Examples of potential Business/Nonprofit/Organization Proposal Type by Category:
• Agriculture
• Grazing operation
• Large scale crop production
• Small produce, vegetable business
• Permaculture/sustainable agriculture
• Farmers market association

Natural Resource
• Forest wood lot operator, rustic rail fence producer, kitchen cabinet manufacturer
• Friends of Trees or CommuniTree association
• Water treatment and distribution, stream restoration, watershed association
• Soil amendment and improvement business or educational association

Outdoor Recreation
• Mountain bike park
• Whitewater/flatwater river guide service
• Eco-lodge, scenic or adventure accommodations
• Community trail alliance
• Skiing/snowboard park

Where?
      You will select two sites to research. These sites should be very specific, including the latitude and longitude coordinates, so that you can evaluate future flood, wildfire, and drought risk. You do not need to consider whether you could actually acquire these sites for your organization. For instance, you may indicate that you will purchase property at certain locations, or that you will partner with the landowner or park/government agency and that will be acceptable for this competition's purposes. Your team should not indicate whether the sites are, or are not, near your school or home location. Judges will be instructed that you are able to select sites from any place in the state of West Virginia, and they should not assume the site is in your home county.

      Further, there is no requirement to physically visit your site. All site and climate evaluations can be conducted using the tools linked to in the key components below and in the resource guide. You may visit your site, if feasible, and use site photos in your presentation, if you like. However, it is completely acceptable to select your site using mapping apps, such as Google Maps or Google Earth or other similar internet browser mapping app. Aerial photos of your site can be snipped from a web mapping app or acquired by taking screenshots from your device with the map open and coordinates displayed.

 

Who?
      The members of your team will represent the leaders of your organization. You may assign team members specific roles or responsibilities, if you choose.

 

How?
      You will utilize the tools and questions in the Key Components (found below) to help you formulate your proposal. As a part of your proposal, you will need to research potential impacts from climate change and prepare for those so your organization will be more resilient. You will also evaluate your organization's operations to reduce its impact on the climate.

 

Why?
      Climate change will continue to be a complicating factor for businesses, nonprofits, communities, and the environment in the coming years. Envirothon teams will have the opportunity to research climate impacts in West Virginia, brainstorm solutions, and develop proposals for innovative and resilient communities via the development of an agriculture, forestry, natural resource, or outdoor recreation business or nonprofit organization. Students who are given the power and opportunity to create solutions to climate change will be prepared to take charge and lead organizations in the future. Who knows? Maybe we will see your proposals come to fruition one day!

 

Key Components to include in the development of your business or nonprofit plan and your oral presentation:

1.  Choose an agricultural or forest product, natural resource, or outdoor recreation opportunity to develop into a business or nonprofit organization. Consider the organization's suitability for adaptability/resilience to climate change. Select two potential sites for your operation in the state of West Virginia. For a business, the site should be suitable for your business operations. For a nonprofit, you might select a larger area, such as a watershed, forest, public land, conservation district, or county, and then select two sites within that area to evaluate. Examples: a watershed group would evaluate two sites within the watershed they plan to protect and could promote climate actions that will reduce climate impacts and improve resilience in the watershed. A farmers market association might select a community of farmers that it would serve, select two farm sites, and evaluate how farms in the area could reduce their climate impacts and increase their resilience.

2.  Research likely climate impacts to the two sites (select precise sites so that floodplain can be included in determination). Use the ClimateLink map to determine the historical, current, and future average annual air temperature for these sites. How might this affect the agricultural, forest, natural resource, or outdoor recreation potential of your sites? Use the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Map Viewer to identify the land cover types at your site. Select a tree or bird species common to your site, then use the US Forest Service Climate Change Atlas to evaluate projected future habitat conditions. Will the sites still be suitable and thriving going into the future? If not, what might change and how could it be mitigated?

3.   Use the WV Flood map to see if your proposed sites are in the current 100-year flood plain. Check the NWS Hazard Risk Assessment to see how flooding has impacted your location. Use the ClimateLink map again, this time to look at predicted changes in precipitation. Check WV WaterLink StoryMaps for Each WV County to learn more about the water security for the county where your sites are located (if needed, check more than one county). If floods become more frequent and more severe due to climate change, would your selected sites be impacted? If your proposal is for a business, will it still be suitable even if the floodplain is expanded? For nonprofits, consider the impact of increased flooding on the community you serve. How can they prepare?

4.   Explore the NOAA Disaster and Risk Mapping to evaluate a range of risks for your sites. How might climate change affect drought conditions and other hazards in WV and how might it affect your organization and its operations? What practices could your business incorporate to reduce risk for wildfire and increase resilience to drought and other risks that you identify?

5.   Use ClimateCheck website to view the risk range for the selected sites for storms, fire, drought, flood, and heat. Review the EPA Climate webpage and What Climate Change Means for West Virginia article. What can you learn from these resources regarding your sites and your proposal?

6.   Was one of the sites that you evaluated more prone to climate impacts following analysis of forecasted climate change conditions (temperature increases, flood, drought, wildfire, etc) than the other? What characteristics of the site led to greater vulnerability or resilience based on expected climate change outcomes? If applicable, narrow your proposal to select the most resilient site, where climate-friendly practices will be best employed. Your research from the above components should help you make your site selection. Example: If one site is out of the flood plain (more resilient) and is also more walkable (less impact), better situated for a renewable energy source (less impact), it would be selected over the other more flood prone sites that are farther from urban areas or public transportation. For nonprofits, you may use the comparison to evaluate different areas of the community you plan to serve and how to promote climate resiliency and prevention for your selected audience. As a nonprofit working to help the community prepare and adapt to the changing climate, you may select the most impacted site(s) and promote climate solutions for your affected audience.

7.   What practices can you incorporate into your business or nonprofit plan to reduce your operation's climate impact while improving health and well-being for your employees and community? The practices you include should be specific and relevant to your business or nonprofit. You do not need to include all listed below, and you may include other climate-wise solutions not listed below. Possible items to consider include the following:

• Emissions: How can you reduce emissions generated from your business? Will you utilize low or zero emission vehicles or equipment? Will HVAC systems be required? What is their efficiency and fuel source, if so?
  
  
• Carbon Storage: Will your operation include removal of trees or vegetation? If so, how can you mitigate the loss of carbon storage? Can you build up the soil and vegetation at your site to store carbon? Will new plantings be established?
  
  
• Transportation: If you will have employees and/or onsite sales/visitors, can people walk or bike to your location? Will you have charging stations for electric vehicles? Is public transportation available?
  
  
• Food systems: If you are producing or serving food, how can you reduce food waste? Sustainable sourcing and marketing?
  
  
• Energy: How will you source your energy needs?
  
  
• Consider estimating your personal or organization's carbon footprint. Although the calculator is for individuals, it may be relevant for how you design your business or nonprofit. You may also browse Project Drawdown for suggested climate solutions.

8.   What practices can you incorporate into your proposal to increase your operation's climate resilience, allowing it to thrive? Given the likelihood of more frequent wildfires, flooding, and other climate impacts that you identified during your climate analysis, how can you adapt your operations to prepare for these risks? If you are a nonprofit, how will your organization help the local community become more resilient and thrive?

9.   Consider your organization's communication and public relations strategy. How will you communicate to your audience (your customers, community, employees) how your organization is helping to advance sustainability and well-being? What is the general opinion in your community regarding climate? The Yale Climate Opinion maps may help you learn what beliefs people near the site you selected hold about climate and sustainability. What messages and topics might resonate most with the people in that community, ex: hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation, curbing the spread of invasive species, providing jobs, participating in environmental stewardship, learning from indigenous people and appreciation of land and natural areas? Other interests?

10.   During your presentation, reference either the NCF Envirothon New Brunswick Current Issue (Part A) and the Water, Weather, & Hope: Sowing Hope in the Mountain State presentation slides by Dr. Nicolas Zegre. Both resources are available on the 2023 WV 5th Topic Resources page. Teams/advisors that participated in the ProjectWET Project Learning Tree Climate Change training at Jackson's Mill on Nov. 3 also had the opportunity to see Dr. Zegre's presentation in-person. Your team should reference the page number of the NCF Current Issue PDF document and the slide number from Dr. Zegre's presentation. Indicate how you used this information/resource in your proposal development.