Town Launches Climate Change Survey To Help Understand Risks And Responses

CHATHAM – When you think of climate change, what worries you most? And would you support changing regulations or spending taxpayer money to fight those impacts? The town of Chatham wants to know.

 The town’s energy and climate action committee and the Chatham Climate Action Network have launched the first of two online surveys designed to gauge local views on the challenges posed by climate change, as well as the actions the town and individuals can take in response. 

 Natural Resources Director Greg Berman said the survey responses will be used to identify shared community concerns and to guide and prioritize local climate resilience strategies.

 “The feedback will also support the town’s current hazard mitigation plan update with the Cape Cod Commission, helping to ensure that both climate adaptation and emergency preparedness efforts are aligned with local needs,” he said. “Ultimately, this input helps shape a more responsive, community-driven approach to protecting Chatham’s environment, infrastructure, and quality of life.”

 The online survey, which can be found on the town website under “News and Updates,” has nine questions. It asks what climate change risks — from coastal flooding and erosion to droughts and wildfires — cause the most concern. It then gauges how supportive the respondents would be to various mitigation measures. Those might include flood protection regulations or bylaws, public education about storm risks, water conservation, planting trees, or educating “public and real estate professionals so residents and prospective buyers understand the risks and responsibilities of owning coastal property.” The survey further asks whether a respondent would support funding climate resilience initiatives through local taxes or fees.

 Berman said the town is making a concerted effort to inform the public about the survey, with outreach to year-round and seasonal residents, business owners and workers. 

 “The survey is open through July 20, which allows us to engage the summer residents advisory committee when they return. We’ve promoted it on the town’s website, social media, and in the Mainsheet e-newsletter,” he said. “It was also distributed at the council on aging’s May 29 emergency preparedness event and local networks like CCAN are also helping extend our reach across different segments of the community.”

 Berman said he’s eager to learn what the survey results reveal.

 “While we expect to see familiar concerns like coastal flooding, erosion, and storm impacts, we’re also curious about what might catch us off guard,” he said. “Surprising insights often turn out to be the most valuable. They help challenge assumptions and make our planning stronger and more responsive to the real concerns of the community.”

 A second survey will be conducted in the future to gauge opinions about energy use and conservation as well as strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.