PIERRE, S.D. – Pierre Mayor Laurie Gill announced today the City of Pierre “Go Green and Clean” campaign is entering its sixth year. The campaign, first organized in 2010 by Mayor Gill, is a “call to citizens to volunteer” and give back to the community. Mayor Gill said staff will hold their first planning session this Thursday, February 6 at 9AM at City hall. Gill says this is a call to community service to prepare the City for the visitors we welcome each year, “We are growing and we have a responsibility to keep the public lands under our trust clean and sustainable. City staffs do a great job and I am proud of our efforts but we can only do so much. So I am asking the citizens, schools, organizations and business leaders of Pierre to join me. Together we can make a greater impact in this campaign.” said Gill.
The Go Green and Clean campaign is a year round event. In the spring, the campaign focus is on cleaning up after the long winter. In 2014 twenty-five community agencies and organizations collaborated with the City. Activities ranged from several road right of way clean ups, to painting park structures and a Lake Sharpe clean up that netted over two tons of debris and trash. With the nice weather last week, City crews from the Street, Park and Landfill departments conducted a cleanup of the old rodeo grounds just north of Range Road on North Hwy 1804. That area has now been restored to its original state or native grass. Soon to follow will be a cleanup of an abandoned trap shooting range on the same land. Mayor Gill says it is important the City demonstrates we are being good stewards of the public’s property. The cleanup of this area was needed.
However Gill says activities are more than just picking up trash, “We coordinate with business leaders, media, the public schools, Pierre Indian Learning Center, the Discovery Center, Boys and Girls Club and State of South Dakota to offer educational events. We conduct Arbor Day programs to plant trees and we teach our youth how to be conservation minded.” Gill says now is the time to plan ahead and prepare, “Staff will coordinate efforts and finalize the 2015 Plan of Work for the campaign. I look forward to what evolves from the planning meeting.” said Gill.
Pierre is always looking for new Go Green initiatives and partnerships. Citizens with an interest in the campaign should contact Tom Farnsworth, Director of Parks and Recreation at 773-2527 or email Tom.Farnsworth@ci.pierre.sd.us Go on line to www.cityofpierre.org and read more about the Go Green and Clean campaign.