TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: David Morrison, Director of Planning, Building, and Environmental Services
REPORT BY: David Morrison, Director of Planning, Building, and Environmental Services
SUBJECT: Endorsement of Bay Adapt: Regional Strategy for a Rising Bay
RECOMMENDATION
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Director of Planning, Building, and Environmental Services seeks direction on possible endorsement of the Bay Adapt Joint Platform.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The County Legislative Sub-Committee considered the Bay Adapt Joint Platform at its January 10, 2022 meeting. The Sub-Committee recommended that the question of endorsing the Platform be referred to the Board of Supervisors as an issue of regional concern.
PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Staff Report
2. Public Comment
3. Motion, second, discussion and vote on item.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
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County Strategic Plan pillar addressed: |
Vibrant and Sustainable Environment |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
In 2010, Adapt to Rising Tides (ART) was formed, created by a consortium of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other federal, state, regional, and local agencies, as well as non-profit organizations. According to ART, under the highest risk and least likely scenario, the Bay Area could see up to 48 inches of additional sea level rise by 2060. (Under the likely or low risk scenario, the increase in sea level would not occur until 2120.) Under this scenario, the Bay Area could see coastal flooding affect up to 83,000 homes, 189,000 jobs, over 5 million highway and rail commuters, and 20,000 acres of wetland habitat.
For Napa County, a 48-inch increase in sea level could affect portions of the City of American Canyon, the County Airport, Napa Sanitation District, the Milton Road community, Kennedy Park, the Napa Pipe Specific Plan, and Napa Valley College. More information can be found on the mapping tool created by ART, which can be found here: https://explorer.adaptingtorisingtides.org/explorer.
Bay Adapt was created to begin planning to reduce the impacts of future sea level rise. It was convened by BCDC, in partnership with Bay Area leaders from public agencies, interest groups, community-based organizations, and academia. Throughout 2020 and 2021, stakeholders participated in dozens of working group and small committee meetings to discuss and shape the Platform. The Platform was also informed by two public forums, ten community and stakeholder focus groups, over 50 presentations to boards and groups around the region, and an Environmental Justice Caucus convened regularly throughout the process. Bay Adapt gave a presentation to the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District in January of 2021.
The Platform provides a strategic plan for how Bay Area jurisdictions can work together to limit the impacts of sea level rise. It includes 9 priority actions and 21 tasks to carry out these goals. Some of the proposed tasks include:
1. Flood protection and reduced flood risk for communities, businesses, infrastructure, and habitat.
2. Robust integration of adaptation into community-focused local plans.
3. Recognition, elevation, and support for frontline communities.
4. Accelerated permitting and faster project construction for priority adaptation projects.
5. Technical assistance for local governments to plan and implement projects faster.
6. More funding for adaptation that is easier to get.
7. Metrics for deciding what makes the best kind of adaptation plan or project (equitable, efficient, multi-benefit, nature-based, and coordinated with others) and for tracking local and regional progress.
The Platform has been endorsed by the following jurisdictions:
• Counties: Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma.
• Cities: Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Corte Madera, Dublin, El Cerrito, Hayward, Pleasanton, San Leandro, San Rafael, and San Anselmo.
• Other Agencies: Association of Bay Area Governments, Regional Water Quality Control Board, CalTrans, State Coastal Conservancy, and State Lands Commission.
• Organizations: Bay Area Council, Building Industry Association, Greenbelt Alliance, Nuestra Casa, and Silicon Valley Leadership Group.