Programs of the Colorado Climate Network, page 2

Welcome and conference overview: Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan and Stephen Saunders, president of the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization

Keynote address by Governor John Hickenlooper
Governor Hickenlooper delivered what RMCO believes to be his first speech as governor focused on climate change, which he called the “single greatest risk the globe faces.” See Session Synopsis.

Plenary session: Colorado’s future climate, and water vulnerabilities
Overview: The goals of this panel-led discussion were to describe the unique vulnerabilities Colorado faces in a changing climate, describe the implications for water resources, and to discuss approaches local government planners can take to deal with the uncertainties inherent in modeling and climate anomalies.

Moderator: Alice Madden, Wirth Chair in Sustainable Development, University of Colorado, Denver.

Panelists:

• Joe Barsugli, research scientist, Earth System Research Laboratory, NOAA, and Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado, Boulder. Powerpoint presentation.
• Brad Udall, director, Western Water Assessment, CIRES/NOAA. Powerpoint presentation.
• Rick Marsicek, water resources planning manager, Aurora Water. Powerpoint presentation.

See Session Synopsis

Plenary session: Heat waves and their impacts
Overview: The goals of this session were to highlight how Colorado’s vulnerability to heat waves driven by a changed climate can be a driver for public attention and preparedness actions by local and state governments, and to describe the impacts and potential preparedness actions regarding heat waves - Colorado’s most certain consequence of climate disruption.

Moderator: Sam Mamet, executive director, Colorado Municipal League.

Panelists:

• Stephen Saunders, president, Rocky Mountain Climate Organization. Powerpoint presentation
• Dave Mills, managing analyst, Stratus Consulting. Powerpoint presentation
• Gregg Thomas, environmental assessment and policy section supervisor, Denver Department of Environmental Health (DDEH). Powerpoint presentation

See Session Synopsis

Lightning round: The key facts about selected climate preparedness topics

Overview: The lightning-round technique is designed get a substantial volume of information about inter-related topics out on the table by way of very focused and concise presentations, followed by discussion that ties all of them together.  The presenters kicked off the discussion with about 5 minutes each of focused presentations, followed by Q&A and discussion among panelists and attendees about all of the topics. The general goals of the session were to highlight the vulnerabilities that communities face from impacts of a changed climate on natural resources and public health, and to identify some of the most important actions communities can take to prepare for those impacts.

Moderator: Karen Hancock, environmental program supervisor, City of Aurora.

Panelists:

• Tony Simons, emergency services specialist, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, on forest health and wildfires. Powerpoint presentation
• Becky Fedak, engineer, Brendle Group, on winter and summer recreation. Powerpoint presentation
• Mike McHugh, environmental permitting coordinator, Aurora Water, on municipal watersupplies. Powerpoint presentation
• Dave Erickson, environmental assessment program manager, DDEH, on public healthand communicable diseases. Powerpoint presentation
• Pat Williams, deputy director, Mayor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness, City andCounty of Denver, on emergency preparedness. Powerpoint presentation

See Session Synopsis

Plenary session: State vulnerability assessments and preparedness actions

Overview: The goals of this panel discussion were to help attendees think about ways the State should be approaching a comprehensive vulnerability assessment and preparedness planning; to describe what has been done in Colorado so far at the state level; to describe the various approaches other states have taken in doing vulnerability assessments and preparedness plans; and to identify opportunities that the State should consider going forward.

Moderator: Jonathan Koehn, regional sustainability coordinator, City of Boulder.

Panelists:

• Eric Gordon, managing director, Western Water Assessment, and lead author, Colorado Preparedness Project report to Colorado state government. Powerpoint presentation
• Joel Smith, principal, Stratus Consulting. Powerpoint presentation

See Session Synopsis

Plenary session: Community Preparedness actions

Overview: This session drew on the lessons learned by three Colorado communities who have taken some of the first steps in doing preparedness planning in the state. Boulder County, Denver, and Fort Collins all participate in the broader coalition known as the Western Adaptation Alliance, itself an incubator of processes and techniques local governments in the Southwest have been “trying out.” Each of these three communities has approached vulnerability assessments and preparedness plans in different ways, tailored to the unique needs and culture of their communities. Panelists were asked to address three main topics: how you do the planning, lessons learned, and how it looks going forward.

Moderator: Doug Linkhart, Manager, Denver Department of Environmental Health

Panelists:

• Lisa Friend, Sustainability Planner, Boulder County. Powerpoint presentation
• Celia VanDerLoop, Director of Environmental Quality, Denver Department of Environmental Health. Powerpoint presentation
• Lucinda Smith, Director of the Environmental Services Department, City of Fort Collins. Powerpoint presentation

See Session Synopsis