HomeMy WebLinkAboutMayoral Endorsement - Critical Climate Conference
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Mayoral Endorsement M
• Extending from the rim of Crater bake at some 6,000 feet down to the ocean at
Gold Beach, the Rogue Basin experiences a wide range of climates and supports f `
an equally wide range of natural biological communities of plants and animals.
• This beautiful Basin also supports a wide diversity of wildlife, forestry, and
agricultural crops - all dependent on this climate. ~
• The climate at Medford, lying in the heart of the Basin and thus representative
s _ of it in terms of climate patterns, tells the story of century long climate trends _
across the region.
• Over the last century NOAA's National Weather Service office data for Medford
show us undeniable trends.
' • The main observed trends are: increasing temperature (nearly 2 degrees F),
increasing number of heatwave days over 100 degrees F (from 7 to 10),
decreasing snowfall (down fifty percent) resulting in reduced high elevation
snowpack and diminished late summer stream flow.
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• This, combined with early snowmelt, causes late summer/fall water shortage and G
greater drought risk - in turn leading to higher fire risk. f .
• These trends pose serious threats to many attributes of our Basin that make it a
desirable place to live.
• It behooves residents of the Basin not only to understand the trends and their
" consequences, but also to consider what we can all do to minimize impacts"' -
while also adjusting behaviors that might be making the problem worse.
To understand and address these concerns, I, John Stromberg, Mayor of the City of l
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i Ashland, do hereby endorse the October conference, "Our Critical Climate: Trends,
- R Impacts & Solutions - a Rogue Basin Summit," organized by Southern Oregon Climate i ,
Action Now and encourages residents of the Basin to attend and participate.
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Dated this 4th day of August, 2015
John Str berg, Mayor
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arbara Christensen, City Recorder
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