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Tag: community story

Climate Resilience Planning in Lane County, Oregon

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Lane County, Oregon is located on the western side of Oregon and stretches from the Three Sisters mountains to the Pacific Ocean. It is home to a diverse population in both rural and urban settings. In mid-2020 Beyond Toxics and NAACP Eugene/Springfield established a Climate Equity and Resilience Task Force. Comprised of community representatives and stakeholders who live and work with diverse and underrepresented communities in Lane County. their role was to ensure that the actions developed by the County in their Climate Action Plan were equitable. 

This effort provides a unique opportunity to see a successful collaboration between local government and community organizations. Both entities were committed to finding a pathway for community input, insights, and expertise in the County’s formal planning process. Beyond Toxics produced a countywide vulnerability assessment as a starting point. Next came developing meaningful strategies that incorporated community input while also reflecting the realities of Lane County staff and resources.

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Practical Guide to Building Climate Resilience a key resource for Resilient Methow

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Resilient Methow logoThe Methow Valley in Washington state includes several small towns and unincorporated areas within Okanogan County and has suffered substantial impacts of a changing climate, including increased wildfires and smoke and decreased winter snowpack with faster spring melt cycles. The Methow Valley Citizens Council (MVCC) is a local non-profit that works to protect the Methow Valley’s natural environment and rural character, and within this mission, climate change is a key focus area. In 2018 MVCC engaged a broad set of local stakeholders including 45 local organizations, agencies, and community leaders in a watershed level approach to developing a Climate Action Plan.

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Missoula is a Climate Ready Community!

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Now more than ever, it is important to ensure that our communities are resilient to the changes of the future. The climate crisis and COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to consider the resilience of our societies and the ways we can adapt to large-scale disruptions. While both crises are daunting, in 2018 the residents of Missoula, MT used the Climate Ready Communities Practical Guide to Building Resilience to begin their climate resilience process. With this “do-it-yourself” approach, Missoula has created a custom strategic plan that promises a safer future for their community.

After two years of planning, Climate Ready Missoula was adopted by both city and county governments. The plan includes a thorough vulnerability assessment and illustrates three alarming climate scenarios based on current climate projections. The urgency of climate change is clearly stated throughout the plan, but it maintains that with immediate action, the community can take meaningful strides towards effective adaptations. In addition, Climate Ready Missoula highlights the importance of inclusivity within the adaptation process that will benefit all sectors of society.

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Sierra CAMP Brings Climate Resilience Resources and Alignment to the Sierra Nevada Region

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The Sierra Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Partnership (Sierra CAMP) is a cross-sector partnership working to promote climate adaptation and mitigation strategies across the expansive Sierra Nevada region of California. Sierra CAMP, one of seven regional climate collaboratives in the state and a member of the Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation (ARCCA), is a program of Sierra Business Council. Sierra CAMP convenes a diverse group of public, private, and nonprofit entities including the Town of Truckee, U.S. Forest Service Region V, Sierra Nevada Conservancy, California Ski Industry Association, California Forestry Association, Sierra Cascade Land Trust Council, and the Sierra Institute for Community and Environment. 

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Corinth, Texas Tackles Climate Resilience Planning

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Corinth is a city of 20,000 people located 20 miles north of Dallas. Over the last two years, local leaders in Corinth have become increasingly alarmed about the impact of changing climate conditions on their community and economy.

Corinth’s primary impacts from climate change are 1) extreme heat and 2) drought; these threats are affecting the health, safety and quality of life of Corinth’s residents and the sustainability of natural systems.

The City learned of the Geos Institute’s Climate Ready Communities program at the annual International City/County Managers Association conference in October 2017 and soon signed on as a beta tester. Patrick Hubbard, the Development Coordinator for the City’s Planning and Development Department, led the review team for Corinth.

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