City of Sacramento Climate Action Plan/General Plan Questionnaire

Note new deadline: June 19, 2020

There is still time for city residents to participate in the 2040 General Plan update and Climate Action Plan’s virtual community questionnaire, as the deadline has been extended until June 19. The previous deadline for public input was June 5. Click here to learn more.

Sacramento City is updating their general plan, including the City’s Climate Action plan. We need Sacramento City residents to fill out this online community questionnaire to make sure everyone’s needs are represented. Participate by June 19, 2020 to help the City prioritize key proposed strategies around six general topics which will be part of the 2040 General Plan. You can choose to provide input on all six topics, or just one! You might be impressed by the ideas proposed; we were!

The six general topics presented in this virtual workshop for public input are:

Livability
Mobility
Climate Change
Environmental Justice
Economic Development
Sustainable Growth

Each of these general topics has specific questions for participants and opportunities for additional input. ECOS encourages all of our members and allies to spend approximately 30 minutes responding to this survey opportunity by June 5th, 2020. It is very important that our City government receives robust input and support from progressive, environmentally-conscious citizens.

Available in multiple languages.

Time commitment: approximately 30 minutes

Click here to participate

ECOS statement: Racism in the Sacramento region

The Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) laments the death of George Floyd as the result of racist policing. Recently we redoubled our efforts to improve the environment in the Sacramento region, which is usually more dangerous for our residents of color. We recognize that historic racist “red-lining” policies have led to the segregation of neighborhoods. For example, air pollution tends to be worse in under-served communities, which are often near sources such as diesel truck traffic.

We believe in equality for all regardless of race and reflect this believe in our environmental work. ECOS supports affordable, transit-oriented housing, and sues to prevent suburban sprawl such as the expansion of freeways. We have been lobbying for more funds for public transit and active transportation. We have urged local jurisdictions to provide more services for our increasingly large homeless population. We helped found “Sacramento Investment Without Displacement”, which is pushing for a “community benefits agreement” for Aggie Square: UC Davis plans to double the size of its Med Center, but not provide housing in our most gentrifying neighborhoods.

Together, we will make our region more environmentally friendly and healthy for Sacramento residence those who are most effected by inequality.

Implementing Vehicle Miles Traveled Guidelines

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.

Stockton Blvd Transportation Study

Do you walk, bike, take transit, or drive on Stockton Boulevard?

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.

Click here to take the survey

Funding Sacramento County’s Climate Action Plan

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.

Putting Vehicle Miles Traveled Guidelines Into Action

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