june 2007 california today, planning and conservation league newsletter

8/3/2019 June 2007 California Today, PLanning and Conservation League Newsletter

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CALIFORNIA TODAYCALIFORNIA TODAYNews l e t t e r o f th e Pl ann ing & Conse r va t i on League PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUEPLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE FOUNDATION

une 2007 Volume 37, Number 2

Conserving natural resources one at-risk youth at a time... page 3

Honoring David HirschBy: Gary Patton

New Affiliates Unite withPCLBy: Melanie Schlotterbeck

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

The Planning and Conservation League (PCL) is makinga concerted effort to expand its affiliate list. Affiliates benefitby having an ally in the State Capitol that works to enactstrong environmental legislation, and to ensure that existingenvironmental protections remain in place. Affiliates arekept informed about upcoming workshops, local legislative

meetings, and events offered by PCL and its sister organizationthe PCL Foundation. If you are interested in having yourorganization become an affiliate, please send an email to

[email protected] of our most recent affiliates include: Amigos de

Bolsa Chica California Resource Connection Chino Hills

State Park Interpretive Association Claremont Wildlands

Conservancy Clover Valley Foundation Community

Conservation International Conservation Action Fund for

Education Conservation Biology Institute Ebbetts Pass

Forest Watch Endangered Habitats League Friends of

Barham Ranch Friends of Coyote Hills Friends of Deer

Creek Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks Friends of

Newport Coast Health and Habitat Orange County

Coastkeeper Orange County Interfaith Coalition for the

Environment Pacific Rivers Council Pesticide Free Zone

Campaign Riverside Land Conservancy Saddleback

Canyons Conservancy Santiago Creek Greenway Alliance

Santiago Creek Preservation & Restoration Project Sonoma

County Conservation Action South Coast Wildlands

Project Snowlands Network The Acorn Naturalists

Wild Heritage Planners Women For: Orange County

David Hirsch was an original member of the PCL Boof Directors. Today, hes heading the PCL Foundation. OSaturday, April 28th, PCL Board President John Van deKamp and Executive Director Gary Patton joined Davesfamily and friends as they celebrated Daves 70th birthdayOn behalf of the Board of Directors, they presented Dave

with a striking commendation, honoring him for his outstandilifetime service to the California environment. Thank youDavid Hirsch!


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PCL has eight registered lobbyists on staff, and our weekly email publicatiois called the Insider. PCL really is an insider group, with a strong presence the State Capitol. Incidentally, our lobbyists call it The Building. What happein The Building is of vital importance to all of us.

Actions taken by the State Legislature can either promote, or undermine,public health. They can either protect, or destroy, the natural environment. Andlets not shortchange what happens in The Horseshoe, which is what we call Governors Office. Thats pretty important, too!

PCL staff members are working for public health and environmental protectevery day the Legislature is in session. We focus on the Governor, too. A coupleof weeks ago, in fact, we were scheduled to meet with the Governor to presentbig picture idea on how to restore water quality in the Sacramento-San JoaquDelta, while increasing the security of our water supply at the same time.Unfortunately, the Governor cancelled out on us - but were still seeking anopportunity to present this path breaking plan! Weve been working with housi

and social equity advocates on a bond proposal that will vastly improve the livabilityof our cities - and that will help stop thesprawl that is destroying farmland and habitat.

But PCL is a lot more than an insiderorganization. The strength of PCL comesfrom the outside, too - from the grassroots,in every area of the state. From our affiliates!

In mid-May, in a meeting arranged byPCL, environmental activists from the InlandEmpire met with Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod. In March, PCL affiliates andactivists met with Senator Pat Wiggins, in her office in Sonoma. In February, w

met with Assembly Member Jared Huffmin San Rafael.

I was at every one of these meetings,and I can tell you that Senator NegreteMcLeod, Senator Wiggins, and AssemblyMember Huffman took note of what thos

local activists said. I want to thank each one of these officials, personally, forproving the truth of what Im telling you now.

Our Legislators and the legislative process can and will respond. But to proteand restore our environment, we need to mount a full court press. We need to

work the inside, and we need to work the outside. Members of the Legislatwill help us - here in Sacramento, and there, in their districts. But thats only whwere organized. Only when were inside, and outside, and all around!

Gary A. PattonExecutive Director

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation2

Dear Friends,

alifornia Affiliateational Wildlife Federation

CALIFORNIA TODAY(ISBN 0739-8042)is the quarterly newsletter of the

PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUEAND THE PCL FOUNDATION

1107 Ninth Street, Suite 360, Sacramento, CA 95814

PHONE: 916-444-8726 FAX: 916-448-1789

E-MAIL ADDRESS: [email protected] ADDRESS: http://www.pcl.org

Membership to PCL is $35 a year and includes asubscription to CALIFORNIA TODAY.

Periodicals postage paid at Sacramento, CA.POSTMASTER: Send address changes forCALIFORNIA TODAY to the PCL Office:1107 Ninth Street, Suite 360, Sacramento, CA 95814

PCLF BOARD OF TRUSTEESDAVID HIRSCH, ChairmanRALPH B. PERRY III, Vice ChairmanDANIEL S. FROST, Secretary-TreasurerCOKE HALLOWELL, TrusteeGERALD H. MERAL, Trustee

ARMANDO RODRIGUEZ, Trustee

PCL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEJOHN VAN DE KAMP, PresidentBILL YEATES, First Vice PresidentKEVIN JOHNSON, Senior Vice PresidentSAGE SWEETWOOD, President EmeritusBILL CENTER, Secretary-Treasurer

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTSELISABETH BROWNJAN CHATTEN-BROWNPHYLLIS FABERRICK FRANKDOROTHY GREENRICK HAWLEYDOUG LINNEYDAVID MOGAVEROLYNN SADLERTERESA VILLEGAS

ORGANIZATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS

Big Sur Land TrustBreathe California, Sacramento-Emigrant TrailsCalifornia Association of Local Conservation CorpsCalifornia Oaks FoundationCalifornia TroutGreenspace - The Cambria Land TrustGolden Gate Audubon SocietyThe Laguna Greenbelt, Inc.Marin Agricultural Land TrustMarin Conservation LeagueMountain Lion FoundationSierra Nevada AllianceSouthern California Agricultural Land FoundationTrain Riders Association of CaliforniaThe Trust for Public Land

PCL/PCL FOUNDATION STAFFGARY A. PATTON, Executive DirectorTINA ANDOLINA, Legislative DirectorJASON AVINA, Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps MemberBARB BYRNE, Water Policy Assistant

REN GUERRERO, Project Manager - Legislative AdvocateCHARLOTTE HODDE, Water Policy SpecialistDR. MONICA HUNTER, Central Coast Water Project ManagerMINDY McINTYRE, Water Program ManagerJONAS MINTON, Senior Water Policy AdvisorGERALD PEREZ, Administrative DirectorMATT VANDER SLUIS, Global Warming Project ManagerCHRIS WARD, Database ManagerMELANIE SCHLOTTERBECK, Grants & Outreach Consultant

Senator Negrete McLeod meeting.

GaryPatton

Assembly Member Huffmans meeting.


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The California Association of Local ConservationCorps (CALCC) represents the 12 certified conservationcorps covering most of the states urban areas fromSan Diego to Marin. Local corps work with over 2,200at-risk youth (ages 18-25) each year. Most of theircorpsmembers (participants) are low-income, people ofcolor, who have dropped out of high school. They areprovided with job/career training by performing suchfee-for-service activities as landscaping, park construction,fire fuel load reduction, non-native weed removal,graffiti abatement, and recycling. Corpsmembers areconcurrently enrolled in charter high schools affiliatedwith or operated by corps as they work towards a highschool diploma.

Local corps programs provide academic instruction,career guidance, job/vocational training, and life skillsdevelopment. Their corpsmembers do not have to

choose between going to school and working. They getto do both. Actually, they have to do both. If they missa day of school, they have to make it up, thus missingout on a day of work and realizing a reduction in pay.

CALCC has been a proud partner with the Planningand Conservation League (PCL) and other environmentaland conservation organizations. Like CALCCs numerous

state and local governmentpartners, the non-profitcommunity appreciates the

advantage of having a virtualarmy of conservationworkers at their disposal.All too often, conservationprojects like tree planting,litter and graffiti abatement,and park construction andrehabilitation, rely upon anuntrained, inconsistentvolunteer workforce. This

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

is not to say that volunteerismand community service is nota laudable goal. Volunteersplay a pivotal role in such litterabatement projects as Adopt aHighway and the CA CoastalCommissions annual CoastalCleanup Day. These eventsprove immensely successful.Yet, our highways and beachescontinue to endure substantialenvironmental and aestheticimpacts from rampant litter.This is why CALCC plans onworking with the conservation community over thenext year to identify sustainable sources of funding to

combat the growing litter (especially plastic) epidemicwith regular, scheduled conservation corps-led cleanupevents.

Californias environmental organizations have longrecognized the double value provided by local corps.When a local corps is hired to do the project, not onlydoes the work get done (and done well), but the corps isable to hire and train additional young men and womendesperate for the opportunity to begin turning theirlives around. These corpsmembers are not looking fora handout, but a hand up. They have reached a point

in their lives when the all too real threat of dead-endminimum wage jobs, incarceration, and life-riskingaffiliations have become a reality. A nationwide studyof local conservation and service corps demonstrateda high return on investment and dramatically reducedrecidivism rates. Local corps have a model that works.

To learn more about Californias local conservationcorps movement contact CALCCs Association Manger,Scott Dosick, at 916-285-8743 or visit us on the web at:www.CaliforniaLocalConservationCorps.org.

CALCC

California Association of Local Conservation Corps

CALCC

CALCC


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Peter Douglas and PCLsJohn Van de Kamp.

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation4

An Occassion to Celebrate and ActivateBy: Melanie Schlotterbeck

April 14, 2007 marked the annual EnvironmentalLegislative Symposium organized by the Planning andConservation and the PCL Foundation. The theme thisyear was How To... Win the Environmental Battles

that Test This Generation. With over 230 attendees (a13 percent increase from last year), 38 speakers, and 30sponsors the event brought together individuals, attorneys,businesses, and decision makers to name a few.

This year the program included not only informatioon policy issues, but also skills sessions that emphasizedhow grassroots organizations could improve theireffectiveness at the local, regional, and statewide level.

Below is a short recap of the event and awardsbanquet. You can visit our website to downloadPowerPoint presentations and handouts at www.PCL.or

The KeynotesWe were honored to have Peter Douglas,

Executive Director of the California CoastalCommission, participate as our morning

keynote. He launched the Symposiumwith a powerful and moving appeal forn environmental ethic.

Senators Barbara Boxer andDianne Feinstein recorded shortintroductions, which preceded ourlunchtime keynote, by CongressmanJerry McNerney. The Congressmanand both Senators articulated some ofthe federal environmental issues thatwe face as a nation, and emphasizedhow proposed legislation may reducethose environmental impacts.

Participants were able to hear Secretary Linda Adamsof the California Environmental Protection Agency at ourvening awards ceremony. She stressed the need forppropriate implementation of Californias global warmingegislation (AB 32), which still requires additional researchnd cooperation among many agencies and environmental

organizations, including PCL.

KeithWagner

Congressman McNerney

and Gary Patton.

KeithW

agner

Caleen Sisk-Franc

How to Organize a Winning Land Use CampHowardDeCruyenaere

Solving Californias Land Use Puzzle.Ho

wardDeCruyenaere

Some of the comments we received...

This was the best conference Ive attend!

I loved the action part of the Symposium! When you have alarge group of people together, it is great to have them takeaction and do something like the Step It Up petition and

photo!

This is my first PCL conference and I think it was fantastic.

Invaluable! Best Thanks!

This was my first time attending the symposium and I do so

because I saw Gary talk at the EFM. I also became a member

There were many great talks and choices.

The Land Use Campaign Workshop alone was worth theflight up from Southern California.

KeithWagner

The California Environmental Quality Act.


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Thank You to Our SponsorsPCL and the PCL Foundation could not have m

the Symposium happen without the generous suppoand assistance from the following sponsors:

OAKWOODLANDS SPONSOR ($5,000+)

Gallo Family Vineyards

Pacific Gas and Electric

JOSHUA TREE SPONSOR ($2,500+)

Admail WestHolland+KnightMetropolitan Water District

CALIFORNIA POPPY SPONSOR ($1,000+)

Water for CaliforniaNational Wildlife Federation

Remy, Thomas, Moose and ManleyTemple Coffee and Tea

GRASSLANDS SPONSOR ($500+)

Adams, Broadwell, Joseph & CardozaCamp LotusChatten-Brown & CarstensConservation ClarityConservation Strategy GroupHoward, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady, Falk & Rabk

Jean DriscollJohn Van de KampJohnson and Hanson LLPLaguna Greenbelt, Inc.Law Offices of J. William YeatesPhyllis FaberRossmann and Moore LLPShute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLPTerry Watt

ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION SPONSOR ($100)

Pacific Rivers CouncilSnowlands Network

OTHER SPONSORS

Teresa VillegasFrey WineryMM PrintingEnvironmentalLaw Section of the California State B

Our Award WinnersEvery year PCL awards deserving individuals and

organizations for their contribution to the environment.This year PCL celebrated the successes and hard workof six environmental leaders.

Senate President pro Tem Don Perata

Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nez

Legislators of the Year

Dorothy Green

Carla Bard Award for Individual Achievement

California Interfaith Power and Light

David Gaines Award for Grassroots Organization

Jane Williams

Environmental Justice Advocate of the Year

Bank of America

Environmental Business of the Year

Jan Chatten Brown and Dorothy Green.HowardDeCruyenaere

Rick Maya from Bank of America

and Bill Yeates.

HowardDeCruyenaere

Melan

ieSchlotterbeck

Cal-EPA Secretary Linda Adams.

We hope tosee you again

next year!


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2007 Legislative Session in Full SwingBy: Tina Andolina

Worldwide, the Sierra Nevada is a symbol ofCalifornias environment. This relationship is more thanymbolic, especially now. Sierra land use, watersheds, andlimate changes are inextricably linked to our most basicesource challenges.

Growing populations compound the regionsproblems as well. Most common are the low-densityranchette developments of 1-10 acres. Autumn

Bernstein, of the Sierra Nevada Alliance (SNA), saysRanchette developments cant utilize centralized water

nd sewer systems, and must pump vital groundwater.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists,snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, whichaccounts for a third of the states surface water, couldvirtually disappear by the end of the century if globawarming continues unabated. Land use is an issue talso contributes to global warming, Ranchettes are tspread out to support public transportation, so reside

drive long commutes in their cars, says Bernstein.More needs to be done to protect the Range of L

from environmental degradation, and the Planning anConservation League, the PCL Foundation, and SNAare among the groups making these essential connectiobetween issues. Together, we are creating the organizatioconnections that will work for newer and truly integratapproaches towards protecting the incomparableresources of the Sierra Nevada.

News on the SierraBy: Jason Avina

For Sacramento lobbyists, the start of a new legislativesession can bring back memories of new shoes, a freshbackpack, and the great unknown of the first day ofschool.

Weve seen bills introduced, weve scrambled to find

authors to pursue our fantastic bill ideas, weve weathered(more or less) a fierce round of committee hearings anddeadlines. Now, with the deadline behind us for the firstround of committee hearings, we can sit back and lickour wounds, survey which of those great ideas is stillaround, and get a sense of what the remainder of thelegislative session might have in store.

A few things are strikingly clear. First and foremost,any level of clarity is hard to come by! Second, thepassage of the bonds last November has caused avirtual feeding frenzy of special interests in Sacramento.Determining how the bonds are spent has dominatednearly every discussion in the Capitol. As of early May,we still have no clear sense when or if any decisionswill be made this year. Once the final budget is adopted,due June 15th, well know.

Global warmingremains a hot topic inSacramento, but it hastaken on new look. Of themyriad of bills introduced

to reach our AB 32 goalsseveral alternative fuelsand clean car bills havesurvived. Also, there arebills that seek to address the link between greenhousegases and sprawl or water. Speaking of water, theLegislature this year seems relatively committed toenacted comprehensive flood legislation, and is anextremely controversial legislative issue, yet morebonds to build dams thankfully died in the Senate.

PCLs sponsored bills all remain alive and well. Tof those bills became two year bills due to lack of voto pass them in Committee. We will continue to worthe halls, reach out to key districts, and in the comingweeks, strive for the 41/21 vote count that will get oubills out of their House of Origin and further along road to becoming law.

CanstockPhoto.com

We look forward to working with PCLon critical air quality and land use issues

in the state.-- Jane Hagedorn, Breathe California


7/8CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

Climate change threatens the things we value most; our healthand livelihoods, the lives of our loved ones, and our environment.Thats why PCL and the PCL Foundation are proud to launch anew initiative to cut climate pollution, in partnership with theNational Wildlife Federation (NWF). Together, we are working

to deliver California based results that will drive the U.S. towardsa national solution to our growing climate crisis.

No other program in California better combines NWFsunique strengths - awareness of the national political climate,broad grassroots participation, and expertise on issues affectingwildlife - with PCLs influential relationships with state government,state policy expertise, and coalition building experience. Theprogram also relies heavily on the support of the PCL Foundationfor their solutions-oriented resources such as workshops andprint materials for decision makers, planners, attorneys, and

community members. The new Climate Change program willleverage this suite of strengths to shift our nation away fromcarbon dependency toward greater economic and environmental

sustainability, stronger protectionof wildlife, and a fairer, morejust society.

To find out how our programcan support your efforts, contactMatt Vander Sluis by email [email protected].

New Climate Change InitiativeBy: Matt Vander Sluis

Last year, PCL and other groups successfufought to keep harmful dams out of thebond package. Now, just months after voterapproved that package, the Governor hasresurrected the dam debate by proposing

another $5 billion bond to fund new dams.In testimony before the Senate this Apr

PCL outlined several better, higher yieldingoptions for California. PCL highlighted thefact that states own water plan shows thatwater conservation has three times the watproducing potential of dams.

While the Senate again rejected the dambond, the Governor has vowed to bring bacthe proposal in the budget fights. PCL is

armed with the facts, and will again work tshow that this proposal holds no water!

Dam Deja VuBy: Mindy McIntyre

Californias marine policy program for the Central Coastregion recently got the green light to implement the Marine LifeProtection Act (MLPA) Pilot Program for Marine ProtectedAreas (MPAs). The Fish and Game Commission approved thefirst MPA network consisting of 29 MPAs located in state watersfrom Pigeon Point in San Mateo County to Point Conception in

Santa Barbara County.Joining this effort, PCLF has committed to a new program,

the Coastal Zone Watersheds Initiative (CZWI) funded by theResources Legacy Fund Foundation. The CZWI will build on thesuccess of PCLFs Central Coast Watersheds Program, which hasbeen in place since 2004 and has been very successful.

Our coastal watershed-based organizations are integral toachieving the goals of the MLPA. They represent the states bestresource for on-the-ground coastal stream restoration andimprovements to water quality essential for a healthy nearshore

Making Waves...By: Dr. Monica Hunter

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ecosystem, says Dr. Monica Hunter, wholeads the Central Coast Program. PCLF wconduct two CZWI Regional Roundtablesearly in 2008, targeting San Luis Obispo anMonterey County groups to develop an agenfor regional priorities and funding needs.

To find out more about the Central Coastprogram contact Monica Hunter by email [email protected].

Clive

Sanders


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30% post-consumer waste; processedchlorine free and printed in soy ink

PERIODICAL

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PAID

SACRAMENT

CALIFORNIAPLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE

LANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE FOUNDATION

107 NINTH STREET, SUITE 360 SACRAMENTO, CA 95814

VISIT US ON THE WEB: www.PCL.org or www.PCLFoundation.org

PCL Welcomes New Staff

A thoughtful estate plan includes a consideration of:

Your own financial future and retirement Your familys financial security

A safe and healthy environment for future generations

To receive information about how thoughtful estate planning can

benefit you, your family, and the environment, please call Gary Patton

916-313-4520.

1107 Ninth Street, Suite 360

Sacramento, CA 95814

Barb ByrneBarb Byrnejoined PCL inMarch 2007. Sheis particularlyinterested in

fisheries and habitat restorationissues in the Bay-Delta regionand the promotion of soundwater policy before theCalifornia State Legislature.

Barb received a B.S. in Biologyand Oceanography from theUniversity of Michigan andhas a research background infish ecology.

Charlotte HoddIn January 20the siren sonthe soap-operwestern watworld of

California drew CharlotteHodde back to the WestCoast to work on state watresources policy for PCL. graduated from Hamilton

College with a concentratioin Biology, after completingher senior thesis project, aspecies introduction plan forare Lepidoptera.

JasonAvinaJason Avina is anAmeriCorpsSierra NevadaAlliance Partnershipmember serving

with the PCL Foundation.After receiving a B.A. inCreative Writing from UCRiverside, he interned atCapitol Public Radio in

Sacramento as a journalist.While at PCLF he isworking on a Sierra Nevadaenvironmental non-profitdirectory and media outreach.

Tina AndolinaTina Andolinacame onboard asthe LegislativeDirector for PCLin February 2007.

Prior to this assignment atPCL, she was the Chief Lobbyistor the Coalition for Clean Air,ased in Sacramento. Tina hasxperience lobbying in both

he California Legislature andhe United States Congress.

She has a bachelors degree inPolitical Science Public Servicerom UC Davis.

Do you have your estate plan in place?

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PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGU

PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE FOUNDATIO

june 2007 california today, planning and conservation league newsletter

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