PWX 2019

Integrating Climate Change Considerations into Public Works Projects and Supporting Sustainable Fish, Farms, and Agriculture in Snohomish County (Room 608)

10 Sep 19
2:00 PM - 2:50 PM

Tracks: Sustainability/Resiliency

Speaker(s): Manuela Winter, Sustainability and Special Projects Coordinator, Snohomish County WA; Steve Thomsen, Director, Snohomish County Public Works; Brenden McLane, Senior GIS Analyst, County of Snohomish; Andrea Martin, Senior Associate, Cascadia Consulting Group; Charlie Green, Engineering Manager, Snohomish County Public Works, Engineering Services Design; Cindy Dittbrenner, Natural Resources Program Manager, Snohomish Conservation District

Snohomish County Public Works, Cascadia Consulting Group, and the Snohomish Conservation District will discuss their process for updating their decision-making priorities to include climate change risks and the impact on infrastructure, fish and river ecosystems, farms, and agriculture. Snohomish County Public Works and Cascadia developed a customized Climate Impacts Decision Support Tool to facilitate systematic integration of climate change considerations into public works design, siting, planning and implementation. Currently, the tool focuses on (1) transportation planning, (2) habitat restoration, and (3) surface water infrastructure. The Conservation District is leading the effort to create an Agriculture Resilience Plan focusing on the impact of flooding, sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, and rising groundwater levels on local farms.