December 2012

Volume 42 Number 2

CALIFORNIA TODAY
Newsletter of the Planning & Conservation League

43 Short-Term Bay-Delta Projects Gain Unprecedented Environmental, Agricultural and Agency Support
By Evon Willhoff The California Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta (the Delta) has been ground zero in the states water wars for many decades. Its been the focus of several planning and regulatory processes that are often characterized by conict and tension among water agencies and stakeholders. Meanwhile, as the State and stakeholders have been trying to gure out a sustainable long-term solution for water supply reliability and sustainable ecosystem health, many benecial short-term projects have been neglected. Parties have come to recognize that there are many good and worthy near-term projects that seem to get lost in the tensions surrounding the long-term planning efforts. As a result, the Planning and Conservation League Foundation, Westlands Water District, Central Delta Water Agency, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Delta Counties Coalition, and Contra Costa Water District embarked in a proactive and provocative effort, called the Coalition to Support Near Term Delta Projects. The goal of this effort is to achieve broad support for projects in the Delta that can be online in the next ve to ten years without compromising the outcome of any long-term planning processes. With help from the Center for Collaborative Policy, six meetings were convened over the course of six months with participation of over 80 Delta stakeholders with diverse interests in an open and public process. This endeavor has proved to be extremely successful; the group reached consensus on 43 projects supported by an unlikely mlange of participants, including water exporters, Central Valley farmers, Delta farmers, environmental groups, business and others. Although this group does not have decision making power, the individual members are considered key players in water policy and Delta planning and their collective recommendations carry considerable weight. The Coalition to Support Near Term Delta Projects has sparked a great deal of interest around the state and has been covered in media outlets from Northern California, the Central Valley and Coast and all the way down to Southern California. In October, the Coalition was invited to speak at a California Senate information hearing to brief legislators of the outcome of this process. At the hearing, the Legislative Analysts Ofce reported more than $500 million is available for the project in two existing bond measures. Some of the 43 identied projects already have money available through local funds or ratepayers, while others will need the Legislatures approval. The Legislature reconvenes in December for the 2013-2014 Legislative Session. Californias water supply reliability, ecosystem health, and sustainable funding will be a top priority this upcoming session and we believe our efforts on the Delta will inform the dicussions.
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CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

Dear Friends,
CALIFORNIA TODAY (ISBN 0739-8042) is the ofcial 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: pclmail@pcl.org 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 Ofce: 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 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 ESTHER FELDMAN LORENA GONZALEZ DOUG LINNEY ZAHIRAH MANN JOHN MCCAUL TONY ROSSMANN RICH TOLMACH KEITH WAGNER DWIGHT WASHABAUGH TERRY WATT DENNY ZANE 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 BRUCE REZNIK, Executive Director MARGARET LECEY, Membership & Events Coordinator EVON WILLHOFF, Water Program Manager JONAS MINTON, Senior Water Policy Advisor ABIGAIL OKRENT, Legislative Director

Sincerely,

While the 2012 Legislative Session was not heavy on environmental accomplishments, there were lessons to be learned from some of the battles that went down. In particular, the end-of-session ght over CEQA especially compared to the 2011 session - offers us a glimpse of how the environmental community can be effective in pushing our agenda as we move into the 2013 Legislative Session. While 2011 and 2012 saw end-of-session CEQA plays, the response of the environmental community was very different in the two years. In 2011, the environmental community was largely at-footed when SB 292 (Padilla) and AB 900 (Buchanan) (CEQA judicial streamlining bills) were introduced. While rumors of these reforms had been oating in the halls of the Capitol for a while, we were reticent to get ahead of the story. We didnt want to overreact if threats werent real (and thus alienate our allies in the Legislature), and instead focused on trying to work with our friends in the Capitol to understand and address these growing threats. This strategy backred as by the time these threats became reality, it was far too late for us to respond and mobilize opposition. In 2012, when the hint of SB 317 (Rubio) arose, the environmental community immediately worked to prosecute our case in the court of public opinion. Getting out in front of messaging was critical, but so too was building and broadening a coalition of supporters. Again, in 2011 we started out behind the 8-ball as the environmental and environmental justice communities were relatively isolated in ghting back CEQA reform. The development and business community has long sought CEQA reform, but in 2011 some unions joined that coalition around AB 900 and SB 292 as they saw those bills as fast-tracking some priority labor-friendly projects. Our position was further weakened when the environmental community ended up divided on SB 292. While some groups seeing the inevitable passage of SB 292 and greater threats on the horizon - acquiesced to support the legislation in hopes of staving off more severe attacks, the environmental community is only as strong as we are unied. Again, lesson learned in 2012. Starting with a strong environmental community that stayed unied, we were able to successfully broaden our partnerships to include the environmental justice community, public health advocates, and perhaps most importantly the labor community that saw the impacts of massive CEQA erosion on the communities they represent. We were also much more active in reaching out to local activists and organizations that rely on CEQA to put added pressure on their representatives to maintain CEQA. With strong and early messaging, a unied coalition and community mobilization, we were able to bolster our allies in the Legislature who had felt disempowered in 2011 to demonstrate strong leadership on SB 317. While we can and should celebrate our victory last session, we certainly cannot rest on our laurels. We know CEQA reform, identied by Leadership as a top priority for 2013, will again be a major topic of discussion, and so too will be the future of the Water Bond and Delta planning; cap-and-trade revenue allocation, and a host of other critical environmental issues facing our communities. And while the impact of the recent elections including the new supermajority is uncertain, we know that building on the foundation established by the environmental community during last sessions CEQA ght is a great place to start moving into 2013.

Bruce Reznik Executive Director

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

Noteworthy NWF News

By Beth Pratt Last month, in front of an audience of thousands at the NRPA Congress and Exposition in Anaheim, Ranger Rick led a group of kids onstage through a virtual exploration of the natural world, pointing out constellations in the night sky and gazing at the tops of trees in a forest. PCLs partner, National Wildlife Federation, wants to ensure that 10 million new kids experience more than a simulated version of nature, and is launching a 10 Million Kids Outdoors Campaign to transform screen time into green time for Americas children. The very nature of American childhood has changed: theres just not much nature in it. Kids and young people today spend less time outdoors in nature than ever before. A generation ago three-quarters of American kids played outside daily; nowadays, only one-quarter do. Children are spending just minutes per day learning and playing outdoors and more than seven hours per day in front of electronic media. As the problem continues to get worse, NWF has set a new goal to stem the tide. Our work towards that goal will combat the indoor childhood trend and get kids back outdoors in nature. The three-year goal is

Photo by: National Wildlife Federation

to get 10 million more American children out of their indoor habitat back into the great outdoors for at least an addition 90 minutes each week. The time spent outdoors can include many things such as self-guided play or unstructured time, exploring and connecting with nature or learning in the outdoors. In California, weve already begun the process of forming partnerships for this campaign, and are currently conducting several regional workshops to explore programs in cities such as Los Angeles and Oakland.

CEQA Stays in the Headlines

Expect More Major Reform Attempts in 2013
By Abigail Okrent The California Environmental Quality Act Californias foundational environmental law continues to be the hot topic in the legislature. While CEQA has played a vital role in empowering communities, informing decision-makers and protecting our shared environment for more than four decades, the law has been under increasing attack in recent years and is now facing unprecedented threats. Fueled by Californias economic crisis, the past two legislative sessions saw passage of several laws modifying CEQA. The past Legislative Session saw a bill (SB 317) almost make it into law that would have essentially ended CEQA as we know it by allowing the law to be bypassed whenever a project was in compliance with a law or local plan, even if the plan was outdated. PCL was proud to have a leadership role in a broadbased coalition that stopped SB 317. However, the appointment of the author of 317, Senator Michael Rubio, to head the Environmental Quality Committee portends more focus on CEQA. Senate Pro Tem Steinberg and Senator Rubio indicated CEQA reform is a top

environmental priority for 2013, and they have begun convening meetings with various parties, including PCL, to discuss CEQA reform. In response to these increasing attacks, PCL is working with a broad array of stakeholders to take a two-pronged approach on CEQA that includes: (1) redoubling our efforts to communicate the important role that CEQA plays in protecting our lands, air, waters and communities; while simultaneously (2) exploring and pursuing areas where CEQA can be improved to better achieve its aims of informed decision-making, community empowerment and environmental protection. You can play a critical role in helping to safeguard and improve CEQA by: providing PCL with examples of CEQA success stories as well as suggestions on CEQA improvement or examples of where CEQA has hindered green projects; working with PCL to host a CEQA Workshop in your community; volunteering to assist PCL with CEQA research, communications or organizing; and/or donating to PCL or PCL Foundation to support our important work protecting Californias foundational environmental law. To learn more and offer your help, visit www.pcl.org or contact Abigail Okrent at aokrent@pcl.org or 916-822-5633.
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CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

PCL/PCL Foundation 2013 Symposium

SPACE IS LIMITED! REGISTER TODAY! Visit the www.pcl.org to register online today!
Symposium Details: Date: Saturday, January 12, 2013 Time: 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Venue: UC Davis School of Law (King Hall) - 400 Mrak Hall Drive, Davis, CA 95616 With so much attention recently focused on reforming the California Environmental Quality Act, we are focusing our Symposium on the past, present and future of CEQA. The Planning and Conservation League/PCL Foundations 2013 Environmental Symposium will: Separate fact from ction about CEQA; Highlight CEQAs strengths and successes in recent years; Investigate potential changes to the law to make it an even more effective tool to safeguard our lands, air, waters and communities; Identify alternative approaches to promote more sustainable land-use, transportation, water and energy projects; and Explore how we can mobilize around a shared vision for Californias environmental future.

This year the Symposium will be held in a much smaller venue than past years, so seating is limited. Be sure to register early! Please mark Saturday, January 12, 2013 on your calendar for this exciting event, and spread the word to colleagues. For further information or questions on attending the Symposium, please contact Margaret Lecey at mlecey@pcl.org or (916) 822-5636. Interested in Sponsoring this Event? Please visit www.pcl.org or contact Bruce Reznik, Executive Director, at breznik@pcl.org or (916) 822-5632. We hope you will join us in PCL/PCL Foundations efforts through your attendance and/or sponsorship of this important educational event. Our continued success in organizing this essential Symposium depends in large park on the generous support of our membership, meeting attendees and other environmental colleagues. Lets work together to improve the environment and quality of life for all Californians! Room Block at the Hyatt Place Hotel Location: 173 Old Davis Road Extension Davis, CA 95616 To make reservations, please call (530) 756-9500 or visit www.hyattplace.com If you are traveling form out of town and need a nice place to stay, please reserve your room at the Hyatt Place. Be sure to mention the reference code (PCL) when calling to make your reservation. All reservations must be made by December 14, 2012. Price per night is $119 plus taxes and incidentals and standard double queen or standards king rooms are available.

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

Photo by: Amber Schmaeling

Early registration closes on December 14, 2012. Be sure to register now to receive the best price available!

Registration Rates:
*Conference fee covers continental breakfast, lunch, refreshments and all symposium materials. PCL MEMBER - $110 ($140 after early registration deadline) GOVERNMENT - $120 ($150 after early registration deadline) GENERAL - $150 ($250 after early registration deadline) CLE - $250 ($280 after early registration deadline) STUDENT - $50 ($65 after early registration deadline) Visit www.pcl.org for the most up to date information!

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

2012 Legislative Session Ended Largely Where It Began

By Abigail Okrent Between a still struggling economy and a tumultuous election season there was not much of an appetite for meaningful environmental initiatives in 2012. While we can report some victories, much of PCLs efforts focused on playing defense, staving off attacks on many of the positive steps of the past decades. Thanks to the work of PCL and a broad-based coalition, dozens of bills aiming to weaken CEQA were defeated, including the aforementioned SB 317. While a few relatively minor exemptions were signed into law, halting a myriad of bills that would have seriously undermined CEQAs protections was a major victory for the environmental community. Additionally, PCL supported a number of bills that became law. A framework for allocating cap and trade auction revenue was put into place through SB 1532 (J. Prez) and SB 535 (de Len), which provides that a portion of the money goes to disadvantaged communities. These laws will be critical as California implements AB 32. A number of important water bills also became law, notably AB 685 (Eng), which enshrines access to clean water as a human right and requires state agencies to take this policy into account when making all relevant decisions. Several laws relating to the delta and ood control authored by Senator Wolk (SB 200, SB 1278, and SB 1495), were

California State Capitol

also passed. Two laws dealing with water reuse - AB 1750 (Solorio) on rainwater capture and AB 2230 (Gatto) on recycled water in car washes - also passed. The outcome was less sunny for waste and solids, with the polysterene container ban SB 568 (Lowenthal) failing even after a nal coordinated push by groups including PCL. A bill banning single-use plastic bags, AB 298 (Brownley) never made it out of committee. AB 845 (Ma), a bill opposed by many environmental groups that prevents local governments from restricting importation of solid waste into their districts, passed.

San Clemente Dam Removal Moves Closer to Reality

Californias Largest Ever Dam Removal Planning to Break Ground by 2013
By Monica Hunter In August 2012, the California State Coastal Conservancy voted to authorize a grant award of up to $32 million of public funding to California American Water (CAW) for the San Clemente Dam Removal Project in Monterey County. This important vote brings the long-awaited plan for dam removal closer to fruition for the public/private partnership between the State and CAW, which has also been strongly supported by PCL Foundation and a broad-based coalition. The $83 million project will help to restore the Carmel River, which once supported a thriving steelhead run, and will help safeguard downstream communities that are currently at risk if the dam fails. As part of the partnership agreement, CAW will also donate over 900 acres of land adjacent to the Ventana Wilderness area in the Carmel Valley. The largest ever dam removal project in California
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has advanced through an innovative public-private partnership between CAW and the State Coastal Conservancy, with the support of the National Marine Fisheries Service and more than two dozen regional, state and national conservation groups, elected ofcials and regulatory partners. Hopefully, taking down the San Clemente Dam is just the rst of many major removals throughout the state that will help to restore our rivers and streams back to health, noted Bruce Reznik, Executive Director of the Planning and Conservation League Foundation. The project will present a nal construction plan in March 2013 when it will seek nal permit approvals from Monterey County. The dam removal project is anticipated to be completed by 2015. Project partners are also working to raise $4.5 million to achieve total funding for the project, and most recently received a grant of $1 million from The Nature Conservancy.

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

PCL Out-and-About in Local Communities

San Diego and San Francisco Fund-andFriend-raisers a Success
By Bruce Reznik To better connect with our League partners and other nonprots, local decision-makers and communities throughout California, PCL has been hosting intimate events throughout the state. On Thursday, June 14, more than 70 guests, including elected ofcials like Congressman (and now Mayor-elect) Bob Filner, Supervisor Pam-Slater Price, former Councilwoman Donna Frye as well as dozens environmental activists, philanthropists, business leaders and concerned citizens joined PCL for a fundraising event at the La Jolla home of William and Michelle Lerach. Three months later, fty guests gathered together at Mark Wolfe Contemporary Art in San Francisco on October 4 to discuss State of the Environment in the Capitol with keynote speaker Assemblymember Jared Huffman. At both events, PCLs Executive Director Bruce Reznik shared the important work that PCL is doing to protect the environment in the legislative arena, including our One Vision, One Voice campaign that seeks to mobilize communities and build coalitions around a shared environmental greenprint for California.

PCL Executive Director Bruce Reznik with honoree Duncan McFetridge Photo by: Kevin Roche Photography

PCL also recognized the important work of local conservationists at the celebrations. Duncan McFetridge was honored for his critical work advocating for better planning to protect San Diegos backcountry, while Greenbelt Alliance was given the David Grains Nonprot of the Year Award for their work defending the Bay Areas iconic natural lands and agricultural heritage, and creating walkable, livable neighborhoods. PCL and PCL Foundation raised more than $10,000 for our critical work; equally importantly, we built relationships with key local partners in San Diego and San Francisco. Please contact Margaret Lecey (mlecey@pcl. org or 916-822-5626) if you are interested in hosting or supporting an event in your community in 2013!

Thank you to our many sponsors, hosts and underwriters for making these events so successful!

Jerry Cahill & Kathy King

Hosts

Carol Baird & Alan Harper

Amy White

Environmental Defense Fund Amy Bricker Nona Dennis Phyllis Faber Stuart Flashman Tamara Galanter Rachel Hooper Eneas Kane Mark Kehke Fran Layton Roger Moore Mel Owen Robert Perlmutter Tony Rossmann Paul Sedway Richard Taylor Terry Watt Courtney Ann Coyle, Esq. Dolores Donavan Larry Remer and Shari Lawson Lorena Gonzalez Deborah Seiler
Underwriters

Paul Johnson & Amy White

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

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

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

Changes to the PCL Team

By Bruce Reznik We are excited to welcome Margaret Lecey and Abigail Okrent to the PCL staff. Margaret Lecey joined PCL in October 2012 as the Membership & Events Coordinator. Originally from Cedarburg, Wisconsin, Margarets background is in marketing and non-prot development and membership work. Abigail Okrent joined PCL as the Legislative Director in August 2012. An attorney, Abigail brings experience working in a number of social justice and environmental causes. To read full bios of Margaret and Abigail, please visit www.pcl.org. In addition to new staff, we are also thrilled to have added two new Board Members! Denny Zane, Executive Director of Move LA, brings with him more than 40 years of experience in the environmental non-prot world. He has previously served on the Santa Monica City Council, including one term as mayor, during which time he initiated the revitalization of the Third Street Promenade. He wrote much of the land use policy for Santa Monicas downtown, emphasizing pedestrian amenities, mixed-use development, and effective transit access before these policies became known as smart growth. Denny was also executive director of the Coalition for Clean Air, and began his career by founding Santa Monicans for Renters Rights in the late 70s. He currently heads Move LA, an organization that he created in 2007 to bring together business, labor and environmental leaders and organizations with the goal of raising signicant new funding for LA Countys transit system. Also joining the Board is Zahirah Mann, an environmental attorney at the Legal Aid Foundation

Margeret Lecey

Abigail Okrent

of Los Angeles, where she works with communities in South LA and Long Beach on matters related to the California Environmental Quality Act and Health Impact Assessments. Prior to joining Legal Aid, Zahirah worked at Strumwasser and Woocher LLP, a boutique public interest law rm, where she practiced environmental and election law. She began her legal career in Natural Resources Defense Council working on air and water quality, and ecosystems issues. Zahirah is a graduate of Vassar College and Tulane University Law School. She also studied at McGill University, in Montreal, Canada, and the American University in Cairo, in Cairo, Egypt. While welcoming new staff and Board Members, we are sorry to lose some longtime members of the PCL family. Joe Edmiston (Executive Director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy) and Joan Clayburgh (Executive Director of the Sierra Nevada Alliance) have both retired from the PCL Board of Directors. Lastly, stepping down from the PCL Foundation Board of Trustees is former PCL Executive Director and General Counsel Gary Patton. In addition to those leaving the PCL and PCL Foundation Boards, staff members Jena Price, Lauren Sucher and Jonathan Bernstein have all moved on to pursue other opportunities.