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Environment and Natural Resources Publications

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Handout

Improving Management of the State’s Groundwater Resources

February 2, 2011 - Presented to Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee

Handout

Governor’s Proposed Realignment of Fire and Emergency Response Activities

February 2, 2011 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Resources and Transportation

Handout

Proposition 23: Suspension of “Assembly Bill 32” Until California’s Unemployment Rate Is 5.5 Percent or Less for a Year

October 1, 2010 - Presented to Senate Environmental Quality Committee and Assembly Natural Resources Committee

Handout

AB32: Letter to Assembly Member Dan Logue Regarding Evaluation of the ARB's Updated Economic Analysis

June 16, 2010 - This responds to Assembly Member Logue's request that we provide an evaluation of the updated economic analysis prepared by the California Air Resources Board of its Scoping Plan for implementing AB 32 (Núñez).

Handout

Implementation of the 2010 Water Bond—Issues in Conference (Agenda Pages 19, 24, and 29)

June 7, 2010 - Presented to Budget Conference Committee

Handout

SBX7 8 (Steinberg) Bond Appropriations (Agenda Pages 21 and 24)

June 7, 2010 - Presented to Budget Conference Committee

Handout

California Jobs Budget: Securitization of “Bottle Bill” Monies Overview of the Bottle Bill Program (Agenda Page 11)

June 7, 2010 - Presented to Budget Conference Committee

Handout

AB32: Letter to Assembly Member Dan Logue Regarding Potential Economic Leakage

May 13, 2010 - This responds to Assembly Member Logue's request that we conduct a qualitative analysis of the costs of California taking actions to address the climate change issue, without there being a shared consensus and involvement across the nation in terms of how the issue is addressed. Specifically we were asked to look at the costs California would likely incur following the implementation of AB 32 through the California Air Resource Board’s Scoping Plan, compared to states that do not have similar policies in place.

Report

Implementation of AB 32—Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006

April 14, 2010 - The state's major climate change legislation—commonly referred to as "AB 32"—is approaching a crossroads in its implementation. The state's AB 32 activities, currently carried out mainly by the Air Resources Board (ARB) but also by eleven other state agencies, will be shifting from the development of plans and regulations to program implementation and enforcement. Legislative oversight of the overall size and components of the AB 32 program budget is very important, particularly given this upcoming shift in the program's focus. In this budget-focused brief, we provide details of the Governor's AB 32 budget proposal and ARB's plan to pay for most of the AB 32 program administrative activities from a new fee. We also offer recommendations to ensure that (1) sufficient resources are devoted to economic analysis of AB 32 measures and (2) future AB 32 expenditures and fees are justified and set at appropriate levels.

Report

Liquid Assets: Improving Management of the State's Groundwater Resources

March 24, 2010 - California’s water system is facing a series of challenges affecting water availability, reliability, and delivery. Reevaluating how groundwater is managed is necessary if it is to achieve its full potential as a reliable source of water. In this report, we present the Legislature with a series of actions that would be phased in over a period of time to address current and emerging groundwater management issues, including bringing science and law together to accurately reflect the physical interconnection of surface water and groundwater.

Handout

Overview of the Integrated Waste Management Account

March 18, 2010 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 2 On Resources, Environmental Protection, and Energy and Senate Environmental Quality Committee

Handout

Implementation of the Green Chemistry Initiative

March 18, 2010 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 2 On Resources, Environmental Protection, and Energy and Senate Environmental Quality Committee

Report

The 2010-11 Budget: Funding and Policy Options for the Beverage Container Recycling Program

March 18, 2010 - Since July 2009, the Beverage Container Recycling Program has faced severe cuts, necessitated by a projected $157 million fund deficit for 2009‑10 in its primary funding source—the Beverage Container Recycling Fund (BCRF). In February 2010, the Legislature enacted a number of measures in the special session to begin addressing the funding challenges in this program. In this report, we review the Governor’s budget and policy proposals to address the deficit, recap the enacted special session changes to the program in both the current year and the budget year, and offer our recommendations for additional budget-year actions, including long-term changes to the program.

Letter

AB32: Analysis of Two Studies by Varshney and Associates

March 9, 2010 - This responds to Assembly Member De León's request relating to California’s regulatory environment and AB 32 (Núñez), the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006). Specifically, you have asked that we analyze the methodologies, data, and reliability of the findings of two studies by Varshney and Associates. In our response, we summarize the methodologies and analyses contained in these two studies, discuss their findings, and provide our assessment of the analyses supporting their conclusions.

Handout

Funding and Implementation of the 2009 Delta Legislation

March 9, 2010 - Presented to Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee, and Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Resources

Environment and Natural Resources Staff
Helen Kerstein
(916) 319-8364
Forestry, Parks, and High Speed Rail
 
Sonja Petek
(916) 319-8340
Water, Coastal Development, and Fish and Wildlife
 
Frank Jimenez
(916) 319-8324
Highways and Roads, Recycling, Agriculture, and Toxics
 
Luke Koushmaro
(916) 319-8355
Mass Transportation, Traffic Enforcement, Statewide Planning and Infrastructure
 
Sarah Cornett
(916) 319-8329
Air Quality, Energy, and Climate Change
 
Rachel Ehlers
(916) 319-8330
Deputy Legislative Analyst: Environment and Transportation