BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 1386 Page 1 SENATE THIRD READING SB 1386 (Wolk) As Amended August 1, 2016 Majority vote SENATE VOTE: 26-7 ------------------------------------------------------------------ |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 | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 Page 3 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. SB 1386 Page 4 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 SB 1386 Page 5 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