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How State Governments Can Help Communities Invest in Climate Resilience
September 2020
In 2020, the Innovation Network for Communities, Climate Resilience Consulting, and The Summit Foundation released a report, How State Governments Can Help Communities Invest in Climate Resilience. The report presents recommendations for how states can better support climate resilience efforts at the local level. The report includes a framework for how states are already adapting to climate change (e. g. , governance structures, state plans), outlines six key recommendations for developing a state-local resilience financial system, and offers a state assessment checklist to help states implement those recommendations.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Joyce E. Coffee, LEED AP, Peter Plastrik
Resource Category: Planning
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Montana Climate Solutions Plan
August 2020
In August 2020, the Montana Climate Solutions Council released the state’s first adaptation plan as one part of Montana's overall climate change strategy, the Montana Climate Solutions Plan (“Plan”). Montana has been affected by climate change-related flooding events, drought, and wildfires. The state developed this climate strategy to mitigate and adapt to those effects in response to Executive Order 8-2019. The larger Plan also addresses reducing greenhouse gas emissions, advancing the research necessary to meet the state's climate goals, and meeting the economic and occupational needs of workers in industries transitioning away from the use of fossil fuels.
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Oakland 2030 Equitable Climate Action Plan - Oakland, California
July 2020
In July 2020, the City of Oakland’s Department of Public Works released Oakland 2030: Equitable Climate Action Plan (ECAP). ECAP is a cross-sectional, citywide plan that establishes 40 specific actions that City agencies and its partners must take by 2050 to reduce Oakland’s climate emissions and improve resiliency in an equitable manner. With a strong focus on equity throughout, the ECAP authors have broken down its recommendations and policy actions into seven distinct sectors: transportation and land use, buildings, material consumption and waste, adaptation, carbon removal, City leadership, and the Port of Oakland.
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Managing the Retreat from Rising Seas — State of Hawaii: Assessing the Feasibility and Implications of Managed Retreat Strategies for Vulnerable Coastal Areas in Hawaii
February 2019
In February 2019, the State of Hawaii Office of Planning, Coastal Zone Management Program (CZMP), published a report: Assessing the Feasibility and Implications of Managed Retreat Strategies for Vulnerable Coastal Areas in Hawaii (report). CZMP drafted the report in response to a request for the state to evaluate the potential for a managed retreat program in Hawaii. In developing the report, CZMP designed and implemented a three-phased approach that consisted of conducting background research; evaluating how retreat could apply in four different area typologies; and convening an interdisciplinary symposium to engage experts and stakeholders. As a result, CZMP concluded that it is not currently possible for Hawaii to develop a step-by-step plan to implement managed retreat for areas in the state threatened by sea-level rise and other coastal hazards; however, the report contains recommendations for potential next steps, including assembling an interdisciplinary committee to work towards achieving a statewide consensus about a managed retreat vision and efforts to formulate a retreat strategy. Both Hawaii’s three-phased approach and the final report provide helpful examples of how one state designed and implemented a comprehensive process led by its CZMP to evaluate the potential for retreat. This case study is one of 17 case studies featured in a report written by the Georgetown Climate Center, Managing the Retreat from Rising Seas: Lessons and Tools from 17 Case Studies.
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Managing the Retreat from Rising Seas — Punta Gorda, Florida: Climate Adaptation and Comprehensive Plans and Updates
July 15, 2020
The harborside city of Punta Gorda, Florida has responded to the threat of coastal storms and climate change impacts with two different plans - a Climate Adaptation Plan and a local comprehensive plan - to promote, manage, and protect the city’s natural resources and plan for development in a way that minimizes risks to people and property and conserves ecosystems. The Adaptation Plan is unique because it was developed through a “citizen-driven process” designed to identify effective local responses to climate change and includes a variety of adaptation options that enjoy broad community support, including managed retreat or “planned relocation.” The city incorporated the Climate Adaptation Plan into its comprehensive plan to ensure that climate change is considered in land-use decisionmaking efforts. In 2019, the city released an update to its Adaptation Plan that identifies the city’s progress to date and future adaptation actions the city could consider implementing. Punta Gorda provides a useful example of how effective community engagement can enhance adaptation planning and build community support for managed retreat strategies and how adaptation plans can be used to inform future land-use decisions to ensure safer, more resilient development. This case study is one of 17 case studies featured in a report written by the Georgetown Climate Center, Managing the Retreat from Rising Seas: Lessons and Tools from 17 Case Studies.
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Managing the Retreat from Rising Seas — Quinault Indian Nation, Washington: Taholah Village Relocation Master Plan
July 15, 2020
Quinault Indian Nation (QIN), a federally recognized tribe located in Washington state, is currently implementing a phased relocation plan as part of a managed retreat strategy in response to the impacts of sea-level rise, flooding, and concerns about the increased likelihood of tsunamis and storm surges attributed to climate change. In 2017, QIN adopted the Taholah Village Relocation Master Plan that outlines a vision and development plan for relocating a portion of QIN living in the Lower Village of Taholah to a higher ground location in the Upper Village Relocation Area. The Master Plan contains eleven chapters covering the history and the need to relocate, goals and principles of the plan, and different aspects of the Upper Village blueprint including appropriate community facilities, housing, infrastructure, culture, sustainability, and resilience. It also sets forth implementation steps for the project through phasing, necessary regulatory changes, and funding. QIN developed the Master Plan with significant community input. The community engagement processes and sustainable planning strategies can provide transferable lessons for other state and local jurisdictions considering similar questions of strategic planning for coastal retreat and relocation, even on a smaller scale. This case study is one of 17 case studies featured in a report written by the Georgetown Climate Center, Managing the Retreat from Rising Seas: Lessons and Tools from 17 Case Studies.
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American Planning Association Hazard Mitigation Policy Guide
July 2020
The American Planning Association (APA) “Hazard Mitigation Policy Guide” was published in 2020 and provides guidance to federal, state, and local hazard mitigation planners regarding best practices on community preparedness, health, resilience, and sustainability. It covers a wide array of climate- and non-climate-related natural and human-caused hazards. As a whole, the guide recommends that response and recovery improve resilience to future risks such as climate change.
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North Carolina 2020 Climate Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan
June 2, 2020
The North Carolina Climate Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan is the state’s first climate change adaptation plan. It includes the results of vulnerability assessments within 11 critical sectors, climate justice concerns and strategies, and recommendations for nature-based solutions to enhance ecosystem resiliency and sequester carbon in the state’s natural and working lands. North Carolina Governor Cooper’s 2018 Executive Order 80 directed state agencies to integrate climate adaptation and resiliency planning into their policies, programs, and operations; and mandated that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) lead the development of this climate risk assessment and resiliency plan for the state.
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California's General Plan Guidelines - Environmental Justice Element
June 2020
Developed by California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), this document (“EJ guidelines”) provides guidance for local governments on integrating an Environmental Justice (EJ) Element into the local General Plan. Senate Bill 1000, an amendment to California Government Code Section 65302, mandates that jurisdictions with disadvantaged communities must incorporate an EJ element into general plans. The EJ guidelines provide a history of EJ in California and associated policies, guidance for policymakers in determining if a general plan must include EJ requirements, and guidance for drafting policies and fulfilling these EJ requirements. The EJ guidelines are included in Chapter 4 (Required Elements) of California’s overall General Plan Guidelines.
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California Climate Adaptation Planning Guide
June 2020
The California Adaptation Planning Guide (APG) is a tool that local governments and organizations can use to integrate best practices into their adaptation planning efforts. First published in 2012, the guide has since been updated in 2020, and includes an improved step-by-step process communities can use to plan for climate change. The updated APG reflects the latest best practices, especially in light of the many updates to California’s plans, programs, science, regulations, and policies.
Resource Category: Planning
