GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RESOURCE GUIDE | 35 SITE MAINTENANCE & OPERATIONS BEST PRACTICES: SITE MAINTENANCE & OPERATIONS Ensure Effective Operation and Maintenance Volunteer Oportunities Engage the Community Community engagement during the maintenance phase "provides younger people with valuable opportunities to improve the communities in which they live, provides skills training and job experience, and results in citizens who are knowledgeable about the environment." (EPA Green Infrastructure in Parks: A Guide to Collaboration, Funding, and Community Engagement - June 2017) Rain Garden Incorporate Projects into Environmental Programming Proper long term maintenance is essential to ensuring green infrastructure benefits are realized. Planning for this stage of your project early on is critical. Maintenance is also an opportunity to keep residents engaged through volunteerism and to create job training and hand-on experiences for local youth and community organizations. Routine maintenance schedules for tasks such as trash removal, invasive species control, and replanting should be strictly adhered to as deferred maintenance can significantly increase the total project costs. 107
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