The Vineyard Way — Martha’s Vineyard’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) — was created in 2022 by all six Island towns, the Wampanoag Tribe, and more than 100 community partners. With over 190 actions across six thematic areas, the CAP outlines how we can protect our people, ecosystems, and infrastructure from rising seas, flooding, extreme weather, and drought—always with equity at the center.
As our Island faces challenges brought on by climate change, this plan provides a roadmap for resilience. We keep our community engaged by sharing monthly updates in the ICAN newsletter and here on our blog. View the full CAP here.
Across Martha’s Vineyard, climate action continues to move from planning to practice — through partnerships, pilot projects, policy development, and community collaboration. From harbor resilience to land protection, waste reduction to public health preparedness, Island leaders and volunteers are steadily advancing the goals of the Climate Action Plan. Here’s a snapshot of the meaningful progress underway and what’s on the horizon, as of December 2025:
🌿 WHAT’S BEEN DONE:
- Attended the Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (ETIPP) regional gathering, which included a visit to Islesboro, ME to see their electric workboat. (ET.G1.O5)*
- Oak Bluffs and Tisbury have made advances in establishing a Land Protection Bylaw which would minimize land clearing. (LNB.G2.O3)
- Preparing the State’s grant applications for projects about Vineyard Haven Harbor Resilience and Salt Marsh Restoration. (TIW.G1.O1+O4) + (LNB.G1.O2)
- Strategic Planning continues with The Trash Task Force. (TIW.G3.O3)
- Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) 2.0 has begun a process to update every town’s resilience planning from 2017-2019. (Overarching.G1.O1)
🌱 WHAT’S COMING UP:
- MVC Climate Resilience Planner is coordinating with the County and Inter-Island Public Health Excellence Collaborative (IIPHEC) to review the Public Health and Safety section of CAP, with the input from new BOH agents. (PHS.G2.O3)
*Parenthesis indicate the Thematic Area, Goal, and Objective listed in Climate Action Plan
Each of these efforts reflects a shared commitment to safeguarding the Island’s land, water, health, and communities — not just for today, but for generations to come. As planning evolves and new partnerships take shape, continued community engagement will remain essential to turning these strategies into lasting impact. Together, we’re building a more resilient Martha’s Vineyard, one thoughtful step at a time.
