Frederick City & County Working On Climate & Energy Action Plan

Citizens are being asked to provide their input.    Frederick, Md (KM) Citizens are invited to take part in the development of a Climate and Energy Action Plan. Lindsay Humphrey, a project manager with the County’s Division of Energy and Environment, says both the County and the City of Frederick are working on this plan. She says it’s designed to assess how climate change is affecting the area’s infrastructure, natural resources, community members and health.She says citizens can go on line and describe how climate change is affecting them. “And we have a survey available there that people can take. We have a flood mapping tool that people can utilize. And then, obviously, there’s contact information on that page.   If there’s anything outside of what you would want to include on the survey, send us an e-mail and let us know and we can capture that feedback,” says Humphrey.The e-mail address is www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/ClimateAction.Humphrey says the plan, when it’s completed, will address the changing climate in the area, and include an in-depth assessment of community needs. “We’re trying to build upon previous work that the Climate Emergency Workgroup had started, and just really trying to come up with a climate plan that has actionable items that are specific to Frederick County Government and the City of Frederick and that we can take a collaborative approach with community partners in tow to meet climate goals,” she says.Frederick County and the City of Frederick adopted a joint resolution in 2020 which calls for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to one third of 2010 levels by 2030, and by 100 percent in 2050. A Climate Emergency Mobilization Workgroup was formed. Its volunteer members spent 18,500 hours to come up with a Climate Response and Resilience Report to help the City and the County meet their climate and greenhouse gas reduction goals.Humphrey says the public is encouraged to offer their recommendations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “We’re asking the public come out, really get informed on kind of what is going on in the planning process,” she says. “Also, asking what are priorities for you? What are barriers that you may have in regards to, again, these actions and strategies that will come out of the plan? And really trying to tailor this to make sure  that it’s a community-driven plan and meets the needs of our community.”As part of this process, Humphrey says citizens will be asked how climate change has impacted them where they live when it comes to such issues as flooding, extreme heat and drought. “We’re all different areas of the county in that something might look a little bit different to somebody say in Brunswick versus Emmitsburg, etc,” she says. “Just really trying to make it more personal for people, especially when we’re going out in the community and talking about this with them.”There will be a series of climate workshops where the public can learn more about the process of developing this plan, and offer their input. Citizens can find out where by going on line to www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/ClimateAction. If some citizens can’t make, they can still take the survey and offer their ideas.Humphrey says public input will end in June, and a final report is expected by September.By Kevin McManus