ALL EYES ON THE BAY

The San Francisco Bay took the spotlight this week (Sept. 14) at two major events focused on building greater waterfront resilience in the face of rising sea levels and extreme storms. On Wednesday (Sept. 16), the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), celebrated it’s 50th birthday at the Exploratorium with a full day event that highlighted the agency’s evolving approach to defending the Bay in the era of climate change. Bay Area Council Executive Committee member and Signature Development Group President Mike Ghielmetti spoke about sustainable bayfront housing projects, including Brooklyn Basin in Oakland, and the Council’s role in helping identify regional funding for restoration and flood protection work.

On Thursday and Friday (Sept. 17 & 18), the region’s top engineering, planning and environmental thinkers gathered in Oakland for the biennial State of the Estuary Conference. The conference received a presentation by Water Committee Co-Chair and Montezuma Wetlands LLP Managing Partner Jim Levine on findings from Surviving the Storm, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute’s recent report detailing the estimated $10.4 billion in damages the region would suffer during a 150-year storm event. For more information on the Council’s advocacy on storm and flood protection, visit our Storm and Flood Protection policy page or contact Policy Associate Rachele Trigueros.