2012 Merit Award - Comprehensive Planning, Small Jurisdiction

In 2013, the City of Chico received this planning award for its 2030 General Plan from the California Chapter of the American Planning Association because of the Plan’s emphasis on sustainability.

Bicycle Friendly Community Silver Award

On October 18, 2012, the League of American Bicyclists (LAB), a national bicycle advocacy group, announced that the City of Chico has been elevated from a "Bronze" to a "Silver" level Bicycle Friendly Community. Through an extensive application process involving City of Chico Engineering Staff and the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC), the City was successfully evaluated on the "5-Es" criteria established by LAB:

Engineering: Physical infrastructure and hardware to support cycling.

Education: Programs that ensure the safety, comfort and convenience of cyclists and fellow road users.

Encouragement: Incentives, promotions and opportunities that inspire and enable people to ride.

Enforcement: Equitable laws and programs that ensure motorists and cyclists are held accountable.

Evaluation: Processes that demonstrate a commitment to measuring results and planning for the future.

More information here.

Tree City USA Designation

The Tree City USA® program, sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with theUSDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, provides direction, technical assistance, public attention, and national recognition for urban and community forestry programs in thousands of towns and cities that more than 135 million Americans call home.

Since 1984, the City of Chico has been designated as a 'Tree City USA' by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

More information here.

EPA Green Power Leadership Award

The City of Chico, CA (pop. 84,396) has received a 2007 Green Power Leadership award from the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the On-site Generation category.

The annual awards recognize leading national green power purchasers for their commitment and contribution to helping advance the development of the nation’s green power market.

The City of Chico was honored in the fall for its two municipal solar power installations at the Downtown Parking Structure and the Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP). Combined, the two facilities generate 1.2 MW of on-site photovoltaic solar power systems and supply over 19% of the city’s entire municipal electricity usage with clean, renewable solar power.

The downtown parking structure solar system provides approximately 85% of the facility’s energy needs while the solar power system at the WPCP provides approximately 40% of the facility’s energy needs.

The solar array at the WPCP is the world’s largest ground-mounted solar tracking facility at a wastewater treatment plant and is one of the largest cumulative quantities of municipally owned solar power systems in the country. Further, the addition of the solar facility at the WPCP has resulted in an approximate 55% cost savings in utility bills compared to the prior year and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent to 743 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

EPA presented the Green Power Purchase, On-site Generation Award to Vice Mayor Ann Schwab, at an awards event held October 22, in conjunction with the Twelfth National Renewable Marketing Conference in Philadelphia, PA.

“We are honored to receive this prestigious award from EPA for our green power purchase,” said Vice-Mayor Schwab. “The City of Chico is committed to supporting cleaner technologies and helping develop the green power market.” EPA presented Green Power Leadership awards for green power purchasing to 17 organizations that have demonstrated leadership by voluntarily purchasing green power. EPA recognizes green power purchasers in three categories: Green Power Partner of the Year, On-site Generation and Green Power Purchasing.

All 17 organizations are EPA Green Power Partners. EPA’s Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to purchase green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with electricity use.

More information here.

Award of Merit, Planning Project Award for Bikeway 99

In 2011, the City of Chico received this award for its Bikeway 99 project from the California Chapter of the American Planning Association.

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