BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2516
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 28, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Wesley Chesbro, Chair
AB 2516 (Gordon) - As Amended: April 9, 2014
SUBJECT : Sea level rise planning: database
SUMMARY : Creates the Planning for Sea Level Rise Database
(PSLRD) to be managed by the Natural Resources Agency (NRA).
Requires various public and private entities to provide NRA with
existing sea level rise planning information that is to be
posted, and updated monthly, on the PSLRD.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Authorizes the California Coastal Conservancy (Conservancy) to
address the impacts and potential impacts of climate change on
coastal resources and to award grants to public agencies and
nonprofit organizations for this purpose.
2)Requires a local trustee of granted public trust lands whose
annual gross public trust revenues exceed $250,000 to prepare
and submit to the State Lands Commission (Commission) an
assessment of how it proposes to address sea level rise.
3)Pursuant to Executive Order S-13-08 (Schwarzenegger), ordered
NRA, through the Climate Action Team, to coordinate with
local, regional, state and federal public and private entities
to develop, by 2009, a state Climate Adaptation Strategy.
Ordered the strategy to summarize the best known science on
climate change impacts to California, assess California's
vulnerability to the identified impacts, and outline solutions
that can be implemented within and across state agencies to
promote resiliency.
THIS BILL :
1)Requires, on or before January 1, 2016, NRA, in collaboration
with the Ocean Protection Council, to create and post on its
Internet Web site the PSLRD describing steps being taken
throughout the state to prepare for, and adapt to, sea level
rise. To be an effective inventory of sea level rise planning
in the state, requires NRA to update the PSLRD on a monthly
basis with information provided by the described public and
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private entities.
2)Defines "projects" as sea level rise planning information,
which includes studies, programs, modeling, mapping,
cost-benefit analyses, vulnerability assessments, or
adaptation assessments.
3)Requires the PSLRD to include existing projects and local
coastal program information, as specified.
4)Requires the following public and private entities to provide
existing projects and local coastal programs information, as
applicable, to NRA on a monthly basis:
a) Airports within the California coastal zone or San
Francisco Bay area;
b) California Coastal Commission;
c) State Energy Resources Conservation and Development
Commission;
d) Ports located in the California coastal zone or San
Francisco Bay area;
e) Department of Transportation;
f) Investor-owned utilities located in the California
coastal zone or the San Francisco Bay area;
g) Publicly owned electric and natural gas utilities
located in the California coastal zone or San Francisco Bay
area;
h) Regional water quality control boards;
i) San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development
Commission;
j) Conservancy;
aa) Commission; and,
bb) State Water Resources Control Board.
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5)Specifies that the bill does not require any of the listed
public or private entities to develop, adopt, or update a
project.
6)Requires NRA, in developing the PSLRD, to organize the
database by geographic regions, provide an entry for each
city, county, and city and county within the coastal zone and
San Francisco Bay area, and include project information under
each entry. Requires NRA to organize the database in a manner
it determines best to provide the public with clear, useful,
and readily accessible information.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
1)Background . Climate change during the next century is
projected to accelerate sea level rise. A 2012 report from
the National Research Council found that the average sea level
rise projections for California are an additional 6 inches by
2030, 12 inches by 2050, and 36 inches by 2100. The country's
longest continuously operating gauge of sea level, in San
Francisco Bay, recorded a seven-inch rise in sea level over
the 20th century. As has been seen throughout the country
with Superstorm Sandy and recent king tides, California's
coast is vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise.
The Assembly Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the
California Economy (Select Committee) was established last
year to thoroughly review the challenges ahead in addressing
the expected impacts of sea level rise on California and its
economy. Over the course of a year, the Select Committee held
four hearings throughout the state to examine sea level rise's
effect on various sectors and industries. Topics at the four
hearings included projected impacts on coastal agriculture,
fishing and aquaculture industry, tourism, ports, airports,
roads and bridges, water and power infrastructure, as well as
the examination of existing authority granted to state
agencies to prepare and respond to anticipated sea level rise.
The Select Committee found that many cities, counties, and
regions have already begun to address the challenge of sea
level rise. In fact, there continues to be studies, modeling,
mapping, cost-benefit analysis, and vulnerability assessments
throughout the state to understand the risks and plan for sea
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level rise through adaptation strategies.
The Select Committee also found that California is a leader in
addressing sea level rise. State agencies have developed sea
level rise planning guidance documents as well as supported
planning and adaptation projects through grant funding and
working with local planners. While much work has been done on
the issue, the Select Committee found that the information
that exists is not centrally located, but found piecemeal
among many agencies and entities.
According to the author, it would be beneficial for a variety
of reasons to create a database and obtain an inventory of the
work being done to address this critical issue.
2)Suggested Amendments . The author and committee may wish to
consider amendments that require the submitted sea level rise
information to be submitted quarterly, rather than monthly.
Additionally, the author and committee may wish to consider
technical and cleanup amendments, which committee staff will
distribute at the committee hearing .
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Coastal Commission
City of Mountain View
City and County of San Francisco
The Nature Conservancy
San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
Sierra Club California
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Mario DeBernardo / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092