The 2026-27 Budget: Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation Proposals

Mar 19, 2026 - However, the office ’s statutory responsibilities have expanded over time, including a new focus on climate change and serving as the state ’s lead entity on CEQA issues. For example, the Legislature and Governor have tasked the office with additional responsibilities to develop statewide guidance on complying with CEQA and to review applications for projects seeking streamlined CEQA processes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5167

The 2026-27 Budget: Cap-and-Invest Expenditure Plan

Feb 10, 2026 - Most notably, because including state operations expenditures as part of Tier 1 means they receive first priority for available GGRF, adding new activities to this category can have the effect of gradually “crowding out ” other GGRF ‑funded programs and activities.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5114

The 2026-27 Budget: Governor’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Tax Credit Proposal

Feb 24, 2026 - There also are a number of other refiners in the United States that currently produce RD and could, with the purchase of some ad ditional equipment, be converted to produce SAF in addition to, or instead of, RD.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5139

The 2026-27 Budget: Framework for Approaching the Natural Resources, Environmental Protection, and Agriculture Budget

Feb 10, 2026 - The budget proposes $70  million in both 2026 ‑27 and 2027 ‑28 —$20  million from the Lead ‑Acid Battery Cleanup Fund and $50  million from the General Fund as a loan to the Toxic Substances Control Account (TSCA) —to support DTSC in cleaning up additional residential properties impacted by lead ‑contaminated soil linked to the former Exide facility in the City of Vernon.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5116

The 2026-27 Budget: Proposed Elimination of State Environmental Positions

Feb 17, 2026 - While such challenges can lead to delays in filling positions, they do not mean these roles will not eventually be filled, nor that the responsibilities such staff perform are not important. While eliminating vacancies could appear to be an easy way to achieve ongoing budgetary savings, in some cases doing so co uld undermine environmental departments ’ long-term capacity and ability to achieve the goals and tasks laid out for them in state law.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5124

The 2026-27 Budget: Permitting Support at the State Water Resources Control Board

Mar 2, 2026 - The shift to state regulation for water bodies that are no longer considered WOTUS is leading to an increase in workload for the water boards. For example, SWRCB reports that out of all dredge/fill permit applications received, the share of state-only permit applications increased from about 5  percent before Sackett to about 20  percent after that decision.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5144

The Bay-Delta Plan and Voluntary Agreements: Ensuring Effective Legislative Oversight

Mar 18, 2026 - The state added the doubling goal as a narrative water quality objective in the 1995 Bay ‑Delta Plan. Doubling natural production relative to the average annual 1967 ‑1991 baseline would mean nearly 900,000 naturally produced salmon annually.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5163