Title
Comprehensive Plan Update - Climate Resilience Sub-element
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
No action requested.
City Manager Recommendation:
No action requested.
Report
Issue:
Briefing on the Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment conducted to inform the Climate Resilience Sub-element for the 2025 Comprehensive Plan update.
Staff Contact:
Natalie Weiss, Climate Resilience Coordinator, Climate Program, 360.570.5828
Presenter(s):
Pamela Braff, Climate Program Director
Natalie Weiss, Climate Resilience Coordinator, Climate Program
Background and Analysis:
Climate Planning Requirements
The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) (RCW 36.70A) guides and directs local government planning in WA. It requires most cities and counties, including Olympia, to adopt and periodically update a comprehensive plan to accommodate the succeeding 20 years of growth and establish the primary goals and policies to guide all City actions.
Planning for climate change and resiliency was added as the 14th goal to the GMA in 2023, by adoption of House Bill 1181 (Chapter 228, Laws of 2023). The GMA now requires local comprehensive plans to have sub-elements for climate resilience and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
Climate Action & Resilience Chapter
The new Climate Action & Resilience chapter will address both climate mitigation (the reduction of greenhouse gases) and resiliency (the ability to adapt to our changing climate). The overarching goals of this chapter are to:
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Reduce vehicle miles traveled.
• Improve climate preparedness, response and recovery efforts.
• Maximize co-benefits and prioritize environmental justice in the development of policies/programs to achieve these goals.
The development of the Climate Action and Resilience Chapter will be led by a cross-departmental staff team (Climate Policy Advisory Team), which includes staff from the City of Olympia and Squaxin Island Tribe, and will provide several opportunities for community feedback and guidance along the way. Several related plans and projects will inform the development of this chapter, including the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan (completed in 2020), the Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Plan (completed in 2019), and the Olympia Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (initiated in 2023).
During this briefing, staff will provide an update on the Climate Resilience Sub-element, including the Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment and preliminary recommendations for which climate-exacerbated hazards to prioritize in the resilience sub-element.
Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (Phase 1)
In April 2023, the City of Olympia began working on a Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) to better understand how the Olympia community may be impacted by current and future climate hazards. The process identified local hazards caused, or made worse by, climate change (see Climate Conditions Report) and the potential impacts of those hazards on local communities, community assets and services. As a part of the CRVA, community members participated in in‐person and digital engagement opportunities to share perspectives and concerns on the local impacts of climate change. Additionally, a Community Project Team, made up of city staff and community members, provided more in-depth guidance and feedback throughout the assessment. A summary of community feedback is provided in the attachments.
The results of this initial assessment have been incorporated within the Phase 2 Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment conducted for the Resilience Sub-element.
Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (Phase 2)
In March 2024, the Comprehensive Plan Climate Policy Advisory Team convened to review and refine the results of the Phase 1 assessment and ensure consistency with new climate planning requirements established by Washington Department of Commerce.
Following the planning guidance published by Commerce in December 2023, the advisory team identified community assets that may be impacted by climate change today and in the future. Community assets may include physical infrastructure, as well as community services, cultural practices, natural resources, etc. Assets were systematically identified through sectors aligning with the Climate Element Planning Guidance, including Ecosystems, Agriculture and Food Systems, Buildings, Energy, Water Resources, Transportation, Public Health and Wellbeing, Emergency Management, Economic Development, and Cultural Resources.
The advisory team then reviewed each asset’s vulnerability and risk to the most prevalent climate-related hazards in Olympia (drought, extreme heat, wildfire and smoke, extreme precipitation, and sea level rise). The team assessed each asset’s exposure (i.e., whether the asset overlaps with the hazard extent), sensitivity (i.e., the asset’s ability to withstand climate shocks), and adaptive capacity (i.e., level of effort or feasibility to implement adaptation or hazard mitigation solutions) to each hazard. Low-vulnerability asset-hazard pairs were removed from further risk assessment and will be periodically monitored for changes; medium- and high-vulnerability asset-hazard pairs were advanced for a comprehensive risk assessment.
The comprehensive risk assessment widened the analysis to include not just the impact to the individual asset, but how the asset’s vulnerability leads to community-wide consequences based on the likelihood of hazard occurrence and asset exposure in the next 20 years. The community-wide impact was ranked across a holistic view of community resilience that includes monetary impact, community disruption, injuries/loss of life, equity, and ecosystem function.
Based on the results of the comprehensive risk assessment, the advisory team developed recommendations for which risks to accept and which risks to address. The Washington State Department of Commerce Guidance recommends accepting risk for all low-risk asset hazard pairs and prioritizing action for higher-risk pairs based on community priorities and subject matter expertise. During this presentation, staff will provide an overview of the preliminary accept risk/take action recommendations and discuss next steps for developing goals and policies to address high-priority risks.
Climate Analysis:
Development of the Comprehensive Plan Climate Element will support long-term planning for climate mitigation (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions reduction) and resilience.
Equity Analysis:
Climate change affects everyone. However, some people and communities in Olympia (sometimes referred to as frontline communities) will experience greater impacts due to their age, race, gender, health, where they live, or what they do for work. Prioritizing environmental justice and maximizing co-benefits for frontline communities is a key goal of the climate chapter.
The CRVA includes an Equity parameter that systematically accounts for potential disproportionate impacts to vulnerable groups. Additionally, the City’s ADA and Accessibility Coordinator is a member of the Climate Advisory Team and ensured equity considerations were included throughout the process. Over the next several months, staff will also meet with frontline communities to validate the results of CRVA and identify high-priority climate mitigation and resilience goals and policies.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
There is considerable community interest in climate action (including greenhouse gas reduction and resilience). Multiple opportunities for community engagement and feedback were provided during the Phase 1 Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (see attached Community Feedback Summary).
Additional opportunities for community feedback on the development of climate goals and policies will be provided throughout the Climate Element update process.
Financial Impact:
Updating the Comprehensive Plan is a significant investment of staff resources. The City has received a Climate Planning Grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce, which will help cover staff and consultant expenses related to developing the Climate Action and Resilience Chapter.
Options:
1. Receive the update.
2. Do not receive the update.
3. Receive the update at another time.
Attachments:
Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Community Feedback Summary
Olympia Climate Conditions Report