The Coastal Conservancy and Climate Change
A presentation on the impacts of sea level rise on the California coast from Dr. Patrick Barnard (USGS) and Mary Small (Coastal Conservancy) at the Coastal Conservancy’s February 2023 Board Meeting can be found here.
The Coastal Conservancy’s Climate Ready Program is helping natural resources and human communities along California’s coast and San Francisco Bay adapt to the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels, beach and bluff erosion, extreme weather events, flooding, increasing temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, decreasing water supplies, and increasing fire risk. The Conservancy is also working to capture greenhouse gases from the atmosphere through the conservation of natural and working lands.
In 2007 the Conservancy incorporated specific measures to address climate change in its strategic planning. In 2009 the Conservancy adopted a comprehensive Climate Change Policy that informs all aspects of its work and amended its Project Selection Criteria to ensure that all Conservancy projects are designed with climate change in mind. In 2012, the legislature and governor empowered the Conservancy with specific authority (SB 1066, Lieu) to prepare for and adapt to the effects of climate change and take action against its causes.
The Conservancy’s Climate Ready Program is focused on supporting planning, project implementation and multi-agency coordination to advance actions that will increase the resilience of coastal communities and ecosystems. Through its Climate Ready Grant rounds, the Conservancy has awarded $10.7 million for 57 projects; click here for a list of projects funded. In addition, the Conservancy is working on dozens of other Climate Ready Projects; examples of these projects are provided below.
We have also created a grant program with the Marin Community Foundation to support innovative projects that are developing and testing nature-based solutions to protect shorelines and adapt to sea level rise in Marin County.
Seas are now predicted to rise between 1 and 7 feet by 2100. It’s occurring faster than you think and will be much worse than scientists first expected. Sea level rise isn’t an issue that just affects wealthy homeowners along the coast, it threatens EVERY Californian. If we don’t start actively preparing and planning right now, rising seas and coastal erosion could have catastrophic impacts on our economy, environment, infrastructure and quality of life throughout the state. To that end, the State of California has launched www.SeaLevelRiseCA.org to learn how you can rise to the challenge.
Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning
The Conservancy is helping many communities assess the vulnerability of their communities and natural resources to sea level rise and create adaptation plans to counter threats of sea level rise. We fund technical tools and studies that help understanding and planning for sea level rise impacts.
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.
Climate change has been driven by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere and the Conservancy is working to protect natural and working lands that remove and capture these gases in photosynthesis. Projects include acquisitions of coastal forests, wetland restoration, carbon banking, and carbon farming.
Global warming, drought, and runoff from extreme storms threaten the well-being of millions of urban residents. Conservancy funding is supporting inner-city projects that are creating shady retreats for residents, conserving rainwater, capturing stormwater pollution, and reducing air temperatures.
Climate Change News
- Press Release: Coastal Conservancy Awards over $13 million in Grants for Coastal Access, Restoration, and ResilienceCoastal Conservancy Awards over $13 million in Grants for Coastal Access, Restoration, and Resilience 12/1/2022, Pacific Grove, CA – Today, the Board of the State Coastal Conservancy approved grants for 17 projects, totaling over $13 million, for coastal access, restoration, and climate resilience. Included in the grants approved today were $3.5 million for the Regionally Advancing […] (Read more on Press Release: Coastal...)
- Amy Hutzel Appointed New Executive Officer of the State Coastal ConservancyThe State Coastal Conservancy is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Executive Officer, Amy Hutzel. Ms. Hutzel previously served as the Conservancy’s Deputy Executive Officer and has been with the agency for over twenty years, during which she has been instrumental in many key projects including the restoration of thousands of acres of […] (Read more on Amy Hutzel Appointed...)
- Press Release: Coastal Conservancy Awards $14 million for Coastal Access, Protection, and RestorationYesterday, the Board of the State Coastal Conservancy authorized over $14 million in funding for restoration, preservation, and public access to California’s coast and coastal watersheds. The projects approved included $495,000 to design and permit access amenities and a new ADA-compliant bathroom at Lechuza Beach in Malibu, $755,820 to remove fish barriers and restore habitat […] (Read more on Press Release: Coastal...)
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