Resource Stewardship and Sustainability

Steve Traudt Mount Garfield

While developing the City’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan, Grand Junction community members called for the City to become a leader in resource management and sustainability. To serve this goal, the City established strategic priorities in Quality of Life and Resource Stewardship. These priorities steer projects that promote the livability of the community, stewardship of resources, sustainability, and social and recreational opportunities.

Contact Us

  1. Jenny Nitzky

    Sustainability Coordinator
    Email Jenny Nitzky
    Phone: 970-256-4059

These efforts also draw on a history of successful conservation programs that help the City care for its valuable natural resources and make more economical choices to improve the efficiency of City facilities and operations.

The City continues to address environmental challenges facing the community through efforts to conserve water, divert and mitigate waste, transition to clean energy, preserve natural landscapes, and reinforce community resiliency to changes.

Current Resource Stewardship and Sustainability Projects Include: 

  • Developing an electric vehicle readiness plan that leverages Grand Junction's strategic location in order to benefit from the ongoing transition to electric vehicles (check out our progress and give us your input here)
  • Phasing in a new, dual-stream curbside recycling program and adding seasonal curbside yard waste pickup for composting
  • Creating a comprehensive, citywide greenhouse gas emissions inventory, which will serve as a stepping stone toward the City's first Community Sustainability and Resiliency Plan.

Resiliency and Sustainability Steering Committee

The City of Grand Junction has opened applications to establish a steering committee tasked with providing direction for the creation of a resiliency and sustainability plan. Applications are open for City residents until June 2, 2023, and after a review process, staff will prepare a recommended list of steering committee members for consideration by City Council. Applications are available online in English and Spanish and can be picked up at City Hall, Community Development 250 N. 5th Street.

In the 2020 Comprehensive Plan, City residents indicated the importance of creating a community-wide sustainability plan. In addition, the community established a goal to “Promote a safe and more resilient community” to ensure the health, safety, and economic resiliency of the community through increasingly frequent natural disasters and social disturbances. 

In April of 2023, the City selected Design Workshop and Spirit Environmental to help facilitate this community-driven plan. The planning process will begin in late May of 2023, and last approximately 12 months. The council-appointed steering committee will be convened throughout the process to help provide direction for the plan. This committee will include interested community members representative of the city’s diversity. Numerous public events and opportunities for community engagement will be available throughout the year to determine the plan’s general scope and specific strategies. Committee members will manage the direction of the plan, review project goals and deadlines, research ideas, and promote community input and involvement in the plan. 

For answers to questions or more information, email City Sustainability staff at sustainability@gjcity.org