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Background The GreenStep Cities program ("GreenStep") is a voluntary challenge, assistance, and recognition program that helps cities achieve their sustainability and quality of life goals. The development of the program began in 2007 when the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) held regional listening sessions around Minnesota to discuss the State's Next Generation 5) emen Demonstrating Energy Act of 2007 and community -wide , [)Quantilicadon: Measuring success of actions opportunities for community- 3)Achievement: community -wide based The Meeting State- impact of actions energy projects. 2)Milestone: wide sustainability idea for alocally-focused Demonstrating action standards 1)Resolution local commitment sustainability program came Committingto through actions from these listening sessions, local sustainability a report was provided to the Figure 2: The five steps of GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations. Minnesota Legislature, and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the Minnesota Department of Commerce, and CERTs were directed develop a voluntary program. In 2010, this initiative became the GreenStep Cities program, managed by a public -private partnership that includes State agencies, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions. In 2014, GreenStep expanded to pilot a program for Tribal Nations. GreenStep offers a set of 29 Best Practices across five categories: building and lighting, land use, transportation, environmental management, and resilient economic and community development. Each Best Practice includes four to eight actions that a community can take; each action can be completed at a 1, 2, or 3-star level depending on the scope and scale of the action taken. titiNN=SJTA Communities demonstrate progress in the program as they advance through five steps (Figure 2). To achieve Step 1, communities adopt a resolution to enter the program. Steps 2 and 3 allow communities to report and track actions they have already taken and additional actions they take while participating in the program. Steps 4 and 5 ask communities to enter various metrics and demonstrate progress each year, respectively. At present, 143 cities and 4 pilot tribal nations participate in the GreenStep programs. Over 52% of Minnesota's An,n?arantpaul population lives in a GreenStep city or tribal nation ""`oN (Figure 3). Figure 3: A map of Minnesota GreenStep communities. Gold Leaf Program Proposal I www.MNGreenStep.org 2 Page 54 of 185