May 2012 California Today, PLanning and Conservation League Newsletter
Content
PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE
PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE FOUNDATION
CALIFORNIA TODAY
Newsletter of the Planning & Conservation League
May 2012
Volume 42, Number 1
Creating Healthy Communities
A New Day; A New Vision; A New League
By: Bruce Reznik
While California is seen as a leader on sustainability, the environmental message is losing power in Sacramento as the state’s economic troubles are relegating our issues to the back-burner. More than any time in recent memory, our allies in the Capitol feel isolated and we are not effectively reaching legislators we need to sway to further our agenda. This trend must be reversed soon as some of California’s largest, most expensive and potentially most impactful projects and policies--like High Speed Rail and Bay-Delta conveyance --are likely to be adopted over the coming year. The Planning & Conservation League and the PCL Foundation hopes to help fill this critical role through our recently launched One Vision, One Voice campaign. This starts with crafting a clear, concise and compelling environmental ‘greenprint’ for California’s energy, water, food, land use and transportation future that lays out what we want to achieve, what policies are needed to reach our goals, and how this will benefit our environment, communities, and economic health. At the same time, we will work to build upon our existing partnerships with environmental and nontraditional partners within Sacramento, as well as reinvigorating PCL’s historic League function throughout California. We will also work to harness the power of local communities by overhauling our website
and social media presence; organizing training on key issues in our greenprint; hosting our annual Environmental Symposium; organizing lobby days at the Capitol and ‘district days’ throughout the state; and launching a PCL Alumni Club to capitalize on the skills of those individuals who have helped build this organization. As PCL approaches its Golden Anniversary, our goal is clear (though far from simple)--to be at the center of a revitalized and thriving environmental community in Sacramento; to reconnect the power of grassroots activism with statewide policy-making; to develop a new vision for what California can do to safeguard our lands, air, waters, communities and economy; and to pursue these policies steadfastly as we work to rebuild and transform California into a model of sustainability. With a $100,000 pledge from our board to launch this campaign, we are looking to our longtime supporters to help match this gift and allow PCL to embrace the promise of mobilizing around a shared, transformative vision that will put Californians to work in green industries, rebuild healthier communities, and leave our children with a legacy of stewardship of which we can all be proud!
CALIFORNIA TODAY • Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation
Dear Friends,
CALIFORNIA TODAY (ISBN 0739-8042) is the bi-annual newsletter of the PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE AND THE PCL FOUNDATION
1107 Ninth Street, Suite 901, Sacramento, CA 95814 PHONE: 916-822-5631 FAX: 916-822-5650
E-MAIL ADDRESS: [email protected] WEB ADDRESS: http://www.pcl.org Membership to PCL is $35 a year and includes a subscription to CALIFORNIA TODAY. POSTMASTER: Send address changes for CALIFORNIA TODAY to the PCL Office: 1107 Ninth Street, Suite 901, Sacramento, CA 95814
PCLF BOARD OF TRUSTEES
DAVID HIRSCH, Chairman RALPH B. PERRY III, Vice Chairman DANIEL S. FROST, Secretary-Treasurer COKE HALLOWELL, Trustee GARY PATTON, Trustee
PCL OFFICERS
DAVID MOGAVERO, President JAN CHATTEN-BROWN, Vice President PHYLLIS FABER, Vice President KEVIN JOHNSON, Vice President FRAN LAYTON, Vice President AMY WHITE, Vice President BILL CENTER, Secretary-Treasurer SAGE SWEETWOOD, President Emeritus JOHN VAN DE KAMP, President Emeritus
DIRECTORS
ELISABETH BROWN JOAN CLAYBURGH JOE EDMISTON ESTHER FELDMAN LORENA GONZALEZ DOUG LINNEY JOHN MCCAUL TONY ROSSMANN RICH TOLMACH KEITH WAGNER DWIGHT WASHABAUGH TERRY WATT
On April 23, PCL filed litigation challenging Assembly Bill 900, under which cases brought pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) against selected large-scale projects would bypass the superior court and be brought directly in the courts of appeal. PCL believes this requirement violates the separation of powers between the legislature and courts under the California Constitution, which dictates that courts alone are empowered to govern their dockets. This suit proved to be one of the toughest decisions I have made in my short tenure at PCL. While disagreeing with certain aspects of the law, I have no doubt AB 900 reflects a well-intentioned attempt by the bill’s authors and proponents to balance economic development needs while preserving the overall integrity of (and staving off greater attacks to) CEQA. I also appreciate that we risk of ‘winning the battle, but losing the war’ - that prevailing in our litigation could result in the legislature simply exempting these same projects from any CEQA review rather than limited judicial streamlining. So why take the risk of bringing this suit? While acknowledging that judicial streamlining is not the greatest assault on CEQA, “the true danger,” as Edmund Burke famously said, “is when Liberty is nibbled away, for expedience, and by parts.” AB 900 represents such a chipping away of our environmental protections and another scratch in the proverbial death by a thousand cuts. CEQA is perhaps California’s preeminent environmental law, and if PCL is not willing to stand up for its protection, as well as for the integrity of the California Constitution and our courts in adjudicating CEQA cases, then who will? In answering the question of how PCL made the difficult decision it did in challenging AB 900, I cannot help but to think of a quote from one of my environmental heroes, Peter Douglas, who passed away in April, when he said at the 2002 PCL Symposium: “We betray our trust if the avoidance of conflict, whether done consciously or not, becomes a goal in our work… And we must be resolute and relentless in our advocacy for or against policies that affect the well-being of the natural and human environment even if that means defeat. There will be another tomorrow.” Once again, Peter, ‘hear, hear!’ Sincerely,
ORGANIZATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS
Big Sur Land Trust California Association of Local Conservation Corps California Wildlife Foundation / California Oaks California Rail Foundation California Trout Golden Gate Audubon Society The Laguna Greenbelt, Inc. Sierra Nevada Alliance The Trust for Public Land
PCL/PCL FOUNDATION STAFF AND CONSULTANTS
BRUCE REZNIK, Executive Director JONATHAN BERNSTEIN, Administrative Manager EVON CHAMBERS, Water Policy Manager DR. MONICA HUNTER, Central Coast Water Project Manager JONAS MINTON, Senior Water Policy Advisor JENA PRICE, Legislative Director MELANIE SCHLOTTERBECK, Grants & Outreach Consultant LAUREN SUCHER, Membership and Events Coordinator
California Affiliate National Wildlife Federation
Bruce Reznik Executive Director
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CALIFORNIA TODAY • Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation
Keeping Our Parks Public and Sustainable
By: Senator Noreen Evans
From San Onofre State Beach in southern California to Del Norte Redwoods in the north, California’s 278 state parks include historic treasures like California’s missions, our first state Capitol, and natural wonders like Lake Tahoe, the redwood forests, and Castle Crags. Our parks provide vacation experiences for families, and destinations for tourists from around the world. Our parks belong to the people. Yet now, due mainly to the state’s budget crisis, up to 70 parks have been proposed for closure. Fortunately, public agencies and local non-profits are working to rescue many of these parks, but local efforts have sometimes been at odds with new policies from Sacramento. The Department of Parks & Recreation has proposed keeping some parks open through private leases and concession agreements-some with private for-profit companies. The Department backed off its proposal to privatize 11 parks in their entirety, after being faced with stiff opposition from myself and others. Still, the Department is proceeding to seek bids for concessions from for-profit companies to take over some operations. The proposal terms haven’t been made public. What we do know is that the state is seeking a minimum of 3% of the revenues - an alarming and indefensibly low share. Administering the concession agreements will likely cost taxpayers more than 3%. Conversely, non-profits are required to return 100% of their revenues to the state. Obviously, this undermines the ability of non-profits to compete. Non-profits are rightly concerned that well-financed private concessionaires can carve out the
most profitable concessions, making it impossible for the non-profits to earn enough to sustain their operations. Complete privatization is on the backburner, but it hasn’t gone away. Privatization raises many important issues, including commercialization of natural spaces, transparency, and accountability. But foremost is the stark fact that once a park is privatized, its primary mission changes: The mission becomes generating a profit, not preserving our history or conserving our natural resources and serving the public interest. I am dedicated to restoring sufficient public funding for our parks. Along with several legislators, I am working on legislation and budget solutions to prevent closing parks and finding long-term, sustainable sources of new funding. Our challenge is to keep parks accessible and affordable to all Californians. Never in the long history of our state have we closed a state park-not even during the Great Depression. We should all work together to prevent closure of these state treasures and to keep them in public hands. We don’t need locked gates or private lock boxes. We do need public support, imaginative ideas, and political will to save our magnificent parks for future generations. State Senator Noreen Evans represents the Second Senatorial District, including all or portions of the Counties of Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma. Senator Evans Chairs the Legislative Women’s Caucus and the Committee on Judiciary.
CALIFORNIA TODAY • Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation
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Think Small Topics -- Big Hit at 2012 Symposium
By: Melanie Schlotterbeck
PCL’s 2012 Symposium had a burst of invigoration and inspiration it hasn’t had in a long time, thanks in large part to inspirational keynotes by both State Controller John Chiang and PCL-PCLF Executive Direction Bruce Reznik, as well as moving award presentations to three very deserving legislators. Additionally, with the launch of the League’s One Vision, One Voice campaign, participants heard our plan to bring activists together, unify our message, and organize the environmental movement for positive change in California. As part of the effort to cover topics that aligned with the “THINK SMALL: Local Solutions to Protect Our Environment, Strengthen Our Communities, and Rebuild Our Economy” theme, panels were carefully organized to highlighted innovative practices being done at the local level. From Mike Markus’ presentation on Orange
County’s Groundwater Replenishment System, to Claudia Reid’s presentation on hunger in the Sacramento Valley, to Paul Worlie’s presentation on converting non-hazardous liquid and environmental waste to energy, a wide range of topics were covered. With a crowd of over 200 and exceptional panels and speakers, the event is still receiving tremendous praise. For those that missed the event, or had trouble choosing between sessions, all of the PowerPoints and handouts we’ve received permission to post are on the PCL website: http://www.pcl.org/projects/2012symposium/index.html
the m e crowd in th s te ra o ig nik inv Bruce Rez
or ning.
State Controller Chiang links the economy and the environment during his keynote presentation.
Comments from Participants:
• • • • How can you top such an inspiring and informative event? [I] liked the hands-on advice, great session! (Lobbying 101) Outstanding - so knowledgeable & helpful! (Go Big or Go Home) Visionary words from Chiang & Reznik and the 3 legislators. When leaders can provide a clear and powerful vision, my own energy is reignited. Thank you for recharging my batteries. Wow! Several new technical innovations were interesting. I always come having learned something new and important.
Participan ts
listen inten
tly during se
ssion prese
• •
ntations.
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CALIFORNIA TODAY • Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation
Thank you to our generous sponsor for their contributions to this event:
Gold Sponsors ($5000+)
Chatten-Brown & Carstens
Silver Sponsors ($2500+)
Lippe Gaffney Wagner LLP Sempra Energy Waste Management
Bronze Sponsors ($1000+)
Bill & Carol Yeates California Association of Local Conservation Corps Camp Lotus Conservation Clarity East Bay Municipal Utilities District Holland and Knight Liquid Environmental Solutions Long Beach Water Department Metropolitan Water District Remy, Moose and Manley Rossmann & Moore LLP Shute Mihaly and Weinberger The Rose Foundation
Community Conservation Solutions Environment Now Phyllis Faber Vern Goehring Inland Empire Utilities Agency Kevin Johnson, APLC Mark Wolfe Associates Mogavero Notestine Associates National Wildlife Federation Next Generation Olson Hagel & Fishburn Jack Sahl SMUD John Van de Kamp
Non-Profit Sponsors ($250+)
Emerging Sponsors ($500+)
Adams, Broadwell, Joseph and Cardozo Briggs Law Corporation California American Water California Association of Professional Scientists California Native Plant Society Carole and Peter Clum
California Association of Resource Conservation Districts California League of Conservation Voters Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks Friends, Artists and Neighbors of the Elkhorn Slough GreenInfo Network GreenSpace - The Cambria Land Trust Laguna Greenbelt Inc. LandWatch Monterey County The Sierra Fund
Other Sponsors
Ecoconsult Sierra Nevada Alliance
2012 Award Winners
We were honored to celebrate the work of three incredible Legislators: • Senator Kevin de León • Assembly member Jerry Hill • Assembly member Jared Huffman
The energ yp mation.
ts cutting anel presen
edge infor
Senator Kevin de León receives his award from PCL Board member John Van de Kamp.
Outgoing Boa confere nce. rd President
Bill Center
wraps up th
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CALIFORNIA TODAY • Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation
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Reconnecting Children and Nature
By: Beth Pratt, California Director, National Wildlife Federation
Did you know that children spend on average only seven minutes a day of unstructured playtime outdoors? The National Wildlife Federation, both nationally and in California, is working hard to reverse this alarming “childhood nature deficit” trend through its ongoing comprehensive educational offerings and outdoor programs, along with its efforts in legislative work. To help explore innovative ways to connect youth-and the diverse population of the Golden State--to nature, NWF California has assembled a dynamic California Advisory Council to help guide its work in the state. A partial list of members includes legendary Yosemite rock climber Ron Kauk; author of Education Nation, Milton Chen; naturalist, educator, and artist John Muir Laws; founder of Heyday Books, Malcolm Margolin; Vice President of NatureBridge, Jason Morris; retired California State Parks professional, John Mott; National Manager for Toyota, Mary Nickerson; Outdoor Afro founder, Rue Mapp; professor at UC Berkeley and
author of the upcoming, Black Faces, White Spaces: African Americans and the Great Outdoors, Dr. Carolyn Finney; founder and Executive Director of Save the Frogs, Dr. Kerry Kriger; and, Executive Director of the Bill Lane Center for the American West, Jon Christensen. Rue Mapp, was also recently named the National Wildlife Federation’s “Wildlife Champion of the Month,” is excited to be participating in the council. “I feel privileged to ‘give back’ to my community as a member to help make local wildlife and natural spaces more relevant and enriching in the lives of people who look like me.” NWF California is getting ready to launch some new initiatives that were developed as a result of this council’s work-stay tuned!
Dam Removal Project Moves Forward
The last several months have seen several critical steps towards the removal of the San Clemente Dam, including the signing of AB 565 (Monning) into law, authorizing state funding to be granted to California American Water Company (CalAm) to directly fund the project. At this time, $18 million of state funding has been raised for the project, with an additional $7 million from the Department of Fish and Game expected to be secured this year. With another $1.4 million of federal funds, public agencies have now dedicated over 75% of needed funding, and expect to secure the remainder by the end of 2012. Funding however, is only one aspect of the project. A major engineering undertaking, the San Clemente Dam Removal and River Reroute Project involves detailed designing and engineering to ensure that the river restoration
By: Gabriela Alberola, Graduate Student - CSUMB Coastal &Watershed Science and Policy Master’s Program
meets safety standards and provides essential habitat for steelhead and other riparian species. The project team has solicited qualifications from several design-build teams to manage the construction of the project, and expects to select the winning contractor by fall. Project permits have also been submitted to wideranging state and federal agencies, including the Army Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, California Office of Historic Preservation, and Regional Water Quality Control Board (to name a few). These permits, all of which are likely to be approved within the next six months, will ensure that impacts to the watershed environment and associated local species during project construction are minimized. This project is a joint effort of CalAm, the State Coastal Conservancy, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, and the PCL Foundation. Additional information can be found at: ww.SanClementeDamRemoval.org. Article reprinted with permission of the Carmel River Watershed Conservancy Newsletter, March 2012.
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CALIFORNIA TODAY • Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation
PCL ’s Healthy Neighborhoods Act Pulled
PCL’s lead bill during the 2012 legislative session, The Healthy Neighborhoods Act (AB 1627, Dickinson), was pulled from the Assembly Committee on Business, Professions and Consumer Protection when it was clear it would not have the votes to get out. The bill initially would have required local building standards to mandate that vehicle miles traveled (VMTs) from new residential and commercial developments be below regional averages. After concerns were raised that we don’t yet have sufficient the tools to implement VMT reductions at the project level, PCL worked with a broad array of stakeholders to revise the legislation to require the Office of Planning and Research to prepare a manual that would provide local governments, agencies, and project developers with just such tools. Unfortunately, with a short timeframe to revise the bill, we were unable to garner sufficient support to keep AB 1627 moving, especially after it was double-referred (sent to two separate policy committees), which adds another hurdle in the legislative process. PCL remains committed to the idea that, while planning is presently done on a regional scope, a great deal can and should be done to reduce VMTs at an individual project level. Lowering VMTs is vital to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, promoting healthier communities, and reducing our dependence on imported and non-renewable fossil fuels. PCL would like to thank Assemblymember Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) and his entire staff for their hard work in pushing this bill forward. Environmental battles are often marathons, not sprints, and we are proud of the progress made in highlighting the issue of reducing VMTs at the project level during this session, and look forward to continuing to work with transportation and environmental advocates, the business community and others interested in promoting more sustainable communities to refine this legislation in hopes of reintroducing a bill next session.
High Speed Rail on a New Track?
By: Bruce Reznik
California’s much debated and often-maligned High Speed Rail Project (HSR) has taken another turn with the release of (another) new business plan for the project. After extensive discussions with PCL and other environmental groups, the High Speed Rail Authority seems to have heard some concerns as the new plan seems to be moving towards a more environmental and costeffective approach. Specifically, the plan released April 2 suggests a shift to a more blended approach, upgrading existing rail infrastructure rather than building entirely new tracks along the 520-mile route. While such an approach means that HSR won’t travel as fast along these stretches, it represents a greener, more cost-effective and faster approach by investing in existing rail over new construction. The agency’s commitment to providing planning grant funds to local municipalities to promote infill and sustainable development along HSR routes is another positive step.
Despite these improvements, it is too early to get behind the new plan that still lacks specificity needed to properly assess the proposed system. While discussing a blended approach, the plan doesn’t articulate what investments will be made to existing infrastructure; nor does it detail how HSR will promote smart planning and limit. We don’t have a comprehensive assessment of greenhouse gas emission reductions or how net-zero energy will be achieved. And while the project’s overall cost has come down from nearly $100B to $68.4B, the Authority is now proposing to use cap-and-trade revenues if other funding is not secured; HSR may not, however, be the best (or even a legal) use of these fund. While the project continues to gain steam, many legislative and regulatory hurdles remain that will shape the final project (or even determine if it moves forward). PCL continues to convene a broad-based coalition of environmental and transportation groups working to ensure that any HSR project developed is protective of California’s environment, agricultural interests, and local communities.
CALIFORNIA TODAY • Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation
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PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE
PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE FOUNDATION
1107 9TH STREET, SUITE 901 • SACRAMENTO, CA 95814
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Sacramento, CA Permit No. PI 1697
FSC Logo Bug VISIT US ON THE WEB: www.PCL.org or www.PCLFoundation.org
PCL History Project
By: Evon Chambers
New Additions to PCL Team
By: Bruce Reznik
Thank you to Andy Sawyer for correctly identifying the people in the photograph featured in the last edition of Cal Today. From left to right we have, Jeff Shellito, Paul Thayer, Byron Sher and Kip Lipper. In the photo, then-Assemblymember Byron Sher, pictured with members of his staff, received the “Legislator of the Year” award at the 1995 PCL annual Legislative Symposium. During his time in the California Legislature, Mr. Sher was a champion of environmental policies and was widely regarded as its leading environmentalist and one of its foremost experts on consumer protection and government ethics. This picture was taken shortly before Mr. Sher finished up his term with the California Assembly and went on to serve eight years in the Senate. Can you identify the former PCL staff member or the event captured in this photograph? Extra kudos, if you can guess the year the picture was taken. If so, please e-mail your responses to Evon Chambers at: [email protected].
PCL is thrilled to announce the addition of Lorena Gonzalez to the organization’s Board of Directors. Since 2008, Ms. Gonzalez has served as the SecretaryTreasurer and CEO for the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO, which represents more than 192,000 working families in the region. She is the first woman and first person of color to serve as head of the organization since its inception in 1891. “Lorena brings tremendous political savvy and environmental policy expertise to PCL,” noted Chairman David Mogavero. “She is a true trailblazer and will help us build stronger relationships with labor and within the southern California community.” Also joining PCL is new Membership and Events Coordinator Lauren Sucher, shown below. Mrs. Sucher earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree from University of Missouri School of Journalism. Lauren is a strategic communications and social media expert who comes to PCL from the world of public relations. PCL is Lauren’s first foray into the nonprofit world, and she is “looking forward to taking on a new and rewarding challenge.”
PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE FOUNDATION
CALIFORNIA TODAY
Newsletter of the Planning & Conservation League
May 2012
Volume 42, Number 1
Creating Healthy Communities
A New Day; A New Vision; A New League
By: Bruce Reznik
While California is seen as a leader on sustainability, the environmental message is losing power in Sacramento as the state’s economic troubles are relegating our issues to the back-burner. More than any time in recent memory, our allies in the Capitol feel isolated and we are not effectively reaching legislators we need to sway to further our agenda. This trend must be reversed soon as some of California’s largest, most expensive and potentially most impactful projects and policies--like High Speed Rail and Bay-Delta conveyance --are likely to be adopted over the coming year. The Planning & Conservation League and the PCL Foundation hopes to help fill this critical role through our recently launched One Vision, One Voice campaign. This starts with crafting a clear, concise and compelling environmental ‘greenprint’ for California’s energy, water, food, land use and transportation future that lays out what we want to achieve, what policies are needed to reach our goals, and how this will benefit our environment, communities, and economic health. At the same time, we will work to build upon our existing partnerships with environmental and nontraditional partners within Sacramento, as well as reinvigorating PCL’s historic League function throughout California. We will also work to harness the power of local communities by overhauling our website
and social media presence; organizing training on key issues in our greenprint; hosting our annual Environmental Symposium; organizing lobby days at the Capitol and ‘district days’ throughout the state; and launching a PCL Alumni Club to capitalize on the skills of those individuals who have helped build this organization. As PCL approaches its Golden Anniversary, our goal is clear (though far from simple)--to be at the center of a revitalized and thriving environmental community in Sacramento; to reconnect the power of grassroots activism with statewide policy-making; to develop a new vision for what California can do to safeguard our lands, air, waters, communities and economy; and to pursue these policies steadfastly as we work to rebuild and transform California into a model of sustainability. With a $100,000 pledge from our board to launch this campaign, we are looking to our longtime supporters to help match this gift and allow PCL to embrace the promise of mobilizing around a shared, transformative vision that will put Californians to work in green industries, rebuild healthier communities, and leave our children with a legacy of stewardship of which we can all be proud!
CALIFORNIA TODAY • Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation
Dear Friends,
CALIFORNIA TODAY (ISBN 0739-8042) is the bi-annual newsletter of the PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE AND THE PCL FOUNDATION
1107 Ninth Street, Suite 901, Sacramento, CA 95814 PHONE: 916-822-5631 FAX: 916-822-5650
E-MAIL ADDRESS: [email protected] WEB ADDRESS: http://www.pcl.org Membership to PCL is $35 a year and includes a subscription to CALIFORNIA TODAY. POSTMASTER: Send address changes for CALIFORNIA TODAY to the PCL Office: 1107 Ninth Street, Suite 901, Sacramento, CA 95814
PCLF BOARD OF TRUSTEES
DAVID HIRSCH, Chairman RALPH B. PERRY III, Vice Chairman DANIEL S. FROST, Secretary-Treasurer COKE HALLOWELL, Trustee GARY PATTON, Trustee
PCL OFFICERS
DAVID MOGAVERO, President JAN CHATTEN-BROWN, Vice President PHYLLIS FABER, Vice President KEVIN JOHNSON, Vice President FRAN LAYTON, Vice President AMY WHITE, Vice President BILL CENTER, Secretary-Treasurer SAGE SWEETWOOD, President Emeritus JOHN VAN DE KAMP, President Emeritus
DIRECTORS
ELISABETH BROWN JOAN CLAYBURGH JOE EDMISTON ESTHER FELDMAN LORENA GONZALEZ DOUG LINNEY JOHN MCCAUL TONY ROSSMANN RICH TOLMACH KEITH WAGNER DWIGHT WASHABAUGH TERRY WATT
On April 23, PCL filed litigation challenging Assembly Bill 900, under which cases brought pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) against selected large-scale projects would bypass the superior court and be brought directly in the courts of appeal. PCL believes this requirement violates the separation of powers between the legislature and courts under the California Constitution, which dictates that courts alone are empowered to govern their dockets. This suit proved to be one of the toughest decisions I have made in my short tenure at PCL. While disagreeing with certain aspects of the law, I have no doubt AB 900 reflects a well-intentioned attempt by the bill’s authors and proponents to balance economic development needs while preserving the overall integrity of (and staving off greater attacks to) CEQA. I also appreciate that we risk of ‘winning the battle, but losing the war’ - that prevailing in our litigation could result in the legislature simply exempting these same projects from any CEQA review rather than limited judicial streamlining. So why take the risk of bringing this suit? While acknowledging that judicial streamlining is not the greatest assault on CEQA, “the true danger,” as Edmund Burke famously said, “is when Liberty is nibbled away, for expedience, and by parts.” AB 900 represents such a chipping away of our environmental protections and another scratch in the proverbial death by a thousand cuts. CEQA is perhaps California’s preeminent environmental law, and if PCL is not willing to stand up for its protection, as well as for the integrity of the California Constitution and our courts in adjudicating CEQA cases, then who will? In answering the question of how PCL made the difficult decision it did in challenging AB 900, I cannot help but to think of a quote from one of my environmental heroes, Peter Douglas, who passed away in April, when he said at the 2002 PCL Symposium: “We betray our trust if the avoidance of conflict, whether done consciously or not, becomes a goal in our work… And we must be resolute and relentless in our advocacy for or against policies that affect the well-being of the natural and human environment even if that means defeat. There will be another tomorrow.” Once again, Peter, ‘hear, hear!’ Sincerely,
ORGANIZATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS
Big Sur Land Trust California Association of Local Conservation Corps California Wildlife Foundation / California Oaks California Rail Foundation California Trout Golden Gate Audubon Society The Laguna Greenbelt, Inc. Sierra Nevada Alliance The Trust for Public Land
PCL/PCL FOUNDATION STAFF AND CONSULTANTS
BRUCE REZNIK, Executive Director JONATHAN BERNSTEIN, Administrative Manager EVON CHAMBERS, Water Policy Manager DR. MONICA HUNTER, Central Coast Water Project Manager JONAS MINTON, Senior Water Policy Advisor JENA PRICE, Legislative Director MELANIE SCHLOTTERBECK, Grants & Outreach Consultant LAUREN SUCHER, Membership and Events Coordinator
California Affiliate National Wildlife Federation
Bruce Reznik Executive Director
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CALIFORNIA TODAY • Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation
Keeping Our Parks Public and Sustainable
By: Senator Noreen Evans
From San Onofre State Beach in southern California to Del Norte Redwoods in the north, California’s 278 state parks include historic treasures like California’s missions, our first state Capitol, and natural wonders like Lake Tahoe, the redwood forests, and Castle Crags. Our parks provide vacation experiences for families, and destinations for tourists from around the world. Our parks belong to the people. Yet now, due mainly to the state’s budget crisis, up to 70 parks have been proposed for closure. Fortunately, public agencies and local non-profits are working to rescue many of these parks, but local efforts have sometimes been at odds with new policies from Sacramento. The Department of Parks & Recreation has proposed keeping some parks open through private leases and concession agreements-some with private for-profit companies. The Department backed off its proposal to privatize 11 parks in their entirety, after being faced with stiff opposition from myself and others. Still, the Department is proceeding to seek bids for concessions from for-profit companies to take over some operations. The proposal terms haven’t been made public. What we do know is that the state is seeking a minimum of 3% of the revenues - an alarming and indefensibly low share. Administering the concession agreements will likely cost taxpayers more than 3%. Conversely, non-profits are required to return 100% of their revenues to the state. Obviously, this undermines the ability of non-profits to compete. Non-profits are rightly concerned that well-financed private concessionaires can carve out the
most profitable concessions, making it impossible for the non-profits to earn enough to sustain their operations. Complete privatization is on the backburner, but it hasn’t gone away. Privatization raises many important issues, including commercialization of natural spaces, transparency, and accountability. But foremost is the stark fact that once a park is privatized, its primary mission changes: The mission becomes generating a profit, not preserving our history or conserving our natural resources and serving the public interest. I am dedicated to restoring sufficient public funding for our parks. Along with several legislators, I am working on legislation and budget solutions to prevent closing parks and finding long-term, sustainable sources of new funding. Our challenge is to keep parks accessible and affordable to all Californians. Never in the long history of our state have we closed a state park-not even during the Great Depression. We should all work together to prevent closure of these state treasures and to keep them in public hands. We don’t need locked gates or private lock boxes. We do need public support, imaginative ideas, and political will to save our magnificent parks for future generations. State Senator Noreen Evans represents the Second Senatorial District, including all or portions of the Counties of Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma. Senator Evans Chairs the Legislative Women’s Caucus and the Committee on Judiciary.
CALIFORNIA TODAY • Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation
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Think Small Topics -- Big Hit at 2012 Symposium
By: Melanie Schlotterbeck
PCL’s 2012 Symposium had a burst of invigoration and inspiration it hasn’t had in a long time, thanks in large part to inspirational keynotes by both State Controller John Chiang and PCL-PCLF Executive Direction Bruce Reznik, as well as moving award presentations to three very deserving legislators. Additionally, with the launch of the League’s One Vision, One Voice campaign, participants heard our plan to bring activists together, unify our message, and organize the environmental movement for positive change in California. As part of the effort to cover topics that aligned with the “THINK SMALL: Local Solutions to Protect Our Environment, Strengthen Our Communities, and Rebuild Our Economy” theme, panels were carefully organized to highlighted innovative practices being done at the local level. From Mike Markus’ presentation on Orange
County’s Groundwater Replenishment System, to Claudia Reid’s presentation on hunger in the Sacramento Valley, to Paul Worlie’s presentation on converting non-hazardous liquid and environmental waste to energy, a wide range of topics were covered. With a crowd of over 200 and exceptional panels and speakers, the event is still receiving tremendous praise. For those that missed the event, or had trouble choosing between sessions, all of the PowerPoints and handouts we’ve received permission to post are on the PCL website: http://www.pcl.org/projects/2012symposium/index.html
the m e crowd in th s te ra o ig nik inv Bruce Rez
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State Controller Chiang links the economy and the environment during his keynote presentation.
Comments from Participants:
• • • • How can you top such an inspiring and informative event? [I] liked the hands-on advice, great session! (Lobbying 101) Outstanding - so knowledgeable & helpful! (Go Big or Go Home) Visionary words from Chiang & Reznik and the 3 legislators. When leaders can provide a clear and powerful vision, my own energy is reignited. Thank you for recharging my batteries. Wow! Several new technical innovations were interesting. I always come having learned something new and important.
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CALIFORNIA TODAY • Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation
Thank you to our generous sponsor for their contributions to this event:
Gold Sponsors ($5000+)
Chatten-Brown & Carstens
Silver Sponsors ($2500+)
Lippe Gaffney Wagner LLP Sempra Energy Waste Management
Bronze Sponsors ($1000+)
Bill & Carol Yeates California Association of Local Conservation Corps Camp Lotus Conservation Clarity East Bay Municipal Utilities District Holland and Knight Liquid Environmental Solutions Long Beach Water Department Metropolitan Water District Remy, Moose and Manley Rossmann & Moore LLP Shute Mihaly and Weinberger The Rose Foundation
Community Conservation Solutions Environment Now Phyllis Faber Vern Goehring Inland Empire Utilities Agency Kevin Johnson, APLC Mark Wolfe Associates Mogavero Notestine Associates National Wildlife Federation Next Generation Olson Hagel & Fishburn Jack Sahl SMUD John Van de Kamp
Non-Profit Sponsors ($250+)
Emerging Sponsors ($500+)
Adams, Broadwell, Joseph and Cardozo Briggs Law Corporation California American Water California Association of Professional Scientists California Native Plant Society Carole and Peter Clum
California Association of Resource Conservation Districts California League of Conservation Voters Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks Friends, Artists and Neighbors of the Elkhorn Slough GreenInfo Network GreenSpace - The Cambria Land Trust Laguna Greenbelt Inc. LandWatch Monterey County The Sierra Fund
Other Sponsors
Ecoconsult Sierra Nevada Alliance
2012 Award Winners
We were honored to celebrate the work of three incredible Legislators: • Senator Kevin de León • Assembly member Jerry Hill • Assembly member Jared Huffman
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Senator Kevin de León receives his award from PCL Board member John Van de Kamp.
Outgoing Boa confere nce. rd President
Bill Center
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CALIFORNIA TODAY • Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation
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Reconnecting Children and Nature
By: Beth Pratt, California Director, National Wildlife Federation
Did you know that children spend on average only seven minutes a day of unstructured playtime outdoors? The National Wildlife Federation, both nationally and in California, is working hard to reverse this alarming “childhood nature deficit” trend through its ongoing comprehensive educational offerings and outdoor programs, along with its efforts in legislative work. To help explore innovative ways to connect youth-and the diverse population of the Golden State--to nature, NWF California has assembled a dynamic California Advisory Council to help guide its work in the state. A partial list of members includes legendary Yosemite rock climber Ron Kauk; author of Education Nation, Milton Chen; naturalist, educator, and artist John Muir Laws; founder of Heyday Books, Malcolm Margolin; Vice President of NatureBridge, Jason Morris; retired California State Parks professional, John Mott; National Manager for Toyota, Mary Nickerson; Outdoor Afro founder, Rue Mapp; professor at UC Berkeley and
author of the upcoming, Black Faces, White Spaces: African Americans and the Great Outdoors, Dr. Carolyn Finney; founder and Executive Director of Save the Frogs, Dr. Kerry Kriger; and, Executive Director of the Bill Lane Center for the American West, Jon Christensen. Rue Mapp, was also recently named the National Wildlife Federation’s “Wildlife Champion of the Month,” is excited to be participating in the council. “I feel privileged to ‘give back’ to my community as a member to help make local wildlife and natural spaces more relevant and enriching in the lives of people who look like me.” NWF California is getting ready to launch some new initiatives that were developed as a result of this council’s work-stay tuned!
Dam Removal Project Moves Forward
The last several months have seen several critical steps towards the removal of the San Clemente Dam, including the signing of AB 565 (Monning) into law, authorizing state funding to be granted to California American Water Company (CalAm) to directly fund the project. At this time, $18 million of state funding has been raised for the project, with an additional $7 million from the Department of Fish and Game expected to be secured this year. With another $1.4 million of federal funds, public agencies have now dedicated over 75% of needed funding, and expect to secure the remainder by the end of 2012. Funding however, is only one aspect of the project. A major engineering undertaking, the San Clemente Dam Removal and River Reroute Project involves detailed designing and engineering to ensure that the river restoration
By: Gabriela Alberola, Graduate Student - CSUMB Coastal &Watershed Science and Policy Master’s Program
meets safety standards and provides essential habitat for steelhead and other riparian species. The project team has solicited qualifications from several design-build teams to manage the construction of the project, and expects to select the winning contractor by fall. Project permits have also been submitted to wideranging state and federal agencies, including the Army Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, California Office of Historic Preservation, and Regional Water Quality Control Board (to name a few). These permits, all of which are likely to be approved within the next six months, will ensure that impacts to the watershed environment and associated local species during project construction are minimized. This project is a joint effort of CalAm, the State Coastal Conservancy, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, and the PCL Foundation. Additional information can be found at: ww.SanClementeDamRemoval.org. Article reprinted with permission of the Carmel River Watershed Conservancy Newsletter, March 2012.
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CALIFORNIA TODAY • Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation
PCL ’s Healthy Neighborhoods Act Pulled
PCL’s lead bill during the 2012 legislative session, The Healthy Neighborhoods Act (AB 1627, Dickinson), was pulled from the Assembly Committee on Business, Professions and Consumer Protection when it was clear it would not have the votes to get out. The bill initially would have required local building standards to mandate that vehicle miles traveled (VMTs) from new residential and commercial developments be below regional averages. After concerns were raised that we don’t yet have sufficient the tools to implement VMT reductions at the project level, PCL worked with a broad array of stakeholders to revise the legislation to require the Office of Planning and Research to prepare a manual that would provide local governments, agencies, and project developers with just such tools. Unfortunately, with a short timeframe to revise the bill, we were unable to garner sufficient support to keep AB 1627 moving, especially after it was double-referred (sent to two separate policy committees), which adds another hurdle in the legislative process. PCL remains committed to the idea that, while planning is presently done on a regional scope, a great deal can and should be done to reduce VMTs at an individual project level. Lowering VMTs is vital to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, promoting healthier communities, and reducing our dependence on imported and non-renewable fossil fuels. PCL would like to thank Assemblymember Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) and his entire staff for their hard work in pushing this bill forward. Environmental battles are often marathons, not sprints, and we are proud of the progress made in highlighting the issue of reducing VMTs at the project level during this session, and look forward to continuing to work with transportation and environmental advocates, the business community and others interested in promoting more sustainable communities to refine this legislation in hopes of reintroducing a bill next session.
High Speed Rail on a New Track?
By: Bruce Reznik
California’s much debated and often-maligned High Speed Rail Project (HSR) has taken another turn with the release of (another) new business plan for the project. After extensive discussions with PCL and other environmental groups, the High Speed Rail Authority seems to have heard some concerns as the new plan seems to be moving towards a more environmental and costeffective approach. Specifically, the plan released April 2 suggests a shift to a more blended approach, upgrading existing rail infrastructure rather than building entirely new tracks along the 520-mile route. While such an approach means that HSR won’t travel as fast along these stretches, it represents a greener, more cost-effective and faster approach by investing in existing rail over new construction. The agency’s commitment to providing planning grant funds to local municipalities to promote infill and sustainable development along HSR routes is another positive step.
Despite these improvements, it is too early to get behind the new plan that still lacks specificity needed to properly assess the proposed system. While discussing a blended approach, the plan doesn’t articulate what investments will be made to existing infrastructure; nor does it detail how HSR will promote smart planning and limit. We don’t have a comprehensive assessment of greenhouse gas emission reductions or how net-zero energy will be achieved. And while the project’s overall cost has come down from nearly $100B to $68.4B, the Authority is now proposing to use cap-and-trade revenues if other funding is not secured; HSR may not, however, be the best (or even a legal) use of these fund. While the project continues to gain steam, many legislative and regulatory hurdles remain that will shape the final project (or even determine if it moves forward). PCL continues to convene a broad-based coalition of environmental and transportation groups working to ensure that any HSR project developed is protective of California’s environment, agricultural interests, and local communities.
CALIFORNIA TODAY • Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation
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PCL History Project
By: Evon Chambers
New Additions to PCL Team
By: Bruce Reznik
Thank you to Andy Sawyer for correctly identifying the people in the photograph featured in the last edition of Cal Today. From left to right we have, Jeff Shellito, Paul Thayer, Byron Sher and Kip Lipper. In the photo, then-Assemblymember Byron Sher, pictured with members of his staff, received the “Legislator of the Year” award at the 1995 PCL annual Legislative Symposium. During his time in the California Legislature, Mr. Sher was a champion of environmental policies and was widely regarded as its leading environmentalist and one of its foremost experts on consumer protection and government ethics. This picture was taken shortly before Mr. Sher finished up his term with the California Assembly and went on to serve eight years in the Senate. Can you identify the former PCL staff member or the event captured in this photograph? Extra kudos, if you can guess the year the picture was taken. If so, please e-mail your responses to Evon Chambers at: [email protected].
PCL is thrilled to announce the addition of Lorena Gonzalez to the organization’s Board of Directors. Since 2008, Ms. Gonzalez has served as the SecretaryTreasurer and CEO for the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO, which represents more than 192,000 working families in the region. She is the first woman and first person of color to serve as head of the organization since its inception in 1891. “Lorena brings tremendous political savvy and environmental policy expertise to PCL,” noted Chairman David Mogavero. “She is a true trailblazer and will help us build stronger relationships with labor and within the southern California community.” Also joining PCL is new Membership and Events Coordinator Lauren Sucher, shown below. Mrs. Sucher earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree from University of Missouri School of Journalism. Lauren is a strategic communications and social media expert who comes to PCL from the world of public relations. PCL is Lauren’s first foray into the nonprofit world, and she is “looking forward to taking on a new and rewarding challenge.”
