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 update to the Guidance was developed by the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC), in coordination with the California Natural Resources Agency, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and the California Energy Commission.   This policy document relies on the scientific findings from a recently released report from the OPC’s Science Advisory Team entitled “Rising Seas in California: An Update on Sea-Level Rise,” which synthesized the current state of sea-level rise science, including advances in modeling and improved understanding of the processes that could drive extreme global sea-level rise as a result of ice loss from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.

To ensure that the Guidance was understandable and useful for local and state decision-making, the update process included extensive public outreach, with interviews, listening sessions and public workshops.  Close to 400 coastal stakeholders from city, county, and regional government entities, consulting groups, non-profits, state and federal agencies and tribal representatives provided input that helped shape the framework for the Guidance update and associated web resources (which will be available on the State’s Adaptation Clearinghouse and OPC’s website in early 2018).

The public comment period on the draft Guidance is open from November 15, 2017 through December 15, 2017.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

Read more on the process of updating the State of California Sea-Level Rise Guidance



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