Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP)

Station 2Ashland’s Climate Vulnerability City of Ashland Climate and Energy Action Plan Open HouseAshland’s climate vulnerability A series of community workshops revealed the following socioeconomic vulnerabilities in Ashland to climate change impacts: • Outdoor workers, elders, and low-income populations will be vulnerable to severe heat. • Elders, especially disabled and low-income individuals , disproportionately affected by severe heat, smoke, and storms. • People with mental illness are especially susceptible to impacts from heat and natural disasters. • Seasonal and service industry workers at risk from all aspects of climate change that affect their lineup of jobs over the year. • Hydropower availability may change due to reduced snowpack and stream flow, drought, and flooding.• Low-income residents, especially young children, at risk from extreme heat, smoke, and increased vector- and food-borne disease. Higher water and electricity costs and need for air conditioning could be significant burden. • Homeless residents will have little adaptive capacity when conditions become more extreme than usual. • Roads bordering rivers and streams, and in valley bottoms , as well as unstable slopes at risk from increased frequency of large storms.• Local reservoirs exposed to more severe storms and larger precipitation events. • People with asthma, respiratory and heart disease impacted by smoke and ozone. • Low-income populations at risk from heat, smoke, and larger storms. • Health care providers, emergency response staff at increased risk with more extreme events. • Rafting and other river-related recreatio n industries impacted by water quality, low flow, and smoke. • Tourism-based economy affected by changes in natural beauty, smoke, severe heat, drought, water quality issues, and unpredictable seasons. • Mount Ashland ski area may experience reduced snowpack for winter recreation. Will need to consider shifting to other sports and activities.• Human health at risk from smoke, vector- and water- borne disease, and increased use of pesticides due to mosquito spraying and agricultural pests. • Emergency response and evacuation to become more difficult and frequent due to increase in natural disasters and closure of evacuation routes during storms. • Agricultural production expected to decline with less reliable seasonality and more uncertainty in harvest dates and length of seasons. • Local agriculture will become stressed from pests, disease, drought, greater competition for water and land, and lower productivity from climate change. • Roads, buildings, bridges, and real estate at risk from wildfires, floods, and heat impacts. With increased temperatures and smoke, biking and walking will become hazardous, making more people rely on vehicles. Culverts and road crossings often not built to sufficient flood standards. • Municipal water supply expected to see greater demand and lower supply due to higher temperatures and reduced snowpack.• SOU students highly mobile, connected. Most affected from poor air quality during fall sports, severe heat without air conditioning in late summer, and flooding associated with severe storms. • Firefighters at increased risk from fire as more homes are at risk and fires become more frequent. • Local creeks already affected by E. coli and algae likely to get worse, but management options exist to reduce impacts. • Stormwater infrastructure at risk from larger storms.• Landscaping (SOU, parks, homes, etc.) exposed to changing conditions, water restrictions, extreme temperatures. Over time, trees could die and new types of trees and plants will need to be planted. Drought-resistant and fire-resistant plants not always compatible. SOU’s irrigation systems out-of-date.Sensitivity and Exposure HIGH MEDIUM LOWAdaptive Capacity LOW MEDIUM HIGH