City of Woodland - Climate Resilience (CR) Pilot Project
The city has partnered with the Department of Commerce to do a pilot project. Commerce, together with the University of Washington and consulting partners, have developed a toolkit for analyzing a community's resiliency to climate impacts.
Climate resiliency will likely become a required part of future Growth Management updates of comprehensive plans. This pilot program will allow the city to use the tool under the guidance of Commerce and their consulting partners, and to help the city evaluate its ability to cope with emergencies in the future.
Climate hazards considered will be flood risk; fire risk; water availability; smoke impacts (air quality); precipitation/stormwater changes; drought; landslides etc.
Resilience elements include 11 sectors:
- Agriculture
- Buildings & Energy
- Cultural Resources & Practices
- Economic Development
- Emergency Management
- Human Health
- Ecosystems
- Transportation
- Waste Management
- Water Resources
- Zoning & Development
The staff will be bringing this topic to the PC throughout the pilot project. Updates will provide for PC review of the work and for soliciting input. Public engagement will be part of this effort although the project may not result in revisions to the comprehensive plan. (Though that may be a possible outcome.)
A link to the climate mapping tool is located below. You are encouraged to try out the tool and explore how the model works.
Status Updates
The Planning Commission had an open house on April 6th, 2023 to discuss the draft policies for a Climate Resilience Element of the Comp Plan. This open house was held from 6:00 till 9:00 pm at the City of Woodland Council Chambers, 200 E. Scott Avenue, Woodland WA 98674. This open house was followed by a public hearing at the regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting on April 20th, 2023 (starting at 7:00 pm at the City of Woodland Council Chambers, 200 E. Scott Avenue, Woodland WA 98674).
Also be aware that the Washington State Department of Commerce was seeking input about the draft guidance document for adding a climate element to local comprehensive plans. (See both the Commerce email and draft Commerce guidance document below.)
APRIL 6th Open House - City staff presented the recommended goals and policies from the pilot project for the public to review and give comments. Those comments were summarized and presented to the Planning Commission at their April 20th regular meeting. Copies of the slides are attached below.
On May 1st, 2023, the City Council had a workshop to review the products from the Climate Resilience Pilot Project and see the Planning Commission's recommendation. After a presentation by staff, the Council indicated that they supported planning for community resiliency but felt that the community would be best served by incorporating the recommended goals and policies into the existing comp plan chapters.
On November 20th, 2023, an additional workshop has been added to reconsider that conclusion. Over time, staff has become convinced that the City would be better served by drafting a Climate Resilience Element and adopting it as a stand alone element so that it can be incorporated in the Comp Plan as part of the 2025 periodic update.
Instead of debating the merits of climate change science and whether our citizens should bear the burden of external political decisions, staff would prefer to focus its energy on those portions of our plan which are immediately affecting our community. Plan elements like transportation; parks & recreation; capital facilities; utilities; housing; and economic development.
By adopting a Climate Change Element that is based on the work done as part of the pilot project, staff will not have to waste time and resources on replicating that effort.
Dept. of Commerce - 3/29/23 Email (651 KB) Revised 2/16/22 PC Agenda (175 KB) 
Ord #1549 (adopted) (1 MB) Climate Resilience Element (Adopted) (862 KB) 
