Title
Olympia 2045 - Comprehensive Plan Climate Chapter Briefing
Recommended Action
Information only. No action requested.
Report
Issue:
Discussion on the Comprehensive Plan Climate Chapter.
Staff Contact:
Pamela Braff, PhD, Director of Climate Programs, Office of Community Vitality, 360.753.8249
Presenter(s):
Pamela Braff, PhD, Director of Climate Programs
Background and Analysis:
Growth Management Act (GMA)
The GMA (RCW 36.70A) establishes a framework for comprehensive planning in Washington State. It includes statewide planning goals that each jurisdiction must balance locally. Some of the primary objectives of the GMA are to protect resource lands of long-term commercial significance (agricultural, forestry, and mineral resource lands), to plan for growth in urban areas where it can be served with a full range of urban services, to prevent sprawl, and to protect environmentally sensitive areas.
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 to address climate resilience and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
* The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission sub-element - with goals and policies to reduce GHG emissions and vehicle miles traveled - is mandatory for the state's 11 largest counties (of which Thurston County is one) and for cities located within those counties that have a population size greater than 6,000; thus, this requirement applies to Olympia.
* The Resilience sub-element - with goals and polices to improve climate preparedness, response and recovery efforts - is mandatory for all fully planning counties and cities under the GMA and is encouraged for others.
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 ov...
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