Announcement: Fall Projects at the Pala Environmental Department

As we head into fall, the Pala Environmental Department is working on several projects that benefit our community. One new project we are working on involves the Pala Transfer Station. This is where most of the reservation’s waste gets handled. It costs a lot of money for the hard-working crew at Pala Tribal Services to pick up everybody’s trash, and even more money has to be spent on hauling all that waste to the landfill. In addition, a lot of what we throw away can be reused or recycled.

With that in mind, the Transfer Station is expanding its capacity to accept materials such as mixed recyclables, reusable construction materials, and clothing and furniture donations. Soon, we also hope to begin a food-waste reduction and composting program. We will be working with Pala residents to help them separate food scraps from regular trash. We will take those scraps to the Transfer Station and turn them into a rich organic compost for gardens and landscapes. By reducing the amount of stuff we throw away, we not only save money on disposal fees; we also help save the planet! Click here to learn more about what you can recycle at the Transfer Station.

Another area where PED is working hard is climate change adaptation. We have all noticed that the temperatures are getting warmer and the weather is getting weirder. The consequences of climate change can include drought, more severe storms and unpredictable weather events, habitat degradation, impacts to wildlife, and increased risks to human health and safety. We are working on a climate change vulnerability assessment that will lead to a climate change adaptation plan for Pala. Soon we will be asking Pala residents to help us out by completing a survey about your biggest environmental concerns. Look for it either in the mail, at General Council meetings, or at a link on the PED website.

If you would like to be notified of the latest news from PED, you can always visit the website. If you want to be added to our email list, please send an email to ped@palatribe.com and put “PED mailing list” in the subject line. This is a great way to reduce our use of paper! It will allow you to receive the PED newsletter, announcements, and other important PED information electronically.

We love talking to people, so call or come by the office any time!