Tell Governor Newsom: Restore Funding for San Francisco Bay
In January, Governor Gavin Newsom released his proposed state budget for Fiscal Year 2023-24. Unfortunately, it included major cuts to funding that had previously been allocated for shoreline resilience and Bay Area-specific sea level rise preparations.
As this year’s storms have shown us, our region is vulnerable to flooding and unprepared for sea level rise and the extreme storms that will result from climate change. We urgently need funding to restore wetlands and create sea level rise plans that protect our communities from flooding.
Sign our petition below to tell Governor Newsom and other state policymakers to restore funding and protect our communities from sea level rise.
Recipients: Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Senator Nancy Skinner, Senator Josh Becker, Assembly Member Phil Ting, and Assembly Member Steve Bennett
Subject: Restore Funding for San Francisco Bay Shoreline Resilience
Dear Governor Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Atkins, Assembly Speaker Rendon, Senator Skinner, Senator Becker, Assembly Member Ting, and Assembly Member Bennett,
As residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, we are writing to ask you to restore funding for San Francisco Bay shoreline resilience in the state budget. The budget proposal for FY 23-24 released in January included major cuts to funding that is necessary to protect our communities from sea level rise and flooding, as evidenced by the impact of this winter’s storms.
Our communities are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise, especially low-income and historically underinvested communities. With one foot of local sea level rise, the Bay Area has the largest population at risk of flooding of any region in the country. By 2030, California could already be experiencing at least 6 inches of sea level rise. Additionally, by 2030, climate change will have already diminished our wetlands’ capacity to adapt and protect communities from sea level rise.
Therefore, it’s crucial that every year we make progress towards restoring wetlands, building levees, and creating local sea level rise plans. The Bay Area already has shovel-ready projects that just need funding to be implemented. We ask that you:
- Restore the $325 million state budget for statewide coastal climate resilience.
- Restore the $10.4 million state budget for San Francisco Bay wetlands.
- Restore the $90 million state budget for San Francisco Bay sea level rise preparations.
Thank you for considering our urgent request to invest in our communities’ ability to adapt to climate change and sea level rise.
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About Save The Bay
Since 1961, Save The Bay has fought to protect San Francisco Bay. We have achieved historic victories against Bay fill, unsafe development, and pollution. Today, we are taking on climate change through a combined strategy of political advocacy, wetland restoration, and environmental education. Explore our recent work and discover the impact you can have in your community when you join us.
