A Climate Resilience Forum

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The State of Minnesota envisions our state as carbon-neutral, resilient, and equitable. To get there, we all have a role to play, and state agencies can’t do it alone. Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program supports Minnesota coastal communities in our common efforts to be resilient. Communities, businesses, and the natural environment can prepare, respond to, and recover from the impacts of climate change. You, your organization, and your community are invited to join us to achieve a shared vision.

Stay engaged with this Forum to find inspiration, helpful resources, and share your successes and challenges with colleagues around the region.

Inspiration

See examples of resilience work happening in the region:

Training

Online, instructor-led

Self-guided

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Office for Coastal Management (NOAA) provides free, devoted training curriculum for all staff working in coastal states. Visit the Digital Coast Training website for a complete list and details. If you wish to request a NOAA training course be held in-person at your Minnesota location, please contact us and we’ll help make it happen.

  • Funding and Financing Coastal Resilience; Building Capacity in Communities to Access Funding; In many coastal communities, particularly those that are small or under-resourced, it can be difficult to identify, access, and administer the funding necessary to invest in coastal resilience. This is an opportunity to hear from two organizations working with communities to overcome these barriers to funding and financing resilience projects. Register here.
    • Tuesday, June 21, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (central)
  • Nature-Based Shoreline Approaches in Cold Climates; This (free) webinar focuses on how cold climate regions are advancing the science and use of nature-based shoreline approaches. Save the date! Registration coming soon!
    • July 13, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
  • Funding Opportunities for Nature-Based Solutions in the Great Lakes; This (free) webinar will help you gain a better understanding of funding opportunities and resources for Great Lakes communities that support nature-based solutions. Save the date! Registration coming soon!
    • July 14, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (central)
  • Principles of Quality Climate Adaptation Training;This training (sponsored by American Society of Adaptation Professionals) will share tools, strategies, and actions to help ensure effective, equitable, and ethical climate change adaptation. Cost is $30 to non-members. Register here.
    • August 24, 11:00a.m. - 1:30 p.m. (central)
    • November 30
  • ELI Summer School 2022; This seminar series will be taught by experts in their fields, offering introduction to legal and policy foundations of environmental protection in the United States. This training series is hosted by Environmental Law Institute and offered free and open to everyone. Registration for individual sessions is required.
    Summer School Series
    • June 16: Basics of the Clean Water Act
    • June 23: Basics of Land Use and Energy Law
    • June 30: Basics of the Clean Air Act
    • July 14: Law & Policy of Products Regulation
    • July 21: Hazardous Waste and Sites
    • July 28: Environmental Justice
  • Seven Best Practices for Risk Communication; This training introduces participants to the techniques most useful for effective communication about coastal hazards.
    • Aug. 24, 2:00-3:30 p.m. (central).
  • Funding and Finance Coastal Resilience Webinars; This recorded webinar series builds foundational knowledge about funding and financing approaches used to support coastal resilience activities. Experts demystify this complex topic by sharing traditional and emerging approaches, project examples, and lessons learned. Three recorded webinars, 90-minutes total: The Basics, Spotlight on Environmental Impact Bonds, and Spotlight on Community Development Financial Institutions.
  • Introduction to Lidar; This three-hour course is designed for those curious about what Lidar is and why it is useful for management decisions, provides quick and flexible access to topics needed to understand the Lidar landscape. Continuing education credits for the American Institute of Certified Planners and one-hour certificate for Certified Floodplain Manager professional certifications.
  • Working with Lidar; You will learn to quickly determine which Lidar data products are needed for your project. Easily locate Lidar data. See typical projects and the Lidar products needed for your region. Two modules are available: 1) Define and Decide and 2) Identify Lidar-derived products.
  • A Seat at the Table: Training for Whole-Community Climate Resilience Planning; This three-hour training is designed to help coastal resilience planning practitioners incorporate the needs and perspectives of socially vulnerable populations into resilience planning using inclusive, community-driven processes. The resource provides helpful checklists, visuals, and examples, and an overview of whole-community planning with resources for identifying and engaging socially vulnerable populations.
  • Risk Communication Essentials for More Effective Conversations; This six-minute training offers risk communication essentials for improved conversations about coastal hazards.
Community Resources

Please explore these resources and share with community members who may benefit and use.

For everyone:

Especially for educators:

Especially for Lake Superior property owners:

  • This 32-page resource guide for Lake Superior property owners is a resource to help minimize coastal shoreline erosion. Information about the natural processes of coastal erosion and methods to minimize coastal shoreline erosion impacts are included.

Especially for community staff and leaders:

Stay Engaged
  • Do you have a project or community success, a new tool created, or an idea that may help another community in the region? Please let us know.
  • Do you have a particular challenge to discuss with colleagues in the region?
  • Contact us. We will always try to help.  
  • Local impacts, State of Minnesota actions, and community solutions are highlighted on Our Minnesota Climate  website. Minnesota is taking action on climate change and there is a place for everyone to participate. Check out the DRAFT Climate Action Framework, and find opportunities and actions for your community.
  • Join CHAOS, a community of practice for sharing knowledge and resources about natural hazards that affect Lake Superior’s coastal communities. Email Sarah Brown to join the mailing list and be informed about regional coastal hazards information and resources.
  • Attend Twin Ports Climate Conversations, quarterly conversations with topics focusing on perspectives of climate change impacts, adaptation responses, and opportunities for mitigation and resilience. These conversations are made possible with partnership and collaboration. Join the conversation! Sign up to receive notice of events: Twin Ports Climate Conversations
References from the February 9, 2022 Forum