BILL ANALYSIS
AJR 26
Page 1
Date of Hearing: January 11, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Nancy Skinner, Chair
AJR 26 (Chesbro) - As Amended: September 9, 2009
SUBJECT : Climate change adaptation
SUMMARY : Requests the U.S. Congress to establish a
comprehensive framework and funding for natural resources
adaptation for the protection and conservation of our nation's
wildlife, habitats, coasts, watersheds, rivers, and other
natural resources and ecosystems in the face of climate change.
EXISTING LAW :
Requires ARB to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
limit equivalent to 1990 levels by 2020 and adopt regulations to
achieve maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective GHG
emission reductions.
Requires the preparation of a Climate Action Team Report (CAT
Report). Each agency listed in the CAT Report must annually
prepare a list of measures implemented and proposed to be
implemented to meet the GHG reduction target established by the
CAT Report.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS :
1)Purpose : According to the author's office, this resolution
"attempts to address the lack of funding for climate change
adaptation. California does not have a dedicated funding
source for necessary planning and actions that will protect
the state from unavoidable climate change impacts. This
resolution also attempts to support federal climate change
programs that include comprehensive adaptation planning and
implementation as an essential element of those programs."
2)Natural Resources Agency's Climate Adaptation Strategy (CAS) :
In December 2009, pursuant to a November 2008 Executive Order
(S-13-08), the Natural Resources Agency finalized its CAS,
which summarizes anticipated climate change impacts and
recommends near and long-term strategies to increase the
AJR 26
Page 2
resilience and adaptive capacity of the state to respond to
these impacts. The CAS defines climate change adaptation as
"Adjustments in natural or human systems in response to actual
or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which minimizes
harm or takes advantage of beneficial opportunities." Given
budget constraints, the CAS only commits to implement the
near-term strategies by December 2010 using existing
resources.
Examples of more significant near-term strategies include the
development of sea-level rise adaptation plans or guidance by
12 resource departments and Caltrans, creation of a 23-member
Climate Adaptation Advisory Panel, and preparation of a
Climate Vulnerability Assessment. Moreover, the CAS
recommends that Local Coastal Plans be provisionally amended
by 2011 to account for climate change impacts, including
sea-level rise; state agencies should consider project
alternatives that avoid significant new development in areas
that cannot be adequately protected from flooding or erosion
due to climate change.
3)Pending federal climate legislation and adaptation : The
American Clean Energy and Security Act (Waxman-Markey),
approved by the House of Representatives in June 2009, creates
a comprehensive National Climate Change Adaptation Program,
which creates a multitude of federal sub-programs to support
both state-level and international adaptation planning and
action. The Program includes research, governance,
assessment, planning, and funding elements.
Five adapation programs-domestic, wildlife and natural
resources, public health, federal agency, and international
efforts-would be funded by revenues generated by auctioning a
percentage of emission allowances, starting in 2012 and
continuing through 2050. The percentage of allowance proceeds
dedicated to adapation would ramp up over time, escaltating to
12 percent between 2027-2050. State funding allocations,
contingent upon an approved adapation plan, would be
determined by population and per capita income formula. Of
the funding dedicated to states, 84.4 percent is allocated to
state wildlife agencies and 15.6 percent to state coastal
agencies.
S. 1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act
(Kerry-Boxer), pending in the U.S. Senate, contains adaptation
AJR 26
Page 3
provisions similar to the Waxman-Markey bill. In addition, it
includes provisions governing drinking water adaptation, flood
control and prevention, wildfire, and coastal/Great Lakes
adaptation. Funding similarly relies on auction revenues
though the bill dedicates 38.5 percent of revenues to states;
of this amount, 32.5 percent will go to state wildlife
agencies, 6 percent to state coastal agencies.
4)Author's proposed amendments :
Amend page 3, lines 1-8 as follows: Resolved by the Assembly
and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the
Legislature of the State of California respectfully requests
that the Congress of the United States establish a
comprehensive framework , including dedicated and funding , for
adapting natural resources adaptation for the protection and
conservation of our nation's wildlife, habitats, coasts,
watersheds, rivers, and other natural resources and ecosystems
to the impacts of in the face of climate change; and be it
further?
Include "dedicated" on page 1, line 4 before the word "funds,"
and on page 2, line 35 before "funding."
Include this new clause on page 2, after line 34: "WHEREAS,
natural resource climate change adaptation projects, including
invasive species removal, wetlands restoration, riparian and
other habitat restoration, removal of unused logging roads,
and wildfire protection, are labor intensive and will create
new jobs;
AJR 26
Page 4
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Audubon California
Defenders of Wildlife
Nature Conservancy
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Dan Chia / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092