On April 23, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors honored the City of Paramount with a 2019 Green Leadership Award. Mayor Tom Hansen and Public Works Director Adriana Figueroa accepted the award for “Growing the Urban Forest of Sustainable Paramount.”
“We know how important it is to be ecologically friendly,” stated Mayor Hansen. “Paramount has taken many measures over the years to make this happen. Our sustainability efforts date back to the 1980s. The commitment to being environmentally sensitive is even stronger today.”
The Green Leadership Awards recognize outstanding efforts by individuals, cities, businesses, and public agencies that raise the bar in improving the County’s environmental sustainability through water conservation, expansion of urban forestry, infrastructure improvements, development and promotion of non-motorized transportation, and programs and initiatives that reduce reliance on fossil fuels and sustain the region’s rich biodiversity.
Paramount has long taken eco-friendly actions to save energy and enhance the environment. Starting three decades ago with the repaving of streets using rubberized asphalt from recycled tires to partnering in 2018 with GRID Alternatives to provide free solar panels to income-eligible residents, the City has instituted dozens of “green” measures.
This legacy earned the Beacon Award from the Institute for Local Government for environmental sustainability.
In spring 2017, Paramount embarked upon the first of several large tree plantings throughout parks and public open spaces.
This active expansion of the urban forest improves air quality by filtering emissions. The yearly planting events have created opportunities to engage the community as volunteers and educate them on the City’s other sustainability efforts. In the past two years, Paramount has planted more than 300 trees, adding to the existing 8,000 trees already in public spaces. These efforts led to the County award (as well as being named this year a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation).
“Whether it is discovering new ways to conserve water, planting trees, or utilizing renewable energy, this year’s winners inspire us to make every day Earth Day,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn.
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