Innovators in Rural Community Economic Development

SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE

Existing infrastructure in many of our communities is outdated, dysfunctional, and unable to support 21st century community and economic development. Yellow Wood’s facilitation, research and presentation skills allow us to serve as an effective bridge between communities with infrastructure questions and specialists with detailed knowledge of specific technologies. We do the initial scoping so that clients can understand their choices and decide how best to proceed. Since we are not technologists or engineers, we have no vested interest in the selection of a specific solution; we simply want our clients to understand the full range of relevant choices available.

Specialties

GREEN COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGIES® |  BIOMASS |  WATER, ENERGY & BUILDINGS


Presentation at the North Country Clean Energy Conference 2013: Woody Biomass in the North Country

Samantha Dunn of Yellow Wood Associates and Jeff Forward of Richmond Energy Associates gave a presentation highlighting findings from the application process and 17 pre-feasibility studies completed in the North Country in 2010-2011 as part of a US…

State of Vermont Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Targeted Strengthening of Municipal Hazard Mitigation Planning

Under the direction of Peg Elmer of Community-Resilience.org, Yellow Wood engaged in targeted strengthening of municipal hazard mitigation planning in the state of Vermont. Yellow Wood assisted in guiding and augmenting national research related to…

Wood Energy Utilization Services

In an effort to help the Northeast and Midwest meet their needs for renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction through the sustainable utilization of woody biomass, the U.S. Forest Service engaged Yellow Wood Associates in conducting third party…

Vermont Community Development Association Annual Meeting, April 2010, "Chart Your Community’s Future: The Role of Planning in the Current Crisis"

At the Vermont Community Development Association’s Annual Meeting in April 2010, Shanna Ratner presented Green Community Technologies® and facilitated exercises in skilled listening, skilled inquiry and skilled advocacy with Vermont planners and U.S.D.A.…

9th Annual Catskills Local Government Day, “Community Infrastructure: Is Your Town Ready for Change?”

As part of the 9th Annual Catskills Local Government Day, Samantha Dunn gave an interactive presentation on a unique process for rural municipalities to inventory their infrastructure and evaluate the potential for applying sound alternative…

Town of Brattleboro GASB 34 and Capital Planning

Yellow Wood worked with the Town of Brattleboro to complete a municipal infrastructure inventory and assessment.

Green Community Technologies®: Minnesota Communities

West Central Initiative, a regional economic development group in Minnesota, hired Yellow Wood Associates to bring our Green Community Technologies® tools and perspective to bear on water resource issues in small Minnesota communities. The cities of…

Green Community Technologies®: Minnesota Communities, City of Battle Lake

The West Central Initiative commissioned an infrastructure pilot project in three communities in west central Minnesota. The City of Battle Lake, as a community with a relatively new centralized infrastructure facing pressure from growth, was chosen…

Green Community Technologies®: Minnesota Communities, City of Brandon

The West Central Initiative commissioned an infrastructure pilot project in three communities in west central Minnesota. The City of Brandon, as a community with agricultural land being converted to housing, was chosen to be part of the pilot project.…

Green Community Technologies®: Minnesota Communities, City of Ottertail

The West Central Initiative commissioned an infrastructure pilot project in three communities in west central Minnesota. The City of Ottertail, as a community facing development pressure and pressing water system issues, was chosen to be part of the…

Town of Franklin, Implementation Assistance for Green Municipal Building Program

The Town of Franklin contracted with Yellow Wood to prepare a list of qualified bidders for the Town's building program which includes one LEED certified building. Yellow Wood identified qualified architects, builders, commissioning agents and clerks…

Green Community Technologies®: Phase II, Improving Decision-making for Sustainable Infrastructure

Yellow Wood worked with 9 communities throughout New England on inventory and assessment and research on alternative technologies.

Green Community Technologies®: Phase II, Hancock, NH

Yellow Wood worked with the Town of Hancock to complete a General Accounting Standards Board 34 (GASB 34) Municipal Asset Inventory.

Green Community Technologies®: Phase II, New Gloucester, ME

Yellow Wood worked with the Town of New Gloucester to consider alternative approaches to handling municipal solid waste including recyclables. We examined waste reduction, collection, and disposal strategies.

Green Community Technologies®: Phase II, Westford, VT

Yellow Wood worked with Stone Environmental to assess options for water supply and wastewater treatment in the rural town of Westford, Vermont's town center. Yellow Wood prepared a Wastewater Feasibillity Study Survey for landowners in the town center…

Workshop Design and Facilitation for the Town of Montgomery

The Town of Montgomery, New York hired Yellow Wood Associates to assist residents and local government officials in planning for the Town’s energy future. Yellow Wood used its You Get What You Measure® process to help the group identify seven important…

Solid Waste Analysis for the Town of New Gloucester, Maine

Yellow Wood worked with the Town of New Gloucester to consider alternative approaches to handling municipal solid waste including recyclables. We examined waste reduction, collection, and disposal strategies.

Green Community Technologies®: Phase II, Barnstable County, MA

Yellow Wood worked with Barnstable County officials to create an Asset Inventory of the County’s buildings, vehicles and parking. County officials closest to each piece of infrastructure worked on completing customized forms to gather information.…

Green Community Technologies®: Phase II, Franklin, NY

The Town of Franklin engaged with the Green Community Technologies® process as a way to help determine how to proceed with its buildings in a manner that would meet the immediate and longterm needs of the community while addressing regulatory compliance…

Green Community Technologies®: Phase II, Litchfield, ME

Yellow Wood worked with the Town of Litchfield to complete a municipal infrastructure inventory and assessment.

Green Community Technologies®: Phase II, Richmond, MA

Yellow Wood worked with the Town of Richmond to complete a municipal infrastructure inventory and assessment.

Green Community Technologies®: Phase II, Thetford, VT

Yellow Wood worked with the Town of Thetford to complete a municipal infrastructure inventory and assessment.

Clean and Green: 5th Annual Empire Energy and Environmental Exposition, "Cost-effective Green Technologies for Communities"

Shanna Ratner presented “Cost-effective Green Technologies for Communities” on October 12, 2005, at the 5th Annual Empire Energy and Environmental Exposition in Saratoga Springs, New York.  Towns and villages are greening up.  Governments…

2005 Vermont Planning Celebration, “Building Healthy Communities” Session, Presentation on Green Community Technologies

Melissa Levy presented on Green Community Technologies® as part of the "Building Health Communities" session at the 2005 Vermont Planning Celebration.  The presentation discussed identifying new technologies and sustainable approaches to managing community…

Green Community Technologies®: Phase II, Hinesburg, VT

The Town of Hinesburg asked Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. to research alternative ways of increasing their wastewater capacity beyond expanding the plant, using their Green Community Technologies process. Hinesburg, Yellow Wood, and Stone Environmental…

27th Annual Municipal Officers' Management Seminars, Fall 2004, "Assessing Rural Community Infrastructure to Cut Costs and Protect the Environment"

Yellow Wood presented "Assessing Rural Community Infrastructure to Cut Costs and Protect the Environment" at the 27th Annual Municipal Officers' Management Seminars in October 2004. Participants learned about the range of alternative technologies available…

Clean and Green: 4th Annual Empire Energy and Environmental Exposition, "Greening Government Operations"

Shanna Ratner presented "Greening Government Operations" on October 12, 2004, at the 2004 Empire Energy and Environmental Exposition in Saratoga Springs, NY.  This presentation showed the usefulness of considering tradeoffs between deferred maintenance…

New York State Association of Towns Annual Training

Shanna Ratner and Ann Ruzow Holland co-presented a session on Green Technology and Infrastructure for Towns, "What is in it for My Community?"

“You were so professional and well-prepared. This was the best workshop…

Green Community Technologies®: Phase I, Alternative Technology Assessment for Rural Communities

Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. conducted research to determine how, and whether, Vermont municipalities can use alternative technologies to save money, create jobs, and reduce negative environmental impacts. Our research focused on alternative approaches…

Town of Richmond Municipal Infrastructure Inventory and Alternative Technology Analysis

Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. worked with the Town of Richmond, Vermont to inventory and assess municipal infrastructure assets and provide options for future investment based on a comparative analysis of alternative technologies versus conventional…

Explore Our Projects

View our many projects by choosing from the categories listed below. You can also view our database of projects by going to our Work page.

Areas of Expertise

Explore our Projects

Agriculture
Becoming a Measurement Guide
Best Practices
Biomass
Buildings
Business Development
Capacity Building
Coaching
Community Economic Development
Community Resilience
Custom Facilitation
Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis
Energy
Evaluation
Facilitation
Feasibility and Pre-Feasibility Studies
Focus Groups
Forestry
Green Community Technologies
Informal Economy
Infrastructure
Learning Communities
Learning Journey
Market Research
Measurement
Natural Resource Based Economic Development
Nature Based Tourism
Participatory Research
Policy Analysis
Research
See the Forest
Service
Social Capital
Spatial Analysis
Strategic Planning
Surveys
Sustainable Infrastructure
Systems Thinking
Tool Development
Training
Water Resources
Wealth Creation
Wealth Works
You Get What You Measure