Monday, March 20 – 6:30 pm start (Note date and time change!)
Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6656164155, To phone in: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 665 616 4155
Before the meeting, we recommend you familiarize yourself with LAFCo by visiting the following two resources.
LAFCo 101 Presentation https://calafco.org/sites/default/files/documents/LAFCo%20101%20Presentation.pdf
Airport South Industrial Project: Scoping Meeting
Agenda
December 2022
Please consider supporting ECOS with a tax-deductible donation. Thank you so much for your generosity.
During the holiday season, let’s remember Mother Earth, and give thanks for her beauty and her stability. As we consider global and national efforts to fight climate change, let us pledge to do more locally.
Over this past year, partners and members of ECOS have worked together to further the sustainability of our land, water, and air in the Sacramento region. As we have for many years, we leveraged our advocacy efforts and relied upon each others’ expertise and good will.
This coming year, we pledge to collaborate again, and support our major jurisdictions and transit agency as they develop programs of projects related to community infrastructure, transportation, and green building to address climate change and take advantage of federal funding now available.
With the climate crisis escalating, we need to be even more effective in our advocacy. We need to persuade our elected leaders to take bold steps to reduce GHG emissions as fast as possible. To do this, we need your help.
We invite you to join us in 2023 and share your time and talents. But for today, please support ECOS with a tax-deductible donation at https://www.ecosacramento.net/donate/.
Best wishes to you and your friends and families.
Over the past two years, our advocacy resulted in improvements to Sacramento County’s CAP, however many of the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction measures are still vague and unquantifiable. Although we remain concerned the CAP relies too heavily on SMUD’s 2030 clean energy goal, we applaud the County’s collaboration with the City and SMUD on building electrification. We continue to push for an explicit prioritization of infill development near transit over sprawl; requirements for water conservation and transition to drought-tolerant landscapes; and a requirement for new development to be carbon neutral. We support Sacramento County’s Climate Emergency Task Force and look forward to its recommendations. We reviewed early draft chapters of the City of Sacramento climate plan and will soon comment on the adaptation chapter.
We are glad to report that Measure A, the sales tax initiative sponsored by large-scale housing developers, has been voted down. This initiative sought to fund the Southeast Connector and road expansion projects that would have spurred sprawl development and hindered our region’s ability to curb GHG. ECOS opposed the measure and thanks the “Measure A Not OK” campaign.
We continue to support Sacramento Investment Without Displacement and its discussions with the City of Sacramento to develop an ordinance for a community benefits agreement (CBA). To stave off displacement effects of new large projects, the ordinance would require rent supports, affordable housing, complete streets, transit, and prioritization of the local workforce for jobs.
We settled our suit against Caltrans for widening the CapCity Freeway (Business 80) bridge over the American River. We were concerned about the growth in air pollution, GHG emissions, sprawl development from induced travel, and damage from bridge construction to bat and plant habitats on embankments. The settlement requires Caltrans to analyze, as part of CEQA, the impacts of induced travel demand (per SB743), and to provide additional structures for bat habitat.
Our Natomas Team is leading the charge on three projects that would threaten the future of the Natomas Basin Conservancy, habitat, and farming. The Airport South Industrial and two others are proposed for land zoned for agriculture, outside the City, and outside the County’s Urban Service Boundary.
ECOS’ Water Committee advocates for a safe and reliable water supply that supports people, rivers and wildlife, recreation and aesthetic values, and agriculture. Our committee, with 40 others, is a member of the Water Forum, where water priorities are negotiated. As part of the Environmental Caucus, our committee developed a statement of principles for the upcoming negotiations of the Water Forum 2.0 agreement. The Water Committee supports a regional approach to ensure supplies of groundwater and surface water are sustainable for both the community and the environment.
ECOS’ Habitat Committee (Habitat 2020) works to protect our land, water, native plants, and wildlife. Our committee commented on the Delta Conveyance Draft Environmental Impact Report, highlighting problems with how the impacts on our region’s terrestrial species were addressed in the analysis. In eastern Sacramento County, we are working on a campaign to relocate the Coyote Creek Solar Voltaic Project so it will not imperil Blue Oak Woodland habitat. In Rancho Cordova, we are working to preserve a key habitat area in the American River flood plain, opposing a proposed housing development there. We continue to review implementation of the South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan, which will conserve more than 40,000 acres.
Partners and members with whom we worked in 2022, in addition to government entities:
350 Sacramento
Breathe CA Sacramento Region
California Mobility Center
Citizens’ Climate Lobby Sacramento
Civic Thread
Civic Well
Cleaner Air Partnership
ClimatePlan
Community Resource Project
Environmental Democrats Sacramento
Friends of Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
Friends of Swainson’s Hawk
Green Incubator
Impact Foundry
International Dark-Sky Association
Legal Services of Northern California
Mark Berry of Rancho Cordova
Measure A Not OK
Organize Sacramento
Physicians for Social Responsibility Sacramento
Regional Rail Working Group
Sac Area Congregations Together (SacACT)
SacMoves Coalition
Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates
Sacramento Area Creeks Council
Sacramento Audubon Society
Sacramento Building Healthy Communities
Sacramento Climate Coalition
Sacramento Community Land Trust
Sacramento Electric Vehicle Association
Sacramento Environmental Justice Coalition
Sacramento Housing Alliance
Sacramento Investment Without Displacement
Sacramento Metro Advocates for Rail + Transit
Sacramento Natural Foods Coop
California Native Plant Society, Sacramento
Sacramento Vegetarian Society
Save Our Sandhill Cranes
Save the American River Association
Sierra Club Sacramento
Splash
Sunrise Movement Sacramento
The Water Forum
The Xerces Society
United Latinos
Valley Vision
On November 28, 2022, the Environmental Council of Sacramento submitted a comment letter on City Council Meeting Nov 29, 2022 Agenda Item 25: New Building Electrification Ordinance, ID: 2022-01920.
Below is the content of the letter.
ECOS supports the proposed New Building Electrification Ordinance and urges the Council to vote for it.
- The first phase of this ordinance (for newly constructed buildings that are three stories or less) will take effect on January 1, 2023, and second phase (for newly constructed buildings that are four stories or more) will take effect on January 1, 2026.
- The New Building Electrification Ordinance will be a local amendment to the 2022 California Building Standards Code.
As SMUD moves toward its 2030 zero-carbon goal, electrification of buildings will increasingly help city residents reduce their carbon footprint. We look forward to working with City staff on the development of a building electrification ordinance for existing buildings.
GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
Join the movement and give to ECOS – each Tuesday and every day – whether it’s some of your time, a donation, or the power of your voice in your local community.
It’s a simple idea: whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to contribute toward building the better world we all want to live in.
Here’s a year-end letter and report on our activities for 2022.
Jennifer Venema, Climate Action Lead, City of Sacramento
Sacramento Climate Adaptation Plan Preliminary Public Review Draft and Building Electrification: New Building Ordinance; Existing Building Strategy
Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6656164155
To phone in: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 665 616 4155
In 2020, after the Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change released its recommendations to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, the Sacramento City Council directed staff to develop an ordinance for electrification of new construction and a strategy for existing building electrification, with a focus on under-resourced communities.
In July, under Jennifer Venema’s leadership, City staff released a draft Climate Action, and now a draft Adaptation Plan. A 2040 General Plan is expected this winter.
Click the links below to learn more about building electrification efforts by the City of Sacramento.
Plus in the meeting we’ll get updates on:
Click here to go to the main Environmentalist of the Year Awards webpage.
Join us for a memorable 2022 Environmentalist of the Year Awards. Attend and enjoy, have refreshments and wine, talk with friends and colleagues, and learn more about the important work of the award recipients, our partner organizations, and ECOS.
Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at Curtis Hall, Sierra 2 Center, Sacramento 95818
ECOS has been hosting the Environmentalist of the Year Awards since 1973. Through the Environmentalist of the Year Awards, ECOS honors local leaders who have had noteworthy success in achieving action on climate change, preserving habitat, promoting transit-oriented development, and advocating for clean air and against sprawl.
TICKETS: Online ticket sales have ended. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door.
$250 Ansel Adams
$500 George Washington Carver
$1000 Rachel Carson
$2500+ John Muir
Your support of ECOS means so much! Please sponsor the 2022 Environmentalist of the Year event and join us on November 15 evening to celebrate the awardees:
Through the EOY Awards, ECOS honors local leaders who have had noteworthy success in achieving action on climate change, preserving habitat, promoting transit-oriented development, and advocating for clean air and against sprawl.
Past EOY awardees have been citizen activists, professors, students, elected officials, governmental and agency staff, business and labor leaders, scientists, lawyers, developers, planners, and architects.
Your sponsorship recognizes the awardees’ good work and supports the future work of ECOS. See the sponsorship levels and tickets, tax-deductible as ECOS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit organization.
Thank you very much for your generosity.
Susan Herre
President of the ECOS Board of Directors
Mailing address: PO Box 1526, Sacramento, CA 95812
Email: office [at] ecosacramento [dot] net
909 12th St., Suite 203, Sacramento, CA 95814