To: Board of Supervisors
From: Planning and Building Department
Agenda Section: Departmental
SUBJECT:
title
Status Report on the Draft Regional Climate Action Plan
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Receive the staff report and presentation for filing.
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SOURCE OF FUNDING:
The salary funding for this work is included in the General Fund contribution to the Long-Range Planning unit, 1100-282.
DISCUSSION:
This informational item is intended to update the Board of Supervisors on the status of the draft Regional Climate Action Plan (CAP) being developed by the County and the seven incorporated cities.
Background
In 2006, California established its first statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target and began developing policies and programs to cut GHG emissions. City and County governments soon followed suit by creating local CAPs. To date, over 40% of cities and counties in the state have adopted CAPs. These CAPs outline the specific actions jurisdictions will take to reduce GHG emissions that occur within their jurisdiction boundaries.
Policy AQ-P9 in the 2017 General Plan calls for the development of a “multi-jurisdictional Climate Action Plan to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the state Global Warming Solutions Act [AB 32].” In early 2019, staff from the Planning & Building Department convened a group of staff from the seven cities within the county and the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) to begin work on a regional CAP. Later that year, the Board of Supervisors adopted a Memorandum of Understanding with the seven cities, committing the County to working with the seven cities and RCEA to develop a CAP with a GHG inventory, reduction target, and reduction measures.
To align the regional CAP with state climate goals, the CAP working group chose a tentative target to reduce GHG emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. To assess baseline greenhouse gas emissions, RCEA conducted 1990 and 2015 GHG inventories.
After the regional CAP working group developed a list of candidate GHG reduction measures, RCEA subcontracted with local consultants to quantify the GHG reduction potential of many of those measures. In 2019 and 2020, county and city staff organized and hosted six public workshops throughout the county to present the inventories and solicit input on the draft list of measures.
Publication and Review of the Draft Regional CAP
The staff working group completed an Administrative Review Draft CAP in April 2021. A public draft of the regional CAP will be distributed in June 2021 to begin environmental review of the document and the County and cities will host a series of public workshops to solicit feedback on the draft. The County will be serving as lead agency in review and certification of the environmental review of the draft CAP. Funding for that work is anticipated to be covered by the state’s REAP Grant Program applied for and administered by the Humboldt County Association of Governments. Planning and Building staff anticipate assisting the cities with adoption of their portions of the CAP and bringing the county’s portion of the Regional CAP to the Board of Supervisors for adoption in 2022.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
This item does not involve any financial impacts or commitments at this time. Financial impacts of GHG reduction measures proposed in the CAP will be evaluated and considered by the Board of Supervisors during review and adoption of the County’s portion of the Regional CAP.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by building interjurisdictional and regional cooperation , facilitating public/private partnerships to solve problems, managing our resources to ensure sustainability of services, seeking outside funding sources to benefit Humboldt County needs, retaining existing and facilitating new living-wage private sector jobs and housing, protecting vulnerable populations, and creating opportunities for improved safety and health.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Regional CAP is being developed in partnership with the cities of Arcata, Blue Lake, Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna, Rio Dell and Trinidad with the assistance of RCEA.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Board discretion.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Climate Action Plan Update Presentation
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: I1
Meeting of: June 11, 2019
File No.: 19-750