The 18 community panelists identified the following actions the community can take collectively to help address challenges and realize opportunities.
- Consider home, business, or public space strategies to promote water retention instead of runoff – such as semi-permeable parking and walkway surfaces, rain gardens, native plantings, and protecting your nearby storm sewer from taking in pollutants and debris.
- Support and develop land use policies that prepare for extremes: Limit development in floodplains, the overuse of water supplies, and other activities that will increase costs for everyone. Physically or financially, flooding and water scarcity will affect all of us.
- Look to new opportunities for agricultural production that lessen the impact on the environment.
- Slow runoff, increase infiltration, and improve efficiency of water use.
- Pursue Guaranteed Energy Savings Plan (GESP), which provides financial and technical assistance for public retrofits and distributed energy generation.
- Milk The Savings, Dairy Energy Efficiency Program: CERTs can walk farmers through the possibilities for farm energy efficiency upgrades, as well as answer questions about improved energy efficiency. Additionally, CERTs can help farmers consider options for renewable energy.
- Address knowledge gaps: Promote awareness of “storm chasers” (who charge more than is necessary for repairs after storms); identify local, trusted contractors; and promote education about policy that allows insurances companies to create high-risk insurance pools.
- Prepare for extremes: Limit development in floodplains, the overuse of water supplies, and other activities that will increase costs for everyone. Physically or financially we will all be affected by flooding and water scarcity.
- Pursue Guaranteed Energy Savings Plan for public retrofits and distributed energy generation to receive comprehensive technical and financial assistance for state agencies, local government units, school districts, and institutions of higher learning to reduce the knowledge and finance barriers to implementing energy efficiency projects.
- Participate in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program. Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge, assistance, and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability and qualityof-life goals. This free continuous improvement program, managed by a public-private partnership, is based upon 29 best practices.
- Develop land use policies that strengthen water quality and invest in infrastructure improvements.
- Develop land use policies and practices that strengthen water quality, invest in infrastructure improvements, and support beginning and existing farmers in looking to new opportunities and adopting new practices.
- Support programs that provide assistance (NRCS, SWCD, MDA, watershed groups) that aid in production and profitability for agricultural producers.
- Seek technical and financial assistance to assess public land and practices on a community-scale.
- Support research, outreach, and education among farmers and consumers, allowing farmers to adopt new practices.
Back to learning about the Winona County Climate Dialogue!