Environmental Progress - Fall 2003

DuQuoin First Illinois Community to Finish Green Plan

First among 16 to participate in pilot project

In June of 2002, 16 towns and neighborhoods across Illinois embarked on a unique two year planning effort to develop environmental visions and action plans for their communities.

Each received funding for the effort through Illinois EPA's Green Communities Demonstration Grant Program, created to help communities involve citizens in addressing a wide range of environmental issues and chart courses for a more sustainable future.

The process allows local officials and residents to step back from their day-to-day activities and develop a "big picture" of what they want their community to become. Together, they will analyze trends and forces that are affecting the community, then develop long-range goals and strategies to achieve the shared vision.

The city of DuQuoin, in Perry County, is the first community to complete its environmental visioning project. Four others have developed vision statements and are drafting their action plans on how to achieve them. The remaining 11 communities are at various stages of the visioning process.

Du Quoin used several creative approaches to ensure success. The city hired a Peace Corps Fellow Intern from Western Illinois University, Patrick McLaughlin, to manage the grant and keep the project moving forward smoothly. Key local citizens were recruited for a steering committee that decided outreach to schools would help generate community-wide interest in the visioning process.

McLaughlin worked with fifth through eighth grade classes in three area schools where he taught the natural and human aspects of Du Quoin's environment and how they interact. Younger students created pictures depicting how they would like their community to look in 20 years. Seventh and eighth grade students wrote letters identifying special aspects of their local environment and suggestions about what they could do to protect them. Approximately 300 students participated.

During April, a series of five weekly segments highlighting the student letters and pictures was published in the local newspaper. The pictures were also displayed at the local library for three weeks.

In March, five focus groups were conducted to get the visioning process off the ground. Membership included high school students, retired citizens, neighborhood residents, Chamber of Commerce representatives, and steering committee group members. Three open community meetings were convened in May. More than 60 community residents addressed such issues as environmental education, energy use, solid waste, parks and recreation, and environmentally friendly development.

Stakeholder groups and community members were invited to a second meeting where they were asked to create a 20-year vision statement as well as four long-term goals to help achieve the vision. McLaughlin then formed several work groups to create milestones and action steps for the four long-term goals.

At its Oct. 13 meeting, the City Council approved the environmental vision and action plan.

The environmenatal visioning effort in DuQuoin was successful at several levels. It brought together a broad group of local citizens, and involved them up front in a planning effort, resulting in more interest in making it happen.

DuQuoin's environmental vision and action plan can be viewed on the web at www.dqgreen.org.