Environment

This roll-up measure summarizes the degree DNRP is achieving its Environmental goal:

Minimize waste and emissions, maximize resource re-use and recovery, and protect and restore habitats, ecological functions and aquatic conditions.

2011 results

Achieving DNRP’s environmental goal requires sustained improvements and achievements in operations, program delivery, and community engagement. The span of DNRP environmental goal and objectives is broad, including climate, energy, green building, salmon recovery, waste management and recycling, land conservation and facility operations.

In 2011, areas under this goal where DNRP performed well:

• Land and Resource Conservation
• Solid and hazardous waste management
• Residents' stewardship levels

Objectives where in 2011 DNRP performance approaches target:

• Permit and Facility Compliance
• Wastewater Resource Recovery
• Green Building Achievements

Areas where in 2011 DNRP performance needs improvement:

• Climate Response
• Energy Plan
• Chinook Salmon Recovery Projects

Key influencing factors

Land and resource conservation targets were hit through enhanced purchasing practices and more effective conservation outreach. Successes within the land and resource conservation objective are due in part to the strong relationships the program has with forest and farm landowners.

Salmon recovery, climate response, and energy plan objectives did not achieve targets in part because King County has set a very high bar for success and many parties need to mobilized to see improvements in these areas.

Strategies going forward

With an increased focus on multi-functional capital projects, DNRP will implement its flood hazard management plan to advance both public safety goals and ecological improvements. King County is implementing improved methods for tracking progress on capital projects, including the use of scorecards which address performance such as energy efficiency.

DNRP's land and resource conservation efforts are expanding to better use all available tools, including public acquisition of key parcels and promotion of enhanced stewardship on private lands, plus innovative solutions such as King County's nationally-acclaimed transfer of development rights program.

DNRP will continue to improve processes and systems to ensure its wastewater plants, transfer stations and landfills, and the stormwater program in unincorporated King County meet or exceed regulatory requirements.

More information about DNRP environmental results can be seen as these pages:

• Facility/Permit Compliance
• Wastewater Resource Recovery
• Land and Resource Conservation
• Solid/Hazardous Waste Mgt
• Residents Stewardship
• Chinook Salmon Recovery Projects
• Climate Protection
• Energy Plan Implementation
• Green Building Achievements

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