Receive update on Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) Strategy, Measure, Action Framework and Adoption Timeline. (No general fund impact) (Lindbo/Wraithwall) (Est. Time: 10 min)

Receive update on Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) Strategy, Measure, Action Framework and Adoption Timeline. 

History
On September 29, 2020, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors passed Resolution No. 20-114, titled "A Resolution Declaring a Climate Crisis Requiring Urgent and Inclusive Mobilization in Yolo County." This resolution set forth the ambitious goal of achieving a countywide carbon-negative (climate-positive) footprint by 2030 and urged the investment of countywide resources to initiate a just transition to an inclusive, equitable, sustainable, and resilient local economy while also supporting and advocating for regional, national, and international efforts necessary to reverse the climate, social justice, and economic crises. The resolution directed the County to create a working advisory body, the Yolo County Climate Action Commission ("Commission"), to develop and propose a new Climate Action and Adaptation Plan ("CAAP") designed to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions in Yolo County and achieve the County's ambitious climate goals. County staff and the Commission are nearing the end of the CAAP update process, having taken the following steps:

CAAP Engagement to Date
Natural and Working Lands Technical Advisory Committee (NWL TAC)
Given the importance of carbon sequestration and natural climate strategies to meeting the County's net-negative goal, the County established a Natural and Working Lands Technical Advisory Committee, which is facilitated by the Yolo County Resource Conservation District (RCD). The NWL TAC focuses on two primary goals: 1) engaging the agricultural community in the unincorporated area in Yolo County's climate action work related to natural and working lands; 2) providing input into CAAP development related to efforts to both sequester carbon on natural and working lands and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural operations. The NWL TAC is comprised of RCD staff, the County's Agricultural Commissioner, the Executive Director of the Yolo County Farm Bureau, liaisons from the Climate Action Commission and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, and farmers and ranchers from across the County.

Equity and Engagement Technical Advisory Committee (E&E TAC)
To ensure equity and just transition principles are centered in the CAAP development process, the County established the Equity and Engagement Technical Advisory Committee. The E&E TAC focuses on three primary goals: 1) engaging the community in the unincorporated area of Yolo County in the CAAP development and implementation process; 2) providing input into CAAP development related to Yolo County's goal to establish a just transition; 3) providing input into CAAP development regarding ongoing community engagement during implementation of the plan. The Sustainability Division conducted an extensive public recruitment process to recruit volunteers to join the E&E TAC. The E&E TAC is comprised of community representatives from all 5 County Districts, liaisons from the Yolo Youth Commission and Climate Action Commission, and liaisons from each of the 5 CAAP Community Outreach Partners (described below).

Community Outreach Partners
To ensure that the CAAP development process both builds and maintains relationships with the Yolo County community, the Sustainability Division recruited 5 community-based organizations (CBOs) to serve as paid outreach partners for the CAAP. These partners support CAAP development by engaging the communities they serve in CAAP development and implementation, providing input on outreach activities and communications strategies that will promote and support community engagement, and interacting with the communities they serve to generate input on strategies, policies, and programs that will support a Just Transition to a net negative and sustainable Yolo County. After an extensive recruitment and selection process, the Sustainability Division selected the following five (5) Community Outreach Partners:

To date, these partnerships have proved invaluable for expanding the reach of County engagement efforts, connecting with historically underrepresented communities, and increasing the number and frequency of local-level engagement events.

Public Engagement Efforts
In line with the Board's direction that the CAAP center equity, the Sustainability Division has worked with the Commission, NWL TAC, E&E TAC, and the Community Outreach Partners to develop a comprehensive public engagement effort that spans the County's five districts. From April 2023 through March 2024, the Sustainability Division has conducted:

CAAP Public Input Survey
To collect public input on the community needs, concerns, and priorities for inclusion in the CAAP, staff developed paper and electronic surveys for distribution at in-person meetings and events and through extensive online channels. The County distributed both a general climate survey for use by the general population, and a Working Lands Survey that was distributed specifically to farmers and ranchers both electronically and via a paper mailer in partnership with the Yolo Resource Conservation District and the Yolo County Farm Bureau. In total, the Sustainability Division received more than 1,000 completed surveys reflecting the climate impacts communities are experiencing, priorities for future program development, and self-reported willingness to adopt practices that reduce individual (or in the case of the Working Lands Survey, a farm or ranch's) carbon footprint. 

Farmworker Testimonials
One of the CAAP Community Outreach Partners, the De Colores Resource Center, conducted outreach to farmworkers in Yolo County to gather testimonials capturing their lived experiences resulting from climate change, and identifying resources farmworkers believe would be most helpful to address physical and mental health impacts. Farmworkers were presented with 2 prompts:
1. How have you been affected by climate events (extreme heat, droughts, wildfires, excessive rain etc.) whether that be at home or at work?
2. What types of resources would have been helpful to you during those situations?

Conversations occurred individually, in groups, or during a Farmworker Health Retreat where De Colores facilitated a Climate Stress Workshop. Collectively, De Colores developed a series of narratives representing the voices of 80 farmworkers. 

County Green Team
Yolo County's climate net-negative goal is one of the most ambitious of any jurisdiction in the nation and meeting it will require interdepartmental partnership and collaboration. For this reason, the Sustainability Division, in partnership with the County Administrators Office, launched a CAAP Steering Committee (known as the "Green Team"), an internal review team that will ground truth and provide input on the strategies and actions being considered for inclusion in the CAAP. The Green Team—which includes representatives from the County Administrators Office, Department of Agriculture, Department of Community Services, Department of Financial Services, Department of General Services, the Health and Human Services Agency, and Office of Emergency Services—has been tasked with reviewing and providing input on the strategies, measures, and actions being considered for the CAAP and discussing creative funding strategies to support this interdepartmental effort.

CAAP Strategy, Measure, Action Framework
Framework Overview
Based on input from the Commission, Green Team, and the public, the CAAP outlines 10 key strategies for achieving emissions reduction and climate adaptation goals:

Measures 
Each of the ten (10) strategies above is further organized by relevant measures to achieve the given strategy objective. In total, there are 39 Measures included in the CAAP (outlined in Att. A). Measures are focused on the sector-, or sub-sector–specific objectives that are achieved through individual implementing actions, described below. For each measure, co-benefits will be noted along with the estimated GHG reduction or sequestration potential for the following milestones: 2027, 2030, and 2045. Various performance objectives and/or tracking metrics will be identified for each measure to assess the success of implementation. Due to the number of individual actions being included in the CAAP, GHG emissions reductions will be measured at the “Measure” level (hence the name).  

Actions  
Below each measure are individual actions, which are specific policies, programs, or tools to be implemented. The actions will include activities that can be documented and used in monitoring progress toward the implementation of the Measures and Strategies. Each action will include a responsible implementer and performance standards that are designed to assist with tracking by the implementing department. In addition, each action will include: partners (noting municipal or community), approximate cost, and if the action is quantitative or qualitative. Funding opportunities will be identified for actions as well. 

Phasing
Implementation of the CAAP will be organized into three main phases as outlined below.  

Phasing Criteria 
Measures and actions are phased based on a variety of criteria that assess suitability for achieving overall climate action, adaptation, equity, and Just Transition goals. Together with a defined scoring mechanism, the phasing scheme provides an intentional roadmap for CAAP implementation. Below are nine criteria identified as important considerations for phasing. Each action has been scored across the 9 criteria on a scale of 1 to 3 (with higher scores corresponding with earlier phasing). The definition of each category and the relative scoring weight of each category is included below.  

While all 39 measures in the plan are important, it is simply not possible to address all in Phase 1. County staff need temporal direction to focus our efforts and enable us to tackle actions systematically. It is important to note that the weighting is based on the ambitious and accelerated emission reduction and adaptation goals for 2030. For this reason, Criteria 1: Greenhouse Gas Reduction Potential/Adaptation Value and Criteria 2: Foundational/Unlocking actions received the highest relative weighting. 

Staffing Structure Moving Forward
Balancing the demands of CAAP implementation and tracking with the delivery of existing community-facing sustainability programs will require an increase in staffing for the Sustainability Division. The Sustainability Division has requested two (2) additional Associate Administrative Services Analysts (AASA) to support the two top emissions reduction/sequestration priorities of the CAAP:

Both AASA positions would support grant-writing related to their program areas, minimizing the general fund impact of future CAAP implementation, and would supervise CivicSpark Fellow(s) to support with program delivery and continue to build Division capacity. 

Next Steps

Yolo County Climate Action Commission, Equity & Engagement Technical Advisory Committee, Natural and Working Lands Technical Advisory Committee; Department of General Services; County Administrators Office; Department of Financial Services; Health and Human Services Agency; Office of Emergency Services; Department of Agriculture; Board Subcommittee on Climate; Yolo Resource Conservation District; Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation; UC Davis; Yolo Transportation District.