Climate Action, Adaptation, and Resiliency

Routt Climate Action Plan Logo
Routt County residents are witnessing climate change in various ways.  Average temperature has risen by two degrees in the past 30 years.  Snowpack is melting sooner and more quickly. Stream flows are diminished and water temperatures have climbed.  Wildfires are burning more acreage with higher intensity, and contributing to periods of poor air quality. All of these various effects have the potential to threaten our health, our economy, and our way of life; and those of future generations living in Routt County.

In 2019 Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed into law House Bill 1261 that committed the State to a series of greenhouse gas reductions, including a 26% reduction by 2025, 50% by 2030, and 90% by 2050 from 2005 levels.  At that time Routt County was partnering with the City of Steamboat Springs and YVSC to update the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory.  The new inventory compared data and trends between 2005 (the year data was collected for the former inventory) and 2018, and examined expected levels of GHG’s to the year 2050. The overall intent was to help inform potential future climate action planning on the part of Routt County, Steamboat Springs, and other local stakeholders. 
Recognizing that meeting state goals would require engagement of local government and stakeholders and in light of an updated GHG emissions inventory, the Project Management Team (PMT) that was assembled to complete the GHG Study moved forward (with support from elected officials) with development of a Climate Action Plan.  The same PMT also worked together to complete a City EV Readiness Plan, and Tourism Adaptation Study. 

Reducing GHG emissions across our county and meeting goals outlined within the plans is no small task.  Planning is the first step but fulfilling goals will require ongoing engagement and commitment from all Routt County residents.

Routt County Climate Action Collaborative

The Routt County Climate Action Collaborative was developed to provide a collaboration and implementation framework for the CAP through regional decision making and alignment. Local government partners recognize the need and benefit to implement best practices to reduce GHG emissions and draw down carbon levels in the atmosphere at the local and regional level.

Routt County Climate Action 

Collaborative Board

The Routt County Climate Action Collaborative provides an implementation framework for the Routt County Climate Action Plan.  Local government partners (towns of Yampa, Oak Creek and Hayden, the City of Steamboat Springs, and Routt County) have jointly developed and adopted the Routt County Climate Action Plan (CAP) in support of sustainability efforts which seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in accordance with sustainability goals, the GHG Study, and State goals and efforts.  

According to an Intergovernmental Agreement signed by Routt County and the five municipalities, the Collaborative is to be governed by a Board with no fewer than five and no more than eleven members, with five of the members representing local government.  The initial community representatives to the Board have been appointed to terms that result in staggered rotation of board members.  

There is an opening on the board for an at-large member beginning January 1, 2023.  If you are interested in applying for this position please refer to the following link and Board Application:

CAP Board Application

Adaptation and Resiliency

  1. Climate Action Plan (June 2021)
  2. Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Hanhs Peak Mountain with snow on peak