Oklahoma Water Resources Board officials presented Sustainable Shawnee with a $4,450 grant for its efforts to promote water conservation Friday at City Hall.
Rep. Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, Mayor Linda Peterson and Sen. Charles Laster, D-Shawnee, joined Oklahoma Water Resources Board officials in congratulating Sustainable Shawnee representatives, including Shawna Turner, president, for the achievement.
“It’s a great day for the city of Shawnee and for the state of Oklahoma,” Steele said, “It was no surprise to me ... that they stepped forward immediately with the proposal and were awarded the grant.”
The grant, funded through the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan, is one of only six water conservation grants awarded statewide since the passage of House Bill 3135, authored by Steele, last year.
The bill, which Steele said started “at the grassroots level” with Sustainable Shawnee representatives and others, created the grant program that made these awards possible. The program’s awards provide cash assistance to community projects that focus on water conservation through water efficiency improvements or water savings.
OWRB Planning Director Kyle Arthur said the program is the first of its kind and said U.S. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, recently made reference to the program, commending its efforts.
The objective of the grant program, Arthur said, is to show the public the value of Oklahoma’s water resources and to demonstrate methods of using water more efficiently.
But that objective might take some time to complete.
The results of a recent survey showed that “less than five percent of our communities in Oklahoma have water conservation plans in place and implemented,” Arthur said.
Turner said she hoped the efforts of Sustainable Shawnee would “set an example, not only for the communities here in Oklahoma ... but throughout the country” regarding the importance of water conservation.
Sustainable Shawnee is a nonprofit community group that began three years ago as a part of the Oklahoma Sustainability Network and that works to educate all age levels in the community on the importance of protecting natural resources.
“As [Arthur] pointed out, most communities are not thinking necessarily about water conservation,” Turner said. “There’s a lot of stuff on the table, especially with the recession, but it’s important, particularly in Shawnee.”
Turner said she appreciated all the work of fellow Sustainable Shawnee members, city leaders and others and that she appreciated Steele and his commitment to the bill’s passage.
“It’s always nice to see what our legislators are doing with the community,” she said. “And even though [Steele] and I are not part of the same political parties, I have to say, he has worked very hard on this bill and to see this happen.”
Sustainable Shawnee’s plans for the Shawnee Project include supporting youth education with outdoor learning opportunities, holding a college-level seminar, promoting public water conservation education and continuing work that already began on a native plant park and drip irrigation project at Broadway and Main Street.
For more information about Sustainable Shawnee, visit their Web site at www.sustainableshawnee.org.
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Johnna Ray may be reached at 214-3934.
SHAWNEE, Okla. —
