Eco-Municipalities

Citizens of eco-municipalities develop sustainability practices at the individual, household, business, municipal, and institutional levels throughout their communities. Their systematic approach meets the four system conditions of The Natural Step.  Sustainability practices have become the natural way of doing things in eco-municipalities.

Eco-municipalities involve citizens broadly and directly in their communities and local government. Local economies are healthy, vital, featuring a diversity of locally-based enterprises and minimizing dependence on outside employers. Municipal finances and local tax bases are balanced, efficient, and effective.

As of summer, 2006, several on-the-ground initiatives are taking places with what may be the first generation of eco-municipalities in the United States emerging.

Chequamegon Bay Region
The Cities of Washburn, Ashland, Bayfield and the Town of Bayfield each adopted resolutions declaring to be eco-municipalities based on the Swedish model using the Natural Step Framework.

Jefferson County
The first study circle was inaugurated in the Spring of 2005 using materials provided by Sustain Dane from the book “The Natural Step for Communities”. From this effort came several projects, including a stand selling rain barrels and other sustainable goods that sets up at the Fort Atkinson Farmers’ Market.

Village of Johnson Creek
Adopted the Natural Step framework in August 2006 to guide its decisions, operations and management. Residents, businesses and organizations in the Jefferson County municipalities of Watertown, Whitewater, and Fort Atkinson are forming Natural Step study circles to learn more about sustainability and the eco-municipality model.

City of Madison
Since 2005, over 180 people in the Madison area have participated in The Natural Step study circles developed and offered by Sustain Dane.

City of Marshfield
The Marshfield city council in central Wisconsin has formed a committee to explore the eco-municipality concept and the possibility of becoming an eco-municipality.

Other Wisconsin communities currently studying the eco-municipality model, Natural Step principles or participating in study circles: counties of : Dunn and Douglas; the cities of: Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, Palmyra, Port Washington, Viroqua, Waterloo, Watertown, Whitewater, Monona, and Oregon.