Planning and Conservation League

2025 California Environmental Assembly

California Innovating for the Future: Even More Critical Today

UC Davis, School of Law

Saturday, January 25th, 2025

About the Planning and Conservation League

Since 1965, PCL has changed the landscape of California through supporting measures that have preserved its iconic forests, coastlines, mountains, and watersheds.

We support legislation that protects our environment and we work to promote open space, habitat, and healthy communities.

We invite you to join us in our mission to restore California’s wilderness and to defend the public health and safety of the people of California through legislative action.

Our Campaigns Attend an Event Support Us

CEQA

CEQA is a dynamic law used by every California public agency in its planning and decision-making. Learn about CEQA and the public’s role in the environmental review process.
Learn about CEQA
Water

Our Water Program focuses on developing and implementing sustainable and equitable water policies for California.
Learn about our Water Program

Land Use & Transportation

PCL and our partners work to fundamentally change our land use patterns for improved local communities, wildlife, public health, and our natural environment.
Learn about land planning
PCL 50/50 Vision

See our 50 years of success in protecting millions of acres of local parks, wildlife habitats, lakes, rivers, and more.
See our successes

Why Support PCL?

Since 1965, PCL has preserved wilderness, beaches, and wildlife habitat, and made our communities healthier. See our accomplishments.

PCL Partnerships

PCL trains and works with dozens of community organizations and activists to make California better. Learn about our partners.

California Legislation Watchlist

Check out the bills we’re watching this legislative session. Track 2024 legislation.

From the News Room

PCL Capital Insider – September 2024

Inadequate water supplies and floods are already major concerns in California. While many groups and individuals are working hard to address the problem, scientists tell us that climate change will pose even greater challenges in the future. As the earth warms, so does the speed at which water evaporates, increasing the volume of water stored in the clouds. While models don’t make clear predictions about whether California will be wetter or drier in coming decades, on average, they tell us that we should expect more extremes, with less snowpack, longer and more frequent droughts, and more intense rainfall in the winter. We need to increase our efforts to catch and hold this precious water whenever and wherever we can!

In the more hilly and mountainous areas along the coast, underground storage capacity is limited to multiple smaller pockets under the surface. If overdrawn, these shallow aquifers are susceptible to saltwater intrusion. This presents a serious challenge to the central coast, where freshwater demand is met almost entirely by groundwater. Read more »

TAKE ACTION: Ask Governor Newsom to Sign SB 571 For Better Fire Evacuation Planning!

Climate-induced natural disasters are here and threatening lives and property across our state – as we send this alert today – over 50,000 Californains are under wildfire evacuation orders. At the end of August, the California Legislature passed SB 571, championed by Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica). This bill provides for interagency coordination toward a report laying the groundwork to create much-needed evacuation planning standards for development in high-risk areas. We need your support to urge Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature on SB 571. Read more »

TAKE ACTION: Take Action Today to Urge Governor Newsom to Sign AB 460!

On August 30, the Legislature passed AB 460 (Bauer-Kahan), which increases fines for illegally violating water diversion curtailment orders. Under AB 460, these fines would finally reach the level needed to deter violations, protecting downstream users and the environment. This bill targets only those who breach existing laws. To prepare for the worst impacts of climate change, California needs the ability to enforce our water management laws and deter violations that hurt all users on the system. Read more »

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