Sustainability has many facets

The concept of recycling to lower our carbon footprint and achieve a sustainable environment has effectively reached nearly everyone. Increasingly we read and learn more about using renewable building products for sustainable development. Energy Star appliances, hybrid autos, alternative heating fuels all vie for attention, and rightly so.

The concept of achieving a sustainable local economy is not so widely understood. What makes a local economy sustainable? As always, technology and innovation lead by promoting "green jobs" as a solution to both economic woes and sustainability needs. Zero-waste manufacturing has gained enough notoriety to become a marketing asset. Technology and new concepts cannot by themselves create a sustainable economy, however. Many of the building blocks hearken back to simpler times and are quite familiar to us all--farmers markets offering locally grown foods, local media free of corporate control, indedendent retailers who offer personalized customer service.

The Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce served us well by introducing our own "Shop Local First" campaign several years ago. As John Tozzi reported in the February 2009 issue of BusinesWeek.com, areas with shop local campaigns in place fare better in an economic downturn than areas without such networks. Is shopping closer to home actually cheaper for the consumer. Many say no. The local business cannot always match the superstore pricing. But what of the savings in time and gas? Furthermore, those who are committed to shopping local point to values beyond the monetary--the satisfaction that comes from supporting your neighbor, a friendly merchant who knows your name, attractive stores with a strong sense of place that is difficult to achieve on a big box scale.

The more you consume it, the better it gets...

Doesn't a natural resource deplete with repeated consumption? Well....sometimes yes. In the case of our local historical and scenic sites the answer is no. More museum visits generates more income to improve the collections. More trail enthusiasts can generate more volunteers to maintain those trails, more tourism dollars spent locally to generate tax revenue to help expand and improve the trail system. Cultural events at our local historical sites and parks bring in visitors, generate local income, and so on. Every town in Dutchess County may not have an industry or large service business. But, every single one of our towns does posess historical assets. Let's help each other learn how to use them to build more sustainable local economies!

Cultural Heritage Tourism

Our Dutchess County towns are all richly endowed with historical sites, though perhaps not all are widely known. Many of these sites do not have facilities for regular public visitation. To whatever extent practical we should seek out imaginative ways to share these places with local residents and tourists alike. Tourism helps local businesses survive and grow by stimulating spending. This applies to all businesses, not just those directly involved with tourism. Building a historical theme park or opening a new museum are not the only ways to attract tourism dollars. Historic homes tours, history kiosks at nature preserves, a taste of ___ , theater productions and festivals are all ways to bring visitors into your area and interest them in your shops and eateries. Think outside the box...let your imagination run free.