Senate Passes Wolk's Environmental Legislative Package

Delta Protection, Pesticide Alternatives, Agricultural Conservation bills move ahead

• AB 2476 expands the environmental mission of the Delta Protection Commission to include the assessment of potential impacts of development in the secondary zone of the Delta.
• AB 2055 adds conservation of agricultural land as an objective of the conservation element of a general plan and renames the general plan open space element to be the "agriculture and open space element"
• AB 2054 extends the University of California's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) to allow new pilot demonstration projects for biologically integrated farming systems (BIFS).

"These bills are about issues that are important to agriculture, our environment, and our region," said Assemblywoman Wolk. "AB 2476 strengthens the Delta Protection Commission by bringing requiring a study of the developmental impacts of development within the Delta's secondary zone as well as the primary zone.

"AB 2055 encourages local governments to take greater consideration of agricultural conservation in the planning process to balance the needs of the urban, suburban and rural communities, encourage resource-based economic development in rural communities while protecting the ecosystems that, in turn, protect our air and water quality.

"AB 2054 extends by five years, to December 31, 2010, the highly successful SAREP program that demonstrates innovative, biologically-based farming systems that reduce chemical use through environmentally-sound techniques.

"The Senate's approval of these bills puts us one step closer to putting them on the Governor's desk," concluded Wolk.

AB 2476 passed the Senate with a 21-12 vote, AB 2055 passed with a 22-10 vote, AB 2054 passed with a bipartisan 32-0 vote.