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Staff Report 

Those with concerns and seeking action on the environment have reasons to celebrate throughout central Kentucky. 

According to a press release by Fayette County’s Regional Focus Group, the municipal governments of Jessamine, Bourbon, Clark, Scott, and Woodford County will collaborate with the city of Lexington on regional climate action plans funded by an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant. 

The first phase of planning is focused on completed projects that are ready for implementation. 

According to the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government website on the plan, sustainability has to do with three main areas:

• Environment: protecting natural resources and reducing pollution to keep the planet healthy.
• People: Ensuring fair and equitable treatment for all individuals, and improving quality of life.
• Economy: Creating economic systems that are robust and can support ongoing growth without depleting resources. 

Regional meetings are held in each county so that public input is included when establishing a Comprehensive Climate Action plan for the next phase. 

The Nicholasville-Jessamine County and Wilmore meeting will be held on Monday, Oct. 14 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Wilmore Municipal Center on 210 South Lexington Avenue in Wilmore.

Community members who attend can learn about and comment on potential projects designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the region. This can be quite beneficial, as most of the region’s emissions come from electricity consumption and transportation. 

Meetings will be held in surrounding counties in the following weeks. Details for each county will be posted to www.lexingtonky.gov/departments/sustainability as information is gathered. A virtual region-wide meeting and survey will also be provided later this year for additional input opportunities.