Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 55.77
Liaison Susan Kaspari
Submission Date July 16, 2022

STARS v2.2

Central Washington University
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.67 / 2.00 Susan Kaspari
Professor
Geological Sciences
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Local advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level:
CWU has official representation on two of the City of Ellensburg's committees: The Utility Advisory Committee, and the Public Transit Advisory Committee. Through these appointments, CWU is able to work on local policies related to utilities and public transit.

CWU, the City of Ellensburg, and Kittitas County are partnering on the development of a multimodal transportation hub. The project is in the pre-design phase. The hub will be utilized by CWU during the academic year and by the Kittitas Valley Event Center during the summer. The multimodal hub will host EV charging, regional commuter buses, and local buses.

CWU and the City of Ellensburg are partnering on a project that will reroute Wilson Creek onto CWU property to reduce flooding in the northeast corner of campus. With the city and Mid Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group CWU is also working on restoration projects along Wilson Creek.

The City of Ellensburg requested that CWU pursue Tree Campus USA status, which CWU earned in 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gNZy63e0go

CWU is also working with the City of Ellensburg on granting surface and utility easements through the CWU campus to connect the Palouse to Cascades trail, most recently in Nov 2021 (https://www.cwu.edu/news/campus-and-community/palouse-cascades-state-park-trail-agreement-bolsters-cwu-city-ellensburg)

CWU serves on the regional transportation board and advocates for Central Transit routes that will increase ridership. CWU hosts pick-up and drop off sites for regional transit, including FlixBus, Aeroporter, and CentralTransit, and provides monetary support for regional transit for the Cle Elum to Ellensburg and Yakima to Ellensburg commuter buses.

Recycling Feasibility Study with CWU, Kittitas County and CenterFuse (February 2021)

Regional advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
No

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level:
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National advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
No

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level:
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International advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
No

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:
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Optional Fields 

A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
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None
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
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Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability advocacy efforts is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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