Kalamazoo County has released a draft Climate Action & Climate Justice Plan and is inviting residents to weigh in before the comment period closes July 16.
The plan was presented to the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners at its Committee of the Whole meeting Monday by Taylor Van Winkle, the county’s Climate Sustainability Manager. It is the product of three years of work — including nearly 700 community participants across 10 visioning sessions, a 16-member advisory council, and a companion Climate Vulnerability Assessment completed in 2025.
What the plan covers
The draft outlines long-term strategies and recommendations to help Kalamazoo County prepare for changing weather patterns and climate-related challenges. It examines extreme weather and flooding, infrastructure resilience, public health impacts, community vulnerabilities, and long-term climate-related risks affecting Southwest Michigan. Six overarching goals guide the plan, with strategies organized across areas including housing, energy, natural systems, and food systems.
Some of the work described in the plan is already underway. Van Winkle told commissioners the county has partnered with the Kalamazoo County Drain Commissioner’s office to plant six acres of native plants along drain easements across six townships to reduce runoff and pollution. The county is also partnering with the Kalamazoo Conservation District to launch a regenerative agriculture incubator, working with the KVCC Valley Food Hub to pilot community garden organizing, and running a composting workshop series with free bins and tumblers available at events. The next composting event is scheduled at the county fair in August.
“This plan reflects years of collaboration, research, technical analysis, and community input from residents and partners across Kalamazoo County,” Van Winkle said. “The Climate Action & Climate Justice Plan is intended to serve as a living document and long-term framework that can continue evolving as new information, community priorities, and future challenges emerge.”
How to read the plan and submit comments
The draft plan is available at the county’s public engagement platform at engage.kalcounty.gov. Comments may be submitted online at the same link, by email at climate-action-plan@publicinput.com, or by voicemail at 855-925-2801 using project code 5492.
The public comment period remains open through July 16, 2026.
