The Coastal Conservancy’s Climate Ready program provides a focus for our work protecting important coastal resources and habitats from the current and future impacts of climate change. The Conservancy is collaborating with local partners and other agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare communities along the coast and within the San Francisco Bay for climate change. SB 1066 (Lieu) effective January 1, 2013 gave the Coastal Conservancy explicit authority to work with its partners on projects to address the effects of climate change on coastal resources along the coast and within the San Francisco Bay Area, including those that:
- prepare our communities for extreme weather events, sea level rise, storm surge, beach and bluff erosion, salt water intrusion, and flooding;
- address threats to coastal communities, natural resources and infrastructure; and
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Coastal Conservancy Climate Ready Grants – funded by the Coastal Conservancy. The purpose of the Climate Ready grant program is to help advance planning and implementation of on the ground actions that will lessen the impacts of climate change on California’s coastal resources. Grant announcement and application form will be available soon.
Local Coastal Program Sea Level Rise Grants – funded by the Ocean Protection Council and administered by the Coastal Conservancy and the Coastal Commission. The purpose of these grants is to provide resources to update Local Coastal Programs and other plans under the Coastal Act to address future impacts of sea level rise. Grant announcement and application form are here.
The Coastal Conservancy has worked on a number of projects over the past few years that will help protect coastal resources in the face of other climate change impacts. Example projects include:
Vulnerability Assessments, Technical Assistance, and Planning
Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Mapping and Vulnerability Assessment
Monterey Bay Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment
Goleta Slough Vulnerability Assessment
Ocean Beach Managed Retreat Master Plan
San Francisco Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals Technical Update
Adaptation Pilot Projects
San Pedro Creek Restoration (Pacifica State Beach Managed Retreat)
Surfers Point Managed Retreat Project
San Francisco Bay Living Shorelines
Carbon Forestry
Garcia River Forest
Big River/Salmon Creek Forest
Preservation Ranch
Wetland Restoration Projects
South San Francisco Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project
Sears Point Wetland Restoration Project
Ormond Beach Wetland Restoration Project
Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project
(more…)
Grant Selection Criteria: The Conservancy Board updated the Climate Change Policy and the Project Selection Criteria on November 10, 2011.
Sea Level Rise Guidance: The Coastal Conservancy is a member of the California Coast and Ocean Climate Adaptation Team and has been involved in the development of the California Sea Level Rise Guidance. All Coastal Conservancy grantees and project partners are encouraged to use this guidance when evaluating potential impacts of sea level rise on a project.
Guidance for Addressing Climate Change in Conservancy Projects: The Coastal Conservancy has posted the first components of the Guidance for Addressing Climate Change in California Coastal Conservancy Projects. The purpose of the guidance is to assist you in understanding and applying the Conservancy’s adopted Climate Change Policy and Project Selection Criteria. (more…)
