Wheat Ridge is a beautiful place with a tradition of stewardship for our natural resources. Our nickname, the “Carnation City” is more than just a reference to our agricultural heritage; it represents a way of life embedded in our community. From our expansive trail network to the historic ditches winding through our neighborhoods, we are constantly reminded of our connection to the land in this ‘inner-ring’ suburb.
That connection is why we are launching this monthly column. Every month, you’ll hear from Sustainable Wheat Ridge (SWR), a volunteer city committee dedicated to tracking our environmental progress and sharing ways to get involved.
Our mission is simple: to promote sustainability, advise the City on effective environmental policies and programs, and help implement the Sustainability Action Plan (SAP). We serve as a bridge between the city and the community, fostering a local ethos of environmental stewardship.
The twelve SWR committee members are volunteers who ideally represent each District, coming together at least once a month to discuss, plan, and take action on sustainability initiatives. Local residents initiated the original committee in 2017, tasking it with developing recommendations to the City Council in six topic areas: communications and engagement, green building and energy efficiency, renewable energy, solid waste and recycling, transportation, and water. A year later the first SAP was published. In 2020, the City hired a Sustainability Coordinator, who serves as the staff liaison for Sustainable Wheat Ridge and progresses the SAP full time. In 2024, the SAP was updated and, for the first time, adopted by the City Council as an official city plan.
In the last nine years, SWR has helped drive some incredible initiatives. If you’ve used the EV chargers at City Hall or the Rec Center, you’ve seen the results of grants our committee pursued. Our passion for waste reduction led to the Scraps compost drop offs, the Fresh Food Connect program, a residential waste engagement project, and municipal code amendments. We also work to make sustainability affordable for residents by promoting Xcel Energy’s Partners in Energy Program and Home Energy Squad Audits, as well as a solar cooperative program with Solar United Neighbors. The committee is also passionate about green building and businesses, resulting in the Green Business Program and the annual Green Business Award.
Lastly, we are proud to have helped establish the Sustainable Neighborhoods program. Alongside Lakewood, Denver, and Fort Collins, Wheat Ridge now boasts four certified neighborhoods, including Applewood Villages and Paramount Heights, where residents lead their own hyper-local green initiatives and activities.
In the coming months, this column will dive deeper into these milestones and offer a preview of what’s next on our horizon. We hope you’ll stay tuned to learn how we can work together to keep Wheat Ridge vibrant, resilient, and a truly great place to live.
Check out more information at the following websites:
www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/1587/Sustainable-Wheat-Ridge
www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/1723/Action-Plan
