Hillsboro Wins Climate Protection Award

Less than one year after passing their first community Environmental Sustainability Plan, Hillsboro is receiving nationwide recognition.

The city - and Mayor Jerry Willey - received honorable mention in the U.S. Conference of Mayors 2016 Climate Protection Awards.

Willey accepted the award Friday at the conference in Indianapolis.

The award comes with a $5,000 grant that the city can pass on to a not-for-profit in Hillsboro working on sustainability and related issues.

The Environmental Sustainability Plan, a part of the Hillsboro 2035 Community Plan, provides a process that ensures continued and consistent effort, tracking, and reporting toward the adopted goals.

It includes goals for energy, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, materials management (including the reduction of emissions from solid waste), and natural resource conservation.

More than 75 projects are either started or planned to lead the community toward the established goals.