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Environment and Natural Resources Publications

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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

Report

The 2010-11 Budget: Resources and Environmental Protection

March 8, 2010 - In reviewing the Governor's budget proposal, we uncovered current actions and proposals of the administration that either circumvent the Legislature's authority, make it difficult for the Legislature to oversee the administration's spending, or limit the Legislature's flexibility in making decisions. We found that the administration is: developing new renewable energy procurement requirements that circumvent legislative policy as reflected in current state law (known as the renewables portfolio standard); using an Emergency Fund--intended to pay for large-incident wildland firefighting costs--to cover some day-to-day departmental expenditures that are more appropriately made subject to legislative budget review; proposing a somewhat similar emergency fund for flood management that would be structured to allow the administration to augment it at its discretion without notifying the Legislature; and proposing again to fund recreation activities at State Water Project facilities in a way that escapes legislative budgetary review for all the spending. Finally, we recommend rejection of the Governor’s proposal to dedicate the ongoing Tranquillon Ridge oil lease revenues to support state parks, because it limits the Legislature's future decision making.

Letter

AB32: Analysis of the Net Impact On California Jobs

March 4, 2010 - This responds to Senator Cogdill's request for an analysis of the net impact on jobs in California that would occur as a result of the implementation of AB 32 (Núñez), the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006. In our response, we briefly summarize the basic provisions of AB 32 and its planned implementation through the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB’s) Scoping Plan (SP), discuss the avenues by which the SP would potentially affect California jobs, and present the jobs-related effects of the SP as estimated by CARB. We then comment on CARB’s analysis and offer our own view about how the SP might affect jobs.

Handout

Department of Fish and Game: 2010-11 Budget and Policy Overview

February 9, 2010 - Presented to Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee

Handout

Governor’s Emergency Response Initiative

January 21, 2010 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee

Handout

Governor’s Resources-Related Special Session Proposals

January 21, 2010 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee

Handout

Tranquillon Ridge Offshore Oil and Gas Lease Agreement

January 21, 2010 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee

Handout

Beverage Container Recycling Program:The Governor’s Special Session Proposals

January 21, 2010 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee

Letter

Debt-Service Costs and Water Bonds

October 30, 2009 - Sent to: Members, Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee

Handout

Financing Water Infrastructure

August 26, 2009 - Presented to Senate Select Committee on Delta Stewardship and Sustainability

Handout

Energy Agency Reorganization

June 16, 2009 - Presented to Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Communications

Handout

May Revision Overview: Resources

June 2, 2009 - Presented to the Budget Conference Committee

Handout

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection: Funding Wildland Fire Protection

April 2, 2009 - Presented to Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources

Report

Reforming Davis-Dolwig: Funding Recreation in the State Water Project

March 19, 2009 - The Davis-Dolwig Act is a 47-year-old state law that specifies that the state, not water ratepayers, should fund the recreation component of the the State Water Project (SWP). The budget proposes a number of statutory reforms to the act, in part to provide a dedicated funding source for its implementation. We find that the Governor’s proposal does not address a number of major problems with the implementation of the act and that the administration’s approach improperly limits the Legislature’s oversight role. We also find that, over many years, the Department of Water Resources has been allocating costs to the state under Davis-Dolwig that are significantly in excess of the direct costs to SWP for recreation. In our report, we offer the Legislature a package of statutory reforms to address problems that we have identified with the implementation of Davis-Dolwig. These include clarifying the role of public funding for recreation in SWP. We also recommend that the state evaluate the potential to divest itself of SWP reservoirs that are used mainly for recreation.

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