Climate Adaptation Planning in Minnesota
Climate Adaptation Plans for the Cities of Albert Lea, Burnsville, Faribault, and Maplewood
“Twenty-five years ago people could be excused for not knowing much, or doing much, about climate change. Today we have no excuse.”
This project created a Climate Adaptation Plan for advancing climate resilience and readiness for the cities of Albert Lea, Burnsville, Faribault, and Maplewood. The results of this planning effort included: identifying climate vulnerabilities for people, infrastructure and natural resources, such as those created by extreme precipitation, heat and freeze-thaw cycles, and developing and prioritizing local implementation strategies and Climate Adaptation Implementation Plans with each community.
Through joint sessions and calls, staff from four cities had opportunities to learn from other communities and explore shared resources or joint actions with allied agencies to support Climate Adaptation. paleBLUEdot engaged a broad set of stakeholders within each community (such as staff from relevant departments, county emergency management, watershed district staff, and community members) to review climate vulnerabilities and prioritize goals and strategies. paleBLUEdot also engaged diverse community members, particularly those in vulnerable populations, who learned about and contributed their experiences of local climate vulnerabilities, as well as participated in the development of climate adaptation strategies and initiatives. The result is a community-specific Climate Adaptation Plan for each city with prioritized strategies and an implementation plan for their execution.
These planning efforts meet the Best Practice Action 29.2 of the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program. The Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge, assistance and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life goals. Each of the subject cities are active GreenStep Cities participants.
Partial funding for this project was provided through a 2018 State of Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Environmental Assistance Grant along with in-kind matching funds provided by paleBLUEdot team members.
The Plans
You can find the Climate Adaptation Plans and community planning toolkits for each of the cities by following the links below:
City of Albert Lea Climate Action Plan
City of Burnsville Sustainability Plan
City of Faribault Climate Adaptation Plan
City of Maplewood Climate Adaptation Plan