Local Government Commission (LGC)

The Local Government Commission (LGC) is a nonprofit organization with a 35-year long history of connecting cutting-edge leaders from across the nation to advance transformative policies and implement innovative solutions for sustainable communities. LGC works to build livable communities and local leadership by connecting leaders via innovative programs and network opportunities, advancing policies through participation at the local and state level, and implementing solutions as a technical assistance provider and advisor to local jurisdictions. With roots in California and a national reputation, LGC offers inspiration, information, and partnership for local and regional champions dedicated to building thriving communities that integrate civic engagement with environmental, social and economic priorities.

LGC has contributed to incubating significant new local policies and practices across a wide range of disciplines including climate change mitigation and adaptation, public health, community design and smart growth, active transportation, water and energy conservation, alternative energy development and waste reduction. In 2010, the LGC led two of the first regional climate-change vulnerability assessments in San Luis Obispo and Fresno counties, and worked with stakeholders to develop some of the first adaptation strategies within climate action plans. Since then, the LGC has helped to further catalyze adaptation efforts as the organizers of the first California Adaptation Forum, which attracted over 800 participants and is now a biannual event, and through the Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation (ARCCA).

ARCCA, a coalition of the LGC, represents leading collaborative networks from across California that strive to build regional resilience to climate impacts. Together, ARCCA members work to enhance public health, protect natural systems, build economies, and create resilient, livable communities throughout California. By sharing best practices and resources, identifying strategies to overcome key barriers and challenges, and conducting joint campaigns and projects, ARCCA members effectively bolster their individual and collective efforts. ARCCA also actively works to advance important adaptation principles by engaging in state policy development, facilitating dialogue between key decision-makers and stakeholders, and creating valuable tools and resources.

LGC’s other key programs in the climate change adaptation space include:

Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative: a network designed to promote greater resilience coordination at the regional and local level across the six-county Sacramento region.
CivicSpark: a Governor’s Initiative AmeriCorps program that recruits 68 fellows each year to provide capacity-building support to local governments to accelerate California’s response and resiliency to climate change and water-related issues.
Infinite Earth Radio Podcast: a weekly podcast produced by Skeo, in association with the LGC, featuring visionary leaders, dedicated government officials, savvy businesses and forward-thinking individuals who are working to build smarter, more equitable, sustainable and prosperous communities through social and economic inclusion.
New Partners for Smart Growth Conference: an annual conference bringing together over 1,000 diverse participants who cross disciplinary lines to share experiences and insights, valuable implementation tools and strategies for addressing smart growth.
The California Adaptation Forum : a biennial annual conference bringing together California's adaptation leaders to share cutting-edge policies, projects, programs and partnerships, as well as tools and strategies that address the challenges community leaders face in developing and implementing adaptation solutions.

LGC is also supporting two research projects exploring practical opportunities to fund adaptation and strategies to overcome institutional barriers to implementing adaptation strategies as a contribution to California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment.

Phone: (916) 448-1198

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Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation (ARCCA)

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