Climate Mitigation and Adaptation News
February 28, 2022
A monthly newsletter of the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative
Stay up to date and follow the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative on social media!
CRCRC Updates

The CRCRC would like to welcome in our 2022 Steering Committee! We look forward to working with you all throughout the year!

The Steering Committee is as follows:

  • Shelley Jiang (Chair), Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District
  • Camille Kirk, UC Davis
  • Carrie Whitlock, City of Elk Grove
  • Erik White, Placer County Air Pollution Control District
  • Grace Kaufman, Valley Vision
  • Ilonka Zlatar, 350 Sacramento
  • Jennifer Venema, City of Sacramento
  • Josh Maddox, CSU Sacramento
  • Kathryn Canepa, Civic Thread
  • Katie Smet, Breathe California
  • Kerry Loux, City of Davis
  • Nicole Sears, Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District
  • Paul Helliker, San Juan Water District
  • Renee DeVere-Oki, Sacramento Area Council of Governments
  • Ryan Ojakian, Regional Water Authority
  • Stephanie Henry, City of Folsom

The CRCRC Steering Committee is responsible for the following:

  • Ensuring that the CRCRC’s purpose and objectives are observed 
  • Supporting the implementation of the CRCRC’s scope of work and annual priorities, including workshops, webinars, and/or research initiatives
  • Supporting the development of grant applications and other responses and proposals to funding opportunities that are aligned with and further CRCRC objectives and goals 
  • Providing members with critical information related to their respective agencies’ participation in CRCRC activities
  • Supporting member recruitment, onboarding, and engagement efforts;
  • Promote the work of the CRCRC to key stakeholders
  • Electing officers of the Steering Committee and Executive Committee, including the CRCRC Chair
  • Establishing any advisory and ad hoc committees, including working groups, as needed

As a member of The Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative, all staff and affiliates of your organization are available to participate in, and benefit from, joining a working group!

CRCRC operates both Extreme Heat and Building Electrification working groups. These sessions provide an opportunity to coordinate and collaborate with members of other organizations on upcoming projects and opportunities surrounding the topics of Extreme Heat and Building Electrification. More information on these groups is available here.

If you are interested in joining or leading a working group please complete this interest form.


Does your organization have updates you would like to have promoted through this newsletter? Utilize this form to submit any updates, upcoming projects, or opportunities for collaboration that you would like to share with the CRCRC network!
Opportunities

CivicSpark and the California Climate Action Corps are national service programs implemented by the Local Government Commission, dedicated to supporting organizations and local public agencies to address community resilience issues. Together, they have recruited over 400 Fellows directly supporting local governments and organizations with over 600 community and climate resilience projects all across California while serving as a career accelerator for emerging leaders.

If you are interested in hosting a CivicSpark fellow to support your organization's climate resilience needs, submit the application found here by 3/31/2022.

Clean Transportation Program Rural Electric Vehicle (REV) Charging

The purpose of this solicitation is to demonstrate replicable and scalable business and technology models that can deploy electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to serve rural EV drivers; support travel by rural EV drivers, provide EV charging access in rural areas, provide support and maintenance services to ensure reliable and readily accessible chargers, engage local rural communities and businesses to promote EV adoption. This is a competitive grant solicitation.

Submit the application here by 3/11/2022.


The California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) adopted the Transformative Climate Communities Program (TCC)’s Final Round 4 Guidelines during its February 24, 2022 meeting. The guidelines adoption will be followed by the Round 4 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) release on March 8, 2022. A total of $106.2 million will be available for TCC Implementation and Planning Grants. The final guidelines incorporate feedback gathered from public comments and consultations with stakeholders and public agencies. Find more information here.

Interested applicants will need to complete the interest survey by 3/25/2022
For more funding and grant opportunities please visit fundingresource.org/
Upcoming Events
Wednesday March 2, 1:00pm - 4:00pm

At the upcoming 2022 annual Watershed Improvement Program Summit, hosted by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, participants will have the opportunity to hear from community leaders, land and water managers, scientists, and elected and government officials regarding wildfire recovery strategies, that can be used for forest restoration, community rebuilding and, resources protection.

The Sierra Nevada Watershed Improvement Program (WIP), is a large-scale, holistic effort to restore resilience to the forested landscapes and communities of the Sierra Nevada. With forest health as the foundation, the WIP weaves together four priorities: restoring healthy ecosystems, improving community resilience, promoting sustainable recreation and tourism, and conserving natural and working lands. Find more information and register here.

Tuesday March 22, 9:00am - 11:00am

Join LGSEC and CCEC for an exploration of Building Performance Standards (BPS), their future in California, and their implications for local governments, the building sector, and the climate. This joint event will start with a panel discussion on the future of grid-interactive buildings, and what they mean for new and existing buildings, the grid, and local governments. This will be followed by a keynote speaker from Senator Becker’s office, to discuss new California legislation on Building Performance Standards - including an optional session to provide feedback. Register here.

Tuesday March 22 to Wednesday March 23

Attendees of this event will build understanding on how regions, states, and tribes are bringing together diverse stakeholders to accelerate solutions that create and leverage results for the coast, helping communities, ecosystems, and economies be more resilient to climate change. Register here.

Monday March 28 to Thursday March 31

The Infrastructure Bill, Build Back Better… where do we go from here? Get ready for four days of ground-breaking insights and opportunities for action with the brightest and most successful leaders working to mobilize a broader diversity of support for climate solutions locally, nationally and beyond. Find information on ticket prices and register here.
News
Drought
KCRA Channel 3 Sacramento

During times of drought, water releases from upstream reservoirs are critical in keeping salt water out of the Delta which supplies drinking water to 25 million people throughout the state. After a very rainy, snowy December, water had to be released from Folsom reservoir in order to leave room for additional runoff and snowmelt later in the season. But even though the storms haven't been coming lately, regular releases are still required in order to meet environmental requirements along the Delta region. Read the full article here.

CalMatters

The first two months of 2022 have shaped up to be the driest January and February in California history. With seemingly little precipitation on the horizon, State officials have been prompted to warn of dire water conditions ahead. Read the full article here.
Wildfire
The Washington Post

When the Cameron Peak Fire ignited in northern Colorado in August 2020, few could foresee it's longevity. As it burned, summer turned into winter. Nearly a semester of school passed. By the time the fire was fully contained in December, it had become the state’s largest on record. In recent decades, wildfires have become more intense and longer lasting amid rising temperatures linked to human-caused climate change. A key influence on their growing duration? Their increasing ability to survive the night, when temperatures typically dip and humidity rises. Read more here.
Extreme Heat
Insurance Journal

A pair of California legislators and the state’s insurance commissioner are pushing a bill to create an early warning system for heatwaves. California State Assembly Members Luz Rivas (D-San Fernando Valley) and Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), in partnership with California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, formally introduced legislation that would create a statewide advance warning and ranking system of extreme heat waves. Read more here.
Local
KCRA Channel 3 Sacramento

Sacramento's City Council is set to take the next step in addressing its commitment to attaining carbon neutrality in greenhouse gas emissions with a public workshop Tuesday evening. The rationale for the workshop is to provide an opportunity for input and discussion on the relationship between transportation and climate. Find additional resources and information from the workshop here.

Sacramento News & Review

A new climate change analysis concludes that the Lake Tahoe area is already too warm to risk hosting the Winter Olympic Games there again, but those who have been working to have the event return to the Sierra aren’t sounding the death knell for the region’s winter sports just yet. Read more here.
State/National
CapRadio

Last year saw one record-breaking weather event after another, from intense drought to torrential rain. December was no different, ending 2021 with a reported 214 inches of snow at the University of California’s Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, located an hour east of Sacramento. While this intense snowfall — which made last month the snowiest December on record — is a bright spot, researchers see dramatic shifts like this one as part of a larger trend: climate change. It’s a rising dilemma that has forced researchers and water agencies alike to adapt their planning and expectations. Read the full article here.
The Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative is a membership based collaborative network designed to promote greater climate change resilience planning coordination in the six-county Sacramento Region. The purpose of this collaborative network is to create a forum where leaders from government, academia, environmental and community groups, the business community, and labor can come together to exchange information, identify vulnerabilities and data gaps, leverage resources, and advance comprehensive solutions in an effort to create stronger, sustainable, and economically viable communities in the Capital Region.
CRCRC is a program of the CivicWell.