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Environment and Natural Resources Publications

To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.

 



Handout

Wildfires, Emergency Readiness, and Response

January 31, 2019 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee

Report

The 2019-20 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

January 14, 2019 - This report presents our office’s initial assessment of the Governor’s Budget. The budget’s position continues to be positive. With $20.6 billion in discretionary resources available, the Governor’s budget proposal reflects a budget situation that is even better than the one our office estimated in the November Fiscal Outlook. The Governor’s Budget allocates nearly half of these discretionary resources to repaying state liabilities. Then, the Governor allocates $5.1 billion to one-time programmatic spending, $3 billion to reserves, and $2.7 billion to ongoing spending. Although the Governor’s allocation to discretionary reserves represents a smaller share of resources than recent budgets, the Governor’s decision to use a significant share of resources to pay down state debts is prudent. The Governor’s ongoing spending proposal is roughly in line with our November estimate of the ongoing capacity of the budget under an economic growth scenario. This was just one scenario, however. Recent financial market volatility indicates revenues could be somewhat lower than either we or the administration estimated.

Report

Assessing California’s Climate Policies—Transportation

December 21, 2018 - Chapter 135 of 2017 (AB 398, E. Garcia) requires our office to annually report on the economic impacts and benefits of California’s statutory greenhouse gas (GHG) emission goals—statewide emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. This report provides our assessment of the effects, of major policies in the transportation sector intended to help meet these goals, as well as identifies some key issues for the Legislature to consider as it makes future policy and budget decisions. In a companion report, Assessing California’s Climate Policies—An Overview, we describe the general types of economic effects of state climate policies, key challenges in measuring these effects, and broad issues for the Legislature to consider when designing and evaluating its climate policies.

Report

Assessing California’s Climate Policies—An Overview

December 21, 2018 - Chapter 135 of 2017 (AB 398, E. Garcia) requires our office to annually report on the economic impacts and benefits of California’s statutory greenhouse gas (GHG) emission goals—statewide emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. This report provides a conceptual overview of the potential economic effects of policies intended to help meet these goals—both positive and negative—as well as identifies some key issues for the Legislature to consider when designing and evaluating state climate policies. In a companion report, Assessing California’s Climate Policies—Transportation, we provide more detailed information and comments on the state’s major policies aimed at reducing emissions from the transportation sector.

Report

Cal Facts 2018

December 6, 2018 - With a state as big, as populous, and as complex as California, quickly summarizing how its economy or state budget works is impossible. Instead, Cal Facts is a visual guide—using a variety of different charts—to the state's economy, revenues, and major program trends.

Post

How CalFire is Spending Recent Forest Health Funds

November 15, 2018 - In this post, we provide a summary of how CalFire is spending Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund dollars provided in the 2017-18 budget package. We focus primarily on CalFire’s Forest Health Program, and identify issues for the Legislature to consider as it oversees and guides future expenditures of forest health funding.

Handout

Overview of the State Water Project and Proposed Contract Amendment

September 11, 2018 - Presented to Joint Legislative Budget Committee

Report

The Salton Sea: A Status Update

August 29, 2018 - The Salton Sea is California’s largest inland lake, located in Riverside and Imperial Counties. In this report, we discuss the changing conditions in and around the Sea, their statewide importance, and the Legislature’s role in overseeing projects to reduce potential negative effects on public health and wildlife.

Handout

Overview of Wildfire-Related Funding

July 25, 2018 - Presented to: Conference Committee on SB 901

Handout

Overview of State Bond Debt

June 27, 2018 - Presented to: Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water

Handout

Initiative Statute: Establishes New Standards for Confinement of Certain Farm Animals; Bans Sale of Certain Noncomplying Products.

June 19, 2018 - Presented to Senate Committee on Agriculture and Assembly Committee on Agriculture

Handout

Overview of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard

June 19, 2018 - Presented to Assembly Select Committee on California’s Energy Future

Handout

Initiative Statute: Authorizes Bonds to Fund Projects for Water Supply and Quality, Watershed, Fish, Wildlife, Water Conveyance, and Groundwater Sustainability and Storage

June 12, 2018 - Presented to: Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife and Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 On Resources and Transportation

Handout

Resources and Transportation Overview

May 31, 2018 - To be presented to: 2018-19 Budget Conference Committee.

Handout

Cap-and-Trade Extension: Issues for Legislative Oversight

May 24, 2018 - Presented to Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies

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