1. Environmental Indicators and Sustainability Experiences from the United States Experiences from the United States Brian Lane Strategic Planner The Rocky Mountain Region International Symposium on Indicators of Sustainable Development Taipei, Taiwan Dec. 1-2

2. About the Rocky Mountain Region A Few Facts About the Region: - 6 States - 27 Indian Tribes - Dry Climate - Rocky Mountains - Great Plains - Large % of Land Government Managed - Home of Many Natural Treasures...Yellowstone National Park Leading Environmental Pressures: -Agriculture -Mining -Growth and Development

3. The Most Widely Used Indicator Framework PressureStateResponse Ambient conditions Body Burden Uptake Ecological Health & Welfare Discharges Emissions Regulatory Response Actions by Regulated Community Pounds of toxics used Vehicle miles traveled Number of single use disposable goods purchased Air quality (ppm) Air quality Tons recycled, incinerated or landfilled Number of air permits Automobiles inspected Number of permitted landfills or incinerators Examples:

4. Agriculture Indicators of Environmental Pressures % of threatened impaired miles Leading Sources of Pollution LAKES & STREAMS

5. Indicators of Ambient Conditions

6. Indicators of Agency Response Hazardous Waste Site Cleanups

7. Pros of the Pressure-State-Response Model n Good framework for thinking about environmental causes n Categorizes indicators in a common sense, easy to understand way n Fits in well with the public policy process

8. Cons of the P-S-R Model Cons of the P-S-R Model n Some indicators don’t fit in this model –e.g., willingness to pay for environmentally safe products n Model is one-dimensional; the environment

9. Where U.S. is Headed with Indicators n Greater emphasis on results, on the environment –linking to environmental results n Shift from contraints (lack of data) to evaluation of success n Shift to local and state decision-making and accountability n Focus on managing and measuring in a place n Focus on longer-term sustainable indicators n Communicating with the Public

10. What is a Sustainable Indicator? n A measurable vision of a community’s future

11. How to Make a Perfect Sustainable Indicator Choose Something that the community cares deeply about

12. How to Make the Perfect Sustainable Indicator Measure what you want to be

13. Other considerations for selecting Sustainable Indicators n Relevant, understandable, and useable n Long-term view (25-50 years) n Show linkages n Used

14. Example of a Good Sustainable Indicator in Use: The Bernie Fowler's "Sneaker Index”

15. Bernie Fowler has a Goal GOAL: Restore Bernie's sneaker visibility to chest depth (57 to 63 inches). "Although this is not a scientific measure, it puts restoring the River on a human scale." Source: C. Bernard Fowler, 1992-1993 Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission; Kent Mountford, U.S. EPA Chesapeake Bay Program.

16. Sustainable Indicators Have Linkages Sustainable Indicators Have Linkages Algae Growth Oyster Population Decline Decline in Oyster Fishing Industry/ Jobs Excess Nutrients Fast Growth and Development Land Use Trends Underwater Seagrass Decline Other related social factors -health -education -crime River Visibility Impaired

17. The “Sneaker Index” is Widely Known 11th Annual Patuxant River Wade, June 1998 Photograph Sneaker Index Score: 35.5 inches Goal: 57 to 63 inches

18. Ways U.S. EPA is Pursuing Sustainable Indicators and Practices Examples of Current Work n Community-based environmental protection programs (Chesapeake Bay..) n Real time monitoring in major cities –EMPACT n Research and Development –Environmental Monitoring and Mapping n Outreach and Education