Featured Items
Staff
- Helen Kerstein
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(916) 319-8364
Air Quality, Energy, Climate Change, and High-Speed Rail - Brian Metzker
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(916) 319-8354
Forestry, Parks, and Agriculture - Sonja Petek
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(916) 319-8340
Water, Coastal Development, and Fish and Wildlife - Frank Jimenez
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(916) 319-8324
Highways and Roads, Recycling, and Toxics - Rachel Ehlers
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(916) 319-8330
Deputy Legislative Analyst: Environment and Transportation
Publications
Environment and Natural Resources
To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.
Funding Timber Harvest Plan Review and Enforcement
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April 7, 2008 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review, Subcommittee No. 2
Department of Fish and Game: Funding Regulatory Programs With Increased Fees
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April 7, 2008 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review, Subcommittee No. 2
Department of Parks and Recreation: LAO Alternative to Governor's Budget-Balancing Proposal
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March 24, 2008 - Presented to: Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy
LAO Alternative Budget For Higher Education
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March 14, 2008 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
2008-09 Budget Overview: Resources Agency Departments
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March 12, 2008 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Resources
Department of Parks and Recreation: LAO Alternative to Governor’s Budget-Balancing Proposal
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March 12, 2008 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Resources
Governor’s Proposed Delta Actions: LAO’s Initial Fiscal Assessment
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March 11, 2008 - Presented to Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water
Governor’s Hydrogen Highway Initiative
February 20, 2008 - We recommend that $6 million proposed for the Governor’s Hydrogen Highway initiative be rejected, because sufficient funding remains available from prior appropriations in light of the relatively little program progress to date. We also find that the Legislature is in a position to set its own hydrogen policy priorities before approving additional funding.
Funding Timber Harvest Plan Review and Enforcement
February 20, 2008 - We recommend the enactment of legislation to create a fee on timber operators to fully fund the review and enforcement of timber harvest plans by several state agencies, thereby creating General Fund savings of $21.2 million. Our recommendation is based on the application of the "beneficiary pays" funding principle.
Funding Water Quality and Water Rights Programs
February 20, 2008 - We recommend applying the "polluter pays" funding principle more fully to the State Water Resources Control Board’s core water quality and water rights programs by (1) increasing existing fees to fully cover regulatory program costs, and (2) enacting a new broad-based fee to fully fund water quality management programs. Adopting our recommendations would create General Fund savings of $30.6 million.
Funding Wildland Fire Protection
February 20, 2008 - The Governor’s proposed surcharge on commercial and residential insurance policies statewide to partially pay for wildland firefighting should be rejected in favor of a fee on property owners in "state responsibility areas" because these individuals directly benefit from the state’s firefighting services.
Funding Flood Management
February 20, 2008 - We recommend the enactment of legislation to establish a fee to cover the department’s flood management expenditures that provide a direct benefit to property owners in flood zones statewide and those protected by the state Central Valley flood control system, thereby creating General Fund savings of about $40 million.
Implementation of "AB 32"--Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006
February 20, 2008 - Contrary to legislative direction, the Governor has failed to identify a stable, long-term source of funding in the budget for implementation of "AB 32"--climate change legislation enacted in 2006. Instead, the Governor has relied on more borrowing from unrelated special funds to pay for a majority of the program. While not taking issue with the merits of the activities proposed for funding, we recommend that the Legislature defer action on a majority of the budget proposal until the administration submits a funding plan that is responsive to legislative direction.