November 2017 – California Ocean Protection Council

Draft Update to the State of California Sea-Level Rise Guidance is Available for Public Review and Comment

Catalyzed by direction from Governor Brown in 2016, the update to the State of California Sea-Level Rise Guidance (Guidance) reflects advances in sea-level rise science and addresses the needs of state agencies and local governments as they incorporate sea-level rise into their planning, permitting, and investment decisions.

Download and review the draft here.

The updated Guidance provides: 1) a synthesis of the best available science on sea-level rise projections and rates for California; 2) a stepwise approach for state agencies and local governments to evaluate those projections and related hazard information in decision-making; and 3) preferred coastal adaptation approaches.

The public comment period on the draft Guidance is open from November 15, 2017 through December 15, 2017.

All comments should be submitted by email to: COPCpublic@resources.ca.gov. Questions can be directed to Ocean Protection Council’s Deputy Director, Jenn Eckerle at: jenn.eckerle@resources.ca.gov.

Final adoption of the Guidance is anticipated at the Ocean Protection Council’s January 31, 2018 meeting.

California & the OA Alliance at COP23 Climate Talks in Bonn, Germany

On behalf of the California Ocean Protection Council, the California Natural Resources Agency, and the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification (OA Alliance), OPC’s Climate Policy Advisor, Jenn Phillips, is representing California at the 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP23) in Bonn, Germany and as hosted by Fiji, to integrate the ocean into the global discussion on climate change. Read this press release from November 13, 2017, to learn more about the OA Alliance’s new members, including Fiji, and new plans for action at the climate talks in Bonn. Visit the COP23 website here. Follow real-time updates on OPC’s twitter. And watch the OA Alliance panel on protecting coastal communities on the Pacific Coast Collaborative (PCC) lead’s Twitter here.