A city (or county) is not an accident but the result of coherent visions and aims

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facilities. Much of this data will only be available at the local level. These can be meshed with downloaded data from the 
General Plan Mapping Tool
, 
MyPlan
 and 
Cal-Adapt
.
5.  Coordination with federal, state, regional, and local data and information related to protection of public health and safety 
and the environment, including data from special districts and local offices of emergency services. Through the 
OPR 
Adaptation Clearinghouse
 jurisdictions can access contact information for local, regional, State and federal offices that can 
assist with this work. 
Developing goals and measures for climate change adaptation and resilience (steps 6-9 of the Adaptation Planning Guide)
Jurisdictions must identify a set of adaptation and resilience goals, policies, and objectives, based on the information analyzed 
in the vulnerability assessment outlined above, for the protection of the community. The “Identifying Adaptation Strategies” 
chapter of the 
APG
 provides a start to this process, and links to other resources. 
CalAdapt
, the 
OPR Adaptation Clearinghouse
 
and other relevant local, regional, state and federal resources are appropriate to use. In particular, as mentioned in the 
vulnerability assessment section, regional collaboratives can play a useful role in both identifying policies and coordinating on 
implementation of those policies. See 
www.arccacalifornia.org
 for more information on regional collaboratives and potential 
partners in your area.
As outlined in the 
APG
, feasible implementation measures must also be developed to ensure the goals, policies, and objectives 
in the plan are supported through implementing actions. This can be done through the general plan implementation matrix 
or other mechanism that allows monitoring of progress over time. The structure of the implementation matrix or program may 
shift depending on whether the climate change discussion is captured in a climate action plan, adaptation plan, or incorporated 
in the general plan. As with the vulnerability assessment section above, a jurisdiction should start with the 
APG
, then review 
local or regionally relevant resources, and then review other statewide or national guides as outlined in the table above. 
Whenever possible, cities and counties should work with neighboring jurisdictions to develop joint policies and coordinate on 
joint implementation of policy. Not only does this type of coordination increase policy consistency in a region, but it also may 
reduce staff and financial cost of implementation. Specific contents required in the climate adaptation discussion include:
1.  Feasible methods to avoid or minimize climate change impacts associated with new uses of land. These include, but are not 
limited to, flooding, fire, extreme heat, sea level rise, runoff, risk, etc.). This should not just capture new risks, but also risks 
exacerbated by climate change. 
2.  The location, when feasible, of new essential public facilities outside of at-risk areas, including, but not limited to, hospitals 
and health care facilities, emergency shelters, emergency command centers, and emergency communications facilities, or 
identifying construction methods or other methods to minimize damage if these facilities are located in at-risk areas.
3.  The designation of adequate and feasible infrastructure located in an at-risk area. Meaning, any new infrastructure should be 
built to withstand the identified risk.
4.  An approach (guidelines) to working cooperatively with relevant local, regional, state, and federal agencies. The 
APG
 includes 
examples of outreach and coordination measures that can be taken to develop these guidelines. 
5.  The identification of natural infrastructure that may be used in adaptation projects. Where feasible, the plan shall use 
existing natural features and ecosystem processes, or the restoration of natural features and ecosystem processes, when 

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developing alternatives for consideration. Additional guidance on natural infrastructure data and resources can be found at 
the 
OPR Adaptation Clearinghouse
.
Seismic Hazards
Requirement Description: 
The safety element must establish policies to minimize the loss of property and life as a result of earthquakes. The general 
geology and seismic history of the region and the planning area can be addressed with a map of known seismic and geologic 
hazards. The element should determine the location of active fault zones designated by the State Geologist under the 
Alquist-
Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act
. Next, a geologic evaluation can evaluate the potential for displacement along active 
and potentially active faults in the planning area. Active and potentially active faults in the region should be identified with 
historical data on seismic ground shaking within the planning area. A geotechnical evaluation based on the 
state probabilistic 
earthquake hazard map
 can determine the potential for localized ground shaking, landslides, and tsunamis. Hazardous or 
substandard structures that may be subject to collapse in the event of an earthquake, including, but not limited to, unreinforced 
masonry buildings could be identified.
The geotechnical evaluation can also identify the potential for earthquake-triggered landslide, mudslide, liquefaction, and 
soil compaction. It should also determine the location of zones of required investigation for liquefaction. Areas that would be 
inundated in the event of a dam failure should also be identified. 
Dam inundation maps
 are available from the 
California Office 
of Emergency Services (OES)
. The development, facilities, and people potentially at risk in areas subject to potential inundation 
should be identified as well.
The safety element should include historical data on landslides and mudslides and identify areas that are landslide-prone by 
using, among other sources, 
landslide features maps
, 
seismic hazard zone maps
, and 
geology
 maps produced by 
Department of 
Conservation
. The local potential for landslides and mudslides should also be identified in a geotechnical evaluation.
Historical data on land subsidence resulting from extraction of groundwater, natural gas, oil, and geothermal resources and from 
hydrocompaction can be used to identify areas of known risk from liquefaction, subsidence, or ground shaking. The potential risks 
associated with other known geologic hazards, such as volcanic activity, avalanche, or cliff erosion may also be analyzed.
Flood Protection
Requirement Description:
Flooding is a natural function of every river, alluvial fan, and coastal area. In riverine systems, floodwaters enrich bottomlands 
and provide spawning habitats for native fish. There are ecological benefits to maintaining connections between the river and 
its floodplain.
Land use
 decisions directly influence the function of floodplains and may either reduce or increase potential flood hazards. 
The functions of floodplains include, but are not limited to, water supply, water quality, flood and erosion control, and fish 
and wildlife habitat. Development within floodplains may not only expose people and property to floods, but also increase 
the potential for flooding elsewhere and negatively impact floodplain ecosystems. 
Land use
 regulations, such as zoning and 

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