Conservation Staff are involved in a wide range of "green" efforts such as stormwater management, floodplain protection, climate mitigation and resiliency, open space and recreation planning, trail development, and native/invasive species education.

Climate Action

Conservation staff are helping the City of Newton update its Climate Action Plan for the next five years.

Since the first Plan was written in 2019, the City has made significant progress:

• 95% default renewable energy in Newton Power Choice 
• Adoption of the electrification ordinance and specialized code 
• 24 City-owned, publicly available EV chargers
• Adoption of the Buildings Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance
• 19 municipal solar projects, with five more in the final stages of construction. In total, these projects will general the equivalent of 35% of the City’s electricity usage
• 785 recorded Energy Coach consults since 2021
• 389 residential gas to heat pump conversions in 2024 (National Grid)
• Passage of the Village Center Overlay District zoning amendment
• Maintenance of 20+ miles of bike lanes, 20,000+ street trees, and numerous native landscapes across the City

The updated Climate Action Plan will provide a roadmap for our climate work from 2026-2030. The plan will connect and integrate with existing sustainability-related plans, focus on high-leverage actions, and incorporate climate resilience.

Stay tuned for engagement opportunities as Climate Action Plan 2.0 is being drafted. If you have questions or comments, please reach out the City's Climate Action Coordinator at cweiss@newtonma.gov

Visit Newton's Climate and Sustainability web page.

Sign up for Newton Climate News here.

The following related plans pre-date and set the stage for the City’s second Climate Action Plan:

• Climate Action Plan (November 2019)
• Citizen's Climate Action Plan (August 2019)
• Hazard Mitigation Plan (2019)
• Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment (2018)

Open Space and Recreation Plan

Conservation staff contributed to Newton's Open Space and Recreation Plan (2020-2027), the most up-to-date version of which can be found here. That plan is due to be extended to 2030.

ACROSS walks

The Conservation Office is working to create and post maps of recommended local “ACROSS” walking loops that showcase parks, conservation areas, aqueducts, village centers, and quiet streets. ACROSS stands for Accessing Conservation land, Recreation areas, Open spaces, Schools and Streets. The concept was inspired by Boston’s Emerald Necklace and Lexington’s ACROSS trail system.

In 2019, an intern in the Conservation office drafted several routes. As several years have passed, there was a need to revisit the proposed routes and update them with an emphasis on safety. Recently, volunteers helped to field verify and modify four ACROSS loops:

• Webster Loop
• Waban Loop 
• Newton Center, Crystal Lake, and Newton Highlands Loop
• Upper Falls and Hemlock Gorge Loop

The Conservation Office will post maps of the loops on the City’s website, and in the future, medallions may blaze each path. More loops may be added over time.