The Department of Natural Resources and Parks is King County’s first agency to make its operations and purchases carbon neutral, achieving Executive Dow Constantine’s goal, a year ahead of schedule.

DNRP’s success will have a significant impact on the county’s overall effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Wastewater treatment plants and pump stations account for more than half of all energy consumed at King County facilities.

All King County departments are directed to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from operations and purchases as part of the county’s 2015 Strategic Climate Action Plan.

“We’re delivering tangible results that demonstrate our strong commitment to confronting climate change,” said Constantine. “By having one of our largest departments make its operations and purchases carbon neutral, we’re setting an example for how public- and private-sector organizations can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The progress made by other departments – particularly Transportation and Executive Services – helped King County surpass its 2015 goal to reduce operational energy use across all its buildings and facilities. The county reduced its energy use by more than 20 percent compared to 2007.

Constantine announced the DNRP Beyond Carbon Neutral Initiative in 2014, directing the agency to become the county’s first carbon-neutral department by the end of 2017.

DNRP achieved the goal by stepping up its energy-conservation efforts and increasing the amount of renewable energy it produced. These steps included:

• Increased recycling at transfer stations, including 18,000 tons of cardboard, metals and other materials;

• Planted 41,000 trees, which absorb carbon as they grow and take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; and

• Produced loop biosolids from the wastewater treatment process, which resulted in the reuse of 26,000 metric tons of biosolids that replace synthetic fertilizers, add carbon to soils, and help plants and trees store carbon.

The department took other actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which were less clearly quantified. Examples include the Regional Trail System that provides alternative transportation options, green building programs that encourage using recycled, sustainably created and resource-conserving materials, supporting locally grown food and farmland preservation, and forest protection, which reduces urban sprawl and stores carbon in protected trees and soils.

“As an agency dedicated to people and the planet, we take responsibility for our footprint,” said Christie True, Director of Natural Resources and Parks. “We are committed to climate action and to removing more greenhouse gas emissions than we release.”