Climate Ready Program
The California coast faces unprecedented threats from impacts of a changing climate. These are already being felt in rising seas, loss of nearshore kelp forest habitat, severe heat waves, severe storms and associated flooding, a succession of droughts, and intense wildfires. A 2023 presentation on the impacts of sea level rise on the California coast from Dr. Patrick Barnard (USGS) and Mary Small (Coastal Conservancy) can be found here.
The Conservancy has worked for nearly 50 years to preserve and restore California’s incredible coastal resources; now there is an urgent need to make those resources more resilient to a changing climate. Our Climate Ready Program supports projects mitigate the impacts of climate change to protect coastal communities, wildlife habitat, cultural sites, and public access to the coast now and into the future.
The urgency of the climate crisis combined with recent investment of state funding create an opportunity for the Conservancy to take bold action on climate resilience. Through our Climate Ready program, we fund and provide technical support to local communities, tribes, nonprofits, agencies, and other partners to plan multi-objective climate change adaptation strategies along the coast and to implement nature-based adaptation projects. The Conservancy prioritizes projects benefitting communities that are most vulnerable to climate change impacts and have limited capacity to plan and implement adaptation projects.
Funding for climate resilience projects is awarded through our rolling pre-application process described here.
Sea Level Rise
Sea-level rise is already accelerating along the California coast and will continue to increase substantially over the 21st century. Coastal wave events and rising sea levels are causing flooding, saltwater intrusion into coastal groundwater aquifers, and will increase coastal erosion, impacting beaches and cliffs throughout the state.
The Conservancy is helping many communities assess their vulnerability to sea level rise and create adaptation plans to reduce its impact. We fund technical tools and studies that help understanding and planning efforts, as well as implementation of projects that use nature-based adaptation approaches to reduce the impact of rising seas.
Wildfire Resilience
Wildfires driven by multiple, interacting factors are burning larger areas, hotter and more intensely. Recent wildfires have devastated coastal parklands, impacting recreational infrastructure and wildlife habitat. Climate change is extending the periods of wildfire risk and increasing the likelihood of future fires.
The Conservancy is supporting partners to develop and implement a broad array of projects that improve ecological health of natural lands and reduce the risk of catastrophic fire in areas where people live. To advance the goals of the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, we fund planning to identify priority projects, technical assistance, permitting and environmental review costs so that multiple projects are ready to implement throughout our jurisdiction. We fund demonstration and pilot projects, grazing, prescribed burns, forest thinning, invasive plant removal, and other implementation projects to reduce wildfire risk as well as projects that collaborate with Californian Native American Tribes to implement traditional ecological knowledge and expand cultural burning.
Multi-benefit Nature-Based Climate Adaptation
The Conservancy prioritizes projects that deliver multiple benefits and significant positive impact. We support nature-based adaptation approaches, such as living shorelines and habitat restoration, to increase resilience, sequester carbon, address extreme heat and drought, or promote regenerative agriculture or biodiversity, particularly in urban settings. These projects may include capacity-building, planning and design, technical assistance, implementation, or developing pilots or proof-of-concept projects that can then be scaled up via partner implementation funding.
Natural Infrastructure
The Conservancy is helping to plan, design, and implement living shorelines throughout the state that use oyster beds, wetlands, dunes, and other natural habitats to buffer the impacts of rising seas and increased storm events while providing multiple benefits.
Rangeland and Agricultural Adaptation
The Conservancy is helping rangeland and agricultural lands adapt to changing climates including grazing operations, grassland restoration, and water and soil conservation projects such as water catchments and storage design.
Funding for climate resilience projects is awarded through our rolling pre-application process described here.
Resources
State of California Sea Level Rise Guidance, 2024 Science and Policy Update
2023 Presentation on the Impacts of Climate Change on the California Coast
Coastal Conservancy Climate Change Policy
Coastal Conservancy Project Selection Criteria
California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan
Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy
State Agency Sea-Level Rise Action Plan
Ocean Protection Council’s Strategic Plan
California Climate Adaptation Strategy
Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project Regional Strategy
San Francisco Bay Area Conservation Lands Network
Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals Report
San Francisco Bay Subtidal Habitat Goals Report
SB 1066, Lieu, enabling the Conservancy to prepare for and adapt to the effects of climate change and take action against its causes.
Marin Community Foundation Advancing Nature-Based Adaptation Solutions Grant Program
The Conservancy has awarded over $12 million for 62 projects from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and California Climate Investments; click here for a list of projects funded. Learn more about the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and California Climate Investments here.