MIAMI – The Propane Education & Research Council awarded the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Department with its Green Leadership City Award. PERC is a D.C.-based nonprofit organization.
“The Green Leadership City Award aims to highlight public agencies that demonstrate a commitment to environmentally friendly and sustainable practices,” said Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of PERC. “The parks department at Miami-Dade is a model agency for others to follow. For nearly 10 years, the Miami-Dade parks department has maintained the community’s greenspaces with propane mowers, which reduce emissions and greenhouse gases that can be harmful for the public.”
As part of the award designation, PERC donated $5,000 to the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade. The donation was announced during a celebration at Southridge Park.
PERC hopes that by presenting this award, more municipalities, counties and public agencies will become aware of the benefits of switching to propane-fueled mowers.
Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces began using propane mowers in 2008, and it now runs 95 percent of its fleet on alternative fuel. The mowers are used on the county’s parks and sports fields, as well as for 122 residential communities in the county’s special tax districts. The department also contracts with PortMiami and the Miami Police Department to provide landscape maintenance services. Since switching to propane, the department has seen lower fuel costs, less unexpected maintenance and downtime, along with increased productivity.
More information is available online here.