Prospering Together: Laramie County's Path to a Sustainable Future
Prospering Together: Laramie County's Path to a Sustainable Future
Welcome to Prospering Together: Laramie County's Path to a Sustainable Future Engagement Site! The City of Cheyenne received grant funding to develop a sustainability plan to improve local infrastructure, protect rural landscapes and the environment, increase resilience, and spur economic growth.
This community-driven initiative is an opportunity for all residents of Cheyenne, surrounding communities, and Laramie County to share their values and ideas for practical solutions to address local needs. This plan will ultimately help the region secure future grants and funding opportunities and save taxpayer dollars.
What is Sustainability?
Sustainability is ensuring a healthy and prosperous community for current and future generations where humans and nature exist in productive harmony.
Sustainability includes a wide range of elements, such as:
- Clean air and water
- Resilience to extreme weather events
- Natural resources stewardship
- Wildlife conservation
- Multiple transportation options
- Clean energy sources
- Waste diversion from landfills
- Economic opportunity and development
The region is already facing changing conditions and challenges that you may have personally experienced. These include:
- Poor air quality from wildfires
- Low water levels from drought
- Power outages from heavy snow
- Water quality impacts
- Habitat loss
- High energy bills
- Lack of public transit options
Project Deliverables
The region was awarded a $1 million planning grant to complete the following key deliverables:
- COMPLETED - Priority Climate Action Plan, 2024 (PCAP)
- IN PROGRESS - Comprehensive Sustainability Plan: Due February 2026.
- Status Report: Due August 1, 2027, after the four-year grant period.
Priority Climate Action Plan
The Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP), the first grant deliverable, outlines key local projects and actions to pursue sustainability. This plan aims to generate quality jobs, drive economic growth, and improve the quality of life for Laramie County residents. The PCAP highlights the resulting environmental and economic benefits for Laramie County communities.
Comprehensive Sustainability Plan
The second grant deliverable is a Comprehensive Sustainability Plan. This plan will expand upon the PCAP, addressing sustainability impacts and opportunities across all economic sectors within Laramie County to meet sustainability goals within the region. The plan will include:
- A baseline inventory of all significant sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and co-pollutants within Laramie County.
- Sustainability targets and measures defined by the residents of Laramie County and industry stakeholders.
- A market analysis identifying current and future economic opportunities and anticipated workforce needs related to sustainability initiatives in the region.
This plan is funded by the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program.
Project Timeline
Contact
Renee Smith
Economic Resources Administrator
City of Cheyenne
Email: rsmith@cheyennecity.org
Phone: 307-637-6285
Get Involved!
Submit comments and questions to our forum.
Sign up for our Sustainability Newsletter (click here).