By Melissa Sparks-Kranz, legislative affairs lobbyist (environmental quality)

The California Coastal Commission (CCC) and Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) this month released final guidance that reflects a 2023 law requiring cities and counties along the coast and bay to develop new sea level rise plans.

Cal Cities advocated with both the CCC and BCDC this fall that the guidance must follow state law, which provides coastal and bay local governments until Jan. 1, 2034, to develop sea level rise plans. While there has been some funding in recent years, cities will need significant resources to develop and implement sea level rise plans. Cal Cities noted that SB 272 (Laird, 2023) itself called for greater funding to support local planning.

The guidance includes:

1. The use of the best available science.
2. A vulnerability assessment that includes efforts to ensure equity for at-risk communities.
3. Sea level rise adaptation strategies and recommended projects.
4. Identification of lead planning and implementation agencies.
5. A timeline for plan updates, as needed, in agreement with the CCC or BCDC.
6. An economic impact analysis of, at a minimum, costs to critical public infrastructure and recommended approaches for implementing the sea level rise adaptation strategies and recommended projects, as part of the plan update.

The science documenting changes in sea level rise has advanced in the last decade and is included in the planning guidance documents. However, the state's science still includes deep uncertainty about what the climate could look like 100 years from now. Earlier this year, the Ocean Protection Council updated its science guidance - with input from the Cal Cities Coastal Cities Group - to include sea level rise projections through 2150.

Both the science and planning guidance will help cities better understand sea level rise scenarios and their possible impacts, as well as design adaptation strategies that address sea level rise and the potential for future infrastructure and housing impacts along the coastline. Cal Cities elevated climate change resiliency and disaster preparedness as part of its 2024 advocacy priorities and it will continue to be among its top priorities in 2025.