This exploratory call is being jointly hosted by ClimatePlan and the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative to help coordinate an application from the Capital Region to the Strategic Growth Council's new Regional Climate Collaboratives (RCC) Grant Program. This initial call is intended to gather input and ideas on potential partners and priorities, which will then inform our next steps to play a supportive role in bringing partners together to collaboratively shape project roles and activities.

Additional information on SGC's Regional Climate Collaboratives Grant Program is available at https://sgc.ca.gov/programs/cace/resources/rcc/.

We hope you can join us! If you have any questions, please contact Nailah Pope-Harden at nailah@climateplanca.org and Julia Kim at jkim@civicwell.org.

The CRCRC recently co-hosted a webinar series with the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action & Sustainability (LARC) on strategies to address extreme heat from Los Angeles and Sacramento. Resources from this two-part series, including webinar recordings, shared resources, and presentation slides are available here.

Register today for the 13th Annual California Climate & Energy Forum to receive the early bird registration rate! Rates will be increasing in July This forum will take place September 21st and 22nd in San Diego, California! The forum will provide a space for local governments to learn, network, collaborate and receive targeted support to advance clean energy and climate action solutions. Find more information and register here.

If you or anyone at your organization has updates you would like to have promoted through this newsletter, utilize this form to submit them to be included in this newsletter! This can include any updates, upcoming projects, or opportunities for collaboration that you would like to share with the broader CRCRC network!

Earlier today, June 1st, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) released the final Guidelines and Proposal Solicitation Package for the Riverine Stewardship Program, which provides funding to plan and implement projects that will reduce flooding, improve water quality, and restore streams, creeks, and rivers to enhance the environment for fish, wildlife, and people. 

The purpose of the IIG Program is to promote infill housing development by providing financial assistance for Capital Improvement Projects that are an integral part of, or necessary to facilitate the development of, a Qualifying Infill Project or a Qualifying Infill Area. $200 million is available during the Round 8 funding cycle, with applications due June 28th.

In June and July, Valley Vision will be hosting bi-weekly CERF Application Process Workshops. The first workshop will take place tomorrow, June 2, from 4pm to 6pm. It will be a deep-dive into the requirements of the CERF application, as well as a collective visioning-session for the Sacramento Region's CERF application process.

Attend this webinar to learn about the 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan and how it connects (and may impact) your California community! This workshop seeks to educate attendees about the Scoping Plan and Compare what's in the Draft Scoping Plan with the EJAC Recommendations, to either: Vet, affirm and ground-truth EJAC Recommendations and/or Lift up additional recommendations to strengthen or complement the EJAC’s Recommendations.

Join the City of Elk Grove for this Home Energy Savings Expo and Electric Vehicle Ride and Drive! This event will showcase ways to save money and reduce GHG emissions. Giveaways will be held every hour, kids activities will be featured, and attendees will have the opportunity to hear from experts about residential savings ideas and strategies!

The City of Sacramento is developing a pathway to transition existing buildings to carbon-free electricity by 2045. The City wants to hear your questions, input on the draft equity criteria, and comments about how existing building electrification affects you.

A rhino species came back from the brink, a tiny nation hatched a big plan, and three African countries defeated sleeping sickness, plus more positive news. Read more about these stories here.

There is a 50:50 chance of average global temperature reaching 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in the next five years, and the likelihood is increasing with time, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Read this full article here.

Here is a county-by-county resources list for KCRA 3's coverage area to help you find important information and updates in the event of a wildfire in Northern California.

This guide includes links to the websites for county offices of emergency services and law enforcement and fire agencies. It also includes where to sign up for county emergency alert notifications now and find maps that counties will use to share evacuation updates during fires. More information here.

Officials in New Mexico had barely finished battling the massive Calf Canyon-Hermits Peak wildfire in early May before they had to point their defenses toward another threat: the ash-filled erosion that could pollute their water.

The fire-scarred land along the banks of the Gallinas River is on the forefront of official’s minds these days. As much as the parched West needs rain, Mayor Trujillo and other officials are racing the weather to divert precious river water into a downstream lake before downpour comes and washes the burnt topsoil and ash into the river.

This is yet another issue for California residents to consider as the state enters this year's wildfire season. Read this full article here.

Two years after the last wave of rolling blackouts, early May California officials said the state could face potential shortfalls in electricity this summer as drought, extreme heat and wildfires pose threats to the fragile power grid. Leaders of the Public Utilities Commission, the state’s Independent System Operator and the California Energy Commission said the state could face a shortage of as much as 1,700 megawatts — the equivalent of one major power plant — on the hottest days. Read this full article here.

State and local officials have been urging for more water conservation as California confronts persistent drought conditions and scarce water supplies, but Sacramento’s progress to replenishment has a long way to go. 

In March, Gov. Gavin Newsom asked California residents to cut back on water usage and encouraged local water suppliers to enter Level 2 of their water shortage contingency plan, which calls for 20% water reduction and outlines local restrictions. Read this full article here.

Drought Severely Affecting California Rice Crops

Severe drought is taking a severe toll on California rice crops this year. Some call the impact on farmers and the surrounding communities catastrophic. A stark lack of previously reliable water reserves has resulted in unreliable yields for some farmers. Read this full article here.

FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Launches Initiative to Modernize Building Codes, Improve Climate Resilience, and Reduce Energy Costs

Earlier today, on June 1st, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced a National Initiative to Advance Building Codes that will help state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments adopt the latest, current building codes and standards, enabling communities to be more resilient to hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and other extreme weather events that are intensifying due to climate change. Read this full fact sheet here.

The U.S. Pledged Billions to Fight Climate Change. Then Came the Ukraine War

The United States owes billions of dollars in climate funding to developing countries. But the war in Ukraine is delaying payments and slowing down U.S. progress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and that has leaders in low-lying and less wealthy nations feeling frustrated and forgotten. Read this full article here.

Energy Experts Sound Alarm About US Electric Grid: ‘Not Designed to Withstand the Impacts of Climate Change’

As heat ramps up ahead of what forecasters say will be a hotter than normal summer, electricity experts and officials are warning that states may not have enough power to meet demand in the coming months. And many of the nation’s grid operators are also not taking climate change into account in their planning, even as extreme weather becomes more frequent and more severe. Read this full article here.

Small Town Preservation and Revitalization, Part 2: Isleton’s Downtown Corridor

Isleton, a Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta community with a population of approximately 800, has a long and storied history. As with many small towns, it has faced the challenge of limited staffing and resources for community development. However, committed and passionate local leaders have overcome the obstacles to make Isleton a model of community engagement and collaboration. Learn how Isleton tackled the obstacle of limited resources by organizing downtown property owners, small business owners, and stakeholders; partnering with the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization; and seeking out technical assistance from nonprofits like CivicWell. Read this 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 CivicWell.