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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.
Achieving State Goals for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
January 15, 2015 - The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) is a biodiverse ecosystem that covers about 1,150 square miles and supports over 700 species of fish and wildlife. The Delta is an important source of water for the state and is used to convey water from Northern California to Southern California. The Delta faces several significant problems, including: (1) a decline in key native fish species, (2) reductions in the amount of Delta water available for use elsewhere, (3) water pollutants that cause harm to species and increase treatment costs, and (4) levees at significant risk of failure. The state has engaged in numerous efforts to address these problems and achieve its "coequal goals" for the Delta: water supply reliability and ecosystem restoration. There are many opportunities for the Legislature to improve the success of these efforts. We identified several issues for its consideration, including (1) demands for Delta water, (2) uncertain funding sources and slow implementation of some key activities, (3) limits on the effectiveness of governance in the Delta, and (4) challenges to restoring the Delta ecosystem. By addressing some of these issues, the Legislature can improve the likelihood that its goals and objectives for the Delta will be realized.
Letter to the Honorable Henry Perea Regarding Transportation Fuels and the Cap-and-Trade Program
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August 4, 2014 - This letter responds to a request concerning the effects of including transportation fuels in California's cap-and-trade program.
Augmentation for Drought Activities
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June 4, 2014 - Presented to: Budget Conference Committee
Longer-Term Cap-and-Trade Expenditure Plans
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June 4, 2014 - Presented to: Budget Conference Committee
Cap-and-Trade Expenditure Plan for 2014-15
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June 4, 2014 - Presented to: Budget Conference Committee
Augmentation for Drought Activities: LAO Compromise Provisional Language
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June 4, 2014 - Presented to: Budget Conference Committee
Improving Management of the State's Groundwater Resources
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March 11, 2014 - Presented to: Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee, Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Resources and Transportation
The 2014-15 Budget: Cap-and-Trade Auction Revenue Expenditure Plan
February 24, 2014 - In order to minimize the negative economic impact of cap-and-trade, it is important that auction revenues be invested in a way that maximizes GHG emission reductions for a given level of spending. In reviewing the Governor's proposed expenditure plan, we find that there is significant uncertainty regarding the degree to which each investment proposed for funding will achieve GHG reductions. This uncertainty is the result of several factors, including there being only limited data and analysis provided by the administration, as well as the fact that the level of emission reductions achieved would depend on the specific projects funded by departments. Given these concerns, we recommend that the Legislature direct ARB to develop metrics for departments to use in order to prospectively evaluate the potential GHG emission benefits of proposed projects, as well as direct the board to establish a set of guidelines for how departments should incorporate these metrics into their decision making processes.
The 2014-15 Budget: Resources and Environmental Protection
February 21, 2014 - In this report, we analyze the Governor's 2014-15 budget for the state's resources and environmental protection programs. We review and make recommendations on a number of major policy proposals, including a review of the administration's recently released Water Action Plan as well as the proposal to reduce or eliminate several programs currently funded by the Beverage Container Recycling Fund (commonly referred to as the "bottle bill"). We find that these policy proposals are generally reasonable approaches, though we identify trade-offs in the proposals and offer recommendations for legislative consideration. The report also identifies several issues included in the Governor's budget that merit additional legislative oversight. This includes the proposal to provide the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection with a total of $43 million from the General Fund to address deferred maintenance backlogs. While we find that it makes fiscal sense to address deferred maintenance, there is uncertainty about what factors have contributed to the large backlogs, as well as how the state can best address maintenance needs on an ongoing basis.
Financing the Bay Delta Conservation Plan
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February 12, 2014 - Presented to: Assembly Accountability and Administrative Review Committee
Governance and Financing of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan
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August 13, 2013 - Presented to: Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and Senate Governance and Finance Committee
Overview of Invasive Species Management in California
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May 9, 2013 - Presented to: Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Invasive Species
Overview of 2013-14 Governor's Budget for Resources
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March 7, 2013 - Presented to: Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources and Environmental Protection Hon. Jim Beall, Chair
Funding Principles for Building a Water Bond
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February 26, 2013 - Presented to: Senate Governance and Finance Committee Hon. Lois Wolk, Chair and Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee Hon. Fran Pavely, Chair
The 2013-14 Budget: Analysis of Governor’s Proposition 39 Proposal
February 21, 2013 - The Governor’s 2013‑14 budget includes a plan to implement the provisions of Proposition 39, which increases state corporate tax (CT) revenues and requires that half of these revenues for a five-year period be used for energy efficiency and alternative energy projects. The Governor proposes to count all associated revenues toward the Proposition 98 minimum guarantee for schools and community colleges. The Governor also proposes to designate all energy-related Proposition 39 funds to schools ($400.5 million) and community colleges ($49.5 million) in 2013‑14 and for the following four years. The Governor’s proposal to count all Proposition 39 revenues toward the Proposition 98 calculation is a significant departure from our longstanding view that revenues are to be excluded from the Proposition 98 calculation if the Legislature cannot use them for general purposes. In addition, the proposal excludes other eligible projects besides schools and community colleges (such as public hospitals) that potentially could achieve greater energy benefits. Further, the proposal does not coordinate Proposition 39 funding with the state’s existing energy efficiency programs. In view of the above concerns, we recommend the Legislature exclude from the Proposition 98 calculation all Proposition 39 revenues required to be used on energy-related projects and not count spending from these revenues as Proposition 98 expenditures. In addition, we recommend the Legislature direct the California Energy Commission (CEC) to administer a competitive grant process in which all public agencies, including schools and community colleges, could apply and receive funding based on identified facility needs.