Bitterroot Climate Action Group (BCAG) is organizing the first community deliberative process around the changing local climate and how the Bitterroot Valley can respond to it. The Bitterroot Resilience Forum will take place Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Oct. 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Hamilton City Hall. Goals include to increase public understanding of how climate change is impacting the Bitterroot Valley and to draw input and expertise from local leaders, business owners, government officials and citizens on adapting to and addressing the impacts. This effort is made possible through the ResilienceMT Project of the University of Montana Department of Environmental Studies and funded by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration( NOAA). The forums are co-sponsored by Trout Unlimited, Bitterroot Audubon and Great Bear Native Plants.
Dr. Bruce Maxwell of Montana State University will open the forum with a science presentation on the changes happening in Ravalli County in the areas of precipitation, temperature, soils and other climate factors. Following this, three concurrent breakout groups of participants will work with facilitators to identify the Bitterroot’s vulnerabilities in the areas of drought, flooding, fire, smoke and extreme heat, and to identify strategies for building community resilience. After lunch a panel of Bitterroot residents will bring additional insights and offer an overview summary of the morning sessions to the participants.
Dr. Maxwell, a native of Hamilton, MT, is Professor of Agroecology/Applied Plant Ecology in the Dept of Land Resources and Environmental Science at MSU in Bozeman and co-authored the Montana Climate Change and Human Health Report in 2021. He has received national awards for best researcher, outstanding teaching, best peer reviewed research papers and outstanding graduate student from the Weed Science Society of America.
As the forums will extend over the lunch hour, BCAG will provide a simple lunch for participants at no charge. Advance registration is required by Monday, October 9th. More information and registration is available at https://bitterroot cag.org/resilience t2023/
BCAG has received additional funding for local videographer Lara Tomov to video Dr. Maxwell’s presentation, along with other elements of the forum. This material will be used going forward in efforts to build a network for community resilience.
The ResilienceMT project also includes science exhibits at area schools created by UM’s Spectrum Discovery Area. The interactive displays demonstrate ways to increase resilience to impacts of climate changes. Classes will see the exhibits at Hamilton Middle School Oct. 3-5 and at Corvallis High School – Oct 16-18. Spectrum has also created educational resources for the community which will be available at the Forum event.
For more information, contact Peter Reynolds, Chair, Bitterroot Climate Action Group (https://bitterrootcag.org) chair@bitterrootcag.org 406 381-4829.