What’s New
Valley Counties Prepare for Target Review
SB 375 implementation is ramping up in the Valley, as several counties in the region are working to provide input to the Air Resources Board when it reviews the Valley’s per capita greenhouse gas reduction targets in the fall of 2012. In Fresno, for instance, the Fresno Council of Governments has created a 375 Task Force, and with them, examined a range of building and neighborhood types to use in creating land use scenarios in partnership with local governments. At a task force meeting in January, COG members heard a presentation with examples of the kind of broad scenarios that might be created: a scenario of what would’ve happened if the building boom trend had continued, a more moderate scenario reflecting local governments’ current expectations, and additional scenarios about how the region could better create walkable neighborhoods and protect nearby agricultural land.
Read more
Pollution puts 1.2 million in Valley at risk
Hanford Sentiel – November 22nd, 2011
By Eiji Yamashita
Two separate studies on air quality show many Valley residents are left behind in the quest for cleaner air and that the government fails to guard the region’s most vulnerable population from polluters. UC Davis researchers released a report last week saying more than 1.2 million people in the San Joaquin Valley – nearly one-third of residents – are at a high risk of premature death and disease because of bad air, dirty water and poverty.
Link to article
Regional Overview
• The eight counties that make up the Valley include a population of just over 4 million people. The population is expected to double by 2050, to more than 9 million residents.
• The San Joaquin Valley is often referred to as California’s heartland. It is also the fastest-growing region in the state and the hardest hit by the economic downturn.
• Communities in the Valley struggle with poor air quality and rising levels of childhood asthma, obesity, and diabetes. Improving air quality in the Valley will be one of the most significant benefits of successfully implementing SB 375.
• Because the San Joaquin Valley is updating its travel models, and because the first Sustainable Communities Strategy is not due until 2014, the SB 375 GHG reduction targets for the Valley are placeholders to be revisited by the Air Resources Board in October 2012.
• Each COG is currently working to develop a scenario that will help inform the target revision. These scenarios are expected to form the basis of the Sustainable Communities Strategy scenarios.
Which agency develops the Sustainable Communities Strategy?
There are eight Councils of Government (COGs) in the Valley that are responsible for regional planning. The COGs will be coordinating and working together, but ultimately each will be responsible for developing its own Sustainable Communities Strategy. SB 375 does allow them to join and do a multi-county Sustainable Communities Strategy.
Fresno Council of Governments, www.fresnocog.org
Kern Council of Governments, www.kerncog.org
Kings County Association of Governments, www.countyofkings.com/kcag
Madera County Transportation Commission, www.maderactc.com
Merced County Association of Governments, www.mcag.cog.ca.us
San Joaquin Council of Governments, www.sjcog.org
Stanislaus Council of Governments, www.stancog.org
Tulare County Association of Governments, www.tularecog.org
What are the SB 375 GHG reduction targets?
• 2020: 5% per capita reduction from 2005 level
• 2035: 10% per capita reduction from 2005 level
* These targets will be revisited at the Air Resources Board meeting in October 2012.
When will the first Sustainable Communities Strategy be adopted?
• The first SCS for the Valley is scheduled for adoption in 2014.
• However, each COG is already working to develop a scenario that will help inform the target revision taking place in late 2012, and these scenarios are expected to form the basis of the Sustainable Communities Strategy scenarios.
To get involved and learn more, see the websites of partner groups below. Contact ClimatePlan for help getting connected.
Quick Fact
More centrally located homes can dramatically reduce household driving and utility costs. By building new homes in areas that are already close to jobs, services, and amenities, Valley households could spend $3,600 less per year on auto-related costs and utility bills by 2035. (Vision California Rapid Fire Model, San Joaquin Valley Regional Results, Calthorpe Associates).
Regional Resources
Land of Risk/Land of Opportunity
This report uses an innovative new tool, called the Cumulative Environmental Vulnerabilities Assessment (CEVA), to identify the locations and populations within the Valley that are at greatest risk and that require immediate protection. Using CEVA, CRC researchers documented that the most extreme concentrations of environmental hazards populations tend to be located in communities where the people have the least political, social, and economic resources to prevent or mitigate these risks.
Link to report website
Download Full Report
Vision California: San Joaquin Valley Regional Results
By Calthorpe Associates, October 2010
This analysis assesses the economic, energy, health, and land impacts of different ways to accommodate the San Joaquin Valley’s expected growth. Scenarios were developed to reflect a range of land use choices, from a business-as-usual future based on past trends to more compact options, including those represented by the regional Blueprint plan.
Download the Regional Results Summary
Groundswell San Joaquin Valley
Groundswell’s purpose is a to educate the public and encourage citizen participation in local land use decision making to foster growth that strengthens the economy, conserves resources, causes less pollution, demands fewer tax dollars and better serves the region’s diverse population.
Learn more at groundswellsjv.org
Fact Sheet – San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution
By Coalition for Clean Air
Link to website
California Agricultural Land Loss and Conservation: Basic Facts 2009
By American Farmland Trust
Download the PDF
Achieving Sustainability in California’s Central Valley July 2009
By UC Davis Sustainable Transportation Center
This report assesses the capacity of the Central Valley’s cities to manage the economic, social, and environmental problems associated with expected rapid population growth in a sustainable manner,offering alternatives to sprawl and automobile-dependent lifestyles.
Download the Report
Click here for ClimatePlan’s complete Resource Library
What They’re Saying…
“Agriculture is such an important part of the San Joaquin Valley’s economy, but farmland is shrinking at an alarming rate. SB 375 is a step in the right direction for the Valley. By focusing new growth within existing city centers, we can preserve valuable farmland and use less water. We owe it to future generations to protect our most precious resources.” – Jeff Steen, citrus grower in the Lindsay-Strathmore area.
Partners in the Region
American Farmland Trust
California Coalition for Rural Housing
California Rural Legal Assistance
Central Valley Air Quality Coalition
El Concilio
Fresno-Madera Medical Society
Fresno Metro Ministry
Latino Community Roundtable
Local Government Commission
Sierra Nevada Alliance
