Community Air Action Plan

Over the course of the last year, Rockwood and Wilkes East residents worked together to collect air quality data to help communities understand what is in their air and how it may affect health. This data comes from air quality monitors placed in communities and is shared so people can see and learn from results.

Now that the community-monitoring effort has ended and the Air report is being drafted, DEQ and NCA are partnering with community members to advise on what actions might be desirable to reach the community’s goals. This phase of CAAP is being led by the community and organizational partners – determining what course of action to pursue and having an influential role in bringing their desired actions to life.

Rockwood and Wilks East’s Action Plan

CAAP funds will be used to build stronger neighborhood coalitions in Rockwood and Wilkes East, through outreach, education, and amplification. Multilingual volunteers will be supported in direct canvassing to impacted communities with printed materials, stipends, and snacks. Funding will also support the construction and implementation of Outdoor Asynchronous Communication Hubs (OACHs). These message boards extend outreach efforts, support community event awareness, and provide a block-based meeting point for residents.

Neighbors identified a strong interest in sustaining and expanding the tree canopy. We will develop coalitions that include home owners, businesses, public servants, and policy makers for lasting protection of our neighborhood habitats. Funding may be used to support town hall events and petitioning, tree planting and maintenance, and outdoor signage that educates on the value of mature trees.

Finally, supporting renovation at the Rockwood Repair & Reuse Center will ensure a home base for ongoing advocacy, green space development and maintenance, and construction tools for future common spaces. This site will also host materials and workshops on sustainability, community health, and skill building.

Partners

Rockwood Common Tool Library

Rockwood Common Tool Library will:

  1. Expand Rockwood and Wilkes East community capacity for advocacy, specifically around local air quality
  2. Boost and expand existing communication channels for advocacy, and work to create new pathways for community, community organizations, and local government
  3. Host community workshops on local air quality management, health protections, tree planting, and/or other project related content

Latine Community Liaison

Local resident and advocate Maria Delgado has been coordinating with the Spanish-language community for most of her life. We're thankful to have her leading alongside us in this Community Air Action Project.

Neighbors for Clean Air

Neighbors for Clean Air will:

  1. Support connections between Rockwood & Wilkes East community members and advocacy efforts and curricula
  2. Support Rockwood Common in the development of workshops, communication channels, and community engagement strategies
  3. Help connect Rockwood Common to other partners and opportunities for advocacy

Get Involved

Community participation is strongly encouraged. Email jason@rockwoodcommon.org to get involved. This page will be updated as planning progresses.

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