our progress so far

The Town of Boone continues to be ambitious in our pursuit of sustainability. Here are a few examples of what we have done in recent years to reach our goals.

• The town of Boone has been a designated “TREE CITY USA” since 1994, which entails dedicating municipal staff to urban forestry maintenance and preserving and planting trees to maintain the town’s tree canopy
  • List of TREE CITY USA designees: https://www.arborday.org/programs/treecityusa/treecities.cfm?chosenstate=North_Carolina
• Town Council voted to create a “Sustainable Development Task Force” to assist and advise the town’s pursuit of sustainability
  • January 10th 2010 meeting minutes page 7: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1008&Inline=True
• The Town Council voted to approve a Water Use Committee recommendation for a “toilet rebate program” where Boone residents replacing old toilets with low-flow, water-conserving toilets will be given a $100 credit for residential toilets, and a $50 rebate for commercial toilets.
  • June 9 2010: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1407&Inline=True
• The Town Council voted to adopt the Sustainable Development Task Force’s “tenets of sustainability” which are principles around which the Town of Boone would develop policy. These tenets focused on areas like economy, water, transportation, environment, resilience, recycling, food, energy, and education/outreach.
  • May 17 2011 meeting minutes page 9: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1050&Inline=True
• The Town Council voted to re-establish the sustainability task force and directed the group to establish short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals for the town to improve its sustainability and resiliency. The task force was also directed to establish a yearly sustainability forum to gain public input and support.
  • May 19 2014 meeting minutes page 9: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1054&Inline=True
• Town Council voted to add the Middle Fork Greenway Master Plan, which was presented by the Blue Ridge Conservancy, to the town-wide bike/pedestrian plan, and allocated $14,000 to support further designing and engineering of the master plan.
  • March 19 2015 meeting minutes page 15: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1032&Inline=True
  • Middle Fork Greenway Master Plan as adopted by Town Council: http://www.townofboone.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/MiddleForkGreenwayMasterPlan.pdf
• Town Council approved budget allocations for sustainable initiatives per the sustainability task force’s recommendations. An amount of $27,000 was allocated for a solar shelter and electric vehicle charging station project on Depot street, $7,000 was allocated to help fund the Boone Community Bike Collective start-up, and $2,000 was allocated to PHARMN for the purpose of starting a winter farmers’ market in Boone.
  • June 18 2015 meeting minutes page 14:
• The Town of Boone worked with the environmental nonprofit Climate Voices US to install a public-private solar panel display and electric vehicle charging station in downtown Boone on North Depot Street.
  • August 20 2015 meeting minutes page 7: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1421&Inline=True
• Town Council voted to support the concept of federal carbon fees and a carbon fee trust fund as a means to incentivize the transition to renewable energy and carbon neutrality,
  • January 21 2016 meeting minutes page 2: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1432&highlightTerms=carbon%20fee
• The Town Council approved the Sustainability, Economic, and Environment Committee recommendation to allocate $16,500 for a new freezer at the Food Hub, which is ran by the nonprofit Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture. The Food Hub works to make local produce more accessible to the wider community, which supports the local economy while strengthening the local food system.
  • September 15 2016 meeting minutes page 19:
• Town Council voted to adopt broad sustainability and clean energy goals
  • December 15, 2016: Meeting minutes page 67: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1490&Inline=True
• Town Council voted to approve sustainability goals recommended by the Sustainability, Economic, and Environment Committee. These goals included committing the town to maintaining and updating sustainability goals and initiatives, hosting focus groups to gain public input, hosting a yearly sustainability forum, and directing staff to compile a report on the feasibility of incorporating green infrastructure into town operations.
  • August 16 2017: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileView.aspx?Type=12&ID=1570
• The Town Council directed staff to regularly update the “Urban Forestry Management Plan” that was originally adopted in October 2009 to ensure the town is protecting the tree canopy. Council requested that staff take particular care in planning for the maintenance of trees in the downtown area.
  • January 8 2018: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileView.aspx?Type=12&ID=1690
  • Urban Forestry Management Plan adopted October 15 2009: http://www.townofboone.net/wp-content/uploads/documents/departments/development/UMFP/UFMP%20Part%201.PD
• The Town Council voted to endorse the Boone Clean Energy Project, which includes actions like investing in solar energy and other renewables, and transitioning town-owned vehicles to electric or hybrid models.
  • February 19, 2018: meeting minutes page 16: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1657&Inline=True
• Town Council voted to amend town code to allow non-motorized wheel based transportation like cycling and skateboarding to be recognized as legitimate alternative transportation within the town, excluding select high-traffic or unsafe areas. The Town of Boone also has a transportation committee that hosts subcommittees dedicated to supporting alternative transportation.
  • June 19, 2018 meeting minutes page 6: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1679&Inline=True
• Town Council voted to engage in and help to fund the “Boone Creek Peacock Lot” parking project with ASU, with the express condition that a daylighting project for Boone Creek restoration with the New River Conservancy be included in the plans as a means to mitigate flood risk. The Town Council also sponsored a “Boone Creek Peacock Lot feasibility study” on the project that looked at the flood risk of impermeable surfaces. The Town Council also voted to allocate $7,000 to the New River Conservancy for the daylighting aspect of the project.
  • July 18 2018 Budget Allocation for the daylighting project: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1801&Inline=True
  • October 10 2018 special meeting minutes: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1717&Inline=True
  • December 20, 2018 meeting minutes page 2: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1741&Inline=True
• The Town Council re-negotiated the town’s agreement with Republic Services for solid waste and recycling collection, allowing for curbside pickup of cardboard and other measures to make recycling more accessible.
  • July 17 2018 meeting minutes page 41: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1685&Inline=True
• Town Council adopted a policy requiring all future building construction for municipal operations purposes would be designed and constructed to be carbon neutral and minimize the environmental impact.
  • July 17 2018 meeting minutes page 9: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1685&Inline=True
•  Town Council voted to designate Boone, NC as a BEE CITY USA affiliate and committed to supporting pollinators. Town Council amended the comprehensive plan to accommodate requirements for this designation.
  • July 9 2018 meeting minutes page 3: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1686&Inline=True
  •  July 17 2018 meeting minutes page 26: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1685&Inline=True
  • List of current BEE CITY USA affiliates: https://www.beecityusa.org/current-bee-cities.html
• Town Council directed the planning department to make recommendations for tree protection in residential neighborhoods as a means to protect the tree canopy in town.
  • September 18, 2018 staff request: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?ID=1996&highlightTerms=planning;tree;protection;
• Town Council directed staff to prepare a report on the use of permeable surfaces on town-owned property as a means to address stormwater management issues. Upon review of the report, Town Council voted to direct staff to undertake a pilot project exploring the use of permeable concrete, and encouraged staff to draw from lessons about green infrastructure. As of July 2020, there is currently a permeable surface study in progress on New Market Boulevard.
  • Preliminary report on permeable surfaces: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=4&ID=2544&highlightTerms=permeable;concrete;
  • September 18th 2018 meeting minutes page 21: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1711&highlightTerms=permeable;concrete​;
• The Town of Boone provided $5,000 to the Watauga County Food Council, requesting that the organization provide recommendations on creating a local food plan
  • November 6 2018 budget amendment: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=4&ID=2629
• Town Council directed staff to explore a potential partnership with New River Light and Power to construct a community solar-electricity site.
  • November 15 2018 meeting minutes page 6: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1731&highlightTerms=bolick%20farm%20stream%20bank
• Town Council approved a staff request to investigate the potential of converting police patrol cars to biopropane, which is a plant-based, less environmentally detrimental alternative to gasoline-reliant vehicles.
  • November 19, 2019 meeting minutes page 39: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1822&Inline=True
• Town Council directed the Sustainability Committee to draft a “Sustainability Toolkit” for town-wide and departmental sustainability efforts, and directed the committee to meet with town department heads to gain staff input and support.
  • March 5 2019 page 8: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1804&Inline=True
• Town Council tasked the Boone Town Manager with developing a resiliency plan.
  • April 10, 2019 meeting minutes page 4: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1806&Inline=True
• Town council approved a code and ordinance review with the Center for Watershed Protection for the purpose of reviewing and recommending changes to town stormwater management and watershed protection practices.
  • April 16 2019 meeting minutes page 6: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1767&Inline=True
• Town Council voted to direct staff to explore a conservation easement project on the Bolick Farm Municipal Complex property. Protecting forested area along the river on the property would protect the habitat and minimize erosion. The Town has allocated matching funds, supported grant applications and endorsed river bank restoration along the Bolick property with a massive tree planting/buffer, in partnership with the New River Conservancy.
  • April 16 2019 meeting minutes page 5: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1767&Inline=True
• Town Council clarified the town’s sustainability goals to be: achieve climate neutrality in municipal operations by 2030, transition municipal operations to 100% clean renewable energy by 2040, and transition the entire town of Boone to 100% clean renewable energy by 2050
  • April 18 2019 meeting minutes page 4: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1768&Inline=True
• Town Council passed a resolution committing sales tax revenue to the newly clarified sustainability goals if Watauga County restores sales tax distribution to a per capita or hybrid method.
  • April 18 2019 meeting minutes page 8: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1768&Inline=True
• Town Council directed town lobbyists to oppose a bill in the NC General Assembly which would have prohibited municipalities from protecting trees.
  • April 18 2019 meeting minutes http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1768&Inline=True
• Town Council voted to direct staff to pursue aggressive tree plantings on town-owned properties and right-of-ways.
  • May 7 2019 meeting minutes page 8: ​http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1771&Inline=True
• Town Council requested the town attorney to research the town’s authority to ban the use of styrofoam.
  • June 20 2019 staff request: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?ID=2286&highlightTerms=styrofoam
• Town Council requested the town explore implementing an internal system for the town to identify potential hybrid vehicles and equipment. As of July 2019, the town owns six hybrid vehicles, including one hybrid police car.
  • August 13 2019 meeting minutes page 28: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1803&Inline=True
  • July 2019 town manager update page 3: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1801&Inline=True
• Town Council voted to direct staff to change all town-owned street lights to LED within a period of the next 5 years.
  • August 13 2019 meeting minutes page 27: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1803&Inline=True
• Town Council invited grocery store representatives to solicit ideas on reducing the use of plastic bags.
  • September 17 2019 meeting minutes page 81: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1814&Inline=True
• Town Council directed staff to work with Appalachian State University to divert usable household items from going to landfills at the end of each school year.
  • October 17 2019 meeting minutes page 14: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1818&Inline=True
• Town Council has taken steps to increase the accessibility of the town-owned electric vehicle charging station on Depot Street.
  • October 17 2019 meeting minutes page 15: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1818&Inline=True
• The Town Council hosted a presentation from Watauga Food Council on a local food policy action plan, and voted to support multiple elements of the plan and discuss them further at future meetings.
  • November 19 2019 meeting minutes page 3: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1822&Inline=True
• Town Council directed staff to begin an “edible landscape” project in downtown Boone after it was recommended by the Watauga Food Council.
  • January 14 2020 meeting minutes page 23: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1833&Inline=True
• Town council voted to endorse the “10% Campaign” and commit to strengthening the local food system
  • January 14 2020 meeting minutes page 22: http://boonenc.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=1833&Inline=True