The health and enhancement oour region’ s natural assets is crucial to the revitalization othis area and to the wellbeing oits residents. Our region, like many others, aces a wide range ochallenges in protecting and restoring its natural envir onment—and historically , ew philanthropic resources hav e been devoted to address these needs. To ll this void and provide leadership and targeted resources to the region’s environmental movement, the Community Foundation or GreaterBualo (CFGB) created the W estern New York Environmental Alliance (WNYEA). A collaborative umbrella group, its goal is to help organize and rally those working toward a greene r WNY . During the past 24 months, representativ es rom 150 organizations helped identiy and prioritize the challenges acing all acets oour region’s natural sur roundings. The sum othese eorts is Our Shared Ag enda for Action —a blueprint or restoring and preserving WNY’s natural environment. Community Impact ReportLeading Community Change Through Collaboration FOCUS AREAS Increasing Self-suf ciency Reducing Racial & Ethnic Disparities Environmen t & Architecture Arts & Culture Enhancing and Leveraging Signi cant Natural Resources CONTENTS •Creating a Blueprint for Action •Declaration of Action •Agenda for Action •Next Steps • Although home to an Olmsted- designed park system, Buffalo has less parkland than cities with similar population densities. • Toxic contamination and a lack of greenspace has resulted in increased rates of health problems, including asthma, obesity and heart disease. • The Great Lakes contain 20% of the world’s total fresh water supply and is vital to the quality olie o10% oall Americans. • Buffalo recycles just 6.5% of its solid waste —well below the national ave rage o27%. A 1% increase w ould generate $72,000 or the city. WHY IT M ATTERS Fall 2009 D a r l e e n S t r y
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We, the people o Western New York, are resolved to work collaboratively to improve
our environment and our regional, international community. We are a Great Lakes region and
stewards o the world’s largest supply o resh water, vast orests, rich agricultural land, abundant
wildlie, an incredible built heritage, historic park systems, the magnicent Niagara Falls and
hundreds o wonderul communities. Unortunately, much o our natural heritage has been
lost and what remains is threatened. And, like the rest o the world, we ace the prospects o
climate change. We thereore establish this agenda to protect and restore our globally signicant
environment.w
We know that our environmental resources are immeasurable assets; they have direct impacts
on our quality o lie and our economy. Healthy ecosystems provide habitat or wildlie; they
provide clean air, clean water and other ecological services such as stormwater control and
carbon sequestration; and they provide recreational and business opportunities. The environment
is a source o wealth or all o us.w
Like our natural heritage, our environmental community is strong. We are the birthplace o
the environmental justice movement, a product o both our legacy o contamination and
our determination to seek action through justice. We are home to thousands o individuals and
hundreds o organizations aiming to improve our region.w
Although our assets are plentiul and our voices numerous, our region and its people have suered
through the despoiling o our environment and the ragmentation o our collective eorts. Our
dwindling population, declining health, vacant and contaminated land, and altering economy
are proo o this. Although some progress has been made, much more is needed. At this time, we
make a commitment to collaboratively increase our region’s environmental literacy, preserve its
biodiversity, and ensure that our energy is sustainable, our air is clean, our water drinkable, our fsh
edible, and our orests, arms, and gardens plentiul.w
With Our Shared Agenda for Action, we have a vision or our uture. Together, we are committedto strengthening the work o our environmental community through collaboration and
implementation. This includes long term, overarching goals as well as specic measurable actions
that can be accomplished soon. We are determined to leave those who ollow us a sustainable,
thriving community where they can live healthully, work productively, learn, teach, grow old,
and choose their own path. This is the aim o the Western New York Environmental Alliance
– the purpose o Our Shared Agenda for Action.w
Environmental Declaration of ActionTo ensure that the WNYEA would be consistent in its activities toward developing and implementing a plan or action on
the environment, the group developed an Environmental Declaration of Action. Now, this piece also serves as the preamble