Coastal Resilience Compass Plan Alignment Guide

There are many approaches to plan for uncertain futures in a changing climate, including assessing risk tolerance, undertaking scenario planning, and developing adaptation pathways. Each has benefits, challenges, and tradeoffs, and it is wise to consider a range of approaches and choose one or more that work well together and are most appropriate for the planning area. Risk tolerance and scenario planning are commonly used, but adaptation pathways is relatively new to hazard mitigation and climate adaptation planning. Although adaptation pathways represent an alternative to the traditional “predict-and-plan” method described in the California Adaptation Planning Guide (APG), much of the guidance provided in the APG also supports an adaptation pathways “monitor-then-act” approach. These approaches can, and often should, be combined to support more flexible planning.

These tips are applicable across all types of plans. For plan-specific information, see the other Plans sections of this guide. See the Implementation Planning section for additional ideas and resources

Local Coastal Programs (LCPs) implement the requirements of the California Coastal Act by addressing land use, new development, public access and recreation, and the protection and enhancement of coast and ocean resources in the coastal zone (See Pub. Resources Code, §§ 30108.6, 30200 et. seq.). The Coastal Act requires the 61 cities and 15 counties in the coastal zone to develop LCPs to implement the safe development and resource protection policies of the Coastal Act.

An LCP includes a local government's zoning ordinances, zoning district maps, implementing actions within sensitive coastal resources areas, and land use plans that collectively meet these requirements, which must be reviewed and approved by the California Coastal Commission (Pub. Resources Code, §§ 30108.6, 30512). The coastal zone is defined in section 30103, subdivision (a), as a strip along the California coast generally “extending seaward to the state’s outer limit of jurisdiction, including all offshore islands, and extending inland generally 1,000 yards from the mean high tide line of the sea.” LCPs contain the ground rules for future development and protection of coastal resources through the local coastal permitting process, and specify appropriate locations, types, and scale of new or changed uses of land and water. (See Pub. Resources Code, §§ 30108.6, 30108.5, 30600). On tidelands, submerged lands, public trust lands, and where no certified LCP exists, the Coastal Commission retains this role and issues development permits. (Pub. Resources Code, §§ 30519, 30601.)

This plan identifies potential risks that may arise from local natural hazards and vulnerabilities, and long-term strategies for protecting people, property, and the environment. Local hazard mitigation plans (LHMPs) are not required by the State or Federal government, but states, tribes, and local jurisdictions must have a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-approved hazard mitigation plan to be eligible for certain non-disaster funding, including grant opportunities under FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) program. LHMPs can be conducted as multi-jurisdictional (usually countywide) plans (MJHMPs). MJHMPs must include both countywide and jurisdictional-specific information for each participating jurisdiction within the county, and must be adopted by each of the participating jurisdictions.

All cities and counties in California are required by state law to adopt and periodically update a general plan, which sets forth a long-term vision of a community’s future. The format and content of general plans can vary, and while certain topics (“elements”) are mandatory, there is no mandatory structure or maximum number of elements that a general plan can include. Mandatory elements required by law include: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise, and safety (Gov. Code, § 65302). Additional elements may also be required; for example, cities and counties that have identified disadvantaged communities are required to address environmental justice in their general plans.

Note: See the General Plan Housing Elements and General Plan Safety Elements sections for information specific to those elements.

The goal of the safety element is to reduce the potential short and long-term risk of death, injuries, property damage, and economic and social dislocation resulting from fires, floods, droughts, earthquakes, landslides, climate change, and other hazards. Other locally relevant safety issues, such as airport land use, maritime hazards, emergency response, hazardous materials spills, and crime reduction, may also be included. Some local jurisdictions have chosen to incorporate their hazardous waste management plans into their safety elements.

The safety element directly relates to topics also mandated in the (1) land use, (2) conservation, (3) environmental justice, and (4) open-space elements, as development plans must adequately account for public safety considerations and open space for public health and ecological benefits often incorporate areas of increased hazard risk. The safety element must identify hazards and hazard abatement provisions to guide local decisions related to zoning, subdivisions, and entitlement permits.

The general plan housing element implements the declaration of State law that “the availability of housing is a matter of vital statewide importance and the attainment of decent housing and a suitable living environment for all Californians is a priority of the highest order” (Gov. Code, § 65580). Provisions in the housing element are more specific and directive than other elements and contain detailed guidance and reviews. The law requires that the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) review the housing element for compliance and that local jurisdictions submit annual progress reports to HCD (Gov. Code, §§ 65585, 65400, subd. (a)(2)(B)). The housing element must be revised and submitted periodically on a four, five, or eight year cycle, depending on various factors (Gov. Code, § 65588).

Climate adaptation plans involve an evaluation and prioritization of actions or strategies to prepare for and respond to climate impacts. The State and Federal government do not require standalone adaptation plans, but cities and counties in California must address climate adaptation in local general plan safety elements per SB 379 (2015) ((Gov. Code, § 65302, subd. (g)(4)). While not required for other jurisdiction types such special districts, climate adaptation planning is encouraged for all communities to prepare for climate change risks, whether the result is an update to one or more existing plans, and/or a new unique plan. Some local or tribal jurisdictions may find it helpful or necessary to consolidate all climate adaptation-related information in a standalone document to be referenced and integrated with other local plans. Standalone plans can also allow for greater detail than other plans. Cities and counties should carefully review related statutory requirements when initiating an adaptation planning process.

Implementing an adaptation framework can take many forms, and the process of integrating climate risk and adaptation solutions throughout government planning, decision-making, and investment processes is iterative and ongoing. The plans described in this Toolkit can support compliance with state adaptation mandates, establish authority for adaptation solutions, open opportunities for funding and financing, and identify specific implementation processes. When developing adaptation strategies in these plans, consider identifying implementation plans, such as the capital improvement plan, specific plans, area plans, or sector-based plans that are useful for implementing the strategies.