Coastal citizens can share their thoughts about how Marin should respond to environmental hazards like sea-level rise and wildfire with staff from Marin County and the California Coastal Commission next week. A public listening session on the update of environmental hazards policies for Marin’s coastal zone takes place next Wednesday, the latest step in the long and difficult process of updating the county’s Local Coastal Program. Last summer, the county approved the bulk of its new L.C.P., which guides development in coastal Marin in accordance with the Coastal Act. But it left out the section on sea-level rise, wildfire and other environmental hazards, which was mired for years in negotiations between the county and the state agency and drew divided public input. While environmental groups have pressured the county to hasten its update to the 1982 regulations, homeowner associations and communities most impacted by rising seas have signaled concern over restrictions to coastal armoring and other adaptation measures. The county withdrew the hazards section in 2017 to focus on the rest of the L.C.P., which it certified in 2019 and implemented last July. At the time, senior planner Jack Liebster said the county had a complete draft of the hazards section but still needed to engage the public in a series of stakeholder meetings. In a press release last week, the county announced the first of those meetings, and said it was taking a new approach to the process: more direct discussions with coastal commission staff. “We are trying to work more closely and directly with C.C.C. staff rather than putting policies together and sending them out, to be reviewed and sent back. That really didn’t move us down the road,” Mr. Liebster told the Light. As a first step, the county and commission outlined shared principals, including evaluating all issues from an equity standpoint, assuring the public understands the growing climate challenges and options for adaptation, and restricting new subdivision and development. The agencies also recognize that it will be impossible to meet all stakeholders’ preferred solutions or goals, acknowledging the “inherent tradeoffs” in coastal hazard planning. Mr. Liebster said it’s important for the commission to hear from citizens outside of hearings, which are both late in the game and too short to give a “full flavor of what the public thinks.” “This is an attempt to maximize communication,” he said. Next Wednesday’s meeting, which starts at 6 p.m., will include an update on the new approach and provide time for attendees to speak about their vision for the coastal zone. The Zoom meeting I.D. is 811 8312 3971 and the passcode is 140916. You can subscribe to updates on the Local Coastal Program at www.marinlcp.org.