Priority Climate Action Plan of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Statistical Area

While the plan is mainly focused on the City of Omaha, NE, it was developed in coordination with the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, which includes Council Bluffs, IA. The MAPA received a planning grant from the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program, which was appropriated by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) is the first component of the Regional Climate Action Plan that the MSA has developed for the CPRG program. The PCAP includes a regional greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, a public outreach process, identification of priority GHG emissions reduction measures, a benefits analysis for low-income and disadvantaged communities, and identification of implementation authorities.

Most of the actions pertain to the city of Omaha, NE. They include but are not limited to:
– Establish City of Omaha native tree species nursery
– Comprehensive Plan Amendment: Ecology, Tree Canopy, Infill and Redevelopment Guidelines
– Ordinance Amendment: Tree canopy, landscaping, streetscape improvements
– Ordinance Amendment: Native species landscaping, green roofs, impervious surfaces, natural topography, weeds and litter modifications
– Heat Island Mitigation Plan Development
– Solar Arrays in Parking Lots Pilot Program
– Green Roofs Design Criteria Development