BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SCR 90
Author: Hueso (D)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
SUBJECT : Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution declares 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.
ANALYSIS : This resolution makes the following legislative
findings:
1. Originating in Mexico, the Tijuana River crosses the
international boundary into the United States near San
Ysidro, California, then flows westerly to discharge into the
Pacific Ocean at about 1.5 miles north of the Mexican border
where it forms the Tijuana River Estuary, partly located in
the State of California and partly in Mexico.
2. Parts of the Tijuana River Estuary are protected by the
Department of Parks and Recreation as the Border Field State
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Park.
3. The Tijuana River Estuary is also protected by the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service, and is designated as a
"Wetland of International Importance" through the United
Nations Ramsar Convention Wetlands.
4. The Tijuana River Estuary is one of only two coastal
estuaries in southern California large enough, and unimpeded
by development, to be resilient to climate change. It is
also the only coastal lagoon in southern California that is
primarily under public ownership and not bisected by roads
and railroads, contributing to its economic resiliency and
value.
5. The City of San Diego declared the existence of a state of
emergency related to the potential for severe flooding in the
Tijuana River Valley, posing a possibility of peril to
persons or property.
6. Decades of scientific research prove that sediment, trash,
and high concentrations of other urban, agricultural, and
industrial pollutants carried in stormwater runoff flowing
into California from Mexico currently threaten the Tijuana
River Valley's environmental health and viability.
7. In addition to the environmental impact caused by the
transport and deposition of trash and sediment, the watershed
is in danger of losing valuable ecological, recreational, and
economic resources.
8. The only way to effectively restore and protect
environmental and human health issues in the Tijuana River
Valley is to address transboundary flows of trash and
sediment at the source, requiring binational cooperation.
9. The Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team is a collaboration of
more than 30 federal, state, and local agencies and other
interested parties from both sides of the border focused on
addressing sediment, trash, and associated environmental
issues through the Tijuana River Valley Recovery Strategy.
10.The Tijuana River Valley Recovery Strategy emphasizes
binational collaboration on wastewater improvements, trash
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control, sediment and flood control, and ecosystem
restoration.
This resolution declares 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 EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 3/12/14)
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The San Diego Regional Chamber of
Commerce states:
The Tijuana River drains the 1,730 square mile Tijuana
River Watershed, which situated partly in the United States
and partly in Mexico. Overall, the topography of the
watershed has a south-to north downward tilt, resulting in
the flow of water from Mexico into the United States.
Ecological and human health and safety problems in the
Tijuana River Valley cannot be solved unilaterally from
only one side of the border. Binational problems must be
solved with binational solutions.
The Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team is a collaboration
of more than 30 federal, state and local agencies and other
interested parties from both sides of the border focused on
addressing sediment, trash and associated environmental
issues in the watershed. The Recovery Team created the
Recovery Strategy, a concise plan of the first phase of
actions to clean-up and restore the watershed.
The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce strongly
supports efforts to protect and enhance our region's
natural resources, which ultimately promotes economic
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growth and improves our quality of life. This
collaborative undertaking ultimately will benefit not only
the residents of the San Diego region, but all
Californians.
RM:ne 3/12/14 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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