On September 2, 2021 BCAG Chair Peter Reynolds and Vice Chair Aimee Kelley presented an overview of BCAG's work to Climate Smart Montana, a statewide coalition of scientists and activists working on climate change issues. The meeting was hosted by MSU Political Science professor Paul Lachappelle. Check this video out for a picture of BCAG's work in the fall, 2021.
Adopted by the Board of Directors January 21, 2021
In 2021 BCAG is actively engaged in strategic planning to help prioritize and focus our work in a variety of areas. Here we present our Mission Statement and Goals for 2021 and we invite your ideas and comments about what we are doing and how we can best achieve our mission. You can send your ideas to our board on this page.
Our board or directors version of this document contains aspirational strategies and objectives to meet our goals. Here we give a prose description of these.
BCAG Mission: “People of the Bitterroot Valley taking action to mitigate the impacts of climate change and mitigate or change human activities that contribute to climate change, acting with respect and civility to all."
- Goal: Inform and educate the public on science-based projections of the impacts of climate change to earth generally and to our local community.
BCAG continues to sponsor our lecture series on the expected impacts of climate change to our valley and steps we can all take to mitigate these coming changes. (For videos of recent lectures visit this page.) Our newsletters continue to inform our members about important issues and developments regarding climate change in our community. If you want to receive these, sign up here. We are looking to expand our membership in 2021. Membership is free, and if you're not a member yet you can sign up here. You can also like us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what's going on locally.
- Goal: Build a diverse coalition (a demographic, socio-economic and educational cross-section of our community) committed to furthering the mission and goals of BCAG.
We are also reaching out and enlisting people from different political, educational, cultural and economic backgrounds to work on specific projects within BCAG. This is our effort to involve folks who might not be initially attracted to addressing climate change. The board has adopted an Action Alert protocol to make our members aware of important advocacy issues in a timely manner. We are also developing joint programs with other groups in the community. In 2021 we are partnering with Hamilton's O'Hara Commons to create a Zero Waste Farmers Market on the O'Hara Commons grounds. Other alliances are in the works. BCAG volunteers also conduct road trash cleanup activities along US 93 in April 2021 and October 2021, as pandemic protocols allow.
- Goal: Encourage and enlist local government entities, corporations and businesses as change agents in mitigating the effects of climate change and transitioning to a climate-friendly future.
A major BCAG focus in 2020 was the completion of Climate Resiliency in the Bitterroot Valley: A Science Primer for Ravalli County written by our panel of local scientists and researchers. We are now working through additional steps to make this work known to local government with the goal of improving climate sustainability in planning and procurement. Additional work will need to be done on a vulnerability assessment of risks to key areas such as the economy, agriculture, tourism, etc. brought by the predicted changes. For example, studies indicate probable in-migration to our valley of people from areas with less favorable climate. This will increasingly strain our local public services, and affect planning and our quality of life in the coming decade.
- Goal: To promote local efforts to increase energy efficiency and green energy adoption to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2021 the City of Hamilton will receive a Montana DEQ grant to create the first publicly available Electric Vehicle Charging Station in Ravalli County. BCAG raised matching funds for this project. We continue to work with the City for the realization of this project by summer, 2021. We are also exploring the viability of additional EVCS and climate-friendly projects in our valley.
As City and County governments, major valley employers and other entities identify their appropriate roles in addressing climate change, BCAG stands ready to assist with private fundraising, volunteer recruitment and other resources that may be needed going forward.
- Goal: Build community resilience to climate change through coordinating with existing local, state and regional planning efforts.
BCAG aspires to work closely with other local and regional efforts to address climate change. This includes the Montana Climate Solutions Plan, an extensive and dynamic plan completed by a task force under Governor Bullock. BCAG has joined the Northern Plains Resource Council as an organization member and we are interfacing with Climate Smart Missoula, the University of Montana Environmental Studies Program, the Montana Environmental Information Center and other appropriate entities in our area and region.
- Goal: Establish and maintain efficient and effective administration of BCAG
BCAG is organizing to make sure our financial, planning, communications, public relations and membership houses are in order. BCAG board members take on specific roles in the workings of our organization and we are constantly working to make our efforts more efficient, effective and fun. Let us know how we're doing!