Green Team Report and Recommendations

Green Team Report and Recommendations

Recommendation 1:

Revamp the current policies, procedures and trends of the OSLIvehicle administration:

A)Implement the use of a Vehicle Justification Form. The purpose of the form will be to allow each employee to describe in detail the type of vehicle they feel would best suit the needs of their position. The form will take into consideration fuel economy, cargo and towing capacity, passenger room, and other necessary components. The intent of this form is to move the Agency away from acquiring vehicles that either do not meet or far exceed the required capabilities for the staff that will be using them. The Forestry Division shop manager will send the form out to each employee as their vehicle is due for replacement.

B)Create a master plan of Agency vehicles to assist in fleet management and vehicle replacement scheduling.

C)Create a reminder list of smart driving tips to be placed in all offices, vehicles and the Agency newsletter.

D)Reduce total mileage for the Agency for the next year. To reduce this, the Agencymust:

Reduce Individual State business miles by at least 10%.
Establish a policy of minimum requirements for travel (i.e. minimum number of workshop participants, outsourcing availability, approval from program manager, etc)

TASK: The Fleet Manager at the Wyoming State Forestry Division will be responsible for the implementation of this recommendation. The Green Team will work with the Fleet Manager to analyze the mileage information received and to come up with future recommendations on ways to utilize employee travel more effectively. The Fleet Manager will work with the Assistant Director of Administrative Services in the development of vehicle replacement schedules.

Recommendation 2:

Create a Groupwise or other group calendar accessible to all employees. This calendar will aid in carpooling efforts, vehicle selection and materials deliveries, when needed.

TASK: Members of the Green Team will work with IT staff to create a calendar available to all Agency employees to better coordinate travel and materials deliveries. The calendar may not be suitable while the State is still using the Novell Client and may have to wait to be incorporated with the implementation of the Microsoft Outlook Client. The Team will explore the possibility of using the OSLI intranet as a platform for the development of this calendar.

Recommendation 3:[j1]

Create individual fire training plans for all Agencyemployees with fire management responsibilities, identifying target positions and all required training (NWCG- 310-1) for the associated position. All fire training nomination forms will be approved by ASF-Fire Management, and training will be on a priority basis and dependent on availability of funding.

Limit Agencyemployees, with the exception of the Forestry Division’s Rural Fire Trainerand Headquarters staff, to providing fire training within the employees District. Approval for instructing out of District is made by the Deputy State Forester,and is dependent on availability of funding.

Require minimum commitment of 15 nominations to instruct a course or training, if less than 15 nominations course will be cancelled and rescheduledunless approved by the ASF-Fire Management. Seek local interagencyprofessionals (Federal, State, and County firefighters)andqualified contract instructors to serve as cadre for courses as needed to limit out of district travel.

TASK: The Forestry Division employee on the Green Team will work closely with the Fire Management Officer to assure that procedures in recommendation #3 are followed and that all agency employees with fire management responsibilities are aware of the procedures.

Recommendation 4:

Utilize grant funds for employee travel and wages more effectively. Communicate with field staff and accounting staff the budget associated with each grant and how much funding is available for wage, travel and supplies. Managers will update staff monthly on the balance of funds in each grant. Develop criteria for random checks/inspections of projects by OSLI staff.

Recommendation 5:

Go paperless with OSLI newsletters, brochures, handouts, management plans, and other public information documents. Such documents will be placed on the Agency website to be accessed via the internet by the public. This will bring cost savings in not only publication costs but also mailing costs and employee time as questions from constituents may be fully answered by accessing helpful documents on the internet.

TASK: Members of the Green Team will work closely with the IT Staff and the Public Information Officer to ensure compliance whenever possible.

Move away from legal size document s and begin printing front/back on standard letterhead.
Increase awareness of printing/reading on screen and only print when necessary
Hardcopy documents received from outside sources can be scanned and emailed to interested parties rather than printing a hard copy.
Pursue the possibility of implementing standards or requirements to only receive form/report information electronically.

Recommendation 6:

Implement anAgency recycling plan. This plan will utilize local recycling services, where available, and require the compliance of Agency Headquarters and Field Offices in an effort to deliver recyclables to the appropriate vendor(s). The following materials will be recycled as communities have available means: cardboard, aluminum cans, steel cans, glass, plastic, office paper, newspaper, batteries, computer printer cartridges, oil, and metal materials. In addition to recycling Agency waste, the Agency will increase efforts to purchase recycled materials for office supplies (paper products) whenever applicable.

TASK: Two members of the Green Team will be assigned as a Recycling Committee. Committee members will develop a survey identifying employees’ current recycling efforts which will help determine the direction the Agency’s recycling program needs. The Team will create maps and notifications of local recycling facilities within state offices and work with City, County, and non-profit resources to schedule removal of recycled materials.

Recommendation 7:

Encourage thermostat adjustments in all offices for employees to turn down thermostat upon leaving the building at the close of office hours. Pursue the possibility of the installation of programmable thermostats in all Agency offices.Lights should be turned off when an employee leaves an empty room. Computers, printers, scanners, and photocopy machines will be set to go into idle mode when not being used.

TASK: Members of the Green Team will work with A&I to install programmable thermostats and ventilation fans where necessary. The Green Team will also coordinate with field staff to determine the applicability of these options in field offices throughout the State.Members of the Green Team will work closely with IT staff to communicate the importance of using the idle features of each machine.

Recommendation 8:

Implement an Employee of the Quarter recognition program for the employee that demonstrates the most participation in the approved recommendations of the Directorthat improve efficiency, better serve our constituents, foster employee satisfaction and reduce the Agency’s carbon footprint. The Director will grant 4 hours of Administrative leave to the recipient of the award.

TASK:To implement this program, three employees of the Green Team will be assigned the task ofdeveloping the criteria and nomination forms and implementing the program within the Agency.

Recommendation 9:

Utilize technological advancements to increase the use of web /video conferencing to minimize travel requirements.

Recommendation 10:

Our final recommendation is to pursue a change in our cell phone policy. OSLI currently provides cell phones to field and headquarters personnel that travel on a regular basis. The majority of employees that have State-issued cell phones also carry a personal cell phone as well. In recent years the Department of Agriculture has moved away from state-issued cell phones and provided a monthly allowance to employees requiring a cell phone on the condition that they use their personal cell phones for business use. Our proposal is to pay employees who choose to enroll in the plan a monthly stipend to use personal cell phones for business as well. At this time we would like this to be a voluntary commitment, so those employees who feel the State cell phones are a better option can remain on the State plan. As our current cell phones become obsolete, so too will the hands-free units and all other accessories.The cost savings to the State will vary with regard to the cost of monthly service, but it will remove the responsibility of the State for providing phone upgrades as well as phone accessories and equipment.

TASK:A list of each employee currently under the State cell phone plan has been generated. Each division head will review the current and potential users to determine which employees are eligible for the reimbursement program. A standard reimbursement rate will be assigned to the Agency, however, the Division Head may request special reimbursement rates for individuals requiring extended plans.

[j1]I’m not sure how to incorporate this into an agency-wide recommendation. It was so forestry specific when it was developed.