Preparing your community for climate adaptation is critical. Smart planning protects citizens from floods and drought, conserves water resources, preserves watershed health, stabilizes micro-climates, maintains species habitat, preserves the economy, and ensures community climate resilience.
Climate Solutions University, Forest & Water Strategies helps you prepare your community. It is a two-step program: 1. Plan Development & 2. Plan Implementation, where you create and implement a climate adaptation plan for your community. We even help you raise the funds to participate!
Climate Solutions University participants:
- Create a forest & water climate adaptation plan for their communities.
- Build public support and implement their plans.
- Create and engage a local planning team.
- Conduct a local climate, forest, water, and economic SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats).
Step 1: Plan Development
This step-by-step program is for communities without a forest & water adaptation plan, or those with a climate plan that lacks a forest and water strategy. Participants create a professional plan for their communities during the 10-month program. Applicants select from two options:
Option A - This full-service program led by Model Forest Policy Program experts includes:
- Fundraising assistance
- One-on-one coaching through weekly calls with adaptation experts (1 hour/week).
- Hands-on guidance, plan review, and research assistance from adaptation experts.
- Analysis, editing support, and professional graphics creation for your adaptation plan.
- Learning through two live, interactive webinars each month (60 minutes each).
- Exclusive access to MFPP’s online library of climate adaptation resources.
- Networking connections with past and present Climate Solutions University participants.
- View the 2013 syllabus.
Investment: $25,000 (We help you raise the funds to participate!)
Questions? Contact Jeff Morris – jeff@mfpp.org or (530) 355-9880.
Apply Now for the 2014 Program – Limited Spots Available!
Option B - This self-directed program includes:
- One-on-one coaching through monthly calls with adaptation experts (1 hour/month)
- View archived webinars & curriculum that will guide you in creating the plan.
- Exclusive access to MFPP’s online library of climate adaptation resources.
Investment: $5,000 (We help you raise the funds to participate!)
Questions? Contact Jeff Morris – jeff@mfpp.org or (530) 355-9880.
Apply Now for the 2014 Program – Limited Spots Available!
Step 2: Plan Implementation
The Plan Implementation program is for communities with an existing adaptation plan that is not fully implemented. We guide you through a one year action plan that takes your hard work off the shelf and puts it into action! Participants develop a solid outreach strategy, and receive one-on-one advice to overcome obstacles. We partner with communities for up to five years after completing the program as each works to implement its plan.
The Plan Implementation program features:
- Customized individual coaching and peer-to-peer assistance to help implement the plan.
- National webinars with climate experts.
- Connection to federal agencies working on climate adaptation.
- Exclusive access to online resources in the Climate Solutions University library.
- Membership in a national network of climate adapters.
Topics covered in Plan Implementation webinars include:
- Revenue development for climate adaptation.
- Balancing information and relationships in climate adaptation communications.
- Building support for climate action in the conservative religious community.
- Communicating climate change data to decision makers.
- Case Study: Ecosystem services in Shasta County, California.
- How to work with federal agencies
Topics covered in Plan Implementation coaching sessions include:
- Policy development and regulatory change.
- Building your implementation team.
- Citizen Science (volunteer data collection & public education).
- Developing an economic message.
- Ecosystem services.
- Building support from conservatives.
Investment: $5,000 (We help you raise the funds to participate!)
Questions? Contact Jeff Morris – jeff@mfpp.org or (530) 355-9880.
Apply Now for the 2014 Program – Limited Spots Available!
Climate Solutions University Success Stories
In Sumner County, TN, the 2035 Comprehensive Plan now calls for new steep slope protection ordinances, and a county wide 2% increase in tree canopy, reversing tree loss trends along headwater streams.
In Taos, NM, the town adopted a new water conservation ordinance.
In Durango, CO, the Mountain Studies Institute is helping develop a climate change monitoring plan for the San Juan Resource Management Plan.
In Keene, NH, the Sustainability Project members facilitated adoption of the Ashuelot River 10 year Implementation Plan. It is the first river protection document in the state to address climate change, for which they received recognition.
In Moab, UT, the Canyonlands Watershed Council received $50,000 and recently created the Moab Area Watershed Partnership (MAWP) covering over 11,000 square miles and five designated impaired water bodies.
In Missoula, MT, the Clark Fork Coalition is integrating county adaptation planning with US Forest Service climate strategies.
“I highly recommend any agency seeking to pursue these issues engage MFPP for assistance. They fully understand the complexities of problems associated with forest, water and climate and how various policies can be implemented for governmental institutions to modify and change their existing directives and policies.”
~ James A. Stafne, Chairman
Cookeville Planning Commission, Tennessee
“The learning tools and course applications from Climate Solutions University have given the student’s from Moab, UT confidence and success.”
~ John Weisheit, Board,
Living Rivers, UT
Who should apply to Climate Solutions University?
• Community leaders of local government agencies
• Watershed organizations
• Nonprofits
• Civic organizations
Why Apply?
Curriculum Director Gwen Griffith explains the program and why you should apply.
Click here for a free Adobe Flash download.
Apply Now for the 2014 Program – Limited Spots Available!
