It is this daunting threat that motivates the grassroots community group, Flagstaff First.
It is this daunting threat that motivates the grassroots community group, Flagstaff First. Almost a year ago, several flood-impacted residents of Flagstaff came together seeking ways to improve city preparedness for the ongoing threat of wildfires and flooding that have repeatedly devastated the east, west and center of Flagstaff and Coconino County.
To transform city fire and flood planning from reactive to proactive, Flagstaff First submitted a citizen petition that is now being considered by the Flagstaff City Council. The petition states:
This petition requests the City Council add Wildfire, Flooding, and Drought to the current Priorities listed in the Carbon Neutrality Plan (CNP). These three are the most direct environmental threats identified by a Flagstaff-specific climate vulnerability assessment and highlighted in the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan on pages 17 and 18. Include in the CNP specific goals and strategies for addressing Prevention, Detection, and Suppression of Wildfire; Mitigation of Flooding; and Preparation for Drought.
The most frequent response from those reading the petition has been, “You mean wildfire, flooding and drought are not top priorities in the CNP?” The short answer is, they used to be, but they aren’t now. Back in 2018, a Flagstaff-specific study concluded that wildfire, flooding and drought are Flagstaff’s greatest climate change threats. Recognizing these threats, the original Climate Action and Adaptation Plan presented a balanced program of Carbon Neutrality and Climate Adaptation. Adaptation deals with the actions we can take locally to reduce the impact of climate change.
Flagstaff’s only Climate Action plan today is the Carbon Neutrality Plan (CNP). As the name suggests, this plan focuses almost exclusively on reducing CO2 in the atmosphere. Wildfire, flooding and drought are not top priorities in the CNP. These threats are imminent and catastrophic. A proactive and comprehensive climate adaptation plan must be restored to the CNP.
Adding wildfire, flooding and drought back into the plan may seem like common sense, but there is opposition to this idea. Here are some of the objections and Flagstaff First’s reply.
The CNP already prioritizes Wildfire, Flooding and Drought.
Not really. Of the CNP’s 162 pages, only nine pages are devoted to a single climate adaptation topic, Forest Health. It is listed in a subheading under Priority Four: Our Commitments. This single Climate Adaptation project, although critically important, isn’t the comprehensive integrated program Flagstaff so desperately needs.
Wildfire, flooding and drought are priorities of multiple, current implementation projects.This statement is true. Numerous multi-million-dollar wildfire, flood and drought projects are planned or underway. However, these essential climate adaptation programs are not included in the CNP. Ignoring the critical priorities (wildfire, flooding and drought) in the city’s only climate action plan invites additional disaster.
Why change the Carbon Neutrality Plan? It’s fine just the way it is.
Actually, the CNP has been revised numerous times. It was during the 2022 revision that “Forest Health” was added to the plan. But the CNP is still devoted almost exclusively to carbon neutrality. By including wildfire, flooding and drought as a top priority, the Flagstaff First petition will restore a reasonable balance between climate mitigation and climate adaptation that was originally in the 2018 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
What Flagstaff First shares with those who disagree with their petition is the goal of ensuring Flagstaff’s sustainability. We know from the county’s recent studies that Flagstaff remains under imminent threat of both catastrophic wildfire and flooding. Only by including those essential components of climate adaptation, wildfire, flooding and drought as top priorities in the CNP, can the city carry out its true mission of protecting the community through comprehensive climate action. FBN
By Tom Pearson
Tom Pearson is the chairman of Flagstaff First. He is a retired Naval Officer with 28 years of service, 10 years aboard destroyers and replenishment ships and 18 years as a meteorologist and oceanographer. He currently serves on the board of the Sunshine Rescue Mission and volunteers as a telescope operator at Lowell Observatory.