In the spirit of Earth Day and an effort year-round to be conscious of ways the City of Big Bear Lake can “go green,” the City’s Green Sustainability Efforts Committee, chaired by City Council members Rick Herrick and Bill Jahn, has several programs in place. These include the implementation of Green Building Codes (and the possibility of certification for green builders), recycling programs at schools with the Rotary Club’s Early Act Club (using recycling funds to purchase items, such as playground equipment, for schools), recycling bins available at all city employee work stations, conservation programs through the DWP (which works with private home rental management companies to encourage visitors to conserve water and re-use towels), the implementation of Valley-wide bike routes (and plans to add more bike racks), the purchase of hybrid vehicles for staff use, the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program, the re-use of existing materials for street repaving projects, and continued efforts to become a zero-waste community. The City will also offer a free master composting class on Saturday, May 2. The full-day class, which begins at 9am, will address greencycling options, container gardening, and native plants and water conservation. The composting workshop is available to all Big Bear Valley residents; to register, call Jackie Heule at 866-5831 x138.
