Body of News Release
UPDATE FOR AUGUST 19: The Board received the report.
Marin County, CA – A new framework to help Stinson Beach residents and local agencies take appropriate action to respond to sea level rise is heading for the Marin County Board of Supervisors for potential approval.
The report, to be discussed during the August 19 meeting, outlines potential funding sources for future adaptation projects such as: raising roads, bridges, and homes; elevating infrastructure such as the Seadrift and Bolinas lagoon bulkheads; building dunes and cobble berms along beaches to create natural buffers; and transitioning to a community wastewater treatment system.
The report is called the Stinson Beach Adaptation, Resilience and Collaboration (ARC) adaptation plan. The three-year project, overseen by the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA), was initially published in June and focuses on how the beach community will adapt to an expected rise in sea levels of 3.3 feet by 2085.
If approved by the Board, the report likely will lead to productive conversations among the broader public and Stinson Beach residents in particular about the prioritization of adaptation projects.
Stinson Beach is West Marin’s most immediately at-risk community, and long-term coastal flooding continues to create complications for local residents, beach visitors, and natural habitats. Hundreds of homes and other infrastructure are at risk from ocean waves or flooding from Easkoot Creek. Strong winter storms and sea level rise will continue to erode the beach, flood roadways, and impact existing infrastructure, affecting visitation and access to recreational areas. Nearly half of all Stinson properties are exposed to emergent or shallow groundwater, putting septic and underground utilities at flood risk.
The adaptation pathway was developed after more than a decade of stakeholder engagement as well as engineering, environmental, regulatory, social, and economic considerations. Starting in 2022, CDA planners worked with consulting firm Environmental Science Associates (ESA) to identify and analyze feasible adaptation strategies. As damage from annual storms increased over the years, CDA worked on adaptation scenarios with agencies including the National Park Service, Caltrans District 4, the Stinson Beach County Water District, Marin County Parks, the Stinson Beach Fire Protection District, and the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.
Outreach to the Stinson Beach residents and other stakeholders has been extensive. After the Stinson ARC report was published, CDA staff conducted a webinar on June 11 that included a virtual reality (VR) simulation of the area’s expected sea level rise and showed how adaptation measures could make the community more resistant to rising tides. The simulation can be seen on the CDA website.
The August 19 meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 AM in the Marin County Civic Center’s Board of Supervisors chamber (Suite 330, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael). Agendas and accompanying documents are posted on the County website on Thursday afternoons prior to a scheduled meeting the following Tuesday. Anyone may e-subscribe to receive notifications from CDA staff about the Stinson ARC.
###
For disability accommodations, please phone (415) 473-7173 (voice), CA Relay 711, or e-mail Kathleen Kilgariff at least five business days in advance of the event. The County will do its best to fulfill requests received with less than five business days’ notice. Copies of documents are available in alternative formats, upon request.