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Greener Johnstown

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Information related to programs, initiatives, and upcoming events that focus on nature and green sustainability within the Town of Johnstown. 

How The Town of Johnstown Supports a Sustainable Future

The Town of Johnstown is proud to support a number of ‘green’ projects. Learn about a few programs and improvement projects that the Johnstown Town Council has allocated funding for.

Arbor Day Tree Giveaway 2023

Residents interested in this program will need to:

1. Pickup a tree voucher from Town Hall April 3-11 during regular business hours
***NOTE: As of April 4, all tree vouchers have been claimed***
2. Provide proof of residency at time of voucher pickup with state or government ID with a Johnstown address and Town utility bill. 
3. Pick up tree with voucher on April 13 at the Johnstown Police Department

The Tree Giveaway is back for 2023!

Residents can pick up a voucher for a free tree from Town Hall April 3-11 during regular business hours. One voucher per resident while supplies last. Residents with a voucher are then invited to pick up their free tree on April 13 from the Johnstown Police Department anytime from 11am-7pm. 

Residents will need to provide proof of residency for voucher pick up: a Colorado State photo ID with Johnstown address and Town utility bill. 

Tree Types offered this year (first come first served):

  • Hedge Maple
  • Rocky Mountain Maple
  • Hackberry
  • Expresso Kentucky Coffeetree
  • Cleveland Select Flowering Pear
  • Shumard Oak

Arbor Day Celebration Tour 

The Arbor Day Celebration Tour is a sustainable annual partnership between the Town of Johnstown (as a Tree City USA) and the local elementary schools to help promote and encourage excitement for the nature and trees in our Town (and the work that our Town is doing to make Johnstown greener). The Arbor Day Celebration ties together Earth Day (April 22), Arbor Day, and a summer of recycling education and water conservation to promote a greener and more sustainable place to live by asking 4th graders in all of our elementary schools to give mother nature a hand. The Mayor of Johnstown and other Town Council members will stop at each school to touch base with students on what it means to be a Tree City USA, to care about our environment, to give mother nature a hand, and to challenge them with Earth Stewardship. 

 

During the annual Arbor Day Celebration Tour, the Mayor and other Town Council members meet with students at Letford Elementary, Pioneer Ridge, and Riverview School. The tour includes a Nature Promise activity in which students are tasked with decorating cutouts of their hands and inscribing them with personal promises to take care of their neighborhood and their green space. These hands are then placed onto 6-foot posters that were designed to have the hands resemble leaves on a tree. These Nature Promise posters  remain on display at Town Hall throughout the summer, so come by to get a glimpse of some of the promises made by local students.

A collage of images from the Arbor Day Celebration Tour in 2022 and 2023. Activities depicted include former Mayor Gary Lebsack watching a child post their leaf on the Nature Promise poster, a standalone of a Nature Promise poster filled with leaves, and Mayor Troy Mellon asking and answering student questions.

Johnstown is a Tree City USA

Johnstown has been a Tree City USA for many years and in 2021, the Town of Johnstown regained its Tree City USA status. Aside from the obvious aesthetic benefits of trees in our community, trees also play a role in keeping neighborhood temperatures cooler, keeping the air cleaner, and absorbing traffic noise. Visit the Arbor Day website to find more information about Tree City USA

Recreation Center Solar Program

In October 2021, the Town went out to Bid for a Solar Developer to install a Solar Photovoltaic System on the roof of the Johnstown Community YMCA (located at 165 Settler Way, Johnstown CO). The system, which was chosen by Council in December and should be installed by September 2022, is a 200.0kW-DC system. The estimated payback period of this solar system is about 12.5 years and estimated avoided utility costs over the coming 30 years with this system is around $820,000. 

“This project was undertaken in connection with the settlement of an enforcement action taken by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for alleged violations of the Colorado Water Quality Control Act.”

Outdoor Street Lighting Improvements Program

The Town has made LED light improvements (working with Xcel Energy) to Town neighborhoods including; Carlson Farms, Corbet Glenn, The Landings, Redstone Hills area (North 2nd - 7th St area), and in the neighborhood west of Aragon Park. Streetlighting systems within the Xcel territory inside the Town used old and antiquated lighting systems that are inefficient, cause more pollution due to energy demands, provide inadequate yellow light which impacts visibility and is not as safe as current LED white lighting systems. 

In total, 256 LED lights have replaced old light fixtures in the areas listed above in March 2022. This change over will reduce the energy demand and provide better visibility to vehicles and pedestrians. 

This program was estimated to cost around $161,654, but comes in under budget at $118,031.

“This project was undertaken in connection with the settlement of an enforcement action taken by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for alleged violations of the Colorado Water Quality Control Act.”

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How Do You Want To Go Greener?

Ever since farmers established Johnstown in 1902, sustainable stewardship and respect for the land have been among our community’s most defining values. Though Johnstown has continued to grow and change in the century-plus since its birth, our Town remains committed to giving everyone the tools they need to tend their land as they see fit and support a sustainable future for all. How will you Go Greener? 

Adding trees to your yard is a great way to support a greener environment, with a myriad of benefits—planting trees have been linked to lower energy bills and boosted property values. There are very few species of trees that are prohibited in the Town of Johnstown, and many more kinds that thrive in our environment! Check out the resource below to help inform your planting choices.

Approved & Recommended Tree List

Changing common water-wasting habits around the home is a great way to save both water and money! Here a few easy ways you can conserve water around the house, courtesy of Colorado State University and Water Education Colorado:
•    Leak test your toilet cheaply by dropping a few drops of food coloring into your toilet’s tank, waiting 25 minutes, and then checking your toilet bowl — If the color has spread to the bowl, you’ve got a leak
•    Use a broom or blower to clean your driveway and sidewalk
•    Colorado state law allows residents to collect rainwater runoff from the roof in rain barrels, up to a max of two barrels with a combined capacity of 110 gallons per household
Want more water conservation tips? Check out some of the resources below for more ways to save water:

Best Practices for Lawn Care – Colorado State University

How to Save water Inside and Outside the Home – Water Education Colorado

You could potentially reduce your monthly energy bills by making a few changes in your lifestyle to reduce your power usage and use energy more efficiently at home. Here are a few ways you can do that, per your local energy providers:
•    Refresh your air filters by rinsing, vacuuming, or replacing them every 3-4 months
•    Check your car’s tire pressure regularly to ensure proper inflation: when your car tires experience lower pressure, it takes more gas to move your car
•    Check your plugs: electronic devices and charging cables draw power, even when they’re turned off. This “vampire power” consumption can make up as much as 10% of one’s energy bill in some households

Want to learn about more ways you can save power and potentially reduce your utility costs? Browse some of the resources below for more information:

Tips & Tricks To Becoming Energy Efficient – United Power

Your Guide For Energy Savings This Year – Poudre Valley REA

Energy Saving Tips – Xcel Energy

Taking on a Xeriscaping project can take a serious amount of time and investment, but it can also lead to serious savings on your water bill. 
Below, we’ve compiled a list of resources to assist you in the process of planning and completing your first Xeriscaping project. The Town of Johnstown does not currently offer any incentives for Xeriscaping, but we hope the information below can be useful in helping you achieve your Xeriscaping goals:

5 Ways To Xeriscape On A Budget – Resource Central

Xeriscaping: Creative Landscaping – Colorado State University

Water Wise Landscaping – Colorado State University

Looking to take advantage of the 300 days of sunshine Northern Colorado is said to experience every year? You can learn more about how solar energy works and the key questions in finding the right solar system at the right price by checking out the U.S. Department of Energy’s multimedia guide for homeowners looking to harness solar power at their property.

Homeowner's Guide To Going Solar

 

Solar Incentives

The State of Colorado supports residents in harnessing renewable energy for their property by allowing you to exempt solar panels and other energy infrastructure from property taxation.  Contact the State of Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs for more information about this tax policy. The Town of Johnstown does not currently offer any solar incentives for residents, however, your local energy provider may offer solar incentives of its own:

Xcel Energy Solar*Rewards®

United Power

Poudre Valley REA

There are not currently any environmental volunteer groups registered with the Town of Johnstown. However, there are several volunteer organizations in Northern Colorado that work on environmental projects throughout the Front Range, such as:

Please note that the Town of Johnstown is NOT a referral agency or reference for the above groups. 

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