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Roseville Public Works, Environment and Transportation Commission Agenda Item Date: February 23, 2021 Item No: 7 Item Description: Minnesota GreenCorps Member Update Background: The Minnesota GreenCorps program is a statewide initiative, coordinated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, to preserve and protect Minnesota's environment while training a new generation of environmental professionals. The program places AmeriCorps members with host organizations around the state to assist communities and local governments in addressing a variety of statewide needs, aiming to: • Reduce solid waste and increase recycling in Minnesota communities. • Reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and other air pollutants. • Reduce water runoff and improve water quality. • Assist community members to take eco-friendly actions. • Increase community resilience and build local capacity to respond to the threats of climate change. • Train new environmental professionals. Members serve at their host sites for 11 months, from mid -September through mid -August. More than 350 MN GreenCorps members have served at over 200 organizations across Minnesota. Former and current host site organizations include cities, counties, public schools, universities, watershed districts, and non-profit organizations. Since the program's launch in 2009, MN GreenCorps members have engaged and educated nearly 200,000 volunteers in communities around the state through service projects, including assistance with environmental fairs, multi -modal transportation events, energy benchmarking, waste sorts, tree inventory/citizen foresters, invasive species removal, tree planting, and building rain gardens. Many of these projects help to increase resilience of Minnesota communities to the impacts of climate change, such as increasing heat and heavy precipitation. Minnesota GreenCorps is an AmeriCorps program. Funding is provided by ServeMinnesota, the Corporation for National Community Service, and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. In - kind resources are also provided by participating host site organizations. Staff had many discussions with community members and the Public Works, Environment and Transportation Commission about the possibility of being granted a MN GreenCorps member to assist with our sustainability efforts.