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III History of Sustainability in Saint Anthony Village <br />Saint Anthony Village has a proud history of working on environmental sustainability issues. The <br />City worked diligently during the early part of this decade to implement sustainable practices and is a <br />leader among Minnesota sustainable cities, especially in the areas of city-wide green space and water <br />use. The crowning achievement of Saint Anthony Village in these areas is Minnesota's first multi - <br />source parkland watering system, which saves 7 million gallons of potable water every year. Because <br />of its commitment to sustainability, the City of Saint Anthony Village was recognized by the <br />Minnesota GreenStep Cities program in June of 2012 for its achievements in sustainable best <br />practices and was awarded GreenStep 3, the highest GreenStep honor. <br />The GreenStep Cities project came about as a result of steps taken by the Minnesota State <br />Legislature, which in 2008 directed the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to recommend a list of <br />steps cities could take, on a voluntary basis, to become more sustainable. The program, which <br />partners with city councils all over the state, makes best practices available to cities which are meant <br />to reduce a city's carbon footprint, reduce energy consumption, and foster social well-being. The <br />program awards cities for their progress, recognizing the implementation of certain numbers of best <br />practices as Step 1, 2, or 3. The city council of Saint Anthony Village found that much of what had <br />already been done to make the city sustainable was included in the program, and attained Step 3 <br />status after only 2 years in the program. <br />This vision statement and sustainability plan will help to ensure that Saint Anthony Village does not <br />lose sight of the goal of true environmental, social, and economic sustainability and stays at the <br />leading edge of nationwide sustainability trends. When the GreenStep Cities program introduces the <br />upcoming Step 4, Saint Anthony Village will be ready to achieve that next level of excellence and <br />beyond, and continue to be an example to other Minnesota cities. <br />ain tho�ry 5 <br />O� to ecJ <br />