Welcome to the Yolo County Climate Action & Sustainability Newsletter! We are excited to share updates from our climate action and adaptation planning (CAAP) process, 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 on social media! Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more updates on our CAAP process. Updates on the CAAP process can also be found on our newly launched CAAP Portal at YoloCAAP.org.

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.

Hello, dedicated readers!

We’ve had an incredibly exciting month, and we are excited to share the details with our subscribers both new and old. In June, the Sustainability Division, in partnership with the Equity and Engagement Technical Advisory Committee, conducted our first series of Community Workshops and also presented at Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings across Yolo County. During these events, we took a deep dive into the history of climate action in Yolo County and had conversations to help us better understand what community members feel about climate change and what the County could be doing to make our community more resilient. We shared stories about our journey so far and introduced folks to some key terms that will guide our planning process going forward. If you’re interested in reading a full summary of the first workshop series, you can check out our summary document here.  Here are a few highlights of what was covered:

🌱 The Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) is a guidance and policy document for how Yolo County will reach its emission reduction goals by 2030 and adapt to a changing climate all while centering equity.. One of our main missions with the CAAP is to make our communities resilient in the face of floods, rising temperatures, wildfires, and other climate impacts

🌱 You’ve likely heard about our goal to go net-negative by 2030. Yolo County’s mission to remove more carbon from the atmosphere than we produce by 2030 is one of the most ambitious climate goals in the country. This involves implementing emission reducing practices, while also adopting practices that store carbon in our soils, known as carbon sequestration.

🌱 Another key component of our CAAP is to create a Just Transition. This term recognizes that programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions can unintentionally exacerbate socioeconomic inequality if we are not careful. We want everyone in Yolo County to benefit from climate solutions and ensure that we’re on this journey together. A Just Transition seeks to strike a balance between the speed of necessary changes, while still promoting sustainable, just realignments. This is why we rely on participatory processes to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and that the needs of our whole community are considered. With the help of your input, the CAAP will recommend ways for the county to lower emissions, expand renewable energy, protect our precious natural resources, and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

🌱 If you’re interested in remaining involved in this CAAP process (and we really hope you are!), there are many ways to engage with us. Check out our Facebook and Instagram pages, visit our website, and keep an eye on the Yolo CAAP portal at YoloCAAP.org for the latest updates on meetings and events. We’re always thrilled to receive your engagement!

🌱 A huge shoutout and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined our workshops and shared their valuable feedback. Your priorities and insights are what make this process so incredible!

We're launching our CAAP Outreach Survey next Tuesday, July 25th, but we're giving a sneak peak to our newsletter subscribers now! The CAAP will be driven by YOUR input! Filling out this survey will help the County design funding programs, policies, and other recommendations for how we can lower emissions, protect our natural resources, and make sure that Yolo County is a thriving, sustainable community for generations to come. Survey participants will have the opportunity to be entered into a drawing for gift cards and other prizes. Make your voice heard - fill out the survey today!

To take the survey in English, click here and share this link with a friend: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2SFZ3VH. For Spanish, click here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GYBJDGP.  

In collaboration with the Yolo County Resource Conservation District (RCD), Yolo County has developed a Working Lands Outreach Survey to understand what sustainable strategies local growers currently have in practice, identify those that are feasible, and address challenges to implementation. Participation in this survey is voluntary and responses are anonymous. Click here to access the survey and ensure that the CAAP will be tailored to the needs of Yolo’s agricultural community. To view a list of example carbon storage and emissions reduction practices, click here. Complete the survey before October 13^th.

We’re back! The July YCCAC Meeting is a great opportunity to hear more about our 2030 CAAP and provide your input on critical components of out planning process. Attend in person at 626 Court St, Woodland, CA 95695 or view the Zoom link here to join our monthly meeting virtually. Click to view the Agenda and Meeting Materials.

🌱 Yolo County Sustainability is welcoming two new CivicSpark Fellows for the 2023-2024 service year! We would like to extend our congratulations to Samuel Orellana and Yuridiana Pantoja for joining Yolo County to support us in meeting our 2030 CAAP goals! Stay tuned for a full introduction to Samuel and Yuridiana in the September Newsletter!

🌱 There are less than 2 weeks left to embrace the challenge and sign up for the Cool Davis Earth Day 2023 Pledge Challenge! Complete at least six specific greenhouse gas reducing or resilience building actions before Earth Day 2024 for a chance to win an electric moped! Visit www.cooldavis.org/pledge to pick 1 or more actions in the following 6 categories: Diversify Your Ride, Get an Energy Boost, Eat Thoughtfully, Get Involved, Green Finances, and Build Resilience. Pledges are accepted until July 31^st.

 🌱 The EPA is seeking public feedback on the Draft Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution. The strategy focuses on actions to reduce, reuse, collect, and capture plastic waste by shifting to a circular approach for plastics management in the U.S. The comment period has a deadline of July 31, 2023. Click here to watch the recording of a webinar hosted earlier this year that provides an overview of the draft strategy.

🌱 Yolo County has been working with the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District (YSAQMD) to develop a timeline for rolling out the Agricultural Equipment Replacement (AER) Program, approved by the Board of Supervisors earlier this year. The program is set to launch in November 2023. A staff report with greater detail can be found in the Commission meeting packet at the top of this email.

Attend any of the following events to catch up with the Sustainability Team and hear more about our CAAP process! To view these events as a PDF on our website, click here.

July 22       Woodland Farmer’s Market Health & Safety Fair | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | 250 1^st St, Woodland

Come see what health and safety resources are available to you at the Health and Safety Fair during the Farmers Market on First Street in front of the library! Some of the vendors include Northern Valley Indian Health, City of Woodland Crime Prevention Team, Waste Wizard Conservation Coordinator, Spare the Air, and Yolo Sustainability!

July 24       Yolo County Climate Action Commission (YCCAC) Meeting | 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM | 625 Court St, Woodland

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

July 29       Davis Farmer’s Market | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | 301 C St, Davis

Yolo Sustainability will be tabling at the Davis Farmer’s Market on Saturday, July 29^th among rows of stalls lined with a variety of produce, fresh-baked goods, food stands, flowers, and gifts.

August 5    Yolo County Children’s Alliance (YCCA) Backpack Giveaway and Family Resource Fair | 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM | 425 Todhunter Avenue, West Sacramento

This event is free for the whole family! If you are a Yolo County family in need of backpacks, please pre-register to reserve a backpack for pick-up at Bryte Park on August 5, or call (916) 572-0560.

August 5    International Rescue Committee’s New Roots Volunteer Day | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | 491 Regatta Lane, West Sacramento

The New Roots program helps refugees reestablish their ties to the land, celebrate their heritage and nourish themselves and their neighbors by planting strong roots in Sacramento. The program works to increase refugee access to and participation in the local food system through agricultural training, food access and security programming, community farming, and business development training.

August 9    Esparto Branch Children’s Storytime | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | 17065 Yolo Ave, Esparto

Attend this gentle and fun introduction to literacy for children ages 0-5 through stories, songs, and fingerplays! Come get a sustainability-themed coloring book from the Sustainability Division!

August 9     Picnic in the Park | 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM | 301 C St, Davis

 Join Yolo Sustainability on Wednesday, August 9^th as the Davis Farmer’s Market extends its hours to transform into a festival of food, music, and fun.

August 12   Woodland Farmer’s Market | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | 201 1^st St, Woodland

 Yolo Sustainability will be attending Woodland’s weekly Saturday Market on August 12^th. Join us to learn more about the CAAP and stock up on your favorites from local vendors!

August 13    Library End of Summer Concert | 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM | 315 E. 14^th St, Davis

 Attend this free all-ages concert on Sunday, August 13^th featuring acoustic trio Biscuits and Honey and instrumental guitar duo Me & Him!

August 16   Picnic in the Park | 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Join Yolo Sustainability on Wednesday, August 16^th as the Davis Farmer’s Market extends its hours to transform into a festival of food, music, and fun.

August 26  Cruisin' Into the Next Chapter Classic Car & Truck Show | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Everyone is welcome to attend this family-friendly event, which will feature a wide array of classic cars and trucks, as well as antique fire trucks and tractors. The Sustainability Division will be giving out stickers and sharing information about the CAAP!  

🌱 The E.K. Kellogg Foundation has created a Strategic Communication Planning Hub to help design communication strategies for policy, advocacy, and programmatic goals. This tool includes 7 learning topics for organizations to strengthen their understanding of strategic communication with training videos and additional resources.

🌱 The California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) have collaborated to release funding to help schools buy zero-emission school buses and charging infrastructure with grants of up to $495,000 per bus for vehicle and infrastructure costs through the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) Public School Bus Set-Aside program. Applications will be accepted through September 29.

🌱 Click here to view the United States Census Bureau’s OnTheMap for Emergency Management. This interactive map includes information on the likelihood of various emergency events and a list of recent events.

🌱 New Community Resilience Estimates for Heat Identify Areas Socially Vulnerable to Extreme Heat. This article summarizes the findings of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Community Resilience Estimates (CRE) for Heat in collaboration with Arizona State University’s Knowledge Exchange for Resilience (KER). Data shows that almost a quarter of the U.S. population is considered socially vulnerable to extreme heat exposure.

🌱 The agricultural transition: Building a sustainable future. This report focuses on how decarbonization measures have evolved, as well as the key barriers to strategy adoption and the actions industry players and investors can take to support their uptake. Findings focus on the impact of decarbonization on climate change and the goal of a 1.5° pathway, though broader benefits and trade-offs are also highlighted.

🌱 Business Leaders Make the Case for a Regenerative Farm Bill. This story highlights the actions of the Kiss the Ground Advocacy team as they advocated for the Business Case for Regenerative Agriculture in Washington, D.C. in June. The group advocates for regenerative agriculture as a clear path forward for the future of American business.

🌱  There Are Better Ways to Build a Toilet. Designs at Venice Architecture Biennale are rethinking the modern flush for a water-strained world. Check out these designs for modern, no-flush outhouse toilets recirculate waste back into the ecosystem. Focuses of designs vary from more sustainable, hygienic solutions for sewage while others use modern technology to reduce or eliminate the need for water.