Comité de Equidad y Justicia Ambiental

Year 1 & 2 Achievements:

• Create Climate and Environmental Justice steering committee; developing plan for council and determining compensation.
• Set goals for steering committee.
• Maintain and increase community green spaces including an addition of native plants and trees to combat local pollution.
• The Fairview Park rebuild that is the direct result of a child and community led designed process.
• $200,000 grant was received this fall and will be invested in Saucon Park to address overgrowth, restore the pavilions, and replace playground equipment which had fallen into disrepair after Hurricane Ida. It will be a restoration of crucial green space and recreational opportunities for South Bethlehem families.
• Friendship Park is currently in its final design and engineering stage after a community-led process. This new design includes a splash pad, which will be a win for a neighborhood with no pools in walking distance.
• Native plants currently exist in the Harmony Pavilion, Tranquility Park, Hoover Mason Trestle, and Café the Lodge. Bethlehem Backyards for Wildlife maintain native gardens on the Hoover Mason Trestle and the South Bethlehem Greenway through a volunteer schedule.
• The EAC Green Committee conducted a Native Perennial Planting Project outside the perimeter of Madison Park.
• Lehigh University has been conducting a trash mapping project with Dr. Kate Jackson to identify key repeat problem areas to be addressed.
• Our forester and public works planted 30 trees in Enix Park, Madison Park, McNamara Park, Jenkins Park, Triangle Park, Clearview Park, Rose Garden, Memorial Pool Dog Park, and City Hall, and Monocacy Park
• Intentionally promote existing initiatives that impact frontline communities through the Health Bureau.
• The Health Bureau’s Community Garden sign-ups were held for plots at Clearview Park, Rockland Park, and Yellis Tract.
• Local community groups have maintained stewardship of South Side Gardens in Martin Luther King Park, Esperanza Park, and Lynfield.
• The Health Bureau visited neighborhoods and offered gift cards to take a survey called “Better Blocks for Bethlehem” which inquired about residents’ concerns regarding quality of life issues on their blocks. The data will help them provide neighborhood level support.
• The Bethlehem Health Bureau surveyed Bethlehem residents to determine how prepared they are for an emergency or disaster situation: only 1% of our residents were adequately prepared. In response to the survey results, the Bethlehem Health Bureau hosted a “Stock Up Event” with Ideal Food Basket on September 23rd where 160 individuals/families with a voucher to purchase emergency food and supply items from Ideal Food Basket so they can better prepare for emergency or disaster situations. Supplies that were purchased with the voucher included non-perishable food items, water, batteries, first aid items, and flashlights.
• Continue to enforce developers planting appropriate trees when they start new construction projects.
• The EAC has reviewed the Subdivision Use and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) which could be expanded to include new tree or landscaping requirements for developers. Currently, “all plantings shown on submitted site plans shall be subject to approval or disapproval by the appropriate authority after a review and recommendation from the City Forester’s office.”
• Create shade structures in existing parks to increase cooling to reduce incidences of heat strokes and heat exhaustion.
• Current parks that are undergoing re-design that will include shade structures are Friendship Park, Fairview Park, and soon, Saucon Park.
• Strengthen partnerships to increase accessibility to healthy food and fresh produce for frontline communities.
• Through DCED, CDBG dollars were given to support the new Fountain Hill Food Pantry, Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley (HCLV) Food Pantry, Kellyn Foundation Fresh Food Mobile Market (Neighborhood Immersion Strategy), New Bethany Choice Pantry, and New Bethany Trinity Food Kitchen.
• Collaborate with BASD to empower youth in amplifying their voices on issues around access to recreation opportunities, green space, and more.
• YWCA has conducted youth and parent interviews around these opportunities with a grant from Community Action Development Bethlehem (CADB). A presentation of findings can help steer City services/support towards these initiatives.
• Create and support a Climate and Environmental Justice Council with residents from frontline communities that will work with the Steering Committee create a framework for the implementation of Climate Action Plan initiatives and aid in the policy making process.
• EJ Steering Committee and CADB’s Green Space Committee began to meet together bi-monthly to work towards mutual goals.
• Four neighborhood-level meetings were held in partnership with Community Action Bethlehem to discuss quality of life issues at Broughal Middle School, Lynfield Community Center, South Side Lofts, and Cathedral Church of the Nativity. Support from Lehigh University’s Dr. Kate Jackson guided these meetings.