ASHLAND - Visitors from all over the world come to Northwestern Wisconsin for its clean water and fresh air. Being the most uninhabited part of the state, the northwest is home to the cleanest air and water in Wisconsin.

A non–profit in Ashland is attracting nationwide attention in its quest to keep things that way.

According to the Alliance for Sustainability Chequamegon Bay is one of the only regions in the nation where nearly all organizations and governments work together toward environmental sustainability.

The green movement in Chequamegon Bay has governments from across the country calling for advice. “This region is kind of the model. We've definitely been a group that other communities have been calling to find out 'how did you do it?' How's it working?' With that comes the price of leadership,” says Kelly Westlund, the Executive Director for the Alliance for Sustainability.

The Alliance for Sustainability in Ashland encompasses 18 municipalities from Washburn to Hayward who are all turning their resources to renewable energy. “Just look at the evidence, because there are just countless communities where energy efficiency has saved thousands and thousands of dollars,” says Westlund.

12 four by ten solar panels are saving Bayfield county $6,000 in water heating costs a year. “Even if it's a small benefit, if it has an effective rate of return, we're going to invest in it and we're going to be the winners in the future,” says Mark Abeles-Allison, the Administrator for Bayfield County.

Abeles–Allison was skeptical of renewable energy until he realized it would save his county money. “To make our dollars go as far as possible and also make sure that those dollars are spent on what we think is important. We've been pleasantly surprised. So saving six thousand dollars in heating costs in water allows us to put that money towards an extension programming for youth or for agriculture education for our farmers.”

Nearly 20 years of volunteer work combined with local, state, and federal money is resulting in a seemingly endless stream of projects in Northwestern Wisconsin.

With a passion for the environment, Chequamegon Bay is shaping the green movement and making sure Northwestern Wisconsin stays one of the cleanest places to live in the state. “We all want a clean environment. The air we breath, the water we drink, the food we eat, is all contingent on having a clean and healthy environment,” says Tim Kane, a community educator for Bayfield County.

Next week the Alliance for Sustainability in Ashland will find out if they get their share of nearly half a million dollars in federal stimulus money.