On December 16th, CRC hosted a quarterly meeting where participants heard of climate adaptation and mitigation projects and programs taking place in the Capital Region. The meeting took place at SMUD’s Customer Service Center in Sacramento. At this workshop, we featured presentations from new CRC members (City of Elk Grove, San Juan Water District, cbec eco engineering, and City of West Sacramento). Ryan Ojakian from Regional Water Authority provided a presentation on the American River Basin Study, and Willie Wittlesey from Yuba Water Agency presented about Yuba’s Forest Resilience Bonds. The Mayors’ Climate Commission was featured and presentations were given by Laurie Litman, Commissioner; Kathleen Ave, TAC Lead; and Jackie Cole, Equity Roudtable Lead. After, Meg Arnold, Chair of CRC, moderated a panel on the topic of Public Safety Power Shutoffs featuring Lisa Baker from Yolo County Housing, Erik White from Placer County Air Pollution Control District, and Will Mitchell from Raley’s Supermarkets. The meeting concluded with lightning round presentations.
Upcoming Events & Past Event Materials
Annual Members Meeting
December 8, 10:30-11:30 AM
Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative (CRC) members attended the annual end-of-year forum to review and celebrate the climate action accomplishments of the Capital Region and connect with other CRC members. During the meeting, members shared organizational updates, success stories from the past year, and their priorities as they move into 2022. Space was created for members to discuss the mental health considerations that surround their day-to-day work in the climate space and to share year-in-review updates from their organizations.
Fall Members' Networking Meeting
September 16, 3:00-4:30 PM
Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative (CRC) members reconnected for our Fall Members’ Networking Event. Our event focused on how our region is responding to drought with perspectives from local agencies, regional organizations, and the state. Participants had the opportunity to share their own work and hear from other CRC members in breakout groups. Breakout groups were organized around topic areas relevant to drought, climate action, and other adaptation activities.
Summer Members' Networking Meeting
July 7, 3:00-4:30 PM
Reconnect with CRC and our membership base during this 1.5 hour long afternoon networking activity! CRC members will meet other members working on climate action across the region. Join us to learn what other organizations are working on, share your own work, and explore areas of collaboration.
Climate Action in the Capital Region
Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative Webinar: Climate Action in the Capital Region
Wednesday, April 14, 2021, 1-2:30 PM
The Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change developed a common vision and set of strategies for the Cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions, referred to as Carbon Zero, by 2045. This webinar will recap the Commission process and recommendations while providing a space for city staff to provide updates on each city’s current and planned climate action activities.
We will also hear from and highlight additional jurisdictions and agencies across the Capital Region who are working towards their own ambitious climate goals. Sector experts from the Commission Committees will participate in a panel discussion on how the Capital Region climate efforts can serve as models and examine where the Capital Region is compared to other regions in CA in implementing climate goals.
November 2020 - Progress Amid Uncertainty: Lessons from 2020 (Members-only meeting)
At the end of each year, CRC hosts its annual members-only meeting. Different from our other meetings, this is limited to CRC members, and is intended to build relationships among members as well as to help shape CRC’s priorities for the upcoming year.
Our 2020 Members’ Forum will focus on the many lessons learned, inputs and perspectives on 2020, with a focus on climate resiliency as well as the major influencers in 2020, such as COVID-19 and racial equity. We’ll connect with each other not only on the challenges and opportunities of this year, but also what we all foresee for 2021 and beyond. And lastly, we’ll also do some small group networking, since that ability to expand and strengthen personal relationships is one of the biggest challenges of the virtual working environment.
In preparation for this discussion, we are asking members to provide input on a few key questions to help guide the conversation:
Looking Back at 2020:
- What major accomplishments are you proud of during 2020?
- What challenges kept you up at night during 2020?
Looking Forward to 2021 and Beyond:
- What do you believe your priorities will be in 2021? Have they been influenced by the experience of 2020?
- What major uncertainties do you foresee in 2021, and are they different or similar to 2020? What do you need as an organization to continue achieving your mission and goals for the subsequent years?
October 2020 - CRC Affiliate Event - Addressing Climate Impacts on the Sacramento Region's Water Supplies and Environment
The Water Forum’s Symposium was a thought-provoking, interactive exploration of climate change and its projected impacts that threaten the Sacramento region’s water supplies, flood protection, and aquatic ecosystems and environment. The event discussed potential solutions, mitigation and adaptation strategies to create a climate-resilient future where all of the Sacramento region’s inhabitants can live in unison. Speakers highlighted environmental justice and equity throughout the symposium. The concluding panel focused on solutions to invest in communities sensitive to climate change, who have experienced economic and physical displacement as a result of historical underinvestment and inequitable, exclusionary planning decisions. The event closed with a reception to celebrate the Water Forum’s 20th Anniversary, and the Sacramento region’s progress toward reaching the co-equal goals of providing reliable and safe water supplies for the Sacramento region and preserving the environment of the lower American River.
New Study on Climate Impacts to be Featured During the Water Forum 20th Anniversary Symposium
The American River Basin Study is a comprehensive watershed-level look at projected climate change impacts on the Sacramento region’s water resources and environment. The study uses leading-edge science and modeling tools to forecast impacts on water supply, flood control, and critical habitat within the lower American River. Tony Firenzi of the Placer County Water Agency discussed the study findings during the Climate Symposium, as well as far-reaching adaptation strategies planned to maintain our environment, economy and quality of life.
July 2020 - COVID Response: Lessons for Climate Action
On July 29th, we hosted our second virtual workshop, joined by Janice Lam Snyder of SMAQMD, Meg Arnold of Valley Vision, Adrienne Moretz of SACOG, Patrick Mulvaney of Mulvaney’s B&L, Louis Stewart of the City of Sacramento, Giovanni Circella of UC Davis, & Chris Flores of SacRT. This workshop explored COVID-driven rapid innovations, extending new behaviors including teleworking, the impacts of perceived risk on transportation and mobility, and more.
April 2020 - Climate Change and the Economy in the Context of COVID-19
On April 16th, we hosted our first ever virtual workshop (“virtualshop”), joined by Yoon Kim of Four Twenty Seven, Michael McCormick of Harris & Associates, and Kate Gordon of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. During this two hour workshop, Yoon Kim and Michael McCormick discussed how COVID-19 is impacting our world, particularly the potential interplay between the economic impacts of COVID-19 and the need for public and private sector climate action, broadband access, resilience building, and adaptation funding. Kate Gordon also discussed the state’s priorities for climate moving forward.
February 2020 Webinar Series - Cooling the Capital Region: From Models to Implementation
The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) and the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative (CRC) conducted a regional urban heat island study, funded by a Caltrans SB1 Adaptation Planning Grant, to research strategies and provide recommendations to reduce the Capital Region’s urban heat island (UHI) effect.
Summers are becoming hotter in the Capital Region – and some places are warming faster than others. In fact, California’s latest Climate Assessment warns that the Capital Region will be as hot as Phoenix, Arizona, in 40 years. Urban and suburban areas can often be substantially hotter than the surrounding countryside, as a result of roofs, pavements, and buildings that all trap and produce heat – a phenomenon known as the UHI effect. In the Capital Region, the heat and pollutants that make up the UHI effect originates from urban Sacramento, but their impacts extend beyond Sacramento County up to Roseville, Auburn, and El Dorado.
Because the urban heat island effect is not a natural phenomenon and is the result of human development, we also have the ability to reverse this effect and cool our communities. Solutions such as urban forestry, cool roofs, cool and permeable pavements, and electric vehicles can help cool temperatures while delivering many public health and environmental co-benefits.
Understanding Our Regional Heat Island Challenge
Everyone knows how hot it is stepping outside onto a black asphalt parking lot in the middle of the summer – but have you thought about how that heat can have cascading, regional impacts for air quality, public health, transportation, and more? The Capital Region’s urban heat island effect spreads far and wide, out from urban Sacramento to El Dorado, Folsom, Roseville, and beyond, thanks to our unique geography and weather patterns. This webinar introduced the unique characteristics of the Capital Region’s urban heat island effect and discuss the heat island’s implications for climate resilience, our transportation system, air quality, energy savings, and more.
Strategies for Safeguarding the Transportation System
The network of roads, highways, and pavements that support our transportation system is a key contributor to the heat island effect. The transportation sector is, in turn, affected by extreme heat, which will deteriorate pavements, increase maintenance costs, and damage rails. Extreme heat will also threaten the health of people who rely on walking, biking, and public transit – disproportionately burdening low-income communities and communities of color – as well as construction and utilities workers. However, there are solutions to improve the resilience of the transportation sector and reduce its contributions to the urban heat island effect. Cool pavements can help to cool the environment and protect public health, while EVs can also help to reduce urban heat, as they emit 80% less waste heat than conventional, internal-combustion engine vehicles. This webinar focused on how cool pavements can reduce the urban heat island effect, including presentations on how cool pavements and vehicle electrification can provide effective cooling for the Capital Region, with a special look at Sacramento’s low-income and under-served communities; and examples of transportation-sector solutions, such as cool pavements, bus shelter shading, and more.
Strategies for Safeguarding the Built Environment
Did you know your roof is adding extra heat to your house in the summer? Our buildings are key contributors to the urban heat island effect, as roofs absorb heat and slowly radiate it out back into the environment – as well as warming up the indoors. Cool roofs and shade trees can help to cool our environment, while also delivering benefits such as up to a 20% savings on A/C costs, improved air quality, carbon sequestration, and a more beautiful community.
This webinar discussed how improvements in our built environment across the Capital Region can help to substantially cool the Capital Region. Dr. Haider Taha presented his modeling results demonstrating the substantial cooling benefits of high-albedo roofs and tree canopy increases, and how they can support and enhance each other as complementary cooling measures, as well as how smart growth, solar PV, and other built environment improvements can help to cool the urban environment. Torin Dunnavant discussed how urban heat reduction and climate action are core priorities of the Tree Foundation’s work, and how you can make a difference.
December 2019 - Climate Action in the Capital Region: 2019 ReCAP
September 2019 - Public Participation: Effective Climate Communication
September 2019 - CRC Workshop: All-Members Forum
The Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative (CRC) invited members to our 2019 Annual Members Forum, which featured presentations and group discussions on the state of climate adaptation in the Capital Region, including opportunities for collaboration and synergy across sectors and jurisdictions, as well as a discussion of how CRC can support future opportunities and project concepts to bring additional capacity to our region.
August 2019 - Public Participation: How to Authentically Engage Communities
July 2019 - CRC Workshop: Managing Our Region’s Flood Risk
On July 16th, CRC hosted a quarterly meeting focused on flood risk and resilience at the California Endowment Center in Downtown Sacramento. At this workshop, we featured presentations from new CRC members (WALKSacramento, Department of Water Resources, Sacramento-San joquin Delta Conservancy, and the Delta Stewardship Council). SAFCA also presented on the Capital Region’s flood risk and discussed current and ongoing efforts to increase our region’s prepardness and flood resiliency as a result of our changing climate and precipitation pattterns. Tom Ghoring from the Sacramento Water Forum moderated a panel discussion on equitable flood infrastructure, investments, and emergency prepardness.
June 2019 - Adaptation Clearinghouse Spring Webinar Series: Capital Region
The Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program (ICARP) hosted a webinar on the Adaptation Clearinghouse for the Capital Region as part of a state-wide series of regional webinars. This webinar provided an opportunity for local stakeholders to learn about the Adaptation Clearinghouse, regionally-relevant resources, and opportunities to integrate adaptation into other local planning efforts. If you’d like to provide recommendations on new resources and case studies to be featured on the Adaptation Clearinghouse, please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/735XMS8
February 2019 - Sacramento Valley Regional Climate Symposium | California's Fourth Assessment
On February 6th, 2019, CRC hosted our first quarterly adaptation exchange in 2019 on California’s Fourth Assessment. At this workshop, we had an in-depth discussion focused on the Sacramento Valley Region Report, and provided an overview of the climate-related risks our region will face, and adaptation strategies to address the risks. The goal was to share out findings from the research, and discuss how we can build on these findings to ensure our region is resilient.
Symposium Tour
After a full day of discussing climate action, participants recharged with wine and hors d’oeuvres and viewed a science-to-action demonstration of climate resiliency at Indigo Architect’s ZNE building. CRC is proud of our members who take action in mitigating and adapting to our changing climate in their day-to-day operations and we were pleased to showcase these efforts with participants after the symposium.
September 2018 - 2018 CRC Members Forum
This meeting featured presentations and group discussions on the state of climate adaptation in the Capital Region, including regional initiatives, and climate action plans, as well a discussion of how CRC can support future opportunities and project concepts to bring additional funding investments and financing opportunities to our region.
May 2018 - CRC Adaptation Exchange: Air Quality, Transportation, and Heat
Air Quality Resource Library
- Report: State of the Air (United States)
- State of the Air Press Release (California)
- California Overview
- Sacramento Regional Summary
- California Grade Summary
- Most Polluted Metro Areas in California
- Californians at Risk Due to Air Pollution
- Ozone Pollution Factsheets
- Health Risks of Particle Pollution
- Short-Term Particle Pollution: Regional Trend Charts
- Annual Particle Pollution: Regional Trend Charts
- Ozone Pollution: Regional Trend Charts
March 2018 - CRC Adaptation Exchange: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Climate Adaptation
Additional resources
- Adverse Childhood Experiences: Looking at How ACEs Affect Our Lives & Society
- Video: Living Into Being
- Oprah calls Trauma Informed Care “game changing,” addresses long-term effects of trauma on 60 Minutes
- Bring community voices into disaster rebuilding and infrastructure planning
- Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event
- Trauma-Responsive Eduation is Changing School Culture
- Growing Through Adversity How schools are fostering recovery and resilience after the North Bay Firestorm
- Weather the Storms: A Guide to Health Expressions of Emotions for Parents and Children
- Basic Three Fires
Center for Youth Wellness Resources:
- ACE-Q: User Guide for Health Professionals
- Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionaire – Teen (English version)
- Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionaire – Teen (Spanish version)
Powerpoints
- Building a Culture of Transformational Resilience Within Groups and Organizations
- Building Widespread Capacity for Transformational Resilience
- Building a Culture of Transformation Resilience Within Communities for Climate Traumas and Toxic Stress
- ITRC Conference on Preparing People for Climate Change in California
- Introduction to Resilient Growth Model to build Transformational Resilience
Capital Region ACE’s Toolkit
- El Dorado County Toolkit
- Placer County Toolkit
- Sacramento County Toolkit
- Sutter County Toolkit (pending)
- Yolo County Toolkit
- Yuba County Toolkit (pending)
December 2017 - Carbon Farming, Biosequestration, and Food Security
September 2017 - Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Climate Adaptation
April 2017 - Disaster Preparedness and Climate Adaptation Planning
Resources
- Cal OES MyHazards
- Cal OES Office of Access and Functional Needs Webmap
- Case Study: Integrating Climate Risks Into Local Planning in Alameda County
- Business Resiliency Initiative: A toolkit for small businesses in the Capital Region
- Fire Recovery Assistance from the US Department of Agriculture
- Reimagining New Orleans Post-Katrina
Presentations
- Rural Communities and Forests: Building Resiliency in a Changing Climate
Michael Pickard, Sierra Nevada Conservancy - San Francisco Extreme Heat Response Plan
Tara Connor, Community Planning Coordinator, San Francisco Department of Public Health
Cyndy Comerford, Policy and Planning Manager, San Francisco Department of Public Health
Teri Dowling, Community Planning Manager, San Francisco Department of Public Health - San Francisco Department of Public Health Extreme Heat Response Plan
- San Francisco Climate & Health Program
- San Francisco Climate and Health Adaptation Framework
- Heat Vulnerability Index
- Redacted Extreme Heat Event Checklist
January 2017 - 2017 CRC Members Forum
Resources
- CRC Member Projects and Initiatives Factsheet
- CRC Update: 2016 Accomplishments and 2017 Goals
Kathleen Ave, Sacramento Municipal Utility District - 200 Year Floodplain Ordinance
Remi Mendoza, City of Sacramento - Forest Resource Sustainability: Improving Air Quality and Reducing Greenhouse Gases
Erik White, Placer County Air Pollution Control District - The Impact of Wildfire Smoke on Air Quality
Shelley Jiang, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District - Resilient Buildings in the Capital Region
Jonathan Hammond, Indigo | Hammond + Playle Architects - Refining Future Predictions and Building Sustainable Solutions
Debbie Whaley and Amy Wagner, Institute for Water, Energy, Sustainability, and Technology at CSU Sacramento - Local Adaptation Efforts Across the State
Julia Lave Johnston, Institute for Local Government
October 2016 - Extreme Heat & the Urban Heat Island in the Capital Region
Presentations
- Characterization and Mitigation of Urban Heat: Meteorological and Air-Quality Modeling
Haider Taha, Altostratus Inc. - Extreme Heat Events
Paul English, California Department of Public Health - Innovation in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Los Angeles
Jonathan Parfrey, Climate Resolve - Cool Roof Kick Start
Alex Araiza, Sacramento Municipal Utility District - PG&E’s Cool Roof Incentives
Armando Navarro, PG&E - Sacramento Tree Foundation
Colleen Cadwallader, Sacramento Tree Foundation - City of Sacramento Shading Ordinances
Jim McDonald, City of Sacramento Community Development Department -
Improving the Sustainability of Local Government Pavement: A Process and Practical Results
John Harvey, UC Davis Pavement Research Center
June 2016 - Vision for a Climate Ready Region
Presentations
- Living Community Challenge Overview
Susan Rainier, Eagle Consult, International Living Future Institute - Arch Nexus Living Building Project
Jeff Davis, Arch Nexus
Patty Karapinar, Arch Nexus - Mutual Housing at Spring Lake
Vanessa Guerra, Mutual Housing California
March 2016 - Extreme Flooding in the Capital Region
Presentations
- Existing Conditions Update: El Niño and its Impacts
Michael Anderson, Department of Water Resources
September 2015 - Climate Change and the Drought in the Capital Region
Presentations
- Sacramento Area Transportation Climate Adaptation Plan
Melanie Chu, Local Government Commission
Laura Moser, Local Government Commission - The State of Drought in the Capital Region
Jay Lund, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences - The State of Drought in the Capital Region
Dan McManus, Department of Water Resources - Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance Revisions
Peter Brostrom, Department of Water Resources - Local Drought Response Efforts
Brett Ewart, City of Sacramento - Effect of mPOWER on Water Conservation
Jenine Windeshausen, County of Placer
June 2015 - Enhancing Economic Resiliency in the Capital Region
Presentations
- Enhancing Economic Resiliency in the Capital Region
Meg Arnold, Valley Vision
Business Resilience Institute Toolkit - Climate Action through Landscape Conservation
Michelle Passero, The Nature Conservancy
Alex Leumer, The Nature Conservancy
John Nickerson, Dogwood Springs Forestry
Dick Cameron, The Nature Conservancy
Elizabeth O’Donahue, The Nature Conservancy
Factsheet PDF - Climate Change Through Conservation
- Climate Change Through Landscape Conservation in Sonoma County: A Model Climate Strategy for Counties
February 2015 - Responding to the Impacts of Climate Change in the Health Sector
Presentations
- Capital Region Adaptation Opportunities and Updates
Gordon Garry, Sacramento Area Council of Governments - Responding to the Impacts of Climate Change in the Capital Region’s Health Sector
Linda Rudolph, Public Health Institute
October 2014 - Regional Adaptation Opportunities and Updates
Presentations
- Capital Region Business Resiliency Initiative
Tammy Cronin, Valley Vision
Report - CAL FIRE’s Response to Climate Change
Duane Shintaku, CAL FIRE - Climate Change at the California Department of Water Resources
Michelle Selmon, Department of Water Resources - CivicSpark – A Governer’s Initiative of AmeriCorps
- 2014 California Adaptation Forum: Adaptation Action Framework
- Managing Sacramento’s Water in an Uncertain Future: Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation Amber Mace, UC Davis Policy Institute
- 2016 Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy Update
Gordon Garry, Sacramento Area Council of Governments
September 2013 - Regional Stakeholder Meeting
Presentations
- Climate Change Impacts and Readiness Planning
Kathleen Ave, Sacramento Municipal Utility District - Regional Planning for Healthy and Resilient Communities
Kathy Dervin, Department of Public HealthClimate Change Gantt Chart - Vulnerability to Agriculture in the Sacramento Region
Louise Jackson, UC Davis - Climate Change Gantt Chart