California Coastal Commission to solicit input on Global Warming driven sea level policy document

From the “we’ve already made up our minds, these hearings are simply for show” department.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (excerpt from the PDF report)

Climate change is upon us, and almost every facet of California’s natural and built environment is being affected. Increasing global temperatures are causing significant effects at global, regional, and local scales. In the past century, average global temperature has increased by about 0.8°C (1.4°F), and average global sea level has increased by 17 to 21 centimeters (7 to 8 inches) (IPCC, 2013). Sea level at the San Francisco tidal gauge has risen 20 centimeters (8 inches) over the past century, and the National Research Council projected that sea level may rise by as much as 140-165 centimeters (55-65 inches) in California by 2100 (NRC, 2012). The Coastal Commission has developed this guidance to help California’s coastal communities prepare for the effects of sea-level rise.

The economic impacts of sea-level rise in California could be severe. Many parts of the state’s $1.9 trillion economy – including coastal tourism, commercial fisheries, coastal agriculture, and ports – are at risk from sea-level rise. In addition to potential loses in revenue, the Pacific Institute estimates that $100 billion worth of property is at risk of flooding during a 100-year flood with a projected 1.4 meters of sea-level rise. This property includes seven wastewater treatment plants, commercial fishery facilities, marine terminals, Coastal Highway One, fourteen power plants, residential homes, and other important development and infrastructure (Heberger et al. 2009). Also, public beaches and recreational resources may be lost, and wetlands and other sensitive resources may disappear. These resources provide invaluable benefits to California, including recreation and tourism revenues, habitat for commercial fish species, enhanced water quality, and increased quality of life.

More here: the PDF report

DRAFT Sea-Level Rise Policy Guidance

The California Coastal Commission Announces the Release of Draft Sea-Level Rise Policy Guidance for Public Review

Commission staff is now seeking input on the Draft Sea-Level Rise Policy Guidance. The Draft Sea-Level Rise Policy Guidance document provides an overview of best available science on sea-level rise for California and recommended steps for addressing sea-level rise in Coastal Commission planning and regulatory actions. Click the link for the Coastal Commission’s Public Review Announcement.

Opportunities to Learn More about the Draft Guidance Document

California Coastal Commission staff is conducting a number of outreach events designed to give an overview of the Draft Sea-Level Rise Guidance, as well as to answer questions from interested parties and members of the public. Commission staff will present the document at two Coastal Commission Hearings and will host two online webinars. Details on these events are below.

Coastal Commission Hearings

• Commission staff will present the Draft Sea-Level Rise Policy Guidance at two regularly scheduled Coastal Commission Hearings. Both hearings will also include time for public to register official verbal comments on the document. The dates of the two hearings are as follows:
  • Thursday, December 12 at the Radisson Hotel Fisherman’s Wharf, 250 Beach Street, San Francisco.
  • January 8-10 at the Catamaran Resort Hotel, 3999 Mission Blvd., San Diego. Check Agenda for Date.

  See http://www.coastal.ca.gov/mtgcurr.html for more information on Coastal Commission Hearings

• Public Webinars

  Commission staff will conduct two public webinars, each of which will include a summary of the document, descriptions of sea-level rise projections for California, and recommendations for addressing sea-level rise in Local Coastal Programs and Coastal Development Permits. Each webinar will be the same. Participants are welcome to ask questions during the webinars, but official comments are best submitted to SLRGuidanceDocument@coastal.ca.gov. (see below). The dates of the two webinars and registration details for each are below.

  • Webinar #1: December 4, 10:30am – 12:00pm. To register, go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2883128749907020034
    • A PDF of the webinar presentation and a recording of the webinar are now available.
  • Webinar #2: December 17, 2:00 – 3:30pm. To register, go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3107175134787345922

  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

• Other Opportunities

  In addition, Coastal Commission staff may be available to present at other organization meetings. Please send us an email at SLRGuidanceDocument@coastal.ca.gov to arrange a meeting.

Download Document

Click the link to download the full Draft Sea-Level Rise Policy Guidance document.

To download a specific chapter, click the link below:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. INTRODUCTION
2. GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ADDRESSING SEA-LEVEL RISE
3. SEA-LEVEL RISE SCIENCE
4. ADDRESSING SEA-LEVEL RISE IN LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAMS
5. ADDRESSING SEA-LEVEL RISE IN COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMITS
6. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH NEEDS
7. NEXT STEPS

GLOSSARY

REFERENCES

APPENDICES (All Appendices A-F)

Appendix A. Sea-Level Rise Science and Projections for Future Change

Appendix B. Developing Local Hazard Conditions Based on Regional or Local Sea-Level Rise Using the NRC 2012 Report

Appendix C. Adaptation Measures

Appendix D. Resources for Addressing Sea-Level Rise in Local Coastal Programs

Appendix E. Examples of Sea-Level Rise Preparation from Other State Agencies

Appendix F: Coastal Act Policies Relevant to Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Hazards

Submitting Comments

Please send your comments as soon as possible, and no later than 5:00 pm Friday, February 14, 2014. Comments can be submitted via email to SLRGuidanceDocument@coastal.ca.gov, by U.S. mail to the address below, or orally at Commission public hearings in November, December, 2013 and/or January 2014.

California Coastal Commission

c/o Sea-Level Rise Work Group

45 Fremont Street, Suite 2000

San Francisco, CA 94105

or send by email to SLRGuidanceDocument@coastal.ca.gov

The 90-day comment period is provided to maximize public and agency participation in the discussion and review of the Commission’s proposed Sea-Level Rise Policy Guidance. We encourage broad participation in the review of the document and welcome all feedback.

Questions?

If you have questions or would like additional information on the guidance, please do not hesitate to contact Hilary Papendick at SLRGuidanceDocument@coastal.ca.gov or (415) 904-5294, or Lesley Ewing at (415) 904-5291. Thank you in advance for your review and comments.

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h/t to Mosher