The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) encourages each coastal zone management program, like the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), to create a five-year Assessment and Strategy (A&S) to guide its program development and strengthen and improve its operations. BCDC has just started this process. The A&S will cover the years 2026-2030 and is expected to assist the state’s standing to receive federal NOAA funding.
One of the first requirements is that interested Bay Area residents complete a short survey; it will help BCDC prioritize important coastal management issue areas for the Francisco Bay and Suisun Marsh. Results from the survey will be aggregated with other responders, summarized, and will point to the most important issues to the public.
This A&S focuses on federally recognized enhancement areas which include wetlands, coastal hazards, public access, marine debris, cumulative and secondary impacts, special area management plans, coastal/estuarine resources, energy and government facility siting, and aquaculture. The purpose of the A&S is to determine problems and opportunities within each of the nine enhancement areas and develop strategies with stepwise approaches towards addressing high-priority program management issues. Once NOAA approves the completed self-assessment, BCDC will be eligible for funding to help carry out the final strategies.
The Commission’s Long Term Planning staff will provide a detailed briefing on this process at a future Commission meeting, and stakeholders will have an opportunity to submit public comment on the draft A&S in spring 2025.
Warning: At first glance, this survey seems to overlook the issue of sea level rise (SLR), but as Joe Novitski of Kappas E. pointed out, SLR is incorporated in a number of questions.
The survey should be completed and returned by November 1. Contact Ujay Siddharth of BCDC’s Long-Range Planning Team with any questions or comments.