Across Wisconsin, communities face the threat of devastating flooding caused by frequent and severe storms. And due to climate change, state experts predict these events will become more common and costly in coming decades.
Now, thanks to executive action by Governor Tony Evers, the state's most vulnerable and historically marginalized populations – communities of color, Tribal Nations, and low-income residents – will receive increased support and resources to reduce their risk to these disasters.
Signed on Earth Day, the order creates an Office of Environmental Justice supported by a chief resilience officer to address communities' climate vulnerabilities, the first such entity in the Midwest. The new office will also be responsible for making state programs that support community resilience more effective so that our homes, livelihoods, and community assets like schools and roads are better prepared and less vulnerable to flooding.
Please take action and tell Governor Evers how much you appreciate his leadership to help all Wisconsinites prepare for and withstand the impacts of flooding and other climate-driven disasters.
Dear Governor Evers,
Thank you for your leadership to protect Wisconsin communities most vulnerable to flooding and other climate-change driven disasters. As research has shown, the consequences of these events have a disproportionate impact on marginalized populations, including communities of color, Tribal Nations, and low-income residents. Your executive order to create an Office of Environmental Justice, supported by a chief resilience officer, will help communities prepare for and withstand the impacts of these devastating events.
Flooding affects all sectors of our economy and society and requires resources and expertise from many state agencies and programs. Your Administration's efforts to improve cross-agency collaboration and engage diverse stakeholders will enable communities like mine to access new resources and data to develop comprehensive, forward-looking risk reduction strategies. And since flood waters do not respect community boundaries, neighboring towns will be better able to coordinate efforts to mitigate the impacts of different land use decisions.
In-state experts anticipate that flood events will become more prevalent and severe in coming decades. These new policies are an important step to ensuring that Wisconsin residents, including those most often left behind, will benefit from new strategies and projects that protect their homes, livelihoods, communities, and environment.
Thank you again for your leadership on this critical issue.
Sincerely,
[name]
