Groundwater

Administration Releases Groundwater Management Proposal

On Thursday, Governor Brown’s administration released its proposal for groundwater management in California. The proposed framework and draft legislative language would have implications for counties, as it is based on the principal that groundwater resources are best managed at the local level. The proposal attempts to clarify existing county authority to manage groundwater and provides enhanced fee authority to local agencies to support groundwater management. The proposal would have implications for local land use, both in terms of long-term planning and in the issuance of permits for new, deeper or increased capacity wells in groundwater subbasins where an adequate groundwater management plan has not been adopted by 2019. CSAC is still reviewing the proposal, which is planned to move in tandem with the California Water Action Plan.

We are soliciting comments from counties on the Governor’s proposal, which is available online here. Please direct comments to Karen Keene.

Mining

SB 1270 (Pavley) – Oppose
As Amended April 22, 2014

SB 1270, by Senator Fran Pavley, would have made significant changes to the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA). SB 1270 would have put counties in a position of having to prove their ability to meet their lead agency obligations in order to maintain their status, rather than the State needing to show that they are failing in it. 

CSAC believes the State already has the authority to remove a jurisdiction from their lead agency status if they are not meeting the requirements under SMARA. Thus, we questioned the need for a change in law and consider SB 1270 an effort to erode local lead agency authority to regulate mining operations. 

Counties do recognize that the current implementation of SMARA at both the state and local level is not flawless, and we contend that the current system already contains the ability for the State to claim authority in jurisdictions that are not following the provisions required by SMARA, and that further changes to the law governing SMARA are premature until changes taken at the Administrative level are fully implemented. 

SB 1270 was held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

Payments in Lieu of Taxes

SB 1410 (Wolk) – Support
As Introduced April 21, 2014

SB 1410, by Senator Lois Wolk, would have appropriated $19 million from the State’s General Fund to the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) to make payments to counties for outstanding obligations under the DFW Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program and to resume the annual PILT payments. It has been over a decade since adequate funding has been provided to the department to make the required payments to affected counties. 

Last year, the amount of monies owed to 36 counties was $17,130,473. This bill would have required the State to pay the counties their back PILT payments as well as resume annual PILT payments.

SB 1410 was held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.