California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 22

Introduced by Assembly Member Dahle

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bigelow, Harper, Mark Stone, and Waldron)

(Coauthor: Senator Gaines)

February 10, 2015

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 22—Relative to Sierra Nevada Watershed Protection Week.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 22, as introduced, Dahle. Sierra Nevada Watershed Protection Week.

This measure would declare the week of September 13, 2015, through September 19, 2015, and the third week of September every year thereafter, as Sierra Nevada Watershed Protection Week. The measure would encourage public schools to include watershed protection in the Sierra Nevada as part of their outdoor education curriculum whenever possible during the month of September. The measure would also encourage state, federal, and local agencies, along with nongovernmental organizations to work cooperatively towards the goal of increasing the pace and scale of watersheds and forest restoration in the region and would urge the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to play a key role in development of a plan and program to address these issues.

Fiscal committee: yes.

WHEREAS, The Sierra Nevada Conservancy was established
in bipartisan fashion to initiate, encourage, and support efforts that
improve the environmental, economic, and social well-being of
the Sierra Nevada, its communities, and the citizens of California;
and

WHEREAS, The Sierra Nevada Region encompasses 25 million
acres and is the origin of more than 60 percent of California’s
developed water supply; and

WHEREAS, Forests of the Sierra Nevada store massive amounts
of carbon and present an immediate opportunity to assist the state
in meeting the objectives of the California Global Warming
Solutions Act of 2006; and

WHEREAS, The region is the primary source of fresh water
flowing into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta; and

WHEREAS, The Sierra Nevada Region draws visitors from
around the United States and the world, with Yosemite National
Park alone bringing in nearly four million visitors per year; and

WHEREAS, Many of the forests in the Sierra Nevada Region
are overgrown and unhealthy, putting them at extreme risk of
uncharacteristically large and damaging fires, with this year likely
to establish the highest number of acres burned in a single decade
in the recorded history of the Sierra Nevada; and

WHEREAS, The impacts of these fires include massive
emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants, as well as a
dramatic increase in sedimentation of streams and reservoirs and
the loss of crucial habitat and recreational opportunities; and

WHEREAS, Agriculture and tourism in the Sierra Nevada
Region are key economic drivers in the state, and the values and
services coming out of the region, such as clean water and energy,
are critical to the state’s overall economic health; and

WHEREAS, The legacy of Gold Rush era mining has resulted
in impairments to water quality from more than 20,000 abandoned
mines, of which more than 3,000 are known to contain chemical
hazards, that are the primary source of mercury for the San
Francisco Bay and the Delta; and

WHEREAS, The Great Sierra River Cleanup is the premier
volunteer event focused on removing trash and restoring the health
of waterways throughout the Sierra Nevada Region and is held in
conjunction with California Coastal Cleanup Day; and

WHEREAS, During the first six years of the Great Sierra River
Cleanup, more than 23,000 volunteers have joined together to
remove more than 600 tons of trash and recyclables from
watersheds throughout the Sierra Nevada; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature acknowledges the critical
role the Sierra Nevada Region plays in California’s economy and
environment and the wide range of benefits, products, amenities,
and resources originating in the Sierra Nevada, and encourages
the proactive restoration of the watersheds and forests of the region;
and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature encourages state, federal, and
local agencies, along with nongovernmental organizations, to work
cooperatively towards the goal of increasing the pace and scale of
watershed and forest restoration in the region and urges the Sierra
Nevada Conservancy to play a key role in development of a plan
and program to address these issues; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature encourages public schools to
include watershed protection in the Sierra Nevada as part of their
outdoor education curriculum whenever possible during the month
of September; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature calls upon all Californians to
acknowledge the multiple benefits flowing from the Sierra Nevada
through observance of Sierra Nevada Watershed Protection Week;
and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature declares the week of September
13, 2015, through September 19, 2015, and the third week of
September every year thereafter, as Sierra Nevada Watershed
Protection Week, with the purpose of expanding the
acknowledgment of the region’s contributions to a higher quality
of life for all Californians; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.