12/13/2025
From Peter McNamee
Supervisors Consider Climate Change 2026 Legislative Platform
Tuesday, December 16th Board Meeting
At its last meeting, the Board of Supervisors stripped climate change from the County’s Legislative Platform. It took that action at the request of the County Executive Officer, in order to avoid conflict with the Trump administration.
Several environmentalists in Mendocino County objected to the acton, arguing the County’s Legislative Platform should reflect the interest of Mendocino County residents, not the Trump administration.
Next Tuesday, (December 16th) the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors will take action on a proposal by Supervisor Williams (agenda item 4l) to amend the language in the County’s state and federal legislative platform to recognize the negative impacts climate change is having on Mendocino County and to urge state and federal legislative action to provide resources and action to mitigate, remediate and adapt to the impacts and challenges climate change poses in our county.
Attached at the end of this email is a copy of the proposed climate change legislative platform, supported by Climate Action Mendocino and the GrassRoots Institute’s Climate Crisis Workgroup, that Supervisor Williams will proposed the Board adopt to restore Climate Change Action to the County’s legislative platform.
Environmentalists Need To Speak Loudly NOW!
If you are concerned about local, state and federal action to address climate change, please contact County Supervisors and impress upon them the need to have a strong and effective climate change agenda as part of the County’s state and federal legislative platform for 2026.
Here are email address for County Supervisors:
Supervisor John Haschak - [email protected]
Supervisor Madeline Cline - [email protected]
Supervisor Mo Mulheren - [email protected]
Supervisor Bernie Norvell - [email protected]
Supervisor Ted Williams - [email protected]
In addition, please make a public comment expressing your support for climate change action. You can submit a comment electronically by accessing the Tuesday, December 16, 2025 agenda and clicking on “eComment” for the December 16th meeting. Here is the link to the agenda:
https://mendocino.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
Alternatively, you can attend the Board of Supervisors meeting next Tuesday and make a comment in person, when the County’s Legislative Platform agenda item is addressed by the Board.
Or, you can participate in the discussion via the internet using the following zoom access information:
Zoom Link: https://mendocinocounty.zoom.us/j/87065930179
Zoom Phone Number (if joining via telephone): 1 669 900 9128 ; Zoom Webinar ID: 870 6593 0179
Supervisior Williams will ask the Board to adopt the following 2026 Climate Change Legislative Platform:
Proposed Amendments to 2026 Mendocino County Legislative Platform
On page 13, substitute the following language for what was titled “Climate Resilience & Renewable Energy”
Climate Change
ISSUE: With a population density of 26 people per square mile and over 3,500 square miles of mountainous terrain (including 129 miles of rugged coastline), Mendocino County’s rural economy lacks adequate resources to overcome the climate change challenges it confronts.
Climate change is driven by environmental degradation from pollution and green house gas emissions globally. And while Mendocino County forests and ecosystems sequester more global warming carbon emissions than the county emits, it shoulders a disproportionate burden from the negative climate change impacts of global warming driven sea level rise, wildfires, flooding, severe storms, heat waves and droughts.
Per FEMA’s Risk Index, Mendocino County is in the 95.1 national percentile of at risk areas and has a “very high” social vulnerability. The highest hazard ratings are wildfire (97.3), drought (99.4), earthquake (98.4), landslide (99.5), and riverine flooding (96.0). In recent years, climate related hazards continue to be experienced throughout the County - from the 2017 firestorm through the severe winter storm flooding of 2023.
As a low income rural region with constrained economic capacity, Mendocino County needs state and federal assistance to remediate global warming impacts and adapt to the new environmental conditions climate change imposes.
STATE & FEDERAL ACTION
Support legislation and funding to modernize rural county zoning, permitting and enforcement activities that expedite transitioning to affordable homes & business that optimize climate change adaptations to improve community wellbeing.
Support expansion of affordable solar on home and business roof tops and spaces to increase decentralized electricity grids and increase generation capacity as well as energy security.
Support state and federal funding for rural remediation and redevelopment of environmental open spaces to increase solar & wind energy production as well as lower energy use by creating shade and natural cooling environments where people live and work.
Support state and federal funding subsidies to retrofit homes and small businesses for energy conservation to lower housing and business operating costs and increase affordability.
Support state and federal funding subsidies to transition to convenient, affordable and robust public electric bus services in rural communities.
Support investments in rural and tribal climate change resiliency, mitigation and adaptation governance decision-making.
Advocate for electric grid reliability investments utilizing local net zero energy resources.
Advocate for energy conservation and efficient local government facilities, with a focus on rural counties.
Support energy technology that facilitates energy conservation, efficiency, and greenhouse gas emission reductions.
Advocate for an expedited transition to transportation based on net zero carbon emission renewable fuels, charging/fueling infrastructure and zero emission vehicles.
Support actions for decarbonization technologies and infrastructure to help rural communities build resilience and adapt to emerging climate change challenges.
Support incentivizes to advance energy solutions aimed at reducing emissions and generating economic benefits for Mendocino County.
Support state and federal action to compensate Mendocino County and its residents from harm caused by global climate change and provide resources to successfully adapt to changing environmental conditions.
Support research and analysis of net zero emission energy technology; streamline and eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles in the review, permitting and implementation processes; increase investment in critical climate change adaptation infrastructure, and increase stakeholder involvement in shaping climate change solutions.
Support programs that promote and enhance carbon capture.
Support localized water storage system solutions, including rainwater catchment, that efficiently and effectively manage water resources in order to improve public and environmental outcomes.
Support action and resource allocation for rural county sea level rise planning, mitigation and adaptation.
Support legislation to capture and store carbon utilizing net zero emissions healthy forest management initiatives.
Advocate for funding to rural counties, Tribal Nations and cities to implement climate change adaptation plans and projects.
Advocate for state & federal funding to relocate residences and business to safer locations when climate change disaster hazards pose a threat to people and properties.
Support increased investment in local job training opportunities with the goal of increasing skilled laborers qualified to consult, design, and install affordable renewable forms of energy production.
DISASTER PREVENTION, RECOVERY, RESILIENCY & MITIGATION
Between the two bullets which read:
Support increased, flexible funding for local disaster preparedness, hazard mitigation, and recovery programs.
Streamline state regulatory requirements for housing, infrastructure, and mitigation projects, especially post-disaster, by expanding exemptions, fast-tracking permits, and reducing red tape
Insert:
Advocate for a study on safe, sustainable, waterless sanitation practices to address urgent post-disaster sanitation needs and support long-term solutions to the housing crisis.
