Montana Gov. Steve Bullock issued an executive order Monday morning establishing the Montana Climate Solutions Council — a group that will be tasked with providing options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and proactive methods for handling climate-change impacts statewide, the Governor’s Office said.

Bullock announced the creation of the council during a discussion with Montana youths regarding ways in which climate change is impacting various communities. The discussion was hosted by the Forward Montana Foundation, which aims to educate, engage and organize young Montanans to shape their democracy, according to the group’s website.

The council will provide “made-in-Montana recommendations and solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, prepare the state for climate impacts, and address the needs of communities in transition through appropriate economic development and workforce strategies,” according to the governor’s press release.

The council is the result of multiple discussions from the 2019 legislative session. Lawmakers, Montana residents and others batted around ideas and goals for tackling climate change in Montana and settled on the idea of the council. The group will consist of as many as 30 Montanans that will be appointed by Bullock and will represent different geographic areas, organizations and economies of the state.

“As the council comes together, we have to look at areas both large and small. We can’t leave communities behind,” Bullock said at the meeting.

Once formed, the group’s duties will include making recommendations toward achieving an interim goal of “net greenhouse gas neutrality for average annual electric loads in the state by no later than 2035.” Another goal is to reach “net-zero greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide” at a date to be determined by the council. Council members will coordinate with Montana universities to develop “science-driven, regionally relevant research on climate impacts facing Montana’s economy,” and more.

During the discussion with the Forward Montana Foundation, Bullock also announced Montana will be joining the U.S. Climate Alliance — a bipartisan coalition of governors committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Montana will join more than 20 other states that formed the alliance in response to President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement in 2017.

Many of the council’s tasks, including one to issue a Montana Climate Solutions Plan by June 1, 2020, will focus on furthering the state’s goals for the alliance. According to the executive order, the plan shall include strategies for expanding renewable energy generation, pursuing cost-effective generation sources, promoting alternative modes of transportation, and more.

The council will deliver the draft for the Climate Solutions Plan for public comment by Jan. 31, 2020.

Soon after Trump announced the U.S. would be pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, cities large and small across the nation embarked on their own independent plans for addressing climate change.

In April 2018, the city of Whitefish followed suit by adopting a Climate Action Plan. According to the 129-page document, Whitefish was already experiencing the impacts of climate change at that time of the adoption as Northwest Montana had warmed 2.5 degrees on an average annual basis since the 1950s, leading to earlier snow melts, aggressive fire seasons, and other natural phenomenons, the plan points out.

“Whitefish residents will experience impacts to our health, our infrastructure, and our favorite recreational activities, such as skiing, hiking and fishing. However, Whitefish can minimize negative effects and create new opportunities by looking ahead and taking action,” the plan reads.

The plan was formed by a Climate Action Plan Committee, appointed by Mayor John Muhlfeld in December 2016. The committee was selected in January 2017 and was charged to work with city staff and the nonprofit Climate Smart Glacier Country to “evaluate the city’s energy use and propose specific projects, benchmarks and other recommendations to conserve energy in the city,” and more. All meetings regarding the plan were open to the public.

And the goals and targets of that subsequent Whitefish plan are ambitious.

By 2050, the city hopes to become carbon neutral by ending reliance on fossil fuels and increasing carbon storage methods. The plan also outlines strategies for supporting public transit, expanding water conservation practices, supporting local food production and promoting land conservation and management.

“The Climate Action Plan is just one step in the process of addressing the effect of climate change on our community. We hope this plan inspires further action, such as a greenhouse gas inventory and climate action plan for the community as a whole, rather than just for city operations. And we hope to assist and support other communities in the region in developing their own climate action plans,” the plan states.

Currently, the city of Whitefish is the only incorporated city in Flathead County with an action plan in place.

Reporter Kianna Gardner can be reached at 758-4439 or kgardner@dailyinterlake.com