BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 1386
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB
1386 (Wolk)
As Amended August 1, 2016
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE: 26-7
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|Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Natural |7-1 |Williams, Cristina |Harper |
|Resources | |Garcia, Gomez, | |
| | |Hadley, McCarty, Mark | |
| | |Stone, Wood | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Appropriations |14-5 |Gonzalez, Bloom, |Bigelow, Chang, |
| | |Bonilla, Bonta, |Jones, Obernolte, |
| | |Calderon, Daly, |Wagner |
| | |Eggman, Eduardo | |
| | |Garcia, Holden, | |
| | |Quirk, Santiago, | |
| | |Weber, Wood, Chau | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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SB 1386
Page 2
SUMMARY: Declares it to be the policy of the state that the
protection and management of natural and working lands is an
important strategy in meeting the state's greenhouse gas (GHG)
reduction goals. Requires all state agencies, departments,
boards, and commissions to consider this policy when revising,
adopting, or establishing policies, regulations, expenditures,
or grant criteria relating to the protection and management of
natural and working lands.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Requires, pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions
Act [AB 32 (Núñez), Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006], the Air
Resources Board (ARB) to adopt a statewide GHG emissions limit
equivalent to 1990 levels by 2020 and to adopt rules and
regulations to achieve maximum technologically feasible and
cost-effective GHG emission reductions.
2)Pursuant to Executive Order B-30-15 (Brown), in addition to
establishing a 40% GHG emission reduction goal by 2030,
requires several actions on adaptation including:
a) Requires Natural Resources Agency (NRA) to update the
state's climate adaptation strategy every three years and
ensure that its provisions are fully implemented. Requires
the state's climate adaptation strategy to:
i) Identify vulnerabilities to climate change by sector
and regions, including, at a minimum, the following
sectors: water, energy, transportation, public health,
agriculture, emergency services, forestry, biodiversity
and habitat, and ocean and coastal resources;
ii) Outline primary risks to residents, property,
communities, and natural systems from these
vulnerabilities, and identify priority actions needed to
SB 1386
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reduce these risks; and,
iii) Identify a lead agency or group of agencies to lead
adaptation efforts in each sector.
b) Requires each sector lead to prepare an implementation
plan by September 2015 to outline the actions that will be
taken as identified in state's climate adaptation strategy,
and report back on those actions to the NRA.
c) Requires state agencies to take climate change into
account in their planning and investment decisions, and
employ full life-cycle cost accounting to evaluate and
compare infrastructure investments and alternatives.
d) Requires state agencies' planning and investment to be
guided by the principles of climate preparedness,
flexibility and adaptive approaches for uncertain climate
impacts, protective of vulnerable populations, and
prioritization of natural infrastructure solutions.
e) Requires the state's Five-Year Infrastructure Plan to
take current and future climate change impacts into account
in all infrastructure projects.
f) Requires Office of Planning and Research to establish a
technical, advisory group to help state agencies
incorporate climate change impacts into planning and
investment decisions.
g) Requires the state to continue its rigorous climate
change research program focused on understanding the
impacts of climate change and how best to prepare and adapt
to such impacts.
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3)Requires the NRA to update its climate adaptation strategy,
the Safeguarding California Plan (Plan), by July 1, 2017, and
every three years thereafter, by coordinating adaption
activities among lead state agencies in each sector.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee the bill has minor, absorbable costs.
COMMENTS: Three-quarters of California's landmass is comprised
of biologically diverse landscapes such as forests, woodlands,
shrublands, grasslands and wetlands. These lands can be a major
source of sequestration through capturing carbon in soils,
plants, and trees. They can also be a source of GHG emissions
when drought, disease, wildfires, soil disturbances, conversion,
and harvests occur. Through preservation and management,
natural and working lands can provide significant GHG
reductions. Natural and working lands are also susceptible to
climate change impacts of sea level rise, drought, and increased
temperatures.
ARB has recognized the importance of natural and working lands
in meeting the state's GHG reduction targets. In the 2013
Scoping Plan update, ARB included a sector on natural and
working lands and a sector on agriculture. These sectors lay
out opportunities and challenges for reducing GHG emissions in
those sectors. The Scoping Plan also put forth recommended
actions including the development of the Forest Climate Plan.
The Scoping Plan update identifies funding as critical to
address the needs in the natural and working lands sector.
AB 1482 (Gordon), Chapter 603, Statutes of 2015, requires state
agencies to maximize, where applicable and feasible, objectives
that included promoting the use of natural systems, natural
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infrastructure, flood plain and wetlands restoration or
preservation, urban greening, wildlife corridors, and healthy
soils and sustainable agriculture to deal with climate change
impacts and adaptation. However, much needs to be done to
properly manage our natural and working lands to meet our GHG
goals and adapt to climate impacts.
In Governor Brown's 2015 inaugural address, he noted that the
management of natural and working land was one of his key
strategies to reduce GHG emissions to meet the state's GHG
reduction goals.
Analysis Prepared by:
Michael Jarred / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092 FN: 0003795