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Register now to join with the Planning and Conservation League and PCL Foundation as we celebrate three great leaders in the California Legislature. During an Awards Luncheon at our Annual Environmental Legislative Symposium, we will honor Senator Kevin de León, Assemblymember Jerry Hill and Assemblymember Jared Huffman.
The awards will be presented because of their exceptional work in 2011:
Senator Kevin de León for leading the fight to ensure that all Californians have equal access to clean air and water, as well as his ongoing efforts to establish the California Communities Healthy Air Revitalization Trust that would bring funds to address climate change impacts to the state’s most impacted and disadvantaged communities.
Assemblymember Jerry Hill for his dedication to safeguarding California’s environment, as well as his commitment to ensure AB 320, the League’s “recipients of approval” bill, made it across the Governor’s desk to become an example of positive CEQA reform.
Assemblymember Jared Huffman for his long-time environmental leadership, as evidenced by 2011 legislation he carried that ranged from promoting renewable energy and sustainable water policies to protecting wildlife and state parks, as well as for his outspoken defense of CEQA against repeated attacks.
The Annual Environmental Legislative Symposium and Awards Ceremony is Saturday, January 28, 2012 at the Sacramento Convention Center. Register now to reserve your spot!
The Planning and Conservation League and PCL Foundation are pleased to announce the 2012 Symposium keynote is State Controller John Chiang. John Chiang was first elected in November 2006 to serve as Controller of the State of California, the ninth-largest economy in the world. He was elected to serve a second term in November 2010.
Controller Chiang took immediate action to make the State’s finances more transparent and accountable to the public and to weed out waste, fraud and abuse of public funds. The Controller’s aggressive audits have identified more than $3 billion in taxpayer dollars that were denied, overpaid, subject to collection, or resulted in revenues, savings and cost avoidance.
As Controller during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, Chiang was forced to delay payments and issue IOUs in order to preserve cash to meet obligations to education and bond holders. His cash management was cited by rating agencies as a benefit to the State. Fitch Ratings lauded the Controller for using “several strategies, including payment deferrals and IOUs, to ensure continuation of priority payments.” Standard & Poor’s said the Controller’s “extraordinary cash management maneuvers” protected the state’s priority payments, and California Municipal Bond Advisor noted, “State Controller Chiang has been a hero of sorts to us during California’s recent distress because he did just what he was supposed to do to protect bondholders.”
Join the League and Foundation as we welcome Controller Chiang to our event. His keynote address is titled “Shared Value: Environmental Policy As Core Business Economics.”
We encourage you to register now to reserve your seat as we can’t guarantee space for same day (walk-in) registrations.
California is a national leader in food production, but there is mounting concern about the costs, land conversion, and water shortages. At the same time, significant questions have come up about the role of water in the more developed regions of the state. Two panels at PCL’s annual Environmental Symposium (link) – one focused on our food, the other on water plans – will bring to light some of the concerns we are facing.
The Role of Food in California’s Environmental Future
Our food future may be at risk based on water availability, rising energy costs, loss of critical lands due to sprawl and poor planning, and other critical environmental factors. This panel will focus on the role of food in California’s environmental future and what changes we may be headed toward, including a greater emphasis on local food production. Participants will have a better awareness of the connection between food production, energy and water consumption, and environmental protection, and will hear about regulatory trends on food production.
- Kari Hamerschlag, Environmental Working Group
- Claudia Reid, Fresh Producers
- David Runsten, Community Alliance with Family Farmers
Show Me the Water (Plan)
With water and the future of water at the state and local level being of extreme importance in planning for our future communities, the link between water usage and land use planning must be addressed. This panel will focus on water in the planning process, including General Plan updates, Water Supply Assessments, and environmental review. Participants will gain tools to engage in the land use process to promote better water use and tools for better connections between land and water will be considered, such as developing Title 24-like standards for water.
- Curt Johansen, Sustainable Community Partners, LLC
- Susan Lien Longville, Water Resources Institute
- Dennis O’Connor, Principal Consultant, CA Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Water
The Annual Environmental Legislative Symposium and Awards Ceremony is Saturday, January 28, 2012 at the Sacramento Convention Center. Register now to reserve your spot! If space is still available, you may be able to book room at the Citizen Hotel.
In recent years, legislation and voter-approved bonds have changed the way California addresses transportation and land-use planning. In 2008, the Legislature passed SB 375, which focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles travelled through the adoption of regional Sustainable Communities Strategies. That same year, voters approved nearly $10 billion in funding for High Speed Rail project, with billions more earmarked by the federal government. But how have these measures actually changed development practices in California to be more sustainable? Two panels at the PCL/PCLF Symposium will help answer this question, and focus on what we should do next:
SB 375: Where the Rubber Meets the Rail (CLE)
This panel includes information on the early adoption of the San Diego Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) and strategies for what must occur next to make the promise of integrated and sustainable planning a reality. Participants will examine current SCS efforts as case studies, gain knowledge of the tools needed to engage in the SCS process, and learn about new legislative efforts to promote good growth and integrated/transit friendly development.
- Mike McKeever, Sacramento Area Council of Governments (moderator)
- Laurel Impett, Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger LLP
- David Mogavero, Mogavero Notestine Associates
- Eliot Rose, UC Berkeley Center for Resource Efficient Communities
Boondoggle or Beacon? The Future of High Speed Rail in California
California’s High Speed Rail (HSR) system has long been discussed, and remains one of the most expensive and controversial infrastructure projects in California’s history. HSR proponents see a vital project that will change California’s transportation landscape, reducing the need for new and expanded highways, and resulting in fewer greenhouse gas emissions…all while putting Californians back to work. Opponents of the current plan have been critical of its routing, financing plan, skyrocketing price-tag, and the ridership and business plan assumptions that have been made in developing the proposal.
- Elizabeth Alexis, Californians Advocating Responsible Rail Design
- Denis Douté, SNCF America Inc.
- Dan Richard, California High-Speed Rail Authority Board Member
The Annual Environmental Legislative Symposium will take place on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at the Sacramento Convention Center. Early bird (discounted) registration is available through December 31. We’ve secured a room block at the Citizen Hotel; room reservations must be made by January 6, 2012 to receive the discounted rate.
