September is Climate Change Awareness Month

In recognition of the urgent challenges posed by climate change and rising sea levels, the Town of Nantucket reaffirms its commitment to environmental stewardship and community resilience.

Since first proclaiming Climate Change Awareness Month in 2020 and endorsing the Nantucket Coastal Resilience Plan in 2022, the Town has advanced comprehensive planning, collaborative initiatives, and community engagement to address climate risks and safeguard its unique coastal environment.

Accordingly, at its September 10, 2025 meeting , the Select Board proclaimed September 2025 as Climate Change Awareness Month and encouraged all residents to deepen their understanding of climate impacts and take part in efforts that strengthen Nantucket's resilience for generations to come.

· Whereas in 2020, the Select Board proclaimed September as Climate Change Awareness Month for the first time; and

· Whereas in 2022, the Select Board endorsed the first Nantucket Coastal Resilience Plan ; and

· 26/40 Town's Coastal Resilience Plan recommendations are in development, underway, complete or ongoing within 3.5 years of the CRP being endorsed; and

· Whereas the Town of Nantucket recognizes that climate change and rising sea levels posea significant and increasing threat to Nantucket as outlined in various state and federal scenarios as well as local sea level rise observations at the NOAA tide gauge on Steamboat Wharf; and

· Whereas the Select Board formed the Coastal Resilience Advisory Committee (CRAC) in part to assist with obtaining community feedback on climate change and sea level rise; and

· Whereas the Town of Nantucket, through a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Grant, developed a Resilient Nantucket toolkit for adapting historic structures for sea level rise; and

· Whereas the Select Board adopted and updated local sea level rise scenarios (NOAA's high scenario) and best available flood hazard data (Massachusetts Coast Flood Risk Model); and

· Whereas the voting community has allocated $3,800,000 for coastal resilience planning funds since 2020; and

· Whereas the Town of Nantucket Natural Resources Department, through an Office of Coastal Zone Management resiliency grant, began the planning process to reduce flood risk on Easy Street , the number 1 priority project for CRAC; and

· Whereas the Town of Nantucket in partnership with the Nantucket Islands Land Bank and Remain Nantucket allocated funding and received multiple grants to begin the planning process for the Francis Street Beach Improvement Project to reduce flood risk along Washington Street ; and

· Whereas the Town of Nantucket Brant Point Shellfish Hatchery has ongoing dive surveys and monitoring programs to observe and document climate change impacts to Nantucket's shellfish and eelgrass populations to further support the Town's climate impact observations; and

· Whereas Island organizations are hosting a series of educational events in September 2025 featuring climate change topics, including:

o Coastal Resilience Kayak Tour with the Natural Resources Department and Nantucket Landand Water Council

o Folger's Salt Marsh Walk with the Nantucket ConservationFoundation

o Native Plant Landscaping Tour with the Nantucket Conservation Foundation

o 3 ^rd Annual Climate Change Summit with the Linda Loring Nature Foundation and Nantucket Conservation Foundation

o Climate Change Impacts Nature Walk with the Linda Loring Nature Foundation

o Ecologist in Training: Phenology Basics with the Linda Loring Nature Foundation

o Long Pond Kayak Tour with Linda Loring Nature Foundation and Nantucket Land and Water Council

The Coastal Resilience Advisory Committee calls upon the Select Board to proclaim September 2025 "Climate Change Awareness Month" for the Town of Nantucket.

"We, the Select Board of the Town of Nantucket in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby officially proclaim the month of September 2025, as 'Climate Change Awareness Month' and do hereby encourage all residents to learn more about the threats of climate change and sea level rise and the planning efforts underway to increase community resilience."

Dawn E. Hill

Select Board Chair

Town of Nantucket, Massachusetts

September 10, 2025