 HISTORY
Many local conservation leaders attended monthly “Smart Growth Coalition” meetings begun by Kathleen Falk when she was first elected to lead Dane County. For over a decade, these meetings provided valuable opportunities for sharing information and ideas about the area’s environment.
With reconsitution late in 2008 of the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC), many of these same leaders began following its development and actions, to assure that CARPC decisions would protect our natural resources and open spaces, while preventing unwise development.
As we looked for individuals and organizations to join us in speaking to CARPC on significant land use issues, we became aware that the attention of most of the environmental community was either focused on a particular resource (e.g. wetlands, air quality, rivers, lakes, birds) or on statewide concerns, while south central Wisconsin’s regional conservation issues were secondary. Put another way, there appeared to be a need for better communication and coordination among existing groups and individuals regarding the area’s conservation issues, so that a more united and stronger environmental view could be expressed at public forums and government-sponsored public hearings.
We were convinced that the vision of an environmentally sustainable future in Dane and surrounding counties can become reality only with the strong, unified and dependable collaboration. For that reason we formed the Capital Region Advocacy Network for Environmental Sustainability (CRANES).
Eco-equity, including intergenerational justice, has been a key value for CRANES since its founding.
 SUCCESSES
In the decade prior to the incorporation of CRANES, many of its founders played key roles in the passage of the referendum that, by a large majority of voters, approved the Dane County Conservation Fund. In more recent years, they also helped win additional Dane County funding for conservation.
During the past several years, CRANES has led, or provided key support to, several efforts in Dane County (some of which are still underway):
• creation of a countywide, all-sector climate action plan
• mitigation of sediment and nutrient pollution from over 4000 urban stormwater outfalls
• adoption of a 100% natural stormwater stay-on standard
• development of a fare-free transit feasibility study and demonstration project
CRANES has also lent support to environmental efforts in the other seven counties within its service area, as well as selected statewide environmental initiatives, including some with significant regional import.
|
