Use either the form or links on the side to filter the list of publications. Browse other LAO products using the links at the bottom of the sidebar.
216 Publications Found
February 18, 2004 - The budget proposes to impose a new fee on timber owners to partially cover the costs incurred by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDFFP) in its review and enforcement of timber harvest plans (THPs) beginning in the current year. While this is a step in the right direction, we recommend the enactment of fee legislation that would go further by fully funding the costs of CDFFP and all other state agencies with THP review responsibilities.
February 18, 2004 - Development in and around floodplains has contributed to increased losses due to floods, but the state’s efforts to improve floodplain management have been reduced significantly in recent years. We recommend reducing the state’s share of funding for certain flood control projects to better reflect the local benefit from these projects. This would create future savings that could be used to make more strategic flood management investments and benefit the General Fund.
February 18, 2004 - The CALFED Bay-Delta Program—with a projected $6 billion funding gap—is at a funding crossroads. To date, the state has been the biggest funding contributor by far to the program, with federal and local governments and water users lagging in their support. We recommend a funding framework for CALFED that applies the beneficiary pays principle, including a fee on water users that take water from the Bay-Delta system.
February 19, 2003 - We recommend enactment of legislation to fund one-half of the proposed General Fund budget for fire protection on state responsibility areas by imposing fees on property owners who benefit from these services. This would result in a savings of about $170 million to the General Fund.
February 19, 2003 - The current organization of the state's energy agencies, including the structure of the state's representation before FERC, should be evaluated after key decisions have been made that will dictate what the future structure of the state's electricity market will itself look like. For the interim, we recommend ways the Legislature can ensure coordination among the multiple agencies appearing before FERC.
February 19, 2003 - The state has received cash and assets from settlements resulting from the renegotiation of energy contracts entered into by the state during the "energy crisis." Future settlements are also likely. We recommend that the Legislature hold hearings to consider uses for the settlement funds.
February 19, 2003 - $170 million savings if property owners who benefit from state fire protection services pay $6 per acre in order to offset one-half of the state's proposed General Fund costs to provide fire protection services largely to private landowners.
February 19, 2003 - A number of departments engage in resource assessment activities intended to determine the condition of natural resources in the state. We review several such activities and identify opportunities for funding shifts and program reductions, some of which will create savings. We also discuss opportunities to increase the value of the information collected.
February 19, 2003 - Various budget proposals to expend Proposition 50 bond funds for water-related activities lack sufficient detail to justify approval. We recommend that the funding instead be put in legislation that defines the programs and guides their implementation.
February 19, 2003 - The state uses a variety of special and bond funds to support the departments, conservancies, boards, and programs under the Resources Agency that regulate and manage the state's natural resources. We provide a status report on selected special funds and bond funds supporting these programs.
February 19, 2003 - Environmental Protection Indicators for California (EPIC) track changes that are taking place in the environment. We recommend the enactment of legislation to guide EPIC and to ensure that data generated by it is sufficiently linked to the budget development process.
May 7, 2002 - Proposition 40 provided a $2.6 billion bond for natural resource conservation, parks, and historical and cultural resources. We recommend several actions to improve legislative oversight of these expenditures. We also recommend inclusion of future costs for state parks in the budget process.