The generalized  ordinance will provide a framework for local legislators in Virginia Beach to avoid damaging local ecosystems, or contributing to air and water pollution, or climate change while reopening their jurisdictions. By providing a critical new mechanism of environmental accountability across the region, the ordinance will revitalize the sustainability movement at the local level amidst shifting political priorities nationally. It will also push legislators to harness the potential of outdoor spaces to safely unify communities isolated by a long-standing stay-at-home order. While the ordinance serves as a broad commitment rather than an enforced law, it will reaffirm cities and counties.

 The generalized  ordinance will provide a framework for local legislators in Fairfax County to avoid damaging local ecosystems, or contributing to air and water pollution, or climate change while reopening their jurisdictions. By providing a critical new mechanism of environmental accountability across the region, the ordinance will revitalize the sustainability movement at the local level amidst shifting political priorities nationally. It will also push legislators to harness the potential of outdoor spaces to safely unify communities isolated by a long-standing stay-at-home order. While the ordinance serves as a broad commitment rather than an enforced law, it will reaffirm cities and counties.

The virtual handbook will highlight three angles of environmental policy which show exceptional promise amidst the current epidemic, and real world cases of local governments leading by example. It provides a framework for local legislators, who, while experiences in governance, may have limited experience with the mechanisms counties and municipalities can use to advance environmental interests. The wealth of academic research and three key tenants (local ecosystems, sustainable development, citizen engagement) present enormous potential for bi-partisan and data-driven environmental reform. 

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This incisive piece of local legislation aims to provide increased citizen involvement in designing and restoring local parks in Montgomery County, Maryland. Developed with the goal of combatting disparities in representation, this ordinance adjusts existing procedure to create a concerned citizens task force that allows community members to temporality get involved with significant recreational projects. The task force is intentionally crafted to incorporate members from five subdivided regions within Montgomery County, ensuring that this new open line of communication values all citizens’ perspectives.

Over the past four years, the Trump administration has enacted numerous rollbacks in public lands, opening up sacred natural areas to irresponsible fossil fuel cultivation. The ecological and economic consequences, coupled with a clear public mandate, demand a swift policy response in support of federally protected land. This brief diagnoses the issue and proposes a tentative framework for the Biden administration that seeks to reverse concerning trends and effectively utilize federal land management for a sustainable future.