Contact:
Lisa Dulude
Energy and Environmantal Sustainability Manager
Lisa.Dulude@snoco.org
425-388-3965

Snohomish County One of Eight Communities in U.S. Selected For Green Infrastructure Lab

EVERETT, Wash., May 31, 2019 – Today, Snohomish County announced it is one of eight communities across the United States selected to participate with Earth Economics in a lab that focuses on investment and advancement of green stormwater infrastructure. The goal of the lab is to scale-up investment in and adoption of green infrastructure to increase resilience to climate change.

A global leader in science-based economics, Earth Economics provides public- and private-sector leaders the tools to create and sustain a portfolio of urban green infrastructure assets. The lab workshop will include crafting a shared vision and goals for green infrastructure in Snohomish County, identifying challenges and opportunities, exploring model regulations and incentives, and assessing effective financing strategies.

“With our urgent need to restore the health of Puget Sound, we are grateful for this opportunity to work with Earth Economics and develop a road map to expand Snohomish County’s green infrastructure,” said Dave Somers, Snohomish County Executive.

Earth Economics will work with the county to ensure that the workshop is tailored to address the county’s priorities for advancing green stormwater infrastructure. Green stormwater infrastructure includes a variety of assets to better manage stormwater through low-impact development principles, such as pervious paving, bio-retention swales, parks and open space, and more.

“Snohomish County’s residents benefit when we partner on these innovative programs to further protect our natural resources,” said Terry Ryan, Snohomish County Council Chair. “Innovation on behalf of the environment and our communities is a smart way to build our strength.”

“Earth Economics’ work to quantify the value of natural capital is critical to improving our environment,” said Vice Chair of the Snohomish County Council Nate Nehring. “Partnering on this green infrastructure lab is a great next step to bring county stakeholders together to address water quality and service-delivery issues through a science-based economic lens.”

The labs build on Earth Economics’ Blueprint for Increased Investment in Green Infrastructure, an action plan for municipal leaders looking to bring their green infrastructure to scale. The Blueprint is based on ten months of extensive research, including practitioner interviews across the U.S., literature review, process mapping, and econometric modeling.