june 2008 california today, planning and conservation league newsletter

8/3/2019 June 2008 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 2008 Volume 38, Number 2

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

Tejon Ranch - Protected ForeverOn May 8, 2008, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

(shown right), PCLs Gary Patton, and Board Member

Terry Watt, along with dozens of others, celebrated

an historic conservation agreement reached to preserve

90% of the Tejon Ranch.

PCL, the Sierra Club, the Endangered Habitats

League, Audubon California, and the Natural Resources

Defense Council entered into a dialogue with TejonRanch Company two years ago. The discussion revolved

around the Ranchs majestic and rugged 270,000 acres

of land. The property lies at the juncture of Los Angeles

and Kern Counties and is the largest contiguous private

ownership in the state. Glimpses of the property can be

seen on the east as you drive the I-5 freeway in an area

known as the Grapevine.

The agreement reached between the Tejon Ranch

Company and the conservation groups will provide

permanent protection for 240,000 acres of the most

spectacular wildlife habitat in California. Absent this

agreement, the Company could have sold off pieces of

this extraordinary landscape, forever destroying its natural

resource values. Instead, the integrity of the property

will be permanently protected. To put the significance

of the agreement into perspective, 240,000 acres is:

One third the size of Yosemite National Park

Eight times the size of San Francisco

More than twice the size of Redwood National and

State Parks.

Sought after by the State and

other conservation organizations,

the Tejon Ranch covers an

enormous range of habitats

from the desert lowlands to the

mountain peaks. It is also home

to old growth conifer forests,

numerous riparian and wetlandhabitats, Joshua tree woodlands,

wildflower fields and grasslands.

Such diversity within a single land ownership is unhear

of and truly extraordinary. This land documents wha

historic California looked like and documents the import

natural resource values of the state.

The Nature Conservancy said, Winding through

the Tehachapi Mountains just one hour north of Los

Angeles exists what is arguably the most vital wildlifecorridor in North America, a vast collection of openlandscapes linking the 2,000-mile-long Sierra Nevada

and Cascade Mountain Ranges to the east, and the

800-mile-long Sierra Madre, Transverse and Peninsu

Mountain chain to the west.

Tejon Ranch is an invaluable piece of Californias

natural heritage and PCL is proud to have played a

significant part of creating this legacy for everyone,

forever. Learn more about the conservation of the

Tejon Ranch with our special California Today insert

The Tejon RancTejon Ranch C


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Dear Friends,

California AffiliateNational 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

PCL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEBILL CENTER, PresidentKEVIN JOHNSON, Senior Vice PresidentSAGE SWEETWOOD, President EmeritusJOHN VAN DE KAMP, President EmeritusBILL LEIMBACH, Secretary-Treasurer

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTSELISABETH BROWNJAN CHATTEN-BROWNPHYLLIS FABERDOROTHY GREENRICK HAWLEYFRAN LAYTONDOUG LINNEYDAVID MOGAVEROSTEPHANIE PINCETLLYNN SADLERTERESA VILLEGASTERRY WATTBILL YEATES

ORGANIZATIONAL BOARD MEMBERSBig Sur Land TrustBreathe California, Sacramento-Emigrant TrailsCalifornia Association of Local Conservation CorpsCalifornia Oak FoundationCalifornia TroutGreenspace - The Cambria Land TrustGolden Gate Audubon SocietyThe Laguna Greenbelt, Inc.Mono Lake CommitteeMountain Lion FoundationSierra Nevada AllianceSouthern California Agricultural Land FoundationTrain Riders Association of CaliforniaThe Trust for Public Land

PCL/PCL FOUNDATION STAFFTRACI SHEEHAN, Executive DirectorTINA ANDOLINA, Legislative DirectorBARB BYRNE, Water Policy AssistantEVON CHAMBERS, 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 AdvisorGARY A. PATTON, General CounselGERALD PEREZ, Administrative DirectorJUSTIN SAYDELL, Sierra Nevada Americorp MemberMATT VANDER SLUIS, Global Warming Project ManagerCHRIS WARD, Database ManagerMELANIE SCHLOTTERBECK, Grants & Outreach Consultant

PCL Board Member Terry Watt wrote her first letter to the Irvine Compan

when she was just a teenager. She believed at the time, and still does, that we

should make our voices heard to protect Californias land, and she vowed that sh

somehow would make a difference. Last month, after many years of work, Terr

celebrated what many hail as the largest conservation and land use agreement in

California history--a plan to protect the largest contiguous privately held land in Californ

The first time Terry saw Tejon Ranch was returning from a family trip adecade ago. Of course, at that time there was no way to get access to the private

Ranch, so Terrys first real tour was only this year. It was on that tour that she

discovered the Ranchs beauty, scale, diversity, and grandeur -- a place she thoug

could only be compared to a national park.

Back in 1997, the Ranch had just become a publicly traded company. She saw

that there were brand new monument signs that had just been erected, and she

knew there was no time to lose -- she wanted to find a way to protect the legacy

of the Ranch. Shortly thereafter, she had dinner with Terry Tamminen, who at

that time was with Environment Now, and together they launched the initial wo

plan to develop a conservation plan for the land.

Fast forward to over 10 years later, Terry found herself in the final negotiatio

on the fate of the Ranch. After many years of failed attempts and negotiations,

appeared that they were really on track to accomplish something unprecedented

to permanently protect the vast majority of the lands.

It is because of her leadership, attitude and optimistic persistence that lead t

negotiations to a final agreement. Terry had vision -- she changed the conversation

from acres preserved to conservation accomplished. Her peers describe her as

thoughtful and confident in her decision-making and she has the unique ability t

bring together uncommon, if not unheard of, interests. Even with the stops and

starts of negotiations throughout the process, the unprecedented agreement wa

reached because more than anythingelse, Terry was committed to the effort.

We are so pleased with the effort and

pleased to have leaders like Terry on

our Board of Directors.

Ask Terry what shell do now that

its over and she smiles.... Shed like

to spend some time in her Bay Area

urban garden. But then she stops

and reconsiders.... of course there

is saving the Donner Summit!

Sincerely,

Traci Sheehan

Executive Director

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation2

Terry in her Bay Area garden.


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PCL and the PCL Foundation are currently plannin

the 2009 Symposium for Saturday, February 7th.It is because of members like you that we hold this

event, therefore we want to involve you in the selectionof our How To... Workshops,policy panels, and MCLEcourses. Watch for an emailso that you can vote for sessionsthat will help you most.

And mark your calendar forFebruary 7th in Sacramento.

Mark Your CalendarBy: Melanie Schlotterbeck

Feb.

7

The PCL Foundations CEQA

workshops and Community Guideto CEQA (authored by PCL BoardMember Bill Yeates) offers residentsthe opportunity to understandthe CEQA process. This July, aSpanish edition will be available.We hope the translated Guide willhelp Spanish-speaking individualseffectively participate in theenvironmental review process.

CEQA Guide Goes SpanishBy: Justin Saydell

Breathe CaliforniaBy: Jenna Schwan

Breathe California of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails

has been a champion in fighting for clean air, healthy

lungs and a tobacco free future in the Sacramento

region for more than 90 years. It is one of the oldest

and most active nonprofit agencies in the Sacramento

area, committed to serving the needs of the localcommunity. Whether focusing on the community,

building coalitions and consensus or working to make

positive changes, Breathe California has made a positive

impact on the health and well-being of Northern

California residents. Our comprehensive approach to

health issues is the impetus to our success.

Originally founded in 1917

as the Sacramento Tuberculosis

Association, the organization

played a key role in bringing the

areas tuberculosis under control

and tackled emphysema, chronic

bronchitis and asthma while

leading efforts to reduce tobacco

use and clean up the regions air.

The efforts of the association and

many environmental groups

helped pass the Clean Air

Initiative and its funding for transit programs, which

ultimately brought light-rail transit to the Capitol. In

addition, other programs dealing with agriculturalburning, automobile maintenance, and land-use and

transportation have helped to reduce air pollution.

A key aspect of our work is local, health impact

studies. Our most recent study, conducted by Dr. Thomas

Cahill at the

University of

California, Davis,

shows that certain

types of vegeta-

tion planted alongroadways can

remove as much

as 85% of dangerous particulate pollution. Redwood and

deodar were superior; the evergreens acted like bottle

brushes, their needled branches providing more surf

area with which to catch particles than the flat, comparativ

broad leaves of live oak.

Planting trees doesnt by itself solve the problem

of particle pollution. Roadway design is important, t

For instance, separating freeways and thoroughfares

from homes, businesses and schools with manmade

sound walls as well as vegetative barriers creates a

chimney effect, pushing polluted air up, away from

where people breathe. Median strips planted with

evergreens enhance the upward air movement. Exist

buildings close to busy roads also should be outfitted

with air filters to protect the occupants. Finally, the

number one action to minimize the health threat of

traffic pollution is this: Drive the cleanest possiblevehicles and drive as little as possible.

Breathe California of Sacramento-Emigrant Trais proud to be an organizational board member of

PCL. To learn more about Breathe California and its

many innovative programs for youth and adults, visi

www.SacBreathe.org.

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

The members of Breathe Californias Youth

Advisory Board enhance all of our projects

including the youth voice.


4/10CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation4

Last summer, the republican leaders in the StateSenate held the budget hostage for 53 days in anattempt to strip the states ability to use our mostimportant environmental law - the California

Environmental Quality Act - to address global warmingand reduced greenhouse gas emissions. While nursinghomes and teachers were not paid, these senatorsunsuccessfully tried to roll back the significant progressCalifornia has made to improve our quality of life andprotect our environment.

All indications are that these same legislators aregearing up for another attack and that they will againuse the budget crisis to push their anti-environmentagenda. This time the Senate Republican leadership hasannounced that they want to delay implementation of

AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act.They are also trying to block much needed regulationsdesigned to finally clean up the dirtiest and most pollutingdiesel trucks that move goods along our highways andthrough our communities.

Rolling back environmental safeguards and publichealth measures is not a solution to our budget problems.In fact, such actions would likely only make the problemworse. The health costs related to pollution from ourgoods movement system alone will reach $200 billionover the next two decades unless we take significant

steps to address the problem.

Measures making their way through the legislatuincluding SB 974 (Lowenthal) - The Clean PortsInvestment Bill which will generate a steady streamof funding to reduced goods movement pollution -

along with the upcoming diesel truck regulation andglobal warming measures, will move the state toward asustainable and healthy environment while at the sametime saving the state money.

Despite the budget crunch, 2008 has the potentialbe a banner year for the environment. If our decision-makunderstand that maintaining a clean and healthy environmeand developing an economy based on green jobs forthe 21st century is our future, then this year we willsee measures passed and signed that take on the toughchallenges we face and implement solutions which truly

leave us with a healthy economy and environment.We know that given the size of the budget deficit

even the best environmental champions will be pressurto weaken the protections weve worked so hard to puin place. We will need your help to ensure Californiagets the budget and future it deserves.

Here is what you can do: Sign up for our alerts at www.PCL.org. Take action when our alerts are sent out. Have your organization sign on in support

of PCL sponsored legislation.

Is this a Banner Year for the Environment?By: Tina Andolina

Water Reform Hits the LegislatureBy: Mindy McIntyre

The Water Efficiency and Security Act of 2008(WESA) is being championed by Assembly MemberKrekorian. This Assembly Bill 2153 is the first of its kindand was pioneered to ensure that California can maintainwater supply reliability for our people, economy and

environment even as we accommodate growth and adaptto climate change.

WESA requires new residential and commercialdevelopments to minimize their water demand by usingproven water efficiency measures, such as smart sprinklers,capturing storm water runoff, and using low flow toiletsand showerheads. In addition, the bill requires that developmentsmust completely compensate for any remaining water demandsby implementing water efficiency measures and sustainablewater supply projects within their local watershed.

WESA requires that 40% of the mitigation projects achieved in disadvantaged communities. This ensures thathese communities are not left behind as California adaptto our new water future. These communities, alreadystruggling with failing water systems, will benefit from

water efficiency and infrastructure replacement programAssembly Member Krekorians prudent measure

provides a mechanism to allow regions to improvewater reliability while also accommodating the growingpopulation--expected to reach nearly 60 million by 2050.In doing so, AB 2153 will help reduce the pressure thatclimate change, contamination, and drought are placingon our water resources, including the Colorado River, theBay Delta Estuary, and our groundwater.


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For Everyone, ForeverFrom coast redwoods to Joshua trees, from

glacially carved mountains to the fertile Central

Valley, Californias landscapes are as diverse as

its population. Only a few places remain in our

state where the condors soar from ridge to

ridge, where pine trees reach upward to touch

the sky, where the wind and grasses dance

together on gently rolling slopes, and wherethe vast expanses of open space seem to go

on forever.

One such special place, known as the Serengeti

of California, still exists today. The Tejon

Ranch comprises the largest private ownership

of contiguous land in the state. On May 8, 2008

the Planning and Conservation League along

with four other environmental organizations

announced a conservation agreement that

preserves 90% of the 270,000 acre Tejon Ranch.

The preservation of 240,000 contiguous acres

of the Tejon Ranch enacts the states largest

conservation agreement between environmental

organizations and a private landowner. PCL

celebrates this historic moment with California

and the conservation community.

The Planning an d Conser vation League 1107 9th Street, Suite 360 Sacram ento, CA 9581

TheTejonRanchisoneofthemostenvironmentallyremarkablecollectionsofecosystemsinCalifornia.Iwanttocommendranchownersandtheenvironmentalcommunityparticipantsforworkinghardtoensurethatfuturegenerationsgettheopportunitytoexperiencethiswonderfulgift.SenatorBarbaraBoxer(D-CA)

The Tejon Ranch - A California Legacy Forever Protected

TejonRanchCompany

TejonRanchCompany


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Landscapes UnitedCalifornia comes together at Tejon Ranch, as

the Ranch lies at the confluence of four major

ecological regions. It sits at the southernmost

end of the Central Valley, provides a buffer

from the Los Angeles Basin, and connects thesouthern Sierra on the east to the Coast Range

on the west. The agreement protects the

grasslands, wildflower fields and Joshua trees

in the Mojave Desert. Going west, it protects

the oak woodlands of the rugged Tehachapi

Mountains, and to the north, the last remaining

natural lands at the edge of the San Joaquin

Valley. This remarkable land also provides arefuge for Californias rare and wonderful

wildlife, like tule elk, cougars, badgers and

condors.

Conservation Organizations United

PCL worked collaboratively with other major

environmental organizations to complete this

complicated conservation agreement. Our

common vision always included the protection and

connection of the states most important east-west

landscape linkage. The effort prevents the formidable

challenge of dealing with the Ranchs 270,000acres on a project by project basis.

Our efforts ensure the people of California can now

visit land that few of us have ever been on -- land

that gives us a glimpse into what historic California

once looked like. Visitors can enjoy the property

via the popular Pacific Crest Trail, which will

be re-aligned through the Ranch. Magnificent

vistas, free flowing creeks, and valleys teeming

with wildlife are now protected as a Californialegacy, for everyone, forever.

Conservation Visions United

T

ejonRanchCompany


7/10CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

What would you do with an obsolete, antiquateddam filled with two million cubic yards of mud? Tear itdown. That is what the California Coastal Conservancyis proposing to do on the Carmel River in MontereyCounty. New studies conducted by the Conservancyshow that removing the dam will restore access to over25 miles of high quality steelhead habitat, and alsoprovide a range of benefits to the community includingresolution of the seismically weak dam structure.That is good news to local residents who also want tosee a solution for the dam -- a dam that poses a threatto downstream residents according to the Division ofSafety of Dams of the Department of Water Resources.Recent community meetings conducted by PCLF providedlocal residents with an up close view of the proposed

project and a chance to voice their support for the project.Project team members including the Coastal Conservancy,NOAA Fisheries, and PCLF were all on hand to helpprovide information about the dam removal project.

PCLF has been a key player in coordinating actionto achieve dam removal as a major component of awatershed management strategy jointly developed withthe Carmel River Watershed Conservancy. The dam,which no longer meets water supply needs, has causedlong-term impacts to watershed resources as well as theCarmel Lagoon and beach. PCLF has actively supported

the Coastal Conservancys actions to develop a plan fordam removal that will restore watershed resources

as well as meet local community needs. Key issues

identified in recent meetings will be the focus of a serof informational summer workshops to educate residenon progress, and to provide local input to the finaldesign of the Conservancys project.

The project is expected to begin construction in2010 and is very likely to be the first major damremoval project in California. PCLF sees this workas an important model for action that will help to pavthe way not only for California to deal with aging damin the state, but also for others facing the challenge oprotecting watersheds and wildlife resources across

the country.

San Clemente DamBy: Dr. Monica Hunter

Making connections between coastal land use andimpacts to marine resources was the focus of PCLFsCoast and Ocean Regional Roundtables (CORRT)

conducted in Monterey and San Luis Obispo Countiesin March, funded by the Resources Legacy FundFoundation. Invited speakers engaged CORRTparticipants in discussion of leading issues andresearch priorities essential to improved marineresource management for the Central Coast region.

Presentations focused on collaborative work utilizingdecades of coastal stream water quality monitoringdata and a new understanding of trends and changesin intertidal and nearshore marine habitat. CORRT

partners including the Carmel River WatershedConservancy, the Environmental Center of San LuisObispo County, the Land Conservancy of San Luis

Obispo, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, thMorro Bay National Estuary Program, and the SantaLucia Chapter of the Sierra Club. All partners provida local link to participation of coastal watershed groumarine conservation groups, and agency resource manage

Regional strategies will guide the next steps of thCORRT project as PCLF continues action to supportsuccessful implementation of Californias Marine LifeProtection Act and the California Ocean Protection A

Land-Sea Connections for Marine PolicyBy: Dr. Monica Hunter

The San Clemente Dam during a major water event. Because

the dam is so full, water has only one place to travel, over the dam

DepartmentofWaterResource

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There exists an important nexus between our healthand the surrounding environment. Unsound land use andflawed transportation planning affects peoples lifestylesand may contribute to coronary vascular disease, diabetes,and asthma and exposes people to toxins and pollutants.

In 2003, the American Journal of Public Health statedthat one of the challenges faced by our current generationis to not only better understand the impacts of the builtenvironment on health, but also to enhance existingcommunities and build future communities that promotephysical and mental health.

Community leaders, government officials, social scientists,health advocates, architects and planners need to thinkabout the direction of transportation, housing, and landuse initiatives, and implement community designs andland use choices that will enhance the physical, mental

and social well being of the public.For example, the health impact from moving goods

from one point to another has deleterious health effectsnot only for the residents in the immediate vicinity, butalso add emissions and pollutants that perpetuate climatechange. Heavy-duty diesel trucks transport freight andproduce across the state and are the largest source ofdiesel pollution in California. For instance, the healtheffects of diesel pollution on the residents in the SanJoaquin Valley are disturbing.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) estimatedthat in 2005 diesel exhaust from trucks alone was responsible

for 1,500 prematuredeaths in Californiawith a total economiccost of approximately$12 billion due to

hospitalizations, asthmaattacks, and missed workand school days.

Pollutants in dieselexhaust, such as particulatematter (PM) and nitrogenoxide (NOx) compounds,cause inflammation ofthe brain leading toneurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsons andAlzheimers, pulmonary diseases like lung cancer,

emphysema, bronchitis and asthma, and cardiovasculardiseases like heart attack and stroke.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists,retrofitting diesel trucks with PM and NOx controls,or upgrading to newer trucks that meet EPAs standardwould reduce these emissions by more than 85 percent.The CARB is developing the On-Road Diesel Rule toclean up the toxic emissions from trucks, buses, and othdiesel-powered vehicles. The Board hearing is schedulefor October 2008. An adopted and implemented regulatwill reduce diesel pollution, and is needed to improveCalifornias air quality and protect public health.

Health and the San Joaquin ValleyBy: Ren Guerrero

Pollution from diesel trucks increa

health problems throughout Califor

To find out more, visit: http://www.PCLFoundation.org/projects/localclimateaction.html

With passage of the Global Warming SolutionsAct of 2006 (AB 32), California has embarked upona breathtaking endeavor - to halt the growth ofgreenhouse gas emissions statewide and then reduceour annual emissions back to 1990 levels by 2020.

However, while many local government agenciesare helping the State lower the carbon footprint of theirregion, most continue to dig the hole deeper, approvingnew residential and commercial developments that denynew residents the opportunity to live lower-carbonlifestyles.

You can make a difference today by helping yourlocal public agencies make climate-conscious development

decisions. To help you, weve launched our Local ClimAction Initiativewith a new toolkit and workshop serieOur initiative provides practical information andcampaign strategy advice to help local organizationschoose wisely among the plethora of emerging

engagement opportunities. We also share success storfrom other communitiesand help connectindividuals workingon similar issues.Contact Matt VanderSluis at 916-313-4515for more information.

PCL Foundation Offers Local Climate Action ToolkitBy: Matt Vander Sluis

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On February 27th, 153 peoplefrom 43 states gathered inWashington, D.C. for the annualTeaming with Wildlife Fly-In Dayprogram sponsored by the National

Wildlife Federation (NWF). Theprogram brings together wildlifeenthusiasts from across the countryto lobby Members of Congress tosupport each states Wildlife GrantProgram. The State Wildlife GrantsProgram provides federal dollars toeach state to support conservationefforts aimed at preventing wildlifefrom becoming endangered. Thepresumption is that prevention ofwildlife loss rather than protectingendangered species is the mosteffective use of taxpayer money.

I participated in the Fly-in fromCalifornia and scrambled around thegreat distances between the Houseand Senate offices to get to the sevenappointments I had been able to setup with California delegation membersand their staff the second day of theFly-In.

There is great support in theCalifornia delegation for this programaccording to those that I saw and it

was inspiring to see the energyof all the young staffers. SenatorFeinstein had been given an awardlast year for her leadership in theWildlife Grants Program and it was

fun to see it hanging in her office.After the successful event, we

are still building support for theState Wildlife Grants Program forthe upcoming budget year. Morethan 210 Members of Congresshave signed on to the DearColleague letter seeking $85million for the Program.

This year, one of the keyrequests made to Congress, was forsupport of the inclusion of wildlifefunding in any climate change bill.As temperatures become hotter,freshwater becomes more scarce andsea level continues to rise, entireecosystems will likely start changing.Wildlife will be forced to move andadapt. Funding to help wildlife willbecome increasingly important. Oneof the key bills before Congress thataddresses global warming while alsoproviding funding to assist wildlife,is the Climate Security Act introducedin December by Senators Lieberman

and Warner. While seekingfunds for the State Wildlife GrantProgram, I also asked the membeof Californias delegation to suppthis important bill.

NWF says this bill represents atremendous opportunity for wildlife

and for people. Larry Schweiger,President and CEO of NWF saysGlobal warming poses an unprecedenthreat to wildlife, and it requiresan unprecedented commitment offinancial resources to the conservatof wildlife and natural resources.This investment, and the overridilegislation to reduce global warmpollution, is critical if we hope tohelp wildlife and natural resource

survive the climate changes alreadunderway. This is one of the mossignificant investments we can mato protect our childrens future.

Teaming With Wildlife Fly-In DayBy: Phyllis Faber, PCL Board Member

C

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In May, PCL Foundation and the NWF released ONTHE EDGE: Protecting Californias Fish and Waterfowl fromGlobal Warming, a report that describes the impacts of

global warming on Californias salmon and other wildlifeand provides achievable, effective solutions to better manageour aquatic habitats.

Global warming is already taking a toll on Californiaswaterways and the $8.2 billion outdoor recreation economythey sustain. If business continues as usual, the spring-runChinook salmon could disappear from the Central Valley;the California state fish, the golden trout, may vanish fromthe Sierra Nevada; and mallards and pintails could lose theirremaining wetland habitats.

Most of Californias ecosystemsare already fragile, having withstoodyears of pressure from human

activities. Without decisive action,global warming could push themover the edge. Fortunately,California has the opportunity toenact legislation this year toreduce the strain on these speciesby ensuring that demand for ourwater does not grow (AB 2153).

To download the report, visit:http://www.PCLFoundation.org/projects/OnTheEdge.pdf

On The Edge: Fish & Wildlife at Risk from Global WarminBy: Matt Vander Sluis


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

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PAID

SACRAMENT

CALIFORNIAPLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE

LANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE FOUNDATION

107 9TH STREET, SUITE 360 SACRAMENTO, CA 95814

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

SB 1165, authored by Senator

Shelia Kuehl from Santa Monica,

continues PCLs proud tradition

of defending and enhancing the

California Environmental Quality Act

(CEQA), our states premier environmental

law. This bill will close two loopholes

which have allowed developers to

scuttle public participation.

First, the bill will ensure that the

public has the ability to review alldrafts of Environmental Impact

Reports (EIRs), just as developers and

their paid consultants do currently.

Second, the measure requires an EIR

that is older than five years be reviewed

before it can be used to approve a

project. This will give the public an

opportunity to identify new environmental

impacts and needed mitigation measures.

In April, Elva Yaez from

Audubon and Stephanie Taylor fromGreen LA came to Sacramento to testify

before the Senate Environmental

Quality Committee on behalf of

SB 1165. They spoke for the East

Los Angeles volunteers and activists

who worked for many years to stop

a proposed housing development of

24 luxury homes on Elephant Hill

in the community of El Sereno -- a

low-income and predominantly Latino

community. Elephant Hill is one of

the last undeveloped hillsides in the

area-a rare piece of land with over

110 acres of gently sloping undeveloped

land that was being eyed by a development

company.

The original EIR for the project

was done in 1992. In 2004, despite

widespread community opposition

and the fact that the project was

expanded by 50 percent, Los Angelesapproved the project based on the

outdated and inadequate original

EIR. Over 200 residents attended the

hearing only to find after a closed ses-

sion that the development would

indeed move forward.

Fortunately, unlike so many others,

this story does not end there. After

an 18 month campaign waged by

local community residents and with

the help of City CouncilmemberJose Huizar, the Los Angeles City

Council voted unanimously to require

a supplemental EIR to address the

public safety and additional cumulative

impacts related to the expanded project.

SB 1165 is now supported by over

50 environmental and community

based groups, many of whom have

been fighting developments similar

to Elephant Hill By pooling our

Our Work to Strengthen CEQABy: Traci Sheehan

PCL has launched a letter writ

campaign to help get important

environmental legislation through

the various legislative Committee

Visit our website: www.PCL.oto select a letter to write:

Support Strengthening CEQA

This bill will close two loophole

which have allowed developers

scuttle public participation.

Support Water Conservation

This bill ensures water reliabili

and security for new developmen

and develops a funding stream t

increase efficiencies in existing

housing.

You Can Help

resources and coming together to

pass SB 1165 we can ensure future

environmental documents are curre

and that local residents can fully

participate in the process.

To find out more about what yo

can do to support this legislation vi

www.PCL.org.

june 2008 california today, planning and conservation league newsletter

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