Sustainable Issaquah strives to inspire and promote citizen engagement, education, and action to strengthen our community’s economic, social and environmental vitality.

You learn something every day
It is probably not a surprise to most that, although the U.S. constitutes only 4 percent of the world's population, it accounts for 22 percent of the world's total energy consumption.
Usually when we hear statistics like this we assume the big culprits are industry and big business, or transportation. In fact, the operation of residential housing is responsible for 21 percent of total US energy consumption, things like space heating and cooling, appliances, water heating, and lighting.
At Thursday night's first Sustainable Issaquah Home Energy Efficiency Group (HEEG) speaker event in Issaquah, local home energy auditor Gary Wood explained how the efficiency gains made in home construction in the 1970s had petered away in the next three decades. Homes built after 2000 - bigger, with more appliances, and no more efficient per square foot - come with higher energy bills than homes built at any other time in history. Read more.


Buy Local - support Issaquah
Sustainable Issaquah kicked off its Sustainable Economy Initiative in June 2010 with a meeting of the initiative’s Steering Committee. The group selected a set of criteria for identifying local businesses and additional green measures to allow business owners to highlight their environmental credentials.
Sustainable Issaquah intends to identify local ownership via one portion of the survey, while the sustainability portion of the survey explores the businesses efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, their contribution to local charities and community groups, the use of local materials, engagement in recycling and other environmental mitigation programs, and
whether it provides additional support and opportunities for employees and their families.
The start of the initiative coincides with the presence in Issaquah of Sustainable Issaquah intern Arzu Yanik, a communications student visiting from Germany who is volunteering to help identify and recognize those businesses. Arzu visited nearly 75 Issaquah businesses during June and July to invite the owners to complete an online survey, answer questions on local ownership ties and describe actions they are taking to be sustainable. Arzu has gotten a friendly and interested reception from busy store owners and managers, and is now starting follow up visits for those businesses that haven’t yet filled out the survey.
The goal for the Sustainable Economy Initiative is to highlight and promote locally-owned businesses and their sustainable actions among community members.
Money spent at locally-owned businesses is more likely to stay within the community and stimulate the local economy.
If you know a local business that should be included, please contact us or point them toward the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/issaquah


From the Cascade Land Conservancy
One of the things that makes Issaquah great is the access to forests and mountains from every corner of the city. This incredible amenity is unfortunately a threat to itself, as it attracts thousands of residents who wish to live in or near these spectacular spaces.
The population of Issaquah grew from 11,212 residents in 2000 to 26,890 in 2009, including 6,210 people from annexations. And there is no indication that growth will halt anytime soon.
However, there is the possibility that Issaquah can have it all: well-planned growth and urban amenities, without sacrificing the quality of life we get from our natural lands. By channeling population growth upwards rather than out, we can accommodate new residents while using much less land.
Increased density brings other benefits as well, such as a demand for local goods and services, vibrant community life and entertainment, and a lower local and global environmental impact.
There are many projects and movements working towards this in Issaquah today. Sustainable Issaquah is doing great work by encouraging energy efficiency, promoting local and sustainable businesses and bringing people together to grow food at the community garden.
The Central Issaquah Task Force is looking at creating policies on the valley floor around Interstate 90 that stimulate a mix of uses, including housing, retail and office space.
Getting Around Issaquah Together (GAIT) is making Issaquah more convenient for residents and visitors to get where they need to go around the city and the region.
City staff and elected officials are working to encourage well-planned development that makes Issaquah an even better place to work, live and raise a family.
In the winter of 2009-2010, our group, the Cascade Land Conservancy Community Stewards, met to discuss community priorities and how to use citizen advocacy to advance them. Nearly everything the city does has opportunities for public input, such as workshops and speaking times at meetings. We will be working with the various groups in Issaquah over the next few months to help bring positive change to Issaquah’s urban areas in order to protect the wild ones.
Want to learn more about the Cascade Land Conservancy? E-mail Jonathan Frazier at jonathanf@cascadeland.org