12/09/2013
8:00 am - 12:30 pm
Location
College of San Mateo Theater, Building 3
Congresswoman Jackie Speier, in conjunction with
Assemblyman Rich Gordon, and
Supervisor Dave Pine
Presents: “Meeting the Challenge of Sea Level Rise in San Mateo County”
Sea level rise is one of the most serious consequences of climate change and it will have a profound effect on San Mateo County which has more people and property at risk from the rising sea than any other Bay Area county. Please join us to hear from federal, state and local experts to learn about the magnitude of the challenge we face and the options and strategies that are available to plan for and adapt to this new reality.
Keynote Speaker: John Englander, nationally acclaimed author of “High Tide on Main Street”.
Video of Presentations (Youtube):Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4
Meeting Agenda
8:00 – 8:30 – Registration
8:30 – 8:45 – Opening / Review of Program
- Congresswoman Jackie Speier
- Assemblymember Rich Gordon
- Supervisor Dave Pine
- Chancellor Ron Galatolo
- CSM President Michael Claire
8:45 – 9:45 – Keynote Speaker – John Englander
Rising Sea Level – Planning Ahead for a New Reality
John Englander, oceanographer and author of the highly acclaimed book, “High Tide On Main Street: Rising Sea Level and the Coming Coastal Crisis” encourages businesses and communities to confront the inevitable future of an ocean that will rise for centuries. His presentation will make several critical points:
- We should realistically plan for severe storms, extreme tides, and sea level rise, going beyond the cautious projections most scientists and planners typically use.
- Looking ahead just three decades allows us to do better planning now, yielding a better return on our investment.
- Those that can see the “tsunami on the horizon” can reduce their risk and may find new opportunities.
9:45 – 10:05 – Projected impact of sea level rise on San Mateo County – Will Travis, Former BCDC Executive Director.
10:05 – 10:20 – BREAK
10:20 – 11:05 – Panel One: Challenges and Options in San Mateo County and the Bay Area
- Moderator – Congresswoman Jackie Speier
- Larry Goldzband, BCDC Executive Director
- Craig Conner, Flood Risk Program Manager, US Army Corp. of Engineers
- Kathleen Schaefer, Region IX Regional Engineer, FEMA
- Maximilian Auffhammer, Professor, Agricultural and Resources Economics Department, University of California, Berkeley.
11:05 – 11:50 – Panel Two: Local Initiatives & Action
- Moderator – Supervisor Dave Pine
- Len Materman, Executive Director, San Francisquito Creek JPA
- Larry Paterson, Interim City Manager, City of San Mateo
- Julian Potter, Chief of Staff, San Francisco International Airport
- Sam Schuchat, Executive Director, California State Coastal Conservancy
11:50 – 12:30 – Future Policy Development and Next Steps
- Congresswoman Jackie Speier
- Assemblymember Rich Gordon
- Supervisor Dave Pine
Meeting Documents:
John Englander – Rising Sea Level: Planning Ahead for a New Reality
Will Travis – Projected Impact of Sea Level Rise in San Mateo County
Craig Conner (US Army Corps of Engineers)
Kathleen Schaefer (FEMA)
Len Materman (SFCJPA)
Larry Paterson (City of San Mateo)
Sam Schuchat (State Coastal Conservancy)
Presenter profiles can be found here.