TITLE
Recommendation to request City Attorney to draft a resolution in support of SB 917 (Migden) to establish California Watershed Conservation Protection Fund; and request City Manager to communicate City's support of SB 917 to Senator Migden and our State legislative delegation.
DISCUSSION
Two members of the Long Beach City Council are represented on the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council (LASGRWC). The members of LASRRWC Board of Directors are Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, who represents the Long Beach City Council, and Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal who represents the Water Replenishment District of Southern California. LASGRWC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization of community groups, government agencies, business and academia working cooperatively to solve problems in the watershed. The mission of the LASGRWC is to facilitate an inclusive consensus process to preserve, restore, and enhance the economic, social, and ecological health of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed through education, research, and planning.
State Senator Carol Migden has introduced SB 917 the Watershed Conservation Protection Program.
This legislation will provide a sustainable source of technical and financial support to local watershed partnerships for stewardship activities including watershed planning, management, and restoration. A reliable source of funding is needed for watershed stewardship, as the reliance on bond funds becomes more infrequent and unsure. The Watershed Conservation Protection Program fund will support on-the-ground projects that improve water quality, increase water supply reliability, reduce flooding, and restore habitat for fish and wildlife.
The fund will also develop local capacity for improved watershed management, provide technical assistance, and support locally relevant education programs. Activities supported by the fund will not only be technically appropriate, but will provide benefits to California as a whole wh...
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