![]() ![]() Toft noted how members of the project team stepped up to defend their work in light of both hard questions and misinformation, which ultimately created a stronger project. “This moves your project forward instead of being stalled or worse stopped.” ![]() “Plan for naysayers and you will have an educated rebuttal to most of their concerns,” Toft advised. While the team was limited in both capacity and in-person outreach activities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and received pushback from a few devil’s advocates along the way, they were not deterred. “The reaction to date from the staff community members has been very positive and supportive.” “With our diverse group, we were able to gain perspective in a way from the community,” Toft said. Regular presentations made during monthly Green Team Meetings helped inform the process of developing the guidance documents and contributed outside perspectives to the work. As much as they could dedicate their time, they did,” Toft said. “The people we had on the team were great. Staff from five tribal government departments and members of the Leech Lake Green Team contributed to the project, as well. With support from a Central CERT Seed Grant, the Band hired paleBluedot LLC, a Maplewood-based climate and renewable energy consultancy, to help develop and tailor the guidance, policies, and ordinances over the past year to fit the community. “These living document guidances have given us… a starting point in establishing sustainable policies for the betterment of the Reservation and its people,” Toft said. ![]() Recently, Toft worked with other staff and partners to synthesize the Band’s sustainability work into guidance that spans three key pillars of electric vehicles, solar, and energy savings in the built environment. “While we don’t always talk about it or are on the front page news, we’re quietly doing this work and being leaders,” said Brandy Toft, Environmental Deputy Director at Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, who has supported the tribal government’s air quality and sustainability initiatives for two decades. The health and safety of Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe community members, employees and patrons is our main priority. Notably, the Band recently installed the first 100% low-income community solar array in Minnesota, is active in the GreenStep Tribal Nations program, and has been an early adopter of clean energy technologies including solar furnaces, solar PV and electric vehicle charging stations. With a robust portfolio of projects completed, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe has become a natural leader in the sustainability and clean energy fields in Minnesota and for Tribes across the Midwest. ![]()
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