PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE

PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE FOUNDATION

CALIFORNIA TODAY
Newsletter of the Planning & Conservation League

December 2008

Volume 38, Number 4

CanStockPhoto.com

Napa Valley

Time for a Change

By: Gary Patton

The November election demonstrates that the American people, and California voters, want real change. What does that mean, in terms of environmental policy? What does that mean for PCL? Real change doesnt just happen. We have to seek it out, and compel it. And real change requires a choice. If we want to move in a new direction, then we have to make some really tough choices, economically, socially, politically, and individually. Changes we make individually are critically important but individual changes are not enough. Were in this world together, and if we want a better future, then we need to act in concert. Public policy, or in other words the laws and regulations we enact, is our way of telling ourselves what we need to do - and then making ourselves actually do it. PCL has a prescription, in the realm of environmental policy, for the adjustments we need to make. Its a call for fundamental economic, social, and political action. At our 2009 Symposium, PCL will issue an environmental policy Call to Action outlining a number of public policy changes we need to make. Driving those modifications forward will be the mission of PCL for the next five years. Just like we saw with SB 375 (Steinberg) we need fundamental land use reform. SB 375, which passed this year, ties smarter land use to transportation funding. It was a small step forward, but it is significant because it

turns the corner of land use reform. Now that weve turned that corner, no more temporizing! No more conversion of our rural lands into subdivisions and shopping centers, increasing greenhouse gas emissions while destroying both natural habitat and our commercial farmlands. This call to action includes a brand new water policy for California, too. No more destructive supply side plans that only feed the sprawl that is destroying our future. Living within our existing water resources is not only possible, it is essential. PCL knows how California can do it - through a focus on increased efficiency and more secured water sources! Land use and water policy reform - and developing a new generation of environmental leaders prepared to take our state in a whole new direction - are all part of PCLs Call to Action. And as the politicians say, thats only a partial list.

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CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

Dear Friends,
PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE
PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE FOUNDATION CALIFORNIA TODAY (ISBN 0739-8042) is the quarterly newsletter of the PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE AND THE PCL FOUNDATION
1107 Ninth Street, Suite 360, Sacramento, CA 95814 PHONE: 916-444-8726 FAX: 916-448-1789

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. Periodicals postage paid at Sacramento, CA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes for CALIFORNIA TODAY to the PCL Office: 1107 Ninth Street, Suite 360, Sacramento, CA 95814

PCLF BOARD OF TRUSTEES

DAVID HIRSCH, Chairman RALPH B. PERRY III, Vice Chairman DANIEL S. FROST, Secretary-Treasurer COKE HALLOWELL, Trustee GERALD H. MERAL, Trustee

PCL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

BILL CENTER, President KEVIN JOHNSON, Senior Vice President SAGE SWEETWOOD, President Emeritus JOHN VAN DE KAMP, President Emeritus BILL LEIMBACH, Secretary-Treasurer

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS

ELISABETH BROWN JAN CHATTEN-BROWN PHYLLIS FABER RICK HAWLEY FRAN LAYTON DOUG LINNEY DAVID MOGAVERO STEPHANIE PINCETL LYNN SADLER TERESA VILLEGAS TERRY WATT BILL YEATES

ORGANIZATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS

Big Sur Land Trust Breathe California, Sacramento-Emigrant Trails California Association of Local Conservation Corps California Oak Foundation California Trout Greenspace - The Cambria Land Trust Golden Gate Audubon Society The Laguna Greenbelt, Inc. Mono Lake Committee Mountain Lion Foundation Sierra Nevada Alliance Southern California Agricultural Land Foundation Train Riders Association of California The Trust for Public Land

PCL/PCL FOUNDATION STAFF

TRACI SHEEHAN, Executive Director TINA ANDOLINA, Legislative Director BARB BYRNE, Water Policy Assistant EVON CHAMBERS, Water Policy Assistant REN GUERRERO, Project Manager - Legislative Advocate CHARLOTTE HODDE, Water Policy Specialist DR. MONICA HUNTER, Central Coast Water Project Manager MINDY McINTYRE, Water Program Manager JONAS MINTON, Senior Water Policy Advisor GARY A. PATTON, General Counsel GERALD PEREZ, Administrative Manager JUSTIN SAYDELL, Sierra Nevada Americorp Member AMBER SCHMAELING, Membership & Development Coordinator MATT VANDER SLUIS, Global Warming Project Manager MELANIE SCHLOTTERBECK, Grants & Outreach Consultant

The Planning and Conservation League (PCL) has been blessed through the years with its talented and devoted Board Members. Some of the remarkable work of our Board Members includes: Dave Hirschs work on the California Environmental Quality Act legislation; Joan Clayburghs coalition building of groups in the Sierra Nevada; Phyllis Fabers efforts to have a plan for Californias agriculture; and Sage Sweetwoods promotion of the conservation and sustainability of Californias water. It is because of their individual work and their support of PCL that we have been able to bring about more environmental protections in the work we do. On October 13th we lost a wonderful Board Member, Dorothy Green, to melanoma. Dorothy was a dear friend and steadfast supporter of PCL. She always brought a new view, especially on water issues. Her work on this topic seamlessly intertwined with PCLs water policy efforts at the statewide level. Dorothys long list of achievements include founding Heal the Bay, the Los Angeles and San Dorothy Green Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council and the California 1929 - 2008 Water Impact Network. To memorialize her work and for her extensive leadership in California water policy, in 2007, PCL presented her with the Carla Bard Award for Individual Achievement. Dorothy was one in a million; she was clever, caring and charming. She never missed an opportunity to mention water issues in California. Her legacy will be the inspiration she provided to future water leaders, says Jonas Minton, PCL Water Policy Advisor. She was a class act and her friends and colleagues in the environmental and water community will miss her dearly. To honor her, PCL has created the Dorothy Green Award for an activist or group that has made substantial contributions in the water policy arena. The first award presentation will be made at our Dorothy at the 2008 Symposium. February 7, 2009 Annual Symposium (see pages 4 and 5). We are also excited to announce the Dorothy Green Fellowship -- a water policy fellowship with PCL that will begin next summer. Look for more information on the fellowship in the new year. The fellowship and the award honor Dorothys spirit and commitment. We hope that spirit will always be with us! Sincerely, Traci Sheehan Executive Director

California Affiliate National Wildlife Federation

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

Keith Wagner

Preserving Californias Oaks

By: Janet Cobb

Californias 100 million acres include 13 million acres of oak trees, oak woodlands and oak-forested lands. Oak conservation is critical to stemming the loss of species due to urban sprawl, climate change, and poor agricultural practices. Conserving oaks is key to having healthy watersheds and sustainable wildlife habitat. Today, oaks sequester 325 million metric tons of carbon, and another 350 million metric tons in understory, woody material and soil. The California Oak Foundation has long argued that it makes good economic sense to keep oaks standing. The California Oak Foundation (COF), was founded in 1988 by two PCL Board members, Charles Warren and Jane Hagedorn and they quickly handed it off to Janet Cobb, former PCL President. COF has worked over these years to bring oak scenic, cultural, and biodiversity contributions to opinion leaders and the public. Legislative successes have included Governor Gray Davis signing AB 232 (Thomson) providing oak conservation easement acquisition funds to the Wildlife Conservation Board to conserve oaks on private lands. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 1334 (Kuehl), placing oak woodland mitigation into the California Environmental Quality Act for the first time in the states history. Voter-approved bond funds have gone a long way in conserving oaks too. To ensure the survival of Californias oaks, COF comments on many EIRs. Its free monthly electronic Oak Report shares sample letters with members and friends. In some cases, lawsuits result. PCL stalwarts Keith
Janet Cobb

Wagner and Bill Yeates, along with lawyers Tom Lippe and Michael Graf, have challenged those not paying attention to oak laws and values. Lippe, Wagner and Yeates were instrumental in helping COF, Audubon and Sierra Club receive more than a $6 million settlement to mitigate for 700 acres of oaks removed from Placer County. To date, more than 2,000 acres of oak woodlands have been purchased with these funds and leveraging has infused the countys local economy with $9.5 million dollars. Tehama Countys plan to destroy 97,000 blue oaks, upheld by the Superior Court, is now being appealed by COF. Additionally, COF has conducted 24 Estate Tax Planning and Conservation Easement workshops for landowners, and since then thousands of acres of oak woodland easements have either been donated and/or purchased from willing landowners. Partnerships between environmental groups, agencies and land trusts have been the key to success. The Hearst Ranch easement, negotiated by Hariett Burgess, a long-time PCLF member, set aside 32,000 acres of oaks; Tejon Ranchs generous oaks and grasslands will continue to serve, thanks in large part to leadership from PCLs Terry Watt and Gary Patton in cooperating with numerous like-minded conservationists. Conserved oak woodlands and forests will continue to deliver food and shelter to more than 330 species. COF believes that the important oak ecosystem is worth saving for the future. California Oak Foundations books and pamphlets are listed on its website: www.CaliforniaOaks.org.

Janet Cobb

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

Steps to a Sustainable California - February 7, 2009

By: Melanie Schlotterbeck

Every year the Planning and Conservation League (PCL) and PCL Foundation host an environmental legislative symposium. Join the hundreds of businesses, environmental advocates, grassroots organizations, attorneys, planners and policy-makers at the 2009 event! The theme of our event is Steps to a Sustainable California: Building Momentum for Real Change. To ensure a sustainable future, we need to make real changes in how we live our lives, and how we organize our society. And we need to start making those changes right now right here! California has, and continues to be, a leader in environmental laws and our innovative measures can provide a model for others.

Our priorities, shown by the policy sessions weve selected this year, include climate change, water and public health. We will focus on specific steps that PCL can and will do to ensure that our state becomes sustainable. But we cant do this alone. We will need your support to get these top priorities at the forefront of our discussions and legislative efforts. The Symposium & Awards Banquet Details Date: Saturday, February 7, 2009 Symposium: 9:00AM - 4:15PM Banquet: 5:00PM - 7:00PM Location: Sheraton Grand, downtown Sacramento 1230 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

An Introduction to a few of our sessions.... California Wildfire and CEQA (MCLE)

Wildfires in California are a growing threat to both wildlife habitat and public safety. As seen in the 2007 Southern California Firestorms, fire management, implementation of better planning tools and the protection of endangered and threatened species and their habitats were much needed. This panel will discuss issues including locating new development away from high fire risk areas; designing maximally defensible projects; examining the damage caused by wildfires; and much more!

The Conservation Challenge of the 21st Century: Protecting Wildlife from Global Warming
Effectively managing Californias natural resources in the face of global warming will be one of the central challenges of the next decades. Left unchecked, global warming will magnify the pressures placed upon wildlife and their habitats, damaging the diverse natural systems. In this panel, we will explore Californias progress toward protecting wildlife and their habitats from global warming and identify the actions necessary to help ensure it gets done.

How To... Involve and Motivate People to Join and Stay Involved in Your Campaign
Everyone agrees that mobilizing the grassroots is an essential component of a successful campaign and yet we all struggle with volunteer recruitment and retention. Learn simple things can you do to make hearings and outreach activities like phone banking and precinct walking fun and interesting.

How To... Protect Natural Lands

This workshop will explore land conservation, which is a key piece of the puzzle to create a sustainable California. Key topics in this session will include land protection tools, strategies and techniques, types of funding, and an overview of the protection and stewardship process.
Photo credits: bottom left - Hills For Everyone; others - CanStockPhoto.com

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

PCL History Project Debut We will also debut the PCL History Project -where you can relay your stories about how PCL has contributed to your local efforts. Tell your stories at the Symposium! Symposium Sponsors (to date) Thank you to the following generous sponsors for their contributions to this event: Chatten-Brown & Carstens Conservation Clarity Rossmann and Moore LLP Linda and Byron Sher Family Fund Camp Lotus National Parks Conservation Association Shute Mihaly & Weinberger Phyllis Faber John Van de Kamp Tahoe Graphics East Bay Municipal Utility District Inland Empire Utility Agency California Trout Golden Gate Audubon Marin Conservation League Marin Conservation Corps Far Western Anthropological Research Group National Wildlife Foundation East Bay Regional Parks Kenyon-Yeates LLP Adams, Broadwell, Joseph & Cardozo GreenInfo Network Sierra Nevada Alliance Laguna Canyon Foundation Save Mount Diablo Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks Senator Pat Wiggins

MCLE & AICP CM Credit This year, for the first time, AICP members can earn Certification Maintenance (CM) credits for many activities at this event. PCL and PCLF certify that this activity has also been approved for 4.75 hours of MCLE credit by the State Bar of California. Award Winners In 2009 we will be celebrating the work of the following environmental heroes: Senator Sheila Kuehl (Legislator of the Year) Terry Watt (Carla Bard Award for Individual Achievement) Green L.A. (David Gaines Award for Non-Profit Work) Elva Yaez (Environmental Justice Advocate of the Year) Working Assets (Environmental Business of the Year) Photographs & Videos PCL and PCLF will be taking photographs of the event for our website and publications. Registration Fees Your Symposium registration fee covers continental breakfast, lunch, refreshments, and all Symposium materials. Fees for registration are as follows: Before 2-for-1 Deals (Symposium & Banquet) Dec. 31 PCL Member $100 Non-Member $135 Student $45 MCLE $220 Symposium Only PCL Member Non-Member Student MCLE Dinner Ticket $80 $115 $25 $200 $50 After Dec. 31 $125 $160 $50 $245 $105 $140 $30 $225 $65

Become a Sponsor at: www.PCL.org

Registration Form
Name Organization Address City, State, Zip Phone Email Fax

Meal Preference:

Omnivore

Vegetarian Amount: $

Vegan

Payment Options

1. Credit card - register online at: www.PCL.org OR fill out this form and fax it to (916) 448-1789, Attention: Amber Schmaeling Credit Card # (Visa/MC) Exp. Date

Group Registration Inquiries If you would like to register more than four participants from your business or organization, please call Melanie Schlotterbeck at 714-779-7561.

2. Check - make payable to PCL and mail with form to: Planning and Conservation League Attention: Amber Schmaeling 1107 9th Street, Suite 360 Sacramento, CA 95814

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

The Push for Climate Action in College Campuses

By: Matt Little

National Wildlife Federations (NWF) Campus Ecology program is working with over 20 Southern California campuses to create the Southern California Climate Action Network. This network, which includes most of the UC and Cal State schools, is called SoCalCAN. We are working together to achieve emission reductions on and off campus. Campuses are implementing their individual climate action plans, collaborating and pooling resources to reduce collective emissions and promote alternative energy sources, and advocating for better climate policies. You can read more about these efforts at www.SoCalCan.org. NWF is working within these same campuses on an initiative called Power Vote! The purpose of Power Vote is to get college students to get involved in politics and push for solutions to climate change as well as promote a new green economy. Power Vote held many events in Southern California and delivered thousands of Power

National Wildlife Federation

Vote pledges to our congressional members in November. To learn more about Power Vote, go to www.PowerVote.org. From Ranger Rick to Campus Ecology, NWF believes that working with youth is the way to change the future for conservation. To learn about our campus programs and ways we connect people to nature, you can start at: www.nwf.org/campusecology.

Every year we need to publish our Statement of Circulation, as required by the United States Post Office.

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

A Day on the Ranch

By: Melanie Schlotterbeck

At the base of the Grapevine, on the edge of the San Joaquin Valley, are gently rolling slopes that lead up to the peaks of the Tehachapi Mountain Range. With stands of valley oaks scattered across the landscape and golden eagles soaring above -- this particular property ties California and its diverse ecosystems together. On a clear day last October with temperatures in the mid-70s roughly 30 friends, supporters and board members of the Planning and Conservation League descended on the Old Headquarters of Tejon Ranch. Back in May, PCL was one of five environmental groups to sign a Conservation and Land Use Agreement with the Tejon Ranch Company that preserved 90% or 240,000 acres of the Ranch. Our event celebrated the legacy of this preservation effort and PCLs contribution in achieving this victory. Guests arrived in the early afternoon and were greeted with a fabulous spread of cheese and crackers, as well as fresh locally grown almonds and grapes. After a short introduction to PCL by our Executive Director, Traci Sheehan, we heard

Melanie Schlotterbeck

about some of the amazing features of this remarkable landscape from Dr. Mike White, a representative of the Tejon Ranch Conservancy. Three hosts from the Tejon Ranch Company took us into a valley oak forest a few miles from Old Headquarters. From there we wandered amidst the interwoven canopy of trees. Most of us saw a lone coyote, a herd of deer and too many raptors to count. After an hour getting acquainted with the land, we drove the winding dirt roads back to Old Headquarters for a barbeque. With a dish of cobbler and ice cream to finish the day, we all headed back to our individual points of origin with a personal appreciation of PCLs work preserving the Ranch. This short adventure to Tejon reminded us about all the special landscapes PCL has helped to protect over the years and that there are other landscapes that beckon us.

League Launches Legacy Society

By: Amber Schmaeling

The Planning and Conservation League held its first California Legacy Society event on October 18th at Tejon Ranch. The Legacy Society was created as a formal way to recognize members who actively support PCLs mission by donating $1,000 or more annually. This is an important event for the League and its Legacy members. Im so glad our members are able to witness the beauty of Tejon. Its the support of our members that helps us to continue our work to protect the California environment, commented Traci Sheehan, Executive Director of the League.

At the event, PCL Board President Bill Center spoke about how the new Legacy Society and the legacy of Tejon have left an indelible mark in PCLs history. PCL will host two annual events each year for its California Legacy Society members, providing opportunities to participate and witness what the League is doing first-hand in California preservation and restoration. For more information on how you can become a Legacy Society member or to learn about the benefits of Society membership, contact Amber Schmaeling by phone (916) 313-4517 or email ASchmaeling@pcl.org.

CALIFORNIA TODAY Planning and Conservation League & PCL Foundation

Dr. Jeff Hansen

PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE PLANNING AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE FOUNDATION

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Building Momentum for Water Reform in California

By: Mindy McIntyre

With the drought, the economic downturn, and the continued decline of fisheries and the Bay Delta Estuary, California advocates are joining together to bring water reform to California in the coming years. On October 2, the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water (EJCW) and the Planning and Conservation League co-hosted the 2008 Water Summit in Davis to discuss such water reform. The Summit brought over 50 leading environmental, community, fishing and water agency representatives, and environmental justice groups from across the state together to strategize on opportunities to change Californias water outlook for the better. The Summit started with a preview of the legislative landscape that we are likely to face next year, with presentations by Kip Lipper from the office of the Senate President Pro Tem and Carol Baker from the office of the Assembly Speaker. Legislative staff, including representatives from the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water, the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife, Assembly member Caballero and Senator Padilla, also joined in the dialogue. The majority of the day-long Summit was devoted to discussion on

opportunities to reform targeted water issues, including water governance, groundwater, public awareness of water, regional water self-sufficiency, and fish declines. Fueled by the energy and enthusiasm in the room, the stakeholders ended the days activities with a commitment to work together to develop a coordinated

platform of water reform policies for next year. Building on that momentum, PCL along with their partner in this effort, the EJCW will be hosting follow-up Summits throughout the winter to develop a water reform package for next year and beyond.

Mixed Results -- Regulating Toxics

By: Ren Guerrero

The Governor signed two meaningful measures that would enhance the states Green Chemistry program while advancing the reduction and elimination of hazardous chemicals in our products and the environment. AB 1879 (Feuer) authorizes a public process to establish a list of chemicals of concern and prioritize those chemicals on their potential for exposure and impacts on sensitive populations. SB 509 (Simitian) allows the creation of an online public clearinghouse of information on the hazards associated with various chemicals. Although this set of legislation drives California to the forefront of the nation and the world with the most comprehensive Green Chemistry program, the state does not acknowledge the Precautionary Principle. That principle is: When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically. In this context the proponent of an activity, rather than the public, should bear the burden of proof. Right now, chemicals like Bisphenol-A, are prevalent in our food, water, and bodies - and evidence exists that these chemicals can cause devastating long term developmental, reproductive, behavioral, and neurological effects. Precaution is prevention.