Bill Text: CA SR32 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Senate Resolution 32 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Relative to coastal resources.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-24 - Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W. [SR32 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SR32-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Resolution

No. 32

Introduced by Senator Jackson

April 11, 2019

Relative to coastal resources.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SR 32, as introduced, Jackson.

WHEREAS, The State of California has long relied on state-federal consultation under its certified California Coastal Management Program in response to a range of major federal actions affecting our state’s coastal zone; and

WHEREAS, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking requesting states and others to provide timely comments on NOAA’s proposed “streamlining” of the federal consistency process under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. Sec. 1451 et seq.) (CZMA); and

WHEREAS, The State of California has a legitimate role in determining whether a range of activities associated with the United States Department of the Interior’s offshore drilling proposals and other major federal actions are consistent, or inconsistent, with the California Coastal Management Program, using the state’s federal consistency determination; and

WHEREAS, This federal consistency determination utilizing the CZMA effectively provides an essential partnership opportunity between coastal states, local governments, and federal agencies proposing offshore oil and gas drilling, seismic airgun petroleum exploration, and other types of coastal projects; and

WHEREAS, The use of the State of California’s consistency determination represents a proven and reliable way that the State of California and its local communities can effectively participate in outcomes that permanently impact our state’s coastal lands and waters; and

WHEREAS, The State of California’s consistency review process provides a critical opportunity for the public to participate in decisions affecting coastal resources and economies; and

WHEREAS, The unwarranted removal or weakening of CZMA consistency authority could leave the state in a weakened posture in the face of emerging federal offshore drilling proposals and related decisions leading up to the implementation of an outer continental shelf (OCS) offshore oil and gas lease sale, an OCS Plan of Exploration, an OCS Plan of Development and Production, or federal permits for adjacent seismic airgun survey programs; and

WHEREAS, Absent the maintenance of the State of California’s well-established right to make an effective federal consistency finding, the necessary orderly planning to facilitate the transportation of energy products or siting of electrical utility lines serving offshore renewable energy installations would instead be dictated primarily by federal agencies, rather than continuing to emerge as decisions that are currently comanaged in consultation with affected local governments and the State of California; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate supports the continuation of a strong federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. Sec. 1451 et seq.) and opposes any weakening of federal consistency under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 as it relates to any relevant federal action affecting the coastal zone of the State of California; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.