St. Croix National Scenic Riverway Climate Action Plan

 

Letter from the Superintendent

St. Croix National Scenic Riverway preserves, protects, enhances, and interprets the Riverway’s exceptional natural and cultural resources for the enjoyment of present and future generations. As a steward of these diverse and special resources, our goal is to continually seek innovative and environmentally sound ways to protect and maintain the Riverway and its watershed. The Park is further committing to advance sustainability in its operations and visitor engagement through participation in the Climate Friendly Parks program. This document includes specific targets and actions that the Park will take to reduce its contribution to climate change, measure and reduce its environmental impact, and engage with visitors and partners on the Park’s sustainability efforts and what they can do to support the targets in this plan. As a Climate Friendly Park, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway commits to reduce the Park’s greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy and water efficiency, reduce waste sent to landfills, and maintain an active internal and external engagements on sustainability and climate change.

 

Executive Summary

St. Croix National Scenic Riverway is committed to protecting and preserving its natural, cultural, and archeological resources through environmental stewardship as mandated by the Organic Act and the Park’s enabling legislation. As part of this commitment, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway is striving to become a Climate Friendly Park (CFP). As a CFP, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway will join a network of more than 140 parks nationwide that put climate friendly behavior at the forefront of park operations and resource management. To become a certified CFP, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway developed a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventory of its operations, participated in a climate change and sustainability educational workshop, set GHG emission reduction targets, and integrated these actions into a park-wide climate action plan (this document).

Workshop Overview

In August 2023, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway hosted a two-day Climate Friendly Parks workshop to discuss the Park’s current and future sustainability actions. The workshop featured speakers on:

• Accounting for the Park’s GHG emissions
• Climate change and sustainability communication strategies
• Solid waste management
• Utility partnerships on renewable energy and electric vehicles
• Case studies on EV integration within parks
• Funding opportunities

The workshop also included discussions on climate-friendly actions the Park will take moving forward—including efforts to reduce its energy use, fleet fuel use, and solid waste generation, and interfacing with visitors and the community on sustainability.

Park Accomplishments

The Park has already undertaken efforts to improve sustainability, outlined in the table below.

Sustainability Topic	Completed and In Progress Actions
Building Energy Use	Began implementing project to replace HVAC equipment in the St. Croix River Visitor Center and Park Headquarters building with more efficient units and replace fluorescent lighting with LEDs. Implemented energy efficient improvements to other Park buildings (for example, sustainable roofs).
Transportation	Leasing 4 hybrid vehicles for fleet. Replaced small gas-powered lawn maintenance equipment with electric models. Encourage staff to use the most efficient vehicle for required Park trips.
Waste and Recycling	Encourage visitors to pack-in pack-out trash through section maps and interpretive media. Work with community groups and partners to schedule Riverway cleanups.
Education	Hosted a climate change scenario planning workshop in May 2023 to understand and consider the impacts of climate change on Park resources.

 

2022 GHG Inventory Results

NPS

Park Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Sustainability Performance

St. Croix National Scenic Riverway estimated greenhouse gas emissions that result from its operations using the Climate Leadership in Parks (CLIP) tool. Having this 2022 baseline helps inform the Park’s targets and actions we are taking to meet those targets. In 2022, the Park emitted approximately 474 metric tons of CO2 equivalent (MTCO2e) from its operations. The Park’s largest sources of GHG emissions in 2022 were vehicle fleet fuel use followed by purchased electricity use in buildings (see Figure 1). The Park operates 31 on-road vehicles to maintain and operate within its more than 250 miles of Riverway.

 

Climate Action Plan

St. Croix National Scenic Riverway has developed a climate action plan that includes targets and actions to improve sustainability in Park operations, engage with visitors and partners on climate change and sustainability topics, and reduce the Park’s contribution to climate change. The Park commits to the following targets:

• Reduce on-site and electricity-related (Scope 1 and 2) GHG emissions from Park operations by 50% below 2022 levels by 2030.

• Reduce upstream and downstream (Scope 3) GHG emissions from Park operations by 30% below 2022 levels by 2030.

• Reduce transportation-related emissions from Park operations by 50% below 2022 levels by 2030.

• Reduce energy-related emissions from Park operations by 60% below 2022 levels by 2030.

• Reduce solid waste sent to landfills by 25% below 2022 levels by 2030.

Additionally, the Park will engage with partners to communicate what visitors and communities can do to support a sustainable Riverway. To help meet these targets, the Park will develop annual actions and track them through its Green Team. This remainder of this document outlines actions the Park will take in FY2024 and beyond to support each target.

 

Context for Action

Sustainability is at the cornerstone of the NPS. The 1916 NPS Organic Act outlines our foundational objective “… to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

NPS acknowledges that climate change threatens the very cultural and natural resources we strive to preserve. Our response to a changing climate must include the many federal and NPS-specific directives and guidelines that have been developed to encourage action to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

NPS is addressing climate change at all levels of the agency. The NPS Climate Change Response Strategy includes four components—science, adaptation, mitigation, and communication. The NPS Sustainable Operations and Maintenance Branch leads the agency’s mitigation response to climate change through the Green Parks Plan and programs such as Climate Friendly Parks. The Green Parks Plan provides a broad sustainability vision for the NPS to integrate sustainable practices into operations, mitigate the effects of climate change, and reduce agency impacts on the environment. NPS released the Third Edition of the Green Parks Plan in April 2023. The Green Parks Plan includes objectives across five goal areas:

• Be Climate Friendly and Climate Ready
  Combat the climate crisis by achieving net-zero GHG emissions
• Be Energy Smart and Water Wise
  Achieve net-zero water use and net-zero energy for facilities and operations
• Buy Green and Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
  Achieve net-zero waste and sustainable procurement
• Green Our Rides
  Adopt and support zero-emissions transportation methods
• Foster a Sustainability Ethic
  Engage the NPS workforce, partners, visitors, stakeholders, and communities to support and participate in sustainability, climate resilience, and environmental justice

 

Federal Agency Requirements on Sustainability and Climate Change

NPS is subject to federal requirements on sustainability and climate change. Executive Order (EO) 14057: Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability defines sustainability requirements for federal agencies, including requirements to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, use carbon pollution-free electricity, divert solid waste from landfills, conserve energy and water, and use net zero emission vehicles. This EO builds on requirements set forth in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, Energy Act of 2020, and other climate-related executive orders including EO 13990: Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis, EO 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, and EO 14030: Climate-Related Financial Risk.

 

The Climate Friendly Parks Program

In support of the NPS-wide vision for improving sustainability outlined in the Green Parks Plan, the Climate Friendly Parks (CFP) program provides national parks with the management tools and resources to respond to climate change and help parks become more sustainable and resilient. The program helps parks to:

• Develop a local understanding of climate change impacts.

• Understand and measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from park activities.

• Identify strategies to reduce energy and water use, waste, GHG emissions, and costs.

• Measure the impact of these strategies.

• Identify technical resources and potential funding opportunities.

• Educate and engage visitors about what the park is doing and how they can reduce environmental impacts beyond park boundaries.

To participate in the CFP program, parks must meet four milestones:

1. Complete a greenhouse gas emissions inventory to understand the park’s contribution to climate change.

2. Conduct a climate action planning workshop and develop a climate action plan including park targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

3. Meet a series of “green” expectations covering greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, water use, waste reduction, green team activities, and visitor outreach and education.

4. Report progress annually to the Sustainable Operations and Maintenance Branch.

 

Climate Friendly Parks Workshop Session on Utility Engagement on Renewable Energy and Electric Vehicle Charging

NPS

St. Croix National Scenic Riverway’s Role in Addressing Climate Change

NPS staff, partners, and sustainability and climate change experts held a Climate Friendly Parks workshop at St. Croix National Scenic Riverway from August 29-30, 2023 to identify strategies to reduce the park’s environmental footprint. This Climate Action Plan incorporates the strategies that were discussed at the workshop and identifies goals that will guide the Park’s climate strategy over the next decade in line with the overarching vision of the Green Parks Plan.

 

St. Croix National Scenic Riverway’s FY2022 GHG Emissions (MTCO2e)

Park Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A GHG inventory is a fundamental tool to understand a Park’s contribution to climate change, and helps parks prioritize actions to reduce emissions based on their unique emissions profile. St. Croix National Scenic Riverway prepared a GHG emissions inventory of its operations using the Climate Leadership in Parks (CLIP) Tool. This tool estimates emissions of GHGs that result from human activities within Parks.

GHG emissions result from the combustion of fossil fuels for transportation and energy (e.g., boilers and electricity generation), the decomposition of waste and other organic matter, and the release of gases from various other sources (e.g., fertilizers and refrigerants). Across the agency, more than half of NPS’s GHG emissions come from buildings; about one third come from transportation sources (including the Park’s vehicle fleet, off-road equipment, and employee commuting); and the remaining emissions come from smaller sources such as refrigerant leakage.

In FY2022, GHG emissions from St. Croix National Scenic Riverway’s operations totaled 474 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e). Figure 3 shows the breakdown of the Park’s total GHG emissions by source. Mobile combustion in fleet vehicles was the Park’s largest source of GHG emissions (267 MTCO2e), followed by purchased electricity (94 MTCO2e).

St. Croix National Scenic Riverway has already taken several steps to improve sustainability throughout Park operations, such as procuring more energy efficient equipment, growing a green roof at the Park’s headquarters, and replacing gas-power equipment with electric alternatives.

 

 

Park Strategy to Address Climate Change

St. Croix National Scenic Riverway has committed to becoming a Climate Friendly Park. This section outlines the Park’s vision for achieving the sustainability goals that emerged during the workshop. The Park’s response to climate change is centered around three strategies:

Strategy 1: Reduce GHG Emissions from Park Operations

The Park has identified actions to reduce GHG emissions and other environmental impacts from activities within and by the Park. These actions were developed with Park input and consider the potential to reduce GHG emissions, cost effectiveness, feasibility, co-benefits, regional impacts, and the ability to implement them in the near term.

The Park emits greenhouse gases from activities such as energy use in buildings, fleet, and waste management. Federal agencies are required to reduce their Scope 1 and 2 (direct and electricity-related) GHG emissions by 45% by 2030 from a 2008 baseline and reduce Scope 3 (indirect upstream and downstream) emissions. St. Croix National Scenic Riverway supports NPS’s achievement of these goals by committing to reduce GHG emissions from Park operations.

The Park’s targets include:

• Reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions from Park operations by 50 percent below 2022 levels by 2030.
• Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions from Park operations by 30 percent below 2022 levels by 2030.
• Reduce transportation-related emissions from Park operations by 50 percent below 2022 levels by 2030.
• Reduce energy-related emissions from Park operations by 60 percent below 2022 levels by 2030.
• Reduce waste sent to landfill by 25% below 2022 levels by 2030.

The remainder of this section outlines specific actions to reduce GHG emissions from energy, transportation, waste management, and other sources.

Transportation (Green Parks Plan Goal: Green Our Rides)

Reducing vehicle miles traveled, improving vehicle efficiency, and using alternative fuels in the Park’s vehicle fleet can significantly reduce the Park’s transportation-related emissions. Further, agencies are required to incorporate low-emission and electric vehicles into their fleet per federal requirements such as Executive Order 14057. Starting in 2027, all new light-duty vehicle acquisitions must be zero-emission vehicles.

Transportation sources (the Park’s vehicle fleet and employee commuting) account for more than half of the Park’s GHG emissions. This is largely due to the Park’s core operations to maintain more than 250 miles of Riverway. Many operations within the Park require medium- or heavy-duty trucks and vehicles.

St. Croix National Scenic Riverway has already taken action to reduce GHG emissions from its vehicles and equipment. For example, the Park encourages staff to use the smallest vehicle feasible for general transportation within the Park. The Park will take the following actions to reduce its impact from transportation:

1. Replace gas-powered equipment, such as mowers, chainsaws, blowers, and weedwhackers with electric equipment.
2. Formalize practices and update policies to reduce vehicle fuel use for park operations.
3. Identify opportunities to reduce maintained landscapes and restore/rehabilitate natural landscapes to reduce mowing operations.
4. Install four dual port level 2 electric vehicle charging stations at the St Croix National Scenic Riverway Visitor Center.

Ultimately, the Park will aim to establish an EV corridor along the Park by evaluating EV charging potential and installing EV charging stations along the Riverway, in coordination with partners and gateway communities.

Energy (Green Parks Plan Goal: Be Energy Smart and Water Wise)

Improving energy efficiency and using alternative energy sources reduces Park fuel use, lowers GHG emissions, decreases electricity consumption, and saves money. Through Executive Order 14057 and other federal requirements, agencies are directed to reduce their building energy use and purchase carbon-free electricity. To meet Executive Order and Green Parks Plan requirements, NPS must purchase 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030.

The Park has several actions underway to reduce its energy use, including an ongoing replacement of the HVAC system and lighting at its headquarters building to be completed in 2024. The Park will take the following actions to reduce its energy use:

1. Complete HVAC replacement and efficiency renovations at St. Croix River Visitor Center and Headquarters Facility.
2. Conduct energy audits at facilities to identify low-cost energy efficiency improvements.
3. Develop an overarching plan for retrofitting/replacing Park facilities based on building needs, sustainability considerations, costs, deferred maintenance, and other requirements.
4. Replace Trego Visitor Center complex with more efficient facilities designed for specific Park uses (e.g., efficient visitor center and maintenance facility).

Waste (Green Parks Plan Goal: Buy Green and Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle)

Landfills are the third largest human-related source of methane emissions in the United States, and account for more than 10% of the Park’s GHG footprint. Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills reduces methane emissions caused by decomposition of organic waste as well as the GHGs emitted from the transportation of waste. Federal requirements (Executive Order 14057) require federal agencies to divert at least 50% of their waste from landfills annually through practices such as recycling, composting, and reuse.

The Park generates a small amount of waste in its facilities and office space, however much of the Park’s waste stream comes from its visitors. The Park has implemented pack-in pack-out strategies at many of its landings and campsites but needs to evaluate trash and recycling infrastructure where trash is generated to reduce litter, improve recycling rates, and reduce overall waste generation. The Park will take the following actions to reduce its waste generation:

1. Engage with commercial use authorization holders to reduce the amount of waste generated by Park visitors through education, outreach, and waste handling requirements.
2. Review current waste collection infrastructure for opportunities to co-locate trash and recycling bins, improve placement, and encourage visitors to reduce litter and divert waste from landfills.
3. Develop and deploy consistent messaging for waste diversion throughout the Park.
4. Divert construction and demolition waste from landfill.

Strategy 2: Increase Community Outreach and Visitor Interface

Climate change is already impacting national parks—from cultural and natural resources to the visitor experience. Parks can play a unique role in communicating the impacts of climate change to the public, as well as opportunities to reduce those impacts. A better understanding of the challenges and benefits of reducing GHG emissions and adapting to climate change can motivate staff, visitors, and community members to incorporate climate friendly actions into their own lives.

Visitors

With more than 800,000 visitors per year, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway has a unique opportunity to communicate to the public about the climate impacts the Park is facing and opportunities to reduce those impacts.

An average visitor has a personal GHG footprint of about 10-15 tons of CO2 emissions per year. Education and outreach to visitors is a great way to encourage visitors to reduce their personal footprint by:

• Communicating how the Park is affected by climate change.
• Demonstrating the techniques and technologies that reduce the Park’s carbon footprint.
• Encouraging similar behavior while within and beyond Park boundaries.

NPS recognizes the many different audiences that visit St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, including recreational and non-recreational Park visitors, “virtual visitors” who visit the Park online, school-aged visitors, local and out of town visitors, and external audiences. Reaching these various audiences with climate change information and engaging them in the Park’s efforts requires appropriately focused messaging. The Park will continue to engage with visitors on sustainability through the following actions:

1. Update waste-related signage at Osceola Landing and explore other options at other high-visitation locations throughout the Park to communicate how visitors can reduce their waste generation and recycle.
2. Create signage on the Visitor Center HVAC replacement project to inform visitors how this project is saving the Park on energy, GHG emissions, and energy costs.
3. Create a “how to have a green visit” section of the Park’s website to inform visitors how to reduce the impact of their travel.
4. Identify specific activities that the public can do to further the CAP commitments.

Park Staff

Similarly, outreach to Park staff on climate and sustainability issues increases awareness about climate change and can foster a sense of collective responsibility among staff to reduce the Park’s footprint. By incorporating climate change education into staff development and training programs, the Park will enable staff to lead by example and show visitors the tools and resources needed to reduce GHG emissions and other environmental impacts in the Park and their own communities. The Park will:

1. Communicate the impacts of the Park’s sustainability efforts to Park staff to encourage a sustainability ethic.
2. Improve Park messaging and guidance to encourage sustainable behavior among staff.

In-Park Partners

Commercial use authorization holders (CUAs) operate within the Park to provide recreational activities and experiences to visitors. The Park regularly engages with these entities. The Park will engage with CUAs to:

1. Include sustainability in CUA engagements and identify opportunities for CUAs to support the Park’s sustainability priorities—for example, by greening CUA operations.
2. Work with CUAs to encourage sustainable visits through consistent messaging on Park sustainability priorities.

Local Communities

The gateway communities, agencies, partners, vendors, and volunteers surrounding St. Croix National Scenic Riverway can play a significant role in supporting the Park’s climate change and sustainability goals. St. Croix National Scenic Riverway will develop a strategy for engaging with these communities, which may include the following actions:

1. Identify opportunities to communicate the Park’s sustainability goals and how the public can help the Park achieve these goals.
2. Partner with Wild Rivers Conservancy and others to help improve sustainability within the Park and communicate these goals.

Strategy 3: Restore Park Landscapes and Adapt to a Changing Climate

Climate change threatens the cultural and natural resources that the Park is known for, which has prompted the Park to consider actions for climate change adaptation. Adaptation is an adjustment in natural or human systems that moderates harm or seeks out beneficial opportunities in response to change. Adaptation may include social, economic, or ecological responses, such as adapting the location, structure, or function of Park facilities in anticipation of extreme weather. It is important to closely monitor cultural and natural resources and identify those that are most at risk to climate change impacts.

The Park hosted a climate scenario planning workshop with the NPS Climate Change Response Program in May 2023. The workshop discussed specific climate change impacts to the Park. From 1895-2022, temperatures rose at a rate of +1.9°F per century. But from 1970-2022, the trend line steepened, to a +5.6°F increase per century. There is also evidence of more extreme precipitation, with a 42% increase in the amount of rain falling during heavy storms in the Midwest since 1958.

To improve park resilience, the Park will:

1. Continue to engage with the NPS Climate Change Response Program following the Park’s scenario planning workshop in May 2023 to understand the impacts of climate change on the Park’s natural and cultural resources and incorporate resilience into Park projects.
2. Identify opportunities to restore natural landscapes within the Park.
3. Seek funding to better understand climate impacts to park resources to guide management decisions for a more resilient Park.

Next Steps

NPS faces an uncertain future due to the possible effects of climate change. However, by reducing its emissions and managing climate change impacts, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway will preserve Park resources, reduce its impact, and set an example for its visitors. The strategies presented in this Climate Action Plan demonstrate St. Croix National Scenic Riverway’s leadership on sustainability.

Achieving the goals in this plan will require an ongoing commitment by the Park to monitor its GHG emissions through periodic emission inventories, identify and implement additional actions to reduce GHG emissions and adapt to a changing climate, and reevaluate its goals. St. Croix National Riverway will continually monitor progress on achieving the strategies in this plan to drive continual improvements in sustainability performance.