CEQA Works

Protecting Open Space Surrounded by Two Regional Parks

admin — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:00:11 +0000

Surrounded by two regional parks, Barham Ranch has been a favorite destination for hikers and bird-watchers for over 100 years. This 509-acre parcel has spectacular views and is covered with majestic oaks, sage and wildflowers; it includes the most extensive willow woodlands in all of Orange County. In 1999, when the property owners, the Serrano Water District and Orange Unified School District, supported selling Barham Ranch to a developer with plans to build 600 homes, conservationists turned to CEQA to challenge their actions. As a result of the issues raised by CEQA, Orange County officials recognized the need to preserve this special place in perpetuity. Barham Ranch, purchased by the public in 2003, is now the crown jewel of Orange County’s regional park system.

Improving Public Transit: The San Francisco Ferry Expansion Plan

admin — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:43:05 +0000

Looking for opportunities to relieve congestion on Bay Area bridges and develop a comprehensive plan for managing population – and commuter – growth in the San Francisco Bay Area, the State of California created a new regional agency to plan for and manage expanded ferry service in the region. When the initial EIR for the expanded service plan was released, community members and conservationists were concerned that it did not adequately analyze and mitigate potential impacts. These groups pointed to projected air pollution caused by diesel-run ferries and likely damage to wildlife habitat in areas where dredging would be required. Community members, the Sierra Club, and the Golden Gate Audubon Society leveraged CEQA to secure mitigation measures to address these concerns. Thanks to negotiations that emerged through the CEQA process, it was agreed that all new ferries would be required to have cleaner burning engines to reduce air pollution impacts. It was also agreed that ferry routes would avoid the most ecologically sensitive areas.

Holding Public Agencies Accountable to Minimize Environmental Impacts

admin — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:29:48 +0000

In 2007, community members organized under the name of Neighbors Advocating Sustainable Transportation (NAST), along with the Environmental Council of Sacramento, sued Caltrans over an inadequate Environmental Impact Report for its planned widening of Highway 50. A coalition of Sacramento neighbors and community groups were able to use CEQA to ensure that necessary mitigation measures would be implemented as part of the highway expansion. In 2008 a Sacramento Superior Court Judge ruled that the EIR prepared for the project was indeed deficient. Caltrans ultimately agreed to implement a number of mitigation measures, including increased funding to public transportation to support more frequent service in certain areas and building a bike bridge over the highway.

Amending a General Plan to Protect the American River and Other Resources in Foresthill

admin — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:24:00 +0000

With the American River running through its center and dense forests along the urban edge, historic Foresthill offers small town charm with recreational opportunities that attract visitors from throughout the state. In December 2008, Placer County adopted a Community Plan for Foresthill that paved the way for extensive scattered residential development in sensitive rural and forest lands. Conservation groups argued that the EIR did not consider the Plan’s impacts on water supply, climate change, wildfires, and the American River. As a result of settling a CEQA lawsuit, the County amended its General Plan to create a more sustainable community. The new Plan addresses the serious fire risk in Foresthill, preserves the American River canyon, ensures a reliable water supply, and minimizes greenhouse gas emissions through energy-efficient building design and promoting alternatives to car transportation.

Keeping Agriculture Local in the San Francisco Bay Area

admin — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:40:51 +0000

The loss of farmland to residential development is one of the critical challenges facing agriculture in California. In 2006, Greenbelt Alliance challenged the City of Oakley’s approval of the development of over 3,200 homes and commercial development on more than 800 acres of farmland of statewide importance. After prevailing twice in litigation, Greenbelt Alliance entered into a settlement with the City of Oakley and the project developers that allowed the project go forward but also created a fund to support the permanent protection of farmland in the San Francisco Bay Area. The settlement not only ensures that the project’s impacts on agricultural land are mitigated, it helps to preserve an important local food supply in close proximity to an urban area.

Requiring a Climate Action Plan in a Region Suffering from Poor Air Quality

admin — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:55:31 +0000

In 2007, the City of Stockton adopted a new General Plan that allowed massive sprawl development in new “villages” at the fringe of the City. Community members were concerned that the Plan would lead to further deterioration of the City’s downtown and degrade the region’s already poor air quality. Their CEQA lawsuit resulted in a ground-breaking settlement that required the City to encourage infill development in favor of sprawl, and to promote a transit system serving all major areas of the City. The City committed to: (1) establish a program to inventory GHG emissions, (2) initiate a process to adopt aggressive green building ordinances, and (3) prepare a comprehensive Climate Action Plan. Under the agreement, the preparation of the Climate Action Plan will be overseen by a new citizens’ advisory committee, comprised of representatives from the non-profit, environmental, labor, business and development sectors of the City.

Converting a Coal-Fired Power Plant to Cleaner Energy in the Central Valley

admin — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 09:04:02 +0000

The southern end of California’s Central Valley is one of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions and as such requires clean air and clean water for its long-term economic vitality. In 1988 local farmers and conservationists challenged the City of Hanford’s approval of a coal-fired power plant in this important agricultural region. After the California Court of Appeal found that the City had failed to comply with CEQA, the plaintiffs and the City were able to negotiate a settlement that resulted in the conversion of the power plant from coal to a combination of natural gas and petroleum coke, which resulted in far fewer air pollution emissions. CEQA thus provided the vehicle for ensuring a superior outcome for the environment while still recognizing the need for power generation.

Respecting Sacred Tribal Sites and Honoring Community Concerns

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:29:32 +0000

In 2004, the Chancellor of University of California, San Diego determined that his home, University House, was unfit to live in and had the building closed. In addition to being much loved throughout the community, the property is of significant cultural importance. Ancestral tribal burial grounds were found on the property years ago. The original plan for the house would have demolished the historic structure and the tribal burial grounds. The community and local tribes expressed serious concerns about the proposed project and had the location designated a Sanctified Cemetery pursuant to the California Public Resources Code.

Through the use of CEQA, the community was able to protect a valuable cultural resource by preventing the demolition of University House and sacred tribal lands. The CEQA environmental review process ensured that the public remained informed about the plans for the property and provided a framework for community input to the University. Once University staff learned about the public’s concerns, they decided to work with the community and developed a rehabilitation plan to restore the historic structure and protect the landform that contains the ancestral burial grounds.

Facilitating Community Involvement in Antioch

admin — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:41:42 +0000

Since 1980, Antioch’s population has doubled and development has raced to keep up. This rapid growth came at the detriment of open spaces, endangered species habitat, and traffic, and had pushed development to the edges of the community. Concerned about impacts on quality of life, Antioch residents used CEQA to stop a proposal by the City of Antioch that would have dramatically increased urban sprawl. The Sand Creek Specific Plan would have eliminated the green belt that separates Antioch from Brentwood and also would have also destroyed a significant habitat corridor. The Plan would also have exposed residents to serious public health risks by allowing sand and coal mining, which also increased the risk of landslides. Despite these environmental and public health concerns, the City was poised to approve the Plan. When the Draft EIR was opened to public comment, the community rallied against the Plan and eventually the City reversed its position. The CEQA requirement for public participation helped to Antioch residents protect quality of life.

Preserving Key Sections of the Santa Monica Mountains

admin — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:41:03 +0000

The California State Legislature established the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy in 1980. CEQA has played a key role in protecting about 20,000 of the 69,000 acres that have been preserved to date under the Conservancy. Although nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars have been spent by federal, state, and local governments on this effort to protect and restore key sections of the Santa Monica Mountains, the acreage protected through CEQA mitigation measures came at no cost to taxpayers. For example, 10,000 acres of the key north-south wildlife corridor in the Santa Monica Mountains were preserved as a mitigating condition required by Ventura County. Because of its requirement for identifying feasible ways to offset environmental impacts, CEQA facilitates these types of private land contributions for public use while allowing economically beneficial projects to move forward.