The PCL Insider: News From The Capitol

PCL “HOW TO” ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATIVE SYMPOSIUM WINS RAVE REVIEWS

Last Saturday, nearly 250 elected officials, environmental advocates, faith leaders, business leaders, and grassroots activists gathered in Sacramento for the annual PCL Environmental Legislative Symposium.

The 2007 theme, “How to...Win the Environmental Battles that Test this Generation” won high praise from attendees. Lynn Sadler, Executive Director of the Mountain Lion Foundation, reflected, “When great minds get together, ideas take flight.  When great activists get together, changes take root.  The symposium offered an abundance of both.  I personally saw a book proposal initiated, a person deciding to change careers, a new program for the Sierra, an interpretive trail proposal, souls renewed and partnerships revitalized.  Not bad for one day!”

A more thorough analysis of the day’s events will be sent to PCL members in the next edition of the California Today newsletter, and materials will soon be posted to the PCL website. For access to the Symposium PowerPoint presentations or other resources please contact Chillon Wisneski at cwisneski@pcl.org.

Thanks again to everyone who attended!

“BID FOR A BETTER WORLD” ONLINE AUCTION COMING SOON!

Mark your calendar and get ready to join in the fun and support a worthy cause! The Planning and Conservation League and the State Environmental Leadership Program (SELP) are partnering to help the environment by holding an online fundraising auction from May 1 - 25, 2007.

There will be a catalog of unique and exciting items for auction, including a relaxing week in the scenic South Carolina Mountains, an exhilarating river rafting trip on the Middle Fork in Idaho, and lots more to come!

Be one of the first to visit the auction website, where you can browse through the catalog and start building your wish list.

There’s no better time to “give green, while getting greener!” Don’t miss YOUR chance to bid for a better world!

HOUSING CALIFORNIA AND PCL DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH FOR PORTION OF INFILL BOND SPENDING

Thanks to the passage of Proposition 1C last November, the Legislature now has $850 million set aside for “capital outlays directly related to infill housing development.”

So how should the State choose which projects deserve these scarce new funds?

PCL’s Executive Director Gary Patton and Housing California’s Policy Director Julie Snyder have developed a comprehensive funding approach that establishes strong standards for location, minimum density, and housing affordability. The PCL-Housing California proposal would allow local governments and infill developers to access these scarce funds based on their ability to deliver the maximum public benefit.

In recent weeks, Patton and Snyder have appeared throughout the Capitol, arguing for their jointly sponsored proposal. Here’s how they described their approach to the Assembly Local Government Committee on Wednesday. 

If adopted, the PCL-Housing California proposal would:

∙  Use scarce housing dollars in a way that ensures a significant commitment to affordable housing for those who need it most.

∙  Specifically respond to what the voters wanted, by ensuring that the money from the infill account supports the kinds of projects that accomplish the environmental and smart growth goals that the voters approved in Prop 1C.

∙  Be rapidly deployed, since the money in this account is specifically set aside for expenditures related to infill housing development. (This focus on a “project” not a “planning” level, speeds the construction of much needed new housing - and the right kind of new housing, as well.)

∙  Include developers in the equation, maximizing opportunities for local governments to work with developers in joint projects that turn governmental plans into realities and ensure that projects include high priority public benefits.

∙  Create competition, thus allocating scarce state dollars to the very best proposals.

∙  Provide ‘real world’ models of what urban infill projects ought to look like.

If you’re interested in reviewing the entire proposal, please contact Gary Patton at gapatton@pcl.org.