As Orange County leaders begin to dial in a climate action plan, Supervisors Katrina Foley and Vicente Sarmiento are hosting an investigative hearing on climate resiliency on Wednesday, Aug. 30, to hear from climate change experts, they said, on addressing infrastructure and community challenges and receive recommendations for moving forward.

There will be several panels Wednesday, featuring about 17 speakers. Topics will include sustainable transportation, local city planning, innovative recycling programs and how to mitigate threats from wildfires and coastal erosion.

“We have a lot of challenges related to infrastructure, how to build a healthier and more equitable community, climate adaption needs due to sea level rise and coastal erosion. So, we want to hear from experts who will talk to us about specific issues that are challenges specifically for Orange County and they will make recommendations on how to overcome them,” said Foley, who represents the coastal Fifth District, adding that the goal is to then move those recommendations into the climate action plan or create separate initiatives that can be brought forward to the Board of Supervisors.

Foley said she is most excited for the “Building a Healthier & More Equitable Orange County” and “Climate Adaptation Needs in Orange County” panels, which will include Brian Fennessey, fire chief of the Orange County Fire Authority; Darrell Johnson, CEO of the Orange County Transportation Authority; and Joe Mosca, interim CEO of the Orange County Power Authority.

There will also be time set aside for public comment where residents can voice their own ideas and concerns related to environmental wellness, she said.

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“Climate adaptation and mitigation requires a collective effort. The government can only go so far,” Foley said. “We need our residents, our business owners, to also get on board. And we want to make sure that they are provided with information and tools to be able to live more sustainably.”

Orange County, Foley said, is decades behind in planning for a sustainable future compared to surrounding counties, such as Los Angeles and San Diego, which have already created a climate action plan.

“As the supervisor for a district that represents 32 miles of coastline, this is really a top priority for me. It is so critical that we start to move our county forward,” Foley said. “Climate change is real and we must do our part as government to adapt and mitigate so that we reduce our emissions and our carbon footprint. It’s for the next generation and their’s to come that we do this. It’s really not about us, it’s about the future.”

The hearing will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the  County Administration North building at  400 W. Civic Center Drive, Santa Ana.

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