SCR 90, as amended, Hueso. Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team.
This measure would declare the Legislature’s intent to work with the Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team to take various actions to protect and preserve the Tijuana River Valley, to encourage collaboration with the team to protect and enhance our natural resources through improved management of sediment and trash, flood control, ecosystem management, and recreation and education, and to promote bilateral ties with Mexico that will be beneficial to the enhancement of one of California’s most resilient ecosystems.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, Originating in Mexico, the Tijuana River crosses
2the international boundary into the United States near San Ysidro,
3California, then flows westerly to discharge into the Pacific Ocean
4at about 1.5 miles north of the Mexican border where it forms the
5Tijuana River Estuary, partly located in the State of California and
6partly in Mexico; and
7WHEREAS, Parts of the Tijuana River Estuary are protected
8by the Department of Parks and Recreation as the Border Field
9State Park; and
P2 1WHEREAS, The Tijuana River Estuary is also protected by the
2United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and is designated as a
3“Wetland of International Importance” through the United Nations
4Ramsar Conventionbegin insert onend insert Wetlands; and
5WHEREAS, The Tijuana River Estuary is one of only two
6coastal estuaries in southern California large enough, and
7unimpeded by development, to be resilient to climate change. It
8is also the only coastal lagoon in southern California that is
9primarily under public ownership and not bisected by roads and
10railroads, contributing to its economic resiliency and value; and
11WHEREAS, The City of San Diego declared the existence of
12a state of emergency related to the potential for severe flooding in
13the Tijuana River Valley, posing a possibility of peril to persons
14or property; and
15WHEREAS, Decades of scientific research prove that sediment,
16trash, and high concentrations of other urban, agricultural, and
17industrial pollutants carried in stormwater runoff flowing into
18California from Mexico currently threaten the Tijuana River
19Valley’s environmental health and viability; and
20WHEREAS, In addition to the environmental impact caused by
21the transport and deposition of trash and sediment, the watershed
22is in danger of losing valuable ecological, recreational, and
23economic resources; and
24WHEREAS, The only way to effectively restore and protect
25environmental and human health issues in the Tijuana River Valley
26is to address transboundary flows of trash and sediment at the
27source, requiring binational cooperation; and
28WHEREAS, The Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team is a
29collaboration of more than 30 federal, state, and local agencies
30and other interested parties from both sides of the border focused
31on addressing sediment, trash, and associated environmental issues
32through the Tijuana River Valley Recovery Strategy; and
33WHEREAS, The Tijuana River Valley Recovery Strategy
34emphasizes binational collaboration on wastewater improvements,
35trash control, sediment and flood control, and ecosystem
36restoration; now, therefore, be it
37Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
38thereof concurring, That the Legislature on behalf of the people
39of the State of California, declare their commitment to work with
40the Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team to protect the valley’s
P3 1diverse and unique ecological, recreational, cultural, and
2educational opportunities and preserve this natural jewel located
3within a binational metropolitan area; and be it further
4Resolved, That it is the intent of the Legislature to encourage
5collaboration with the Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team to do
6both of the following:
7(a) To protect and enhance our natural resources through
8improved management of sediment and trash, flood control,
9ecosystem management, and recreation and education.
10(b) To promote bilateral ties that will be beneficial to the
11enhancement of one of California’s most resilient ecosystems; and
12be it further
13Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
14this resolution to the Secretary for Environmental Protection and
15to the author for appropriate distribution.
O
98