BILL ANALYSIS �
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 1066
Author: Lieu (D), et al.
Amended: 8/6/12
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RES. AND WATER COMMITTEE : 6-2, 4/10/12
AYES: Pavley, Cannella, Kehoe, Padilla, Simitian, Wolk
NOES: La Malfa, Fuller
NO VOTE RECORDED: Evans
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 5-2, 5/24/12
AYES: Kehoe, Alquist, Lieu, Price, Steinberg
NOES: Walters, Dutton
SENATE FLOOR : 25-13, 5/30/12
AYES: Alquist, Calderon, Cannella, Corbett, De Le�n,
DeSaulnier, Evans, Hancock, Hernandez, Kehoe, Leno, Lieu,
Liu, Lowenthal, Negrete McLeod, Padilla, Pavley, Price,
Rubio, Simitian, Steinberg, Vargas, Wolk, Wright, Yee
NOES: Anderson, Berryhill, Blakeslee, Correa, Dutton,
Emmerson, Fuller, Gaines, Harman, Huff, La Malfa,
Walters, Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Runner, Strickland
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 51-26, 8/22/12 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Coastal resources: climate change
SOURCE : The Nature Conservancy
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DIGEST : This bill authorizes the California Coastal
Conservancy (Conservancy) to address the impacts and
potential impacts of climate change on coastal resources
and to award grants to public agencies and nonprofit
organizations for this purpose.
Assembly Amendments are clarifying, and add Senator Pavley
as a coauthor.
ANALYSIS : Existing law establishes the Conservancy,
which serves as a repository for coastal lands. Existing
law authorizes the Conservancy to, among other things,
undertake projects and award grants for the purposes of
restoration of areas of the coastal zone that are adversely
affecting the coastal environment or are impeding orderly
development.
This bill:
1. Authorizes the Conservancy to address the impacts and
potential impacts of climate change on coastal
resources. The Conservancy may undertake coastal
projects including those that reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, address extreme weather events, sea level
rise, storm surge, beach and bluff erosion, salt water
intrusion, flooding, and other coastal hazards that
threaten coastal communities, infrastructure, and
natural resources.
2. Authorizes the Conservancy to award grants to public
agencies and nonprofit organizations for activities that
address the impacts and potential impacts of climate
change on coastal resources. In awarding the grants,
the Conservancy is required to prioritize projects that
would maximize public benefits such as reducing
emissions of greenhouse gas, reducing hazards to harbors
and ports, preserving and enhancing coastal wetlands and
natural lands, conserving biodiversity, and providing
recreational opportunities.
Background
The Conservancy is a state agency that purchases, protects,
restores, and enhances coastal resources, and provides
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public access to the shore. The Conservancy works in
partnership with local governments, other public agencies,
nonprofit organizations, and private landowners. Since
their establishment in 1976, the Conservancy has undertaken
over 1800 projects along the California coast and San
Francisco bay.
Existing law states that the Conservancy has responsibility
for implementing a program of agricultural protection, area
restoration, and resource enhancement in the coastal zone
within the guidelines established in the California Coastal
Act (Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 31054). Existing
law also gives authority to the Conservancy to undertake
plans and feasibility studies, award grants to public
agencies and nonprofit organizations for these studies (PRC
Section 31111) and undertake educational projects and
programs for K-12 (PRC Section 31119).
Projects that the Conservancy currently undertakes are
primarily related to:
1. Protecting and improving the quality of coastal
wetlands, streams, watersheds, and near-shore ocean
waters;
2. Helping people get to coast and bay shores by building
trails and stairways and by acquiring land and
easements. The Conservancy also assists in the creation
of low-cost accommodations along the coast, including
campgrounds and hostels;
3. Working with local communities to revitalize urban
waterfronts;
4. Helping to solve complex land-use problems;
5. Purchasing and holding environmentally valuable coastal
and bay lands;
6. Protecting agricultural lands and supporting coastal
agriculture;
7. Accepting donations and dedications of land and
easements for public access, wildlife habitat,
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agriculture, and open space.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee:
1. Negligible direct state costs.
2. Cost pressure, potentially in the millions of dollars,
to fund projects that address the effect and potential
effects of climate change on coastal resources (General
Fund, bond funds and special funds).
3. Potential revenue, possibly in the millions of dollars,
from federal awards and private sources, to address the
effects and potential effects of climate change on
coastal resources.
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/22/12) (per Senate Natural
Resources and Water Committee analysis - prior version of
the bill)
The Nature Conservancy (source)
Audubon California
Bay Area Open Space Council
California Association of Port Authorities
California Coastkeeper Alliance
Cities of Culver City, Laguna Beach and Long Beach
East Bay Municipal Utility District
Environmental Defense Fund
Heal the Bay
Marin County
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey County
Mountains Restoration Trust
Natural Resources Defense Council
Ocean Conservancy
Ojai Valley Land Conservancy
Point Reyes Bird Observatory
San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association
Save the Bay
Sonoma Land Trust
Surfrider Foundation
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Ventura County
Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett
Water Replenishment District of Southern California
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
the consequences of climate change, such as extreme weather
events and sea level rise, disproportionately impact 80% of
California's population that live and work within 30 miles
of the coast. Coastal infrastructure, beaches, estuaries,
coastal wetlands, and other unique coastal habitats that
drive the coastal economy are all at risk. California's
coastal resources contribute over $40 billion annually to
state and local funds. The consequences of climate change
could ultimately cost the state tens of billions of dollars
if not addressed. Existing law created the Conservancy to
protect and enhance coastal resources and urban waterfronts
through grants and other non-regulatory means. However,
existing law does not expressly authorize the Conservancy
to help address the adverse effects of climate change on
coastal resources. This bill corrects this ambiguity in
the law by authorizing the Conservancy to address climate
change and its impacts as part of its broader mission.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 51-26, 8/22/12
AYES: Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Block,
Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan,
Butler, Campos, Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Davis,
Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani,
Galgiani, Gatto, Gordon, Hall, Hayashi, Hill, Huber,
Hueso, Huffman, Lara, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza,
Mitchell, Monning, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel P�rez,
Portantino, Skinner, Solorio, Swanson, Torres,
Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. P�rez
NOES: Achadjian, Bill Berryhill, Conway, Cook, Donnelly,
Beth Gaines, Garrick, Gorell, Grove, Hagman, Halderman,
Harkey, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Logue, Mansoor, Miller,
Morrell, Nestande, Norby, Olsen, Silva, Smyth, Valadao,
Wagner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Charles Calderon, Roger Hern�ndez,
Nielsen
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CTW:k 8/22/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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