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AGENCY TESTIMONY
Community engagement and benefits of the Blue Belt program
0:15:29
·
47 sec
Licata highlights how the Blue Belt program engages with and benefits the community beyond its primary function of stormwater management. She emphasizes the program's role in providing public amenities and educational opportunities.
- Most Blue Belt sites are open to the public, offering access to green spaces with wildlife, wildflowers, and wetlands
- The program conducts educational tours and hosts annual citizen science projects
- Community members can participate through an 'Adopt a Blue Belt' project, keeping sites clean
- DEP supports local community groups by sponsoring cleanup events on city properties
Angela Licata
0:15:29
In addition to the stormwater and flooding flooding benefit, the Blue Belt program is also a community amenity.
0:15:35
The majority of Blue Belt sites are open to the public and offer an open space experience.
0:15:40
The public can access the sites via gravel walking paths that afford access to green spaces rich with wildlife, wildflowers, and wetlands.
0:15:48
The program also leads multiple educational tours each year and hosts an annual citizen science project where local students learn hands on about fish migration, water quality, and scientific methods.
0:16:00
A popular adoptive blue bell project gives the community an opportunity to get involved by adopting sites and keeping them free of litter and weeds.
0:16:09
The blue bell program also supports local community groups each year by sponsoring cleanup events on city properties.