CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

Climate change around Humboldt Bay is a serious threat and Humboldt Baykeeper is working to ensure that our sensitive coastal resources are protected from the effect of sea level rise.  Humboldt Baykeeper has been advocating for policies to adapt to sea level rise in both planning policies and in specific project proposals. Adaptation to sea level rise will require that residential development and public infrastructure such as roads, wastewater treatment and power plants consider projected sea level rise and plan accordingly to avoid creating new problems related to flooding, erosion, and storm damage in low-lying coastal areas. 

Existing infrastructure and residential/commercial developments will need to be protected from sea level rise. Future levee expansion and armoring must also consider how best to protect coastal wetlands to mitigate the impacts of rising sea levels on these important habitats and the species they support.

Humboldt Baykeeper has been an active participant in the Humboldt Bay Initiative since its inception. This consortium of resource managers, scientists, and community members works to address management issues across disciplines linking science and policy issues for the entire ecosystem. Currently, the Humboldt Bay Initiative’s Climate Change Adaptation Project is developing a model in conjunction with Nature Serve’s Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) Tools Network to predict wetland migration and sea level rise. This model will be used to initiate a coordinated response to climate change in the Humboldt Bay area as sea level rises. Humboldt Baykeeper has contributed to the prioritization of strategies to adapt to climate change as the need for levee expansion limits the ability of coastal wetlands to migrate inland, and will continue our advocacy work to ensure that protection of coastal resources is considered in climate adaptation plans and coastal projects.