Clark County kicks off climate change planning series with severe weather survey

Clark County is seeking community input to help plan for climate change through a series of activities throughout the year to inform the county’s new climate chapter for its comprehensive plan.

With the passage of House Bill 1181 during the 2023 Washington state legislative session, Clark County is now required to add a climate change element into its Comprehensive Plan. 

The new climate chapter will include actions the county can take over the next 20 years to improve community resilience, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and benefit overburdened communities that will disproportionately suffer from the compounding environmental impacts and natural hazards due to climate change.

To start, members of the Clark County community are invited to complete a survey to share how they and their families have been affected by severe weather events and weather patterns. The survey is available in multiple languages and available online at clark.wa.gov/community-planning/climate-change-planning. The public also can request a print copy by calling 564-397-4968. Survey responses are due by 5 p.m. Sunday, May 12

Feedback provided through the survey will inform the development of the resilience component of the climate chapter and what actions the county can take to prepare for and cope with future severe weather events and weather patterns. 

Community members will have additional opportunities to provide feedback on this project later in the year. The county will hold a community workshop this summer to seek ideas about how to address climate resilience in the unincorporated county, as well as a workshop in the fall to seek ideas about how to address greenhouse gas emissions reduction in the unincorporated county. The county also will conduct a second survey later in the summer to collect community member priorities on reducing greenhouse gas pollution in Clark County.

In 2025, residents will have the opportunity to submit comments or testify to the Planning Commission and County Council about the county’s proposed climate chapter for the Comprehensive Growth Management Plan.

To learn more about county climate planning, sign up for project updates or submit a comment, visit clark.wa.gov/community-planning/climate-change-planning.

The county’s Climate Project is being funded by a state grant. The Washington Department of Commerce climate planning grant is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA). The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at climate.wa.gov.