BOZEMAN - The City of Bozeman enacted a climate change plan last year in hopes of addressing some of the issues that come with climate change, now this year they are looking to create a new advisory board to help implement some of those focus areas in that climate plan.
“We are excited to welcome a brand new sustainability advisory board,” says Natalie Meyer, Sustainability Program Manager for the City of Bozeman.
The goal of this new advisory board is to look at how climate change solutions can be tailored to fit Bozeman. The new board is in the beginning stages of how it can implement the climate action plan.
“We generally know what we need to do to address climate change so it really became a process of identifying where we are as a community and figuring out how we can move forward as quickly as possible,” said Meyer.
The plan has six areas of focus ranging from neighborhood, transportation, parks, waste reduction, clean energy supply and efficient buildings.
“The commission will be looking for initiatives that can be amplified and jump-started through a community advisory board,” said Meyer.
The six focus areas are where the community will see a mix of the climate plan take shape from a commute to work, a walk in the neighborhood, or even playing at the park.
“It's interesting to think about to see what climate change implementation looks like because it intersects with so many areas of our lives it's often subtle,” said Meyer.
Meyer points out that while some areas of the climate plan may be very obvious like planting trees, some areas like changing city codes may not be as noticeable.
“I can't guarantee that it's ever going to be something incredibly obvious to every individual in town but as you look at the climate plan you'll begin to recognize okay yes were moving forward with the energy code,” says Meyer.
While still noting the role that the community plays.
“We can't wait another 20 years. This is a problem of today, not of tomorrow. I think we are sensing that urgency from the public and the commission,” says Meyer.
