Friday, October 20, 2023

MONTEREY COUNTY – The Transportation Agency of Monterey County (TAMC) will host a news conference on Monday, October 23, 2023, featuring Assembly Member Dawn Addis, State Senator John Laird, and other special guests to announce the funding of $1 million for the Highway 1 Elkhorn Slough Climate Resiliency Project. The news conference will be from 11 am – 11:30 am , in the Moss Landing Harbor District Parking Lot located at 2420 State Route 1, near the Sea Harvest Restaurant & Fish Market in Moss Landing.

Assembly Member Addis and State Senator Laird will be joined by other elected officials and community partners to announce and celebrate the grant of $1 million in State funding for the Highway 1 Elkhorn Slough climate resiliency project. The funding is for planning activities that will evaluate potential critical infrastructure updates to the sea level rise vulnerable transportation corridors along the Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing, including Highway 1, the parallel rail corridor, and the parallel county roads.

Guest speakers at the news conference include:

Master of Ceremonies:

Todd Muck, Executive Director, TAMC

Event Speakers:

Dawn Addis, Assembly Member, 30th Assembly District

John Laird, State Senator, 17th Senate District

Glenn Church, Supervisor, County of Monterey District 2

Scott Eades, Director, Caltrans District 5

Mike LeBarre, TAMC Board Chair and Mayor, City of King

Alyssa Mann, Climate Resilience Project Director, The Nature Conservancy

The news conference will feature:

• Project displays and interactive activity
• Subject matter experts available for interviews
• Optional tour of the Elkhorn Slough Reserve Visitor Center
• Drinks and refreshments

There will be an optional walking tour at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve Visitor Center immediately after the news conference. Tour participants will be able to walk to an overlook or down to the pier to view where the railroad tracks get flooded during king tides; and can view an immersive 3D stimulation of sea level rise.

About the Highway 1 Elkhorn Slough Climate Resiliency Project

Photo Credit: Andrea Woolfolk

Elkhorn Slough is a major estuary located in the Monterey Bay that provides valuable habitat area for hundreds of aquatic bird, fish, marine mammal and invertebrate species and is critical to regional biodiversity. The health of Elkhorn Slough is a high priority for the region.

This region is highly vulnerable to sea level rise impacts. The eight-mile stretch of Highway 1 through Elkhorn Slough provides local access to Moss Landing, is essential to freight movement, and is a major commuting route connecting Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties.

The railway runs along the main stem of the Slough for five miles and is critical to freight and planned expansion of passenger rail service to provide an alternative option to driving US 101 Highway to San Jose.

The 2020 Central Coast Highway 1 Climate Study led by the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) developed and evaluated adaptation strategies for Highway 1 and the parallel railway and County roadway to improve resilience of transportation infrastructure using nature-based solutions to benefit the Elkhorn Slough.

 For more information, click onto www.tamcmonterey.org or contact Theresa Wright at (831) 775-4411 or Theresa@tamcmonterey.org.

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“The Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) is responsible for investing in regional transportation projects for Monterey County residents, businesses and visitors.  The mission of TAMC is to develop and maintain a multimodal transportation system that enhances mobility, safety, access, environment quality and economic activities in Monterey County. For more information visit www.tamcmonterey.org or call 831.775.0903.”