Speaker: Carl Hendrickson, Sea Level Rise Adaptation Fellow,  Ocean/Coastal Services Division, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development

Topic: Oregon Coastal Management Program: Utilizing Bottom-up Community Engagement Practices to Prepare for Climate Change Impacts

Oregon’s coastal zone is bounded by the Coast Range to the east and the territorial sea to the west, making it one of the largest coastal management zones in the nation. The coastal zone has large areas of federally and state-owned lands, leading to relatively low development among dynamic landscapes and coastal resources. The Oregon Coastal Management Program (OCMP) manages the coastal zone along with 41 coastal counties and cities and 11 state agencies, bringing resources and capacity to support resilient ecosystems and thriving coastal communities. OCMP engages with stakeholders representing diverse public perspectives and collaborates with the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and our Oregon partners in the National Estuary Program. OCMP also works with the federally recognized and authorized Tribes in Oregon both formally and informally to ensure that their voices are included in coastal management. 

Oregon is experiencing the effects of climate change and sea level rise, which often hit underserved populations, rural communities, and fragile ecosystems the hardest. Coastal governments are responding to sea level rise impacts and will need flexible frameworks to identify options for mitigating harm to people, property, and coastal ecosystems. The OCMP has developed an array of tools to help with these efforts, including the Sea Level Rise Planning Guide (The Guide), to help Oregon’s coastal communities address the anticipated impacts from sea level rise. The Guide consists of three parts: a mapping tool, a vulnerability assessment, and adaptation strategy guidance. It can be used by various entities at different levels of government to evaluate specific geographic regions. The mapping tool is designed to help assess locations, populations, and assets at risk from sea level rise hazards including erosion, flooding, and storm waves. The vulnerability assessment tool helps planners organize and prioritize assets and provides a structured and facilitated process of assessing vulnerability. The adaptation strategy guidance provides a menu of adaptation strategies and principles of equitable planning and will be updated over time.