Climate Smart Communities Climate Vulnerability Assessment & Adaptation Plan RFQ

The Village of Saranac Lake (VSL), in partnership with the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) is soliciting proposals to create a Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Climate Adaptation Plan for our community. The VSL, ANCA, and the Climate Action Advisory Board will manage the development and dissemination of these documents which will include vulnerable populations and infrastructure; regional climate impacts; and climate-ready solutions so that the VSL may continue to lead the North Country in the CSC and CEC programs. Diverse local voices will be included in preparedness planning; our community will be informed and prepared for climate change; policy and strategic planning will include climate resilience and adaptation; and the village will be competitively positioned for continued grant funding for implementation projects to achieve silver certification.

Climate Vulnerability Assesment

• Research relevant studies of climate change to identify hazards and impacts

• Identify assets and systems in the community including community infrastructure, socio-economic assets and systems, and natural and working lands

• Assess vulnerabilities of each asset or system including exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity.

• Identify vulnerable populations, including underrepresented and marginalized populations, and assess how these populations will be impacted by current and future hazards.

• Prepare a summary of all previous tasks

• Conduct public engagement session to share information with the public and gather feedback. One public workshop and one public survey is proposed.

• Prioritize assets, systems and vulnerabilities.

• Develop a report of vulnerability assessment findings and establish a timeline for re-assessing vulnerabilities.

Deliverables: Climate Vulnerability Assessment draft (one) and final (one); One in-person public workshop; one online public survey.

Climate Adaptation Plan

• Establish a leadership team, participatory engagement process and framework

• It is assumed the Climate Adaptation Plan project coordination would be combined with the Climate Vulnerability Assessment coordination.

• Develop a place narrative

• Conduct a socioeconomic survey

• Conduct an ecosystem survey

• Describe the history of extreme storms or extreme weather events

• Identify underlying threats, risks, barriers and challenges

• Identify any data gaps and explicitly state any other unknowns and uncertainties

• Incorporate climate change vulnerability assessment (Task 2)

• Develop community future scenarios

• Conduct participatory simulations

• Develop a shared community vision

• Develop recommendations for action

• Select best practices and promising practices

• Select nature-based solutions for ecosystem-based adaptatio

• Develop innovative solutions for adaptation

• Apply cost-benefit analysis to potential solutions

• Develop adaptation pathways

• Assess potential maladaptations

• Identify, evaluate, and maximize co-benefits associated with adaptation actions

• Prioritize adaptation actions using agreed-upon criteria

• Assess differential climate impacts across demographics

• Identify opportunities to integrate adaptation into existing municipal plans, policies, and regulations

• Develop monitoring and evaluation approach and plan

• Develop indicators and metrics

• Use data visualization dashboard

• Develop adaptive management process

• Develop process for updating the CCARP

• Develop a plan implementation strategy

• Describe the governance and management structure

• Describe implementation methods

• Develop a budget and funding options

• Develop a timeline for implementation

• Describe monitoring and evaluation

Deliverables: Climate Adaptation Plan draft (two) and final (one); One in-person public workshop to discuss future scenarios and draft action recommendations.

**Project Coordination **

• Conduct monthly Core Team virtual meetings to review materials, prepare for committee and public meetings and keep the project on track. The Core Team would include MJ, the committee chair and a Town representative as well as the funding agency representative.

• Conduct CSC Committee meetings at key project milestones to review materials and receive direction

Deliverables: Core Team meeting/call recaps (up to 12); Up to 4 Committee meetings (2 virtual, 2 in-person) and meeting summaries.

All final document submissions and approvals are due by December 1, 2027.

Business enterprises awarded an identical or substantially similar procurement contract within the past five years:

None.