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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