Greenbelt Alliance supports the Bay Conservation and Development Commission as the backbone agency for implementation of a much needed regional strategy for comprehensively addressing sea level rise in the Bay Area.
As the Bay Area prepares for sea level rise, we collectively have the chance to improve how we plan long-term for our cities and counties, how we support our neighbors and local ecosystems, and how we adapt. This change is closer than ever with the passage this year of California Senate Bill 272 Sea Level Rise Planning and Adaptation (Laird, 2023), which mandates the creation of subregional shoreline resiliency plans for both California coastal zones and the Bay Area shoreline
Greenbelt Alliance has been honored to support the Bay Conservation and Development Commission in its critical role as the backbone agency for implementation of a much needed regional strategy for comprehensively addressing sea level rise in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Backbone support includes organizing and facilitating internal working group meetings and creative communications efforts to serve as building blocks for the urgency and outcome-based work that BCDC is doing. We are building on the initial Bay Adapt communications effort which created a strong foundation for communications and branding. It is imperative that this effort be communicated externally with a wide range of stakeholders through outreach meetings, sharing information, getting feedback, and producing clear and accessible materials.
In 2023, Greenbelt Alliance developed a comprehensive communications and outreach strategy for telling the story of BCDC’s initiatives and reaching target stakeholders, such as sea level rise practitioners, environmental justice advocates, and the general public. Since then, we’ve implemented ongoing strategies to help BCDC engage communities in their work and inspire them to take action. Our Marketing & Communications team is developing web and print materials, newsletters, social media, and a national press strategy, while providing strategic direction to engage current and new stakeholders. We also partner with BCDC on community engagement and outreach to climate-vulnerable communities in ways that build equitable participation in climate change work.
In spring 2024, Greenbelt Alliance supported BCDC in facilitating five workshops in partnership with local Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in Bay Area shoreline communities most vulnerable to sea level rise. Workshops aimed to bring together community members, government staff, and other affected parties in each shoreline location to explore local flooding issues and build upon existing efforts on the ground. This collaboration intended to help shape and inform the development of BCDC’s Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP). At each of the five workshops, community members, local elected officials and government agency staff engaged in discussions around tables containing local maps highlighting community assets, sea level rise and flooding. Discussions enabled participants to exchange insights and share the unique values, conditions, and opportunities for adaptation within their communities.
Feedback gathered from the workshops were used to inform BCDC’s development of the RSAP, which includes guidelines that local jurisdictions must use when developing their own local Subregional shoreline adaptation plans, as required by law through SB 272.
Each of the five workshops provided important opportunities for community members to engage with one another and continue the conversations with their local elected officials and government staff.
In August 2024, we came together as a region for the first annual Rising Together: The Bay Adapt Summit in partnership the Exploratorium. We started the day off with morning tours around the Bay in order to see first hand some of the resilience strategies at key shoreline sites like Islais Creek, where the Port of San Francisco and U.S. Army Corps shared their draft flood management plan, as well as North Richmond and Oakland, where community-based projects highlighted local adaptation efforts.
In the afternoon we gathered at the Exploratorium with a packed crowd. We began with a welcome and land acknowledgment, followed by an overview of the Bay Area’s adaptation progress and community-led discussions on future strategies.
A key part of the event included the Bay Adapt Awards which honored the work of visionaries building a more resilient shoreline and protecting communities from the impacts of rising sea levels. BCDC’s 2024 awardees are Dr. Kris May, Violet Saena, and Supervisor Pine. Learn more about our Bay Adapt Award recipients by reading their interviews here.
The day concluded with the Exploratorium’s “After Dark: Rising Sea” public event which offered an interactive evening focused on sea level rise, blending art, science, and community engagement. Attendees explored climate change impacts through hands-on activities like a resource-sharing game, live screen printing, and custom action figure creation. Rising Sea also featured short talks on local resilience projects, a climate-themed photobooth, a short film premiere, and a performance by the dance troupe, BANDALOOP. The After Dark event aimed to engage adults in climate adaptation strategies and inspire action. More information can be found here.
In order to address the urgent challenges of tomorrow’s sea level rise, we need to advance solutions today. We appreciate working with BCDC to streamline adaptation guidelines in local and subregional jurisdictions, working across sectors to move quickly in advancing solutions. We are proud of BCDC’s achievements and our region for coming this far on sea level rise adaptation work, and we’re excited for our future work together to advance a resilient shoreline.
All photos by Karl Nielsen.
