LINCOLN, Neb. -- The city of Lincoln is aiming to become one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the country. Residents can learn more about plans and progress toward this goal when Milo Mumgaard, senior aide to the mayor, speaks Tuesday, September 8, on "Sustainable Lincoln: Insuring a Growing and Dynamic City Today… and Tomorrow." The talk will be at 7 p.m. in Hardin Hall, 33rd and Holdrege, home to the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
"Our goal is to have the city be known across the nation as a leading light in the whole greening of America," Mumgaard said. "We’ll need the university, the city, and all parts of the community to help, as we’re rising to meet this challenge."
Mayor Chris Beutler announced April that Lincoln would use its $2.4 million from the federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program to launch a new "Cleaner, Greener Lincoln" initiative. It includes measures to make city buildings more energy-efficient, to upgrade traffic signals and street lights, to make the city more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly, to explore renewable energy, to turn landfill gas into energy, to support the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, and to help small businesses, non-profit organizations, and homeowners upgrade their energy infrastructure.
"The city is not just talking about sustainability, but is aggressively going ahead with programs" to put Lincoln in the vanguard of sustainable cities, Mumgaard said. Mumgaard, who joined the mayor’s office in April, was the founding executive director of the Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest and most recently served as the Midwest regional director for state operations for Common Cause. Before that he was an associate general counsel for the national AFL-CIO. The Lincoln native has a law degree from the New York University School of Law, and was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Mumgaard's talk will be the first in the School of Natural Resource's fall outreach lecture series. Subsequent dates and speakers will be:
October 13, Dennis Ferraro, on "Adventures of a Herpetologist in Nebraska: the experiences, trials & tribulations of field work with amphibians and reptiles across the state"
October 27, Stephen Vantassel, on "Wildlife Damage Management: Problems and Prospects" (warning: includes graphic images of wildlife)
November 10, Roger Pabian, on "Nebraska's Gemstones - Tiny Little Treasures"
All talks begin at 7 p.m. Free parking will be available adjacent to Hardin Hall and refreshments will be served.
For more information please contact Kelly Smith, School of Natural Resources, 472-3373, ksmith2@unl.edu, or Milo Mumgaard, senior aide to the mayor, 441-8044, mmumgaard@lincoln.ne.gov.
