Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 32F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..
Tonight
Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 32F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Seeking a more pedestrian-friendly city with increased shade and outdoor spaces, The Dalles City Hall and Court Street is re-imagined in an image from the Climate Resiliency Committee report. No specific projects were highlighted in the report, which emphasized general guidelines for addressing climate changes in the short term.Contributed graphic
Seeking a more pedestrian-friendly city with increased shade and outdoor spaces, The Dalles City Hall and Court Street is re-imagined in an image from the Climate Resiliency Committee report. No specific projects were highlighted in the report, which emphasized general guidelines for addressing climate changes in the short term.Contributed graphic
THE DALLES — The Wasco County board of commissioners gave their unanimous support to policy guidelines presented by The Dalles-Wasco County Joint Ad Hoc Climate Resiliency Committee during the May 3 regular session of the commission.
The plan sets general goals and guidelines for mitigating climate impacts in the county and identifying strategies and resources to reduce emissions. That planning will be useful moving forward, Wasco County Chief Administrative Officer Tyler Stone said. “We are already seeking grants and funds for increasing energy efficiency” in county buildings, Stone explained. “It will be useful to have strategies and resources identified, as they are in this plan.”
Commissioner Steve Kramer agreed, saying the plan did a good job of identifying local needs in regards to mitigating climate change in the short and medium term, and noting there is a lot of work to be done. “We still have a lot of work to do on the low-hanging fruit, we need to focus the conversation on that,” he said.
Kramer pointed out that, in Wasco County, there was work underway to study the use of electric tractors in the field, as well as big changes in modern irrigation practices and summer stream-flow mitigation projects. “We are setting up to be a model for the state,” he noted. “Things are really happening.”
Kramer, who volunteers on a state recycling committee, noted there was a lot of work going into fixing the state’s recycling system as well. “We have got to do a better job on that,” he said.
Commissioner Phil Brady also supported the policy report. “I like putting value on what we can do in the short term,” he said.
“Its a hard thing to be taking on, and we are playing catchup,” he added. Brady noted he likes having the general policy statements in the plan, with specific details to be part of future action.
Commissioner Scott Hege said, “One thing I like about this report, it seems very practical, with feasible, affordable and practical things to be done.” He agreed with Kramer that there was “a lot of low-hanging fruit out there,” in terms of reducing emissions in the county. “I think it’s a good plan, it’s the start of something going forward.”
Kramer noted the report was just the start of a conversation.
He pointed out that many of the photographs in the report, which were shown as an example of air quality, were from incidents in which wildfires impacted the region. The collaborative is working to reduce wildfire intensity within the county through a variety of mitigation efforts, with much of their recent work in the White River area.
“Those things need to be brought out as well,” he said. Funding has been an issue, but the collaborative has already accomplished a lot in the county, he said. “My goal is to meet with the folks of the committee, and talk about the things we are doing with the forest collaborative,” he said.
Dan Richardson, committee chair and a member of The Dalles city council, helped present the report and said both the committee’s work over the past year and the report were a starting point. “We are skimming the hot points,” he noted.
Having reached unanimous consensus regarding the report and policy guidelines, those guidelines will now become a part of the county’s action plan going forward.
No decision was made by the city at that time, but the city will vote on whether to adopt the committee’s report and begin acting on the recommendations at the next regular city council meeting, 5:30 p.m. May 8 at City Hall.
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