In 2018, multiple State Agencies collaborated to create a formal State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan (SHMCAP). The plan is outlined here and since then, has guided many state projects related to municipal resilience – perhaps most notably through their Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program. Their website, ResilientMA, is a rich resource outling SHMCAP, MVP, and other related State efforts to date.
What is not listed there, however, is information regarding forthcoming updates to the 2018 SHMCAP. The 2018 plan expires soon, so their planning group is inviting public comments to inform future updates, including virtual discussion sessions — see below for dates and times for such public meetings and consider joining! You will learn more about the SHMCAP planning process and have an opportunitty to share your thoughts about how climate changes are impacting you and your communities, and to suggest State-level plans that might support climate action planning for your institutions and communities.
Unfortunately, COSTEP MA received the invitation after some of the sessions had already occured. If you cannot attend one of the sessions, you can either connect with the Resilient MA Action Team (RMAT) directly, or send your thoughts to COSTEPMA[at]gmail – some COSTEP MA reps from State Agencies will be continuing conversations with the SHMCAP team.
FORWARDED MESSAGE BELOW:
Greetings,
You are invited to join a statewide conversation on how the impacts of climate change affect you and your community. This conversation will inform the 2022 Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment and builds on the meetings that the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs held in March. We are seeking your input to prioritize climate impacts based on your experiences and concerns for the future.
Join us by registering for one of the four discussions (up to 90 minutes each). Simultaneous interpretation services for languages other than English are available upon request–requests must be made at least 48 hours before the session you plan to attend.
- Conversation 1: June 13 at 11:00 AM
- Conversation 2: June 15 at 10:30 AM
- Conversation 3: June 15 at 6:30 PM
- Conversation 4: June 18 at 1:00 PM
Agenda
During the meeting we will provide an update on the priority climate impacts agreed upon by public and state government stakeholders to be assessed in this study, and then hear your experiences and concerns. An agenda is provided below. Due to COVID safety considerations, the conversations will be held via Zoom. A call-in number will also be provided (if needed).
| Time from Start (hour:min) | Topic |
| 0:00 | Welcome |
| 0:10 | Overview of climate impacts |
| 0:45 | Gather community input and concerns about climate impacts |
| 1:25 | Next steps and closing |
| 1:30 | Adjourn |
Registration and Accessibility. Once you sign up, you will receive an email confirming your registration. During registration, please request reasonable accommodations for a disability or interpreter services in a language other than English, so that you can participate in the conversation. You must make interpretation requests at least 48 hours before the session you plan to attend. We will do our best to accommodate these needs to allow community members to participate as fully as possible.
Questions. Please contact Carolyn Meklenburg (carolyn.meklenburg[at]mass.gov) or Hannah Stroud (hannah.stroud[at]erg.com) with any questions about the agenda or logistics.
We hope you will consider participating!
Kind regards,
Carolyn Meklenburg
Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program Regional Coordinator
MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Mia Mansfield
Director of Climate Adaptation and Resilience
MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs