A Greenprint for King County
- Phillips’ Environmental Action Agenda -
Protecting our landscapes, air and water
Creating green jobs for a clean energy economy
Building sustainable, vibrant communities
“The beauty of King County and our great natural resources are only surpassed by the energy and creativity of the people who live here. That gives us hope that we can protect our environment and grow with grace.” – Larry Phillips
King County is one of the best places in the nation to live and raise a family. Our spectacular landscapes, abundant recreational opportunities, and ethic of environmental stewardship are legacies that we will pass down to our children and grandchildren.
At the dawn of the 21st Century, we are faced with daunting challenges. It’s more critical than ever to continue our commitment to protect the natural environment. As our region’s population increases, we must balance vibrant urban communities with the protection of our parks, farms, forestlands, and rural lifestyles. With the reality of climate change, we need to take to bold action to reduce carbon emissions and embrace innovative, alternative forms of energy. We must build on the success of light rail arriving in our region to maximize opportunities for green transportation choices and transit-oriented communities. We must protect our waterways and Puget Sound from further degradation while allowing our region to gracefully accommodate growth. These present many opportunities to create family-wage jobs in a clean energy economy. These issues are interlinked—we must address our environmental future with a holistic vision and a commitment to regional cooperation between King County and its 39 cities.
This Greenprint for environmental action draws a framework for a healthier, more sustainable future in King County. But it’s just the beginning. From here, I am committed to drawing on the input of environmental organizations, businesses, and individual landowners to make King County the environmental model for the entire nation.
Protecting our landscapes, air and water
As Executive, I will strengthen the region’s wastewater and storm water infrastructure, toxics prevention and other programs to improve water quality. This strategy creates new jobs and promotes new economic opportunities. To accomplish these goals, I will work with state and city governments, non-profit organizations, private businesses, and the amazing volunteer organizations all across King County who are committed to restore our watersheds.
Preserving open space and rural lands
- Promote using existing revenues to issue a new $50 million farm and forest bond to protect threatened lands.
- Prioritize bringing into public protection the 40,000 acre White River Forest near Enumclaw, the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area, and the Middle Green River Basin.
- Build and sustain a toolbox of incentives to promote private investment in conservation. The toolbox will include federal tax incentives, community forest bonds, transfer of development rights, and rewards for landowners who conserve voluntarily.
Improving air quality
- Aggressively advocate for cap and invest or cap and trade strategies where polluters pay.
- Work to make greenhouse gas reductions a requirement of the State Growth Management Act.
- Measure greenhouse gas emissions in major capital projects and establish benchmarks for reducing emissions.
- Expand the work of King County’s Global Warming Task Force.
- Advance King County’s leadership participation in Climate Communities to ensure King County realizes the benefits of federal Climate Change legislation.
Restoring Puget Sound and improving water quality
- Protect Puget Sound by building on the successful Waterways 2000 model to establish “Waterways 2015,” a 5-year plan to reduce polluted storm water runoff into the rivers, streams, and creeks that flow to Puget Sound. The program will utilize incentives, education, buffers, permeable surfaces, and management of public property.
- Ban Styrofoam and harmful pesticides and promote alternatives to plastic bags and bottles.
- Leverage grants and matching funds to invest in wastewater and storm water infrastructure to improve water quality and accommodate economic growth.
- Protect critical habitat by issuing a “red zone” map of estuaries, salt marshes, beaches, and shorelines that contribute most to the health of Puget Sound, and target those areas for protection and restoration.
- Build a network of protected aquatic reserves in King County.
- Strengthen and enforce oil spill prevention programs in coordination with the Sheriff’s Office Marine Division.
Creating green jobs for a clean energy economy
The threat of climate change requires taking bold action to avert the catastrophic effects it will have on our planet and our way of life. Our county must embrace the creation of a clean energy economy – merging environmental protection with job creation (see addendum on “Green Jobs”). We must work with entrepreneurs in the private sector to help reduce resource consumption and create clean energy alternatives in order to end our fossil fuels addiction. We must offer our citizens incentives to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels by expanding our mass transit system, building attractive, compact communities and offering alternative energy solutions. As county executive, I will ensure King County is on the forefront of innovation by enhancing alternative fuel technologies and working with residents and the private sector to aid in implementation.
Leveraging jobs through mass transit expansion
- Ensure construction and implementation of Sound Transit 2 projects in order to generate 69,000 jobs in our region as projected.
- Leverage federal grants to expand use of hybrid-electric buses and promote use of clean alternative fuels in transit vehicles.
- Promote sustainable construction practices in transportation capital projects.
Expanding opportunities for green jobs
- Leverage grant funds to expand King County’s green job training programs.
- Convene a tast force of labor, business, social justice, education advocates, and environmental leaders to ensure diverse participation in the emerging green jobs economy.
- Advocate for increased financial investment in vocational institutes for green jobs training.
Promoting green, energy efficient buildings, and homes
- Work with the building industry to undertake a comprehensive review of King County’s building codes to maximize opportunities for promoting energy efficiency and resource conservation.
- Promote energy efficiency in new and existing county buildings by using green building standards like LEED, Green Globes and Energy Star ratings.
- Require disclosure of EPA Energy Star scores for commercial and public buildings to King County and to prospective buyers, lessees, and lenders, with the goal of helping building owners improve energy efficiency.
- Work with lending institutions to help home and business owners finance energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades.
Advancing a market for electric cars
- Position King County as one of the first national markets for mass produced electric plug-in vehicles when they become available in 2010 by leveraging the millions of dollars in private and federal funding available for purchasing electric vehicles and building electric refueling stations.
- Use King County’s fleet replacement purchases to advance the market and technology for electric and alternative fuel cars, trucks, and passenger vans.
- Expand electric vehicle infrastructure and plug-in stations at King County Park & Rides, parks, and buildings. Work with Sound Transit to include electric vehicle plug-in stations at transit stations.
- Work with other jurisdictions to offer incentives for plug-in vehicle owners such as access to high-occupancy vehicle lanes and parking areas.
Supporting alternative energy sources
- Expand the use of waste-to-energy technology such as the models used at King County’s Cedar Hills Landfill and West Point Wastewater Treatment Facility.
- Explore opportunities to use solar panel technology at King County facilities.
- Lead efforts to convert to renewable energy sources for heating buildings.
Building sustainable, vibrant communities
The diversity of King County’s landscape makes it a great place to live, work, and play. Protecting our open space, rural, and natural resource lands is critical, as is fostering vibrant and sustainable urban communities. King County has 39 urban and suburban cities housing nearly two million people, many within minutes of farms, and several hundred thousand acres of active forestlands. I am committed to protecting that fragile and unique balance through smart growth principles that foster a strong rural economy while encouraging urban renewal. It is critical to ensure our urban communities remain affordable so people of all incomes have the option to live near their workplace—reducing sprawl and auto dependency.
Promoting smart growth and affordable communities
- Direct new growth to designated growth centers and promote design of compact, mixed use communities oriented towards people, bikes, and transit.
- Expand sidewalks and bike lanes in King County communities.
- Expand the King County Housing Opportunity Fund to promote affordable workforce housing near job centers.
Supporting transit oriented communities
- Leverage the billions of dollars our region is investing in a mass transit system to stimulate private development in transit-oriented communities.
- Promote “Development-Oriented Transit” by selecting light rail alignments and transit station sites that maximize opportunities for people to live near transit.
- Work with Sound Transit and local jurisdictions to promote construction plans and zoning decisions that accommodate compact, mixed use and affordable development near transit stations.
- Expand on successful transit-oriented development throughout the region by seeking public and private partnerships to build affordable housing on Metro Transit property.
- Secure the Eastside Burlington Northern Transportation Corridor for public commute and recreational use by increasing King County’s participation in the partnership to buy the corridor.
Maintaining and expanding parks and recreation
- Make King County the “Best Place to Play” by envisioning the ball fields and recreational infrastructure we need for the next 100 years and begin building now for the future.
- Protect and maintain our parks, trails, and open spaces for future generations and commit to renew the Parks Levy to keep recreational lands open, clean, safe, and accessible to all.
Rural Lands Initiative
- Launch a Rural Economic Stimulus Initiative to target ways to boost local demand for goods produced in rural areas, including farm goods and locally grown timber.
- Invite farmers and foresters to join with large urban institutional consumers to develop ways to expand the local market for local produce and wood products.
Addendum — Green Jobs
“Where are the green jobs? Right here in King County.” – Larry Phillips
What is a green job? It’s a raging debate. I believe that the Apollo Alliance, a coalition of business, labor and environmental groups championing green employment has it right.
“It has to pay decent wages and benefits that can support a family. It has to be part of a real career path, with upward mobility. And it needs to reduce waste and pollution and benefit the environment.”
— Phil Angelides, Chair, Apollo Alliance
As the green economy grows, King County has a great opportunity to get people back to work and create a strong environmental work force. Green jobs must be accessible to all communities and people from varying walks of life.
Green jobs span many industries and occupations in King County. From rural farms to urban centers, employees are already helping build a green economy.
The Evergreen State exceeds the national average for clean energy economy jobs. The Pew Charitable Trust ranks Washington fourth out of the 50 states in attracting clean technology venture capital.
King County is well positioned to share in the $500 million in stimulus grants to train, educate, and transition a green workforce.
With training, we can get people back to work and meet the immediate demand for green-skilled trades people who build our roads, transit systems, buildings and homes.
“Ecopreneurs” are popping up all over King County and creating small businesses and jobs to meet the market demand for environmentally friendly products and services.
The diversity of a green job force is vast, like the natural beauty of King County. There is opportunity for skilled-and professional-level workers to contribute and be successful in a green economy.