Audubon International proudly unveils a new sustainability assessment approach for communities—the green Communities Program.  The Green Communities Program (GCP) helps to determine the current state of municipal operations and community initiatives as a first step on the path towards sustainability.  The Program provides a framework for an assessment, which establishes a baseline of a community's existing conditions; identifying local characteristics such as geography, natural resources, population levels, political, civic, and environmental issues and assets.  Members identify opportunities and challenges to the fostering a healthy environment, high quality of life, and economic vitality.

Once a community becomes a member, Audubon International will provide members with a comprehensive package of tools and guidance materials to assess policies and practices of homeowners, government, and community operations. Resources include survey materials and demonstration project guidelines. There are fifteen focus areas in the program to guide communities in classifying local issues. Upon completing the assessment, Audubon International will provide direction and resources for municipalities to institute programs that address sustainability and green communities. The community can earn the Audubon Green Community Award, which recognizes that the community has taken the first steps on a journey towards sustainability.

Focus Areas include:

Agriculture 
Open Space and Land Use
Economic Development & Tourism   
Planning, Zoning, Building & Development
Education   
Public Health
Environment   
Population
Governance   
Public Safety & Emergency Management
Housing 
Recreation
Resource Use  
Volunteerism & Civic Engagement
Transportation

Although the local government enrolls as the member of the Program, a broad cross-section of the community participates. Through the Program, the assessment engages both the local government, as well as the community at large—businesses, schools, homeowners, civic organizations, cooperative extension and any number of additional stakeholders.  It is designed to jump-start the educational process. Through demonstration projects and outreach, residents will learn about the state of the community and the importance of making changes towards becoming more sustainable.

“Today, more than ever, communities are faced with managing shrinking budgets, maintaining aging infrastructure, and providing more services with fewer resources. It can be difficult for a local government to stay on top of it all. However, it is important – maybe more so in tough economic times – to examine where a community can create efficiencies and plan sustainably for the long run,” says Suzi Zakowski, Green Communities Program Manager.  “First a community must assess where they are, then determine where they want to be and what’s important, create an action plan or a priority “to do” list, and finally figure out ways to track progress made on achieving those priority goals” 

Finally, the Program also serves as the first step in Audubon International’s more comprehensive Sustainable Communities Program—a next step community members can taken upon receipt of the Audubon Green Community Award that allows them to become acting on and measuring progress on the set of fifteen sustainability indicators identified.  For more information, visit http://scp.auduboninternational.org or www.sustainablecommunityinitiative.org.  Please also feel free to contact Suzi Zakowski at Audubon International, 46 Rarick Rd., Selkirk, NY 12158, USA, (518) 767-9051, ext. 124, e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .