The University of Vermont has an active environmental council, and the sustainability staff include a full-time environmental coordinator and a green building coordinator.

"The lower you go in the social scale, the more people use public transportation," said the city's environmental coordinator, Claudia Sheinbaum.

He became the environmental coordinator of the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base in 1980, holding this position until 1984.

From taking a look at their activities, environmental coordinators were able to have certain products reformulated to less environmentally damaging products.

"It's an emotional nightmare, and it's a planning and geology nightmare too," said Peter Parkinson, Santa Cruz County's environmental coordinator.

Gray Russell, the township's environmental coordinator, said Montclair generated more yard waste - about 16,000 tons a year - than garbage.

Since that time, the Army has maintained a small on-site oversight staff and an off-site environmental coordinator.

In a letter to the wildlife federation, Raymond Campion, Exxon's environmental coordinator, said the federation had "not met our expectations" in seeking solutions to environmental problems.

Ms. Wells said residents were encouraged to work with the town's engineer and environmental coordinator in planning the work.

"You don't see much limestone in the neighborhood," said Mr. Edwards, an environmental coordinator with the Magnolia Tree Environmental Center.