San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan

After Senate Bill 272 (Sea level rise: planning and adaptation) was adopted in late 2023, the state of California now requires that local governments along the shoreline adjudicated by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) create sea-level rise plans by 2034. The BCDC Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP) provides local governments guidance on how to draft, implement, and update “Subregional Plans,” which must be approved by BCDC. Approved plans give local governments priority for project implementation funding to adapt to sea-level rise. The chief purpose of the RSAP is to align local efforts on planning for and adapting to sea-level rise across impacted sectors and incorporate best-available science into plans.

The RSAP outlines the history of how this plan came to be adopted, challenges and opportunities for sea-level rise adaptation in the Bay Area, the One Bay Vision, and guidelines for creating Subregional Plans. The One Bay Vision (developed by BCDC with input from ten communities across the Bay) underpins the RSAP with shared Bay priorities for adaptation and ensures that adaptation considers critical resources, accessibility, and collaboration. Subregional Plans build upon the One Bay Vision to incorporate strategic regional priorities (e.g., assessing risk of displacement, public access, flood risk, etc.). Plans must include the following components, and the RSAP includes guidance on developing each:

Planning Process
Existing Conditions
Vulnerability Assessment
Adaptation Strategies and Pathways
Land Use and Policy Plan
Project Implementation and Funding
Project List

BCDC assesses Subregional Plans against the RSAP minimum standards, which include coastal flood hazards and sea-level rise scenarios, minimum categories and assets, an equity assessment, and adaptation strategy standards. The design of the RSAP ensures that local governments have a step-by-step guide for how to use the document, including key word definitions, how to identify specific regional priorities, and even a checklist for creating the plan. The checklist includes minimum standard call-outs so that planners can ensure they are creating an effective draft.

The RSAP provides extensive guidance to communities on incorporating equity into their Subregional Plans. Senate Bill 272 requires that Subregional Shoreline Adaptation Plans include a vulnerability assessment that addresses the needs of the most at-risk communities. BCDC reviews and approves these plans, holding them to their “Equity Assessment Standard,” which ensures that plans appropriately engage with and reflect the needs of local communities.

Equity considerations are required throughout the plan development and implementation processes. The RSAP guidance document states “Incorporating equity into planning requires intentional and explicit efforts to bring members of socially vulnerable communities, Environmental Justice communities, Tribes, disabled populations, and other communities that have been historically underrepresented into the planning process.” From the planning team, to community outreach events, to project execution, the guide provides ways for local governments to incorporate equity to the maximum extent. The Equity Assessment Standard outlines equity requirements for the planning process, existing conditions and vulnerability assessments, creation of adaptation and land use plans, plan implementation, and project lists. The RSAP recommends measures such as: including diverse viewpoints on the planning committee, providing stipends, food, and childcare at outreach events, developing multilingual materials, surveying communities on their values and assets, assessing public access needs and limitations, outlining potential unintended negative consequences, and more.

The RSAP was adopted in December 2024 after BCDC staff provided their recommendations and incorporated over 300 public comments from public hearings and review in late 2024, amending the San Francisco Bay Plan to more thoroughly address sea-level rise planning. BCDC co-authored the RSAP alongside Mithun, ERG, ESA, and the Greenbelt Alliance. The plan will be updated on a regular basis, but no update cadence has been determined as of March 2025. Subregional Plans will also have a required timeline for updates as more research on sea-level rise in the Bay Area is completed.

Publication Date: December 2024

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