SACKETS HARBOR — The Sackets Harbor Green Guide will soon be available online.
The class from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, Syracuse, that the village has been working with on the green initiative project since January has completed the guide and presented it to the village Saturday. It gives tips to homeowners, business owners and the village on how to save energy, conserve green space and develop a sustainable lifestyle.
"Sustainability is people like you and me living in a way that doesn't blow it pretty much for future generations," environmental communications professor Susan Senecah said.
The guide is by no means finished, she said.
"It's a living document in that it's really a bare-bones draft," she said.
The green guide will be available first on the government Web site and then linked to from other village sites. From the community forums that took place in April, it was apparent that people wanted more opportunities to be part of the decision-making process. People also wanted to be able to acknowledge progress as environmental goals were met.
"Start with small, feasible steps that would result in some pretty significant long-term benefits," she said.
She said the village is on "the cutting edge of the future."
Mayor Michael R. Kinnie said he's excited the village is at the beginning of the movement. He said Kingston, Ontario, has asked the village to be a partner in that city's quest to become more environmentally friendly.
"Now not only do we have the advantage of working with a bigger city with more resources," he said, "but also we're working with our neighbors across the border."
He said the village will move quickly to have an energy fair, in which vendors can show low-energy wares and items such as solar panels. Village officials are meeting with the Development Authority of the North Country to find an energy-efficient method for treating wastewater. The village also may have a community garden or compost this summer.
"We have to do this on a village level, a government level," Mr. Kinnie said. "But we also want to do this on a personal level, a residential level."
