A master strategy for adapting Bay Area cities for sea level rise has received approval from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, also known as BCDC.
The process will work similarly to state housing initiatives, with funds available for planning and projects, but the enforcement element will be left to Mother Nature.
“We are anticipating costs of rising sea level adaptation projects to be about $110 billion for the entire Bay Area by 2050,” said Rylan Gervase, spokesperson for the BCDC. “If we don’t act, that number is going to rise to about $230 billion in damages. So, it’s important for everyone to get out there and do as much as they can in front of the problem.”
The Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan approved Thursday includes guidelines to fulfill the requirements of Senate Bill 272, a new state law that requires each local government along the regional shoreline to submit a sea level adaptation plan to the BCDC by 2034.
Projects approved by the commission will be prioritized for state funding. BCDC is a state commission under the California Department of Natural Resources and the California Legislature authorized their role in developing a regional strategy in 2008.
Gervase estimated that about $100 billion will be generated by the newly passed Proposition 4, which is dedicated to sea level adaptation along the entire California coastline.
“The Bay Area is about a third of that coastline, so they will get a portion of that,” he said. “It will require state investment, federal investment, and there’s definitely going to require private investment as well, businesses and industries around the Bay.”
Coordinates planning and funding
The point of having a regional plan is to allow multi-jurisdictional coordination. Not all cities are equal. The plan includes strategies for identifying where and when to invest in at-risk, low-income communities, natural areas, and critical infrastructure. The plan will also standardize adaptation methods, data and training.
The BCDC also approved funding Thursday for a Shoreline Leadership Academy to be offered through the Exploratorium science center in San Francisco. The program will pay residents of under-represented communities to learn about sea level rise and how to play a part in solutions. It is modeled after the 2021 Oakland Shoreline Leadership Academy, organized by the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project.
That was a six-month course where students learned about shoreline toxins, habitat restoration, economic development and nature-based solutions as well as how to map community assets, develop a community engagement plan and co-develop shoreline improvement projects.
Cities and counties must submit proposals for approval to the BCDC by Jan. 1, 2034. There are non-competitive state funds available to cover planning costs available on a first-come basis.
Guidelines for local policy makers, as well as technical assistance and updated scientific data, can be found on the Bay Adapt website.
“We’ll be updating that plan through the next 10 years with the latest science and new procedures as they become necessary. But it should work as a one-stop shop for local jurisdictions to go into and put together their sea level rise plans,” said Gervase.
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