Welcome to the Yolo County Climate Action & Sustainability Newsletter! We are excited to share updates from our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) development, countywide sustainability efforts, upcoming events, and sustainability resources as we work to meet our goal of achieving a carbon negative footprint by 2030.

We are now on social media! Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more updates on our CAAP process.

If you have resources or events you would like to be featured on the newsletter, submit them via email to sustainability@yolocounty.org for consideration.

The January YCCAC Virtual Meeting is a great opportunity to learn more about our 2030 CAAP and provide your input on critical components of our planning process. This month, we will be joined by the team at Dudek, who will be providing an update on their winning proposal to provide climate action and adaptation planning services to the County. View the Zoom link here to join our monthly meeting and view the Agenda and Meeting Materials.

🌱 Are you worried about extreme heat? Are you concerned about wildfires and flooding? Join the Yolo County Climate Action Commission’s Equity & Engagement Working Group to help engage your community in the development of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan! Applications are due January 20^th. The Working Group will guide outreach and seek participation to engage the community in the unincorporated area of Yolo County in the CAAP development and implementation process.

🌱 Yolo County Sustainability is proud to announce that Yolo County has been awarded a SolSmart Bronze designation! We’re making our community more solar-friendly and environmentally sustainable by adopting programs and practices that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to go solar. The Department of Community Services and the Division of Integrated Waste Management (along with Forefront Power) have solar projects underway at each respective site that will allow the department/division to use the energy generated onsite from the solar panels. SolSmart provided streamlined services and expert resources to help the solar project get underway faster. This designation is part of their scoring program to highlight cities and counties across the nation by using objective criteria to determine those that are removing obstacles to solar energy development in their community

🌱 Yolo County needs your input! The Yolo County Office of Emergency Services is seeking community input on threats, hazards, and mitigation via the Yolo County Hazard Mitigation Plan Community Survey. The survey is live until January 31^st, 2023.

🌱 The Yolo County Fire Safe Council website has launched! Get informed, get prepared, and get involved with wildfire safety through our local, community-driven Fire Safe Council.

🌱 The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) has grants available from $1,000 to $5,000 for community-based organizations! SACOG is inviting community members to shape the future of the region by proposing outreach and engagement activities for the 2025 Blueprint. Applications are open until January 20^th.

January 23, 2023         Yolo County Climate Action Commission (YCCAC) Virtual Meeting | 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Join us at the January YCCAC Meeting to hear more about our 2030 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) and provide your input on critical components of our planning process. View the agenda and meeting materials at the top of this email.

January 28, 2023         Volunteer Stewardship Event at East Regional Park | 9:00 AM

Join Yolo County RCD and Putah Creek Council at East Regional Pond to plant 1,600 native grass plugs! Register on Putah Creek Council’s website. This volunteer workday improves habitat and food sources for wildlife, storm water detention, filtration, aesthetics, and wildlife viewing.

February 1, 2023          Ecology Film Festival | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

Join the premier of twelve short 4-minute films produced by graduate students at the University of California, Davis! This free public event will be held at the Davis Veterans Memorial Center Theatre. Let the films take you on a journey into the ecological field and give you a glimpse into the exciting research done at UC Davis. Doors open at 5 PM and seats are given on a first come, first serve basis.

February 13, 2023        Valley Vision: Building a Community-Centered Clean Economy | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Join Valley Vision for their second climate, justice, and jobs summit to celebrate and launch the Sacramento Region Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) planning efforts. This hybrid event is open to everyone and will feature a live Community Panel discussion.

This month, Yolo County Sustainability is excited to shine a spotlight on the work and dedication of the Yolo County Resource Conservation District (RCD). RCD is a non-regulatory special district serving to protect, improve and sustain the natural resources of Yolo County. RCD will be leading the Climate Action Commission’s Natural and Working Lands Working Group and spearheading sections of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan related to agriculture and sequestration. We sat down with Executive Director, Heather Nichols and Program Manager, Kate Reza to ask them about the highlights of their work with the RCD and what they are looking forward to in the months ahead.  

Heather, who has a degree in Plant and Soil Science and master’s degrees in Sustainable Planning and Design, has worked with the Yolo County RCD since 2008 in a variety of capacities. She was drawn to the field because of her values around planning, funding, and implementing projects. One of the highlights of Heather’s involvement with the RCD has been identifying funding and using it to complete relevant, impactful projects. She enjoys that the RCD’s agenda and intent is public service which gives them the opportunity to approach efforts guided by locally relevant interests and concerns. Kate, who has been with the RCD for a little over a year, is excited about making things happen on the ground and being involved in the implementation of projects. She considers the RCD to be at the nexus of conservation and where action takes place. Kate wanted her daily actions to be a part of the solution to the problems associated with climate change and wanted her work to matter, something that she found in RCD's mission. 

🌱 Quick Guide to Safety Before, During, and After Floods: Listos, California has prepared a simple handout that offers tips for preparing for and dealing with floods. This resource is available for download in many languages including Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Punjabi, and more.

🌱 Yolo County Emergency Information Resource: Listos, California has developed information sheets to help Californians stay informed, connected, and safe in the counties where they live with safety tips, information to quickly sign up for emergency alerts, follow trusted sources on social media, and links to connect to resources in their county. View Yolo County’s Resource Sheet here.

🌱 Energy Justice and Justice40: Made for this Moment 2022 lecture recording by Gilbert F. White: This series, in tribute to Dr. Gilbert F. White (1911-2006), focused on connections found between the geographical sciences and society. This lecture discussed the U.S. Department of Energy’s approach to a just transition by prioritizing equity and place-based strategies in climate work.

🌱 Climate Resources at the National Academies: The National Academies have compiled objective advice from top experts to help the nation better understand, prepare for, and limit future climate change.

🌱 EcoBlock 101 Infographics: The University of California, Berkeley’s EcoBlock provides this page of digestible visual resources to educate yourself on the impacts of all things home appliances, vehicles, and power distribution.

🌱 CARB approves unprecedented climate action plan to shift world’s 4^th largest economy from fossil fuels to clean and renewable energy. The California Air Resources Board approved the final proposed 2022 Scoping Plan. The 2022 Scoping Plan provides a roadmap to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 85% and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.

🌱 CARB approves historic $2.6 billion investment—largest to date—for clean cars, trucks, mobility options. The California Air Resources Board approved an investment plan to ensure all Californians benefit from the state’s transition to zero-emission transportation. This year’s investment dollars focus largely on underserved communities disproportionately burdened by environmental pollution, with an estimated benefit of over 70% of the $2.6 billion incentives going to priority populations.

🌱 More than half of rural California now ranks ‘very high’ for wildfire hazard. For the first time, more than half of California’s rural and unincorporated communities could soon be classified as ‘very high’ fire hazard severity zones, according to a proposed map from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Among the counties with the biggest changes were Colusa, which saw a 53% increase in its “very high” fire hazard areas; Yolo, which saw a 51% increase; and Santa Clara, which saw a 47% increase.

🌱 At COP15—The UN Biodiversity Conference 190 nations agreed to protect 30% of Earth’s land and seas by 2030. The deal, made up of 23 conservation targets, sets a new precedent for the preservation of our planet’s biodiversity.