MT Climate Action Planning - initial public meeting

To engage the public and gather valuable input on pollution reduction measures that should be included in the Montana Climate Action Plan, the state will host a public meeting at 3 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2023.

The meeting is open to attendees joining in-person in Helena and online. At the meeting, agencies are seeking input on innovative, shovel-ready projects that could be implemented using federal grant funding.

The DEQ press release says that "tribes and local governments are all eligible to apply for implementation grants to implement projects covered by the state’s Climate Action Plan."

When: Monday, October 23, 2023, at 3:00 p.m.
Where: Room 111 at the DEQ Headquarters (1520 E 6th Ave, Helena) or via Zoom
Registration is required to attend remotely, please use the following link: https://mt-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5Mw1yzGFSWC1WrgCK5QZoQ

Additional Resources:
For more information about EPA's CPRG program and Montana's planning process, please visit: https://deq.mt.gov/about/climate-resilience
More info on the October 23 meeting, including Zoom registration, is here: https://deq.mt.gov/News/publicmeetings-folder/CPRG-10-06-2023.

Montana received a $3 million planning grant from EPA this summer to develop the plan, which will allow the state to apply for significant federal funding to implement “forward-thinking measures that can effectively curb pollution without imposing additional regulatory burdens on businesses and individuals,” in the words of DEQ Director Chris Dorrington. Montana was among 46 states that applied for and received $3 million planning block grants from the EPA, funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, to reduce carbon emissions. Governor Gianforte designated DEQ as Montana's lead agency to develop the plan.

DEQ has created a project web page at https://deq.mt.gov/about/climate-resilience, which notes that "Montanans experience a changing climate through record-setting summer heat, longer wildfire seasons, changing snowpack, more frequent drought in some areas and historic flooding in others."

I encourage everyone in the Climate Smart Montana network to participate in the hybrid public meeting on October 23 to ensure that both statewide and local pollution reduction strategies are included in Montana's plan.