Citizen’s Climate Lobby of the Palouse is spreading awareness about climate change by encouraging the community to participate in the Pullman Climate Change Survey, which is open to the public through October. 

The survey will help guide local climate change options and provide a space for people to share their opinions. Participants will remain anonymous, and the data collected will be shared with Pullman city leaders, said CCL volunteer Judy Meuth. 

The survey is the first to be released locally and is the only one being sent this year, she said. 

Some of the main concerns on the Palouse include changing water flow and ecosystems and increasing heat spikes. Summer temperatures are rising, and winters are having less snow. The decrease in snow melt creates less moisture during the summer and spring months, which heavily impacts the Pullman agriculture community, Meuth said. 

“When we have things that are happening in our local region or globally that affect our local region, we’re damaging our own ability to live,” Meuth said. “[Sometimes] it feels like we’re not necessarily dependent on the environment, but we are down to the last thing we use.”

The goal of the survey is to help give the City of Pullman a better understanding of what action should be taken against climate change and who should be involved, Meuth said. 

Volunteers sent the survey to church groups, local clubs, WSU, school districts and media sources, she said.

CCL is volunteer-based and has partnered with over 2,000 climate change lobby groups across the country. Volunteers have also been working with City Administrator Mike Urban, city council members and WSU to help produce the survey, Meuth said. 

CCL first started working with the City of Pullman in 2018 and released its first set of goals and priorities in August of 2018, according to the Pullman Ward 3 website.

Other organizations such as Palouse Conservation District are also encouraging the community to get involved and take action against climate change. 

The district is partnered with CCL and with other local organizations to help promote conservation in the Palouse area. However, it is not directly involved with the survey, said PCD director Jennifer Boie. 

“Partnership is one of the main things that we do to try to identify what gaps are out there for conservation needs and how we can all work together to better meet the needs of the community,” Boie said. 

People who are interested in conservation efforts and want to get involved with conservation can volunteer for local organizations, which rely heavily on volunteers to make a change. 

“We do a lot to organize volunteers and try to provide an enriching experience for them so that they can learn something about why conservation is important,” Boie said. “[They can] also give back to the local community and participate in making the ecosystem healthy.”

People who are interested in getting involved can visit the following websites:

• Washington State Conservation Commission
• Washington Department of Ecology
• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute 
• The Phoenix Conservancy
• The Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association
• Citizen’s Climate Lobby of the Palouse
• Palouse Conservation District