Sea Level Rise

AB 2516 (Gordon) – Request for Comments
As Introduced February 21, 2014

AB 2516, by Assembly Member Rich Gordon, would require by January 2016, the Natural Resources Agency, in collaboration with the Ocean Protection Council, to create and update monthly a database with information related to planning for sea level rise, including information on steps being taken throughout the state to prepare for, and adapt to, sea level rise. Specifically, the Planning for Sea Level Rise Database would include the following information:

• Title and description of all state and local private and public projects addressing or preparing for sea level rise
• Information regarding which cities and counties have implemented a local coastal program, including all of the following information: When the local coastal program was created; all dates on which the local coastal program was updated, if updated; whether the local coastal program addresses sea level rise; and cities and counties that do not have a local coastal program in place.

The bill would require various public and private entities to provide, by July 1, 2015, and on a monthly basis thereafter, information to the Natural Resources Agency to be included in the database, including descriptions of projects that address or prepare for sea level rise that are within the entity’s control or jurisdiction. The bill would require the agency to organize the database by geographic region and provide an entry for each city and county. This bill comes as a recommendation after several hearings held by the Assembly Select Committee on Sea Level Rise. This bill has been referred to the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

Water Bond

AB 1331 (Rendon) – Pending – Request Comments
As Amended March 5, 2014

The March 5 amendments to Assembly Member Rendon’s AB 1331 would enact the Clean and Safe Drinking Water Act of 2014, repeals the existing $11.14 billion bond and places an $8 billion measure on the November 4, 2014 ballot. The prior version of AB 1331 would have placed a $6.5 billion bond on the ballot. As recently amended, AB 1331 would include:

• $1 billion for maintaining and improving drinking water quality
• $1.5 billion for protecting rivers & watersheds
• $2 billion to fund integrated regional water management
• $1 billion for protecting the California Delta
• $2.5 billion for water storage projects for climate change

AB 1331 is set to be heard in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee on Tuesday, March 25, 2014.

Agriculture

AB 1961 (Eggman) – Pending – Request Comments
As Introduced February 19, 2014

AB 1961, by Assembly Member Susan Eggman, would require each county with significant agricultural land resources to develop, by January 1, 2018, a sustainable farmland strategy. The bill would require the Sustainable Farmland Strategy to include a map and inventory of all agriculturally zoned land within the county, a description of the goals, strategies, and related policies and ordinances to retain agriculturally zoned land, where practical, and mitigate the loss of agriculturally zoned land to nonagricultural uses or zones, and a page on the county’s Internet Web site with the relevant documentation.

The bill would also require the board of supervisors of each county to consult with their 
cities and local agency formation commission (LAFCO) on the development of the sustainable farmland strategy. Counties will have the option of complying with the sustainable farmland strategy requirements by relying on existing inventories and maps of agricultural lands and existing goals, strategies and related policies that substantially comply with the provisions of the bill.

A county with less than 4 percent of its land use base in agriculture would be exempt. According to the 2007 USDA Agricultural Census (the 2012 data will come out in May), four counties have less than 4 percent of their land base in agriculture. They are the counties of Alpine, Del Norte, and Mono and the City and County of San Francisco.

AB 1961 would also require the Office of Planning and Research (OPR), when it adopts its next edition of the general plan guidelines to include best practices that support agricultural land retention and mitigation, and recommendations on the role of LAFCO in the preservation of agriculturally zoned lands when considering annexations of agriculturally zoned lands into cities and service extensions onto agriculturally zoned lands. AB 1961 is co-sponsored by the American Farmland Trust, California Climate and Agriculture Network, and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers. It has been double-referred to the Assembly Local Government Committee and the Assembly Agriculture Committee. The bill will likely be heard in early April.

Water Action Plan Meeting

The California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal EPA), California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) will hold several public workshops to receive public input and discuss potential legislative solutions to promote sustainable groundwater management in California.

The California Water Action Plan, released on January 27, 2014, highlights the challenges for managing the State’s water resources and outlines strategic goals and actions to provide more reliable water supplies, restore important species and habitat, and establish a more resilient and sustainably managed water resource system for farms, ecosystems and communities. The plan specifically identified a number of actions to implement sustainable groundwater management practices. One of those actions called for legislation to provide local and regional agencies with comprehensive authority to address their groundwater challenges and allow the State to temporarily assume groundwater management responsibilities when local agency actions have been insufficient to achieve sustainable management. Two workshops will be held to solicit input and information and develop proposed solutions. On March 24, the State Agency Team is interested in hearing and providing feedback on ideas and possible approaches in response to the proposal, which is outlined in greater detail on OPR’s website. On April 16, the State Agency Team will invite input on proposed solutions. These will be informational workshops only. More detailed agendas will follow for both workshops.

Workshops to Develop Input on Groundwater Legislative ProposalIdeas, Proposals & Feedback

Monday, March 24, 2014 – 9:00 a.m.
Joe Serna Jr. – Cal/EPA Headquarters Building
Coastal Hearing Room
1001 I Street, Second Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814

AND

Proposed Solutions
Wednesday, April 16, 2014 – 9:00 a.m.
Joe Serna Jr. – Cal/EPA Headquarters Building
Coastal Hearing Room
1001 I Street, Second Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814