Climate change: agriculture: Agricultural Climate Adaptation Tools Program: grants.

Existing law establishes the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program to be administered by the Office of Planning and Research to coordinate regional and local efforts with state climate adaptation strategies to adapt to the impacts of climate change, as specified. Existing law requires the office to coordinate with appropriate entities, including state, regional, or local agencies, to establish a clearinghouse for climate adaptation information for use by state, regional, and local entities. Existing law establishes the Transformative Climate Communities Program and a regional climate collaborative program to be administered by the Strategic Growth Council to award grants and provide technical assistance, respectively, to facilitate the response of local communities to climate change. This bill would require the Department of Food and Agriculture to administer a program for the disbursement of grants, known as the Agricultural Climate Adaptation Tools Program, as specified, to provide funding for activities that include the development of specified planning tools for adapting to climate change and developing resiliency strategies in the agricultural sector, using the best available science, as specified. The bill would require the department to conduct specified pilot projects in the central valley, central coast, and desert regions of the state, and hold trainings for technical assistance providers on how to use the specified planning tools with an emphasis on meeting the needs of small and moderately scaled farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and female farmers and ranchers. The bill would require the department to make available, upon appropriation, up to $2,000,000 to fund the grant program, as specified. The bill would not require the department to implement the program if the appropriation is not made. The bill would require the department to provide to the office the planning tools developed as part of the grant program, as well as information on any projects funded pursuant to these provisions, for possible incorporation into the clearinghouse for climate adaptation information. The bill would require the department to provide the council with regular updates on the implementation of the program.