City of Boise Celebrates Successful Year of Climate Action

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City of Boise Celebrates Successful Year of Climate Action, Additional Opportunities for Residents to Participate Planned in 2025

December 18, 2024

Boise is well-known for its beautiful trees, clean river and thousands of acres of open space. Preserving these community treasures is at the backbone of the city's bold climate goals and serves as daily motivation, knowing the climate action we take now will benefit future generations of Boise residents.

"Every Boisean deserves a safe, healthy and clean city," said Mayor Lauren McLean. "We are dedicated to protecting the environment, using clean energy, supporting urban agriculture, expanding the city's geothermal system, and empowering our residents to take climate action at home in ways that make sense for their lives. The decisions we make today will chart a path for Boise's future and I couldn't be more excited about the possibilities."

The City of Boise is investing in climate action to create a more sustainable environment for all who call this beautiful place home. With the help of our residents and a variety of invested partners, there is much to be proud of.

2024 Climate Action Highlights

• The Boise Airport and Lander Street Water Renewal Facility powered up with 100% clean electricity in September, purchasing solar energy from Idaho Power. With this move, the city took a big step toward its climate goal to power all city facilities with 100% clean electricity by 2030.
• With the help of partner Treasure Valley Canopy Network (TVCN) and dozens of volunteers, we planted and distributed 974 new trees in Boise in 2024 through the Elaine Clegg City of Trees Challenge - a record since the challenge started in 2020.
• The City of Boise and TVCN also partnered on an updated tree canopy assessment to better understand the city's tree coverage, areas of opportunity, and help guide planting efforts for a greener future. The assessment found Boise has more than 635,000 estimated total trees, and the city's overall tree canopy increased from 10% to 11.7% over a 10-year period thanks to tree care and planting efforts.
• The city awarded $50,000 to 17 youth-led climate action projects through the Youth Climate Action Fund.
• Boise's mixed recycling program expanded in October to include #5 plastic food tubs, enabling residents to divert more of their waste from the landfill.
• Boise leaders dedicated Primrose Park in Northwest Boise in June, adding additional pollinator habitat acreage and expanding access in a growing part of the city.
• The city continues to support locally grown food sources including fruit and vegetable production at Boise Urban Garden School (BUGS) in Comba Park, as well as urban farming at the historic Spaulding Ranch park site in West Boise. In 2024, BUGS grew more than 2,000 pounds of produce that was used in on site culinary classes, and approximately 200 pounds of produce was donated to local charities.
• The city replaced a geothermal main line under 10^th Street this summer, an upgrade that will allow us to warm more buildings with 100% clean, renewable geothermal heat from the aquifer below our city. This year, the city welcomed the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights and Hotel Renegade to the nearly 90 buildings on our extensive geothermal system.
• For the first time, Boise residents in apartment housing can compost their kitchen waste at two new Food Scrap Drop Off sites in Boise parks, enabling them to reduce their carbon footprint.
• The city's pilot program for our future Recycled Water Facility successfully completed its initial testing phase, demonstrating that the city can purify water used by local business and industry. In 2025, Boise will break ground on the future Recycled Water Facility, which will purify water on a larger scale to create a new drought-proof water supply for our growing community.
• The Modern Zoning Code enabled 108 new EV charging stations as well as 938 long term bike parking spots.
• The city installed 31 micromobility parking corrals around the city and over 639,000 trips were completed on e-scooters and e-bikes in Boise.

As Boise celebrates an incredible year of climate action success stories, we're also looking ahead. It's easier than ever for Boise residents to get involved and support the city's plan for climate action. Applications are open until December 20, 2024, to join the new Boise Community Climate Action Committee to help create a cleaner, healthier Boise for future generations. Participants will create Boise's Community Climate Action Guide to build a greener, more resilient city. Visit our website to learn more and apply.

The Boise Parks and Recreation and Public Works Departments offer a variety of volunteer opportunities annually through the WaterShed, Ridge to Rivers Trail System, the Caring for Parks program and more. Meanwhile, you can also bookmark the Treasure Valley Canopy Network's website for information on 2025 volunteer tree planting events and tree giveaways in support of the Elaine Clegg City of Trees Challenge.

To view the City of Boise's climate action roadmap and climate goals, click here.

Contact: Mayor's Office Media Relations

(208) 972-8520 | [email protected]

© 2024 City of Boise. All rights reserved.

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