Climate Adaptation & Resilience

Front Range, Intermountain & Desert Southwest Region

A Regional Climate Leadership Academy for the Western Adaptation Alliance

Aftermath of the 2010 Fourmile Canyon fire in Boulder County's rural-urban interface. Photo Credit: Boulder County
  • Overview
  • Resources

  • Overview

    Mar 19 - Mar 21, 2012
    Embassy Suites Downtown , Denver, CO USA
    Presenters:
    Ronald Brunner, Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado at Boulder
    Leslie Ethen, Sustainability Director, City of Tucson
    Robin F. Finegan, Regional Administrator, Region VIII, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
    Lisa Friend, Sustainability Planner, Commissioners' Office, County of Boulder
    Eric Gordon, Program Manager, Western Water Assessment & the University of Colorado at Boulder
    Brian Holland, Director of Climate Programs, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability
    Laurna Kaatz, Climate Scientist, Denver Water
    Paul Schmiechen, EMS Manager, Environmental Quality Division, Department of Environmental Health, City & County of Denver
    Joel Smith, Principal, Stratus Consulting
    Stephanie Smith, Sustainability Specialist, City of Flagstaff
    The Honorable Will Toor, Commissioner, Boulder County, Colorado
    Stacy Vynne, Adaptation Program Manager, The Resource Innovation Group
    Download Agenda

    Workshop Recap

    This Academy workshop on Climate Adaptation & Resilience served the newly formed Western Adaptation Alliance and was focused on the particular and distinct needs of the Front Range, Intermountain, and Desert Southwest of the U.S. to plan for and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

    Much of the local government effort on adaptation to date has revolved around coastal issues and preparing for sea level rise. The relative dearth of case studies from inland communities, particularly from the arid to semi-arid American West, signaled a need to catalyze efforts around the unique climate impacts and adaptation needs of the many communities in the nation's most rapidly growing region. As the first of three planned Academies for the Western Adaptation Alliance, the workshop forwarded the Alliance's commitment to a coordinated region specific approach to adaptation and resilience planning.

    Participating Teams

    • Aspen, CO
    • Boulder County, CO
    • Denver, CO
    • Flagstaff, AZ
    • Fort Collins, CO
    • Las Vegas/Southern Nevada
    • Park City, UT
    • Phoenix, AZ
    • Salt Lake City, UT
    • Tucson, AZ         

    Funders

  • Resources

    • Resource Guide

      Climate Adaptation & Resilience: Front Range, Intermountain & Desert Southwest Region

      A synthesis of the best available information available about how experts and practitioners in the Front Range, Intermountain and Desert Southwest are working to meet the challenges of climate change impacts. This Guide is intended to help practitioners in cities and metropolitan areas in the west resolve local issues by showcasing promising practices in climate adaptation and resilience, and by providing efficient access to some of the very best information and resources available. Produced with support from the Kresge Foundation
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012
      Denver, CO

    • Case Study

      Boulder Residents Get Help from Artist Mary Miss to "Connect the Dots"

      Conveying climate risk and hazard information to the public can be a difficult task. The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art blended art and science to inform residents about future risks. One artist, Mary Miss, created an outdoor exhibit, aptly called "Connect the Dots," to bring attention to the possible flooding of Boulder Creek.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012
      Boulder County, CO

    • Case Study

      Boulder County's Climate Change Preparedness Plan

      Over the last few years, officials from the Boulder County and the City of Boulder, Colorado have faced growing concerns around mitigating against and preparing for expected climate impacts. These include prolonged dry spells, early snowmelt, and higher temperatures. In 2011, these local governments partnered to commission a vulnerability analysis and related recommendations from locally-based Stratus Consulting.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012
      Boulder County, CO

    • Case Study

      The Colorado Climate Preparedness Project

      At the request of former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, the Western Water Assessment initiated the Colorado Climate Preparedness Project designed to assess the State of Colorado's climate - related vulnerabilities for five key sectors: water; wildlife, ecosystems, and forests; electricity; agriculture; and outdoor recreation. The primary purpose of the project "is to assist Colorado in continuing to prepare itself for climate variability and change by providing a catalog of climate vulnerabilities and current activities, including personnel, products, and projects from Colorado and other appropriate entities."
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012
      State of Colorado

    • Case Study

      From Forests to Faucets Partnership

      The Denver Water –U.S. Forest Service "From Forests to Faucets Partnership" is an example of emerging efforts to monetize "ecosystem services" – in this case the value provided by forested lands within mountainous catchment basins for the quantity and quality of water used by the City and County of Denver.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012
      Denver, CO

    • Case Study

      Flagstaff's City Wide Resiliency Study

      The city of Flagstaff is in the final process of completing a comprehensive Resiliency Study–concluding more than a year of work –that will help them prioritize their municipal service delivery investments and climate adaptation and resiliency efforts into the future. A diverse city team conducted a thorough analysis and developed key recommendations for the city's emergency services, energy systems, forest health, public health, stormwater, transportation, and water systems that were identified to be vulnerable and at risk from climate variability.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012
      Flagstaff, AZ

    • Case Study

      Mitigating Fire Hazards at the Wildland–Urban Interface

      The Village of Ruidoso, New Mexico has developed a forest health and fire management plan to manage its extensive wildland-urban interface. This community based, multi–stakeholder process has evolved since the mid–90s, and has been recognized with both Firewise Communities USA and National US Forest Service Rural Communities Assistance Spirit awards in 2003 .
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012
      Ruidoso, NM

    • Presentation

      Overview of the Primary Climate Impact Projections for the Western Adaptation Alliance's Three Sub-Regions

      Presented by Brian Holland, Director of Climate Programs, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability at the Regional Climate Leadership Academy for the Western Adaptation Alliance.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012

    • Presentation

      City of Tucson Vulnerability Assessment

      Presented by Leslie Ethen, Sustainability Director, City of Tucson at the Regional Climate Leadership Academy for the Western Adaptation Alliance.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012
      Tucson, AZ

    • Presentation

      Boulder County and City of Boulder Climate Change Preparedness Plan

      Presented by Lisa Friend, Sustainability Planner, Commissioners' Office, County of Boulder at the Regional Climate Leadership Academy for the Western Adaptation Alliance.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012
      Boulder, CO

    • Presentation

      Secondary Impacts of Climate Change in the WAA Region

      Presented by Eric Gordon, Program Manager, Western Water Assessment & the University of Colorado at Boulder at the Regional Climate Leadership Academy for the Western Adaptation Alliance.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012

    • Presentation

      Denver Water's Approach to Climate Adaptation and Planning

      Presented by Laurna Kaatz, Climate Scientist, Denver Water at the Regional Climate Leadership Academy for the Western Adaptation Alliance.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012
      Denver, CO

    • Presentation

      Forest Fire Protection in Ruidoso, NM

      Presented by Ronald Brunner, Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado at Boulder at the Regional Climate Leadership Academy for the Western Adaptation Alliance.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012
      Ruidoso, NM

    • Presentation

      Successes in Climate Adaptation

      Presented by Ronald Brunner, Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado at Boulder at the Regional Climate Leadership Academy for the Western Adaptation Alliance.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012

    • Presentation

      Building Climate Capacity in Public Health

      Presented by Stacy Vynne, Adaptation Program Manager, The Resource Innovation Group at the Regional Climate Leadership Academy for the Western Adaptation Alliance.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012

    • Presentation

      Climate Futures Forum

      Presented by Stacy Vynne, Adaptation Program Manager, The Resource Innovation Group at the Regional Climate Leadership Academy for the Western Adaptation Alliance.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012

    • Presentation

      EMS and Adaptation: From Rainbows and Unicorns to Action

      Presented by Paul Schmiechen, EMS Manager, Environmental Quality Division, Department of Environmental Health, City & County of Denver at the Regional Climate Leadership Academy for the Western Adaptation Alliance.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012
      Denver, CO

    • Presentation

      Elements for an Adaptation Program: Some Observations

      Presented by Joel Smith, Principal, Stratus Consulting at the Regional Climate Leadership Academy for the Western Adaptation Alliance.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012

    • Presentation

      Assessing Climate Risk and Vulnerabilities for the City of Flagstaff

      Presented by Stephanie Smith, Sustainability Specialist, City of Flagstaff at the Regional Climate Leadership Academy for the Western Adaptation Alliance.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012
      Flagstaff, AZ

    • Presentation

      Boulder County Climate Change Preparedness Philosophy

      Presented by Will Toor, Commissioner, Boulder County, Colorado at the Regional Climate Leadership Academy for the Western Adaptation Alliance.
      Download
      Mar 19, 2012
      Boulder, CO

  • Success Story

    Success Story Header

    Duis dignissim auctor ornare. Nunc tempus, eros ac volutpat pellentesque, metus nisl mollis dolor, non lobortis neque enim a dui. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In pellentesque volutpat lobortis. Suspendisse lacinia enim id nibh adipiscing ultrices.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

    "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat." -Potential Quote Name

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Past Workshops