Tag Archives: City of Austin Environmental Commission

Environmental Commission hears briefing on 2026 bond election

The Watershed Protection Department would need an estimated $2 billion to solve the city’s most severe watershed problems and other critical needs. A bond package expected to go before voters in 2026 would cover a portion of those costs, if…

Environment • By Amy Smith • Mar 24, 2025

Austin Energy Green Building program logs 21,573 projects since its creation

In 1991, Austin Energy Green Building developed the first rating system in the country to evaluate the sustainability of buildings, creating a model for other cities and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification system.…

Development • By Hunter Simmons • Mar 11, 2025

Austin ranks fifth in nation for cities most at risk for wildfires

According to a CoreLogic Wildfire Risk Report conducted in 2024, Austin ranks fifth in the nation for cities most at risk for wildfires. The top four cities are all located in California. David Bock, senior wildfire mitigation specialist at the…

Fire • By Hunter Simmons • Feb 25, 2025

Environmental Commission weighs Project Connect’s environmental impact and federal funding

In light of Donald Trump’s recent effort to freeze federal spending authorized by Congress – swiftly blocked by two federal judges – the question on every local policymaker’s mind is: What’s going to happen to all the local projects that…

Transit • By Lina Fisher • Feb 7, 2025

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Tree ordinances continue to take root in Austin

Since 2020, Austin’s tree regulations and protections have preserved a total of 1,397,678 inches of trees within city limits. Thus far in Fiscal Year 2025, 4,670 inches of trees have been surveyed and 4,250 inches have been preserved, with 91…

Environment • By Hunter Simmons • Nov 14, 2024

Texas fatmucket mussel conservation provides significant value in regional water filtration efforts

At its regular meeting Sept. 18, the Environmental Commission heard updates on Austin’s freshwater mussel population from Matt Johnson, Texas freshwater mussel conservation and recovery coordinator with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Bianca Perez, an environmental scientist with…

Environment • By Hunter Simmons • Sep 24, 2024

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Great Springs Project proposes to partner alongside local government with equity in mind

The Environmental Commission passed a motion at its regular meeting on Sept. 18, recommending local government establish a partnership with Great Springs Project to “serve the City’s interest with respect to connectivity, transportation, conservation, and watershed protection outcomes.” Trails and…

Environment • By Hunter Simmons • Sep 20, 2024

Austin exploring new ways to look at water quality

A discussion at the most recent meeting of the Environmental Commission revealed that the city is in the process of creating a new way to explain and track how policy decisions impact water quality in Austin. Since 1994, the Watershed…

Water • By Elizabeth Pagano • Aug 16, 2024

Commission drills down on what disannexation could mean for area water quality

Though the city’s current water quality monitoring system has been in place for an impressive 30 years, changes at the state Legislature mean a change at the city level as well. Andrew Clamann, who works for the Watershed Protection Department…

Water • By Elizabeth Pagano • Aug 13, 2024

Environmental Commission recommends Council’s adoption of food plan

The Austin Environmental Commission on Wednesday approved a recommendation to City Council to adopt the proposed Austin/Travis County Food Plan and ensure its complete funding over the next four years. The recommended resolution, sponsored by Mariana Krueger and approved unanimously,…

Public Health • By Amy Smith • Aug 9, 2024

Balancing conflicting public interests, Watershed Protection aims to promote native aquatic vegetation

Austin’s reservoirs do a lot of double duty. They’re known both as top-tier recreation spots for Central Texans and our source of dwindling drinking water. Subject to invasive species, drought and big rainfall events that bring in pollutants, they’re still…

Environment • By Lina Fisher • Jul 22, 2024

Environmental Commission looks to make Austin safer for birds

The Environmental Commission voted Wednesday to form a working group to delve into how Austin can live up to its “Bird City” title by creating bird-safe buildings. The near-unanimous vote, with Colin Nickells abstaining, followed a presentation by Heidi Trudell,…

Environment • By Amy Smith • Jun 10, 2024