Guardrails, fences, landscaping, and other structures related to such routes should be designed and located so as to maintain and to take advantage of Bay views. (2) Access points should be located, improved and managed to avoid significant adverse affects on wildlife and their habitats, should not interfere with commercial navigation, or security and exclusion zones or pose a danger to recreational boaters from commercial shipping operations, and should provide for diverse water-accessible overnight accommodations, including camping, where acceptable to park operators. Some developed areas may be suitable for ecosystem restoration, if existing development is removed to allow the Bay to migrate inland, although relocating communities is very costly and may result in the displacement of neighborhoods. However, the predominant form of travel in the Bay Area continues to be the single-occupant vehicle. A federal development project located within the coastal zone must be consistent to the maximum extent practicable with the coastal management program. Cultivating eelgrass is difficult and efforts to grow eelgrass in San Francisco Bay have not succeeded. In addition, a major investment by one publiclyoperated port could be jeopardized by the unnecessarily duplicating actions of another publicly-operated Bay Area port. Modernization of existing commercial fishing facilities and construction of new commercial fishing boat berthing, fish off-loading, and fish handling facilities on fill may be permitted at appropriate sites with access to fishing grounds and to land transportation routes, if no alternative upland locations are feasible. The McAteer-Petris Act requires the Commission to take action on a permit matter within 90 days after it has received and filed an application from the applicant, which requires that an applicant must obtain all local discretionary approvals before the Commission can file an application. The State Board, Regional Board and local governments regulate discharges from construction sites. The Commission will: Recognize and acknowledge the California Native American communities who first inhabited the Bay Area and their cultural connection to the natural resources of the region. Of particular importance for Bay planning is the expected growth in containerized cargo handling, which require large, specially designed terminals and supporting transportation facilities. Present research indicates that filling a substantial part of the Bay-as much as 25 percent-would cause: (1) higher summertime temperatures and reduced rainfall in the Santa Clara Valley and the Carquinez Strait-Suisun Bay area; and (2) increases in the frequency and thickness of both fog and smog in the Bay Area. Physical obstructions to safe navigation, as identified by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Harbor Safety Committee of the San Francisco Bay Region, should be removed to the maximum extent feasible when their removal would contribute to navigational safety and would not create significant adverse environmental impacts. Shoreline development and infrastructure, critical to public and environmental health and the region’s economic prosperity, may be, or may become, vulnerable to flooding from sea level rise and storm activity. Public access is not equally or evenly distributed around the Bay, nor are all public access areas of the same quality, due to varying levels of resources for improvements, maintenance, and amenities. Completing the San Francisco Bay Trail and the Bay Area Ridge Trail and linking these regional trail systems will provide the public with better access to the Bay and to parks along the Bay shoreline. Salt Ponds and Other Managed Wetlands. Also important are the expected growth in automobiles, iron and steel, and dry bulk cargoes (requiring fewer, generally smaller terminals than containerized cargo) and the continued surplus of break-bulk terminals expected as general cargo is increasingly containered or handled at combination container/break-bulk terminals. The California Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Sonoma Creek, to its confluence with Second Napa Slough. If the Secretary finds that the activity would be consistent with the objectives of the Coastal Zone Management Act, or necessary for national security, the Secretary can authorize the activity despite the Commission's objection. Such limited shoreline jurisdiction is necessary to reduce pressures for Bay filling that would result from poor use of available shoreline land, and to assure that public access to the Bay is provided wherever feasible. But barriers affectfor better or for worse-the appearance and ecology of the Bay, sedimentation, flood control, and existing and proposed uses of the shores of the Bay. Developing new recreational opportunities-shoreline parks, marinas, fishing piers, beaches, hiking and bicycling paths, and scenic drives. As required by the McAteer-Petris Act, the San Francisco Bay Plan was submitted to the Legislature and the Governor of California in 1969. For example, unmanaged or inappropriately located public access may adversely affect wildlife or some port or water-related industrial activities may pose a substantial hazard to public access users. However, the natural processes that sustain some existing tidal marshes now may not sustain them in the future due to rising seas and other environmental changes. For all barrier proposals fully evaluated thus far, disadvantages outweigh advantages. Current models indicate that as sea level rise progresses, many Bay habitats will be degraded or will change to other habitat types. Mudflats comprise the largest area of tidal flat areas and support an extensive community of invertebrate aquatic organisms, e.g., diatoms, worms and shellfish, fish that feed during higher tides, and plants such as algae and occasionally eelgrass. Concerted efforts are needed to plan, fund and implement reuse of dredged material. Many issues related to environmental justice and social equity may fall outside the Commission’s authority or jurisdiction but may be within the purview of another federal, state, or regional agency. These sites are: (1) off Alcatraz Island; (2) in San Pablo Bay; (3) in the Carquinez Strait; and (4) in the Suisun Bay Channel. All parts of San Francisco Bay are important for the perpetuation of fish, other aquatic organisms and wildlife because any reduction of habitat reduces their numbers in some measure. Expand Airport Facilities on Land. Increased tidal influence associated with the removal or breaching of salt pond levees can: (1) support the establishment of new subtidal, tidal flat and tidal marsh habitat; (2) benefit Bay water quality; (3) improve the health of the Bay's aquatic food web by reconnecting existing subtidal areas to tidal marsh habitat, where much of the Bay's nutrient-rich plant life is located; and (4) increase resting, foraging and breeding opportunities for numerous fish, other aquatic organisms and wildlife species dependent upon subtidal, tidal flat and tidal marsh habitats (e.g., the Alameda song sparrow and salt marsh harvest mouse). Collaborating and working across sectors and authorities can help to address environmental justice and social equity. In previous posts we have discussed BCDC’s recent work to address the effects of sea level rise. This can perpetuate cycles of avoidance, underuse, neglect, and in extreme cases, loss of public access to the Bay. The "Bay Plan Policies" listed opposite each corresponding Bay Plan map are enforceable policies and have the same authority as the policies in the text of the Bay Plan. In addition, they trap sediments, thereby reducing the amount deposited in channels. At suitable sites, the Commission should encourage new marinas, particularly those that result in the creation of new open water through the excavation of areas not part of the Bay and not containing valuable wetlands. The L TMS provides the basis for uniform federal and state dredged material disposal policies and regulations. The revisions to the City’s Plan that BCDC is submitting along with the proposed revised Order developed by BCDC require that the encampments in the Park must be fully closed and cleared by February 12, 2021. The federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, is a voluntary law enacted to encourage coastal states and territories to develop and implement programs to manage the nation's coastal resources. Bridges over navigable waterways may be equipped with fenders, navigation lights, clearance gauges, water level gauges, sound devices or radio beacons, all of which improve navigational safety and help prevent spills of hazardous materials, such as oil. The Commission has appointed the Engineering Criteria Review Board consisting of geologists, civil engineers specializing in geotechnical and coastal engineering, structural engineers, and architects competent to and adequately empowered to: (a) establish and revise safety criteria for Bay fills and structures thereon; (b) review all except minor projects for the adequacy of their specific safety provisions, and make recommendations concerning these provisions; (c) prescribe an inspection system to assure placement and maintenance of fill according to approved designs; (d) with regard to inspections of marine petroleum terminals, make recommendations to the California State Lands Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard, which are responsible for regulating and inspecting these facilities; (e) coordinate with the California State Lands Commission on projects relating to marine petroleum terminal fills and structures to ensure compliance with other Bay Plan policies and the California State Lands Commission's rules, regulations, guidelines and policies; and (f) gather, and make available performance data developed from specific projects. Therefore, pending completion of the comprehensive airport system plan, capital investment in, and any Bay filling for, major airports in the Bay region should be limited to improvements needed within the next 10 years (Le., before 1979). Commercial fishing continues to be a valuable part of the Bay Area economy and culture. Because of the relatively low direct economic return and the character of commercial fishing operations, there is pressure to convert fishing boat berths to recreational boat berths and to replace commercial fishing facilities with retail, commercial, recreational, and other uses. On October 4, BPC staff member Brianne Riley attended the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s (BCDC) Environmental Justice Working Group meeting. The State of California defines environmental justice as “the fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” (California Government Code §65040.12(e)). However, such projects could also result in significant adverse impacts to Bay water circulation and quality and to Bay habitats and organisms that depend on the Bay. Mariners operating in the Bay face difficult challenges such as increasing vessel traffic, physically restricted shipping lanes, frequent shoaling, rapid weather changes, fog, strong currents, and physical obstructions. Where appropriate, effects of public access on wildlife should be monitored over time to determine whether revisions of management strategies are needed. (6) Trails that can be used as components of the San Francisco Bay Trail, the Bay Area Ridge Trail or links between them should be developed in waterfront parks. Within the 100-foot shoreline jurisdiction but outside of the areas designated for priority uses, the Commission may deny an application for a permit for a proposed project only on the grounds that the project failsto provide maximum feasible public access, consistent with the proposed project, to the Bay and the shoreline. The required area and type of compensatory mitigation may vary depending on factors such as: the expected time delay between the impact and the functioning of the mitigation project; the relative quality of the mitigation and the impacted site; the type of mitigation (e.g., restoration, creation, enhancement); and the probability of success of the mitigation project. The State Board is responsible for approving the water quality control plans of the nine regional water quality control boards, and establishing salinity standards for the Bay and Delta to protect the beneficial uses of these waters. Salt ponds consisting of all areas which have been diked off from the Bay and have been used during the three years immediately preceding November 11, 1969 for the solar evaporation of Bay water in the course of salt production. These storm events can be exacerbated by El Niño events, which generally result in persistent low air pressure, greater rainfall, high winds and higher sea level. (3) No new marina or expansion of any existing marina should be approved unless water quality and circulation will be adequately protected and, if possible, improved, and an adequate number of vessel sewage pumpout facilities that are convenient in location and time of operation to recreational boat users should be provided free of charge or at a reasonable fee, as well as receptacles to dispose of waste oil. The Bay and its shoreline can also be refuges from heat and noise and can offer relief from crowded, often stressful, urban areas, thereby contributing to well-being. Non-motorized small boats (e.g., kayaks, kite boards, canoes and dragon boats) can be launched in a wide variety of settings. If such previous outreach and engagement did not occur, further outreach and engagement should be conducted prior to Commission action. When the Commission takes any action In some instances, it may be possible to combine natural and nature-based methods (e.g. ART Bay Area findings now available through the Bay Shoreline Flood Explorer! The roadway and right-of-way design should maintain and enhance visual access for the traveler, discourage through traffic, and provide for safe, separated, and improved physical access to and along the shore. The proposed project must be consistent with a comprehensive special area plan for the geographic vicinity of the project, a special area plan that the Commission has determined to be consistent with the policies of the San Francisco Bay Plan, except that this provision would not apply to any project involving replacement of only a pier that had been destroyed involuntarily. It is an essential resting place, feeding area, and wintering ground for millions of birds on the Pacific Flyway. Coyote Creek (and branches) in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties, to the easternmost point of Newby Island. Increased boater education on shipping lanes, ferry routes, U.S. Coast Guard rules for navigation, and safety guidelines for smaller recreational crafts, can reduce the risk of accidents. Eelgrass beds are considered to be a valuable shallow water habitat, providing feeding, escape, or breeding habitat for many species of invertebrates, fishes, and some waterfowl. Structural shoreline protection is most effective and less damaging to natural resources if it is the appropriate kind of structure for the project site and erosion and flood problem, and is properly designed, constructed, and maintained. Interested agencies and parties are encouraged to explore and find funding solutions for the additional costs incurred by transporting dredged materials to nontidal and ocean disposal sites, either by general funds contributed by ports and other relevant parties, dredging applicants or otherwise. In any event, the original 20 years of the permit's authorization period cannot be extended or renewed by the Commission unless an application is filed for such purpose; and. Developing new freeway routes (with construction on pilings, not solid fill) if thorough study determines that no feasible alternatives are available. If and when not needed for salt production, salt ponds may have continued commercial value for mariculture operations. San Francisco Bay's location.and unique geographical features create an attractive and important area for water-related industries. Placing sediment in appropriate locations will be necessary to ensure that species dependent on tidal marshes and tidal flats have sufficient habitat into the future. Views of the Bay from vista points and from roads should be maintained by appropriate arrangements and heights of all developments and landscaping between the view areas and the water. Land elevation change caused by tectonic (geologic, including seismic) activity, consolidation or compaction of soft soils such as Bay muds, and extraction of subsurface groundwater or natural gas extraction, is variable around the Bay. The Bay Plan presented in this report recognizes that the Bay is a single body of water, in which changes affecting one part may also affect other parts, and that only on a regional basis can the Bay be protected and enhanced. Bay-oriented commercial recreation and Bay-oriented public assembly, defined as facilities specifically designed to attract large numbers of people to enjoy the Bay and its shoreline, such as restaurants, specialty shops, and hotels. When determining the appropriate location and design of compensatory mitigation, the Commission should also consider potential effects on benefits provided to humans from Bay natural resources, including economic (e.g., flood protection, erosion control) and social (e.g., aesthetic benefits, recreational opportunities) benefits and whether the distribution of such benefits is equitable. Sediment placement for habitat adaptation should be prioritized in (1) subsided diked baylands, tidal marshes, and tidal flats, as these areas are particularly vulnerable to loss and degradation due to sea level rise and lack of necessary sediment supply, and/or in (2) intertidal and shallow subtidal areas to support tidal marsh, tidal flat, and eelgrass bed adaptation. The Commission may permit fill or a minimum amount of dredging in wildlife refuges necessary to enhance or restore fish, other aquatic organisms and wildlife habitat, or to provide appropriately located public facilities for wildlife observation, interpretation and education. Special area plans, which apply Bay Plan policies in greater detail to specific shoreline areas, are identified on the Plan maps. About 40 percent of the original surface area of the Bay has been diked off or filled in since 1850. A substantial portion of the project would be built on existing land, and the project would be planned to minimize the need for filling. The proposed replacement pier would not extend into the Bay any farther than (i) the piers (pile-supported platforms) to be removed from the Bay as part of the project or (ii) adjacent existing piers. The state has issued health advisories recommending limits on human consumption of fish from the Bay and has had to close beaches because of water pollution. Eelgrass grows in relatively few locations in the Bay and requires special conditions to flourish. Natural and nature-based shoreline protection methods, such as tidal marshes, levees with transitional ecotone habitat, oyster reefs, mudflats, and beaches can provide effective flood protection and/or wave attenuation when sited properly. Filling and diking that reduce surface area and water volume should therefore be allowed only for purposes providing substantial public benefits and only if there is no reasonable alternative. To eliminate any further demand to fill any part of the Bay solely for refuse disposal sites, new waste disposal systems should be developed; these systems should combine economical disposition with minimum consumption of land. Airports for general aviation can and should be at inland sites whenever possible. Access to vista points should be provided by walkways, trails, or other appropriate means and connect to the nearest public thoroughfare where parking or public transportation is available. Dredgers should reduce disposal in the Bay and certain waterways over time to achieve the L TMS goal of limiting in-Bay disposal volumes to a maximum of one million cubic yards per year. As a result, the importance of sediment from local watersheds as a source of sedimentation in tidal marshes has increased. Transportation projects should be designed to maintain and enhance visual and physical access to the Bay and along the Bay shoreline. Local governments in the Bay region are represented by one Commissioner from each Board of Supervisors in the nine counties and by four representatives of bayside cities appointed by the Association of Bay Area Governments. A variety of habitat types within the Bay sustain a multitude of plant, fish, and wildlife species. Thus, although general guidelines can be developed on a regional scale, the evaluation of specific projects requires knowledge of local conditions. The Commission, together with the relevant local governments, should cooperatively plan for use of vacant and underutilized waterrelated industrial priority use areas. Last month the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) amended the San Francisco Bay Plan to include new findings and policies addressing climate change and sea level rise. the dredged sediment is found to have substantial adverse impacts on the natural resources of the Bay, then the dredged sediment would be removed, unless it is demonstrated by competent environmental studies that removing the material would have a greater adverse effect on the Bay than allowing it to remain, and the site would be returned to the conditions existing immediately preceding placement of the dredged sediment. To reduce the human health risk posed by consumption of contaminated fish, projects that create or improve fishing access to the Bay at water-oriented recreational facilities, such as fishing piers, beaches, and marinas, should include signage that informs the public of consumption advisories for the species of Bay fish that have been identified as having potentially unsafe levels of contaminants. To the greatest extent feasible, the remaining water volume and surface area of the Bay should be maintained. The strategy recommends that state agencies should incorporate this policy into their decisions. These emissions scenarios have been used in global models to develop projections of future climate, including global surface temperature and precipitation changes. Wetlands also are important habitat for the Bay's aquatic and upland plant and animal populations, serve as a primary link in the ecosystem's food chain, ensure the continued diversity of plant and animal communities, are an essential feeding and resting place for migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway, and provide needed and important open space and recreational opportunities in the Bay Area. However, some small parking areas for fishing access and Bay viewing may be allowed in exposed locations. If some airports in the regional system do not have the funds necessary to complete facilities needed by the region, a regional agency may be required to finance or develop them. Moreover, the Commission’s Priority Use Areas, intended to minimize the necessity for future Bay fill, has also facilitated the aggregation of pollution sources within areas designated for Port and Water-Related Industry Priority Use Areas. Bay water quality can affect the health of Bay swimmers. These pollutants are not distributed evenly in the Bay and some areas are highly contaminated. Habitat loss from project construction may be temporary, and may lead to a long-term net gain that ultimately offsets the loss of habitat to rising seas. Public utilities (power transmission lines, pipelines, etc.) In those instances where it is desirable to amplify and to apply Bay Plan maps, recommendations, and policies to specific shoreline areas, the Commission should do so through a special area plan. Consistent community outreach and engagement from the start of a project and throughout project design, permitting, and construction are necessary for addressing environmental justice and social equity. Transportation projects located in the Bay or along its shoreline have the potential to result in shoreline erosion from ferry wakes, increased pollution from runoff, and harm to marine mammals and fish from pile-driving for bridges and piers and to subtidal habitats from increased turbidity. Global surface temperature increases are accelerating the rate of sea level rise worldwide through thermal expansion of ocean waters and melting of land-based ice (e.g., ice sheets and glaciers). Implementing many adaptation strategies will require action and funding by federal, state, regional and local agencies with planning, funding and land use decision-making authority beyond the Commission’s jurisdiction. In addition to the foregoing uses of the Bay and its shores, there are at present many others including: The goal of sustainability is to conduct human endeavors in a manner that will avoid depleting natural resources for future generations and producing no more than can be assimilated through natural processes, while providing for improvement of the human condition for all the people of the world. These areas also have the potential to accommodate compatible recreational activities that protect wildlife, inform the public, foster support for wildlife protection and expand opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreational activities and volunteer opportunities. Some adaptive management strategies may require action and financing on the regional or sub-regional level across jurisdictions. In October 2019, both amendments were adopted by BCDC Commissioners. Physical dynamics of the water column, such as fronts (the boundary between two dissimilar masses of water), eddies (a current of water running contrary to the main current), and retention zones (areas where tidal flows slow or stop due to either fresh water incursions or prominent bathymetric features), affect where fish concentrate and consequently where other species, such as seabirds and harbor seals, feed. Evidence of how community concerns were addressed should be provided. To offset impacts from increased impervious areas and land disturbances, vegetated swales, permeable pavement materials, preservation of existing trees and vegetation', planting native vegetation and other appropriate measures should be evaluated and implemented where appropriate. The filling is in accord with the Bay Plan policies as to minor fills for improving shoreline appearance or public access. The amount of oxygen in the Bay is largely determined by the surface area of the Bay because primary sources of oxygen are: (1) churning waves that trap oxygen from the air; (2) the water surface, which absorbs oxygen from the air; and (3) the exposed mudflats, which both produce and absorb oxygen while the tide is out and transfer it to the water when the tide comes in. If more than one mitigation program is proposed, the Commission should consider the cost of the alternatives in determining the appropriate program, as well as equitably consider the priorities and concerns of surrounding communities. mixtures of native sand, shell, and concrete), can enhance or beneficially contribute to the restoration of subtidal habitat by: (1) creating varied subtidal areas beneficial to aquatic species, such as Pacific herring, and other wildlife including birds; (2) restoring, creating, or enhancing native oyster populations and other nearshore shellfish beds that benefit multiple species; (3) enhancing subtidal plant communities, such as eelgrass beds; and (4) recreating the bathymetry of disturbed areas, such as dredged channels.