After years of extreme heat, devastating floods and fears of encroaching wildfires, Whatcom County has hired new staff to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Lauren Clemens, the county’s new climate action manager, began her tenure Monday, Feb. 13, after a four-year stint as the assistant director of sustainability in Bloomington, Indiana.
“I’m starting with a great foundation,” Clemens said Tuesday. “I took a look at the [Climate Action Plan] and saw how robust it was, and all the involvement from the committee and community members, and was really excited for the opportunity to get started. I’m honored to be in the position.”
Clemens will be responsible for developing new programming and projects, such as fleet electrification and carbon storage, to push the county towards a more environmentally conscious future.
Currently, the county has a goal to reduce emissions by 45% of 1990 levels before 2030, and reduce government emissions by 85% of 2000 levels. Fleet electrification will be a major aspect: in Washington, transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.
Carbon storage projects, too, are a major priority at the county: the Stewart Mountain Community Forest initiative is still in development with county support.
The county has already invested more than $1.5 million into the site, which will stand as a “working forest,” with carbon sequestration balanced with recreation and commercial use.
Part of Clemens’ role will involve “getting the county’s house in order,” explained Gary Stoyka, the county’s natural resources program manager. “Climate change is a huge issue for the whole world. … Everybody needs to be a part of [fighting] it, but particularly government agencies.”
Stoyka said Clemens’ new role will also include finding ways to encourage private companies and citizens to address climate change and carbon sequestration, as well as exploring adaptation options for future disasters.
“As sea levels rise and rainfall patterns change, we’re going to have to take those into account as we plan our roads and bridges and culverts and floodplains,” he said. “These things are happening now, and it’s going to get more pressing.”
Clemens said her priorities include working with regional partners like the city of Bellingham, the Port of Bellingham and small cities across the county to ensure county residents are prepared for future environmental issues.
The new position, created by the county’s 2021 Climate Action Plan update, was deemed necessary after years of extreme weather, including the 2021 heatwave that killed three in the county. Later that year, severe floods displaced hundreds and destroyed local homes and businesses. Flood recovery is still underway, and planning sessions for future emergency response is ongoing.
“Everyone across the world is experiencing climate change in slightly different ways,” she explained. “But in Whatcom County, it’s personal if your home floods, or you’re experiencing high heat days without air conditioning. Making sure that the people who live in Whatcom County have the resources they need to adapt to how the climate is changing will be really important.”
In the coming years, the county plans to add other positions to the climate management team. In the 2021 climate action update, the Climate Impacts Advisory Committee recommended several positions to support climate action in the county, including a data analyst or information specialist “dedicated to providing and publicizing information related to local climate and its effects.”
“The most important recommendation to the Whatcom County Council and Executive is the necessity to establish an Office of Climate Action,” the 11-member panel wrote. “Without such an Office the County will miss multiple opportunities to implement the specific recommendations for climate mitigation and adaptation [in the 2021 climate action plan].”
The county’s 2023-2024 biennial budget, approved last November, includes $130,017 for the climate action administration, including $120,017 for staff salaries and $10,000 for office and operating expenses.
Stoyka agreed additional staff would be necessary down the road.
“Each one of these program areas could certainly be more than one person could handle,” he said. “If we go more into the carbon market for carbon sequestration, or we start working more with farmers, or we focus more on community electrification or solar, each of those things could represent a chunk of work that’s beyond what one person can do.”
The county followed in the City of Bellingham’s footsteps in creating the position: the city developed a climate and energy management role in early 2020. Seth Vidaña has held the position since Feb. 18, 2020, and during his tenure, he’s been a strong advocate for climate action, and pushed projects related to environmental support, including increasing electric vehicle charging stations within city limits.
