California's 2009 Climate Change Adaptation Strategy called for an independent, non-partisan group of private citizens to act as an adaptation advisory panel to the state. On December 2, 2009, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California announced that the Pacific Council’s Task Force on California’s Adaptation to Climate Change would act as the Climate Adaptation Advisory Panel to the State of California. The purpose of the Panel, as called for in the state's Strategy, is to identify the most significant threats facing California as a result of climate change, and to make recommendations to reduce the state's vulnerability to those threats.

This is the first report by the Climate Adaptation Advisory Panel. The Panel focused on the most recognized threats from accelerated climate change facing California, including sea-level rise, decreases in water supply and snowpack and extended drought seasons, and increases in wildfires and the wildfire season - selected on the basis of the cumulative, multiple and tangible effects the state will likely have, as well as the likeliness to occur.  The members of the Panel, aided by scientists and experts, divided into teams to examine each threat and develop recommendations. These were organized into two tiers: those that span all three threats are listed as overall recommendations in the report, and those applicable in the specific threat areas (fire, water, and sea level rise) are relayed in subsequent sections. Reports, recommendations, and localized case studies are detailed for each of the three threat areas.