State Agencies To Host Virtual Listening Sessions For Wisconsin Environmental Equity Dashboard

MADISON, Wis. – Gov. Tony Evers recently announced that four state agencies and partnering organizations are developing the Wisconsin Environmental Equity Tool (WEET), a public health and environmental equity mapping dashboard.

The collaboration between the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Department of Administration (DOA), Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is designed to locate and compare public health and environmental impacts across the state to advance equity.

The dashboard will allow community members, government and elected officials, public health professionals and nonprofits to pinpoint Wisconsin’s communities most impacted by environmental, public health and climate vulnerability. This information will also help identify the environmental challenges and prioritize funding priorities to build healthy, resilient communities.

The public is invited to participate in a series of upcoming online listening sessions in November to ensure the mapping tool reflects the experiences of people affected by gaps in environmental and public health protections.

The sessions are also an opportunity for state agencies to connect directly with underserved communities often facing the greatest environmental and health consequences, including Tribal Nations, communities of color and low-income families. Agency staff and environmental health experts will facilitate the sessions’ small group discussions.

Wisconsin is joining other states in applying technology like the WEET dashboard to reduce health and environmental inequities. Other states such as California, Maryland and Washington have all created environmental justice screening and mapping tools. WEET and other state tools give state and local leaders a complete picture of the cumulative impacts of health and environmental inequities and to help them make informed decisions to improve the health, resilience and sustainability of affected communities.

LISTENING SESSION DETAILS

• Join the Nov. 2 session via Zoom here.
• Join the Nov. 4 session via Zoom here.
• Join the Nov. 6 session via Zoom here.

Registration is encouraged but not required.

Spanish and Hmong interpretation for the listening sessions will be offered by request. In-person listening sessions may be scheduled in the future when it is safe to gather indoors.

Those unable to attend the scheduled listening sessions are encouraged to provide written comments and sign up for project news here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.