Tara Ritter - Successful Climate Policy Requires Rural Engagement

What’s Being Done? Rural Climate SolutionsTara Ritter, Program Associate

for climate and rural communities

Rural Climate Dialogues• Partnership between IATP and the

Jefferson Center to create community-driven climate adaptation plans in rural communities

• Dialogue locations:–Morris, MN– Grand Rapids, MN–Winona, MN

Rural Climate Dialogues• 3-day event to study local climate

impacts and outline how the community should respond

– “Citizen’s Jury” model gathers a demographically representative group of individuals

– Local speakers as trusted messengers– Focus on uniting, not dividing. All

perspectives welcome and encouraged

Rural Climate Dialogues• Priorities identified by each

community• Assistance provided to find funding to

implement recommendations

Rural Climate Dialogues• Goal to filter local recommendations

up to state and national level policy development

• Statewide convening planned for September 8 and 9

Rural Climate Network• 50 groups around the country

working on climate change from a rural perspective

• Information sharing network intended to elevate rural perspectives to inform state and national climate policy

• www.ruralclimatenetwork.org

Rural Climate Policy Priorities• High level policy recommendations in 9

areas:– Agriculture -Forestry – Conservation -Health– Education -Infrastructure– Energy -Recreation & Tourism– Fisheries

• http://www.ruralclimatenetwork.org/policy-priorities

Rural Climate Policy Priorities• Recommendations shaped

by these principles:– Resilient– Equitable– Diverse, Democratic and

Locally Determined– Transformative and Long

Term

• http://www.ruralclimatenetwork.org/policy-priorities

Thank you!

[email protected]