Keep Texas Beautiful:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Diane C. Birdwell @512-478-8813
Friday, May 25, 2001

KEEP TEXAS BEAUTIFUL ANNOUNCES ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS
Midland Wins Top Award!

(Austin, Texas) - Who Keeps Texas Beautiful? The citizens of Midland do, that's who. Midland is one of nine communities presented the Governor's Community Achievement Award by Keep Texas Beautiful, Inc. (KTB) and will share $1,000,000 in landscaping prizes from the Texas Department of Transportation for excellence in community environmental programming. The City of Midland and Keep Midland Beautiful will be recognized at the 34th Annual Keep Texas Beautiful Convention in Fort Worth, June 26 - June 29, 2001 for their efforts.

Keep Midland Beautiful (KMB), an affiliate of Keep Texas Beautiful, had an incredible year with much of the success coming from the outstanding volunteer spirit of the citizens of Midland as well as a strong partnership with a wide variety of organizations such as the Midland Independent School District and Midland College as well as the Native Plant Society, Master Gardeners, boy scout and girl scout troops, the League of Women Voters, the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission, and the City and County of Midland to mention a few.

KMB's win is a tribute to the organization that has focused on a number of important elements to keep Midland beautiful and clean. Major emphasis is placed on litter prevention and cleanup events such as the Great American Cleanup and Don't Mess with Texas Trash-Off each spring, as well as 86 community organizations who have either Adopted-a-Spot or Adopt-a-Highway. This year a total of 76 tons of litter was removed from the city and 330.6 tons of large items were removed.

When it comes to public awareness, KMB contributes its success to its many partnerships with the Midland Reporter-Telegram, the Midland Chamber Business Journal, the city employee newsletter, and MISD mailings.

KMB efforts have also focused on numerous beautification and property improvement projects such as the planting of 360 (30-plus gallon) trees. Illegal dumping and litter law enforcement are also a priority with KMB as they work in partnership with the Midland Police Department and the strict city codes for dilapidated buildings, junked vehicles, parking violations, zoning and graffiti. Speaking of graffiti, this year 286 "tags" were removed at no cost to homeowners and business owners. That figure is down from 604 "tags" last year offering proof the program is working and the message is getting out.

This marks the 32nd Annual Governor's Community Achievement Awards, which are presented to communities in nine population categories that have the best grassroots volunteer environmental programs in the state. The communities exhibited excellence in community leadership, litter prevention, public awareness, education, solid waste management and recycling, illegal dumping enforcement and beautification. These prizes are designated for landscaping along state-maintained highways in their communities.

According to Debbie Moody, KTB board president, the quality of the entries from the communities was exceptional. "It's obvious the citizens of Midland are committed to environmental stewardship and to making their city the most outstanding community in Texas. This year's awards have proven that one can make a difference," she said. "One scout troop, one civic organization, or one local business can make a recognizable difference in their community."

Keep Texas Beautiful, the nonprofit state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, strives to empower Texans through education to take responsibility for enhancing their community's environment. KTB works with volunteers, elected officials, businesses and state and federal agencies to ensure that every Texan has the opportunity to take individual responsibility for making Texas the cleanest, most beautiful state in the nation. For more information on programs and events, call 1-800-CLEAN-TX or visit the website at www.ktb.org.