Thank You
First, thank you for taking the time to review the State of Our Environment. This is the new and improved web version that is likely to forever be a work in progress. The City’s “State of Our Environment Report” is prepared by City staff on the Environmental Management Team, under the auspices of the Environmental Commission.
Special thanks to Michelle Aldridge - UM Graduate Student Intern from the School of Natural Resources and the Environment - who developed the new web format and acted as primary editor for the 2007 report. This report would not be nearly as complete without her assistance and skills. Jon Ippel (Master's of Urban Planning, 2006) provided significant assistance in writing key sections of the report and developing the environmental goals. Nate Gray (MUP 2007) and Nicole Lewis (MUP/MS Natural Resources) provided significant input. Their help was invaluable. The Huron River Watershed Council provided assistance with development and review of key water sections. Ginny Leikam wrote and edited much of the 2001 State of Our Environment report and much of that text remains.
City staff in the Systems Planning Unit, Natural Area Preservation, and Parks Planning provided the primary material for the report. As part of the recent City reorganization, the Systems Planning Unit was created as a multi-disciplinary unit with responsibility for infrastructure and environment planning. Systems Planning staff bring together diverse experience in solid waste and recycling, energy and alternative fuels, flood mitigation, natural features protection, land use and transportation planning, geographic information systems, infrastructure management and planning, environmental protection and water quality.
History of the State of Our Environment Report
What began as a ten-page report in 2001 grew to become a 96-page report in 2004. This year we have migrated to an improved web-based version with a stronger focus on indicators and the supporting data. The report is also now organized around ten environmental goals adopted.
This report is developed with the following goals in mind:
- Share the available information, status, and trends in our local environment with Ann Arbor citizens.
- Quantify how the city’s actions (municipal and city-wide) affect the local and neighboring environments.
- Highlight areas where more data are needed and where objectives should be defined to better guide City policies and programs.
- Develop a living document that adapts as more information is obtained and awareness increases.
- Redefine indicators as needed to show Ann Arbor’s impact on the local, regional, and/or global environment.
- Act as a portal to more detailed information provided by the City and other sources, such as Washtenaw County, the State of Michigan, the University of Michigan, local non-profits, and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
It is important to keep in mind that environmental issues are not contained only within City boundaries. Our hope is to expand on each of the topic areas eventually to highlight Ann Arbor’s impact on the regional and global environment, as well as to include external impacts on Ann Arbor’s environment, in order to encompass the interconnected nature of these issues.