Climate Change Adaptation Planning & Implementation
West Marin is vulnerable to climate change impacts including, but not limited to, wildfire, flooding, groundwater rise, saltwater intrusion, and sea level rise. Marin County and others have developed vulnerability assessments as well as potential adaptive solutions. Adaptation planning and implementation, as well as coordination, is key for the preservation of West Marin’s coastal villages.
EAC’s Focus and Role:
In general, EAC prioritizes nature based solutions focused on preservation of coastal resources and access. We are actively engaged as both an adviser and a participant in a number of local planning efforts and resiliency projects. We also seek to provide education and outreach to the public on these local planning efforts.
Building on Marin County’s work on the Local Coastal Program (LCP) Amendments and Collaboration: Sea-Level Marin Adaptation Response Team (C-SMART), the County decided to form a Coastal Communities Working Group (CCWG).
In winter of 2020, EAC was invited to participate in this group, along with other key village representatives and other key stakeholders. This continues EAC’s long standing work on the LCP Amendments and our involvement with the C-SMART process. The CCWG will be reviewing, sharing information, and providing input on several key adaptation planning efforts including feasibility studies of nature based options for sea level rise adaptation at Stinson Beach and living shoreline alternatives around Tomales Bay, as well the LCP amendments related to environmental hazards (the only outstanding LCP update).
EAC is also engaged in other adaptation planning and restoration efforts in West Marin including the Bolinas North End/Wye Wetlands Resiliency project, which aims to restore habitat, improve road safety, and adapt to sea level rise in Bolinas Lagoon, and the Bolinas South End Living Shoreline Project, which is in its preliminary phases.
