Community Stewardship Recognition Program

An action item on the Board's approved Work Plan is to develop a Community Stewardship recognition program as a tool to promote stewardship land within the community.  Staff would like to start exploring with the Board the building blocks for such a program.  Initially, Staff would like input from the Board on whether this should apply to efforts on public land, private land, or either and whether recognition would be through the EPB or City Council or some combination thereof. 

A great example of an initiative that warrants recognition is the efforts of a local girl scout troop that undertook fundraising activities to raise enough money to purchase and install a trash receptacle along the Lake Itasca trail.  The troop noticed large quantities of litter and cigarette butts that typically accumulated near a resting bench along the trail .  There was no trash receptacle in the area for trail users to dispose of their waste.  They contacted the City to discuss their concern and took the initiative to improve the situation by raising the funds to purchase and install a receptacle.  Additionally, the troop also spent several hours one weekend last fall raking leaves and doing general clean up in this area to further enhance the setting.  It is efforts like this that seem worthy of recognition.

The above example is included to help frame the discussion related to a recognition program.