Climate planners in Whitefish released the city’s Climate Action Plan for public review and comment this week.
Last year, Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld pledged the city would uphold the Paris Climate Accord. The city council voted to adopt a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent of the previous year’s levels by 2025.
The new Whitefish Climate Action Planis a joint effort by the city, Whitefish Schools and a non-profit called Climate Smart Glacier Country to outline what an increasingly volatile climate means for the city and recommend ways the city can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"There's lots and lots of different things. one chapter is devoted to buildings and energy, but we also talk about consumption and waste. we talk about forests and watersheds," said Mariah Gladstone, the EnergyCorps member for the City of Whitefish.
The plan addresses a range of potential mitigation and adaptation actions, from converting city streetlights to LED bulbs, to building a solar array to power the city’s new wastewater treatment plant, to using native and drought-resistant plants in city landscaping.
The Planning Committee will accept comments now through March 19. Final revisions are expected March 28. The Plan will be submitted to Whitefish City Council for a public hearing on April 2.
The City of Whitefish is soliciting comments, with references to relevant page numbers, to Mariah Gladstone, mgladstone@cityofwhitefish.org.
