Editors, Vineyard Gazette;

One important event that took place in 2022 and was not mentioned in the annual Vineyard Gazette year-end article was the release of the Island’s first ever Climate Action Plan. The plan, The Vineyard Way: Connected to Our Past, Committed to Our Future, was nine months in the making with input from over 100 Island residents and the guidance of a local consultant. It includes over 200 specific actions designed to address the local impacts of the climate crisis.

The goal is to make the Island as resilient as possible to impacts such as flooding and sea level rise, wildfire and drought, and to strive for the goal of being a 100 per cent renewable energy Island by the year 2040. It is a regional, 20-year plan that is being implemented by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and many committed Island organizations.

The plan can be seen at thevineyardway.org, a living website that will be updated regularly to track implementation.

Liz Durkee

Oak Bluffs

The writer is the climate change planner for the Martha’s Vineyard Commission.