Corvallis Sustainability Coalition

TO PROMOTE AN ECOLOGICALLY, ECONOMICALLY, AND SOCIALLY HEALTHY CITY AND COUNTY THROUGH DEMOCRATIC DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES CONSISTENT WITH OUR GUIDING OBJECTIVES.

FOSTERING A SECURE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM: THE FOOD ACTION TEAM SUSTAINED AND EXPANDED IT'S ON US (IOU) CORVALLIS, FEEDING PEOPLE IN NEED OF A MEAL AT LOCAL RESTAURANTS. THEY CONTINUED TO PARTNER WITH A MOBILE PAYMENT APP (KUTO) TO PROVIDE ELECTRONIC GIFT CARDS FOR USE AT PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS, MAKING IT EASIER FOR CUSTOMERS TO ORDER MEALS AND TO SAVE RESTAURANTS SIGNIFICANTLY ON CREDIT CARD FEES. THIS STREAMLINED PROCESS ALLOWED RECIPIENTS OF IOU-FUNDED MEALS A CHOICE ABOUT WHEN AND WHAT THEY WERE EATING, AND PROVIDED A SENSE OF NORMALCY, ANONYMITY, AND DIGNITY. FOR THE FIRST TIME, IOU CORVALLIS SUPPORTED LOCAL FARMERS BY PROVIDING IOU RECIPIENTS WITH GIFT CARDS FOR USE AT THE PHILOMATH FARMERS' MARKET AND AT FILL YOUR PANTRY, OFFERING FRESH LOCAL PRODUCE AND STORAGE CROPS TO PEOPLE IN NEED. IN ADDITION, THE TEAM DISTRIBUTED 500 COPIES OF THE 2022 EDITION OF THE CORVALLIS GARDEN RESOURCE GUIDE AND ORGANIZED A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL EDIBLE GARDEN TOUR THAT FOCUSED ON FIVE GARDENS IN SOUTH CORVALLIS. THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD PLANTERS KIOSKS (NPKS), LOCATED AT 32 RESIDENTIAL AND PUBLIC SITES, DISPLAYED WEEKLY INFORMATIONAL POSTERS TO SUPPORT GARDENING AND NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTIONS. THEY ALSO ADOPTED TWO NEW PROJECTS, COOKS & BOOKS AND THE PUBLIC SEED LIBRARY, EACH OF WHICH ENCOURAGES USE OF OUR PUBLIC LIBRARY AND STRENGTHENS COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THE CREATION OF A SUSTAINABLE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM.

ACTING ON CLIMATE CHANGE BY SHIFTING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY AND MAKING BUILDINGS MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT: THE COALITION PARTNERED WITH THE OREGON CLEAN POWER CO-OP AND, WITH SUPPORT FROM LOCAL DONORS AND COMMUNITY INVESTORS, CONTINUED TO HELP CORVALLIS MAKE THE TRANSITION TO RENEWABLE ENERGY, THEREBY REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, WHILE SAVING SIGNIFICANT COSTS ON MONTHLY ELECTRIC BILLS. SO FAR, SOLARIZE CORVALLIS HAS COMPLETED EIGHT LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS. IN 2022 WE INSTALLED 30 KW OF SOLAR AT THIRD STREET COMMONS (CORVALLIS HOUSING FIRST'S NEWEST HOUSING FACILITY) AND 98 KW AT LINUS PAULING MIDDLE SCHOOL. WE RAISED ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS TO FUND SOLAR ARRAYS AT FRANKLIN K-8 SCHOOL AND CHELDELIN MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO BE INSTALLED IN 2023. THROUGH THE COALITION'S SAVING GREEN PROGRAM, OUR PART-TIME STAFF CONTINUED TO PROVIDE FREE ASSISTANCE TO CORVALLIS NONPROFITS AND BUSINESSES THAT WANT TO DECREASE THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT AND THEIR OPERATING COSTS. IN ADDITION, ENERGY ACTION TEAM MEMBERS CONTINUED TO EDUCATE RESIDENTS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND REALTORS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF HOME ENERGY SCORES. WE SPONSORED A HOME ENERGY SCORE WEBINAR, EMPHASIZING THAT HES PROGRAMS ADDRESS BOTH EQUITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE BY INFORMING PROSPECTIVE OWNERS WHAT THEIR ENERGY BILLS MIGHT BE AND HOW THEIR NEW HOMES COULD BE MADE MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT. ALSO, THE HOME RETROFIT CLINICS OFFERED LOCAL HOMEOWNERS FREE, 2-HOUR CONSULTATIONS, FOCUSING ON THE HOME'S ENERGY USE AND HELPING THEIR OWNERS CHART A PATH THAT MOVES AWAY FROM THE USE OF FOSSIL FUELS. SINCE THE PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2021, MORE THAN 100 HOUSEHOLDS HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE PROGRAM, WITH HOMEOWNERS LEARNING ABOUT SUCH IMPROVEMENTS AS ELECTRIC HEAT PUMP WATER HEATERS AND ELECTRIC HEAT PUMPS TO HEAT AND COOL THEIR HOMES. WE CO-SPONSORED "LIVE BETTER - ELECTRIFY YOUR LIFE!", A WEBINAR ORGANIZED BY ELECTRIFY CORVALLIS THAT PROVIDED INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE TO RESIDENTS ABOUT MAKING THE TRANSITION AWAY FROM "NATURAL" GAS FOR HOME HEATING, WATER HEATING, AND COOKING.

PROTECTING NATURAL AREAS, SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION, AND CREATING AN INCLUSIVE AND ENGAGED COMMUNITY: THE NORTH DUNAWI CREEK REGENERATION SITE NEAR BALD HILL IS ONE OF 13 ACTIVE SITES IN CORVALLIS BEING REGENERATED BY OUR WATER ACTION TEAM. OUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE PLANTED AND MAINTAINED OVER 8,000 NATIVE CREEKSIDE PLANTS AT THE BALD HILL SITE. IN 2022 THE TEAM DISABLED 100 YEAR-OLD UNDERGROUND PIPES THAT DRAINED THE STREAM, BUILT DIVERSION STRUCTURES FROM WOODY MATERIAL TO PREPARE FOR THE NEW STREAM FLOW, AND COMPLETED A LENGTHY PERMITTING PROCESS TO REPLACE A SMALL 100 YEAR-OLD CULVERT WITH A MUCH LARGER ONE THAT WILL ALLOW WATER TO ENTER THE WETLAND. THE TEAM ALSO CONTINUED TO REGENERATE A FUNCTIONAL WETLAND AT STARKER ARTS PARK, PLANTING MANY MORE WETLAND SPECIES, INCREASING WETLAND HABITATS, AND IMPROVING THE WETLAND SOILS. AT LAMPREY CREEK IN DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. PARK, THE TEAM CONTINUED TO DEVELOP THE NATIVE RIPARIAN BUFFER TO FURTHER PROTECT THE STREAM DURING THE UPCOMING PARK DEVELOPMENT. TRANSPORTATION ACTION TEAM VOLUNTEERS ORGANIZED TWO HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL ELECTRIC VEHICLE "SHOW & TELL" EVENTS TO INSPIRE POTENTIAL EV OWNERS. CURRENT OWNERS OF ELECTRIC CARS AND ELECTRIC BIKES, TRIKES, UNI-WHEELS, BOARDS, AND SCOOTERS WERE ALL EAGER TO SHOW ATTENDEES THE BENEFITS AND SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES OF THEIR VEHICLES. THE TEAM RESUMED THE BIKE VALET PROGRAM BY PROVIDING MORE THAN 200 BICYCLISTS WITH PROTECTED BIKE PARKING DURING SEPTEMBEERFEST, AND THEY PROVIDED BIKE RACKS FOR SEVERAL COMMUNITY EVENTS (OPEN STREETS CORVALLIS, FALL FESTIVAL, FUNK IN THE FOREST, AND THE SAGE CONCERT SERIES AT STARKER ARTS PARK). THE TEAM ALSO CO-SPONSORED THE 4TH ANNUAL OPEN STREETS WITH THE CITY OF CORVALLIS, WHICH FEATURED A MILE OF WALKABLE, BIKEABLE STREETS FOR PEOPLE TO EXPLORE NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND CORVALLIS AND FUN ACTIVITIES FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES SUCH AS LIVE MUSIC, DANCE, GAMES AND FITNESS ACTIVITIES. THE COMMUNITY INCLUSION AND NATURAL AREAS ACTION TEAMS JOINED FORCES TO IMPLEMENT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ROOTS PROGRAM, INCREASING "SHADE EQUITY" BY PLANTING NATIVE TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTIES. VOLUNTEERS IDENTIFIED A PROSPECTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD, REACHED OUT TO RESIDENTS IN THE SUMMER, AND HELD THEIR FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD ROOTS PLANTING PARTY IN NOVEMBER. IN ADDITION, THE COALITION CO-SPONSORED THE CHAMPINEFU LECTURE SERIES, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO INSPIRE THE CORVALLIS COMMUNITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTAND, AND COLLABORATE WITH THE KALAPUYA CULTURE. THE SERIES' FOCUS FOR 2022 WAS ON KALAPUYA PLACEKEEPING. ALSO, OUR STEERING COMMITTEE ADOPTED AN EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (EDI) FRAMEWORK FOR MAKING EDI SYSTEMIC THROUGHOUT THE COALITION'S WORK. THEY BEGAN TO IMPLEMENT IT BY INCLUDING DISCUSSION OF EDI RESOURCES AS PART OF THEIR MONTHLY MEETINGS.

ENCOURAGING WASTE PREVENTION: THE COALITION CONTINUED THE NO FOOD LEFT BEHIND-CORVALLIS PROGRAM, WHICH DISTRIBUTED THOUSANDS OF "SMART STRATEGIES" IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, TEACHING HOW AND WHY TO PREVENT WASTED FOOD AT HOME. WE ALSO DISTRIBUTED HUNDREDS OF COUNTERTOP COMPOSTING PAILS TO MAKE SURE INEDIBLE FOOD SCRAPS MAKE IT FROM KITCHEN-TO-COMPOST INSTEAD OF FROM LUNCH-TO-LANDFILL. IN ADDITION, THE SUSTAINABILITY COALITION LAUNCHED BENTON TO GO, A REUSABLE TAKEOUT CONTAINER PROGRAM TO HELP LOCAL RESTAURANTS CUT COSTS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS CUT WASTE. AT EACH OF THE NINE RESTAURANTS PARTICIPATING IN THE PILOT PROGRAM, CUSTOMERS PURCHASE A BENTON TO GO CONTAINER FROM A PARTICIPATING RESTAURANT, THEN RINSE AND RETURN IT TO ANY OF THOSE RESTAURANTS IN EXCHANGE FOR EITHER ANOTHER SANITIZED CONTAINER WITH THEIR NEXT MEAL, OR A VOUCHER FOR A CONTAINER WITH A FUTURE MEAL.