President Obama charged the State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience with developing recommendations on ways the federal government can remove barriers to resilient investments, modernize federal grant and loan programs to better support local efforts, and develop the information and tools needed to prepare for climate change.

Two-thirds of the local officials on the Task Force are ICLEI USA members and/or signatories to the Resilient Communities for America (RC4A) agreement, the nation’s resilience leadership campaign driven by mayors, city councilmembers, and county officials. As a result, the Resilient Communities for America partners developed the Federal Policy Initiative to generate new insights on federal climate preparedness policy in the realms of disaster preparedness, built systems, natural resources/agriculture, and human health/community development. The goal of the initiative is to enable the participation of a broad group of local leaders in the Administration’s climate change activities, and to enhance the overall outcomes of the Task Force.

The partners sought input from Resilient Communities for America Signatories, ICLEI USA members, and NLC members over several months. Through an online survey and several workshops, we received input from approximately 100 elected officials and staff members. The nine recommendations that follow summarize the results of this outreach effort and offer ways to modernize federal programs and resource offerings so they better support local preparedness and resilience to climate change and
extreme weather