The end of Earth Month is the perfect time to salute many of the local nonprofits that are always working to improve our environment and quality of life. Thanks to the Sustainable Tourism Plan (STP), Sedona has a new appreciation for their dedication!

Keep Sedona Beautiful This premier environmental group does everything from policy research to community workshops and litter lifting to speaker series. KSB served on the startup STP Advisory Committee and is working on STP recycling, voluntourism, trails management and policy development goals.

Sedona Recycles The recycling center on Shelby Drive has been humming for almost 30 years as SR operates a dozen drop off points throughout the Verde Valley. Through the STP, they will get visitors and businesses more involved in waste reduction and recycling while looking to expand the range of recyclable materials.

Sedona Compost They divert tons of compostable material away from the landfill through a food-scrap collection program with businesses and restaurants plus a weekly ‘pickup and container exchange’ service for residents. This fantastic group is part of the STP implementation team.

Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund In just six years, the Fund has provided more than $400,000 to the Red Rock Ranger District to maintain trails and build new ones. In the STP, they are helping develop voluntourism activities and monitor water quality at high-visitation sites.

Oak Creek Watershed Council Partnering with the Chamber last year on voluntourism efforts that removed 300 tons of trash from Oak Creek, the people of the Council are passionate advocates for ‘Leave No Trace,’ a philosophy that informs the STP throughout.

Friends of the Verde River Keeping the Verde and its tributaries (such as Oak Creek) healthy and flowing boosts the economy and everyone’s quality of life. They are collaborating on STP voluntourism efforts and are on the STP implementation monitoring team.

Sustainability Alliance This coalition of nonprofits focuses on ‘People, Planet and Prosperity.’ In the STP, they will develop sustainable recreation education that includes limiting the impact of Off-Highway Vehicles and conserving water.

The Sedona Lodging Council This industry group has a keen environmental awareness. They will help enlist short-term rental owners in sustainability efforts, improve community understanding of development as it relates to lodging, and coordinate statistical management, marketing and inter-group communication with other STP-engaged agencies.

US Forest Service and State Parks These government agencies are critical to environmental management and stewardship. They have been deeply engaged with the STP from the beginning and deserve our thanks.

The City of Sedona who illustrated their dedication to sustainability with their support, participation and approval of the Sustainable Tourism Plan and hiring a dedicated employee dedicated to sustainability.

The Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau In addition to managing the STP, we lead initiatives such as Trail Keepers, a donation-match program raising hundreds of thousands for the Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund through local business partnerships, and StrawFree Sedona, where dozens of local restaurants make paper straws available. We also partner to add water-bottle refill and vehicle-charging stations around town.

Look for us at the head of ‘Leave No Trace’ STP drives, developing visitor education programs and a Visitors Sustainability Pledge, building support for public transit and transportation improvements, introducing new technologies to enhance walkability, improve trailhead and in-town parking and much more.

Now it’s your turn! Check out the Plan at SedonaSustainable.com. You will learn more about what these many incredible groups are doing, and how you can get involved.

–Jennifer Wesselhoff, President/CEO