The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) anticipates releasing the Draft Designation Documents for the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary.
A draft proposed rule and management plan for...more
6/30/2023
/ Critical Habitat ,
Endangered Species ,
Environmental Impact Statements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Habitat Conservation Plan ,
Marine Life Protections ,
Native American Issues ,
NEPA ,
NOAA ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Tribal Governments ,
Tribal Lands
On June 12, 2023, each house of the California State Legislature released the proposed language of the Budget Act of 2023. The Legislature’s proposal excludes the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and permit...more
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires state and local government agencies to identify potentially significant environmental impacts of proposed projects and to reduce those impacts wherever feasible. For...more
11/25/2020
/ CEQA ,
Construction Project ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Review ,
Infrastructure ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Public Projects ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
Transportation Industry
Please join us on August 4, 2020 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PT for “Key CEQA Compliance Considerations for Vehicle Miles Traveled Analyses.” This complimentary webinar will examine the California Natural Resources Agency’s...more
On March 23, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-54-20, suspending for 60 days public agency and project proponent procedures for posting notices of key CEQA compliance actions. The Executive Order also relaxes...more
4/27/2020
/ CEQA ,
Construction Project ,
Deregulation ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Native American Issues ,
Posting Requirements ,
Public Agencies ,
Public Projects ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
Tribal Governments ,
Urban Planning & Development
On January 10, 2020, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) proposed amendments to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing regulations. The Proposed Rule would represent the first significant overhaul of...more
1/14/2020
/ CEQ ,
Comment Period ,
Deregulation ,
Environmental Assessments ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Review ,
Executive Orders ,
Infrastructure ,
NEPA ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Surface Transportation ,
Trump Administration
On April 29, 2019, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-10-19 (EO) directing the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Food and Agriculture...more
5/8/2019
/ Climate Change ,
Delta Smelt ,
Endangered Species ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Newsom ,
Habitat Conservation Plan ,
Natural Resources ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
Water Management ,
Water Supplies
With recent changes in state and federal leadership, as well as continuing developments from the Trump Administration, this seminar is a must-attend event for anyone involved in land use, zoning, environmental permitting,...more
4/18/2019
/ CEQA ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Site Assessment ,
Events ,
Land Use Restrictions ,
Public Projects ,
Real Estate Development ,
Rising Sea Levels ,
Sea Levels ,
Waters of the United States ,
Zoning Laws
The effects of the partial Federal government shutdown are being felt at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service”). The shutdown has virtually halted the Service’s processing of pending rulemakings under the Endangered...more
On September 28, 2018, the Fourth District Court of Appeal in Golden Door Properties, LLC v. County of San Diego (“Golden Door”) invalidated the County of San Diego’s recommended efficiency metric for analyzing the...more
On October 16, 2018, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Center for Food Safety submitted a petition to the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) to list the Crotch...more
On August 23, 2018, the California Fish and Game Commission (“Commission”) listed the Humboldt marten (Marten caurina humboldtensis) as an endangered species under the California Endangered Species Act (“CESA”). The...more
In the Fall 2017 publication of the Unified Agenda of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the Department of the Interior announced its intent to revise the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s regulations governing...more
12/22/2017
/ Conservation ,
Critical Habitat ,
Department of the Interior ,
Deregulation ,
Endangered Species ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Environmental Policies ,
ESA Listings ,
Executive Orders ,
Habitat Conservation Plan ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration ,
US Fish and Wildlife Service
On September 20, 2017, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“USFWS”) listed three separate species under the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”). USFWS listed the Sonoyta mud turtle (Kinosternon sonoriense) as endangered, and the...more
Battle lines are being drawn in connection with ongoing efforts by lawmakers to reform the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”). In a letter addressed to the leaders of both houses of Congress, the Senate Environmental and Public...more
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service”) recently published a positive 90-day finding on a petition to list the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and three distinct population segments as endangered...more
On August 25, 2016, the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) voted unanimously to list the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act. ...more
8/31/2016
/ California Fish and Game Commission ,
Conservation ,
Critical Habitat ,
Endangered Species ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Environmental Policies ,
ESA Listings ,
Habitat Conservation Plan ,
Marijuana ,
Timber ,
Wildfires
After Governor Brown took office for the second time, CEQA reform through the Legislature seemed like a distinct possibility. While that possibility has all but evaporated, recent rulings suggest that courts are taking a...more
In a relatively short decision, the California Supreme Court held in Tuolumne Jobs & Small Business Alliance v. Superior Court of Tuolumne County (Tuolumne Jobs) that the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) does not...more