2010 Annual Meeting Recap

Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee Summary

Following opening remarks and introductions by Vice Chair Supervisor Richard Forster, the CSAC Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee kicked off their meeting in Riverside with a 2010 Budget/Legislative Wrap-up. While most of this report focused on the Williamson Act, CSAC staff also provided information regarding the new Waste Discharge Requirement (WDR) fee by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) on operating solid waste landfills, and extended producer responsibility (EPR) bills signed by the Governor. 

The committee’s brief discussion and approval of proposed changes to the CSAC Platform was followed by a presentation on the Planning and Conservation League’s (PCL) Water Neutral Initiative. The speaker, Evon Chambers, PCL’s Water Policy and Planning Analyst, explained that this endeavor promotes water neutral development as an innovative solution that allows new developments to offset their water demand. Under a “water neutral” development model, a developer commits to on-site water conservation/recycling to minimize demand by the development, and then contributes to a demand mitigation fund. These funds in turn are invested in various water efficiency technologies and programs.

The introduction of water neutral developments to the committee was followed by a discussion of one county’s experience in coping with a large water project. Butte County Supervisors Bill Connelly and Steve Lambert talked about the failure of the Department of Water Resources to mitigate the impacts of the Oroville Dam on the county and surrounding communities. According to the information presented, promises of jobs, low cost energy, and tourism, to name a few, never materialized. Instead, the county has experienced an overall economic loss that equals over $12 million annually as a result of this project. In conclusion, the supervisors indicated their commitment to seeking a just result for the taxpayers of Butte County.

The committee’s final agenda item was a brief update by CSAC staff regarding the requirements for automatic fire sprinkler systems in all new one- and two-family residences, effective January 1, 2011. Recently released information regarding the use of antifreeze within these systems was also shared with the committee. 

The PCL and Butte County Power Point presentations and fire sprinkler background materials are available on the CSAC website’s advocacy page under the Agriculture and Natural Resources section.

California Counties and Water: A Roundtable Discussion

Tuesday afternoon’s water roundtable was well attended and well received. This informal session, facilitated by Yolo County Supervisor Mike McGowan and Tulare County Supervisor Alan Ishida, began with an overview of CSAC’s existing water policy and past actions on various water bonds and pertinent water legislation. The roundtable dialog among the county participants included a report from Siskiyou County Supervisor Jim Cook alerting counties to the Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) recent reinterpretation of Fish and Game Code Section 1602. According to Supervisor Cook, agricultural water diverters in the Scott and Shasta River watersheds were notified earlier this year that they would have to obtain a lake or streambed alteration agreement in order to exercise water rights. In response, the California Farm Bureau Federation filed a request for declaratory relief which is currently pending before the San Francisco Superior Court. Given the precedent setting nature of this action by DFG, counties are encouraged to review the background materials posted on the CSAC webpage under the Agriculture and Natural Resources section. 

The roundtable was followed by a report from Solano County Supervisor Mike Reagan notifying counties to impending actions by the State involving the Delta, including the release of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. Supervisor Reagan noted concerns with the plan’s potential impacts on agriculture given the significant amount of land that will be set aside for habitat. Frustration was also expressed regarding the State’s failure to adequately consider local authority or mitigation of impacts on the Delta region. The roundtable participants echoed similar frustration with the State agency decision-making process and its lack of consideration for local impacts

Given the participants’ enthusiasm with the dialog that took place, CSAC will work with the roundtable facilitators and the chair and vice chair of the CSAC Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in planning future water roundtables.

Counties Discuss Medical Marijuana 

Over 70 county supervisors and staff gathered last week for the CSAC Medical Marijuana workshop in Riverside, CA. The workshop featured three panel speakers from Mendocino, Tehama and Los Angeles Counties. The panelists focused on the various medical marijuana issues their respective communities have encountered since the passage of Proposition 215 in 1996. Sari Steel, Deputy County Counsel from Los Angeles County focused on Los Angeles County’s efforts to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries through their ordinances and code enforcement, while Supervisor Bob Williams from Tehama County and Jeanine Nadel, Mendocino County Counsel focused their remarks on the issue of regulating and controlling medical marijuana cultivation. 

Supervisors Mark Lovelace and Susan Adams, also the co-chairs of the CSAC Medical Marijuana Working Group, moderated the hour-long discussion that followed. Issues were raised regarding county ordinances and the different methods that counties have employed to regulate the cultivation and use of medical marijuana, as well as issues regarding data collection, the transport of medical marijuana, federal government involvement, among other things. 

The CSAC Medical Marijuana Working Group will meet again in the beginning of 2011