We don’t hesitate to criticize elected officials when they make decisions we don’t like, so we shouldn’t hesitate to thank a legislator when they bring bills that we support.
In 2019, District 74 Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach) helped pass three bills in support of the environment including: AB 65, AB 933 and AB 1011.
AB 65 will prioritize projects that utilize green infrastructure for coastal adaptation to address sea-level rise along California’s coast.
Coastkeeper: Sea-levels are expected to rise 4-8 feet by the end of this century. We are all about this bill because we believe in working with nature rather than against it to provide solutions to climate change. Our Living Shorelines project is a perfect example of this. Where scientists used to install concrete structures to address sea-level rise, we are growing eelgrass and installing oyster beds to not only restore our shorelines, but improve habitat for marine life for years to come.
AB 933AB 933 will establish the Ecosystem Resilience Program at the Department of Conservation to provide funding for Watershed Coordinators to address the diverse needs of each of the state’s watersheds.
Coastkeeper: We agree it’s imperative that we invest in the diverse ecosystems throughout California and ensure they are managed effectively. Our state’s watersheds occupy a variety of unique geographical areas, including urban, agricultural and forested lands. These watershed systems provide lots of benefits for residents and serve as a critical habitat for thousands of species. This bill will help ensure critical funding for holistic and effective management of California’s diverse watersheds, including Orange County, Inland Empire and Coachella Valley.
AB 1011 will authorize the Coastal Commission to provide extra consideration to nonprofits who apply for fee waivers to incentivize nonprofits to undertake projects that will provide habitat restoration or improved public access to coastal resources.
Coastkeeper: This fee-waiver measure makes it easier for nonprofits like Coastkeeper to carry out the much-needed habitat restoration work we’ve been doing in Orange County for 20 years. While the Coastal Commission’s fee schedule for habitat restoration and public access improvement varies depending on the size of the project, applicant fees can cost anywhere from $2,500 upward to $40,000. That’s one less obstacle we face in our efforts to restore Orange County coasts.
All of these bills promote the environment and Coastkeeper would like to convey our appreciation to Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris. Thank you.
Read more on her 2019 legislation: https://a74.asmdc.org/priorities/legislation-2019-bills
