On May 23 the Strategic Growth Council announced recommendations for the $16 million in its third and last round of planning grants under Proposition 84. The 33 recommended awards go before the Council for approval June 3. See http://bit.ly/1lOYfO3.

Santa Barbara creates a land conservation bank

The state and federal fish and wildlife services have approved the 853-acre La Purisima Conservation Bank, which places easements on "critically important grasslands and oak woodlands" outside Lompoc. The project will sell mitigation credits to developers. See http://bit.ly/1jX0r9k.

Costa Mesa wins back $10.3 million Redevelopment loan

The City of Costa Mesa is celebrating a clawback of a clawback in the state post-Redevelopment finance wars. In a jubilant press release, the city said the state Department of Finance agreed that a $10.3 million loan made by the city to its redevelopment agency was owed back to the city. The city statement said DOF would pay $782,983 up front, and would work out a payment schedule for the rest. For the city statement, see http://www.costamesaca.gov/index.aspx?page=40&recordid=1445. The OC Register has more detail at http://www.ocregister.com/articles/state-615593-costa-mesa.html.

Drought and Water Notes

  • The State Water Resources Control Board issued the first of what may be more "curtailment" orders blocking water use by some holders of post-1914 water rights. On its May 20-21 agenda, the main curtailment discussion, on rights in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, appeared at first as a resolution proposed for approval but was changed to a public workshop to receive comments. The board did pass a curtailment resolution "due to insufficient flow for specific fisheries" for three creeks feeding the Sacramento River in Tehama County. See the May 20 entries at http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/board_info/calendar/ and http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/drought/mill_deer_antelope_creeks.shtml.
  • Conservation groups sought to extend the comment period on the massive BDCP plan text, which is schedule to expire June 13. See sacb.ee/1lWGlLS.
  • California Sen. Dianne Feinstein's drought bill passed the U.S. Senate after weeks of delay, after giving up $300 million in drought relief funds. The bill, SB 2198, has worried environmentalists because of provisions for more water pumping from the Sacramento River Delta. The bill now goes to conference with House Republican leaders. See http://bit.ly/1jqdRFZ.
  • A group of water officials have asked the Ninth Circuit for en banc review of San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority v. Jewell. See http://www.cp-dr.com/articles/node-3448 for CP&DR's prior discussion and http://bit.ly/1k38QYN for an update from the Nossaman firm.
  • Bakersfield Californian columnist Lois Henry wrote a furiously critical column on the entry of the Tejon Ranch into the business of selling water to other users, with the hovering possibility that it might eventually use the water rights it has been purchasing to supply its multiple pending housing and business developments. See http://bit.ly/SQAcas.

In other news --

  • The Long Beach Press-Telegram reports the California Attorney General has filed a motion to intervene in the dispute between Long Beach and Los Angeles over the 153-acre BNSF rail yard upgrade project. See http://bit.ly/SfmcGB.
  • California's Air Resources Board held its seventh cap-and-trade auction, selling almost $195 million in 2014 credits and almost $46 million in 2017 credits. See http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/newsrelease.php?id=616..
  • Unsuccessful parties and others have filed requests to depublish the Woodland "urban blight" EIR case that we discussed at www.cp-dr.com/articles/node-3472. For a little discussion see http://www.ceqadevelopments.com/2014/05/12/spring-2014-ceqa-roundup/. The updated online docket is at http://bit.ly/1qrIrFt.
  • San Franciscans filed an appeal seeking CEQA review of a city decision to repeal the recent imposition of Sunday parking meter charges.: http://bit.ly/1kHAISc