Ridge to Reef Project Sponsors Environmental Competition

Communities in the Rio Grande Valley area of Portland are being invited to participate in a competition designed to encourage the cleaning up and beautification of the area and the development of environmentally friendly projects as sources of attraction.
The competition is being sponsored by the Ridge to Reef Project, which has pledged $50,000 to the winning community.
Dawn White, Coordinator of Public Awareness for the Ridge to Reef Project, to JIS News that the competition is targeted at some 30 communities in the Rio Grande Valley.
To participate, the communities will be required to complete the prescribed application forms and they will be evaluated on the degree to which they meet the established criteria. The criteria include identifying at least two environmental issues faced by the community; developing a community self help plan to address the issues over a period not exceeding three months; and removing garbage from streets, gullies and river banks. They will also be required to state on the application forms, how the prize money will be spent to benefit the community.
The deadline for the submission of application forms is December 1 and the competition will end in March 2005. The judging will be conducted by a panel comprising representatives of several government and non-government organisations in Portland.
Miss White informed that a series of public education meetings were being held to sensitise the communities about the aims and objectives of the competition, and the importance of their participation.
She expressed confidence that the competition would serve to strengthen the resolve of the people of the Rio Grande Valley to keep their communities clean and to help promote the sustainable development of Portland.