Climate Smart Montana

Climate Smart Montana is a non-partisan, non-profit network with the goal of sharing information and resources to better coordinate community-based climate solutions and resiliency efforts in Montana.

Specific Activities Include:

1. Collect and distribute the most relevant climate science materials, news, and resources.
2. Share best practices and highlight success stories of communities that have adopted local climate solutions.
3. Understand local challenges related to a shifting climate and share strategies to adapt to those changes.
4. Facilitate community efforts to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy.
5. Identify and obtain funds to strengthen community resilience across Montana.
6. Encourage other communities to participate in this network and support their efforts to advance local climate solutions.

We have an unmoderated list serve (ClimateSmartMontana@sympa.montana.edu) to share information and network. To join the Climate Smart Montana list serve, send an email to: sympa@sympa.montana.edu with the following text in the Subject: subscribe climatesmartmontana YourFirstName YourLastName

For more information, contact Paul Lachapelle at commdev@montana.edu

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Meeting Information

Upcoming Meetings

Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 12:30 PM (new start time) Joan Kresich, Board Chair with Northern Plains Resource Council, presenting “A critique of NWE's Laurel Methane Fired Plant”. This presentation will address NEW’s proposed methane fired plant in Laurel, MT and details of the construction on partially zoned agricultural land and with no permits and no public participation process.

Past Meeting Recordings

March 2, 2023 Anne Hedges, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs, MEIC, presenting “Legislative Update.”

February 2, 2023 Featuring Karen Stears, member of the City of Billings Energy & Conservation Commission presenting "City of Billing’s LEED GOLD certification."

January 5, 2023 Featuring Isaac Cheek, Mike Lily and Youpa Stein, presenting "Plastics and Climate Change: A Big Picture and a Montana Actions View."

December 1, 2022 Featuring Don Safer, Sierra Club Tennessee Chapter Know Nukes Chair, presenting "New Nuclear Power is a Losing Climate Solution," Get the handout here.

November 3, 2022 Featuring Kyla Maki, MT DEQ, covering updates on the state implementation of federal funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

October 6, 2022 Featuring Diego Rivas, Senior Policy Associate, Northwest Energy Coalition

September 1, 2022 Featuring Kristi Drake, Executive Director, Billings Trailnet

August 4, 2022 Featuring Michael Durglo Jr, Tribal Preservation Department Head of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, presenting "Indigenized models of climate adaptation: Biocultural restoration of whitebark pine forests by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes"

July 7, 2022 Featuring Dr. Beth Schenk, PhD, RN, FAAN, Executive Director, Environmental Stewardship, Providence, presenting "An Introduction to Decarbonizing Healthcare."

June 2, 2022 Featuring Dr. Tyler Hoecker, Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral Fellow with the University of Montana, presenting "Anticipating forests of the future in the northern Rockies"

May 5, 2022 Featuring Matt Madsen, Research Associate with the Western Transportation Institute, presenting “GoGallatin – Sustainable Transportation Solutions”

April 7, 2022 Featuring Peter McDonough, Climate Change Studies Program Director, University of Montana, presenting “How Not to Teach Climate Change.”

March 3, 2022 Featuring Emma Redfoot, Secretary and Board Member with Mothers for Nuclear on "The future of nuclear power in an evolving energy world".

February 3, 2022 Featuring Courtney Long, Assistant City Planner, Red Lodge, MT, Title: “Energy Conservation for Small Towns” Description: Small towns can make big progress toward climate resiliency, which Red Lodge is tackling with its 2018 Energy Conservation Plan.

January 6, 2022 Featuring David Strohmaier, Missoula County Commissioner and Chair of the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority on current and future initiatives to reestablish passenger rail across the state.

December 2, 2021 Featuring Steve Thompson and several of his colleagues from the National Center for Appropriate Technology discuss “Implementing the Montana Climate Solutions Plan”

November 4, 2021 Featuring Nate Bellinger, Senior Staff Attorney, Our Children's Trust, who discussed the current Held v. State of Montana lawsuit.

October 7, 2021 Featuring, Kyla Maki, Energy Resource Professional with MT DEQ, "Planning for Electric Vehicles in Montana.” Specifically Kyla covers: state funding for charging stations and vehicles; coordination with neighboring states; federal EV corridor designations, focused on interstates/highways in Montana; planned private investments in EV stations in Montana; and fuel tax and regulatory issues.

September 2, 2021 Featuring Peter Reynolds, Chair of the Bitterroot Climate Action Group (BCAG) & BCAG colleagues, "Starting the Conversation: Building Climate Resiliency in a Rural Community.” Please review this information at: https://bitterrootcag.org/our- science-primer/ which was written by a panel of scientists and local experts in 2020 to serve as a basis for starting climate resilience planning.

August 5, 2021 Featuring Bonnie Rouse, Section Supervisor, Energy Efficiency & Compliance Assistance, MT DEQ (https://deq.mt.gov/energy/ Programs/code), “Energy and Radon Code for New Construction: Implications for Enhancing Climate Resiliency and Improving Occupant Health.”

July 1, 2021 Featuring Amy Cilimburg from Climate Smart Missoula and Sarah Coefield, Missoula's Air Quality Specialist, impacts and ways to adapt to wildfire smoke. https://www.missoulaclimate.org/wildfire-smoke.html

June 3, 2021 Featuring Anne Hedges from MEIC , energy/climate-related laws passed from the most recent Montana legislative session.

May 6, 2021 Featuring: Carolyn Craven and Amy Rapp, “Great Falls Slaughterhouse Mega-Complex”

April 1, 2021 Featuring: Dr. Andrea Hamre, of the Western Transportation Institute and Vanessa Palmer of Streamline Bus

March 4, 2021 Featuring: Anne Hedges, MEIC

February 4, 2021 Featuring: Patrick Judge, Helena Sustainability Coordinator

January 7, 2021 Featuring: Karen Stears and Randy Hafer, Billings Energy & Conservation Commission

December 10, 2020 Featuring: Tom Woods

November 12, 2020 Featuring: Sen. Pat Flowers (SD32), Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell (HD84), and Rep. Christopher Pope (HD65)

September 10, 2020 Featuring: Steve Thompson, National Center for Appropriate Technology

July 9, 2020 Featuring: Tom Woods

June 4, 2020 Featuring: Constanza von der Pahlen and Adrian Leighton, Salish Kootenai College

May 7, 2020 Featuring: Tonya Graham, Geos Institute

April 2, 2020 Featuring: Michelle Archie, Harbinger Consulting

March 5, 2020 Featuring: Mary Sheehy Moe, City of Great Falls

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Resources and Publications

The Relationship Between Urban Form and GHG Emissions: A Primer for Municipal Decision Makers

Vermont's Roadmap to Resilience

Colorado Resiliency Framework

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Upcoming and Past Events

October 16, 2019: Institute on Ecosystems Rough Cut Science lecture "Creating Climate Resilient Communities"

October 3, 2019: Montana League of Cities and Towns 88th Annual Conference presentation "Creating Climate Resilient Communities"

Our Partners Include: