A years-long effort by the Washington State Department of Commerce has earned national recognition for giving local leaders the tools they need to plan for a changing climate.
The American Planning Association’s (APA) Sustainable Communities Division recently recognized Commerce with its 2026 Policy, Law, and Tool Award for its innovative climate planning guidance and tools published in 2025. The award was presented on April 27 at the APA’s national conference in Detroit.
The award was presented to members of Commerce’s Growth Management Services unit, the team responsible for helping local governments in Washington develop long-range plans to guide their growth and development.
Members of the Growth Management Services climate planning team sharing the award include:
- Sarah Fox, AICP
- Michael Burnham
- Dr. Pranjali Rai, AICP
- Ananda Gordon-Peabody
- Melissa Johnston, AICP
- Noelle Madera, AICP
A comprehensive toolkit
Commerce was recognized for its portfolio of climate planning guidance, policy tools and public engagement resources, including:
- 2025 Climate Planning Guidance: A primary resource designed to guide local governments in Washington as the develop plans to address climate change.
- Climate Planning StoryMap: An interactive, web-based tool that distills the main concepts and strategies for effective climate planning at the local level.
- Climate Policy Explorer: A searchable database of more than 200 model climate measures and planning resources for local governments to tailor to their needs.
- Plan Together, Grow Together toolkit: An adaptable community-engagement toolkit including an animated video, graphic novel and workbook to help community organizations engage the public in the comprehensive planning process.
These comprehensive resources are the result of years of work and collaboration alongside other state agencies, tribes, local governments, consultants and the public. This team effort ensured that the final tools were practical and grounded in the real-world needs of Washington communities.
Planning locally for climate change
Washington state is leading the nation in planning to address climate change at the local level. In 2023, state lawmakers updated the state’s Growth Management Act to ensure that climate change is a core part of local planning.
This work generally focuses on two main areas: building resilience to help communities recover from impacts like wildfires or floods, and finding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and buildings.
By providing clear model policies and community engagement resources, Commerce is helping local leaders tailor state guidelines into specific plans for climate resilience in their communities.