GREEN GOVERNMENT
The City of Lake Forest "Green Corner"

The City of Lake Forest is dedicated to making environmentally smart decisions and encourages all employees to continue to form "green" habits making small steps to a greener lifestyle.  Here's a look at ways in which the City is taking charge and "greening" operations in Lake Forest.

New Municipal Services Building
The new MS building has received a LEED certification of GOLD through the use of energy efficiency building techniques and water conservation.  Display Boards (2.7Mb - 2 pages) highlighting this project will be in the lobby of the Municipal Services Building.

Bio-Swales
Throughout the City bio-swales are being used to filter run-off before it makes its way to the Lake or streams along the way. Poor water quality and temperature change are major environmental concerns with respect to storm water runoff and Lake Forest is doing its part to contribute to the solution.

Bio-Fuels
The Forestry Section is dedicated to using biodegradable products for machinery used in daily operations.  Bio-Diesel is used in all diesel engine trucks and BioPlus lubricant is used on the chains of chainsaws.  This soybean based oil is 93.8% biodegradable in 21 days and is less harmful to the environment than other lubricants.  In addition, HP Ultra fuel is purchased for chainsaws and power tools and provides a cleaner burn that emits less exhaust and is biodegradable.

Recycling Building Debris
Community Development is dedicated to helping residents find ways to green their building projects.  A pamphlet (172k - 1 page) is available at the Municipal Services Building outlining various means of recycling or reusing material at a construction site to avoid flooding landfills with unnecessary construction debris.

Paper-less Bathrooms
The Parks and Forestry Department is working on installing electric hand driers in all park buildings to avoid the use of excess paper and litter in the City's parks.  The driers are LEED certified and considered more environmentally friendly than using paper towels.

LED Lights
The City installed LED lights throughout the City as a way to reduce energy usage and be more environmentally conscious.  LED lights are used in all traffic signal lights and the parking lot lights at the new Municipal Services Building.

Carpooling and Telecommuting
The City of Lake Forest encourages employees to carpool and/or telecommute when possible and as operations permit.  All services are still available to residents, but our carbon footprint is reduced significantly.  Check out the report on Alternative Schedules (565k - 21 pages) for more information.

Green Target Areas
The Green Team provides employees with tips and suggestions on making "green" choices in every day activities.  Some examples include copying documents on both sides to reduce paper usage and unplugging appliances when not in use to conserve energy.  Simple changes go a long way for the environment.

Comments?
Have a "green" idea for Lake Forest or know of an interesting eco-themed event coming up? Let the Green Team know:  GreenTeam@cityoflakeforest.com