Tumwater committee reviews draft climate element, seeks public input on goals and timelines

TUMWATER, Wash. — At the Jan. 8 meeting of the City of Tumwater General Government Committee, Melissa Jones Wood, the city’s sustainability manager, walked committee members through the draft climate element of the 2025 comprehensive plan periodic update and asked for further public and council input before the document advances.

The draft, which is open for public comment through the month, contains greenhouse gas mitigation and climate resilience subelements the state requires and lists about 201 implementation actions. "We are doing the Climate Element not only because climate change is a serious thing that City of Tumwater takes seriously, but we've also been mandated by the state to develop this chapter," Jones Wood said.

The draft sets three overarching goals emphasizing environmental justice, increased city capacity to implement climate priorities, and planning for climate impacts such as heat, wildfire and flooding. Greenhouse gas goals aim to reduce…