Green Committee
Green Committee
Vision: Asylum Hill be known as a model urban green community and become a more beautifully sustainable place to live, work and visit.
Oversight Group: AHNA’s Green Committee
Goal 1: Expand Our Native Tree Canopy to 30% of Asylum Hill
Be in alignment with the national “30 by 30” plan, aiming to conserve 30% of our land, “restoring America the beautiful.”
Actions:
● Conduct a tree assessment – 2021-2022
● Develop a plan for replenishing tree canopy -- 2022
● Begin implementation of plan -- 2023
Resources/Partnerships:
Knox staff, tree counters, Park Watershed, dedicated funding at each stage and partnership with local developers
Goal 2: Maintain and Develop Additional Asylum Hill Pollinator Gardens
Increase the number of organic gardens in Asylum Hill to protect threatened pollinators.
Actions:
● Maintain current pollinator gardens and add additional gardens
● Publish articles and educational materials to name current pollinator gardens and to promote more
● Establish and maintain Asylum Hill on the Northeast Pollinator Pathway
Resources/Partnerships:
Park Watershed, Grants from Love Your Block and from Sustainability CT, numerous volunteers
Goal 3: Conserve and Revitalize the North Branch of the Park River
Restore the North Branch of the Park River to health, in alignment with the national "America the Beautiful" 30 x 30 plan.
Actions:
● Ask the City of Hartford to formally acknowledge and commit to preserve the riparian corridor of the north branch of the Park River.
● Designate the riparian corridor of the Park Watershed within Hartford as the Park Watershed and Wildlife Refuge.
● Support the updating of the North Branch Park River Watershed Management Plan.
● Remove invasive species
● Complete tree count and assessment
● Implement runoff and flood control measures
Resources/Partnerships:
Parkwatershed.org., North Central Conservation District, Trust for Public Land, Knox Inc., Hartford Flood Commission, and Classical Magnet School, DPW, Ct Dept. of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP), support from property owners, funding from private and public sources, multiple volunteers
Goal 4: Plan and Implement Bike Paths and Traffic Calming Areas in Asylum Hill
Reduce carbon pollution and increase recreational opportunities.
Action:
Work with the City of Hartford Planning Department, the Department of Public Works and City engineers to develop plans, secure funding and implement measures to facilitate safer bike travel and safer driving
Goal 5: Develop a Program to Collect Residents’ Food Scraps and Turn Them into Compost
By taking organic material out of the waste stream, we incinerate less trash, thus saving the City money. At the same time, this material can be converted to compost for gardens in Asylum Hill.
Actions:
● Continue to operate composting equipment at Niles Street Garden as a demonstration project
● Develop and disseminate educational materials on composting
● Establish a program to collect and compost food scraps that is available for all Asylum Hill residents
Resources/Partnerships:
Funding from Thrivent Financial, Love Your Block and the City, working agreements with Blue Earth and the City, participation from numerous volunteers, homeowners and building managers
Goal 6: Encourage Energy Efficiency and Solarization in Asylum Hill Homes, Schools, Businesses and Places of Worship
Address the need to reduce carbon pollution in Asylum Hill
Actions:
● Hold annual “Green Energy Fair” in the Fall in Sigourney Park
● Encourage energy audits on local buildings
● Encourage use of solar energy and heat pumps in all AH buildings
● Establish electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Asylum Hill
Resources/Partnerships:
Technical assistance from Energy Efficiencies Solutions, Inc., People’s Actions for Clean Energy, Earth Forward, Eversource and the City of Hartford, Office of Sustainability, Funding from Thrivent Financial, government energy conservation and clean energy programs, numerous homeowners and building managers willing to participate.
IIJA - Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities: https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/building-resilient-infrastructure-communities
CT State Energy Program: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Business-and-Financial-Assistance/Grants-Financial-Assistance/State-Energy-Program
CT Weatherization Assistance Program: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Business-and-Financial-Assistance/Grants-Financial-Assistance/Weatherization-Assistance-Program
The U.S. Infrastructure & Jobs Act is allocating funds for EV infrastructure in communities like Asylum Hill
Priority Outcomes/Measurable Results
● Completion of tree assessment
● Increase in number of pollinator gardens
● Creation of a wildlife refuge along the north branch of the Park River
● Expansion of food composting sites
● Annual Green Energy Fair providing instructional materials to promote energy efficiency and solarization
● Inclusion of green concepts in new development plans
Oversight Group: AHNA’s Green Committee
Goal 1: Expand Our Native Tree Canopy to 30% of Asylum Hill
Be in alignment with the national “30 by 30” plan, aiming to conserve 30% of our land, “restoring America the beautiful.”
Actions:
● Conduct a tree assessment – 2021-2022
● Develop a plan for replenishing tree canopy -- 2022
● Begin implementation of plan -- 2023
Resources/Partnerships:
Knox staff, tree counters, Park Watershed, dedicated funding at each stage and partnership with local developers
Goal 2: Maintain and Develop Additional Asylum Hill Pollinator Gardens
Increase the number of organic gardens in Asylum Hill to protect threatened pollinators.
Actions:
● Maintain current pollinator gardens and add additional gardens
● Publish articles and educational materials to name current pollinator gardens and to promote more
● Establish and maintain Asylum Hill on the Northeast Pollinator Pathway
Resources/Partnerships:
Park Watershed, Grants from Love Your Block and from Sustainability CT, numerous volunteers
Goal 3: Conserve and Revitalize the North Branch of the Park River
Restore the North Branch of the Park River to health, in alignment with the national "America the Beautiful" 30 x 30 plan.
Actions:
● Ask the City of Hartford to formally acknowledge and commit to preserve the riparian corridor of the north branch of the Park River.
● Designate the riparian corridor of the Park Watershed within Hartford as the Park Watershed and Wildlife Refuge.
● Support the updating of the North Branch Park River Watershed Management Plan.
● Remove invasive species
● Complete tree count and assessment
● Implement runoff and flood control measures
Resources/Partnerships:
Parkwatershed.org., North Central Conservation District, Trust for Public Land, Knox Inc., Hartford Flood Commission, and Classical Magnet School, DPW, Ct Dept. of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP), support from property owners, funding from private and public sources, multiple volunteers
Goal 4: Plan and Implement Bike Paths and Traffic Calming Areas in Asylum Hill
Reduce carbon pollution and increase recreational opportunities.
Action:
Work with the City of Hartford Planning Department, the Department of Public Works and City engineers to develop plans, secure funding and implement measures to facilitate safer bike travel and safer driving
Goal 5: Develop a Program to Collect Residents’ Food Scraps and Turn Them into Compost
By taking organic material out of the waste stream, we incinerate less trash, thus saving the City money. At the same time, this material can be converted to compost for gardens in Asylum Hill.
Actions:
● Continue to operate composting equipment at Niles Street Garden as a demonstration project
● Develop and disseminate educational materials on composting
● Establish a program to collect and compost food scraps that is available for all Asylum Hill residents
- Partner with area schools for volunteer and after-school programs that highlight rain gardens, composting, urban farming and other green initiatives
Resources/Partnerships:
Funding from Thrivent Financial, Love Your Block and the City, working agreements with Blue Earth and the City, participation from numerous volunteers, homeowners and building managers
Goal 6: Encourage Energy Efficiency and Solarization in Asylum Hill Homes, Schools, Businesses and Places of Worship
Address the need to reduce carbon pollution in Asylum Hill
Actions:
● Hold annual “Green Energy Fair” in the Fall in Sigourney Park
● Encourage energy audits on local buildings
● Encourage use of solar energy and heat pumps in all AH buildings
● Establish electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Asylum Hill
Resources/Partnerships:
Technical assistance from Energy Efficiencies Solutions, Inc., People’s Actions for Clean Energy, Earth Forward, Eversource and the City of Hartford, Office of Sustainability, Funding from Thrivent Financial, government energy conservation and clean energy programs, numerous homeowners and building managers willing to participate.
IIJA - Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities: https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/building-resilient-infrastructure-communities
CT State Energy Program: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Business-and-Financial-Assistance/Grants-Financial-Assistance/State-Energy-Program
CT Weatherization Assistance Program: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Business-and-Financial-Assistance/Grants-Financial-Assistance/Weatherization-Assistance-Program
The U.S. Infrastructure & Jobs Act is allocating funds for EV infrastructure in communities like Asylum Hill
Priority Outcomes/Measurable Results
● Completion of tree assessment
● Increase in number of pollinator gardens
● Creation of a wildlife refuge along the north branch of the Park River
● Expansion of food composting sites
● Annual Green Energy Fair providing instructional materials to promote energy efficiency and solarization
● Inclusion of green concepts in new development plans