Assembly Standing Committee on Natural Resources

Good afternoon. Welcome to the Assembly. Natural Resources Committee. We have one measure today. AB. 876. By Speaker Rivas. Let's go ahead and take the roll.

Luz Rivas, Here. Flora. Addis, here. Friedman, Here. Hoover, Mathis. Muratsuchi, here. Pellerin, Here. Ward, Here. Wood, Here. Zabur.

We have a quorum whenever you're ready.

And thank you, Madam Chair and colleagues. And this legislation is urgency legislation which is important to the region I represent as it intends to speed up a critical 400 $1.0 million flood risk management project. It's a project that seeks to provide 100 year flood protection to our region. And this is a project that's located in the Pajaro Valley, which is nestled between the counties of Monterey and Santa Cruz.

And specifically, this Bill proposes to grant the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project exemptions from needing to secure lake and stream bed alteration agreements with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, as well as exemptions from certain water quality permitting requirements. It also seeks to grant this project an expedited sequa process, which is loosely based on precedent regarding dam removal along the Klamath River.

In both cases, recognition of the environmental benefits of the projects justified a less extensive environmental review, so that work could begin sooner and faster. It should be noted that this project will only receive these exemptions if it meets the highest environmental standards. We have incorporated extensive feedback from the environmental community and from the Senate Natural and Resources Water Committee. In fact, this project is expected to result in significant environmental benefits.

As I mentioned, this is important legislation for our district because these communities in the Pajaro Valley, the town of PAHO, the City of Watsonville, are some of the most disadvantaged communities in our state and receive some of the lowest levels of flood some protection in California. We know this because in the early 1960s, a report by the US. Army Corps of Engineers concluded that the Pajaro River levee system, which was built in 1949, was inadequate and ultimately resulted in congressional authorization to reconstruct this levee system.

Unfortunately, that reconstruction never occurred. And as reported by the LA Times just a few months ago, federal, state and local government officials had known for decades that the Pajaro River levee system was vulnerable to collapse, which represented a significant public safety risk to residents of our region. But they never prioritized levee system repairs, in part because they believed it did not make financial sense to protect this Low income area.

The result, as we all know, is that several major floods have devastated these communities over the years, including this past spring, when hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed. That recovery, our recovery, is still ongoing. Hundreds of local farm workers have been left unemployed as a result of this destruction in agricultural fields in the surrounding areas. The Senator Laird has already passed legislation, which we worked on together regarding the governing of the state's share of project costs.

But now we need to speed up the timeline for this project's completion. If I haven't mentioned it, this levee upgrade is projected to provide 100 year flood protection to our region. With me. Here to testify in support is Jackson Gualco on behalf of the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Madam Chair Members Jack Gualco with the Gualco group on behalf of the PAHO river flood management agency. The speaker knows his district well, knows the project very well. Just simply like to add that the current situation with the levees is those communities are only afforded five to seven year flood protection, so moving this project along quickly is absolutely necessary. The Legislature has endorsed this project at least twice over the last couple of sessions, so you clearly recognize the importance to the community.

And I do also want to thank your staff for working with us to make sure there's the proper balance between environmental protection and advancing the project in an expedited way. So with that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Are there any additional witnesses in support?

We'll try that. There we go. Gail Delihant with Western Growers Association in strong support.

Thank you. Madam Chairman of Members Matt Cremins. On behalf of the California Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers. In support.

Michael Jarred, on behalf of the Community Alliance with Family Farmers and the Nature Conservancy in support of this Bill. Thank you.

Thank you. Are there any witnesses in opposition? Seeing none. I'll bring a second. We have a motion and a second. Any questions or comments from Committee Members? Assembly Member Addis, I just want to.

Thank the speaker for bringing this forward. I visited Pahra, as you know, a number of times, and the devastation that I saw there to residents, to businesses, to agricultural lands, and to the environment that you mentioned was nothing like I've ever seen before. And to be caused by a government that just didn't do his job added insult to injury. And when I was there, one resident said to me, she said, don't come here just to see what's happening.

Like, don't come here if you're not going to do something about this. And so I'm just so appreciative that as a body, we're doing something about this. And I will also add, between January and March, there was this feeling on the ground of just crossing fingers that that levee wouldn't break. And I can't tell you how many times I heard, we just hope this levee doesn't break before more rain comes, and then it did.

And so to now be in a position to speed things along and never be in that situation again. I just want to say a personal thank you for bringing this forward.

Well, I appreciate the comments, but it should be noted that we are still crossing our fingers, hoping, because we do anticipate an El Nino year. And so that's why this is so important that the construction won't begin for another year or so. With that, it's expected to shave off about four to five years from the total project completion. But we still have a ways to go. Thank you.

Any other questions or comments from Committee Members seeing? None. I would like to thank Mr Speaker for bringing this legislation, introducing this legislation on behalf of his community. This is a very vulnerable community that often gets ignored, and so, thanks to you, this project will be able to get expedited. So thank you. We have a motion and a second. And the motion is that the Senate amendments be concurred in. Secretary, please take the roll.

Luz Rivas, Aye. Flora, Aye. Addis, Aye. Friedman, Aye. Hoover, Aye. Mathis, Aye. Muratsuchi, Aye. Pellerin, Aye. Ward, Aye. Wood, Aye. Zabur, Aye. 11-0

11 to 0 That Bill is out and this meeting is adjourned. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah.