Page 12 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • March 21, 2012 Upper Saddle River Sustainable Jersey representatives announced last week that Upper Saddle River has met the rigorous requirements to achieve Sustainable Jersey certification. Upper Saddle River is one of 108 towns to have attained certification. Certified towns excel in areas such as improving energy efficiency and health and wellness, reducing waste, sustaining local economies, protecting natural resources, and addressing diversity and equity. To achieve certification, Upper Saddle River submitted documentation to show it completed a balance of the required sustainability actions and met a minimum of 150 action points to be certified at the bronze level. In addition, the community created a Green Team and selected at least two out of seven priority action options. Upper Saddle River completed two priority actions by completing energy audits for municipal buildings and ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. The borough earned 190 points in total with sustainable actions that included pursuit of the Vision 20/20 community plan, the Mayor’s Wellness Campaign and receipt of the NJ Healthy Town distinction, anti-idling regulations, the community forestry plan, education about sustainability, paper shredding, promoting the Cut It and Leave It program for on-site recycling of grass clippings, and the use of solar panels. “The Upper Saddle River Environmental Committee and the Upper Saddle River Green Team have made significant strides in green initiatives. Their combined efforts, under the leadership of Barbara Sena, have made this distinction possible,” Upper Borough achieves certification from Sustainable Jersey Saddle River Mayor Joanne Minichetti said. “Our borough administrator, Ted Preusch; council liaison, Jon Ditkoff; and each member of these two committees should be commended. Achieving this certification will not only enable the borough to apply for grants, but it will also emphasize our very real day-to-day commitment to keeping our environment healthy. I strongly urge all of our residents to learn more about what the Green Team has accomplished and to support their efforts. Visit www.usrtoday. org and click on environmental committee or their Facebook page for more information.” According to Pam Mount, chair of the Sustainable Jersey Board of Trustees, “It’s quite an accomplishment to become Sustainable Jersey certified. The certified towns have joined a first rate group of municipalities that are leading the way with impressive sustainability initiatives in New Jersey while providing a model for towns across the United States.” Sustainable Jersey representative Donna Drewes said, “These are exceptional towns with outstanding programs. We’ve been amazed to see how this program has catalyzed community spirit and fostered grassroots leadership, cross-sector creativity, and collaboration across New Jersey. Randall Solomon of Sustainable Jersey congratulated the certified towns, saying, “Our certified towns are municipal leaders that are making extraordinary contributions toward the long-term goal of a sustainable New Jersey and world.” Sustainable Jersey is a certification program for municipalities in New Jersey. Launched in 2009, Sustainable Jersey is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that supports community efforts to reduce waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and improve environmental equity. Sustainable Jersey is empowering New Jersey towns to build a better world for future generations. It provides tools, training, and financial incentives to support and reward communi- ties as they pursue sustainability programs. New Jersey is the first state in the nation to have a comprehensive sustainability program for communities that links certification with strong state and private financial incentives, and a fully resourced program of technical support and training. Sustainable Jersey is 100 percent voluntary and each town can choose whether it wants to (continued on page 20)