Amended in Senate August 17, 2015

Amended in Assembly July 2, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 22

Introduced by Assembly Member Dahle

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bigelow, Harper, Mark Stone, Waldron, Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Atkins, Baker, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, O’Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Perea, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Steinorth, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Weber, Wilk, Williams, and Wood)

(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 amended, 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, begin insert as provided, end insert as Sierra Nevada Watershed Protection Week. The measure would begin delete encourage end delete begin insert applaud end insert public schools begin delete to end delete begin insert that end insert include watershed protection in the Sierra Nevada begin insert Region end insert as part of their outdoor education curriculum whenever possible during the month of September. The measure would also begin delete encourage end delete begin insert commend end insert state, federal, and local agencies, along with nongovernmental organizations begin delete to work end delete begin insert for working end insert cooperatively begin delete towards end delete begin insert to achieve end insert the goal of increasing the pace and scale of begin delete watersheds end delete begin insert watershed end insert and forest restoration in the region begin delete and would urge end delete begin insert with end insert the Sierra Nevada Conservancy begin delete to play end delete begin insert playing end insert a key role in begin insert the end insert development of a plan and program to address these issues.

Fiscal committee:  begin delete yes end delete begin insert no end insert .

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 begin insert Region end insert 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 begin delete Nevada; end delete begin insert Nevada Region; end insert 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 begin delete encourages end delete
begin insert acknowledges end insert the begin insert benefits of end insert proactive restoration of the watersheds
and forests of the region; and be it further

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

Resolved, That the Legislature begin delete encourages end delete begin insert applauds the end insert public
schools begin delete to end delete begin insert that end insert include watershed protection in the Sierra Nevada
begin insert Region end insert 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
begin insert Region end insert 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
begin delete September end delete begin insert September, beginning on the third Sunday of the month, end insert
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.