Related Organizations
| Initiatives and Work Groups |
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Western Governors have adopted resolutions that specifically speak to Regional and National Policies Regarding Global Climate Change and Supporting the Integration of Climate Change Adaptation Science in the West. They are addressing these issues through a number of programs and initiatives. In their policy resolution 09-2 Western Governors called for the formation of a Climate Adaptation Work Group whose purpose is to 1) determine appropriate uses of climate adaptation modeling in informing natural resource and economic infrastructure planning and policies, and 2) to identify and fill existing gaps in climate adaptation efforts within WGA. This work group may also review current and future climate legislation to assess the impact to states and their efforts to adapt to a changing climate and report their findings to the WGA Staff Council. The Work Group is currently composed of representatives from WGA projects related to water, wildlife, forests and air quality. WGA has a broad-based energy program that over the years has included the identification of Western Renewable Energy Zones, developing policies and best practices for energy efficient buildings, and deploying near-zero emission technologies for coal. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy and WGA jointly launched the WREZ initiative. Stakeholders were brought together to identify those areas with vast renewable resources in the 11 states, two Canadian provinces, and areas in Mexico that are part of the Western Interconnection to expedite the development and delivery of renewable energy to where it is needed. In June 2009, the Governors released the Western Renewable Energy Zones – Phase 1 Report, which mapped high quality, developable renewable resource areas. DOE has awarded WGA $12 million to continue its work by expanding upon resource assessments and transmission planning. Wildfires have always been part of the Western landscape, however, America’s wildfire environment has changed. Forests are denser and unhealthier and the climate is hotter and dryer. These factors have contributed to the increasing frequency of large fires and increasing costs. Forest fragmentation and the rapid expansion of the wildland-urban interface have also complicated the management of landscapes and wildfires. The Governors’ Forest Health Advisory Committee was formed to address a wide range of issues, including sustainable forest management, forest mortality from insects and diseases, and a need to increase the awareness of the use of woody biomass for energy production. The committee is working towards finding solutions to the devastation occurring in our Western forests. Since the late 1980s, Western Governors have worked collaboratively with the Department of Energy to develop a comprehensive transportation safety program for shipments of radioactive materials to temporary and permanent storage sites, such as the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) located near Carlsbad, New Mexico. By bringing an extraordinary level of care and attention to every detail of each shipment, Western Governors hope to ensure their primary objective of “safe and uneventful” shipments will be met. This objective is reflected in several policy resolutions Western Governors have adopted over the years to help guide states during the planning and implementation phases of the transportation safety program's development. Regional Biomass Energy Program WGA’s Western Regional Biomass Energy Program is promoting the increased use of bioenergy and biobased products through the conversion of biomass residuals from forest health projects and commercial agriculture. Biomass is plant matter such as trees, grasses, agricultural crops, and other living plant material and residues. The Biomass Energy program focuses on policy development, outreach and technical assistance. The Western Governors’ Association is also a member of the National Bioenergy Partnership.
Transportation fuels are the major component of our energy portfolio. Of the 20 million barrels of petroleum consumed each day in the United States, 68 percent is used in the transportation sector. The Western states are in position to become key producers and beneficiaries in the emerging alternative-fuels economy. We have abundant resources that have great potential as domestic sources for transportation fuels. In 2008, the Western Governors accepted a report and passed a resolution reaffirming their commitment to developing and diversifying the region's transportation fuels portfolio. The Governors also formed the WGA Transportation Fuels Council to oversee implementation of the report. In June 2009, the Council delivered another report to the Governors describing state and regional programs that are being pursued.
Through its Water Strategies program, the WGA works closely with its affiliate organization, the Western States Water Council, and all interested stakeholders in advancing water supply and water management strategies for a sustainable future. Two recent reports, Water Needs and Strategies for a Sustainable Future (2006) and Next Steps (2008) concluded that there is substantial stress on the water sector today even in the absence of climate change. There are many watersheds that are already over-appropriated, and new stresses are coming from population growth, land use changes and water needs for in-stream uses. These reports include consensus recommendations for how the Western states can work with federal, local, and private sector partners to address these challenges. Other water-related issues WGA and WSWC are jointly addressing are drought management, "Good Samaritan" cleanup of abandoned mines, Indian water rights and agricultural water transfers.
The Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP) is a voluntary partnership of states, tribes, federal land managers, local air agencies and the US EPA whose purpose is to understand current and evolving regional air quality issues in the West.
To accomplish this, WRAP develops, maintains, and shares databases, supports technical analyses, and provides access to data and results from various information sources to produce consistent, comparable, and complete results for use by individual WRAP member jurisdictions and agencies. The WRAP is administered by the Western Governors' Association and operates under WGA Policy Resolution 08-17,"Western Air Quality".
The Western Governors Wildlife Council was created in June 2008 to coordinate and oversee implementation of the recommendations made in WGA’s Wildlife Corridors initiative report. The Council’s goal and primary tasks are to “identify key wildlife corridors and crucial wildlife habitats in the West, and conserve these lands—and the vast wildlife species that depend upon them—for future generations.” The mission of the WGWC, consistent with WGA policy, is to identify key wildlife corridors and crucial wildlife habitats in the West and to develop and coordinate implementation of needed policy options and tools for conserving those landscapes. WGA also is working with 11 states and a broad-based group of stakeholders in their efforts to conserve Greater Sage Grouse populations. One aspect of that work is developing comprehensive information on state efforts and sharing success stories. |
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