Dear FY19 SWATeam members, As another academic year is about to begin, we want to first thank you for all of your help moving campus toward the goals outlined in the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP). Each of the six SWATeams worked on multiple recommendations last year, and after careful evaluation by the iCAP Working Group (iWG), several recommendations are under consideration now at the appropriate campus units. Additionally, several prior SWATeam recommendations are continuing to show progress, such as the Solar Farm 2.0 project, which is likely to be approved by the Board of Trustees this fall.

Now, the iWG is gearing up for the drafting of the 2020 iCAP. Last year, we have received a lot of feedbacks from the SWATeams and the student body about the 2015 iCAP, our successes, and our areas for growth. After extensive consideration, we have reorganized the SWATeams as announced in the iSEE newsletter earlier this month. Soon we will be updating the email lists, so please do not be concerned if you are removed from a SWATeam email list and are planning to stay on the new team; all returning members will be added to the new SWATeam email lists, as they are created.

If you have any questions, please let us know and we’ll be happy to discuss this further. We thank you for your time, your enthusiasm, and your continuous efforts!

Sincerely,

Ximing Cai and Morgan White

iCAP Working Group, co-chairs

Following the completion of iWG assessment for ALUFS006 Increased Agroforestry, the recommendation was transmitted to Dean Kimberlee Kidwell of the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences.

See iWG assessment of ALUFS006 Increased Agroforestry attached, saying, "Work with the university landscape architect, Brent Lewis, to develop a plan for adding trees along the Embarras, including costs and requirements, and supporting implementation."

See SWATeam Recommendation ALUFS006 Increased Agroforestry here.

The ALUFS SWATeam submitted a recommendation to the iWG proposing that the university: 

"Obtain more agroforestry by increasing trees campus-wide. Initial focus can be along the Embarras river between 1st Street and Airport Road (CR 1100 N), where approximately 32 acres of riparian forest buffer could be planted. Additionally, general addition of trees to campus proper, including on parking lots."

See attached the SWATeam recommendation ALUFS006 Increased Agroforestry complete with comments from ALUFS SWATeam members.

An iCAP Working Group assessment of this recommendation began on June 7, 2019.