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Clark County presents climate-element goals; board hears resilience, equity focus
Summary
Clark County planners updated the Urban County Policy Board on implementing the state-required climate element (House Bill 1181), emphasizing resilience, environmental justice, community engagement and a goal to expand affordable, climate-resilient housing; county adoption is expected later this summer.
Clark County planners outlined progress on the county's climate-element work to the Urban County Policy Board on June 8, saying the effort centers on resilience, environmental justice and policies to protect vulnerable communities.
"Plan for and support diverse affordable climate-resilient housing options throughout the county," project manager Jenna Kay read as an example of the proposed goals. Kay told the board the county's effort responds to House Bill 1181 (2023), which added a new climate change and resiliency goal to the state Growth Management Act and requires jurisdictions to add a climate element to their comprehensive plans.
Kay said the county's resilience work will identify 20-year goals, programs and policies to protect natural areas and to improve social, economic and built-environment resilience against hazards such as hotter summer days and increased wildfire smoke. The project has involved a 20-person community advisory group, an environmental-justice coalition of 15 community organizations and a technical partner-agency team, Kay said. "There was lots and lots of community feedback that helped inform the proposed policy list," she said.
Kay walked through seven policy categories under consideration — health and wellbeing, green jobs, transportation and land use, buildings and energy, waste management, county governance and an area linking affordable housing with community resilience. She said affordable housing programs administered through the Urban County (CDBG, HOME) can provide climate co-benefits, such as keeping residents safe and sheltered during extreme-weather events.
Amy Koski of Clark County Public Health joined Kay for questions. Chair Glenn Young praised the presentation and the community process, saying the committee's work drew participants from across the spectrum and that "it was a great process." Kay said county staff will move to the adoption process later this summer and will track how countywide work advances the stated climate goals.
The board did not take formal action on the county's draft policies at this meeting; staff presented the draft to solicit questions and to flag the anticipated summer adoption timeline.
