The City of Savannah has become the first municipality in Georgia to receive designation as a Bronze Level Partner by the Partnership for a Sustainable Georgia, a statesponsored voluntary environmental leadership initiative.

The designation made in November by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources was based on the strength of the City's sustainability plan, called the Thrive Initiative which seeks to reduce the Savannah City government's carbon footprint by 15 percent. Becoming a Partner will allow Savannah to access state resources, such as grant funding, to improve environmental efforts and help the Savannah achieve its sustainability goal.

The Partnership for a Sustainable Georgia was created by the state in 2004 to foster environmental leadership and recognize superior environmental performance. Free and open to any business or organization in Georgia, it includes four Partnership levels to fit the changing goals and environmental initiatives of the participants.

For information, contact Rachel Smithson, coordinator of the City of Savannah's Thrive Initiative, at 651-6420.