Lisonbee Zeller, the city’s sustainability and stewardship program development manager, told the Legal and Finance Committee on Nov. 26 that Rapid City will submit the I‑90 Corridor climate resiliency plan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Dec. 1 as part of a $1,000,000 Climate Pollution Reduction Grant awarded in 2023.

“This is a grant that the city was awarded in 2023. It was a $1,000,000 planning grant to develop plans for reducing climate pollution or greenhouse gas emissions,” Zeller said, explaining that the project’s scope was expanded from Rapid City to the I‑90 corridor — including Spearfish, Sturgis, Box Elder, Ellsworth Air Force Base and adjacent unincorporated areas — to capture where most development and driving occur.

The presentation laid out a 2021 baseline for the corridor of roughly 146,000 residents and a projected 2050 population near 220,000. Zeller said the corridor’s total greenhouse‑gas inventory is about 3,400,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, producing a per‑capita figure of roughly 23.4 metric tons in 2021. By contrast she noted U.S. averages near 16–17 and much lower per‑capita levels in parts of Western Europe.

Consultant modeling examined several scenarios. Zeller said staff see a 31% reduction as “most realistic” for the area while remaining ambitious; that scenario would cut per‑capita emissions to about 9.3 metric tons. Major modeled reductions come from measures including low‑carbon concrete and electrification of personal vehicles, while remaining emissions are dominated by transportation and industrial processes.

Zeller highlighted expected co‑benefits: improved local air quality and related health outcomes, energy‑cost savings, local job creation and reduced stormwater and urban heat impacts through actions such as tree planting. She said the plan’s next public presentation is set for Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. via Zoom and that the grant’s status report is due to the EPA in 2027.

The committee acknowledged the presentation; no formal vote on the plan was recorded at the Nov. 26 committee meeting. The plan will be posted on the city website and proceed through the city’s public engagement schedule.