During June, Valley Air District representatives gathered with more than 100 attendees from across the San Joaquin Valley and stakeholders to celebrate their collective effort to achieve cleaner air and meaningful community engagement. The Community Clean Air Day event highlighted the significance of the multi-agency collaboration that has been achieved through the District’s Community Air Protection Program, while celebrating the progress that has been made in collaboration with District partners towards improving air quality.
“The District’s implementation of the state’s Community Air Protection program has allowed us to strengthen relationships between community residents, businesses, environmental justice groups and agency partners while working on the common goal of improving local air quality in San Joaquin Valley communities,” said Jessica Olsen, Director of Community Strategies and Incentives for the Valley Air District. “Community Clean Air Day allowed us to celebrate the accomplishments achieved, share lived experiences and to highlight current and future opportunities to work together to improve air quality and quality of life of residents living in underesourced communities.”
The event was developed in collaboration with community members and stakeholders and aims to unite communities across the Valley and emphasize the importance of building strong relationships with residents, businesses, community groups, and agency partners. Participants heard from community experts, fellow residents from across the Valley and enjoyed the talents of a graphic recorder who created a mural in real-time during the event that reflected the conversations, decisions and themes that arose from the day. Event participants left the gathering energized with a newfound knowledge of air quality improvements, resources and goals to pursue and collaborate in their respective communities.
For more information, visit www.valleyair.org or call the District office in Modesto at 209-557-6400.
The Valley Air District covers eight counties including San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and San Joaquin Valley air basin portions of Kern.
