Lake County supervisors adopt Climate Adaptation Plan after debate over flooding and equity

The Lake County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt the Lake County Climate Adaptation Plan after a presentation by county staff and PlaceWorks consultants and public comment urging stronger flood and groundwater measures.

Board members and staff emphasized the plan’s role as a roadmap for resilience across unincorporated areas and the two cities. PlaceWorks project manager Jacqueline Prawserman Rohrer said the plan grew from a two‑year effort that began with a vulnerability analysis and evacuation study and was developed in coordination with the Lake County 2050 general plan update. She said the project drew on a California Adaptation Planning Grant and that the grant supporting the work ends at the end of the month, which informed staff’s request for timely adoption.

The plan uses a framework of 10 “pillars of landscape resilience” and, according to the presentation, evaluates 91 population groups and community assets across eight climate hazards. PlaceWorks told the board wildfire and smoke create the most vulnerability countywide and identified groups at higher risk, including people of color, immigrant communities, financially…