43.21M.020 - Requirements of strategy -- Initial climate change response strategy.

Requirements of strategy — Initial climate change response strategy.

(1) The integrated climate change response strategy should address the impact of and adaptation to climate change, as well as the regional capacity to undertake actions, existing ecosystem and resource management concerns, and health and economic risks. In addition, the departments of ecology, agriculture, *community, trade, and economic development, fish and wildlife, natural resources, and transportation should include a range of scenarios for the purposes of planning in order to assess project vulnerability and, to the extent feasible, reduce expected risks and increase resiliency to the impacts of climate change.

     (2)(a) By December 1, 2011, the department of ecology shall compile an initial climate change response strategy, including information and data from the departments of fish and wildlife, agriculture, *community, trade, and economic development, natural resources, and transportation that: Summarizes the best known science on climate change impacts to Washington; assesses Washington's vulnerability to the identified climate change impacts; prioritizes solutions that can be implemented within and across state agencies; and identifies recommended funding mechanisms and technical and other essential resources for implementing solutions.

     (b) The initial strategy must include:

     (i) Efforts to identify priority planning areas for action, based on vulnerability and risk assessments;

     (ii) Barriers challenging state and local governments to take action, such as laws, policies, regulations, rules, and procedures that require revision to adequately address adaptation to climate change;

     (iii) Opportunities to integrate climate science and projected impacts into planning and decision making; and

     (iv) Methods to increase public awareness of climate change, its projected impacts on the community, and to build support for meaningful adaptation policies and strategies.

[2009 c 519 § 11.]

Notes: *Reviser's note: The "department of community, trade, and economic development" was renamed the "department of commerce" by 2009 c 565.