2018 Environmental Assembly

New Strategies for Chaotic Times

Saturday, February 24, 2018
University of the Pacific Law School, Sacramento

Each year PCL focuses on policy topics that are relevant and current in California’s environmental policy. We are planning to do so again this year with several important policy sessions as well as legal environmental issues and current court cases to watch.

Given the strong interest from last year’s assembly on diversity and the shared values, we all work so hard to protect and promote across California, we will be adding a topic track devoted entirely to the intersectionality of our shared values and organizational collaboration and co-advocacy strategies.

Additionally, we will add a job and internship fair for youth and new activists to learn about policy work, as well as encourage them to build a career in the field and develop the job skills to do so. Empowering the younger generations to continue the work ahead is critical to all of us. We are offering full scholarships for students.

Join the Planning and Conservation League on February 24, 2018, at McGeorge School of Law for the annual California Environmental Assembly.

What: Planning and Conservation League’s 2018 California Environmental Assembly

When: Saturday, February 24, 2018, registration and breakfast starts at 7:30 am

Where: McGeorge School 3200 5th Ave, Sacramento, CA 95817

Who: Leading local and state elected officials, agency representatives, nonprofit and community leaders, attorneys, planners, and business representatives

Speakers

The 2020 Assembly has already passed. Click here to read our highlights from the Assembly. Please check back often for information on the 2021 Assembly!

Each year, PCL addresses top environmental policy issues that face California. Our Assembly focused on climate change and what we can do together to slow down the effects of global warming. Expert panelists from agencies, organizations, companies, and law firms pitched their big ideas on how to solve the most pressing issues of our time. We collaborated with Green California to bring panels on topics not previously addressed before, such as fossil fuels, biodiversity, agriculture, and health and environmental justice.

PCL also continued our Emerging Leaders Panel as a way to bring young advocates into the environmental policy conversation and provide those without a voice with a place to discuss their perspective on a more sustainable future and the work we can do to get there.

The Event

What: Planning and Conservation League’s 2020 California Environmental Assembly

When: January 25th, 2020

Where: McGeorge School of Law,

Who: Leading local and state elected officials, agency representatives, nonprofit and community leaders, attorneys, planners, and business representatives

Key Speakers

Secretary Wade Crowfoot

John Tarrant

2018 Assembly Schedule, Sessions, and Panelists

Shared Values Track

Morning |What Now? Opportunities for Cross-Interest Collaboration in 2018

The “shared values” conversation for the 2018 Assembly is meant to be an update and action-oriented follow-up to the outcomes of PCL’s 2017 Assembly, where two broad objectives were identified: one, to back-stop California law against weakening of protections we now rely on in federal law; and two, a need to better coordinate across interests and private and public sectors in our shared goals. This morning shared-values session will focus on the first of those objectives. Following the look-back of the opening plenary, this break-out session discussion will seek to identify what the key opportunities are in 2018 for coordination across environmental and social justice, civil and human rights, as well as other cross-sector interests, and cooperation across government, non-government and private sectors. Panel Dan Woo, California Department of Public Health Tyrone Buckley, Housing California Bryn Lindblad, Climate Resolve Rev. Amanda Ford, Take Care Institute for Equity and Justice

Afternoon |Working Better Together: How Do Our Partnerships Need to Evolve to Win?

The afternoon “shared values” conversation will emphasize full participation from all in attendance, focusing on the second of the objectives identified in the 2017 assembly: the need to work better together across interests and public and private sectors. Building upon the opportunities identified in the morning shared-values session, the discussion will seek to identify specific strategies for better coordination in 2018 to achieve those shared goals. This discussion will also seek to identify sometimes unresolvable conflicts—when interest diverge, how can we continue to work effectively without fracturing partnerships and broader collaborative efforts?

Panel
Kristen Wraith, Local Government Commission
Victoria Rome, NRDC & Green California Steering Committee
Ingrid Brostrom, Assistant Director, Center on Race, Poverty, and the Environment
Erica Rincon, Senior Associate, Policylink
Jessie Feller Hahn, Executive Director, Meeting of the Minds

Land Use & Transportation Track

Morning | Finding The Gaps: The Disconnect Between our Climate Policies and Our Land Use Decisions

California is making progress, but our housing, transportation, and land use policies are still fully not integrated or complementary. We see an opportunity to close those policy gaps with strategies such as reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT). VMT reduction has become the proxy metric, not only for land use related GHG reduction but also for the co-benefits to natural resource conservation, public health, and equity that improved land use can provide. The CA Air Resources Board has identified the need for an additional 15% reduction in VMT to meet the State goals for 2050 GHG reduction, and yet our land use and transportation decisions continue to not be aligned with these goals. This multi-angled discussion will focus on the challenges inherent in making this shift from the policies that have led to current inequities and the car-oriented California of today.

Panel
Kurt Kaperos, California Air Resources Board
Kara Heckert, American Farmland Trust
Meea Kang, Council of Infill Builders
Jesus Hernandez, UC Davis Sociology Department

Afternoon | Closing the Gaps: Strategies to Achieve our Goals for Environment and Equity

To meet California’s GHG reduction targets, and environmental sustainability and social equity goals, a significant shift is needed for how we plan where we live and how we transport ourselves. After diving into the challenges inherent in shifting California’s growth patterns in the morning break-out, this discussion will explore the many opportunities there are for closing the VMT gap through land use, housing, transportation and climate policy.

Panel
Chris Ganson, Office of Planning and Research
Katie Valenzuela Garcia, Principal Consultant to the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate
Denny Grossman, Strategic Growth Council
Brian Annis, California State Transportation Agency

Legal Track

Morning | California v. The Feds: Major Federal Legal Concerns for California (MCLE Credit Pending)

The morning legal tract discussion will provide (credited) analysis of legal questions regarding recent and potential federal policy and judicial actions as it concerns California.

Panel
Richard Marcantonio, Public Advocates
Arsenio Mataka, Office of Attorney General Xavier Becerra
Layla Razavi, California Immigration Policy Center
Nick Bryner, University of California, Los Angeles

Afternoon | The People v. California: Setting the State Straight (MCLE Credit Pending)

The afternoon Legal tract breakout will provide in-depth discussions of current legal questions regarding recent California legislation, and regulatory judicial precedents.

Panel
Kip Lipper, Chief Policy Adviser on Energy and Environment, Office of Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León
Winter King, Shute Mihaly & Weinberger, LLP
Ethan Elkind, University of California, Berkeley School of Law
Doug Carstens, Chatten-Brown & Carstens, LLP

Closing Plenary Session

Discussion of Specific Actions for 2018

Download our 2018 PCL Assembly Sponsorship Packet to learn how you can join in supporting the future of California!

Co-Host

Read the summary & report from the 2017 Assembly here Thank you to our Sponsors & Co-Hosts of the 2018 Assembly Youth & Access Scholarship Sponsors Chatten-Brown Carstens, LLP Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Phyllis Faber

Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Chatten-Brown Carstens, LLP
Phyllis Faber
Sage Sweetwood

Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

David Hirsch
East Bay Municipal Utility District
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
National Wildlife Federation
Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, LLP

Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

California Endowment
Holland and Knight
Keith G Wagner APC
Kevin Johnson
Law Offices of Graham Brownstein
Law Offices of Stuart M. Flashman
Lozeau Drury, LLP
Mogavero Architects
M. R. Wolfe & Associates, P.C.
Ralph Perry
Rossmann & Moore, LLP

Sponsors

Emerging Sponsors

Center for Biological Diversity
Corey Briggs/Briggs Law Corporation
Earthjustice
Law Offices of Thomas N. Lippe, APC
TELACU Industries, Inc.

Sponsors

Contributing Sponsors

Andy Sawyer & Carol Bingham
Byron Sher
California Climate Investments
Environmental Defense Center
Friends, Artists and Neighbors of Elkhorn Slough
Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks
Jennifer McGraw
Public Good PR
Remy, Moose & Manley, LLP
Valley Land Alliance
West Yost Associates

Sponsorships Available

Please consider joining our sponsors to support the California Environmental Assembly. To learn more download our 2018 PCL Assembly Sponsorship Packet. Thank you!
Event or assembly questions – please contact us.