Cooperative Agreement 98T89901

DESCRIPTION:THE PURPOSE OF THIS AGREEMENT IS TO PROVIDE FUNDING TO CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF PLANNING AND RESEARCH (OPR). AS CLIMATE CHANGE CONTINUES TO INCREASE THE FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY OF EXTREME HEAT ACROSS THE WESTERN UNITED STATES, THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR ADAPTATION RESOURCES AND PLANNING GUIDANCE IN CALIFORNIA. TO FILL THIS GAP AND DEVELOP SCALABLE RESOURCES WITH A HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE ON EXTREME HEAT PLANNING, LOCAL JURISDICTIONS MUST ENGAGE IN COORDINATED ADAPTATION PLANNING THAT INTEGRATES COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES AND LOCAL PLANNING EXPERTISE. THIS PROJECT WILL USE A COMMUNITY-CENTERED APPROACH TO EXTREME HEAT ADAPTATION PLANNING INFORMED BY LOCAL EXPERTS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WITHIN RIVERSIDE AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES. RESIDENTS IN THIS REGION, INCLUDING THOSE IN RURAL AND GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED AREAS OF THE COUNTIES, EXPERIENCE BLISTERING SUMMER TEMPERATURES AND ARE AMONG THE MOST VULNERABLE TO EXTREME HEAT. THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FULL FEDERAL FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $999,994.00. ACTIVITIES:THROUGH A THREE-PHASED COLLABORATIVE PROCESS, OPR AND ITS PARTNERS WILL DEVELOP EXTREME HEAT ADAPTATION RESOURCES. PHASE 1 WILL DEFINE EXTREME HEAT RISKS AND VULNERABILITIES THAT RESONATE WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND IDENTIFY GAPS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADAPTATION STRATEGIES THAT BUILD TOWARDS HOLISTIC PLANNING AND POLICY GUIDANCE FOR EXTREME HEAT. PHASE 2 WILL PRODUCE AN EXTREME HEAT ADAPTATION PLANNING GUIDE, IDENTIFY PRIORITIES FOR COMMUNICATION OF THESE RISKS AND ACTIONS, AND DEVELOP CASE STUDY EXAMPLES. IN PHASE 3, THE TEAM WILL LEAD OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT TO EVALUATE THE UTILITY OF THESE PLANNING GUIDES FOR DECISION MAKING IN COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. IN THE PROCESS, THE TEAM WILL DOCUMENT LESSONS LEARNED AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND THE USE AND REACH OF EXTREME HEAT PLANNING RESOURCES IN GEOGRAPHIES AND JURISDICTIONS FACING SIMILAR CHALLENGES. SUBRECIPIENT:THIS GRANT INCLUDES SUBAWARDS.OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE: (1) AGENDA, MEETING NOTES AND ATTENDANCE RECORDS FROM ALL PUBLIC OUTREACH ENGAGEMENTS INCLUDING COMMUNITY ADVISORY MEETINGS, OUTREACH ENGAGEMENTS, COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS AND TRIBAL FOCUSED LISTENING SESSIONS AND OTHER TRIBAL ENGAGEMENTS; (2) FINAL VERSIONS OF THE EXTREME HEAT ADAPTATION PLAN ALIGNMENT TOOLKIT CASE STUDIES; AND (3) AGENDA, MEETING NOTES AND ATTENDANCE RECORDS FROM QUARTERLY TEAM MEETINGS AND ANNUAL/FINAL REPORTS. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE A COMMUNITY-INFORMED, COORDINATED POLICY AND PLAN ALIGNMENT, INTEGRATING WIDE-RANGING PERSPECTIVES ON THE CHALLENGES OF EXTREME HEAT AND ALIGNING WITH CALIFORNIA EXTREME HEAT PLANNING GOALS, IS SIGNIFICANT. THROUGH EVALUATING PROJECT IMPACT AND INFORMING FUTURE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT PLANS, THIS APPROACH ENHANCES EXTREME HEAT ADAPTATION PLANNING AND ACTION. FURTHERMORE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND THESE PRACTICES TO OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN LEAD TO BROADER ADOPTION OF COMMUNITY-CENTERED ADAPTATION PLANNING. IN PARTICULAR, THE ENHANCED EXTREME HEAT RESILIENCE PLANNING FOR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES IN RIVERSIDE AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES EXEMPLIFIES THE UTILITY AND SCALABILITY OF PARTNERSHIPS FRAMED AROUND BOTTOM-UP COLLABORATIONS. THIS APPROACH NOT ONLY PROVIDES ADAPTATION GUIDANCE RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITIES LACKING CAPACITY TO DEVELOP EXTREME HEAT PLANS, BUT ALSO SERVES AS A MODEL FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY-CENTERED ADAPTATION PLANNING. BY INVOLVING RESIDENTS, CBOS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND STATE AGENCIES, THIS APPROACH DEMONSTRATES A PROACTIVE AND INCLUSIVE STRATEGY FOR ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF EXTREME HEAT IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES. THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE CALIFORNIA'S MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES ARE AT INCREASED RISK TO CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS AND HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES TO COPE WITH, ADAPT TO, AND RECOVER FROM CLIMATE-RELATED DISASTERS. EXTREME HEAT RANKS AS THE DEADLIEST HAZARD IN CALIFORNIA. COMMUNITIES WITHIN RIVERSIDE AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES, IN THE INLAND EMPIRE AN