Tag Archives: climate response

Clallam County Commissioners unanimously pass climate resolution

At their June 19th meeting, the Clallam County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted Resolution 2018-62, reinvigorating planning and action on climate, shepherded by Commissioner Mark Ozias.

In this resolution, the Commissioners note local impacts of climate change including “increased likelihood of storm surge and coastal flooding…low snowpack resulting in drought and water shortages…major fires…advance of invasive species, and ocean acidification.”

Clallam County had previously passed a Climate Action Plan in 2009, calling for an 80% reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions from County government operations by 2050, and a climate-preparedness resolution in 2016, but neither has led to significant action in recent years.  This resolution puts life back into County action on climate by:

  • Focusing on land-use planning via the County Comprehensive Plan
  • Updating the County’s 2009 Climate Action Plan and putting wheels under it
  • Engaging the broader community in a conversation about climate change and what to do about it at the local level.

OCA member Bob Sextro spoke in favor, saying, “The past 30 years have been very kind to us on climate change; the next 30 years probably won’t be. This resolution will help the County continue the dialogue, continue the action, and move forward.”

Thanks to Commissioner Ozias, the other Commissioners, and the OCA members who helped shape this resolution and move it forward. We look forward to working with the Commissioners and the community on these issues.

Clallam County Commissioners to consider climate resolution

At their regular meeting of June 19, 2018, starting at 10 a.m., the Clallam County Board of Commissioners will consider a resolution long in the making, shepherded by Commissioner Mark Ozias, to reinvigorate a Climate Action Plan passed in 2009. The draft of the resolution is here.

Passage of this important resolution is not guaranteed; your input may help sway the Board of Commissioners to support it. You can provide input:

  • In person, at the beginning or end of the meeting (agenda here–please note the instructions for speaking given at the end), limiting your comments to three minutes.
  • In writing, either by presenting it to the Clerk of the Board prior to or at the meeting (where you can also read it aloud), or by sending an email to the Commissioners by the prior business day.

BACKGROUND: Clallam County passed a Climate Action Plan in 2009, and a climate-preparedness resolution was passed in 2016 with OCA support, but neither has led to significant action in recent years.  Commissioner Ozias hopes to put life back into the CAP to quantify the actions the county needs to take and to engage citizens in dialogue about their concerns related to climate impacts and mitigation.

GUIDELINES FOR COMMENTS:

  • Speak from your own experience:  Why are you concerned about climate change? What would you like to see County government do about it?
  • The resolution itself has great talking points and is a good place to start.
  • It’s helpful if you can think of ideas that will motivate individual council members to pass the resolution and implement the CAP. In what various ways will the resolution help their constituents?
  • Commissioner Ozias reported that many County department heads are anxious to investigate ways they can help the county save money and reduce our carbon footprint. Getting climate back on the agenda should help to serve both goals.

Climate change is going to occur no matter what we do, but planning ahead can minimize its severity and maximize our resiliency.  Let’s do our part here to come to grips with this reality.

“Greatest dereliction in the history of the Republic”

The United States’ response to the climate crisis has been beyond pathetic. It is probably the greatest dereliction of civic responsibility in the history of the Republic.  James Gustave (“Gus”) Speth, former Chair of the President’s Council on Environmental Quality , New York Times 2015-05-15.