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

VANCOUVER – Clark County is seeking community input to help plan for climate change. There are currently two surveys open for community members to provide feedback. These surveys are part of a series of activities throughout the year that will inform the county’s new climate chapter for its comprehensive plan.

With the passage of HB 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 be disproportionately affected by the compounding environmental impacts and natural hazards due to climate change.

To provide feedback, please click on the survey links below to access each one. Responses to both surveys are requested by 5 pm on Tuesday, Aug. 27. Surveys are available in multiple languages at each link. Print copies may be requested by contacting 564.397.4968. 

• Survey #1

Clark County is seeking community feedback about priorities on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality in the unincorporated county. Provide your input through this survey: https://bit.ly/clarkcoghgreduction. It should take about 5-minutes to complete.   

• Survey #2

The county hosted a community workshop about resilience in June. If you missed the event and would still like to share feedback about how to address climate resilience in the unincorporated county, you can provide your input through this survey: https://bit.ly/clarkcoresilience. It should take about 25-minutes to complete.

What will you do with my feedback?

Feedback provided through both surveys will inform development of the county’s climate chapter and what actions the county can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve community resilience. 

Community members will have additional opportunities to provide feedback on this project later in the year. The entire climate event series includes:

Resilience

• Spring 2024: A survey was conducted to collect community member experience and needs related to severe weather events and weather patterns. 
• Early Summer 2024: A community workshop was held to seek public ideas about how to address climate resilience in the unincorporated county. Survey #2 above is an alternate engagement opportunity for those who could not attend this event.

Pollution Reduction

• Late Summer 2024: Survey #1 above is to collect community member priorities on reducing greenhouse gas pollution in Clark County.
• Fall 2024: Community workshop will be scheduled seeking public ideas about how to address greenhouse gas emissions reduction in the unincorporated county.

Adoption Process

• 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, please visit the project website at https://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 www.climate.wa.gov.

Information provided by Clark Co. WA Communications.