Weather and Climate Risk

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.

Energy and Transmission

WGA has a broad-based energy program that over the years has included the Clean and Diversified Energy Initiative, identification of Western Renewable Energy Zones, developing policies and best practices for energy efficient buildings, and deploying near-zero emission technologies for coal.   In 2010, the Governors, Western Interstate Energy Board and Western Electricity Coordinating Council launched the Regional Transmission Expansion Project to analyze transmission requirements under a broad range of alternative energy futures and to develop long-term, interconnection-wide transmission expansion plans.  Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, this project will provide valuable information to state and federal policy/decision makers, citizens, and the private sector in determining the need and potential location for new transmission. It will also facilitate all levels of participation in the project planning and permitting processes.

Forest Health and Wildfire

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.


 Radioactive Waste Transportation

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 for the Future

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.

Clean, Reliable Water Supplies for the West

Through its Clean, Reliable Water Supplies 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.

Western Regional Air Partnership

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.

These issues include but are not limited to:

• Implementation and future planning for the Regional Haze Rule;
• Air quality issues related to ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen deposition and critical loads, mercury, and other pollutants;
• Emissions sources from all sectors, both domestic and international;
• Effects of air pollution transport; and
• Effects of climate change on regional air quality.

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".

Wildlife Corridors and Crucial Habitat

The Western Governors Wildlife Council, at the direction of the Governors, is developing policies and tools to assist states in identifying and conserving crucial wildlife habitat and corridors across the region. While individual states are compiling information within their borders, they also are working with neighboring states to improve the regional understanding of areas important to wildlife to better inform land use planning efforts. Several states have released wildlife mapping tools that will become the foundation for displaying crucial wildlife and corridor information across the region. In addition to helping states establish their individual CHATs, the Wildlife Council is creating a regional CHAT to provide an informed and continually updated picture of crucial wildlife habitat across the West.