Plan guides local governments’ actions to prepare for rising sea levels
Last Thursday, December 5, a tsunami warning blasted up and down the Northern California coast—including Alameda—telling residents to evacuate to higher ground following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake just off the coast of Humboldt County. The tsunami did not materialize, but it did draw serious attention to shoreline threats to Bay Area communities.
Ironically, on that very day, the San Francisco Bay Conservation & Development Commission (BCDC) issued a notice that it had adopted a Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP) to guide and coordinate how the Bay Area’s local governments and communities prepare for rising sea levels.
Citing the need for urgent action to address rising sea levels that threaten the Bay Area’s shoreline communities and natural habitats, BCDC commissioners voted to adopt the RSAP, paving the way for local jurisdictions to take climate actions that protect their communities and the entire Bay shoreline.
The RSAP is a region-wide plan for the San Francisco Bay shoreline that guides how local governments will create coordinated, locally planned sea level rise adaptation actions that work together to achieve regional resilience and a shared One Bay Vision. The RSAP Guidelines start to fulfill the requirements of SB 272, a new State law that requires each local government along the shoreline to prepare Subregional Shoreline Adaptation Plans (Subregional Plans) by 2034. Projects within BCDC-approved Subregional Plans will be prioritized for State funding. Learn more at the Bay Adapt website.
As sea levels continue to rise in the near and long-term, the need for cohesive sea level rise adaptation along the Bay shoreline becomes more important than ever. With the adoption of the RSAP, BCDC is addressing the need to proactively and collectively protect the most at-risk communities, critical infrastructure, natural habitats and public access along the Bay.
This pivotal milestone is the result of two years of public workshops and engagement with local communities and input from other key interested parties, including a series of pop-up community visits, local place-based workshops, and at-large public events. BCDC received and incorporated feedback from over 300 public comments provided on the draft RSAP.
Established in 1965, BCDC is the primary State agency responsible for leading the Bay Area’s planning for, and resilience to, rising sea levels, high tides, and storm surges exacerbated by climate change. In 2011, BCDC was the first coastal management agency in the country to adopt sea level rise policies. Through its Adapting to Rising Tides program and Bay Adapt: Regional Strategy for a Rising Bay, BCDC works closely with entities around the region to provide tools, analysis, and leadership to help the Bay Area prepare and plan for rising sea levels.
What will the RSAP do?
- Establish a regional vision for successful sea level rise adaptation.
- Guide local governments as they prepare local adaptation plans.
- Reduce flood risk by aligning local and regional priorities.
- Coordinate adaptation projects across multiple jurisdictions.
- Standardize and simplify adaptation methods and data.
- Drive regionally coordinated project implementation.
- Uphold environmental justice by requiring local plans to incorporate equity.
Adoption of the RSAP is the initial step towards a region resilient to rising sea levels. Local governments within BCDC’s jurisdiction will have until January 1, 2034 to develop Subregional Plans that comply with the RSAP Guidelines. BCDC provide technical assistance to cities, counties, and communities developing adaptation plans that meet their unique local conditions to ensure the region effectively adapts and thrives together.
“BCDC’s action today is vital because the Bay Area is already experiencing the impacts of climate change and rising sea levels through flooding from high tides, storm surge, and bigger storms with more rain,” said BCDC Chair R. Zachary Wasserman.” Rising sea levels threaten the Bay’s shoreline communities and the natural habitats that would otherwise protect them, disrupt transportation networks, push untreated wastewater into the Bay, put parks and open space under water, and are only projected to worsen in decades to come.”
Wade Crowfoot, California Secretary of Natural Resources, added, “Local agencies in the Bay will now have access to the latest science and best practices they need to develop their own plans to adapt to rising sea levels.”
The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) is a California state commission dedicated to the protection, enhancement and responsible use of the San Francisco Bay. BCDC protects and enhances San Francisco Bay and advances the Bay’s responsible, productive, and equitable uses for this and future generations as we face a changing climate and rising sea levels.
