Methow Valley Citizens Council

DESCRIPTION:THIS AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING UNDER THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA) TO METHOW VALLEY CITIZENS COUNCIL. THE RECIPIENT WILL 1) BUILD CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCY THROUGHOUT OKANOGAN COUNTY USING THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN FRAMEWORK; 2) PROMOTE EQUITABLE POLLUTION MONITORING AND FUELS REDUCTION SOLUTIONS; AND 3) IN 2025, METHOW VALLEY CITIZENS COUNCIL AND PARTNERS WILL HOST AN AIR AND CLIMATE CONFERENCE IN NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON TO ENGAGE THE BROADER REGION AND PROCURE COMMITMENTS FROM LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ON ACTION ITEMS DIRECTLY RELATED TO STRENGTHENING CLIMATE RESILIENCY FOR VULNERABLE AND OVERBURDENED COMMUNITIES. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THIS WORK WILL INFORM, ENGAGE, AND DEEPEN CONNECTIONS BETWEEN OVERBURDENED AND VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON. ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE CONDUCTING 12 QUARTERLY FORUMS THROUGH THE 3-YEAR PERFORMANCE PERIOD TO ADVANCE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND SHARE RELEVANT EDUCATION AND COLLABORATION AROUND RURAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS; COORDINATING AND SUPPORTING A VOLUNTEER 'IMPLEMENTATION HUB', THAT PROVIDE GRANT SUPPORT, EVALUATION AND METRICS, AND NETWORKING TO ADVANCE CLIMATE ACTION PROJECTS; DISTRIBUTING 12 QUARTERLY NEWSLETTERS FOR RESILIENT METHOW OVER THE THREE-YEAR PERFORMANCE PERIOD; COORDINATING TARGETED OUTREACH AND COLLABORATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN IMPLEMENTING THE METHOW VALLEY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN; HIRING A SUMMER INTERN FOR RESILIENT METHOW; CONDUCTING 12 CHIPPING AND VEGETATION DRIVES OVER THE 3-YEAR PERFORMANCE PERIOD; RECRUITING TWO NEW CLEAN AIR AMBASSADORS TO THE CLEAN AIR AMBASSADOR NETWORK IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES IN OKANOGAN COUNTY CURRENTLY WITHOUT AN AIR QUALITY SENSOR WITHIN ~10 MILES; REPLACING 35 AGING PURPLE AIR SENSORS; DEVELOPING A DIRECT MAILER OUTREACH FOR PRESCRIBED BURNING OPERATIONS FOR LOCALLY AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON; DEVELOPING 'ALTERNATIVES TO BURNING' HANDOUTS AND OTHER MATERIAL FOCUSING ON WHY AND HOW PROPERTY OWNERS CAN REDUCE AIR POLLUTION AND BE PREPARED FOR WILDFIRE; SECURING A VENUE FOR AIR AND CLIMATE CONFERENCE; INVITING PARTNERS, INCLUDING OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, AGENCIES, AND BUSINESSES; SECURING KEYNOTE SPEAKER COMMITMENT FOR THE CONFERENCE; PLANNING ALL LOGISTICS: AUDIO-VISUAL, CATERING, RENTALS, DECORATION; ADVERTISING THE AIR AND CLIMATE CONFERENCE; COORDINATING OUTREACH MATERIALS; HOSTING AN AIR AND CLIMATE CONFERENCE.SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE: 40 RELIABLE LOW-COST SENSORS TO MONITOR PM2.5 POLLUTION; 13 QUARTERLY FORUMS FOCUSED ON IMPLEMENTING ACTIONS IN THE METHOW VALLEY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN (MVCAP); 18 WOOD CHIPPING AND VEGETATION DRIVE EVENTS OVER THREE YEARS; 1 REGIONAL AIR AND CLIMATE CONFERENCE. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS ENGAGED IN CLIMATE RESILIENCY AND AIR QUALITY ISSUES AND WORK IN THE COMMUNITY (~1,000 RESIDENTS); DECREASED AIR POLLUTION FROM OUTDOOR BURNING; CONVENING OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, PARTNERS, AND POTENTIAL NEW PARTNERS RESULTING FROM THE AIR AND CLIMATE CONFERENCE; NEW AIR POLLUTION MONITORS IN PREVIOUSLY UNMONITORED AREAS; DEEPER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT AIR POLLUTIONS AND CLIMATE SOLUTIONS OCCUR AS A RESULT OF AIR AND CLIMATE CONFERENCE. THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE LOCAL PARTNERS; COMMUNITY RESIDENTS; UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS IN OKANOGAN COUNTY; CITY, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT; MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AT INCREASED RISK FROM EXPOSURE TO WILDFIRE SMOKE AND AIR POLLUTION (E.G. ELDERS, CHILDREN, PREGNANT WOMEN); COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP; ATTENDEES OF THE AIR AND CLIMATE CONFERENCE.

DESCRIPTION: THE PURPOSE OF THIS AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDED COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT TO THE METHOW VALLEY CITIZEN'S COUNCIL IS TO ALLOW THE METHOW VALLEY CITIZENS COUNCIL TO CONTINUE ITS WORK TO ADDRESS AIR QUALITY CONCERNS WITHIN THE METHOW VALLEY RIVER BASIN RELATED TO PARTICULATE MATTER (PM) 2.5. ACTIVITIES: PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE CREATING OUTREACH MATERIALS, MEETING WITH AND TRAINING PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS AND SOCIAL SERVICES STAFF, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, AND GIVING PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS. OUTCOMES: ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE 200 AIR PURIFYING DEVICES FOR HOMES IN THE AREAS, THE CREATION OR OUTREACH MATERIALS AND EDUCATIONAL DISPLAYS, AND A BETTER-INFORMED NETWORK OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES PROVIDERS WHO WILL HAVE AN EFFICIENT SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY AT RISK HOUSEHOLDS AND BE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE THE AIR PURIFIERS TO THEM. SUBRECIPIENTS WILL BE HELPING AS CONSULTANTS ON OUTREACH AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, AS WELL AS THE TRANSLATION OF THE MATERIALS INTO SPANISH. SUBRECIPIENT: NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.

THIS PROJECT WILL FIND OUT HOW A COMMUNITY-BASED AIR MONITORING NETWORK OF PURPLE AIR MONITORS CAN BE USED BY THE COMMUNITY TO PROMOTE AIR QUALITY AWARENESS AND DRIVE BEHAVIORAL CHANGE TO PROTECT HEALTH DURING PROLONGED WILDFIRE SMOKE EPISODES. THE RESULTS WOULD LEAD TO THE CREATION OF A 'CLEAN AIR AMBASSADOR' PROGRAM TO MORE DIRECTLY SERVE THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS AND INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF WILDFIRE SMOKE RESILIENT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE RURAL WEST.