Body of News Release
San Rafael, CA – A new report available to the Stinson Beach community covers the pros and cons of various sea level rise adaptation approaches, and it includes a key point: There is no one perfect solution. Responding to sea level rise is going to require a lot of coordinated action by the community.
For years, Marin County has spearheaded public education efforts about sea level rise and the need for adaptation plans. Over the past two winters, Stinson Beach has experienced flooding from several atmospheric rivers and storm surges. A 2023 report by the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) and lead consultant Environmental Science Associates included major findings about how the beach, wetlands, homes, and community infrastructure such as roads and utilities in Stinson Beach will be affected by predicted sea level rise in the coming decades if no action is taken. A recent story map by CDA visually shows the potential impacts.
This new report is a follow-up investigating a range of adaptation options including levees, protective dunes, wetland restoration, seawalls, managed retreat, and more – and identifies their tradeoffs. The options are scored and compared in a matrix and given timelines in the accompanying report.
CDA has scheduled a virtual public webinar for Monday, June 17, at 5:30 PM to go over the report’s findings. the public can register online.
CDA Senior Planner Isaac Pearlman said many stakeholders are already taking individual action to address sea level rise. “The purpose of this report,” he said, “really is to help the community make informed decisions and show the benefits of a collaborative approach so that the community can take action to reduce flood risk in Stinson.”
Through the Stinson Beach Adaptation and Resilience Collaboration (ARC) project, CDA is coordinating with agencies including the National Park Service, Caltrans District 4, the Stinson Beach County Water District, Marin County Parks, the Department of Public Works, the Stinson Beach Fire Protection District, and the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary to develop shared information for Stinson Beach adaptation.
With the new report released, the next steps in CDA’s process are to draft recommended community adaptation actions, hold focus groups, draft a plan, receive feedback, then finalize an adaptation plan that lays out suggested next steps for the Stinson community.