photo by: Chris Conde

The Douglas County Courthouse is pictured in September 2018.

The Douglas County Sustainability Office is seeking community feedback on a proposed climate change plan.

The office has published a draft “Adapt Douglas County: Climate Action and Adaptation Plan,” which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help the community adapt to the risks of climate change, according to a news release Thursday from the county.

Sustainability Impact Analyst Jamie Hofling said climate change impacts many areas of our lives and these are demonstrated in the four sections of the draft plan: energy, mobility, living systems and thriving community.

The sustainability team is seeking the public’s feedback on the draft plan this month through a survey — http://dgcoks.org/caapsurvey — and community events and meetings. The first event is an open house that is specifically for youth and young adults, ages 13-29. It will be 5:30-7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at Sunrise Project, 1501 Learnard Ave. It’s a come-and-go event with food and prizes. There also will be an open house for the public from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Lawrence Union Pacific Depot, 402 N. Second St.

Staff members also will present the draft plan to the County Commission during a work session at 4 p.m. Nov. 15 in the County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. Additional meetings and open houses will take place in the county, and information will be posted on the “Adapt Douglas County: Climate Action and Adaptation Plan” website.

The need for a plan was identified in Plan 2040, which specifically calls for Douglas County to adopt a climate change adaptation and mitigation plan. The plan builds on and connects to multiple plans, including Transportation Plan 2050 and the Food System Plan.

During the past couple of years, the sustainability team has gathered input from community interviews, focus groups, public meetings and a survey. The planning process prioritized lived experiences and local conditions, and it used a county greenhouse gas inventory. That input was used to create the draft plan.

“Ultimately, we hope the plan reflects Douglas County as a whole,” Hofling said in the release. “We value the community’s feedback on ways to make this plan relevant, impactful and collaborative.”

The sustainability team anticipates that the final draft plan will be considered for adoption in early 2024.

For more information, visit: http://dgcoks.org/caap.