“Our community is committed to protecting the environment and was integral in developing this Strategy,” said Mayor Dave Barrow. “Over the last year, we heard from more than 2,000 people on what matters most about our local environment; Greening the Hill truly reflects the values and vision of the community.”

Stemming from the Strategic Plan, the vision for Greening the Hill is for Richmond Hill to be a community that protects, enhances and restores its natural environment. This complements the Strategy’s mission, which is to reach this vision through responsible community development, sound municipal management and community programming.

Together with the community, Richmond Hill is committed to actively managing its local environment now and for future generations. This means many things, such as developing an Urban Forest Management Strategy, a Watercourse Restoration Plan throughout the valley land system, an Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan for Town operations, as well as introducing waste reduction measures to help reach Region-wide goals. It also means strengthening partnerships and building on public education, outreach and stewardship programs.

The Implementation Plan for Greening the Hill outlines the strategic actions, timelines, roles and responsibilities that will help the Town reach its goals and objectives. Greening the Hill will also provide the basis for a community education and outreach plan to teach residents about the special features of Richmond Hill’s environment, such as the Oak Ridges Moraine, and how we can work together to help improve it.

“Members of the community and partner organizations have been crucial to the success of our environmental initiatives,” added Mayor Barrow. “We know they’ll continue to participate and support us as we work to build a more sustainable community.”

An Environmental Scorecard will track the progress of Greening the Hill in reaching its vision. To correspond with Richmond Hill’s Official Plan, the Environment Strategy has a planning horizon to the year 2031. Both the Strategy and the Implementation Plan will be updated and reprioritized at five-year intervals, the first of which will take place in 2019.

For more information, visit RichmondHill.ca/Environment.