Your outreach to the Senate Appropriations Committee has not gone unnoticed – it has made a significant difference. Today, we are pleased to inform you that Assembly Bill 1573 has been amended. These amendments reflect a collaborative effort to find a balanced solution that respects both our urban environments and the preservation of our vital urban trees.

AMENDED BILL DETAILS:
You can review the amended bill here.

ONGOING MONITORING:
While we move forward, we will continue to monitor the progress of Assembly Bill 1573 closely. Your commitment to our urban forests is a driving force behind our advocacy, and we are honored to have you as part of our community.

A GRATEFUL SALUTE TO OUR URBAN FORESTS:
The trees of our urban forests extend their gratitude. As they grow and thrive, they will continue to mitigate the urban heat island effect and offer invaluable sustainability benefits to our communities. Your support has been an essential part of this positive outcome, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Once again, thank you for your unwavering dedication. Together, we are making a meaningful impact on the preservation and well-being of our urban forests.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Advocacy Alert – Original Post August 14, 2023

Assembly Bill 1573 would create California’s first requirement for native plants in public and commercial landscapes, with 25% for all nonresidential projects beginning in 2026 and climbing to 75% by 2035! You’ve read that right. And that includes trees.

Although well-intentioned, this bill has unintended negative consequences for urban forestry and addressing climate change. If we are to meet California’s climate goals, seriously restricting tree varieties in urbanized areas to a very limited number of native species will impact the overall sustainability of the urban forest.

THE CHALLENGE:

Urban trees are vital in combatting the urban heat island effect, enhancing air quality, and fostering community well-being. Guided by the principle of planting “the right tree in the right place for the right reason,” urban tree selection is a nuanced process that considers multiple factors. While there are situations when a native tree aligns perfectly with this principle, it’s essential to recognize that diversity within urban forests contributes to their overall health and resilience.

There will undoubtedly be instances when a native tree is indeed “the right tree in the right place for the right reason,” and in those cases, we fully support its use. However, the one-size-fits-all approach mandated by Assembly Bill 1573 could potentially overlook the importance of this principle, limiting the flexibility needed for optimal tree selection in specific urban contexts.

BALANCING CONSERVATION AND URBAN SUSTAINABILITY:

Our commitment to conserving native plants and protecting pollinators is unwavering. Nevertheless, we must consider the intricacies of urban ecosystems. The bill’s potential to limit tree diversity in urban forests could inadvertently weaken their resilience in the face of changing climate conditions.

OUR ADVOCACY:

We strongly advocate for the exemption of urban trees from Assembly Bill 1573. By doing so, we seek a balanced approach that respects the unique challenges of urban environments.

The bill has passed the Assembly and the Senate Natural Resources Committee. It’s now headed to its final hearing with the Senate Appropriations Committee on August 21.

TAKE ACTION:

Your voice can drive change. Join us in urging the Senators on the Senate Appropriations Committee to exempt urban trees from Assembly Bill 1573. Make your voice heard through emails and calls, expressing concerns about the potential unintended consequences on our urban trees. Together, we can ensure a sustainable and vibrant future for California’s urban landscapes.

Contact the Senators on the Appropriations Committee:

Senator Anthony J. Portantino
District 25 (916) 651-4025
senator.portantino@senate.ca.gov

Senator Brian Jones District 40
(916) 651-4040
senator.jones@senate.ca.gov

Senator Angelique Ashby District 8
(916) 651-4008
senator.ashby@senate.ca.gov

Senator Steven Bradford District 35
(916) 651-4035
senator.bradford@senate.ca.gov

Senator Kelly Seyarto District 32
(916) 651-4032
senator.seyarto@senate.ca.gov

Senator Aisha Wahab District 10
(916) 651-4410
senator.wahab@senate.ca.gov

Senator Scott Wiener District 11
(916) 651-4011
senator.wiener@senate.ca.gov

Senator Toni Atkins District 39
(916) 651-4039
senator.atkins@senate.ca.gov

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Link to email all senators together
• AB1573-SampleEmail (Word .docx file)
• California Urban Forest Inventory
• Study on Native Trees and Wildlife
• Native to Where? California’s Native Trees and Their Use in the Urban Environment (Pawlak, Love, Yost, Fricker & Ritter)
• Diversity and Structure in California’s urban forest: What over six million data points tell us about one of the world’s largest urban forests (Love, Nguyen, Pawlak, Pineda, Reimer, Yost, Fricker, Ventura, Doremus, Crow & Ritter)
• AB-1573 Water conservation: landscape design: model ordinance
• California Urban Forests Council Advocacy Page

THANK YOU:
We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your dedication to the well-being of our urban forests and your commitment to forging a greener, more sustainable future for California.

SAMPLE PHONE SCRIPT OR EMAIL:

Hello, my name is [Your Name]. I live in [Your City] and am a concerned constituent of Senator [Senator’s Name]. I’m reaching out to respectfully ask the Senator to consider the critical importance of exempting urban trees from Assembly Bill 1573.

While the intentions behind the bill might seem commendable, I believe it’s crucial to address some potential unintended consequences that could impact our urban environments. The bill proposes a requirement for the use of 25% native plants in nonresidential projects in place of nonfunctional turf. While I appreciate the efforts made by Assemblymember Friedman and the bill’s sponsor to engage with industry stakeholders, I’d like to draw attention to the unique nature of our urban landscapes.

Our urban areas differ significantly from natural environments, presenting complex challenges that require a more nuanced approach. Mandating the use of native trees across a wide range of urban and commercial settings could inadvertently hinder the overall health and resilience of our urban forests. Urban trees provide essential benefits such as shade, improved air quality, and combatting the urban heat island effect. [Or your own personal reasons for exempting urban trees.]

The assumption that a one-size-fits-all approach for native species will work uniformly across all urban areas is not supported by scientific research, as evidenced by studies such as the “California Urban Forest Inventory” from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

I share the concern for pollinators and native species, but we must also consider the unique ecosystems within our urban environments. Exempting urban trees from this bill will allow for a more tailored and balanced approach to achieving water conservation, biodiversity protection, and urban greening. Furthermore, the bill’s expansion of market demand for native plants could inadvertently limit the diversity of tree species in our urban forests, potentially compromising their overall resilience in the face of changing climate conditions, and risk from pests.

In light of these considerations, I strongly urge Senator [Senator’s Name] to support the exemption of urban trees from AB 1573. This exemption will ensure that we can continue to safeguard our urban forests while pursuing sustainable and effective solutions for our environment. I kindly request the Senator’s careful consideration of these points and a vote in favor of exempting urban trees from Assembly Bill 1573.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your City, State]
[Your Contact Information]

Thanks to Assemblymember Ash Kalra, we have a chance to grow wild and diverse forests across California! His Assembly Bill 57 creates a pilot program to deliver pocket forests statewide.

To make sure the bill passes, California ReLeaf is helping coordinate a letter to the legislature. We hope you will join us in supporting the passage of this legislation and signing on to the support letter (see below).

About Pocket Forests

Pocket Forests are small plots of urban land densely planted with indigenous plant species. They provide a wide range of human health benefits, build climate resiliency and mitigate extreme heat, advance equity and access to the benefits of nature — all while enhancing ecological biodiversity and supporting pollinator corridors. Download and Read the Proposed Bill.

Why this is important

Pocket forests offer access to healthy, self‐sustaining natural green areas that benefit communities, individuals, and the state’s natural environment.

How you can help in two easy steps!

1. Sign on to the support letter as an Organization
2. Create an account for your organization on the California Legislative Position Letter Portal – it is a one-time registration that California ReLeaf will use to find your organization and connect it with this and future letters that you choose to take a position on

Deadline to Sign-On: Sunday, March 5th

Questions? Please reach out to California ReLeaf’s Grants and Public Policy Manager, Victoria Vasquez, by phone at 916-627-8575 or by email at vvasquez[at]californiareleaf.org.

___________

Sign-On Letter

{Organization Logo}

RE: Assembly Bill 57 (Kalra)   ̶  SUPPORT

Dear Chair Rivas and Members of the Committee,

On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we are pleased to offer our strong support for Assembly Bill 57, which will establish a California Pocket Forest Initiative administered by the Urban and Community Forestry Department of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

This initiative will support additional urban tree canopy and biodiverse natural habitats by the creation of small pocket forests within urban areas – where 95% of the population live in California. Greater tree canopy in urban areas provides a wide range of human health benefits for communities, including climate resiliency for communities by mitigating extreme heat.

The pocket forests proposed in AB 57 will provide these benefits for California communities while supporting greater ecological biodiversity and pollinator corridors within urban areas. We greatly appreciate that the bill prioritizes underserved communities that lack access to public green space and therefore need more parks.

We also appreciate the recognition that the Miyawaki Method will be adjusted as needed to be compatible with California’s unique ecological features and challenges.

For these reasons, we are in strong support of AB 57 and urge you to vote in favor of this bill.

Sincerely,

{Signature}

{Organization Representative Name}

{Title}

{Organization Name}

On October 27th, 2022 California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits) released a letter about improving nonprofit-government contracting to state leaders from the California Coalition on Government Contracting. 

The letter is the product of an effort by a new statewide California Contracting Coalition (Over 500 organization leaders represented) of service providers and grantees convened by the CalNonprofits.

This work grows out of compelling testimony provided at a legislative hearing held earlier this year, bringing to light the intense pressures being felt by nonprofits that contract with the state to deliver vital services at rates below actual costs – even as the state experiences record budget surpluses. The Coalition, joined by hundreds of nonprofit and philanthropic colleagues, asks for near-term state action to enact improvements to the way government and nonprofits work together to provide a wide range of services every day to millions of Californians. 

Actions you can take:

1. Read the Contracting Coalition Letter and Press Release
2. Contact your California Representatives. Forward the Contracting Coalition Letter to your Assemblymember and State Senator with a sentence like “We’re part of this and want you to be, too.” Find your state representatives: HERE
3. Share the Contracting Coalition Letter via email, newsletters, and social media, and encourage your network to support this effort.
4. Join the CalNonprofits Policy Alert Email List to stay up-to-date on this campaign.

Extreme heat events impact the health of many more people than any other type of weather threat, but have often been overlooked because heat events are not as visible or dramatic as fires, hurricanes, or ice storms.  Extreme heat is especially dangerous to the health of Californians who have little or no in-home cooling, while lower income communities and communities of color are often located in the hottest neighborhoods — usually with lower tree canopy as well.

We need your help today to bring more attention to the impacts of extreme heat as well as to the nature-based solutions such as urban forests, parks, and riparian zones by signing onto the support letter for Asm. Lorena Gonzalez’ Assembly Concurrent Resolution 109 on Extreme Heat (see ACR 109 Fact Sheet here). Please see the sign-on letter here and join the 50 organizations who have already signed on.

If your organization is interested in signing on to this letter, please send in your logo (jpeg format preferred) and the name of the signatory for your organization by COB December 16. If you would like to send in your own separate support letter, you can find a sample support letter here (.docx).

Thank you in advance for your help in bringing more attention to this urgent human health and climate threat and to the role urban forests have in mitigating extreme heat.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Cindy Blain at cblain[at]californiareleaf.org.

Governor Newsom signed several bills last month related to climate resilience that included record spending plans to address drought, wildfires, climate change, extreme heat and more.  

One of the most noteworthy elements of the plan is the proposed three-year commitment to supporting both new and existing programs directly pertinent to climate change and community resiliency. In total, the package commits $15 billion through the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget.

There is much to be excited about in the package for community benefit organizations dedicated to greening this Golden State. CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program receives a record $30 million for 2021, while CNRA’s Urban Greening Program nets $50 million. Both programs will share a $100 million pot in FY 2022-23, and another $100 million in the year thereafter. 

Multiple new programs will also come online next year to address extreme heat through community resilience hubs and cooling surfaces. The $800 million for extreme heat also contains a $300 million appropriation to implement the State’s Extreme Heat Framework, which is still in development. These funds are not yet dedicated to specific programs, but can be used for a variety of purposes, including  projects that “reduce indoor and outdoor school temperatures through nature-based solutions.”

Additionally, the package contains another $800 million over three years “to support programs and activities that advance multibenefit and nature-based solutions.” This includes at least $120 million to regional conservancies, and can be used to support “efforts to scale nature-based climate solutions in climate vulnerable communities.”

Finally, these aforementioned funds don’t include the over $300 million for state and local parks, or items passed in the State Budget back in June such as the EEMP or Active Transportation Program – both of which were fully funded. 

The amount of details to provide on this package and recognizing the numerous leaders that helped make this happen is far too great for a single email. California ReLeaf will be hosting a Network webinar in November that takes a deeper dive into these programs and more, and gives a shout out to everyone that stepped up on this effort.

Thank you to all who supported our advocacy effort this year, and we look forward to sharing more soon.

Chuck Mills

California ReLeaf works closely with grassroots and social justice organizations in many marginalized neighborhoods to build stronger, greener, and healthier communities through trees. Seeing the incredible work these partners are doing and the challenges they encounter has helped us understand why we must step outside of what is familiar and lend our voice to support efforts that address and curb systemic racial and environmental injustice that these communities face every day.

Though we are keenly aware our actions will not nearly address all of the inequity that occurs against some communities, below are some of the things California ReLeaf is doing to support equity. We share it in hopes that it ignites in others the same desire to step outside their comfort zone and push for progress:

• Supporting AB 2054 (Kamlager). AB 2054 will establish the Community Response Initiative to Strengthen Emergency Systems (C.R.I.S.E.S) Act pilot program which will promote community-based responses to local emergency situations. This bill is a step forward to provide stability, safety, and culturally informed and appropriate responses to immediate emergency situations as well as in the follow-up to those emergencies by involving community organizations with a deeper knowledge of the emergency. See our support letter here.
• Co-authored a 10-page list of recommendations for a just COVID-19 response & recovery to support resilient communities. We are not only very proud to join partners at The Greenlining Institute, Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), and Strategic Concepts in Organizing & Policy Education (SCOPE) in crafting a comprehensive approach to implementing transformative change with an emphasis on meeting the immediate needs of our most vulnerable populations, but also be an active voice for this change through direct advocacy with the Legislature and Administration.
• Getting dollars to disadvantaged communities (DACs). California ReLeaf will award more than one million dollars over two years in CAL FIRE Urban Forestry pass-through grants to community benefit organizations working directly with vulnerable populations to create safer, healthier spaces to work, live, and thrive. Our grants will be developed in close collaboration with longtime environmental justice partners and provide significant technical assistance to new grant seekers wishing to “learn the system” for state grants to improve their communities.

We will continue to evaluate our own policies and practices to focus on what we can do to progress at California ReLeaf, as we know there is much more work to be done. We will amplify POC voices in urban forest community work to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in the ReLeaf Network. The Network was created to support and learn from each other, and in this as well we can share and learn how to increase racial and social justice in California.

From all of us at California ReLeaf,

Cindy Blain, Sarah Dillon, Chuck Mills, Amelia Oliver, and Mariela Ruacho

The FY 2019-20 State Budget signed by Governor Newsom contains nearly $50 million for urban forestry and urban greening, and another $100 million for flood control and environmental mitigation that includes urban forestry as eligible project components.

CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program is planting more than 100,000 trees across California with support from the California Climate Investments Program. The $10 million Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) appropriation will continue their leadership in this field. Similarly, CAL FIRE’s expertise and ability in combatting invasive pests will be supported by a $5 million allocation from the General Fund to address the polyphagous shot hole borer.

As always, legislative champions and nonprofit partners were key to securing these funds. For GGRF, we relied heavily on

• Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella)
• Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica)
• Assembly Member Richard Bloom (D – Santa Monica)
• Senator Bob Wieckowski (D – Fremont)
• Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D – Lakewood)
• Senate President Toni Atkins (D- San Diego)
• Senator Henry Stern (D- Canoga Park)

Once again, Assembly Member Lorena Gonzalez (D – San Diego) was there to champion urban forestry through her $5 million General Fund request for shot hole borer, which was equally embraced by Assembly Member Richard Bloom (pictured above).

Nonprofit partners who made calls, crafted petitions, and spoke directly to their elected officials about the need for these funds, such as

• Balboa Park Conservancy
• Lumbercycle
• Friends of the Urban Forest
• Sacramento Tree Foundation
• Koreatown Youth and Community Center
• TreePeople

Also standing by our side were statewide voices like Nature Conservancy, Audubon California, Environmental Defense Fund, and especially Trust for Public Land (pictured above).

And, finally, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti again lent the full weight of his office to this community effort to continue fiscal support for CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program.

Start thinking about how your project priorities can leverage these GGRF wins or other dollars coming from the Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program or a new CNRA program for flood control? And how can your projects (current and future) help support advocacy efforts to continue funding for urban forestry and related green infrastructure? Our collective success only comes from continued collaboration and a shared desire to green our Golden State.

In the Assembly Budget Subcommittee for Resources, multiple members pushed back against the Administration’s assertions that urban greening investments would be covered under the Transformative Climate Communities Program (TCC). Subcommittee Chair Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) quickly observed that urban greening and TCC are very different programs, while simultaneously clarifying that urban forestry and wetlands were left out of the Governor’s Budget.

California ReLeaf representative Alfredo Arredondo offered further distinctions between TCC and urban forestry, saying “the $200 million issued to date through TCC…will plant about 10,000 trees.” By way of comparison, Arredondo noted “[with] the $17 million that went out last week through CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program… 21,000 trees will be planted.” When asked by the Chair why urban greening, urban forestry, and wetlands were not funding in the Administration’s budget plan, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research Director, Kate Gordon, replied, “that is a good question.” The Assembly is expected to release their proposed GGRF Expenditure Plan next week.

In the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Chair Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) unveiled the Senate’s GGRF spending plan that restored over $250 million to natural and working lands programs previously funded from cap-and-trade auction revenues, including $50 million for urban forestry and urban greening (see page 31 for the Senate GGRF Plan). California ReLeaf’s Education and Communications Manager, Mariela Ruacho, was there to support these funding levels, noting “these investments in urban forestry and urban greening are priorities… and will go towards critical green infrastructure projects to help meet our 2030 GHG reduction and carbon neutrality goals.” The Senate Budget Subcommittee approved the revised plan.

What others said yesterday at the Budget Subcommittee meetings about needed investments in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening

• Assembly Member Luz Rivas (D-Arleta), in response to the Governor’s May Revise: “I was disappointed to not see funding for green spaces… our low-income communities need more parks and trees, and urban forestry.”
• Rico Mastrodonato, Senior Government Relations Manager, Trust for Public Land: [Urban greening and urban forestry] “projects are probably our best investment in intervention to prepare our most vulnerable communities for heat and flooding. We need as many of these communities as possible prepared for what we know is coming. In my opinion, it’s a life or death situation.”
• Linda Khamoushian, Senior Policy Advocate, California Bicycle Coalition:“We appreciate the [Senate Budget] subcommittee’s appropriation for critical investments in urban forestry and urban greening.”

TAKE ACTION: What can you do?

Contact your Assembly Member or Senator and ask them to support funding for the Urban and Community Program from CAL FIRE and the Urban Greening Program from the California Natural Resources Agency.

You can see this Letter of Support from various stakeholders asking for funding from GGRF for Natural and Working Lands, included you will find delineated asks per program.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/QJ4yy5U4DdE[/youtube]

I recently learned while watching television – the definitive device for expanding one’s education – that three well-respected dictionaries included alternate definitions of the word literally in 2013 that essentially amount to “being taken figuratively.” This is my reason #827 for not having kids: they will speak jibberish if adhering to the likes of Oxford, Cambridge and Merriam-Webster.

But I digress.

I raise this point to emphasize that when I say California’s urban forest stakeholders literally had no state funding two years ago, I’m going old school on y’all. Not very long ago, CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program was tapped out of bond funds. Urban Streams funds allocated in 2012 were put on the back burner. And the fate of the EEMP was hashed out over the summer as stakeholders worked to create a new Active Transportation Program. We were literally immersed in the Dark Ages… figuratively speaking, of course.

Exactly two years later, California has a State Budget that includes not millions, not tens of millions, but hundreds of millions of dollars for multiple competitive grant programs that have, at the minimum, reasonable ties to urban forestry.

$101 million for stormwater management grants: Proposition 1 literally states “eligible projects may include, but shall not be limited to, green infrastructure.”  (Okay — maybe “verbatim” was a better word there.)

$400 million for the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program:  “Eligible Use of Funds include, but are not limited to… tree canopy and shade trees…”

$120 million for the Active Transportation Program: If you’re wondering how this connects to urban forestry, call Claire at Amigos de los Rios who scored two awards in the very first grant cycle.

$7.6 million for River Parkways. $6.7 million for EEMP. $10 million for a new Outdoor Environmental Education Program. You literally can’t make this stuff up. No, what I mean there is… wait, now I’m confused.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that both the Legislature and Governor currently support $37.8 million for CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, which will be voted upon later this summer. That’s almost as much money as Propositions 12, 40, and 84 allocated for this Program… combined!

So as we wind out of June and head into Independence Day, take a moment to browse the bevy of urban forestry funding options before you and your community leaders. We have literally never seen this kind of support for urban green infrastructure in the history of California. Kinda cool, huh?

And yes, I’m concerned Cambridge and Oxford may sue for defamation. Fortunately, they amended the defamation definition in 2014 to reflect “a euphoric state in which one cannot be held accountable for their actions or written word.”