“San Francisco is taking on problems all cities face, such as congestion and the need for clean transportation and open space, and finding innovative solutions that are being modeled throughout the country,” said Mayor Lee.

San Francisco was recognized for “capturing imaginations locally and around the world” for its SFpark program, a federally funded pilot project that uses smart parking management technologies and pricing policies to make it easier and faster to park in San Francisco, and its Pavements to Parks program that reclaims unused street spaces and quickly and inexpensively turns them into public plazas and parks. San Francisco was also acknowledged for upgrading and expanding the City’s bike network to attract riders of all ages and setting an ambitious target of 20 percent of all trips by bicycle by 2020. The award also highlighted implementation of slow speed zones around schools and the popular Sunday Streets program.

“As the SFMTA takes a balanced approach to our limited street space, we will continue to strategize to encourage sustainable transportation options,” said SFMTA Board of Directors Chairman Tom Nolan.

“The success of the Pavement to Parks program is largely due to its ability to creatively enhance streets with minimal impact and cost, said San Francisco Planning Director John Rahaim. “We are pleased that this program continues to provide popular public spaces in many communities throughout San Francisco.”

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) works with cities worldwide to bring about transport solutions that cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce poverty and improve the quality of urban life.
Every year the Steering Committee selects a city from around the world that has made profound advancements in sustainable transportation innovations. Both San Francisco and Medellin were selected based on four criteria: increasing mobility for residents, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from transportation, improving safety, and increasing access for cyclists and pedestrians.

“San Francisco and Medellin are setting the example by working on various fronts – giving people opportunities through high quality transport options,” said ITDP CEO Dr. Walter Hook. “We are excited that this is the first year a parking program, San Francisco’s SFpark, is being recognized. Parking is the next wave of powerful tools to control congestion, fight climate change, and redefine urban form.”

“These reforms will fast-track key projects that put Californians to work,” said Governor Brown. “Like California, CEQA must be more nimble.”

The package of CEQA reforms was released today by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and provide the regulatory changes necessary to implement SB 226 (Simitian), which the Governor signed last October.

Once these draft reforms are finalized, they will simplify the approval process for infill projects by eliminating repetitive studies of environmental effects already addressed in other planning documents, such as general plans and zoning codes. This will help reduce the time and cost often associated with infill projects, while also allowing cities to focus on new or unique projects that help create jobs, revitalize cities and promote transit.

SB 226 also removes hurdles to harnessing solar energy and growing green-collar jobs by exempting solar projects located on existing rooftops and parking lots.

Earlier this month, Governor Brown issued proposed implementation guidelines for AB 900 (Buchanan), signed last September. AB 900 sends CEQA litigation for certain large projects directly to the Court of Appeal and requires a decision on the merits in a short timeframe. The law also offers immediate help to projects that provide California with the most economic and environmental benefit.

Together, CEQA reforms in SB 226 and AB 900 will reduce repetitive documentation and expedite litigation timelines while preserving informed decision-making and mitigation of environmental harm.

The SB 226 guidelines, released today, can be found here: www.opr.ca.gov/s_sb226.php .

The AB 900 guidelines, released last month, can be found here: opr.ca.gov/s_californiajobs.php .

These projects, which underwent rigorous environmental review, will generate thousands of construction jobs and power local economies. If all of these projects were built today, California would have enough renewable power to meet the state’s 33 percent goal.

The agreement broadens the state and federal partnership to formally include transmission projects and bring in new partners, including the California Independent System Operator, the California Public Utilities Commission and the California State Lands Commission. The agreement also renews a mutual commitment to landscape level planning efforts. The partnership, launched in 2009, works through a senior-level Renewable Energy Policy Group (REPG) to expedite review and processing of proposed projects.

“Now that our successful partnership has demonstrated that advancing renewable energy projects in California can be done, and can done in the right way, it is essential to ensure that transmission facilities to get this power to market are also part of the equation,” said Secretary Salazar. “As part of today’s agreement, which will expand our partnership on renewable energy, Interior and California will identify needed transmission projects to track, troubleshoot and shepherd. What’s happening in California is nothing short of a revolution – clean energy is creating jobs, powering our economies, and making believers out skeptics.”

“California has made tremendous progress in permitting renewable projects, and now we need to make sure the transmission lines that deliver this clean energy are built as quickly as possible,” said Governor Brown. “Putting these construction projects on a fast track will put people back to work and keep California a leader in renewable energy.”

The Secretary and Governor signed the Memorandum of Understanding on renewable energy at a solar project being built by Recurrent Energy in Elk Grove, a Sacramento metropolitan area community. One of North America’s largest solar development companies, Recurrent Energy’s three Sacramento-area projects have generated more than 220 jobs during construction.

Earlier in the day, Salazar, Interior Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes and the Governor discussed critical California water issues, reflecting their commitment to advancing the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and to taking action that will improve the health of the San Francisco Bay Delta ecosystem and the reliability of California’s water supply.

The REPG shepherded the renewable energy projects through a complex set of environmental reviews in time for appropriate proposals to take advantage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants, federal loan guarantees and production and investment tax credits. In 2012, the Policy Group will focus on the seven renewable energy and transmission projects in California on lands administered by Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM), BLM’s “priority projects”, and will also focus on additional projects on private lands, including five solar, one wind, and one geothermal.

Nationwide, Salazar has approved 27 commercial-scale renewable energy projects on public lands, or the transmission associated with them, since 2009, including 16 solar projects, four wind farms and seven geothermal facilities. Together these projects represent more than 6,500 megawatts, 12,500 jobs and when built, will power about 2.3 million homes.

The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan is another major component of Interior’s and California’s renewable energy planning efforts. When completed, it is expected to further these objectives and provide binding, long-term endangered species permit assurances, while facilitating the review and approval of renewable energy projects in the Mojave and Colorado deserts in California.

The expanded partnership supports state and federal goals. In April 2011, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill No. 2X which increased California’s renewable energy portfolio standard to 33 percent of all retail electricity sales by 2020. The Obama Administration has encouraged the expanded use of renewable energy and launched initiatives to spur the development of these resources on U.S. public lands, most of which are managed by the Department of the Interior – which manages one-fifth of the land in the United States – and most of it in the West, including California.

Salazar’s Secretarial Order 3285A1, one of his first directives as Secretary, established a policy encouraging the production, development, and delivery of renewable energy as one of the Department’s highest priorities and directed Interior agencies to work collaboratively with other federal agencies, States, Tribes, local communities and private landowners to encourage the timely and responsible development of renewable energy and associated transmission, while protecting and enhancing the Nation’s water, wildlife, cultural, and other natural resources.

“The Clean Truck Program has greened our port for the long haul and ensured Angelenos will breathe cleaner air for generations to come,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “We have proven that we can increase economic and environmental sustainability at the same time. With $1.5 billion worth of investments in capital improvement projects over the next five years, we plan to keep the Port’s status as the nation’s premier trade gateway.”

Responding to the Mayor’s call for a comprehensive strategy for cutting port-related emissions, the Port of Los Angeles developed the Clean Truck Program – a plan to reduce pollution and offset public health risks from Port trucks. Through the program, the Port of Los Angeles offered incentives to purchase Clean Trucks while enacting a progressive truck ban with associated fees.

“The Port of Los Angeles, along with our industry partners, has made the business of moving cargo cleaner,” said Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D., “The results speak for themselves, and we couldn’t be more proud of reaching this milestone.”

The Port exceeded the goal of reducing harmful emissions from trucks alone by at least 80 percent and did so ahead of schedule. Emission studies show that since 2005, emissions from trucks alone have been reduced dramatically\, including a 92% reduction in sulfur oxides, an 89% reduction in diesel particulate matter, and a 77% reduction in nitrogen oxides– the primary pollutants associated with smog and asthma.

“The American Lung Association in California congratulates the City of Los Angeles for its continued efforts to reduce lung damaging pollutants in our air,” said Jane Warner, President and CEO of the American Lung Association in California. “Important efforts such as the Clean Trucks Program will, over time, protect millions of lives and save California much more than it ever will cost.”

Overall, the Port has reduced sulfur oxide emissions by 76%, diesel particulate matter by 69%, and nitrogen oxides by 50%. These numbers surpass the original goal to cut 45% of total Port emissions.

“Today we are celebrating a national model that has set the bar for what it takes to create healthy neighborhoods for port area residents while promoting a vital port economy.” said Patricia Castellanos, LAANE Deputy Director and Chair of the Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports. ”Above all we applaud the Villaraigosa administration for their commitment to the program’s long-term sustainability that promises the creation of good jobs and reduction of toxic diesel rig emissions for years to come.”

The plan has allowed the port to grow while ensuring that environmental impacts on our communities are reduced and the environmental benefits are sustained. The Port is continuing its greening efforts by fostering new green technologies, including a pilot program for a commercially feasible zero-emission truck.

“The Clean Truck Program provided a clear roadmap for forward-thinking businesses to compete without dirty trucks,” said David Petitt, Director of the Southern California Air Program for the Natural Resources Defense Council, “Its success represents a major step towards our climate and clean air goals, bringing relief to millions of Californians whose health has been negatively affected by diesel truck pollution.”

The Port of Los Angeles is the leading destination for imports from Asia, the nation’s number one port center based on trade volume and the number one customs district. Upcoming projects will expand capacity and opportunities for exporters to grow their operations with manufacturing space and increased movement of goods.

For example, the Port’s main channel deepening project will allow the world’s largest ships to call at all of the Port’s terminals. The China Shipping terminal is doubling in size to include 142 acres as well as an additional 2,500 feet of wharf space. Additionally, three new roadway and rail infrastructure improvement projects amount to more than $250 million in investments that will make it easier for goods to get to market.

More than 43,000 direct jobs are connected to marine terminal operations at the Port, and it is estimated that every $1 billion in exports creates 5,500 jobs in LA. That is why growing the Port is an integral part of the Mayor’s five point plan to create jobs in LA. The five points are: (1) reforming its business tax; (2) reducing red tape; (3) partnering for economic growth; (4) modernizing LAX and improving the Port of Los Angeles; and (5) building a 21st century transportation network.

The conference will be held tomorrow, December 15, 2011 at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Due to space limitations, attendance is by invitation only. The entire conference will also be webcast live on Governor Brown’s website at www.gov.ca.gov and conference viewers can submit questions to conference speakers through this site.

Event registration will open at 8:30 a.m. and the conference will begin at 9:30 a.m. See below for additional media information, a full agenda with speech and panel times and parking information.

The Governor’s Conference on Extreme Climate Risks and California’s Future

Participants (partial list):
• California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.
• Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group
• Nancy Sutley, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality
Other participants include public safety, insurance industry, public health and climate change experts, emergency response officials, public utility experts and farmers.

Topics:
• California and the Global Climate Challenge
• Climate Change’s Human and Economic Impacts on California
• A National Perspective on Climate Action
• Climate Solutions to Protect California Communities and Help our Economy
• Perspectives on California’s Leadership on Climate Change

Media interested in attending the conference should RSVP to Richard.Stapler@resources.ca.gov or call 916-653-9402. All press attendees must have current, valid media credentials.

A full agenda can be found here. Additional information is available at www.gov.ca.gov/ecrcf.php.

PARKING: Free, four hour on-street parking is available around the California Academy of Sciences. In addition, garage parking is available onsite for a fee.

Thankfully, there were no injuries and no property was damaged. No homes or other buildings are threatened at this time.

Because of the ongoing landslide, last week the City erected a chain link fence around the affected area and posted signs warning of the danger.

I would like to remind all residents and visitors that the landslide area remains unstable and presents a life-threatening hazard. Please follow the posted signs and keep out of the area.

City engineers and other officials are working to determine the cause of the initial landslide and they have been directed to expedite a contract with an outside geotechnical firm to conduct a thorough study.

The LAPD has increased patrols in the area to ensure individuals are not accessing the site.

I would like to thank the residents of the White Point neighborhood for their patience and cooperation during this time.”

The Governor’s conference will focus on the risks of unpredictable and extreme weather events caused by climate change and how our communities can prepare and adapt.

The Governor’s conference builds on the findings of a United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report outlining the link between global warming, extreme weather events and their economic impact. The IPPC report will be released later this month.

The Governor will be joined by Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Rajendra Pachauri and other leaders at the Conference, which will be held at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. More information will be made available as event details are finalized.

The following bills have been signed by Governor Brown:

• AB 291 by Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) – Underground storage tanks: petroleum: charges.
• AB 320 by Assemblymember Jerry Hill (D-South San Francisco) – Environmental quality: California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): determination: dispute.
• AB 358 by Assemblymember Cameron Smyth (R-Santa Clarita) – Hazardous substances: underground storage tanks: releases: reports.
• AB 359 by Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) – Groundwater management plans.
• AB 408 by Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) – Environment: hazardous substances and materials: hazardous waste transportation: paint recycling.
• AB 525 by Assemblymember Richard Gordon (D-Redwood City) – Solid waste: tire recycling: architectural paint recovery program.
• AB 681 by Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) – Aboveground storage tanks: funds.
• AB 703 by Assemblymember Richard Gordon (D-Redwood City) – Property taxation: welfare exemption: nature resources and open-space lands.
• AB 712 by Assemblymember Das G. Williams (D-Santa Barbara) – Recycling: beverage containers.
• AB 849 by Assemblymember Mike Gatto (D-Burbank) – Water: use efficiency: graywater building standards.
• AB 913 by Assemblymember Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) – Hazardous waste: source reduction: certified green business program.
• AB 964 by Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) – Water rights: appropriation.
• AB 1027 by Assemblymember Joan Buchanan (D-Alamo) – Local publicly owned electric utilities: utility poles and support structures.
• AB 1036 by Assemblymember Michael Allen (D-Santa Rosa) – Parks: regional park, park and open-space, and open-space districts: employee relations.
• AB 1077 by Assemblymember Wilmer Amina Carter (D-Rialto) – State parks: Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park.
• AB 1112 by Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) – Oil spill prevention and administration fee: State Lands Commission. A signing message can be found here.
• AB 1414 by Committee on Natural Resources – Forestry: timber harvesting.
• SB 152 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) – Public lands: general leasing law: littoral landowners.
• SB 170 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) – Air districts: adverse effects of air pollution: intellectual property.
• SB 224 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) – Public contracts: Department of Water Resources.
• SB 267 by Senator Michael Rubio (D-Bakersfield) – Water supply planning: renewable energy plants.
• SB 328 by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) – Eminent Domain Law: conservation easement.
• SB 436 by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) – Land use: mitigation lands: nonprofit organizations.
• SB 454 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) –Energy efficiency standards.
• SB 456 by Senator Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) – Household hazardous waste: transportation.
• SB 482 by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) – Public beach contamination: standards: testing: closing.
• SB 489 by Senator Lois Wolk (D -Davis) – Electricity: net energy metering.
• SB 567 by Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) – Recycling: plastic products.
• SB 595 by Senator Lois Wolk (D -Davis) –Tidelands and submerged lands: removal of vessels.
• SB 618 by Senator Lois Wolk (D -Davis) – Local government: solar-use easement.
• SB 679 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) – Energy: energy conservation projects: financial assistance: local governments and public institutions.
• SB 771 by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) – California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority.
• SB 790 by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) – Electricity: community choice aggregation.
• SB 836 by Senator Alex Padilla (D -Pacoima) – Renewable energy resources: cost reporting.
• SB 909 by Senator Doug La Malfa (R-Butte) – Treated wood waste: disposal.

The Governor also announced that he has vetoed the following bills:

• AB 306 by Assemblymember Mike Gatto (D-Burbank) – Energy: piezoelectric transducers: study. A veto message can be found here.
• SB 263 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) – Wells: reports: public availability. A veto message can be found here.
• SB 752 by Senator Tom Berryhill (R- Stanislaus) – Entitlements: voluntary donations. A veto message can be found here.

For full text of the bills, visit: leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html.

“The upcoming public hearings on the failed ‘No-Otter’ Zone hold the key to the future of southern sea otters in California. After 24 years, citizens have a momentous opportunity to help remove regulations that have effectively kept southern sea otters on the endangered species list,” said Steve Shimek, Chief Executive of The Otter Project.

Since 1987, a “No-Otter” Zone has existed in Southern California extending from Point Conception near Santa Barbara in the north, to the Mexico border in the south.

These “lines- in-the-water,” brought about due to pressure from fishing and oil industry interests, have set back the natural range expansion of the southern sea otter into Southern California.

Following a 2009 legal action brought against the USFWS by The Otter Project and the Environmental Defense Center, a sixty day comment period ending on October 24, 2011 has been enacted to determine the future of the failed zone.

“What this experiment has shown us is that zonal management of sea otters simply doesn’t work. It’s fairly clear that the otters aren’t paying much attention to these ‘borders’ and the time has come to stop insisting that they should,” said Shimek.

The Otter Project encourages citizens to attend the public hearings and vocalize their support for the removal of the “No-Otter” Zone in Southern California.

“If you love otters and want this charismatic California icon to be around for generations to come – we need your support,” said Shimek. “The meetings will be crucial in ensuring that the interests of southern sea otters are heard and not held hostage to the whims of industry.”

The USFWS meetings will commence at 5:00 p.m. with a one hour information session followed by a public hearing between 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Channel Islands National Park Auditorium
1901 Spinnaker Drive
Ventura CA 93001

Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Fleischman Auditorium
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
2559 Puesta del Sol
Santa Barbara CA 93105

Thursday, October 6, 2011
La Feliz Room
Seymour Marine Discovery Center
Long Marine Lab
100 Shaffer Rd
Santa Cruz CA 05060.

For more information visit freetheotters.org.

VIDEO:

“California is well prepared to deal with oil spills. Our training and experience allowed us to help the Gulf Coast states during last year’s massive spill, and it lets us help Montana now,” said Governor Brown.

DFG’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) is deploying an incident manager, pipeline technical specialist, response operations manager, environmental specialist and a shoreline assessment expert to the site for 14 days.

On July 1, a break occurred in a 12-inch pipeline owned by ExxonMobil which resulted in release of crude oil into the Yellowstone River approximately 20 miles upstream of Billings, Mont. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported an estimated 1,000 barrels of oil entered the river, which was in flood stage, before the pipeline was cut off. California will be reimbursed for all costs associated with its assisting in the response.

“We have worked hard to develop our oil spill response staff in California,” said Scott D. Schaefer, OSPR acting administrator. “We deployed 70 Fish and Game personnel last year to the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Requests for our assistance from other states serve as a testament to our team’s knowledge and skills.”

CalEMA and DFG have been coordinating the mutual aid assistance with Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer’s office, the Montana State Emergency Coordination Center and the Montana Department of Military Affairs.

OSPR was formed by legislation in 1991 in response to two significant oil spills: the 11-million-gallon Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska in 1989 and the 416,000 gallon American Trader oil spill in Huntington Beach in 1990.