Climate Ready Missoula draft available for comment

SEELEY LAKE – Karen Hughes with Missoula County Community and Planning Services presented the Climate Ready Missoula draft plan at the Seeley Lake Community Council meeting Jan. 13. They are accepting comments on the proposed draft plan through Feb. 3.

Hughes explained that Climate Ready Missoula is the result of an 18-month process of meetings, workshops, open houses and online surveys led by Missoula County, Climate Smart Missoula and Missoula City. It was developed with the help of local projections for climate available through the Montana Climate Assessment. The assessment trends noted hotter, drier summers; warmer, wetter springs; more frequent and intense wildfires and flooding; and more wildfire smoke. The trends were summarized in the Climate Primer available at climatereadymissoula.org

Following public engagement, the Climate Ready Missoula Draft plan was created and released Jan. 13. The purpose of the effort has been to identify the greatest risks that Missoula County faces as a result of climate change and to develop strategies to address those risks.

The plan includes 29 different goals and 67 proposed strategies divided into eight categories: wildfire smoke, heat and health; buildings and land use; water; aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and wildlife; agriculture; emergency preparedness and response; business, recreation and tourism; and energy.

Hughes identified two ways to think about climate change. The first is mitigation to stop climate change from happening. The second is adaptation since climate change is already happening.

Hughes said Climate Ready Missoula was developed to address the impacts of climate change in Missoula County and provide guidance of how to adapt to the change that is already happening. While mitigation is interwoven, there are other discussions at the city and county level that will address how to decrease greenhouse gas production.

After they review and incorporate public comments, the goal is to incorporate Climate Ready Missoula into both the city and county growth policies. It will add to the comprehensive plan to help guide decisions to promote the health, wellbeing and growth into the future.

The next phase will include an implementation task force. Hughes said the goal of the task force will be to address how Missoula County tackles these challenging issues and answer how the goals and strategies will be implemented. Members from the Seeley Lake community are invited to join the task force.

“This is intended to be a starting point, not an ending point. This has to be a living document,” said Hughes. “Climate change is happening and we are experiencing it so we have to do something. [Every five years] we will have to revisit where we have made progress and where we haven’t.”

For more information and to comment visit https://www.climatereadymissoula.org/. Comments can also be made at three open houses: Jan. 22 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and 4 – 6 p.m. at the Missoula County Courthouse – Sophie Moiese Room and Jan. 24, 11:30 a.m. – 1 :30 p.m. in the City County Chambers.