Sacramento - Governor Schwarzenegger today vetoed AB 1524, authored by Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), a bill that would have protected from development open spaces and viewsheds along California’s coastline. With the Governor’s veto of AB 1524, open space easements that have been offered for public benefit over the last 21 years could lapse and be lost forever. In just the next few years, nearly 100 easements could be lost.

“I’m deeply disappointed the Governor passed on this important opportunity to protect our coastline in perpetuity,” said Assemblymember Laird. “Without this legislation, local agencies and nonprofits may face increased pressure to save these open spaces from being lost forever.”

In the Monterey Bay area, ten easements totally approximately 50 acres in the Elkhorn Slough are affected by the Governor’s veto.

“These easements represent an important conservation opportunity for California,” said Mark Silberstein, executive director of the Elkhorn Slough Foundation. “This legislation would have prevented the loss of these easements.”

Background

The California Coastal Commission is authorized to require certain mitigations related to the impacts from new developments. These mitigations can come in the form of Offers to Dedicate (OTD) which dedicate open space or public access. It has been the experience of the Coastal Commission that if no entity (such as a non-profit or other local government agency) was willing to accept an OTD, it would be lost forever.

AB 1524 would have required the Coastal Conservancy to accept conservation OTDs within 90 days of their expiration.