Climate Change Resilient, Floodwater Smart: Vermont looks to British Columbia for inspiration at 2015 Leahy Environmental Summit

Note to Reader:

Jan Lambert_120pThe article below was posted in the April 2015 issue of The Valley Green Journal. Written by Jan Lambert, Editor, it provides a snapshot of the 2nd biennial Leahy Environmental Summit. Held in Burlington, Vermont, this transformational event brought together 15 regional teams, consisting of over 160 thinkers and doers from across sectors to create innovative solutions to adapt to a changing climate.

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Plans move forward for Vermont watershed projects at the Leahy Summit

“Last week, US Senator Patrick Leahy sponsored the 2nd biennial Leahy Environmental Summit in Burlington, Vermont. Senator Leahy is the longest serving member (40 years) and dean Senator Patrick Leahy_120pof the United States Senate. His vision for this ‘convening for action’ event is that it will inspire social and structural resiliency for flooding and stormwater issues related to climate change.”

“Senator Leahy invited Kim Stephens of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia to speak about British Columbia’s experience in leading and managing change via inter-regional collaboration.”

“Teams representing distinct regional watersheds from throughout the state spent two days together, inspiring each other and holding up ‘golden innovations’ for all to use and model. State and Federal resources joined the conversation, lending gravity and political power to the conversations.”

“In this first step, town conversations and plans moved to regional, watershed based projects. Using BC as inspiration the next step will weave those regional projects and plans in a network of resiliency and sustainability for Vermont that is hoped to be a model for the rest of the country.”

British Columbia Experience

Kim Stephens_Vermont_Mar2015_narrow_500p“It was an honour to be invited to Vermont by the Senator and his Environmental Summit team to participate in this transformational process,” stated Kim Stephens in his opening comments. He is the Executive Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia.

“I appreciated the opportunity to observe history in the making, because that is what I believe it will prove to be. Speaking from experience, I predict that a decade from now the Summit team will be celebrating this milestone event and what it set in motion.”

To Learn More:

To read the complete story about the 2nd biennial Leahy Environmental Summit, click on ‘Climate Change Resilient, Floodwater Smart’ Stewardship: Convening for Action in Vermont.

To download a copy of the Agenda for this 2-day event, click on Climate Change Resilient, Floodwater Smart.

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