of their efforts, as well as the beginnings of coalitions and demonstrative actions, will facilitate any future work on a CASP.
Get involved by joining a domain subcommittee.
BECOME A SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION
The Sustainability Champions pilot program was created as a way to encourage and empower community members, and tap into the immense amount of passion, dedication, and expertise around sustainability issues in the Yellow Springs community. Sustainability Champions submitted applications explaining their project and passion, and were chosen by the Environmental Commission based on recommendations by the CASP Coordinator. They are supported with guidance and access to the stakeholders needed to hopefully achieve tangible results.
Click on the link below to learn more about the 2021 Sustainability Champions and their projects.
