Input Sought For DNR Climate Change Charter

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking for public input on a new charter that encourages businesses, non-government organizations and communities to mitigate climate change on a local and state level.

The charter falls under the DNR’s Green Tier program. That program is targeted at “helping members reduce greenhouse gases and collaborate on projects that improves climate resiliency and equity in their own backyards, while empowering businesses and local government leaders to team up on taking meaningful steps to mitigate climate change, share knowledge and ideas and combine efforts to help Wisconsin be more sustainable.”.

The goals of this charter agreement are to:

• Help member organizations set goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
• Facilitate collaboration on projects that solve local issues related to climate change while encouraging implementation of projects with an emphasis on environmental justice and equity
• Provide a structure for businesses and municipalities to share ideas and take actions that lead to superior environmental performance and help mitigate, adapt and become more resilient to the effects of climate change

The charter is planned to “build on the efforts of organizations that already have climate goals, are reducing their environmental footprint, and are proactively mitigating future climate risks. It facilitates interactions between businesses, local governments and other organizations to make our state more climate resilient, including those that want to be part of the solution but don’t know where to start.”.

To learn more about the charter, including member roles, commitments and benefits, review the draft charter online.

We Want To Hear From You

The DNR will accept written comments from the public regarding the proposed charter until 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Please direct comments and requests to [email protected].

EVENT DETAILS

What: Public Meeting On New Charter Supporting Climate Resilience

When: 2-3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023

Where: Online via Zoom

Join by phone: 312-626-6799, meeting ID: 818 1553 0127, passcode 078267

In making a final decision to issue a charter, the DNR will determine whether the proposed charter meets the requirements of sec. 299.83(7e), Wis. Stats., and whether the entities in the association have the resources to carry out the charter. A decision by the DNR to issue a charter is not subject to review under state laws governing contested case hearings.