addressing climate change adaptation in regional transportation plans

frequency can harm forests. Large increases in wildfire are projected in all parts of theregion (Klamath Mountains, Siskiyou Mountains, Southern Cascade Mountains, ModocPlateau) (Lenihan et al., 2006; Westerling and Bryant, 2006; Westerling et al., 2009).Wildfire affects not only the local ecosystem and timber industry, but also public healthand safety. Of particular concern for the elderly and children under the age of five (seeTable 8) are eye and respiratory illnesses due to air pollution resulting from wildfires, andexacerbation of asthma, allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), andother cardiovascular diseases. Fires would not only jeopardize safety and property, butalso destroy resources for the timber industry and affect the local economy.Water ResourcesIn addition to affecting aquatic ecosystems, shorter rainfall events and rapid snowmelt willreduce the region’s water supply. Recreation and tourism in the region are likely to sufferdue to lower water levels in waterways and reservoirs and declining snowpack in northcentralareas of the region. Unstable working conditions in the tourism industry mayincrease the economic vulnerability of employees in this industry.Rapid snowmelt events and intense rainfall can result in flooding. Flood events mayoverwhelm water treatment and wastewater management facilities and risk exposingcommunities to contaminated water resources. Higher temperatures and early snowmeltmay also lengthen the life and impact of vector-borne diseases.Public Health, Socioeconomic, and Equity ImpactsHouseholds eligible for energy utility financial assistance programs are an indicator ofpotential impacts. These households may be more at risk of not using cooling appliances,such as air conditioning, due to associated energy costs. Siskiyou and Trinity counties havesome of the state’s highest proportions of population eligible for energy assistance (56 to63 percent). Lassen County also has a moderately high proportion of population eligible(47 to 55 percent) (English et al, 2007). Modoc and Siskiyou counties have relativelyhigher poverty levels (more than 21 percent), which suggests residents may not have thematerial resources needed to prevent, respond, or recover from impacts.The second largest employment sector in Modoc County is farming. In Trinity, Siskiyou,and Lassen counties, lodging and food are in the top five employment sectors, indicatingthat tourism is an important industry. Foothills and mountainous communities of thisregion may be particularly subject to respiratory problems and heat stress due to acombination of higher ozone levels, higher elevations, and increasing temperatures inthese areas (English et al., 2007; Drechsler et al., 2006). In areas such as these, conditionsconducive to ozone formation are projected to increase by as much as 25 to 80 percentby 2100 (Drechsler et al., 2006, Karl and Roland-Holst, 2008).APG: UNDERSTANDING REGIONAL CHARACTERISTICS PAGE 26