The City of Coon Rapids has recently been designated a Minnesota GreenStep City to boost sustainability of local natural resources and the quality of life for its citizens. Coon Rapids joins Columbia Heights as the second Anoka County community in the Greensteps program. By adopting best practices, Coon Rapids and Columbia Heights are helping to ensure the sustainability of local resources now and for generations to come.

Each best practice can be implemented by completing one or more actions at a 1, 2 or 3-star level, from a list of four to eight actions. Coon Rapids will establish the particular best practices that address its sustainability challenges to focus on cost savings, energy use reduction, and encourage civic innovation.

The continuous improvement program best practices include:

• efficient stormwater management (to minimize pollutants in rainwater runoff);
• surface water quality (improve local water bodies);
• efficient water and wastewater facilities (to maintain drinking water and sewer services);
• solid waste reduction (increase waste reduction, reuse and recycling); and
• urban forests (increase tree and plant cover).

The Coon Rapids City Council recently passed a resolution to join the GreenStep program. For more information contact Coleen Sinclair, Coon Rapids GreenStep Coordinator at 763-767-6485 (csinclair@coonrapidsmn.gov).

For information about the Columbia Heights Greensteps actions contact the coordinator, Jesse Davies at 763-706-3706 (Jesse.Davies@ci.columbia-heights.mn.us)