LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 30, 2016) – Nationally recognized author and 2013 CNN Hero of the Year honoree Chad Pregracke will be the guest speaker at the City of Little Rock’s Seventh Annual Sustainability Summit, set for 9 a.m. Thursday, March 31, at the Clinton Presidential Center. 

A tour of the Fourche Creek Watershed, a panel discussion, and a report card on the progress of the City’s 2020 Sustainability Roadmap will be among the other highlights of the summit, which draws approximately 250 attendees who learn about sustainable efforts in the community from businesses, organizations, and others. The event is hosted by the Little Rock Sustainability Commission and the City of Little Rock, with local partner Rock Region METRO providing one of its new CNG buses for the tour.

“The summit brings together so many people who have the environment and the future of our City in mind,” Sustainability Officer Melinda Glasgow said. “We realized early on that our roadmap was an important aspect of this event, so we are excited to share our progress and announce new projects as well.”

The 2020 Sustainability Roadmap includes a list of goals in 17 emphasis areas. This year, the Mayor’s Sustainability Commission and partners will focus on three goals related to the roadmap: commercial organic waste recycling, the Complete Streets adoption, and the conservation of Fourche Creek, which stretches across the City of Little Rock and includes several wetlands in its nearly 108,000 acres. 

Five individuals and organizations will be honored with Sustain the Rock awards, which recognize those who have taken a lead in promoting sustainable practices.

Pregracke, the founder Living Lands & Waters, leads conservation and preservation efforts for the nation’s rivers, particularly the Mississippi River where he grew up. He is the author of From the Bottom Up: One Man’s Crusade to Clean America’s Rivers.

Media is invited to attend the summit, which begins at 9:15 a.m., with a business panel at 9:45 a.m., the guest speaker at 11:45 a.m., and the Fourche Creek tour starting at 1 p.m.

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