Solano supervisors to begin planning for global warming
Nathan Salant
Solano County Buzz Examiner
06/05/2011
Whether global warming is a strictly natural phenomenon or at least partially the result of human activities may still be debatable, but damage expected from rising sea levels is not.
That's why the Solano County Board of Supervisors plans two public hearings Tuesday to develop strategies for dealing with climate change and expected impacts on the low-lying areas near the bay shoreline.
Hearings on a draft Sea Level Rise Strategic Program and Climate Action Plan are scheduled to begin after 2 p.m. as part of the regular board meeting, according to The Reporter newspaper in Vacaville.
The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at the County Government Center at 675 Texas St. in Fairfield.
The board decided in 2008 to develop a program to deal with rising sea levels, if that should occur, the newspaper said.
Tens of thousands of acres of county land could be impacted if water levels rise 16 inches by 2050, county staff said in a report to supervisors.
"The majority of unincorporated land affected by sea level rise is either agricultural property or wetlands," the report says, naming Collinsville and the Sandy Beach area of Vallejo as particularly vulnerable.
"Long term, they will need to adapt accordingly to avoid sea level rise impacts."
The proposed Sea Level Rise Strategic Program would focus on protection measures, such as wetland restoration, and land-use planning.
