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** PRESS ADVISORY - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE **
Planning and Conservation League
Contact: Bruce Reznik
916-822-5632 (o) or 619-851-9997 (c)
www.pcl.org
Planning and Conservation League Annual Symposium
Links Economy, Environment and Communities
The Planning and Conservation League (PCL) and PCL Foundation present their 2012 Environmental Legislative Symposium on Saturday, January 28 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J Street (2nd Floor) in Sacramento, CA. State Controller John Chiang will keynote the event, which provides a forum to explore California’s most critical environmental issues and to identify actions and policies that will allow the State to continue to be on the vanguard of environmental protection. At the awards luncheon, California Senator Kevin de León and Assemblymembers Jerry Hill and Jared Huffman will be recognized as PCL’s Legislators of the Year.
The last few years have seen tremendous change in terms of how people view the relationship between the economy, our communities, and the environment. As times have become increasingly difficult in California over the past several years, we again see the needs of the economy, communities, and the environment pitted against one another in the legislative and regulatory arenas. Through policy briefings and “How To” workshops, the Symposium will provide participants with a new perspective on how to achieve a more sustainable California—starting at the local level. Local decisions and actions often have more of a direct and cumulative impact on the statewide scene than we recognize, which is why that is the theme of this year’s event: THINK SMALL.
Bruce Reznik, Executive Director of PCL and the PCL Foundation, asserts “our current dialogue offers us a false choice between the economy, communities, and environment—in fact, strengthening the economy and revitalizing our communities is dependent on a healthy environment. This event will launch an overdue dialogue about how local communities can and must unite all three at the top of their list.”
The 2012 Symposium features numerous panels with distinguished moderators and experts on a variety of relevant topics such as regulatory reform, SB 375, ballot box planning, and energy. Highlights include:
- Laurel Impett of Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP assessing California’s first Sustainable Communities Strategy completed by San Diego.
- Kip Lipper from Senate pro Tem Darrell Steinberg’s office relaying the context of the state budget and its implications on existing environmental laws, especially the California Environmental Quality Act.
- Andy Lipkis of TreePeople showing how water use can be more cost-effective if reclaimed and reused through a large scale rainwater harvesting program in Los Angeles.
- Dan Richard, just appointed as Chair of the High Speed Rail Authority, discussing the Governor’s agenda for HSR and how recent changes will affect the project.
“With a shift in thinking, California can make investments in its future that result in lower carbon outputs, more profit for building owners, jobs for unemployed workers, and a blended value of environmental and economic progress,” remarks State Controller John Chiang.
Print and video journalists will have ample opportunities for interviews with California’s leading environmental experts and policy makers who are addressing current national and state legislative issues.
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The Planning and Conservation League (PCL) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit advocacy organization working in the State Legislature and at the administrative level in state government to enact and implement policies to protect and restore the California environment. PCL’s sister organization, the PCL Foundation, provides public policy research and expertise and empowers citizens to participate in their local and state environmental decision-making processes. Chatten-Brown and Carstens is a proud sponsor of this year’s event.
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