Three air monitoring programs are underway in the Sacramento area, focused on underserved communities. They are intended to inform residents about their likely sources of unhealthy air, and help come up with viable solutions.
We will hear from those involved with these studies:
Valley Vision: Sacramento Neighborhoods Activating on Air Quality Focus: Old North Sacramento/Norwood and Oak Park/Fruitridge
Sacramento Metro Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD): Community Air Monitoring Plan Focus: South Sacramento, Florin/Route 99
Breathe California-Sacramento Region & CSUS: Sacramento County Vehicle Emission Project Focus: Health impacts of near-roadway pollution
Also, SMAQMD Transportation & Climate Division Director Jaime Lemus will discuss federal funding for:
Community Pollution Reduction Grants for the seven-county Sacramento region (funded by the Inflation Reduction Act through US EPA)
A Climate Resilient Capital Region – involving SACOG, SMAQMD, SMUD, SAFCA, SacRT, PCWA (Placer County Water Agency), RWA (Regional Water Authority) – a multi-benefit approach to resiliency through coordinated action and collective investment
Updates:
Caltrans’ plan to add lanes to I-80 in Yolo County
Status of Climate Action Plans, & Sacramento County’s Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force
ECOS’ work with SacRT to highlight the benefits of public transit
On May 7, 2024, ECOS submitted a letter to the City of Sacramento about the proposal to eliminate their $1 million contribution to “RydeFreeRT” program for students. Below is an excerpt from our letter.
ECOS (Environmental Council of Sacramento) opposes the City Manager’s proposed elimination of the City’s $1 million contribution to SacRT’s “RydeFreeRT” program for students. Student ridership has more than doubled since its inception five years ago, providing clean mobility options for students including internships and other opportunities. Our region consistently ranks in the top ten nationally for unhealthy air and RydeFreeRT has substantially reduced air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.
On March 18, 2024, ECOS submitted a comment letter on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact (DSEIR) for the Sacramento County WattEV Innovative Freight Terminal (SWIFT) Project, Control Number: PLER2023-00069. We believe the document has substantial omissions and should be revised and recirculated.
On November 28, 2023, ECOS submitted a letter of support for the City of Sacramento’s proposal for the missing middle housing ordinance as part of the General Plan Update. Below is an excerpt from our letter.
For over 50 years, ECOS has urged our region to increase infill housing as opposed to sprawl development, in order to preserve habitat and make our air healthier to breathe. More recently it has become clear that this is needed to limit greenhouse gas emissions that jeopardize the future of our species, and to deal with our #1 local issue: the lack of affordable housing and concomitant homelessness. For these reasons, ECOS has consistently promoted investment in public transit and light rail, and the development of transit-oriented infill development. Additionally, ECOS recognizes that our past discriminatory housing policy has caused a development pattern that must be adjusted to promote environmental justice and equity.
“We think the annual Farm to Fork month, with so many people celebrating the locally grown food in the region, is a perfect time to highlight how important farms are to people and wildlife.” stated Heather Fargo, former Mayor of Sacramento and lead of the Natomas Campaign for the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS).
ECOS is calling on the public to protect Natomas open space and embarking on a major campaign to educate the community about how important the Natomas farmlands and open space are to wildlife in our region and beyond. Natomas is a special place; it is a vital part of the Pacific Flyway and home to 22 protected species, in addition to providing food for our region and the world.
The Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan was established in 1997 to ensure the basin’s natural resources are not lost with the growth of the Natomas community. Unfortunately, loss of these resources is likely to happen because of proposed residential and industrial development projects covering more than 8,200 acres of land intended to remain in agriculture.
The first of those projects is the Airport South Industrial Project, a 450-acre warehouse district proposed for land south of I-5 and adjacent to the West Lake neighborhood in North Natomas. If approved, it would put over 6 million square feet of warehouses on foraging habitat for the endangered Swainson’s Hawk.
“ECOS wants Sacramento to remember the value of open space and farmland as a way to support wildlife and combat climate change. We Sacramentans have a role in protecting one of the Earth’s biodiversity hotspots,” said Fargo.
A new message is on display on a digital billboard along I-5 in downtown Sacramento. It has a simple message – save Sacramento’s wildlife habitat and farmland.
Targeted to those who enjoy the local dining experience offered in the city, it simply says, ““There’s no Farm to Fork without farms” and “Natomas farmlands feed people and wildlife”.
The billboard is timed to coincide with the annual Farm to Fork Festival that includes the Tower Bridge dinner and the street festival on Capital Mall on Sept 22-23.
The billboard kicks off a major new campaign by ECOS, continuing its 50 years of efforts to protect the environment.
“The establishment of the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan was important for regional sustainability thirty years ago. Now with climate change, it is essential that we stop sprawl and protect biodiversity in this area. The NBHCP provided for development on 17, 500 acres, and the proposed projects are outside of that,” said Susan Herre AIA AICP, President of the ECOS Board of Directors. ECOS is partnering with Sierra Club, Habitat 2020, Audubon Society, Friends of the Swainson’s Hawk and California Native Plant Society.
Map of the Natomas Basin The proposed projects are in red and are labelled.
The ECOS Mission: Our mission is to achieve regional sustainability, livable communities, environmental justice, and a healthy environment and economy for existing and future residents. ECOS strives to bring positive change to the Sacramento region by proactively working with the individual and organizational members of ECOS, neighborhood groups, and local and regional governments.
In case you missed this special presentation about Measure A at the ECOS Climate Committee meeting on Thursday September 14, 2023 at 6:00pm, you can request a recording of the meeting. Just send an email to office[at]ecosacramento[dot]net for a copy of the recording.
Agenda
6:00 Welcome and Introductions
6:10 Existing Sacramento County Measure A: What It Said, What It Has Done, What It Will Do
Sacramento County voters passed Measure A in 2004, a sales tax to fund transportation improvements through 2039. This presentation is designed to provide us with a basis of understanding and point of reference for a possible November 2024 ballot measure. Also, is there any flexibility to modify how future Measure A revenues may be used?
