Update Washington’s Growth Management Act to include Climate Change & Require Planning for Sea Level Rise

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Goal: 200

Thirty years ago, Washington state passed the Growth Management Act to help our cities and counties accommodate rapid growth while also protecting what makes the Evergreen State a great place to live: vibrant cities, working farms and forests, healthy rivers and coastlines, and a beautiful rural landscape.

Today, residents are calling for updates to our approach to development. HB 1099 answers the need for a new, comprehensive climate solution to build more resilient communities, from flood protection and transit, to clean water and planning for future sea level rise. This update to the Growth Management Act will protect our communities and natural resources as the climate changes.

Climate change is predicted to bring more intense storms and devastating flooding, marine heatwaves, ocean acidification, and increased sea levels that will have significant adverse impacts on Washington’s coastal communities. Not only will it harm marine and coastal habitats and severely impact recreation, it will also cost taxpayers billions of dollars to adapt to the ever-growing-impacts of climate change.

By passing HB 1099, state legislators can ensure that our cities reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and protect communities and natural resources from the accelerating impacts of a changing climate.

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Dear [recipient position will go here] [recipient name will go here],

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Climate change is already having profound impacts on our environment and communities in Washington. In 2022, you have the opportunity to ensure our cities and counties are planning for communities that are climate-resilient. I'm writing as a constituent from your district to ask you to support updating the Growth Management Act to address climate change this legislative session by voting YES on HB1099.

Another winter of increasingly severe storms and devastating flooding throughout Western Washington makes it clear that climate change is at our doorstep. While the WA State Legislature took steps to address climate change last year, it is imperative that we continue to take decisive and bold action to create resilient communities that protect our most vulnerable populations and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

HB 1099 will allow us to plan for our future by helping local communities make strong hazard resilience plans, including enabling them to apply for federal dollars from the newly passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to address implementation costs.

The groundwork to implement this bill is already being laid by the Department of Commerce through a budget proviso, but we must pass HB 1099 to ensure that coastal communities are planning for sea level rise and increasing storm severity in the years ahead. If passed, HB1099 would ensure that we are reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and planning for climate resiliency and mitigation.

I am proud of the steps the legislature has taken to make Washington State a climate leader. Now is the time to keep up the momentum and pass this common-sense climate legislation in 2022. HB 1099 passed the House with resounding support, and I look forward to seeing the Senate do the same.

Sincerely,
[your name will go here]
[your email address will go here] [your location will go here]

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