PCL Insider: News from the Capitol

SHOULD HAVE GROWN BETTER: CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD ASKS STAFF TO EXPLORE STRONGER ACTION TO FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING BY REDUCING SPRAWL

After a full day of presentations, public testimony, and protest, last Friday morning the California Air Resources Board directed their staff to make several improvements to the Proposed Scoping Plan to implement California's landmark greenhouse gas emission reduction law.

The clearest mandate came late in the morning when the board asked the staff to explore a higher emission reduction target for the land use sector. In the Proposed Scoping Plan the staff set an emissions reduction target of five million metric tons (MMT) for land use. The entire plan is designed to achieve a total reduction of 174 MMT. Independent analyses have shown that California could achieve significantly greater reductions by making better land use choices, in the range of 11-14 MMT.

Board members also voiced concerns about other aspects of the Proposed Scoping Plan, including elements of the Cap and Trade program, insufficient public health protections, and the lack of dedicated funding for activities such as local land use planning and propping up the state's under-funded transit programs.

AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, requires an overall reduction in California's greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. It also calls on the Air Resources Board to adopt a scoping plan by January that lays out how to achieve those reductions, with the bulk of implementation and enforcement to begin in 2012. 

It's not clear what the staff will present to the board for adoption at their next hearing on December 11th. We hope they significantly expand the role of land use and include specific tools such as a statewide Indirect Source Rule to help meet the new higher target. To let the staff and board members know your perspective, send in your comments today.

FOR THE RECORD: LAW JOURNAL ARTICLES CONTEMPLATE FUTURE OF CALIFORNIA DAMS

Ideas about water management in the Western United States are in a state of flux, particularly in regard to dams. Recently stakeholders announced an "Agreement in Principle" to work toward removing four dams on the Klamath River. Next week the State Water Resources Control Board will likely revoke the water rights for the oft-proposed Auburn Dam. To learn more about these issues, we recommend that you pick up a copy of the most recent edition of the Golden Gate University's Environmental Law Journal on "The West's Aging Dams: Retain or Remove?"

Don't miss these two articles specific to California dams:

"The Old and New: Evaluating Existing and Proposed Dams in California"

(Jonas Minton, PCL's Senior Water Policy Advisor)

Of use to anyone involved in considering removal of existing dams or construction of new dams, Minton's ideas will be particularly relevant to the ongoing discussions of the five potential dams in the CALFED Record of Decision.

"Beyond and Beneath O'Shaughnessy Dam: Options to Restore Hetch Hetchy Valley and Replace Water and Energy Supplies"

(Jerry Meral, former Executive Director of PCL)

Noting that there are feasible options for replacing the water and energy provided by Hetch Hetchy Dam, Meral also describes the incredible values that would emerge with restoration of this priceless natural resource.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT WILDLIFE IN A WARMING WORLD? FIND OUT AT PCL'S ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM

In an era of global warming many of California's wildlife are finding it harder and harder to meet their most basic needs. If these issues get you hot under the collar, we invite you to join us for a special panel to explore the intersection between global warming, natural resources management, and wildlife conservation at PCL's Annual Legislative Symposium. Esteemed panelists from the California Department of Fish and Game (Dr. Amber Pairis), Defenders of Wildlife (Kim Delfino), and the National Wildlife Federation (John Kostyack) will describe what our public agencies and elected officials should do to give California's wildlife a fighting chance against global warming.

Register early for the PCL-PCLF Symposium and Banquet. The event is on Saturday, February 7, 2009 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in downtown Sacramento. For more information, contact Melanie Schlotterbeck at (714) 779-7561 or MSchlotterbeck@pcl.org.

PETITION THE PRES-ELECT

The National Wildlife Federation is asking President-elect Obama to introduce a plan in his first 100 days that will get our economy moving by building a clean energy future. Sign their petition today.