Urges consideration of climate change in guiding the City’s future
OCA delivered these comments to the Port Angeles Planning Commission, which is charged with taking public input and drafting a periodic required update of the Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan. This plan guides decision-making of the City as it strives to meet its mission to enhance the quality of life of its citizens, now and into the future.
OCA members believe it is critically important for the City to come to grips with climate change, both to help mitigate its impacts and to proactively deal with the impacts we will not be able to avoid. Going into the future, we can expect longer and more intense fire seasons, droughts, and floods, as well as sea level rise and ocean acidification. Now is not the time to put our head in the sand and pretend nothing is happening. While this past year of drought, wildfire, flood damage, and the dead zone off our coast was an anomaly, it was a good illustration of what the climate models predict for our area in the coming decades.
Fortunately, our area has been able to complete a scientifically rigorous and community-based Climate Preparedness Plan recently published by the NOP Resource Conservation & Development council, with help from community groups such as OCA. This plan can serve as an excellent guide to our community as to how best to prepare for what’s to come.
One quick way to show your support for a proactive climate stance in the City’s Comp Plan is to answer their short survey: “Speak Up PA!” Questionnaire.
Olympic Climate Action 