On May 26, 2020, ECOS joined other organizations in sending a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom in response to requests from some parties to postpone the implementation of SB 743 (2013). Environmental groups urge the Governor to not further delay the implementation of this very important statute.
Click here to read the letter.
Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels.
May 26, 2020 | By Randol White | Capital Public Radio
California’s triple-digit heat is back — and new research shows residents in the state’s most underserved neighborhoods suffer the most when the mercury rises.
Portland State University’s heat-mapping project tapped volunteers last summer in four California metro areas to attach GPS-equipped temperature collection gadgets to their cars and drive along set routes for an hour in the morning, afternoon and evening. They drove through the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Victorville and Sacramento.
The research project was led by Vivek Shandas, a professor who believes this form of heat-data collection can help city planners solve decades-old problems.
“We’re trying to bring the understanding of climate change and the changes happening on a planetary scale down to the individual person and down to the individual city block,” Shandas said.
…
The data collected that day indicates the temperature differentials between neighborhoods can vary by as much as 20 degrees.
Wealthy, tree-canopied neighborhoods are typically cooler, and low-income, asphalt-heavy communities run hotter.
Click here to read the full article.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels.
May 28, 2020 | By Ryan Sabalow and Theresa Clift | The Sacramento Bee
As the summer weather begins to hit Sacramento, thousands of families head to the American River to cool off. That was the case over Memorial Day weekend.
Yet, recent measurements of E. coli bacteria in the river have reached the highest limits the testing equipment could detect.
Will Sacramento ever clean up the beautiful American River to a point where it’s safe for all to enjoy?
Help choose which features will be used to improve Stockton Boulevard from Alhambra Boulevard to 47th Avenue in the City of Sacramento!
City transportation planners have just launched a survey to hear what features residents would like to see on this roughly four-mile stretch of Stockton Boulevard in southeastern Sacramento.
The City of Sacramento has created some options that aim to improve safety and mobility for people using all modes of transportation. They need to get opinions from YOU, the people who walk, bike, take transit, and drive on Stockton Boulevard.
Thank you in advance for your input! This survey will take approximately 5 minutes. Also available in Spanish or Vietnamese.
Deadline: June 30, 2020
Click here for the City’s announcement of this survey.
Click here to learn more about the the Stockton Boulevard Corridor Study.
On May 12, 2020, the Environmental Council of Sacramento, 350 Sacramento and the Sierra Club Sacramento Group sent a letter to Sacramento County with concerns about funding the County’s Climate Action Plan.
We are gratified that on April 7, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to proceed with work on the County’s Climate Action Plan (CAP). However, we are concerned that the fiscal impact of the Covid-19 pandemic could make it difficult to include the CAP work, of approximately $300,000 disbursed over two fiscal years, in the County’s FY 20-21 budget.
Click here to read the letter in full.
On May 27, 2020, the Environmental Council of Sacramento, 350 Sacramento and the Sierra Club Sacramento Group sent a response letter to Sacramento County with concerns about funding the County’s Climate Action Plan.
Thank you for your prompt response to our May 12 letter on CAP funding. We appreciate your efforts to secure funding for the CAP. As reported at the County’s May 24, 2017 CAP workshop, most of the work (then $267,060 contract and $431,300 staff) was to have been funded by Long Range Planning fees. However, your response indicated funding from development project applicants instead. It isn’t clear if these are only applicants currently in the entitlement process; if so we have the following concerns.
Click here to read the letter in full.
Photo by Ron Reiring via flickr.
On May 26, 2020 the Environmental Council of Sacramento joined a large coalition of organizations in sending a letter to the Governor of California urging our state to move forward in implementing the Vehicle Miles Traveled guidelines for transportation impact analysis per Senate Bill 743 (2013).
We, the undersigned organizations, are grateful for the decisive actions you’ve taken to protect Californians during the COVID-19 pandemic. We understand the far-reaching impacts of COVID-19 and know that difficult choices will need to be made. We are aware that there are requests from some parties to postpone the implementation of SB 743 (2013); we urge you to not further delay the implementation of this very important statute.
COVID-19 has created an economic crisis for California, and the magnitude of the challenges ahead for our state’s recovery are immense, but postponing implementation of SB 743 would be a mistake. Rather, expeditious implementation of SB 743 is now all the more important to ensure a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future for California.
Click here to read the letter in full.
Photo by Robert Couse-Baker via Pxhere
Mailing address: PO Box 1526, Sacramento, CA 95812
Email: office [at] ecosacramento [dot] net
909 12th St., Suite 203, Sacramento, CA 95814