AFTERNOON AND WELCOME. THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.
I'M CALLING TO ORDER THE JOINT
INFORMATIONAL HEARING ON STATE
PARKS. A JOINT MEETING BETWEEN
THE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER,
PARKS AND WILDLIFE CHAIRED BY MY
COLLEAGUE, ASSEMBLY MEMBER TI¾N
PAPAN, AND THE SELECT COMMITTEE
OF STATE PARKS, CHAIRED BY
MYSELF. THIS WILL BE AN
INFORMATIONAL HEARING ON THE
STATUS OF STATE PARKS, WHERE WE
WILL BE DISCUSSING CALIFORNIA'S
STATE PARK SYSTEM, THE POTENTIAL
CHALLENGES STATE PARKS FACE, AND
THERE ARE MANY, AS WELL AS WHAT
CALIFORNIA IS DOING TO ACHIEVE
CLIMATE RESILIENCY. AND WE'LL
HEAR FROM MANY PEOPLE REGARDING
THAT BEFORE WE BEGIN, WE HAVE
SOME HOUSEKEEPING TO GO OVER.
THERE WILL NOT BE. WE WILL NOT
HAVE PHONE TESTIMONY FOR OUR
HEARING. SO PUBLIC COMMENT WILL
BE IN PERSON OR SUBMITTED VIA
EMAIL ON THE COMMITTEE'S
WEBSITE. WE WILL MAINTAIN
DECORUM DURING THIS HEARING. WE
WILL NOT PERMIT CONDUCT THAT
DISRUPTS OR OTHERWISE IMPEDES
THE HEARING. ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO
IS DISRUPTIVE MAY BE REMOVED
FROM THE ROOM. I'D LIKE TO THANK
THE MEMBERS AND STAFF FOR
ATTENDING THIS HEARING. WE HAVE
A FANTASTIC SET OF PANELISTS FOR
ALL OF YOU. AS YOU MAY GATHER,
OUR MEMBERS FROM BOTH COMMITTEES
HAVE OTHER COMMITTEES THAT
THEY'RE ATTENDING TO, SO MEMBERS
WILL BE COMING IN AND OUT. I
WANT TO APPRECIATE THAT.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER GREG HART AND
OUR VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE,
MR. MATHIS, ARE BOTH WITH US AT
THIS TIME. CALIFORNIA HAS THE
LARGEST AND MOST DIVERSE STATE
PARK SYSTEM IN THE UNITED
STATES, WITH 280 PARK PROPERTIES
ON 1.6 MILLION ACRES. THIS IS A
GREAT NATURAL AND CULTURAL
TREASURE THAT CALIFORNIA HAS
BEEN MAINTAINING SINCE THE
SELECTION OF THE FIRST STATE
PARK IN 1862. IT'S AMAZING TO
SEE OVER A CENTURY OF NATURAL
RESOURCES BE MAINTAINED SO THAT
FUTURE GENERATIONS ARE ABLE TO
SEE THE WONDERS OF NATURE, JUST
AS WE HAVE WITH ALL OF THE
HISTORIC STORMS, FLOODS, HEAT
WAVES, PEST INFESTATIONS, AND
OTHER EXTREME CLIMATE CLIMATIC
EVENTS HAPPENING NOW MORE THAN
EVER, WE NEED TO PROTECT THE
ENVIRONMENT FROM THE EFFECTS OF
CLIMATE CHANGE. STATE PARKS PLAY
A CRITICAL ROLE IN WHAT I LIKE
TO CALL CALIFORNIA RESILIENCY.
THEY ARE CALIFORNIA'S BACKBONE
WHEN IT COMES TO DEFENDING
BIODIVERSITY, COMBATING URBAN
HEAT RISE, PREVENTING WILDFIRES
AND PRESERVING OUR WATERS. WHEN
THE STATE PARK SYSTEM IS IN
JEOPARDY, ALL OF CALIFORNIA IS
IN JEOPARDY. LOW INCOME, WORKING
CLASS COMMUNITIES OF COLOR,
LARGELY LATINO AND BLACK, OFTEN
FEEL THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE
CHANGE THE HARDEST. THIS IS A
PRINCIPAL REASON WHY I ASKED
SPEAKER. THE SPEAKER TO APPOINT
ME AS CHAIR OF THIS SELECT
COMMITTEE A FEW YEARS BACK
BECAUSE I WANTED CALIFORNIA'S
CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY TO
ACCOUNT FOR THOSE WHO ARE MOST
VULNERABLE BY INVESTING IN A
MORE RESILIENT CALIFORNIA
CLIMATE, WE CAN SAFEGUARD OUR
PUBLIC HEALTH, PROTECT OUR
SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTS, AND
ENSURE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR
GENERATIONS TO COME. WE HAVE A
GREAT SET OF PANELISTS. AS I
MENTIONED EARLIER FOR OUR
HEARING TODAY, INCLUDING
REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE THREE
STATE PARK ENTITIES, AS WELL AS
STAKEHOLDERS WHO CAN SPEAK TO
OUTDOOR EQUITY FROM THE
IMPLEMENTATION PERSPECTIVE AND
THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE
COMMUNITY. BUT BEFORE WE
INTRODUCE OUR PANELISTS, I'D
LIKE TO ASK OUR CHAIR OF THE
WATER, PARKS AND WILDLIFE,
ASSEMBLYMEMBER PAPAN, AND OTHER
COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO GIVE
OPENING REMARKS. GOOD AFTERNOON.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ASSEMBLY
MEMBER REYES, IT'S.
AS I MENTIONED, WATER AS A, THEY
AFFECT EXTREME HEAT AND, I'M
LOOKING FORWARD TO TALKING ABOUT
HOW WE CAN HAVE A ROBUST CANOPY
TO PROTECT US FROM EXTREME HEAT,
AS WELL AS FIRE PREVENTION
THROUGH PROPERLY MAINTAINING
FORESTS. IT REALLY IS ABOUT
RESILIENCE. IT'S ABOUT
MAINTENANCE, AND IT'S ABOUT
NATURE MANAGEMENT, WHICH CAN
OFTEN BE AN OXYMORON. BUT I
THINK WITH EFFORTS LIKE THESE,
WE CAN WE CAN CERTAINLY OVERCOME
THAT OXYMORON, BECAUSE IT REALLY
IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE WORK
TOGETHER ON MANY FRONTS TO
ACHIEVE THIS RESILIENCE. AND AS
WE GO THROUGH, I'D LIKE US ALL
TO KIND OF KEEP IN THE BACK OF
OUR MINDS HOW WE PAY FOR SUCH
ENDEAVORS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,
TALK CAN BE CHEAP, AND I KNOW IT
TAKES A COLLECTIVE EFFORT. AND
ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE, KIND
OF FORTUNATE TO HAVE IN, IN THE
CLIMATE AND ESPECIALLY PARKS AND
MAINTENANCE, IS WE DO HAVE OUR,
OUR PRIVATE NONPROFIT PARTNERS
WHO ARE OFTEN PLAY A KEY ROLE IN
ACHIEVING SOME OF THE RESILIENCE
THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT
TODAY. SO I WANT TO THANK
ADVANCE MY COLLEAGUES THAT ARE
HERE, OUR WITNESSES WHO ARE
TAKING THE TIME TO ENGAGE IN
THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION. I
WANT TO EXTEND A SPECIAL THANK
YOU TO ASSEMBLY MEMBER REYES FOR
CHAMPIONING STATE PARKS AND
ENGAGING IN THE MANY WAYS THESE
PARKS PROVIDE VALUE TO
CALIFORNIANS. WITH THAT, I WILL
TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES
THAT WANT TO COMMENT AND LET YOU
PROCEED. MR. HART. YEAH, I JUST
WANT TO BRIEFLY, THANK CHAIR
GÓMEZ REYES AND CHAIR PAPAN FOR
CONVENING THIS IMPORTANT
HEARING. AND I THINK THAT STATE
PARKS ARE SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE
PREVIOUS GENERATIONS OF
CALIFORNIANS HAVE IN CREATING
THIS INCREDIBLE SYSTEM THAT WE
ENJOY TODAY. AND WITH CLIMATE
CHANGE AND THE ISSUES THAT WE
ARE FACING NOW, WE HAVE A
TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY TO BE
STEWARDS FOR THIS STATE PARK
SYSTEM AND TO PRESERVE AND
PROTECT IT FOR THE FUTURE
GENERATIONS THAT REALLY NEED TO
ENJOY THE OPEN SPACE AND THE
HABITAT BENEFITS THAT THE STATE
PARK SYSTEM PROVIDES ALL
CALIFORNIANS TODAY. IT'S A LARGE
TASK THAT WE FACE, BUT WE HAVE
TREMENDOUS PARTNERS IN THE
STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAVE INVESTED
FOR GENERATIONS AS WELL IN
DEVELOPING THE STATE PARK
SYSTEM. AND WE OWE THEM, OUR
FULL ATTENTION AND COMMITMENT TO
MAKING SURE THAT THE STATE PARKS
THAT WE'VE ALL ENJOYED ARE THERE
FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO ENJOY
AS WELL. THANK YOU. ASSEMBLY
MEMBER QUIRK-SILVA I WANT TO
THANK THE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS,
PAPINEAU AND REYES FOR HOSTING
THIS. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF
ATTENDING, I BELIEVE, YOUR FIRST
SELECT COMMITTEE. ABOUT THIS
TIME LAST YEAR, AND BECAUSE OF
THAT COMMITTEE WAS ABLE TO BRING
OUT A SPECIFIC BILL, OUTDOOR
EQUITY, AND THAT'S WHERE I
REALLY FEEL, IS THE WORK OF OUR
BODY IS TO LISTEN TO LEARN, AND
THEN TO ACT. WITH 280 CALIFORNIA
STATE PARKS, WE CERTAINLY KNOW
THEY'RE NOT ONLY HERE. AS A
PLACE TO VISIT AND EXPERIENCE,
BUT CERTAINLY THERE ARE,
LOCATIONS FOR HABITATS FOR
ECOSYSTEMS AND HOW WE CARE FOR
THEM IN THE FUTURE WILL VERY
MUCH BE HOW WE DEFINE OUR
PRIORITIES IN CALIFORNIA, VERY
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS FROM THE
NORTH TO THE SOUTH, BUT
CERTAINLY OPEN TO ALL. AND
THAT'S ONE OF MY FOCUSES, IS
REALLY MAKING SURE WE BUILD THAT
COMMUNITY OF VISITORS, THAT
DIVERSITY OF VISITORS, BUT ALSO
DO THE CARETAKING. WE NEED TO
KEEP THE STATE PARKS, NOT ONLY
ACCESSIBLE, BUT INVITING, AND
MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE
TO DO THAT DECADES FROM NOW.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU,
AND THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF
THIS PROCESS THROUGHOUT. ALL
RIGHT. I'D LIKE TO NOW TURN IT
OVER TO CHAIR PAPAN FOR OUR
FIRST PANEL. LET'S HAVE OUR
EXCUSE ME, LET'S HAVE OUR
WITNESSES COME FORWARD SO THAT,
WE MAY HEAR FROM THEM ON THE
IMPORTANT SUBJECT OF THE STATE'S
APPROACH TO, TO ACHIEVING,
EXCUSE ME, CLIMATE RESILIENCY,
WE HAVE JAY CHAMBERLAIN AND
MADELINE DRAKE. JAY IS THE CHIEF
NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS, AND
MADELINE DRAKE IS THE ASSISTANT
SECRETARY, CALIFORNIA NATURAL
RESOURCES AGENCY. WELCOME TO YOU
BOTH. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
MADAM. CHAIRS AND MEMBERS AND
STAFF, MY NAME IS JAY
CHAMBERLAIN. I'M THE CHIEF OF
THE NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION
FOR CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS. AND
IT REALLY IS MY PLEASURE TO BE
HERE TODAY. I WANT TO THANK YOU
FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO
THE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT ISSUES
ASSOCIATED WITH CLIMATE CHANGE,
NOT JUST THE IMPACTS ON STATE
PARKS, BUT HOW WE'RE WORKING
HARD TO ADDRESS THOSE IMPACTS.
SO, AS HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID,
IT'S SO LOVELY TO LISTEN TO YOUR
OPENING COMMENTS BECAUSE IT'S
ALREADY BEEN SAID AND OBSERVED
THAT CALIFORNIA IS PRIVILEGED TO
HAVE ARGUABLY THE MOST DIVERSE
SET OF PROTECTED LANDS MANAGED
BY ANY STATE AGENCY IN THE
COUNTRY. HERE, WITH ITS STATE
PARK SYSTEM, AND OF COURSE, THAT
WE COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT IT,
BUT IT LITERALLY FROM THE
RAINFORESTS OF THE NORTHWESTERN
PART OF THE STATE TO THE EACH OF
CALIFORNIA'S DESERTS AND ALONG A
QUARTER OF CALIFORNIA'S
COASTLINE, OUR STATE PARK SYSTEM
IS REALLY EMBLEMATIC OF THE
DIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. AND
THERE'S A LOT IN BETWEEN. I
SKIPPED OVER I DON'T WANT TO
GIVE SHORT SHRIFT, BUT JUST
ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THAT OUR
STATE PARK SYSTEM WAS
CONSTRUCTED INTENTIONALLY TO
REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA'S ECOSYSTEMS AND THE
STATE PARK SYSTEM DOES REFLECT
THIS EXTRAORDINARY DIVERSITY.
AND IT ALSO REFLECTS, OF COURSE,
THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY THAT'S
BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT TODAY WITH
MORE HISTORIC SITES THAN ANY
OTHER STATE ENTITY, AS WELL AS
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT
ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES AND OTHER
CULTURAL SITES. SO STATE PARKS
IS ALSO FORTUNATE THAT IT
JURISDICTIONALLY WE'RE NOT
LIMITED TO JUST THE REAL ESTATE
THAT WE HAVE. WE ALSO HAVE A
DIVISION OF BOATING AND
WATERWAYS WITH RESPONSIBILITY
FOR SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE BOATING.
WE ALSO HAVE AN OFF HIGHWAY
MOTOR VEHICLE DIVISION THAT
SUPPORTS OFF HIGHWAY RECREATION
AROUND THE STATE, INCLUDING ON
STATE PARK LANDS. SELECTED STATE
PARK LANDS. AND WE ALSO HAVE THE
OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION,
WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
PROTECTION OF HISTORIC AND
CULTURAL RESOURCES. AND EACH OF
THOSE HAS ITS OWN APPOINTED
COMMISSION WITH JURISDICTION AS
AS DOES OUR COURSE. WE FOR STATE
PARKS ALSO HAVE THE STATE PARK
AND RECREATION COMMISSION WITH
JURISDICTION OVER STATE PARKS.
AND WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE WHO WE
SOMEONE WE REFER TO AS
COMMISSIONER BATH, WHO'S
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BATH, IS
ON A SUBSEQUENT PANEL. SO I HOPE
YOU WILL WELCOME HER. SO WE'RE
CLEARLY COMMITTED AS A STATE
AGENCY TO ADVANCING CLIMATE
RESILIENCE. AND I'M GOING TO
TALK ABOUT THAT IN SOME DETAIL.
BUT WE'RE ALSO SUPPORTING THE
GOALS OF OUTDOORS FOR ALL, WHICH
HAS REALLY BEEN A HALLMARK OF
THIS ADMINISTRATION. AND
ENABLING SAFE, EQUITABLE AND
ENJOYABLE ACCESS TO PARKS AND
OPEN SPACES AND NATURAL
RESOURCES AND CULTURAL AND
RECREATIONAL AMENITIES FOR ALL
OF CALIFORNIANS. SO WITH THAT AS
CONTEXT, AND THANK YOU FOR
LETTING ME SET THE CONTEXT OF
OUR EXTRAORDINARY SYSTEM,
TURNING OUR ATTENTION TO CLIMATE
CHANGE. IT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID
THAT CALIFORNIA IS EXPERIENCING
THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
ALREADY. I THINK WE'RE ALL WELL
AWARE, CERTAINLY ON THE HEELS OF
THE ONGOING, HEAT WAVES THAT
WE'VE EXPERIENCED IN SACRAMENTO,
THIS SUMMER, EVERYONE'S WELL
AWARE THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING
LONGER, MORE PRONOUNCED HEAT
WAVES. ALSO LONGER PERIODS OF
DROUGHT CHANGED PRECIPITATION
PATTERNS SUCH AS REDUCED SIERRA
SNOWPACK AND MORE EXTREME
WEATHER, WHICH WE'LL COME TO IN
A MOMENT, AS WELL AS WILDFIRES
AND OTHER SECONDARY IMPACTS. SO
IT IS CLIMATE CHANGE IS UPON US.
AND OF COURSE, THOSE IMPACTS ARE
BEING FELT BY THE STATE PARK
SYSTEM AS WELL. SO THAT SAID, WE
PLAY WE AT STATE PARKS PLAY A
UNIQUE ROLE AMONG STATE AGENCIES
IN THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED
CONSERVATION STRATEGIES THAT
ARE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE CHARGED
WITH PROTECTING THOSE NATURAL
RESOURCES THAT I'VE ALREADY
DESCRIBED AND SUSTAINING THEM
FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. I MAY
HAVE LOST. THERE WE ARE, SO WE
ARE CHARGED IN STATUTE EVEN
BEFORE CLIMATE CHANGE WAS UPON
US, WE HAD ALREADY BEEN CHARGED
WITH SUSTAINING THESE IMPORTANT
ECOSYSTEMS FOR FUTURE
GENERATIONS HAS ALREADY BEEN
SAID. AND SO OUR ORIENTATION IS
ALREADY TOWARDS ADAPTING ALONG
THE WAY TO VARIOUS IMPACTS,
INCLUDING THOSE IMPACTS OF
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE NATURAL
RESOURCE. WE WILL HEAR MORE
ABOUT BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, I
BELIEVE. I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE
STAFF REPORT, AND WE MAY ALSO
HEAR FROM ASSISTANT SECRETARY
DRAKE ABOUT BIODIVERSITY. I
WON'T STRESS THE POINT, OTHER
THAN TO EMPHASIZE THAT
CALIFORNIA IS EXTRAORDINARY FOR
ITS BIOLOGICAL RICHNESS, AND WE
AS STATE PARKS ARE CHARGED WITH
MAINTAINING THAT. SO OUR
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT APPROACH
REALLY FOCUSES ON THE
RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT OF
NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS FOR FUTURE
GENERATION. AND SO THAT IS A
CORNERSTONE TO HOW WE APPROACH
CLIMATE CHANGE. AND IT'S AND I
HAD SOME SLIDES WHICH WHICH MAY
BE A USEFUL REFERENCE, BUT,
THEY'RE THE, THE FIRST WE CAN GO
TO THE NEXT, IT WAS, THAT WAS
JUST AN OVERVIEW. THE NEXT SLIDE
IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF SOME OF
THE THINGS I'VE ALREADY I'VE
ALREADY MENTIONED. BUT IF WE GO
TO THE THIRD SLIDE, IT'S GOING
TO TALK TO KIND OF OUR BROAD AT
THE BROADEST POSSIBLE LEVEL OUR
APPROACH. I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED
OUR STEWARDSHIP CHARGE. THE
SECOND THAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE
IS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY BUILT
CLIMATE CHANGE PLANNING INTO
EVERYTHING WE DO. WE ARE BLESSED
WITH A BROAD MULTIDISCIPLINARY
STAFF, ARCHEOLOGISTS, CULTURAL
RESOURCE SPECIALISTS, AS WELL AS
SCIENTISTS AND OF COURSE,
PRACTITIONERS, VERY SKILLED
FOLKS THAT BUILD YOUR TRAILS AND
MAINTAIN THE FACILITIES, AS WELL
AS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHERS.
SO WE HAVE THIS
MULTIDISCIPLINARY ENGINE THAT
CAN DRIVE OUR WORK, AND WE HAVE
COMMITTED TO DRIVING CLIMATE
CHANGE CONSIDERATIONS INTO ALL
OF THAT WORK. DRAWING ON THAT
EXPERTISE. AND THEN LAST,
CRITICAL TO OUR APPROACH IS, I
DID NOT I NEGLECTED TO MENTION
THAT 80 MILLION CALIFORNIANS
VISIT THE STATE PARK SYSTEM EACH
YEAR. SO CRITICAL TO OUR
APPROACH IS EDUCATION AND WHAT
WE CALL INTERPRETATION PROGRAMS
THAT CAN ENGAGE THOSE VISITORS
AND HELP TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT
THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE,
BUT ALSO ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN DO
AND WHAT SOCIETY IS DOING TO
APPROACH CLIMATE CHANGE. AND OF
COURSE, IN CALIFORNIA, WE'RE
DOING A GREAT DEAL, BUT IT'S
REALLY CRITICAL TO OUR TO THE
SUCCESS AND TO THE POINTS THAT
HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT THE ROLE
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS PLAYS IS
REALLY EMPHASIZING THAT PUBLIC
EDUCATION ROLE. I ALSO SHOULD
NOTE THAT CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS
HAS JUST RECENTLY ADOPTED A NEW
STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE CALL THE
PATH FORWARD, WHICH HAS ABSORBED
ALL OF THE DIRECTION FROM THIS
CURRENT ADMINISTRATION,
INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR'S EQUITY
EXECUTIVE ORDER, WHICH IS N
1622, AS WELL AS THE 30 BY 30
EXECUTIVE ORDER AND 8220 THE
OUTDOORS FOR ALL INITIATIVES AND
OTHERS, AND REALLY SORT OF
BUILDS UPON THIS PLATFORM OF
ADVANCING SOME OF THE THEMES
THAT HAVE BEEN ALREADY DISCUSSED
HERE TODAY IN TERMS OF EQUITY
AND ACCESS, AND THAT REALLY LAYS
OUR TRAJECTORY FOR THE NEXT FIVE
YEARS, AND SPECIFICALLY CALLS ON
THE DEPARTMENT TO ADDRESS
CLIMATE CHANGE SYSTEMATICALLY,
BOTH AT THE PARK UNIT LEVEL AND
ALSO STATEWIDE, BY SUPPORTING
THINGS LIKE LANDSCAPE SCALE
STEWARDSHIP AND RESTORATION,
WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A
MINUTE. SO, SO ALSO PART OF IT
IS WE STATE PARKS ARE PART OF
THE ADMINISTRATION. AND SO WE
SUPPORT BOTH THROUGH THE
RESEARCH WE SPONSOR THROUGH, FOR
EXAMPLE, OUR OCEANOGRAPHY
PROGRAM OR BY THE WORK OUR, OUR
FOLKS LEARN ON THE GROUND BY
IMPLEMENTATION. WE HELP SUPPORT
THINGS SUCH AS THE CALIFORNIA
CLIMATE ADAPTATION STRATEGY OR
SOME OF THE EMERGING SCIENCE
AROUND SEA LEVEL RISE AND THE
STATEWIDE GUIDELINES. WE ARE
PART AND PARCEL OF THIS
ADMINISTRATION'S BROAD AND I
WOULD SAY ALL ALL ENCOMPASSING
APPROACH TO CLIMATE RESILIENCE.
SO I'M GOING TO JUST BRIEFLY
TALK ABOUT A FEW AREAS. WE'VE
ALREADY GONE TO THE SLIDE ON SEA
LEVEL RISE SO QUICKLY. HIGHLIGHT
SEA LEVEL RISE, ECOSYSTEM
RESTORATION AND OUR WILDFIRE AND
FOREST RESILIENCE AND THEN
PARTNERSHIPS AND PLANNING. SO
TURNING FIRST TO SEA LEVEL RISE,
I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED THAT A
QUARTER OF THE CALIFORNIA
COASTLINE IS ROUGHLY IS UNDER
THE STEWARDSHIP OF CALIFORNIA
STATE PARKS. THAT'S OVER 100
COASTAL UNITS. IMPORTANTLY, 50
MILLION CALIFORNIANS OR AND
OTHERS VISIT THOSE PARKS EACH
YEAR. I THINK WE ALL KNOW IT'S
EMBLEMATIC OF CALIFORNIA, AND
IT'S ALSO EXTREMELY EXPOSED TO
THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN
TERMS OF SEA LEVEL RISE. SO JUST
AS A BACKGROUND, I MEAN, STATE
SPONSORED SCIENCE THROUGH THE
CALIFORNIA'S FOURTH CLIMATE
ASSESSMENT SORT OF FAMOUSLY
POINTED OUT THAT BY 2100, AT THE
CURRENT RATES OF SEA LEVEL RISE,
TWO THIRDS OF SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA'S BEACHES WILL BE
LOST, THAT'S ALMOST AN
EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO THESE
IMPORTANT RESOURCES, WHICH, OF
COURSE, ARE IMPORTANT
RECREATIONALLY, I'VE ALREADY
POINTED OUT, BUT ARE ALSO A WIDE
ARRAY OF CRITICAL ECOSYSTEMS,
SUCH AS ESTUARIES. ARGUABLY ONE
OF THE MOST IMPORTANT,
ECOSYSTEMS. THE STATE STEWARDS
ARE THESE PLACES WHERE
ANADROMOUS FISH AND OTHER
WILDLIFE AND BIRDS, YOU KNOW,
REALLY GAIN THEIR SUSTENANCE. SO
OUR COASTAL UNITS ARE CRITICAL
FOR THE FUTURE OF BIODIVERSITY
AS WELL AS THIS RECREATIONAL
RESOURCE AND OUR OWN PRELIMINARY
MODELING ALSO CONFIRMED THAT
MANY OF OUR FACILITIES ARE
INDEED IN HARM'S WAY. AND WITH
FIVE FEET OF SEA LEVEL RISE AND
STORM SURGES, THEY WOULD BE
INTENSELY IMPACTED. SO AND WE
NEED TO GO NO FURTHER BACK THAN
JANUARY OF 2023, WHEN DOZENS OF
PARK UNITS WERE IMPACTED BY
THOSE BIG THOSE BIG STORMS THAT
THAT HIT ALL OVER CALIFORNIA.
AND YOU'LL PROBABLY HEAR ABOUT
IT LATER. BUT THERE WAS OVER
$190 MILLION WORTH OF DAMAGE TO
OUR COASTAL STATE PARK UNITS.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY NOW FOCUSED
ON THE RECOVERY OF THOSE UNITS
THAT WERE IMPACTED. BUT
FORTUNATELY, BEFORE THAT
HAPPENED IN 2021, CALIFORNIA HAD
ADOPTED OUR CALIFORNIA STATE
PARKS, ADOPTED OUR SEA LEVEL
RISE ADAPTATION STRATEGY, WHICH
IS REALLY THIS THREE PRONGED
STRATEGY TO PREPARE US FOR SEA
LEVEL RISE AND EXTREME EVENTS,
AND TO PROVIDE STAFF REALLY
PROVIDE TOOLS TO OUR ON THE
GROUND FOLKS ABOUT HOW TO
CONFRONT THE CHALLENGE. AND THEN
WITH REALLY THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF
CONTINUING TO PROVIDE CONTINUED
RECREATIONAL ACCESS AND
PROTECTING OUR RESOURCES SO I
COULD GO INTO GREAT DETAIL, I
WON'T I DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO
DO IT TODAY, BUT THAT SEA LEVEL
RISE STRATEGY REALLY ARTICULATES
A BROAD AS I'VE ALREADY
FORESHADOWED, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
WORK PLAN TO BRING THE DIVERSE
TALENTS OF OUR STAFF TO THE
TASK, AS WELL AS ENGAGE
PARTNERS. AND IT LAYS OUT THE
PRINCIPLES THAT WE'LL APPROACH
IN TERMS OF USING THE BEST
AVAILABLE SCIENCE, USING
MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS, WORKING
WITH OUR ALLIED AGENCIES. BUT IT
ALSO MAPS OUT SOME CONCRETE
STEPS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE IN
TERMS OF DEVELOPING TOOLS THAT
OUR STAFF CAN USE. BUT ALSO
STARTING DOWN THE PATH OF REALLY
IMPLEMENTING A SUITE OF PROJECTS
TO ADDRESS THIS, THIS CHALLENGE.
AND WE'VE MADE GOOD STEPS. IN
THAT DOWN THAT PATHWAY,
CERTAINLY A FEW EXAMPLES WHERE,
WHERE WE WHERE WE WERE LOSING
COASTAL FACILITIES AND USED SORT
OF GRAY AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
THROUGH, SOME THROUGH A LIVING
SHORELINE TYPE APPROACHES WHERE
YOU ACTUALLY BUILD A RESILIENT
ECOSYSTEMS ON TOP OF HARDSCAPE,
BUT ALSO EXAMPLES WHERE WE'VE
REMOVED DERELICT INFRASTRUCTURE,
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS BUILT,
MAYBE EVEN BEFORE STATE PARKS
WERE THERE. YET THAT WAS
CREATING AN IMPEDIMENT TO THE
NATURAL SUCCESSION OF THAT LAND,
SUCH AS ROAD REMOVAL AT
MACKERRICHER STATE PARK, AND
WE'VE ALSO STABILIZED. THERE ARE
A LOT OF ARCHEOLOGICAL AND
SENSITIVE SITES ON THE COAST.
WE'VE USED A LOT OF INNOVATIVE
TECHNIQUES TO DOCUMENT THOSE
SITES, BUT ALSO SECURE THEM AND
KEEP THEM OUT OF HARM'S WAY,
WHILE WE CAN RECOGNIZING THAT
SOME OF THESE SITES WILL BE LOST
FOREVER TO SEA LEVEL RISE. AND
SO WE'VE MADE WE'VE MADE
IMPORTANT PROGRESS ON THOSE
EXISTING PROJECTS. AND WE'VE
ALSO IDENTIFIED AND DEVELOPED
MORE THAN A DOZEN ADDITIONAL
PROJECTS TO ADVANCE WHEN WE HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY IN THE COMING
YEARS. SO I'M GOING TO TURN MY
ATTENTION NOW TO OUR ECOSYSTEM
RESTORATION AND WILDFIRE
RESILIENCE. AS I MENTIONED, WITH
OVER 1.6 MILLION ACRES AND THE
DIVERSE ARRAY OF ECOSYSTEMS THAT
WE HAVE ARE THE FOUNDATION OF
STATE PARK STEWARDSHIP IS THE
RESTORATION OF DEGRADED
ECOSYSTEMS AND NEEDS TO BE SAID
THAT WE WITH MANY STATE PARKS,
THAT WE HAVE IN THE SYSTEM, WE
ACTUALLY INHERITED SOME LEGACY
PROBLEMS, WHETHER THAT WAS
INDUSTRIAL TIMBER AND THE
ASSOCIATED CLEARCUTS AND ROADS
THAT CAME ALONG WITH THAT, OR
WHETHER IT WAS OTHER TYPES OF
EXTRACTIVE USE, INCLUDING SAND
MINING ON THE COAST AND OTHER
THINGS. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF
OPPORTUNITIES TO AND WE HAVE
ALREADY BEEN AT THE TASK OF
RESTORING ECOSYSTEMS. BUT OVER
THE LAST, LAST FEW YEARS IN
PARTICULAR, REALLY SINCE 2021,
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MASSIVELY
SCALE UP OUR ECOSYSTEM
RESTORATION WORK. AND IN
ADDITION TO RESTORING COASTAL
ESTUARIES AND COASTAL DUNE
SYSTEMS, WHICH ARE SO IMPORTANT
TO BUILD RESILIENCE TO SEA LEVEL
RISE, WE'VE ALSO CONFRONTED THE
LEGACY ISSUE OF 100 PLUS YEARS
OF FIRE SUPPRESSION AROUND THE
STATE, WHICH OF COURSE HAS LED
AND CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE
EXTENSIVE WILD AND DESTRUCTIVE
WILDFIRES WE'VE EXPERIENCED
AROUND THE STATE. I DON'T NEED
TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THAT, BUT
WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO DEVELOP
A WILDFIRE AND FOREST RESILIENCE
PROGRAM OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF
YEARS THAT HAS REALLY GIVEN US
THE POTENTIAL TO GET GOOD FIRE
BACK ON THE LAND WHERE POSSIBLE
AND CREATE THE CONDITIONS FOR
MANAGING THOSE LANDSCAPES IN A
HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE WAY AS
WELL. AND SO, JUST JUST MOVING
ON THE I WILL SAY THAT OUR
AMBITIONS ARE STILL GREAT IN
THIS SPACE, AND WE'RE FORTUNATE
TO HAVE A PROGRAM WITH OUR
WILDFIRE RESILIENCE PROGRAM
THAT'S NOT ONLY ALIGNED WITH
STATE WIDE GOALS THROUGH THE
GOVERNOR'S WILDFIRE AND FOREST
RESILIENCE TASK FORCE AND
RELATED POLICY THAT'S BEEN
DEVELOPED. BUT WE HAVE BEEN WE
HAVE THE GOOD FORTUNE OF ONE
TIME FUNDS THAT WILL HAVE
THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 27, 28 TO BE
ABLE TO PUT THAT GOOD FIRE ON
THE GROUND. AND OUR AMBITIONS
ARE TO EXCEED MORE THAN 100 OF
OUR STATE PARK UNITS, WHERE WE
WILL HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
WE'VE ALREADY TREATED MORE THAN
60 UNITS AND WE'RE MAKING GREAT
PROGRESS. AND I COULD GIVE YOU
VERY SPECIFIC EXAMPLES, BUT IN
THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'LL, I'LL
I'LL DEFER THAT ONE. BUT I THINK
IMPORTANTLY ON THIS AND I'M
GOING TO SQUEEZE IN ONE OTHER
ISSUE, WHICH IS EXTREME HEAT. WE
OF COURSE, WE KNOW THAT OUR
COMMUNITIES ARE IMPACTED BY
EXTREME HEAT. AND I'VE ALREADY
MENTIONED THE LONG HEAT WAVES
THAT WE'VE BEEN FACING THIS
SUMMER. AND RESTORED HABITATS
ARE CRITICAL TO PROVIDING SOME
MEASURE OF COOL, COOL
ENVIRONMENTS. AND WHILE THAT'S
OBVIOUSLY VERY TRUE ON THE COAST
AND BUT NOT EVERYONE CAN GET TO
THE COAST, WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK
LATER ABOUT SOME OF OUR RESTORED
ECOSYSTEMS THAT ARE NEARBY OUR
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES IN THE
GREAT CENTRAL VALLEY, WHERE
RIPARIAN RESTORATION IS OF
COURSE, BEING DRIVEN BY AND IS
TARGETED TOWARDS RESTORING
ECOSYSTEMS FOR THEIR ECOSYSTEM
VALUE. BUT THEY PROVIDE THESE
THESE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS FOR
HELPING COOL AND PROVIDE COOL
AND WELCOMING PLACES TO THE
VISITING PUBLIC. AND I'M EAGER
TO TALK ABOUT OUR NEWEST STATE
PARK IN THAT REGARD. BUT BEFORE
I DO, I WANT TO TURN TO JUST TO
THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, TO TALK
ABOUT ONE OTHER WAY THAT STATE
PARKS IS DRIVING THIS THIS
MULTI, MULTI MULTIDISCIPLINARY
EFFORT THAT'S REQUIRED WHEN WE
CONFRONT CLIMATE CHANGE INTO ALL
OF OUR WORK. AND THAT'S THROUGH
OUR STATE PARK PLANNING PROCESS
AND THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIPS
THAT WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH
TO BE ABLE TO CULTIVATE AND
IMPORTANTLY EACH PARK REQUIRES A
GENERAL PLAN OR OTHER PLANNING
DOCUMENTS BEFORE ACTIVITIES CAN
BE TAKEN THERE. AS THIS
COMMITTEE WELL KNOWS. AND WE ARE
NOW WORKING WITH A GROUP TO
DRIVE TO, TO BRING A CONSISTENT
SET OF APPROACHES INTO THOSE
PLANNING DOCUMENTS SO THAT WE'RE
RELYING ON CONSISTENT METRICS
FOR THE CLIMATE IMPACTS. WE'LL
SEE, SUCH AS THE FOURTH AND
HOPEFULLY SOON FIFTH CLIMATE
ASSESSMENT TO DO THAT WORK, BUT
ALSO TO OUTLINE A CONSISTENT SET
OF APPROACHES THAT THAT WILL
HELP US BOTH MAKE THOSE SITES
ACCESSIBLE OVER THE LONG TERM,
NO MATTER WHAT THOSE STRESSORS
ARE, BUT ALSO BRINGING, BRINGING
BEST SCIENCE TO THAT TASK TO
ALSO HELP US DO RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT, AMONG OTHER THINGS,
AND THIS, AMONG MANY OTHER
THINGS, REQUIRES PARTNERSHIPS.
PARTNERSHIPS HAVE BEEN AT IT'S
BEEN PART OF STATE PARKS SINCE
THE VERY BEGINNING. AND WE ARE
VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOME OF
OUR VERY CLOSE PARTNERS HERE
WITH US TODAY, FOLKS THAT HAVE
BEEN AT THE TABLE WITH US TO
HELP US DO ON THE GROUND
PROJECTS, BUT ALSO HELP ASSIST
US IN LAYING OUT WHERE WE CAN GO
AND WHAT WHAT ADDITIONAL ASSETS
WE CAN BRING TO THE TABLE, I
CERTAINLY WOULD LOVE TO NAME THE
NAMES OF, BUT EVERYONE HERE IS
ON OUR SIDE AND PULLING FOR
STATE PARKS AND SO WE'RE VERY,
VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEM. PARKS
CALIFORNIA MAY BE THE LATEST ON
THE SCENE OF OUR OF OUR
PARTNERS. I WANT TO GIVE THEM A
PARTICULAR SHOUT OUT BECAUSE
THEY DID HELP US WITH SOME OF
THIS CLIMATE PLANNING, THE
PLANNING PROCESS THAT, THAT I
JUST SPOKE ABOUT, THEY THEY SET
THEY PARTNERED WITH US TO
PROVIDE US WITH CLIMATE FELLOWS
THAT COULD DO SOME OF THE HARD
WORK TO ADVANCE SOME OF THIS,
THIS PLANNING WORK THAT I JUST
SPOKE ABOUT, A REALLY CRITICAL
PARTNERSHIP, OF COURSE, IS OUR
PARTNERSHIP WITH TRIBAL
GOVERNMENTS AND STATE PARKS IS
PARTNERING WITH TRIBES ALL
AROUND THE STATE. AND THOSE
INCLUDE BOTH FEDERALLY
RECOGNIZED TRIBES AND
NON-FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES.
AND AS OF THIS TIME, WE HAVE A
12 MOU WITH TRIBAL ENTITIES THAT
ALLOW US TO THAT REALLY LAY OUT
HOW WE PARTNER WITH THEM IN
TERMS OF OUR RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
AND OUR FORWARD, OUR FORWARD
ACTIVITIES. AND, THESE ARE ALL
AROUND THE STATE AND WE HAVE
MANY MORE IN THE PIPELINE. AND
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
AND, I I'LL, I'LL WRAP UP BY
BRINGING US TO OUR MOST RECENT
STATE PARK ON JUNE 12TH. THE
DEPARTMENT OPENED DOS RIOS RANCH
TO THE PUBLIC. THIS NEWEST STATE
PARK REALLY CREATES NEW
RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES NEAR A
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY. AS I'VE
ALREADY MENTIONED, THE COMMUNITY
OF MODESTO AND PROVIDES FOR THAT
CLIMATE RESILIENCE. WE WERE
FORTUNATE TO HAVE ANOTHER GREAT
PARTNER IN RIVER PARTNERS, WHO
RESTORED THE PROPERTY, THE
RIPARIAN FUNCTION, THE HABITAT
BENEFITS, THE GROUNDWATER
RECHARGE THAT SUITE OF BENEFITS
THAT WE REALLY CAN ACHIEVE IN A
STATE PARK. AND NOW IT'S OPEN TO
THE PUBLIC. SO THERE'S MUCH MORE
DETAIL, OF COURSE, ON ALL OF
THIS. THAT COULD BE SHARED. BUT
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND
ATTENTION AND REALLY, I CAN'T
HELP BUT SHARE ONE MORE SLIDE,
WHICH IS THE MISSION OF STATE
PARKS, WHICH REALLY I THINK
BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A GOOD MISSION
THAT BALANCES RECREATIONAL
ACCESS, RESOURCE PROTECTION,
CULTURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION, IT
IS ALWAYS A REMINDER. IT'S
CERTAINLY IMPORTANT FRONT AND
CENTER FOR ALL OF OUR STAFF.
EVERY DAY THAT WE BALANCE THESE
THINGS. AND IT IS THROUGH
HONORING THIS MISSION THAT WE
WILL PROTECT THE SYSTEM INTO
FUTURE GENERATIONS. SO THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
EXCELLENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND WE'LL TURN IT OVER NOW TO
OUR SECOND WITNESS. GREAT MADAM
CHAIRS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS. MY
NAME IS MADELINE DRAKE, AND I'M
THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR
BIODIVERSITY AND HABITAT WITH
THE CALIFORNIA NATURAL RESOURCES
AGENCY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME
HERE TODAY. I'M EXCITED TO TALK
WITH YOU ALL ABOUT CALIFORNIA'S
30 BY 30 GOAL AND THE ROLE THAT
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS IS
PLAYING IN HELPING US ACHIEVE
THIS STATE GOAL. NEXT SLIDE
PLEASE. CALIFORNIA IS HOME TO
MORE SPECIES OF PLANT AND
ANIMALS THAN ANY OTHER STATE.
AND THIS BIODIVERSITY ACCOUNTS
FOR ONE THIRD OF ALL OF THE
BIODIVERSITY IN THE NATION. WE
HAVE. WE ARE ONE OF 36 GLOBAL
BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS AROUND THE
WORLD, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF ALL
THE RARE SPECIES THAT WE HAVE
HERE. HOWEVER, BEING A GLOBAL
BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT ALSO MEANS
THAT MANY OF OUR SPECIES ARE
UNDER THREAT, MANY DUE TO
HABITAT LOSS AS WELL AS CLIMATE
IMPACTS LIKE WILDFIRE, DROUGHT,
EXTREME HEAT AND MUCH MORE.
RECOGNIZING THIS, IN OCTOBER OF
2020, GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM
SIGNED EXECUTIVE ORDER IN 8220,
WHICH REALLY BROADLY IS MEANT TO
ACHIEVE THE STATE'S NATURE BASED
SOLUTIONS. CLIMATE AND
BIODIVERSITY GOALS. BUT
IMPORTANTLY, IT COMMITTED THE
STATE TO CONSERVING 30% OF OUR
LANDS AND COASTAL WATERS BY
2030. AND IF YOU'RE ASKING, WELL,
WHY 30% AND WHY BY 2030? WELL,
THIS IS ACTUALLY AN
INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT, AND
SCIENTISTS FROM ALL OVER THE
WORLD HAVE COME TOGETHER TO SAY,
IF WE AS A GLOBE CAN CONSERVE
30% OF OUR LANDS AND WATERS BY
2030, THEN WE'LL HAVE A FIGHTING
CHANCE AGAINST THE BIODIVERSITY
AND CLIMATE CRISES THAT WE FACE.
CALIFORNIA WANTED TO BE A PART
OF THAT SOLUTION, WHICH IS WHY
THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER WAS SIGNED.
AND NOW OVER 190 COUNTRIES ARE
WITH US IN THIS COMMITMENT AND
MOVING THIS FORWARD. NEXT SLIDE
PLEASE. WE KNEW WE COULD ONLY BE
SUCCESSFUL IN ACHIEVING 30 BY 30
GOAL. IF WE HAD OTHERS HELPING
US. WE WANTED TO HEAR EVERYONE'S
FEEDBACK ON HOW WE CAN ACHIEVE
THAT GOAL, AS WELL AS HOW WE
SHOULD COUNT TOWARDS THE 30 BY
30 TARGET. WE WENT THROUGH ABOUT
A YEAR, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR OF
A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS,
BEFORE WE EVER RELEASED OUR
STRATEGY. THIS INCLUDED REGIONAL
WORKSHOPS, NINE OF THEM ALL
ACROSS THE STATE, IN WHICH WE
HAD ABOUT 2500 PARTICIPANTS JOIN
US. WE ALSO HAD AN ONLINE SURVEY
WITH ABOUT 850 PARTICIPANTS WHO
COULD PROVIDE LONGER ANSWERS, AS
WELL AS SORT OF DATA SETS OR
PAPERS THAT THEY WANTED TO SHARE
WITH US. KNOWING WE HAD SOME KEY
QUESTIONS ON EQUITY,
BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE,
CONSERVATION OF LANDS AND
CONSERVATION OF COASTAL WATERS.
WE ALSO HELD FIVE TOPICAL
ADVISORY PANELS WITH EXPERTS
FROM ACROSS THE STATE, WHERE WE
COULD ASK KEY QUESTIONS TO HELP
US REALLY ADDRESS SOME OF THE
ISSUES THAT WE WERE STRUGGLING
WITH. AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE
RELEASED THOSE QUESTIONS TO THE
PUBLIC BECAUSE CALIFORNIA HAS A
WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE, AND WE
WANTED TO HEAR FROM EVERYBODY,
EVEN AFTER WE RELEASED OUR
STRATEGY, WE RECEIVED OVER 1000
LETTERS. WE HAD AN ADVISORY
COMMITTEE, AND WE HAD PUBLIC
MEETINGS SO THAT PEOPLE COULD
TALK WITH US. AND THROUGH ALL OF
THIS, WE MET WITH A LITTLE OVER
70 TRIBES THROUGH TRIBAL
CONSULTATION PROCESS TO MAKE
SURE THAT OUR CALIFORNIA NATIVE
AMERICAN TRIBES ALSO FELT HEARD
AND SEEN IN OUR STRATEGY. NEXT
SLIDE PLEASE. ON EARTH DAY OF
2022, WE RELEASED THE PATHWAYS
TO 30 BY 30 STRATEGY. AND FOR
ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO HELPED US
IN PROVIDING IMPACT OR PROVIDING
INPUT FOR THE STRATEGY, THEY
SHOULD BE REALLY PROUD BECAUSE
THIS STRATEGY GETS GLOBAL
RECOGNITION. IT GETS GLOBAL
RECOGNITION BECAUSE IT'S A
REALLY SCIENCE BASED, BUT ALSO
AN INCLUSIVE PUBLIC PROCESS THAT
GOT US TO A COMPREHENSIVE
DEFINITION FOR HOW WE'RE GOING
TO COUNT FOR 30 BY 30, AS WELL
AS THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE
GOING TO TAKE TO REACH THE GOAL.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SOME OF THE
IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THIS
STRATEGY FIRST ARE THREE KEY
OBJECTIVES. AND THIS IS WHAT
WE'RE HOPING FOR KIND OF THE
GOLD STANDARD OF THE
CONSERVATION THAT WE WANT TO
ACHIEVE THROUGH 30 BY 30. AND
THAT'S TO PROTECT AND RESTORE
BIODIVERSITY, TO EXPAND ACCESS
TO NATURE AND TO MITIGATE AND
BUILD RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE
CHANGE. AND WHILE EVERY PROJECT
MIGHT NOT MEET ALL THREE OF
THESE CORE OBJECTIVES, WE'RE
DOING OUR BEST TO STRIVE TO FIND
PROJECTS THAT ARE MULTI-BENEFIT
IN NATURE. OUR STRATEGY ALSO HAS
THREE CORE COMMITMENTS, AND
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO
BE THINKING ABOUT AND HOW WE
WANT TO BE ACHIEVING OUR 30 BY
30 GOAL. AND THAT'S TO ADVANCE
JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSION TO STRENGTHEN OUR
TRIBAL PARTNERSHIPS AND PROTECT
OUR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. CLEAN
ENERGY RESOURCES AND FOOD
SUPPLY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND
REALLY IMPORTANTLY, WHAT THAT
STRATEGY DOES IS PROVIDES A
DEFINITION FOR HOW OR WHAT WE
MEAN WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 30
BY 30 CONSERVATION AREAS. AFTER
AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC
INPUT ON WHAT THIS DEFINITION
SHOULD BE, WHERE WE LANDED WAS
LAND AND COASTAL WATER AREAS
THAT ARE DURABLY PROTECTED AND
MANAGED TO SUSTAIN FUNCTIONAL
ECOSYSTEMS BOTH INTACT AND
RESTORED, AND THE DIVERSITY OF
LIFE THAT THEY SUPPORT. NEXT
SLIDE PLEASE. SO GIVEN THAT
DEFINITION, WE CURRENTLY ARE AT
ABOUT 24.4% OF OUR LANDS AND
16.2% OF OUR COASTAL WATERS. AND
THIS INCLUDES MANY TYPES OF
CONSERVATION THINGS THAT ARE
DEDICATED CONSERVATION AREAS.
THINK ABOUT WILDLIFE REFUGES,
OUR RECREATION LANDS AND OPEN
SPACES LIKE STATE PARKS, AS WELL
AS LOCAL PARKS AND NATIONAL
PARKS. IT ALSO INCLUDES WORKING
LANDS WITH A BIODIVERSITY FOCUS
TO THEM. SO THINK ABOUT GRAZING
LANDS OR OTHER PLACES THAT ARE
REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE
BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM
HEALTH. AND THEN FOR THE COASTAL
WATERS, IT INCLUDES OUR STATE'S
124 MARINE PROTECTED AREAS ALONG
THE COAST. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
BUT SINCE WE'RE HERE TODAY TO
TALK ABOUT STATE PARKS, I WANTED
YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT STATE PARKS
MAKES UP ABOUT 5.2% OF WHAT'S
CURRENTLY PROTECTED THROUGHOUT
THE STATE. AND THESE ARE AMAZING
ACRES, BUT THEY ARE JUST, YOU
KNOW, A PIECE OF THE WHOLE. BUT
WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THEM.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO TO GET TO
THAT GOAL OUR STRATEGY LAYS OUT
TEN DIFFERENT PATHWAYS. SOME OF
THEM MIGHT FEEL A LITTLE BIT
OBVIOUS. LIKE WE NEED MORE
STRATEGIC LAND ACQUISITIONS
KNOWING THAT THIS WILL BE
VOLUNTARY LOCALLY LED
ACQUISITIONS AND THINGS LIKE
CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. BUT IT
ALSO INCLUDES THINGS LIKE
RESTORATION AND STEWARDSHIP,
RECOGNIZING THAT NOT ALL AREAS
WE CAN SERVE TODAY ARE GOING TO
IMMEDIATELY BE HEALTHY
ECOSYSTEMS AND MIGHT NEED A
LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA WORK. IT
INCLUDES THINGS LIKE ADVANCED
MITIGATION AND ENHANCING
CONSERVATION ON EXISTING PUBLIC
LANDS, AND FINDING CREATIVE
OPPORTUNITIES BEYOND JUST SORT
OF ACQUIRING NEW ACRES. NEXT
SLIDE PLEASE. BUT SINCE WE'RE
HERE TO TALK ABOUT STATE PARKS,
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THREE OF
MANY, MANY EXAMPLES OF HOW STATE
PARKS REALLY IS CONTRIBUTING TO
THE 30 BY 30 GOAL AND HAS BEEN A
GREAT PARTNER THROUGHOUT THE
FIRST PROJECT. I WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT IS THE REDWOODS RISING
PROJECT, AND THIS IS UP ON THE
NORTH COAST OF CALIFORNIA. THIS
GREAT PROJECT IS WORKING TO
EXPAND TO RESTORE 120,000 ACRES,
AND IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN
STATE PARKS, SAVE THE REDWOODS
LEAGUE AND THE NATIONAL PARK
SERVICE. THIS IS A REALLY
IMPORTANT PROJECT BECAUSE OLD
GROWTH FORESTS, YOU KNOW, ARE AN
ICONIC SPECIES HERE IN
CALIFORNIA, BUT ALSO REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AS
THEY SEQUESTER A GREAT AMOUNT OF
CARBON. THEY'RE ALSO WORKING TO
MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC CAN
BETTER ACCESS THESE PLACES. SO
IT REALLY MEETS THAT
BIODIVERSITY ACCESS AND CLIMATE
GOALS THAT WE'RE REALLY HOPING
TO ACHIEVE THROUGH 30 BY 30. AND
IT ENSURES THAT THIS IS MORE
THAN A COUNTING EXERCISE. THIS
IS REALLY ABOUT MEETING THOSE
THREE KEY OBJECTIVES. NEXT SLIDE
PLEASE. SECONDLY STATE PARKS IS
A GREAT CONNECTOR TO ALL THESE
OTHER CONSERVED LANDS. AS I SAID,
THEY'RE A PIECE OF THE PIE A
VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE PIE.
BUT THEY CONNECT TO A HUGE
LANDSCAPE OF OTHER CONSERVED
AREAS. AND WE HOPE THAT WE CAN
CONTINUE TO BE STRATEGIC IN
WHERE WE LOOK FOR NEW LANDS TO
CONNECT WITH STATE PARKS AND
MANY OTHERS AS WELL. THE EXAMPLE
I LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT HERE, AND I
KNOW JAY BROUGHT IT UP, AND I'M
SURE ONE OF OUR PANELISTS IS
GOING TO BRING IT UP ON PANEL
TWO IS THE NEW DOS RIOS STATE
PARK. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE
LOCATION THAT CONNECTS TO THE
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER NATIONAL
WILDLIFE REFUGE, WHICH HAS A
LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT OF A
MISSION THAN A STATE PARK DOES.
BUT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR
BIODIVERSITY AND WILDLIFE.
CONTEXT OF CLIMATE. SPECIES NEED
TO HAVE SPACES SO THAT THEY CAN
SORT OF MOVE AROUND THE
LANDSCAPE TO EAT, TO FEED, TO
BREED. AND THAT'S ONLY GOING TO
SORT OF NEED TO INCREASE, AS WE
SEE CLIMATE IMPACTS. SO HAVING A
CONNECTED SPACE IS REALLY
CRITICAL. AND DOS RIOS IS A
GREAT EXAMPLE ALSO FOR
CONNECTIVITY. IT'S REALLY
CONNECTED CLOSELY TO THE MODESTO
COMMUNITY, A COMMUNITY THAT IS
PARK POOR IN COMPARISON TO MANY
OTHER PLACES IN THE STATE. AND
SO IT IS, YOU KNOW, GREAT FOR
WILDLIFE AS WELL AS CONNECTIVITY
TO PEOPLE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AND THE THIRD EXAMPLE THAT I
WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS ARE
TREASURED BY SO MANY PEOPLE HERE
IN CALIFORNIA. BUT HONESTLY,
ACROSS THE WORLD I THINK. AND SO
THEY OFFER A GREAT SPACE TO
EDUCATE, INTERACT, COMMUNICATE
WITH THE PUBLIC IN A REALLY
UNIQUE AND HELPFUL WAY. 30 BY 30
IS A MOVEMENT. AND SO WE NEED
FOLKS TO REALLY BE ON BOARD AND
TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT WE'RE
TRYING TO DO AS A STATE TO, TO,
TO REACH THIS GOAL. AND THE
EXAMPLE THAT I REALLY WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT HERE IS THE STATE
PARKS PORTS PROGRAM. THEY
PARTNER WITH K THROUGH 12
SCHOOLS ALL ACROSS THE STATE FOR
BOTH VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON FIELD
TRIPS, AND IT'S TEACHING
CHILDREN TO STEWARD OUR LANDS TO
TAKE CARE OF OUR LANDS. WHY?
BIODIVERSITY IS IMPORTANT AND
WHY CLIMATE RESILIENCE IS
IMPORTANT. AND WITH 30 BY 30,
WE'RE ALSO OFFERING THEM A
MESSAGE OF HOPE THAT THERE IS A
SOLUTION AND THAT WE CAN WORK
TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL.
AS A SIDE NOTE, WE DID PROVIDE
STICKERS AND PENS KINDLY DONATED
BY PARTNERS SO THAT YOU ALL CAN
HELP BE A PART OF THIS MOVEMENT
AS WELL. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO
IN CLOSING, WE DO HAVE 5.5
MILLION ACRES TO GO TO REACH THE
STATE'S 30 BY 30 TARGET ON LAND
AND 500,000 ACRES IN COASTAL
WATERS. AND THESE ACRES ARE
ULTIMATELY GOING TO HELP US
CONSERVE OUR INCREDIBLE
BIODIVERSITY, MITIGATE AND BUILD
RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE,
AND INCREASE ACCESS. WE ALSO
KNOW, THOUGH, THAT RIGHT NOW WE
HAVE 24.8 MILLION ALREADY
CONSERVED. THAT'S A GREAT
NUMBER. IN ADDITION, FOR LANDS
FOR STATE, FOR COASTAL WATERS,
WE HAVE 546,000. AND WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PLACES ARE
REALLY MEETING OUR BIODIVERSITY,
CLIMATE AND ACCESS GOALS. STATE
PARKS HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS
PARTNER, AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS,
TO MAKE THESE PROJECTS COME TO
LIFE AND HAPPEN. AND SO WE LOOK
FORWARD TO WORKING, NOT ONLY
WITH STATE PARKS, BUT MANY
PARTNERS ACROSS THE STATE TO
REACH THIS GOAL AND HAPPY TO
TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. EXCELLENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, I WILL ASK
THE COMMITTEE IF ANYBODY HAS
QUESTIONS. SOME OF THEM ARE
HEART. WELL, I GUESS THE OBVIOUS
QUESTION FROM THE LAST POINT
THAT YOU MADE ABOUT HOW FAR WE
HAVE TO GO OVER THE NEXT SIX
YEARS IS THERE A STRATEGY TO
ACHIEVE THE 2030 LAND AND
COASTAL WATERWAYS, 2030 GOAL?
YEAH. SO THE PATHWAYS TO 30 BY
30 STRATEGY, THE SORT OF TEN
PATHWAYS OR WAYS THAT WE THINK
WE CAN REALLY GET THERE, WE HAD
TO DRAW A CAREFUL LINE OF NOT
BEING TOO PRESCRIPTIVE BECAUSE
WE REALLY WANT IT TO BE LOCALLY
LED, VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION, BUT
ALSO TO EMPOWER FOLKS TO BE ABLE
TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. AND
WHERE WE REALLY FEEL LIKE
OPPORTUNITIES INFORMED BY THE
PUBLIC. SO THAT STRATEGY IS OUT
THERE FOR FOLKS TO SORT OF LOOK
FOR CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES AS
WELL AS WE HAVE A SUITE OF
ONLINE MAPPING TOOLS THAT I
DIDN'T MENTION CALLED CA NATURE.
AND SO FOLKS CAN LOOK AT DATA
AND HELP THEM FIND OPPORTUNITIES
FOR BIODIVERSITY ACCESS AND
CLIMATE, SO THAT IS OUR STRATEGY
THAT'S OUT THERE. AND WE HOPE
THAT PEOPLE ARE UTILIZING IT AND
FINDING IT HELPFUL. SO IT'S
REALLY A CHALLENGE TO LOCAL
CITIZENS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
TO RALLY TO CONSERVE LOCAL
SPACES. AND THEN THAT ADDS UP TO
TRYING TO MEET THE STATEWIDE
GOALS. AND WE WANT TO BE THE
WIND IN THEIR SAILS. SO THAT'S
WHY WE CALL IT A MOVEMENT. THANK
YOU FOR THE QUESTION. ANYONE
ELSE? OKAY. DID YOU WANT TO SAVE
PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE END OR
HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS
SECTION NOW? SO WE RAISED WE'LL
DO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS
SECTION FOR CONTINUITY NOW. SO
IF YOU HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT
PLEASE COME FORWARD. NOT SEEING
ANY THANK YOU. YEAH. IF YOU WANT
TO COME FORWARD AT THE END, YOU
MAY DO SO, WITH THAT, WE'LL TURN
IT OVER TO THE SECOND PANEL.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR TIME.
YOUR ENERGY AND YOUR VISION. AND
I WILL TURN IT OVER TO
ASSEMBLYMEMBERS REYES TO
INTRODUCE THE SECOND PANEL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, JAY
CHAMBERLAIN AND MADELINE DRAKE,
IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT
WE'RE LOOKING, WHERE WE ARE,
WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND WHERE WE
PLAN TO, WHERE WE PLAN TO BE IN
THE FUTURE. AND I APPRECIATE
HAVING YOU TALK ABOUT ALL OF
THOSE THINGS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ALL RIGHT. FOR THE NEXT PANEL.
IT'S CASE STUDIES IN CLIMATE
RESILIENCY AT STATE PARKS. AND
I'D LIKE TO INVITE EMILY DOYLE,
PHD, DOCTOR, EMILY DOYLE,
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS
FOUNDATION. JULIE RENTNER,
PRESIDENT OF RIVER PARTNERS.
AUSTIN STEVENOT, SENIOR
RESTORATION MANAGER OF RIVER'S
PARTNER AND A MEMBER OF THE
NORTHERN MIWOK TRIBE. AND SARAH
BARTH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
SEMPERVIRENS FUND.
COME ON DOWN. WHO'S GOING TO GO
FIRST? I HAVE DOCTOR EMILY DOYLE
TEED UP FIRST. I DON'T KNOW, IS
THAT YOU? THAT'S YOU. OKAY. WHY
DON'T YOU LEAD US OFF? THANK YOU
FOR BEING HERE. THIS ON? ARE WE
GOOD TO GO? YES. SO GOOD
AFTERNOON, MADAM. CHAIRS AND
COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR
INVITING ME TODAY, I DO HAVE A
SLIDE PRESENTATION. THERE WE GO,
SO I AM THE DIRECTOR OF CLIMATE
RESILIENCE AT CALIFORNIA STATE
PARKS FOUNDATION, AND WE ARE A
NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO
PRESERVING AND PROTECTING STATE
PARKS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
AND AS WE ALL KNOW, THIS MEANS
PREPARING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE,
AND I JOINED THE FOUNDATION
ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. I WAS
REALLY EXCITED TO BECOME A
MEMBER AND CONTRIBUTE TO THIS
MISSION. I'M A CALIFORNIA NATIVE.
I GREW UP GOING TO STATE PARKS,
YOU KNOW, CAMPING AT CALAVERAS.
I HAD MY FIFTH BIRTHDAY PARTY AT
SEACLIFF STATE BEACH, SO I WAS
REALLY EXCITED TO KIND OF BRING,
BRING MY KNOWLEDGE TO SUPPORT
PARKS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AND
IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. SO I'M HERE TODAY
TO SPEAK ABOUT HOW PARKS CAN
REALLY CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE
RESILIENCE FOR CALIFORNIA
COMMUNITIES. AND JUST A BRIEF
KIND OF OUTLINE OF WHAT I'M
GOING TO GO OVER IS, FIRST, JUST
TOUCHING ON HOW CLIMATE
RESILIENT PARKS SUPPORT A
CLIMATE RESILIENT CALIFORNIA
BEFORE MOVING MORE INTO
DISCUSSING EXTREME HEAT, WHICH
IS A SPECIFIC FOCUS OF THIS
PRESENTATION, WHICH LEADS INTO
THE IDEA OF PARKS AS CLIMATE
REFUGES AND THE IDEA OF CREATING
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE HUBS AT
PARKS TO SUPPORT CALIFORNIANS SO
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED
WITH THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, SO
AS WE ALL KNOW, AS WE'VE BEEN
HEARING YOU KNOW, SO FAR THIS
AFTERNOON, IS THAT CALIFORNIA
STATE PARKS REALLY SUPPORT A
CLIMATE RESILIENT CALIFORNIA,
280 CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS, 1.6
MILLION ACRES OF LAND. WE JUST
HEARD HOW THEY'RE SO IMPORTANT
IN PROTECTING CALIFORNIA'S
BIODIVERSITY. AND THEY ALSO
STATE PARKS ALSO MANAGES ABOUT A
QUARTER OF THE CALIFORNIA
COASTLINE, AGAIN SHOWING THE
CRITICAL ROLE THAT PARKS PLAY IN
INCREASING RESILIENCE THROUGHOUT
THE ENTIRE STATE, NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. BUT ALSO WHAT WE KEEP
COMING BACK TO IS THE IDEA THAT
PARKS ARE REALLY FOR PEOPLE. AND
THIS IS WHERE WE START TO LOOK
AT THE INTERSECTION OF PARKS,
CLIMATE CHANGE AND COMMUNITIES.
SO, PARKS SEE TENS OF MILLIONS
OF VISITORS EVERY YEAR. WE KNOW
THAT SPENDING TIME OUTSIDE IS
REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE'S
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, SUCH
AS STATE PARKS, AND THAT AS
CLIMATE CHANGE CONTINUES TO
ACCELERATE AS TEMPERATURES
CONTINUE TO GO UP, PARKS ARE
GOING TO BECOME INCREASINGLY
IMPORTANT. CLIMATE REFUGES OVER
TIME. AND THIS IS RECOGNIZED IN
MANY, MANY PLANNING DOCUMENTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE CALIFORNIA
EXTREME HEAT ACTION PLAN
SPECIFICALLY POINTS TO THE NEED
TO PRESERVE, ENHANCE, INCREASE
AND ESTABLISH COMMUNITY GREEN
AREAS IN ORDER TO PROTECT PUBLIC
HEALTH. SO, LIKE STATE PARKS AND
AS I SAID, THIS IS SPECIFICALLY
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT EXTREME
HEAT TODAY SO WE CAN GET INTO
THAT A LITTLE MORE. IF YOU WANT
TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO AS WE ALL KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY
THE SITE IS CUT OFF A LITTLE
BIT. BUT I THINK YOU HAVE
PRINTOUTS, SO YOU SHOULD BE ALL
RIGHT, AS WE ALL KNOW, IT'S
GETTING HOTTER. JUST SEVERAL
WEEKS AGO, WE HAD THE HOTTEST
DAY IN RECORDED HISTORY, AND
THIS JULY WAS ACTUALLY THE
HOTTEST JULY IN ALL OF
CALIFORNIA'S RECORDED HISTORY AS
WELL. AND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT
HERE IS A PLOT SHOWING THE
TEMPERATURE ANOMALY OF EVERY
YEAR SINCE 1976. AND WHAT THAT
MEANS IS THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE
IN TEMPERATURE OF THE ANNUAL
AVERAGE OF THAT YEAR COMPARED TO
THE AVERAGE OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
SO BETWEEN 1901 TO 2000. AND WE
CAN SEE THAT IT HAS BEEN 47
YEARS SINCE WE HAD A COLDER THAN
AVERAGE YEAR BACK IN 1976. AND
SINCE THEN IT'S ONLY BEEN
GETTING HOTTER AND HOTTER. LAST
YEAR HAD AROUND THE 15 HOTTEST
DAYS ON RECORD. I BELIEVE THEY
WERE ALMOST ALL IN SIMPLY IN THE
MONTH OF JULY, AND THEN, AS I
SAID, WE JUST BROKE THAT RECORD,
LAST JULY. SO WE SEE THAT
OBVIOUSLY THIS IS AN INCREASING
PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE
ADDRESSED, BUT WE CAN ALSO LOOK
BEYOND SIMPLY GLOBAL
TEMPERATURES AND LOOK AT WHAT'S
HAPPENING IN TERMS OF EXTREME
HEAT EVENTS. SO NEXT SLIDE
PLEASE. AND THIS IS SHOWING THE
PROJECTED NUMBER OF EXTREME HEAT
EVENTS AT SIX DIFFERENT
LOCATIONS IN CALIFORNIA THROUGH
THE END OF THE OF THE CENTURY.
AND THESE ARE EXTREME HEAT
EVENTS. THAT MEANS THEY HAVE
ADVERSE IMPACTS ON PUBLIC
HEALTH. SO THIS IS WHERE YOU
REALLY START LOOKING AT WHY YOU
NEED TO INCREASE COMMUNITY
RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND WE CAN SEE THERE'S TWO
DIFFERENT GREENHOUSE GAS
EMISSIONS SCENARIOS HERE. SO IN
YELLOW YOU SEE A MODERATE
EMISSION SCENARIO WHICH IS MORE
ALONG THE TRAJECTORY THAT WE'RE
CURRENTLY FOLLOWING. AND THEN
RED SHOWS A HIGH GREENHOUSE GAS
EMISSIONS SCENARIO. AND JUST
LOOKING AT FRESNO FOR EXAMPLE,
WE CAN SEE THAT UNDER A HIGH
EMISSIONS SCENARIO WE SEE A 13
FOLD INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
EXTREME HEAT A DAY, EXTREME HEAT
DAYS EVERY YEAR. AND EVEN UNDER
THE MORE MODERATE, TRAJECTORY,
WE STILL SEE AN EIGHT FOLD
INCREASE. SO THESE ARE THE
EVENTS THAT ARE SEVERELY
IMPACTING CALIFORNIA
COMMUNITIES. AND THIS IS WHERE
PARKS CAN PLAY A REALLY
IMPORTANT ROLE. SO NEXT SLIDE
PLEASE. AND SO THIS IS AS I SAID
HOW PARKS CAN REALLY BE CLIMATE
REFUGES. BUT IF WE LOOK A LITTLE
CLOSER AS TO WHAT WE MEAN BY
THAT, WE CAN KIND OF THINK OF IT
IN THREE DIFFERENT SECTIONS THAT
I'M GOING TO GO OVER. SO FIRST
IS HOW URBAN PARKS CAN HELP
BREAK UP HEAT ISLANDS. PARKS ARE
REALLY CRITICAL IN TERMS OF
PROVIDING RESOURCES DURING
EXTREME EVENTS LIKE EXTREME HEAT
EVENTS, AND ALSO THAT THEY CAN
REALLY BE FOCUSED TO SUPPORT
UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES,
WHICH, AS WE KNOW, ARE
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
CLIMATE CHANGE. SO LET'S GO
THROUGH THESE A LITTLE MORE.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO AN URBAN
HEAT ISLAND IS BASICALLY AS I'M
SURE MOST PEOPLE KNOW, AN AREA
WITH A LOT OF CONCRETE, LITTLE
GREEN SPACE. AND IT LEADS TO
SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER
TEMPERATURES THAN MORE RURAL OR,
AREAS WITH MORE GREEN SPACE. SO
THIS IS SHOWING A TEMPERATURE
PROFILE RANGING FROM THE RURAL
OUTSIDE CITY UP THROUGH
DOWNTOWN, ALL THE WAY BACK OUT
TO SUBURBIA AND THE FARMLAND.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WHERE
THERE'S A PARK ABOUT THREE
QUARTERS OF THE WAY FROM THE
LEFT, AN URBAN PARK HAS RESULTS
IN A TEMPERATURE DECREASE OF
AROUND 6 TO 7°F. AND THAT'S ALSO
A RELATIVELY CONSERVATIVE
ESTIMATE. YOU CAN SEE VALUES
MORE THAN TWICE THAT WHEN YOU
LOOK AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. SO
THIS IS SHOWING RIGHT AWAY HOW
OUR URBAN CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS
ARE REALLY IMPORTANT IN CREATING
COOLER COMMUNITIES. AND THEY CAN
ALSO SIMPLY BE A REFUGE FOR
PEOPLE TO GO AND ESCAPE THE
HEAT. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SECONDLY, AS I SAID, PARKS ARE
CAN PROVIDE REALLY IMPORTANT
RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITIES WHO
MAY NOT OTHERWISE HAVE ACCESS TO
THEM. AND THIS IS WHERE IT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A LOT
OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. LISTEN
TO PEOPLE WHEN THEY CAN TELL YOU
WHAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE
SAFE DURING THESE EVENTS. AND AN
EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THIS IS A
PLAN THAT CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS
FOUNDATION HELPED SUPPORT THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE BALDWIN HILLS
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND ACCESS
PLAN, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. AND
THIS WAS LOOKING AT THE IDEA OF,
KIND OF DEVELOPING A LOCATION OR
WE CAN CALL IT A CLIMATE
RESILIENCE HUB FOR THAT CAN
PROVIDE THE RESOURCES FOR THAT
COMMUNITY. ONE OF WHICH WAS IN
THE BALDWIN HILLS SCENIC
OVERLOOK STATE PARK. AND SO,
AGAIN, THIS HAD, I BELIEVE IT
WAS 18 MONTHS OF COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT, INCLUDING SURVEYS,
WORKING GROUPS. THEY HAD AN
ADVISORY COMMITTEE WITH, WITH
COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND WHAT THEY
TOOK AWAY FROM THIS IN TERMS OF,
YOU KNOW, THE INPUT THAT THEY
GOT FROM THE COMMUNITY, OF WHAT
RESOURCES THEY REALLY NEEDED. A
LOT OF THEM, MOST OF THEM THE
TOP RANKED ONES, WERE AROUND
EXTREME HEAT EVENTS. SO SHADE
COOLING INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS
MISTING STATIONS, HYDRATION
STATIONS ALSO THINGS AROUND
POWER SHORTAGES. SO PHONE
CHARGING STATIONS, GENERATORS,
AVAILABLE WI-FI. AND WE ALSO
KNOW THAT AS YOU KNOW, EXTREME
HEAT EVENTS INCREASE. WE ALSO
SEE AN INCREASED RISK OF POWER
OUTAGES. SO THAT AGAIN SHOWS HOW
THESE SPACES STATE PARKS CAN
REALLY HELP PROVIDE THESE
RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT
OTHERWISE HAVE THEM, NEXT SLIDE
PLEASE. AND THEN ALSO THE IDEA
OF CREATING THESE CLIMATE
RESILIENCE HUBS THAT CAN REALLY
SUPPORT, THEY CAN REALLY PLACE
EQUITY AT THE CENTER OF THIS
CONVERSATION. A GREAT EXAMPLE OF
THIS IS WORK. WE'RE CURRENTLY
DOING A LOT OF WORK AT
CANDLESTICK POINT STATE
RECREATION AREA, WHICH IS IN
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO IN THE
BAYVIEW-HUNTERS POINT
NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH HAS A LONG
HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL
INJUSTICE. IT'S THE SITE OF AN
OLD SHIPPING YARD. IT'S A VERY
HIGH POLLUTION BURDEN, HIGH
ASTHMA RATES, LOW BIRTH RATES
AND A VERY LOW INCOME COMMUNITY.
SO WHEN THEY ARE SEEING THESE
EXTREME HEAT EVENTS, THERE ISN'T
THEY DON'T ALWAYS HAVE A WAY TO
STAY SAFE. I CAN GO HOME AND
TURN THE AC ON. THAT'S A
PRIVILEGE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
DON'T HAVE. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING
RIGHT NOW IS CONDUCTING THIS
FEASIBILITY STUDY OF HOW WHAT IT
WOULD TAKE TO KIND OF TURN THIS
PARK INTO A CLIMATE RESILIENCE
HUB, AS YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE
CONTEXT THAT WE'RE THINKING. AND
THIS INVOLVES LOOKING AT BOTH
SHORT MID AND LONG TERM
ADAPTATION STEPS THAT CAN BE
TAKEN. AND AGAIN, THIS IS WHERE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS REALLY,
REALLY IMPORTANT. AND THERE'S
BEEN A LOT OF SURVEY WORK DONE.
SO THERE HAS BEEN ENGAGEMENT
WITH THE COMMUNITY IN THAT IN
THAT RESPECT, SO WE CAN LOOK
THESE INCLUDES THINGS FOR SHORT
TERM SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS
SHADE, WHICH AGAIN, THE BALDWIN
HILLS REPORT SHOWED THAT PEOPLE
REALLY NEEDED. SO INSTALLING
SHADE STRUCTURES COULD BE
SOMETHING RELATIVELY EASY THAT
WE COULD DO TO HELP SUPPORT THAT
COMMUNITY IN THAT PARK, A
MIDTERM ADAPTATION STEP. THIS IS
A REALLY GOOD, KIND OF AN
EXAMPLE THAT SHOWS HOW YOU CAN
INCREASE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS
WELL AS HAVE CLIMATE EDUCATION.
THE IDEA OF SOMETHING LIKE A
TREE PLANTING PROGRAM. SO
COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME OUT, THEY
GET INVOLVED, THEY PERHAPS LEARN
SOMETHING ABOUT CLIMATE
RESILIENCE THROUGHOUT THE
PROGRAM. AND THEN AS THOSE TREES
GROW OVER TIME, YOU CREATE MORE
TREE CANOPY, LARGER SHADED AREAS
FOR PEOPLE TO SEEK REFUGE. AND
THEN WHAT WE HOPE TO TAKE OUT OF
THIS REPORT IS REALLY OUT OF
THIS STUDY IS TO REALLY FIND
KIND OF THE TOOLS THAT CAN
REALLY HELP STATE PARKS MEET
THIS THREAT GOING FORWARD. PARKS
ARE ALREADY, ARE ALREADY
IMPORTANT RESOURCES FOR
COMMUNITIES. BUT WE DO KNOW THAT
AS THESE EVENTS INCREASE, IT'S
GOING TO BECOME A BIGGER AND
BIGGER CHALLENGE IN ORDER TO
KEEP CREATING THESE, THESE SAFE
SPACES FOR PEOPLE. SO SO YEAH,
THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE AIMING
TO DO HERE. AND JUST REALLY MAKE
SURE THAT STATE PARKS HAS THE
RESOURCES THEY NEED THAT CAN
HELP THEM MEET THIS THREAT GOING
FORWARD. AND SO WE CAN REALLY
SEE NOW THAT JUST KIND OF
SUMMING UP THIS SECTION ABOUT
HOW BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENT
PARKS CAN REALLY SUPPORT CLIMATE
RESILIENT COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT
CALIFORNIA, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT EXTREME
HEAT IS NOT THE ONLY CLIMATE
THREAT. SO I JUST WANTED TO
CLOSE BY TOUCHING BRIEFLY ON, A
REPORT THAT WE RELEASED EARLIER
THIS YEAR, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN
MARCH LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN
BUILD A CLIMATE RESILIENT
CALIFORNIA STATE PARK SYSTEM.
AND THIS ADDRESSES EXTREME HEAT.
SO AGAIN, THE IDEA OF CLIMATE
RESILIENCE HUBS AND STATE PARKS
PROVIDING IMPORTANT RESOURCES
DURING THOSE EVENTS, EXTREME
HEAT EVENTS. BUT IT ALSO JUST
LAYS OUT A ROADMAP OF WORK AND
POLICY THAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER
TO HELP SUPPORT STATE PARKS AND
COMMUNITIES. AND THIS INCLUDES,
YOU KNOW, WILDFIRES, SEA LEVEL
RISE, ECOSYSTEM DETERIORATION.
YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE RANGE OF
THREATS THAT WE THINK OF WHEN WE
THINK OF WHAT'S IMPACTING STATE
PARKS. SO WE DO HAVE SOME
HANDOUTS OF SUMMARIES OF THOSE
IF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN IN
TAKING THAT, THEY THERE IT IS.
YEAH AND THAT WAS. YEAH. THANK
YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING ME HERE
TODAY. AND THAT WAS THE
CONCLUSION OF MY PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. JULIE
RENTNER. GOOD AFTERNOON. IS THIS
OKAY, I WANT TO THANK THE
COMMITTEE FOR CONVENING ON THIS
IMPORTANT TOPIC. AND I DO WANT
TO INVITE KIND OF CONTINUED
CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE,
DEPLOY, YOU KNOW, AND ENGAGE
WITH COMMUNITIES ACROSS OUR
BEAUTIFUL STATE. AND, USING OUR
STATE PARKS AS A CLIMATE
RESILIENCE TOOL, SO THANK YOU
FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON ALL OF
THIS. I'M JULIE RENTNER, AND I'M
JOINED BY AUSTIN STEVENOT, WHO
I'LL ASK TO SPEAK TO YOU IN JUST
A MINUTE. AND WE HAVE THE
PLEASURE OF WORKING TOGETHER AT
DOS RIOS, STATE PARK, I LEAD THE
NONPROFIT RIVER PARTNERS. OUR
MISSION IS TO CREATE WILDLIFE
HABITAT THAT BENEFITS PEOPLE AND
THE ENVIRONMENT. IT'S PRETTY
BROAD. WE WORK ACROSS THE
CENTRAL VALLEY, MOSTLY FROM
REDDING TO BAKERSFIELD. AND AS
WELL IN THE IMPERIAL VALLEY,
WHERE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION HAS
THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY TO
IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR
COMMUNITIES AND PEOPLE WRITE
THESE REALLY THESE PLACES THAT
HAVE SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL
AND EQUITY CHALLENGES, IN THE
LAST 25 YEARS, WE'VE GIVEN NEW
LIFE TO 20,000 ACRES OF
FLOODPLAINS, JUST LIKE DOS RIOS
STATE PARK. SO WE'RE REALLY
PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE LEARNED
ALONG THE WAY, AND I'M HONORED
TO SHARE SOME OF THOSE STORIES
WITH YOU TODAY. NEXT SLIDE. Þ.
SO WE WERE SO HONORED, TO
CONTRIBUTE, DOS RIOS RANCH TO
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS. NHIÀU
PARK NHIÀU THE FIRST NEW STATE
PARK IN OVER TEN YEARS. AS WE'VE
DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT ALREADY,
YOU KNOW, EQUITY AND ACCESS AND
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES ARE
STILL PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING
HERE IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY. AND,
THIS PARK IS A PLACE WHERE PARKS
ARE, IN SHORT SUPPLY AND A PLACE
WHERE ACCESS TO SHADE, REFUGE
AND COOL PLACES TO AVOID THE
HEAT OF THE SUMMER, AS WELL AS
ACCESS TO THE WATER IS REALLY
LIMITED, WE WERE SO HONORED TO
LAUNCH THIS PARK IN JUNE AND
PICTURED HERE IS DOLORES HUERTA,
WHO HELPED US CELEBRATE THE PARK
ON EARTH DAY 2020 FOR LEADING US
IN A CHANT OF SI SE PUEDE ON
EARTH DAY. AND YOU KNOW, EVERY
TIME I THINK OF THAT EXPERIENCE,
I THINK OF THE INSPIRATION THAT
THAT CHANT PROVIDES TO ALL OF US
THINKING ABOUT OUR WATER FUTURE
HERE IN CALIFORNIA AND ALL THE
WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO. NEXT
SLIDE, SO EXCITED FOR THE
INVITATION TO JOIN YOU HERE. YOU
KNOW, IN THIS SELECT COMMITTEE,
BECAUSE I REALLY WANT TO TAKE A
MOMENT TO JUST DESCRIBE HOW WE
THINK OF THIS PARK AS A PARK OF
THE FUTURE. CLIMATE RESILIENCE
PARK THIS PLACE WAS DESIGNED TO
IMPROVE BIODIVERSITY, TO IMPROVE,
IMPROVE OUR FLOOD SAFETY AND OUR
CLIMATE RESILIENCE, TO MAKE OUR
COMMUNITIES IN THE VALLEY MORE
VIBRANT TO CONSERVE WATER AND
REPLENISH OUR DEPLETED AQUIFERS,
AND EVEN TO GENERATE ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY IN THE RESTORATION
SECTOR, WHICH IS GROWING. WE
BELIEVE THROUGH BOTH OUR
EXPERIENCES AND RESTORING
CENTRAL VALLEY RIVERS AND
FLOODPLAINS AND THROUGH THE WORK
OF LAUNCHING THIS STATE PARK IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH CALIFORNIA
STATE PARKS THAT, YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE REALLY ARE THE CENTER OF
OUR STATE'S WATER STRATEGY
MOVING FORWARD. AND WITHOUT
PARKS LIKE THIS ONE, WHERE
PEOPLE CAN CONNECT TO THE WATER
SYSTEMS THAT THEY RELY UPON, WE
WON'T HAVE GREAT DECISION MAKING
IN THE FUTURE ABOUT WHAT WE DO
WITH THIS PRECIOUS WATER THAT WE
NEED AND THIS BEAUTIFUL ECONOMY
THAT WE'VE BUILT, NEXT SLIDE. SO
I WANT TO TAKE YOU INTO THE
VALLEY. THIS IS AN ILLUSTRATION
OF BEFORE AND AFTER RESTORATION.
THE RESTORED FLOODPLAIN AT DOS
RIOS PARK IS PART OF THE LARGEST
RESTORED FLOODPLAIN IN THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA. OVER 7000 ACRES
IN COMBINATION BETWEEN THE LANDS
THAT WILL BE MANAGED AS A STATE
PARK WITH PUBLIC ACCESS AND
LANDS THAT ARE MANAGED AS
WILDLIFE REFUGE IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THIS IS A HUGE COMPLEX, BUT, IT
SERVES A HUGE WATER SYSTEM. THE
TWO RIVERS THAT MAKE UP THE DOS
RIOS, AREA ARE THE SAN JOAQUIN
RIVER AND ITS LARGEST TRIBUTARY,
THE TUOLUMNE. THE SAN JOAQUIN
RIVER FLOWS DOWN TO THE PUMPS
THAT SERVICE THE CENTRAL VALLEY
PROJECT AND THE STATE WATER
PROJECT. SO REALLY, THE WATER
FLOWING PAST THIS PARK SUPPLIES
DRINKING WATER AND INDUSTRIAL
WATER TO 27 MILLION AMERICANS.
I'M SORRY, CALIFORNIANS. AND
THEN THE WATER FLOWING THROUGH
THE TUOLUMNE RIVER. HERE IS
WHAT'S LEFT AFTER THE, ENTIRE
HETCH HETCHY PROJECT DRAWS ITS
WATER TO SAN FRANCISCO. SO WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT DOS RIOS IS KIND
OF A IT'S THE HEART OF THIS
WATER SYSTEM HERE IN CALIFORNIA.
AND THE STATE PARK BEING LOCATED
IN THIS PLACE, IN A PLACE THAT'S
GONE THROUGH A TREMENDOUS
RESTORATION IN THE LAST DECADE,
IS AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO
RECONNECT PEOPLE TO PLACE AND
PEOPLE TO WATER. NEXT SLIDE. SO
TO BRING DOS RIOS INTO FRUITION,
WE HAD TO SECURE FUNDING FROM
OVER OVER A DOZEN DIFFERENT
PUBLIC FUNDING PROGRAMS, STATE,
FEDERAL AND LOCAL FUNDING
PROGRAMS, ALL OF WHICH HAVE SOME
ELEMENT OF BENEFIT FROM WORK
THAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH
THIS TYPE OF RESTORATION,
WHETHER IT'S BY BIODIVERSITY
CONSERVATION, WATER QUALITY,
WATER SUPPLY, FLOOD SAFETY.
THAT'S BEFORE WE BEGAN THE
DILIGENCE PROCESS WITH STATE
PARKS. SO THIS GIFT OF A STATE
PARK IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY IS
THE RESULT OF ACTUALLY
TREMENDOUS STATE, FEDERAL AND
LOCAL COLLABORATION TO BRING AN
ALIGNED VISION OF MULTI-BENEFIT
FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION TO
FRUITION, TO MOVE INTO A VIBRANT
WATER FUTURE, THOUGH, WE HAVE TO
THINK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR
CONTEXT. AND SO THE MAPS HERE
SHOW YOU PRE SETTLEMENT AND POST
SETTLEMENT, EXTENSIVE NATURAL
HABITATS ACROSS THE CENTRAL
VALLEY. DOS RIOS STATE PARK IS
THE BLACK STAR IN THE MIDDLE MAP
AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE
COURSE OF OUR HISTORY AS A STATE
IS DRAINED, LEVELED AND
CONVERTED ABOUT 4 MILLION ACRES
OF NATURAL WET HABITATS IN THE
CENTRAL VALLEY TO MAKE A VERY
ABUNDANT AND VERY PROBABLY THE
MOST PRODUCTIVE AGRICULTURAL
REGION ON PLANET EARTH THAT
HUMANITY HAS EVER SEEN. RIGHT?
AN ENORMOUS WATER DELIVERY
SYSTEM AND AN ENORMOUS FOOD
PRODUCTION SYSTEM THAT RIVALS,
YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT HUMANS
HAVE EVER CREATED BEFORE. IT'S A
MARVEL, IT'S ALSO YOU KNOW, A
PLACE WHERE THE DRAMATIC
CONVERSION OF THE LANDSCAPE HAS
LED TO THE DECLINE OF MOST OF
OUR BIODIVERSITY, AS WELL AS
WHAT WE'RE LEARNING MORE AND
MORE, MOST OF THE NATURAL
FUNCTION THAT KEEPS OUR
WATERSHED WORKING PROPERLY. NEXT
SLIDE. SO BEFORE I TALK DEEPLY
ABOUT WATER, I JUST WANTED TO
SHARE WITH YOU THAT SOME OF OUR
EXPERIENCES IN CONSERVATION OF
BIODIVERSITY IN THE BOTTOM OF
THE CENTRAL VALLEY TOUCH NOT
ONLY SALMON. IT'S WHAT YOU MIGHT
THINK OF IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY
AS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC
SPECIES THAT WE ALL STRUGGLE TO
RESTORE. BUT BUNNIES, BEETLES,
BUTTERFLIES, POND TURTLES,
WOODRATS ALL OF THESE CRITTERS
CAN LIVE DO LIVE IN THE RESTORED
FORESTS OF OUR OUR CENTRAL
VALLEY FLOODPLAINS AND DOS RIOS
STATE PARK. CALIFORNIA STATE
PARKS TAKING ON THE STEWARDSHIP
OF SUCH A RICH AND DIVERSE
HABITAT AREA IS A TREMENDOUS
CONTRIBUTION TO, YOU KNOW, THE
WILDLIFE RECOVERY COMMUNITY TO
BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND
REALLY AN OUTSIZED CONTRIBUTION
WHEN WE THINK OF OUR 30 BY 30
TARGETS AND CONSERVATION. SURE,
IT'S NOT THE ACRES, YOU KNOW,
IT'S NOT 5 MILLION ACRES WORTH
OF BIODIVERSITY RESTORATION, BUT
THE NUMBER OF SPECIES THAT ARE
ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION THAT
ARE SUPPORTED IN THE RESTORED
HABITATS HERE IS ASTOUNDING.
NEXT SLIDE, SO FLOOD SAFETY. I
WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
FLOOD SAFETY AND THE ROLE THAT
THIS PARK PLAYS IN THAT, SO WE
SAW LAST YEAR COMMUNITIES IN
PAJARO AND PLANADA AND WILTON
MCFARLAND, MANY OTHERS SUFFERED
REALLY COSTLY FLOOD DAMAGES AS A
RESULT OF LARGE ATMOSPHERIC
RIVERS, CLIMATE CHANGE DRIVEN
ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS THAT PUMMEL
THE SIERRA NEVADA AND OVERWHELM
OUR WATER DELIVERY AND WATER
CONTROL SYSTEMS, IT'S VERY
EXPENSIVE AND CHALLENGING TO
MANAGE LEVEES, EVEN WHEN WE HAVE
BIG FEDERAL INVESTMENT IN
MANAGING THE LEVEES THAT CONTROL
THOSE FLOOD WATERS. SOMETIMES
THE TIME. IT TAKES TO GET THAT,
THOSE DOLLARS TO THE GROUND, THE
TIME IT TAKES TO DELIVER THOSE
LEVEE PROJECTS, IS TOO LONG.
WHAT DOS RIOS. DOS RIOS STATE
PARK IS FEATURED ON THE COVER OF
THE CENTRAL VALLEY FLOOD
PROTECTION PLAN. THAT'S AN IMAGE
OF THE FLOODPLAIN COVERED IN
FLOOD WATER. WHAT IT DOES IS IT
FLIPS THE DAMAGES SITUATION ON
ITS HEAD. THIS IS A PLACE IN THE
LANDSCAPE WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE
TO SIT BACK AND BREACH BERMS AND
LEVEES, WELCOMING THE FLOODWATER
ONTO THE LANDSCAPE IN WAYS THAT
REJUVENATES THE ECOSYSTEM,
REJUVENATES THE VEGETATION AND
CREATES A REALLY ABUNDANT, RIVER
ECOSYSTEM FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY.
IT ALSO REDUCES STRESS AND
STRAIN ON LEVEES IN THE AREA. SO
THERE ARE COMMUNITIES BOTH
IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE PARK
AND DOWNSTREAM. FOR EXAMPLE,
STOCKTON, THE METROPOLITAN AREA,
THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT AT
SIGNIFICANT RISK OF FLOODING ANY
ANY YEAR. OUR DEPARTMENT OF
WATER RESOURCES CALCULATES
ANNUALIZED FLOOD DAMAGES IN THIS
PART OF THE WORLD IS $1.2
BILLION ANNUALIZED. THAT'S WHEN
YOU THINK ABOUT ONE LARGE EVENT
STRETCHED OVER THE NUMBER OF
YEARS OF THE RETURN INTERVAL OF
THAT EVENT, SO INVESTMENTS IN
EXPANDED FLOODPLAINS LIKE THAT
AT DOS RIOS STATE PARK ARE
SOMETHING THAT, DEMONSTRATE AND
ILLUSTRATE AND DEMONSTRATE A
FUTURE THAT KEEPS OUR
COMMUNITIES SAFE AND THAT
ACTUALLY USES WHAT WAS A
NUISANCE TO BECOME A BENEFIT TO
THE PUBLIC. NEXT SLIDE. AS WE'VE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT IN THIS
ENTIRE HEARING, CALIFORNIA IS
BECOMING HOTTER AND DRIER WITH
MORE EPISODIC LARGE FLOOD
EVENTS. AND SO WHAT WE'VE
LEARNED IN THE PAST 15 YEARS OR
SO, DEVELOPING DOS RIOS STATE
PARK IS THAT THESE FLOODPLAINS
ALSO HELP US ON THE DROUGHT SIDE
OF THE HYDROLOGY OF OUR OUR, OUR
CHANGING STATE. NEXT SLIDE. THIS
IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE
ILLUSTRATIONS. THIS IS FROM THE
AUTHOR, ERIKA GEISS, WHO WROTE
WATER ALWAYS WINS. THIS IS A
GREAT ILLUSTRATION OF HOW
EXPANDED FLOODPLAINS IN THE
CENTRAL VALLEY CONTRIBUTE TO
GROUNDWATER RECHARGE. IN REALLY
OUTSIZED WAYS. WHAT WE'VE
LEARNED OVER THE YEARS THROUGH
DRAINING AND DRYING THE BOTTOM
OF OUR CENTRAL VALLEY, WE'VE
REALLY DISCONNECTED THE FAUCET
THAT REFILLS OUR BELOW GROUND
AQUIFERS. WE HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY
MORE STORAGE BENEATH OUR FEET IN
THE CENTRAL VALLEY THAN WE DO IN
SURFACE WATER STORAGE ACROSS THE
ENTIRE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. IF
WE CAN FIND EFFICIENT WAYS TO
GET EXTRA WATER TO FLOW INTO THE
GROUND, WE CAN MAKE SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES TO IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR
WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK INTO THE
FUTURE. DOS RIOS DOES EXACTLY
THIS. IT'S AN EXPANDED
FLOODPLAIN THAT ALLOWS WATER TO
SINK INTO THE GROUND FOR USE IN
DRY TIMES. AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE,
THANKS TO SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT
FROM THE STATE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE
TO ENGAGE GROUNDWATER
RESEARCHERS AND GEOPHYSICISTS TO
GET REAL, REAL PRECISE ABOUT
EXACTLY WHAT DOES THIS
GROUNDWATER RECHARGE DO FOR US?
WHAT DOES THE STORAGE LOOK LIKE
FOR US? AND AS WE MOVE INTO A
FUTURE OF GROUNDWATER
SUSTAINABILITY, WHAT DOES WHAT
ROLE DO FLOODPLAINS PLAY IN
CREATING THAT FUTURE? NEXT SLIDE.
SO IF YOU'LL RECALL THAT HABITAT
MAP BLESS YOU. AND THE MAP OF
KIND OF DEPLETED AQUIFERS ACROSS
THE CENTRAL VALLEY. THE
OVERWHELMING CONCLUSION THAT WE
ALL DRAW, YOU KNOW, WHO PAY
ATTENTION TO THE WATER SYSTEM
AND BIODIVERSITY IN THE CENTRAL
VALLEY IS WE NEED TO SCALE. WE
ARE THE PRESIDENT OF THE FLOOD
BOARD SAYS WE NEED TO DO ABOUT
30 MORE. DOS RIOS. RIGHT. I LOVE
TO IMAGINE A FUTURE WHERE VALLEY
COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, FROM
STOCKTON TO BAKERSFIELD AND
BEYOND, HAVE BEAUTIFUL PARKS TO
GO, ENJOY SHADE AND ENJOY FRESH
WATER THAT ALSO WHEN WE'RE IN
THE MIDDLE OF STORMS, PROVIDE A
PUBLIC SAFETY BENEFIT. AND WHEN
WE'RE IN THE DEPTH OF DROUGHT,
PROVIDE A WATER SUPPLY BENEFIT,
RIGHT? THIS IS A FUTURE THAT WE
WANT TO SEE FOR THE WATER SUPPLY
SYSTEM OF CALIFORNIA. WE THINK A
SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IS
NEEDED. AND NEXT SLIDE. THE ROLE
OF PARKS IN SUPPORTING A
SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THIS,
IN THIS NEW IN THIS WATER FUTURE
FOR CALIFORNIA, YOU KNOW, IS
SELF-EVIDENT IN THE ACRES THAT
ARE NEEDED TO BE CONSERVED. BUT
ALSO IN THE JOBS AND THE HUMAN
CONNECTION TO RESTORATION THAT
IS GROWING, YOU KNOW, AS A
RESULT OF THIS KIND OF WORK. SO
I JUST WANTED TO MENTION BRIEFLY
THAT THE RESTORATION SECTOR IN
CALIFORNIA, OF COURSE, IS
GROWING AS A RESULT OF OUR 30 BY
30 IN INVESTMENTS. BUT ALSO
DEMONSTRATIONS LIKE THE DOS RIOS
STATE PARK INSPIRE NEW
GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE TO THINK
ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO SPEND
THEIR TIME AND THEIR ENERGY
CONTRIBUTING TO IMPROVEMENTS IN
OUR WATER SYSTEM AND OUR NATURAL
RESOURCES. SO THE LAST THING I
WANTED TO ADD, LAST SLIDE, IS
THAT WE'VE BEEN SCHOOLED. I HAD
THE PLEASURE OF MEETING AUSTIN
STEVENOT ABOUT 3 OR 4 YEARS AGO
NOW, AND I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH
ABOUT THE WAY THAT RIVERS AND
FRESHWATER IN CALIFORNIA ALSO
INFLUENCE OUR CULTURAL
CONNECTIONS AND CULTURAL
RECONNECTION FOR TRIBAL MEMBERS
AND FOR FOLKS WHO WHO TRACE
THEIR ROOTS BACK THOUSANDS OF
YEARS HERE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL
STATE. SO I WANTED TO ASK AUSTIN
TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF HIS
STORY OF DOS RIOS STATE PARK FOR
YOU TODAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. MY
NAME IS AUSTIN STEVENOT. I'M A
SENIOR RESTORATION, MANAGER FOR
RIVER PARTNERS. LIKE JULIE SAID,
I MET HER ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO
AT DOS RIOS. MY FAMILY AND I
CAME OUT TO SPEAK ABOUT THE
RELEVANCE OF THE PLANTS THEY HAD
BEEN PROPAGATING ON THESE SITES
TO CALIFORNIA PEOPLE, MAINLY THE
NORTHERN SIERRA MIWOK, WHERE
WE'RE FROM. OUR FAMILY WOULD
HAVE BEEN IN THAT AREA, THROUGH
TRADING, THROUGH OTHER THINGS,
SO I GOT TO GOT THE HONOR OF
MEETING HER AND FOUND OUT ABOUT
RIVER PARTNERS AND WAS BLOWN
AWAY. AND ALL I COULD THINK IS I
GOT TO WORK FOR THESE PEOPLE,
BECAUSE IT CONNECTS ON SO MANY
DIFFERENT LEVELS FOR ME. NOT
NECESSARILY JUST THE
RESTORATION, NOT NECESSARILY THE
ANIMALS AND EVERYTHING, BUT JUST
THE CONNECTION TO MY CULTURE,
THE CONNECTION TO HOW I GREW UP,
MY MOTHER IS A SEVENTH
GENERATION, DOCUMENTED ONLY
MEETING SINCE SETTLEMENT, AND
PEOPLE STARTED COUNTING
BASKETMAKER IN CALIFORNIA. WE
USE A LOT OF THE YOU KNOW,
MATERIALS THAT ARE FOUND AT DOS
RIOS, THE SEDGE AND THE WILLOWS
AND, IT JUST IT IT'S A DIFFERENT
WAY OF LOOKING AT THINGS. WE
HAVE BIOLOGISTS THAT CAN LOOK
AND THEY CAN SHOW YOU THE
INSECTS AND TALK ABOUT THE
ANIMALS AND TALK ABOUT THE
PLANTS. WHEN I WALK AROUND, I
SEE BASKETS, I SEE FOOD, I SEE
ALL THESE THINGS THAT MY
GRANDMOTHER HAD TALKED ABOUT,
WHAT MY PARENTS HAD. MY MOTHER
HAD TALKED ABOUT. AND IT'S NOT
JUST DOS RIOS, BUT THE OTHER
STATE PARKS THAT CAN HAVE THIS
IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE, THE NATIVE
PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA, SOMETHING
I KIND OF REALIZATION, I CAME TO
WORKING FOR RIVER PARTNERS IS WE
ALWAYS TALK ABOUT OVER THE LAST
100 YEARS, WE'VE LOST 95% OF OUR
RIPARIAN FORESTS THROUGHOUT THE
STATE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE
POPULATION OF CALIFORNIA PEOPLE,
NATIVE PEOPLE, WE'VE LOST 95%.
THOSE NUMBERS CORRELATE. OUR
CULTURE IS DIRECTLY LINKED,
SORRY, DIRECTLY LINKED TO OUR
ENVIRONMENT. SO BEING ABLE TO
CREATE PLACES LIKE DOS RIOS
ISN'T JUST ABOUT MORE HABITAT.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECONNECT
PEOPLE. CALIFORNIA NATIVE PEOPLE
BACK WITH OUR CULTURE TO GIVE
SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO RECONNECT
AND RELEARN THINGS THAT WE MAY
HAVE HEARD A STORY, BUT NEVER
HAD THE SPACE TO GO OUT AND
EXPERIENCE THAT. AND I'VE MADE
SEVERAL OF THESE CONNECTIONS
JUST WORKING AT YOU KNOW, FOR
RIVER PARTNERS HERE IN THE
VALLEY. I HAD HEARD MY
GRANDMOTHER TALK ABOUT THINGS
AND THEN SAW THEM FINALLY LIKE,
HEY, THAT'S WHAT SHE WAS TALKING
ABOUT. SO HAVING THESE SPACES TO
BE ABLE TO COME OUT AND, YOU
KNOW, ACTUALLY BE ON SITE AND
SEE AND LEARN AGAIN ABOUT OUR
CULTURE IS FAR MORE THAN
SOMEBODY JUST SITTING IN A ROOM
LIKE THIS AND TALKING ABOUT IT.
SO SORRY. I GET EMOTIONAL WHEN I
START TALKING ABOUT THIS. BUT
IT'S THE WAY I WAS RAISED. I WAS
NOT RAISED CHRISTIAN OR ANYTHING
LIKE THAT. I WAS RAISED IN A
ROUNDHOUSE. I WAS RAISED WITH
THE CULTURE THAT WAS, YOU KNOW,
SHUNNED, UNTIL 1978. THE
RELIGIOUS ACT, NATIVE AMERICAN
RELIGIOUS ACT. IT WAS ILLEGAL TO
PRACTICE, MY GRANDPARENTS
BOARDING SCHOOL, ALL THESE
THINGS HAVE BEEN SEPARATED FROM
FAMILIES AND THESE PARKS AND
SPACES ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO
BRING THOSE BACK, NOT TO MENTION
JUST THE BIODIVERSITY. YOU KNOW,
ACTUALLY, I MEAN, I'M USED TO.
SORRY. I'M MORE COMFORTABLE
TALKING AT DOS RIOS AND PLACES
LIKE THAT WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE
STANDING AROUND THE TREES,
AROUND THE PLANTS, AND YOU CAN
HEAR THE QUAIL IN THE BACKGROUND
AND THE HAWKS AND STUFF, AND
IT'S I INVITE EVERY ONE OF YOU
TO COME OUT. YES. THAT'S THE
ONLY WAY YOU'RE GOING TO
EXPERIENCE IT, TO STAND IN
SOMETHING THAT WAS TEN YEARS
AGO, AN AGRICULTURAL FIELD LASER
LEVELED WITH CORN AND WINTER
WHEAT AND EVERYTHING ELSE TO
WHAT IT IS NOW. YOU KNOW, THAT'S
ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUESTIONS FOR
PEOPLE IS HOW OLD DO YOU THINK
THIS IS? AND MOST PEOPLE SAY 15,
20 YEARS OLD. I'M LIKE, THAT'S
ONLY SIX YEARS OLD. YEAH. AND
THE CANOPY IS PUSHING 35, 40FT
TALL. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HEAR THE
ANIMALS OUT THERE, YOU CAN HEAR
THE INSECTS IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE
QUIET AND JUST LISTEN. AND
THAT'S WHAT WE LACK IN THE
CITIES. SO TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF
THE CITY, NOT NECESSARILY JUST
FOR, YOU KNOW, REFUGE FROM THE
TEMPERATURES, WHICH I WILL
HONESTLY SAY YOU COULD BE AT DOS
RIOS AT 11:00 AT NIGHT, LEAVE
DOS RIOS WHERE IT'S 88 DEGREES,
DRIVE INTO MODESTO, AND IT'S
STILL 98 DEGREES. RIGHT. AND
THAT'S JUST BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A
CONCRETE JUNGLE FOR WITHOUT
ANOTHER WAY TO PUT IT, THE
RADIANT HEAT THAT'S HELD IN THE
CEMENT IN THE ASPHALT WILL
RADIATE THROUGH THE NIGHT. AND
THAT'S WHY WE DON'T SEE THOSE
LOWER TEMPERATURES IN THE
CITIES. BUT PLACES LIKE DOS
RIOS, PEOPLE HAVE THAT CHANCE TO
GET OUT AND GET AWAY FROM THAT
HEAT AND EXPERIENCE. YOU KNOW,
SOMETHING RIGHT OUT OUR BACK
DOOR. I MEAN, DOS RIOS IS 15
MINUTES, 12, 15 MINUTES
DEPENDING ON TRAFFIC FROM MY
HOUSE IN MODESTO. AND UNTIL I
MET RIVER PARTNERS, I HAD NO
IDEA IT WAS THERE. SO IT'S
AMAZING TO BE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE
EXCITED. MY WIFE IS AN
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER, SIXTH
GRADE TEACHER, AND HER STUDENTS
ARE SO EXCITED BECAUSE THEY GET
TO GO VISIT DOS RIOS, YOU KNOW,
AND THAT'S JUST FROM HER TALKING
ABOUT IT. SO HAVING SPACES AND
PLACES LIKE MODESTO AND GRAYSON
AND TURLOCK, THAT DON'T HAVE
ACCESS TO THIS, IT'S A BIG DEAL.
I REALLY WANT TO EXTEND THAT
INVITATION HONESTLY, TO ALL OF
YOU AND YOUR NETWORKS AND YOUR
FRIENDS TO COME VISIT THE VALLEY
AND FEEL WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO
STEP INTO KIND OF A FUTURE.
CALIFORNIA'S WATER MANAGEMENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW WE
WILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. AND
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE CHILDREN,
THAT'S OUR FUTURE. AND WE NEED
TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET TO
EXPERIENCE THAT. YEAH. THANK YOU.
SARAH BATH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF SEMPERVIRENS FUND. YES THANK
YOU. AND IT WAS GOING TO BE
TOUGH BATTING LAST NO MATTER
WHAT. BUT THAT WAS AMAZING.
AMAZING REMARKS. AND YES TO
EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID.
AND BEFORE I GET INTO MY MORE
FORMAL REMARKS, YOU GUYS HAVE
HEARD A LOT, AND I THOUGHT MAYBE
I'D JUST KIND OF CUT TO THE
CHASE ON WHAT I THINK IS MOST
IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO HEAR OUT OF
MY REMARKS. AND I THINK IT
BUILDS ON SOME OF THE THEMES YOU
HEARD TODAY. SO JUST AT THE
HEART OF ALL THIS, HEART OF ALL
THAT I'M GOING TO SAY TO YOU IN
MY COMMENTS, WILDFIRE IS HERE TO
STAY. YOU KNOW THIS. IT'S
GETTING MORE EXTREME. SUBSTITUTE
DROUGHT, HEAT, ALL THE OTHER
THINGS, ALL THESE IMPACTS OF
CLIMATE RESILIENCE ARE HERE IN
OUR STATE. AND BEYOND. OUR PARKS
ARE VERY VULNERABLE. YOU'VE
HEARD EXAMPLES OF THAT. I'M
GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES.
THAT'S KIND OF A NO BRAINER.
MAYBE LESS OF A NO BRAINER IS
THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE ALSO
VULNERABLE. AND THE FATE OF OUR
PARKS AND HOW WE MANAGE THOSE
PARKS FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE IS
REALLY DIRECTLY TIED TO THE FATE
OF THOSE COMMUNITIES. YOU CAN'T
THINK ABOUT THEM SEPARATELY. WE
HAVE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT MINDSET
IN HOW WE THINK ABOUT PARKS, AND
DOS RIOS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF
THAT, ABOUT THINKING ABOUT PARKS
AS NOT ONLY PLACES CAN PEOPLE
CAN GO TO HIKE OR COOL OFF, BUT
REALLY HOW WE MANAGE THAT WATER
SYSTEM, HOW WE MANAGE THE
FORESTS I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT
IS GOING TO DETERMINE THE FATE
OF SANTA CRUZ OR, OR OR MODESTO.
SO I URGE ALL OF YOU TO REALLY
OPEN YOUR MINDS TO THAT
DIFFERENT MINDSET AS YOU THINK
ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR STATE.
AND THE REMARKABLE THING IS, WE
HAVE A STATE AGENCY IN
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS THAT IS
DOING AND SAYING THE RIGHT
THINGS AROUND CLIMATE
RESILIENCE. THEY KNOW WHAT NEEDS
TO BE DONE AND THEY'RE MOVING IN
THE RIGHT DIRECTION. DOS RIOS IS
A FABULOUS EXAMPLE, BUT WE
SHOULD HAVE 500 DOS RIOS THAT WE
HAVEN'T HAD A NEW STATE PARK IN
OVER A DECADE IS INSANITY. AND
IRRESPONSIBLE. AND SO, PARTNERS
CAN DO A LOT. YOU HAVE BEEN
AMAZING PARTNERS. MY
ORGANIZATION'S BEEN AMAZING
PARTNERS. AND WE'LL TALK MORE IN
MY REMARKS ABOUT THAT. BUT A LOT
MORE IS GOING TO BE NEEDED. AND
STATE PARKS AND THE NATURAL
RESOURCES AGENCIES ARE FIGHTING
THIS BATTLE WITH BOTH HANDS TIED
BEHIND THEIR BACKS. AND SO I'M
HERE TODAY REALLY TO ISSUE A
CALL TO ACTION, TO ALL OF YOU.
THE LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO BE A
PARTNER AS WELL IN SUPPORTING
THESE EFFORTS. SO I'LL MOVE ON
TO MY REMARKS. BUT I JUST WANT
TO REALLY HOPE TO INSPIRE YOU TO
TAKE ALL OF THIS THINKING AND
SEE THAT THERE'S A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY HERE, BUT IT IS
GOING TO REQUIRE THE LEADERSHIP
IN THE STATE, ACROSS THE BOARD,
PUBLIC SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR,
GOVERNMENT TO STEP UP. SO
ANYWAY, THIS HEARING IS PART OF
THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
HOSTING IT, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO BACK
FOR A MINUTE IN HISTORY NOT TO
BORE YOU. WE'RE NOT GOING BACK
FOREVER. BUT I WORK FOR
SEMPERVIRENS FUND WHICH IS AN
ORGANIZATION THAT'S ALMOST 125
YEARS OLD. WE WERE ESTABLISHED
IN 1900. WHY? WE WERE
ESTABLISHED IN RESPONSE TO THE
MASSIVE CLEARCUTTING OF REDWOOD
FORESTS IN THE SANTA CRUZ
MOUNTAINS, WHICH IS WHAT WE
CURRENTLY WORK TO STILL PROTECT
MY ORGANIZATION. WHAT DID WE DO?
WE DONATED SIX SQUARE MILES OF
OLD GROWTH REDWOODS THAT WE
BOUGHT, THAT THE ORGANIZATION
BOUGHT TO THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, AND THAT BECAME
CALIFORNIA'S FIRST STATE PARK,
BIG BASIN, THAT IN TURN, SPURRED
THE CREATION OF THE STATE PARK
SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE TODAY. SO
THAT'S JUST TO SAY, WE ARE A
VERY OLD PARTNER, AND THERE ARE
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE OLD,
LONGTIME PARTNERS TO STATE PARKS,
THAT WHOLE APPROACH WAS FOUNDED
FUNDAMENTALLY IN THE IN THE
MINDSET OF PRESERVATION. WE'VE
GOT TO PROTECT THESE LANDS, DRAW
A LINE ON A MAP, CALL IT A PARK,
DO NOTHING, MAYBE BUILD A
VISITOR CENTER, GO AND ENJOY IT.
THAT WAS SUCH A RADICAL SHIFT AT
THE TIME FROM THE IDEA THAT
THOSE REDWOODS WERE A COMMODITY
THAT HAD ONLY ECONOMIC VALUE.
RIGHT. AND I RAISE ALL OF THAT,
BOTH BECAUSE I'M GOING TO
HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF
PARTNERS, BUT ALSO BECAUSE I
THINK TODAY WE ALL HAVE TO HAVE
A SIMILARLY RADICAL MIND SHIFT,
VERY RADICAL IN HOW WE THINK
ABOUT THE ROLE OF STATE PARKS IN
THE FUTURE OF OUR OF OUR
COMMUNITIES. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO IT'S NOT THAT SEMPERVIRENS.
WE WORK WE WORK IN REDWOOD
FORESTS. WE PAY VERY CLOSE
ATTENTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENING.
IT'S NOT THAT WE AND OTHERS
DIDN'T KNOW CLIMATE CHANGE WAS
REAL. WE KNEW. BUT REDWOODS ARE
FIRE ADAPTED ECOSYSTEM. THEY'RE
PRETTY RESILIENT. IF YOU'VE EVER
BEEN IN THEM. THEY'RE COOL.
THEY'RE DAMP. YES, THEY ARE FIRE
ADAPTED. BUT WHO WOULD HAVE
THOUGHT? BUT THEN WE GOT LIKE
SLAPPED IN THE FACE BY THE CSU
WILDFIRE THAT HAPPENED IN AUGUST
OF 2020. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND
I DON'T EVEN IT WAS LIKE LIFE
BEFORE THE FIRE AND THEN LIFE
AFTER THE FIRE, NOT JUST FOR MY
ORGANIZATION, FOR MY WHOLE
REGION. AND, YOU KNOW, WE COULD
GO ON AND ON ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED, WHAT HAPPENED AT BIG
BASIN. THE FIRST STATE PARK IS
PRETTY EMBLEMATIC OF WHAT
HAPPENED IN THE REGION. NEARLY
EVERY ACRE BURNED. DOUGLAS FIR
TREES, ONCE ABUNDANT IN THE
PARK, ARE NO LONGER IN THE PARK.
THEY HAVE BEEN EXTIRPATED BY
THAT FIRE. ALMOST ALL THE
INFRASTRUCTURE GONE TRAIL SYSTEM
HEAVILY IMPACTED. IT WAS
LITERALLY CATASTROPHIC. NEXT
SLIDE PLEASE. SO THAT'S BAD,
RIGHT? THIS IS BAD. BUT WHAT'S
IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT? WE'RE
HERE TO TALK ABOUT STATE PARKS.
BUT YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT STATE
PARKS WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE
SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. AND NOT
JUST THE IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING
THE BROADER COMMUNITIES. A
THOUSAND STRUCTURES IN MY REGION
DESTROYED NEARLY 700 PEOPLE,
LOST THEIR HOMES, 700 FAMILIES,
77,000 PEOPLE EVACUATED DURING
THE FIRE. LIKE YOU COULD GO ON
AND ON ABOUT HOW AWFUL IT WAS.
AND OF COURSE, AS WITH SO MANY
THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH CLIMATE
CHANGE, DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITIES, ECONOMICALLY
VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES WERE THE
HARDEST HIT AND LEAST ABLE TO
RECOVER. AND THAT APPLIES STILL
TODAY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO IT
CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE. IT
CHANGED THE COMMUNITY. AND
HOPEFULLY IT CERTAINLY CHANGED
MY MINDSET. AND EVERYONE IN THE
REGION. AND I HOPE IT WILL HELP
CHANGE YOURS. THAT EXTREME
WILDFIRE EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO
SOME OF THESE LANDSCAPES AND
SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES YOU
CANNOT THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF
A PARK LIKE BIG BASIN OR MANY OF
THESE OTHER NATURAL AREAS,
WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT THE FATE
OF YOUR SURROUNDING HUMAN
COMMUNITIES, THE MINDSET SHIFT
THAT I URGE YOU TO THINK ABOUT
IS WE HAVE TO MUCH MORE ACTIVELY
MANAGE OUR STATE PARKS. YOU
CAN'T DRAW A LINE AROUND THEM
AND CONSIDER THEM SAFE, AND YOU
KNOW, I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT
FORESTS BECAUSE THAT'S MY, YOU
KNOW, HEART AND SOUL. BUT YOU
HEARD THE EXAMPLE OF THESE
RIPARIAN AREAS. IT'S TRUE IN
ALMOST ANY LANDSCAPE THAT WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE TO MANAGE THEM
DIFFERENTLY AND ACTIVELY, AND A
LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO
LIKE THAT IDEA. AND IT'S
EXPENSIVE AND IT'S HARD, AND THE
MANAGEMENT OF THE LANDSCAPE HAS
TO TRANSCEND THE PARK
BOUNDARIES. WE'VE GOT TO BE
THINKING ABOUT AND MANAGING
PARKS AS PART OF THE SURROUNDING
LANDSCAPE. SO PARKS HAVE A
CRITICAL ROLE IN INSPIRING
NEIGHBORING LANDOWNERS TO COME
TOGETHER AND WORK TO MANAGE THE
LANDS FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE. NEXT SLIDE
PLEASE. SO I WAS ASKED TO TALK
ABOUT PARTNERS. I MENTIONED THAT
SEMPERVIRENS IS REALLY LIKE
PARK'S OLDEST PARTNER. OUR
ORIGIN STORY IS THEIR ORIGIN
STORY. SO LET ME TELL YOU A
LITTLE BIT OF HOW WE RESPONDED
TO THE FIRE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE LEAPT INTO ACTION AND OF
COURSE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
WAS NEEDED MOST, NOT
SURPRISINGLY, WAS MONEY. WE DID
STATE PARKS WAS VERY CREATIVE IN
THE WAY THEY USED THE MONEY.
THAT MONEY THAT WE RAISED FROM
FROM PRIVATE SOURCES. I COULD GO
INTO ALL THE THINGS THEY DID,
BUT THEY DID VERY SORT OF HIGH
TOUCH, MANAGEMENT OF THE TREE OF
THE OLD GROWTH TREES, WE DID
THINGS LIKE FUND, SHOWERS FOR
THEIR WORK CREW COULD GET IN
THERE, THINGS THAT THE STATE
WASN'T ABLE TO FUND. SO WE
LEVERAGED PRIVATE. THEY
LEVERAGED OUR PRIVATE DOLLARS,
AND IT ALLOWED THEM TO STRETCH
THEIR MONEY. WE ALSO ALLOWED
THEM IT ALLOWED THEM TO ACT VERY
QUICKLY, WHICH WAS NECESSARY AND
WHICH, YOU KNOW, STATE
GOVERNMENTS SOMETIMES CHURN
SLOWLY THROUGH THINGS. NEXT
SLIDE PLEASE. SO MOVING BEYOND
THAT AND THAT EMERGENCY RESPONSE
LASTED FOR IT STILL LASTING.
WE'RE STILL GIVING THEM
EMERGENCY RESPONSE FUNDS SEVERAL
YEARS LATER, MOVING ON TO SORT
OF THE NEXT PHASE OF WHAT TO DO
AND HOW WE COULD SUPPORT PARKS.
WE AND NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND
OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED THIS. WE
GOT DEEPLY INVOLVED IN PLANNING
FOR RESILIENT PARKS. IT'S SUPER
UNSEXY. IT'S SUPER UNFUN TO BE
ON THESE VERY MANY ADVISORY
COMMITTEES. BUT WHY DID WE DO IT
AND WHY DID OTHER PARTNERS DO
IT? BECAUSE WE WANTED TO SUPPORT
PARKS IN OPENING THEIR MINDS TO
A DIFFERENT WAY OF THINKING
ABOUT THINGS. AGAIN, THIS
MINDSET SHIFT THAT I'M TALKING
ABOUT, AND TO THEIR CREDIT, AT
LEAST AT BIG BASIN, THEY HAVE
BEEN VERY INNOVATIVE AND VERY
OPEN MINDED ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE
CALLING REIMAGINING BIG BASIN.
AND WE AS ONE OF THEIR OLDEST
PARTNERS, HAVE BEEN A MOUTHPIECE
FOR THEM. AND I HOPE THAT YOU
ALL CAN BE A MOUTHPIECE FOR
STATE PARKS. WHEN THE PUBLIC
SAID, WELL, WHY WOULD YOU WANT
TO DO SOMETHING DUMB LIKE THAT?
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE, YOU
KNOW, NOT RECREATE EXACTLY WHAT
WAS THERE? SO AND WE'VE BEEN ON
MULTIPLE, COMMITTEES AND
ADVISORY ROLES TO TRY TO SUPPORT
STATE PARKS, AS DO MANY OF OUR
PARTNERS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S
PROBABLY COUNTERINTUITIVE, I
SAID WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE 50
DOSE RELEASES. WE WOULD I'D LIKE
TO SEE FIVE MORE PARKS IN MY
SANTA CRUZ DISTRICT, BUT IT MAY
BE COUNTERINTUITIVE, BUT BUT IT
IS GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT
TO BUY LAND TO EXPAND OUR PARKS
STRATEGICALLY, EITHER EXISTING
PARKS OR TO CREATE NEW PARKS IN
ORDER TO RESPOND TO CLIMATE
CHANGE AND THE THREATS IT POSES
IN IN BIG BASIN, WE PARTNERED
WITH STATE PARKS. THEY ASKED US
AND WE SAT DOWN AND CREATED A
TOOL WITH THEM TO MAP OUT
POST-FIRE BIG BASIN BUTANO STATE
PARK, ANO NUEVO PARK, STATE
PARKS. IT'S A THREE PARK COMPLEX
IN OUR REGION. WHAT IS GOING TO
BE NEEDED GOING FORWARD TO
APPROPRIATELY MANAGE THESE PARKS
FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE? AND WE
MAPPED OUT LAND THAT WOULD NEED
TO BE ACQUIRED, AND THERE WERE
REALLY TWO REASONS THAT IN THIS
PARTICULAR AREA, THAT LAND MIGHT
NEED TO BE ACQUIRED. ONE IS THEY
DIDN'T WANT TO PUT THE
FACILITIES BACK IN THE HEART OF
THE OLD GROWTH, WHERE IT WAS
JEOPARDIZING THE OLD GROWTH
TREES AND CREATING A PUBLIC
SAFETY HAZARD. HAVING ALL THESE
PEOPLE IN THIS VERY NARROW,
REMOTE BASIN. SO THEY ASKED US
TO BUY LAND ADJACENT TO THE
EXISTING PARK, WHICH WE DID,
THAT COULD BE TRANSFERRED
EVENTUALLY TO THE STATE TO BE
THE SITE OF THESE NEW VISITOR
FACILITIES. SO SOME OF IT'S JUST
ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONAL NEEDS
IN LIGHT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND
WILDFIRE SPECIFICALLY. SOME OF
IT IS IF YOU'RE GOING TO MANAGE
FORESTS AND PARKS FOR WILDFIRE
RESILIENCE, YOU NEED TO DO LARGE
SCALE FOREST MANAGEMENT. YOU
NEED TO DO THINGS LIKE
PRESCRIBED BURNING AND YOU NEED
TO HAVE MORE BUFFER BETWEEN
COMMUNITIES AND THE PARKS TO DO
THAT. AND SO THAT INVOLVES
BUYING LAND IN WILDLAND AREAS
NOT FOR VISITORS FACILITIES, BUT
BECAUSE YOU WANT TO CREATE
ENOUGH SPACE TO DO THE KIND OF
BURNING AND LARGE SCALE FOREST
MANAGEMENT THAT'S NEEDED TO
PROTECT THOSE ADJACENT
COMMUNITIES. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO AND AGAIN, I THINK I
MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, THE
OTHER THING THAT WE AS PARTNERS
HAVE DONE OVER AND OVER AGAIN,
AND WHAT I HOPE YOU CAN HELP DO
IS EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC WHY
THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT, WHAT,
WHAT WHAT IT IS THAT THE PARK IS
GOING TO NEED. WHAT IS IT GOING
TO TAKE FOR BIG BASIN TO BE
FULLY REOPENED, FOR INSTANCE,
AND BE WILDFIRE RESILIENT AS
PARTNERS? ONE OF THE OTHER
THINGS WE'VE DONE IS MANAGE
NEIGHBORING LAND. WE ARE THE
SECOND LARGEST LANDOWNER IN
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. SO IN
ADDITION TO HAVING SPENT 100
PLUS YEARS HELPING TO BUILD BIG
BASIN AND MANY OF THE OTHER
PARKS IN THE REGION, WE OWN A
LOT OF FOREST LAND LIKE RIVER
PARTNERS, OWNED LAND BEFORE IT
BECAME STATE PARK, AND HOW WE
MANAGE THAT IS GOING TO DIRECTLY
IMPACT THOSE PARKS. NEXT SLIDE
PLEASE. SO I'LL JUST MOVE
QUICKLY THROUGH THESE BECAUSE
YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW THE
DETAILS REALLY. BUT JUST TO KNOW
AS LANDOWNERS WE DO A BUNCH OF
FUEL REDUCTION SHADED FUEL
BREAKS. THESE ARE THESE ARE
PROJECTS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THESE ARE PARK PROJECTS ON
PRIVATE PROPERTY THAT WE OWN
THAT'S ADJACENT TO THE PARKS. WE
DO IT IN COORDINATION WITH THE
PARKS. AND THESE ARE LANDS THAT
ARE LIKELY TO BECOME FUTURE PARK
LAND. AND THIS IS JUST I
INCLUDED A BUNCH OF PICTURES TO
GIVE YOU A FEEL FOR WHAT WE MEAN
WHEN WE SAY FORESTS NEED TO BE
ACTIVELY MANAGED, RIGHT? IT'S
NOT THAT YOU GO IN NECESSARILY
AND YOU BULLDOZE THE WHOLE THING
DOWN. SOME OF IT'S PRETTY LIGHT
TOUCH TREATMENTS, BUT IT'S
THINNING AND REMOVING THE
UNDERSTORY. SO HERE'S AN EXAMPLE
OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. NEXT
SLIDE PLEASE. AND THAT'S A UNIT.
THAT'S RIGHT. NEXT TO HENRY
COWELL STATE PARK. HERE'S
ANOTHER ONE FUEL REDUCTION
PROJECT THAT WE DID ON A
PROPERTY WE OWN ADJACENT TO BIG
BASIN. WE'RE IN DISCUSSIONS
RIGHT NOW ABOUT TRANSFERRING
THIS PROPERTY TO BIG BASIN
EVENTUALLY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. YOU
CAN SEE IT'S REALLY ABOUT IN
THIS CASE IT'S DIFFERENT IN EACH
LANDSCAPE. IT'S ABOUT REMOVING
BRUSH AND UNDERSTORY. THAT
REALLY ACCELERATES THE RISK OF
SEVERE WILDFIRE. NEXT SLIDE
PLEASE. AND HERE'S ANOTHER
EXAMPLE. YOU CAN SEE THE BRUSH
JUST CLEARING I KNOW THERE WAS A
COMMENTS YEARS AGO ABOUT RAKING
THE FOREST THAT WERE MOCKED
APPROPRIATELY. BUT IT IS ABOUT
THINNING. AND IT'S NOT RAKING
BUT CLEARING OUT SOME OF THE
UNDERBRUSH. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT
WE'RE DOING AND THAT WE
ENCOURAGE STATE PARKS TO DO AND
ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO HELP
SUPPORT BECAUSE INNOVATION IN
STATE GOVERNMENT AIN'T ALWAYS
EASY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. IS WE
OWN A LARGE PARK SIZE PROPERTY,
SEMPERVIRENS, ALONG WITH SOME OF
OUR PARTNERS. IT'S MANAGED FOUR
WAY CONSERVATION FOUR WAY
CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP. IT'S
THAT BIG YELLOW SLICE CALLED SAN
VICENTE REDWOODS. THOSE OTHER
GREEN LANDS IN THAT IN THOSE
MAPS ARE BIG BASIN AND A SERIES
OF OTHER STATE PARKS AND OTHER
PROTECTED LANDS IN THE AREA. SO
IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT REGION FOR
CONSERVATION. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
WE ARE MANAGING THIS LAND BY
DOING ALL KINDS OF THE KINDS OF
FUEL BREAKS PRESCRIBED, BURNING
OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT I'VE
MENTIONED. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE,
THAT INCLUDES ONCE YOU DO
THINNING, IF YOU'RE NOT DOING
PRESCRIBED BURNING, YOU END UP
WITH A LOT OF TREES ON THE
GROUND AND YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE
THEM THERE OR YOU HAVE A
TREMENDOUS YOU'VE JUST ENHANCED
THE FIRE RISK, WHICH IS COUNTER
TO WHAT YOU WANT TO BE DOING,
AND SO YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING
WITH IT. AND SOME OF THE TOOLS
THAT WE USE ARE CARBONATORS AND
AIR CARBON BURNERS, WHICH ARE
THESE BIG. I THINK THERE'S A
PICTURE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. YOU
CAN SEE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
THIS OF COURSE LOOKS MUCH MORE
LIKE INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY. AND IN
A PARK LIKE BIG BASIN YOU CAN
IMAGINE THAT WILL NOT BE
POPULAR. WHICH IS WHY I KEEP
SAYING I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE
IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS LIKE YOU TO
BE CHAMPIONS IN HELPING THE
PUBLIC UNDERSTAND WHY SOME OF
THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY IS NEEDED,
EVEN IN OUR BELOVED PARKS, TO
SAVE THEM AND TO SAVE ADJACENT
COMMUNITIES. SO WHAT WE DO ON
SAN VICENTE IS IN PART MODELING
THAT BEHAVIOR, EXPERIMENTING,
BRINGING IN THE RESEARCH
COMMUNITY FROM ALL THE
SURROUNDING UNIVERSITIES SO WE
CAN LEARN ABOUT HOW TO DO THIS
AND DEMONSTRATE TO STATE PARKS
WHO'S JUST AROUND THE HILL, HOW
THEY MIGHT DO IT. NEXT SLIDE
PLEASE. AND I THINK THAT'S A
REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE FOR
PARTNERS. I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS,
BUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST
COST EFFECTIVE TOOLS IS
PRESCRIBED BURNING. IT REALLY IS
THE BEST WAY TO MIMIC WHAT WOULD
OTHERWISE HAPPEN NATURALLY. IT'S
THE ONLY WAY TO GET LARGE SCALE
WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION ACROSS
THE LANDSCAPE, WHETHER IT'S IN A
FOREST OR OTHER KIND OF
ECOSYSTEM. IT IS INCREDIBLY HARD
TO DO BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS
SMOKE. THE AIR REGULATORS DON'T
LIKE IT WHEN YOU DO IT.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS DON'T LIKE IT
BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIKE THE
IMMEDIATE, OBVIOUS IMPACTS TO
THEM, WHICH I DON'T BLAME THEM,
AND IT AND IT TAKES SPECIAL
TOOLS AND, AND, SPECIAL
EXPERTISE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. TO
THEIR CREDIT STATE PARKS HAS
BEEN VERY INNOVATIVE. AGAIN YOU
DON'T ALWAYS HEAR THIS ABOUT
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, BUT STATE
PARKS HAS BEEN A LEADER IN
ADVANCING PRESCRIBED BURNING IN
PLACES LIKE BIG BASIN. AND I
WANT TO SHOW YOU WHY PRESCRIBED
BURNING IS SO IMPORTANT. YOU CAN
SEE THIS IS ON OUR PROPERTY, SAN
VICENTE, THE BEFORE PICTURE ON
THE LEFT. AND YOU CAN SEE THE
JUST BY WAY OF AN INDICATOR, THE
PGA POWER LINE THAT GOES THROUGH
THE PROPERTY, THAT WAS BEFORE
THE FIRE. AND YOU CAN SEE AFTER
THE FIRE, YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH
IMPACT IT HAD. BUT IF YOU LOOK
IN THE MIDDLE WHERE THE YELLOW
LINE IS POINTING, YOU'LL SEE
THAT STRIP OF GREEN THAT STILL
LOOKS PRETTY VIBRANT. THAT'S
WHERE WE DID A PRESCRIBED BURN
BEFORE THE CATASTROPHIC CGU
WILDFIRE. YOU SEE, THE
DIFFERENCE, HOW VIBRANT IT
REMAINS AND HOW COMPARED ON
EITHER SIDE TO WHERE WE DIDN'T
DO THE TREATMENT. AND SO I CAN'T
STRESS ENOUGH HOW ESSENTIAL
THAT'S GOING TO BE TO THE FUTURE
VIABILITY OF OUR PARKS AND THE
NEARBY COMMUNITIES. NEXT SLIDE
PLEASE. SO MOVING FORWARD AND
THE ROLE THAT I THINK THE
LEGISLATURE AND OTHER ELECTED
LEADERS CAN PLAY IS IN PART
FUNDING. FUNDING. FUNDING.
FUNDING. WE HAVE INSUFFICIENT
FUNDING TO DO PRESCRIBED BURNS
AND FUEL BREAKS AND THINGS LIKE
THAT, IT REQUIRES A HIGH LEVEL
OF STAFFING AND EXPERTISE IN
STATE PARKS. I THINK WITH RECENT
BUDGET CUTS IS, IS HAVING TO PUT
ON HOLD A BUNCH OF PROJECTS AT
BIG BASIN BECAUSE, BIG FUEL
REDUCTION PROJECTS AT BIG BASIN
BECAUSE OF THAT, AND FRANKLY,
THERE ARE PERMITTING AND
REGULATORY BARRIERS, WHETHER
IT'S AROUND AIR QUALITY
ASSOCIATED WITH PRESCRIBED
BURNING OR THE USE OF THESE AIR
CURTAIN BURNERS, BUT ALSO OTHER
KINDS OF, REGULATORY, FOR LACK
OF A BETTER WORD, BARRIERS TO
DOING SOME OF THIS WORK. IT'S
GOING TO REQUIRE US COMING
TOGETHER ACROSS PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE, PARTNERSHIP AND PUBLIC
AND PRIVATE LAND OWNERSHIP. AND
THAT'S NOT AN EASY THING FOR
STATE PARKS OR ANY ENTITY TO DO.
IT'S HARD FOR STATE PARKS TO BE
A GOOD PARTNER, EVEN TO A
LONGTIME PARTNER LIKE US,
BECAUSE OF ALL THE RULES AND
RESTRICTIONS THAT KEEP THEM FROM
INNOVATING. AND SO I, I HOPE I
INVITE YOU OUT TO BIG BASIN TO
SAN VICENTE REDWOODS, AS WELL AS
FOLLOWING YOUR TRIP TO DOS RIOS
TO REALLY SEE WHAT IT MEANS ON
THE GROUND, TO SEE SOME OF THE
INNOVATION THAT THE STATE PARK
STAFF ARE WILLING TO ATTEMPT,
AND BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW THIS
BODY CAN HELP SUPPORT
ACCELERATING THESE EFFORTS,
BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE CRITICAL
TO THE FUTURE OF OUR OF OUR
COMMUNITIES, I THINK THAT'S IT.
I THINK THAT'S MY LAST SLIDE, SO
THANK YOU TO BOTH CHAIRS FOR
HOLDING THIS THIS HEARING. IT'S
SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC, YEAH.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'D
LIKE TO. NOW, I WANT TO THANK
YOU. HONESTLY, THESE WERE GREAT
PRESENTATIONS. WHAT'S IMPORTANT
ABOUT INFORMATIONAL HEARINGS
LIKE THIS IS THE ABILITY TO HEAR
FROM THOSE WHO CAN ENLIGHTEN US.
QUITE FRANKLY, YOU'RE ABLE TO
PROVIDE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE,
USUALLY WE HAVE OUR DOCUMENTS
THAT WE'RE REVIEWING, AND SOME
OF THESE ARE LIVED EXPERIENCES
THAT WE GET TO SEE. BUT I'D LIKE
TO OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
MADAM CHAIR. SO THANK YOU ALL
FOR BEING HERE. AND THANK YOU
FOR YOUR, ABILITY TO BRING
THESE, TOPICS TO LIFE IN A
BORING CONFERENCE ROOM. WE WERE
GOING TO IMITATE THE QUAIL. IF
YOU NEEDED THE BACKDROP. I WAS
WILLING TO DO IT. I'M NOT GOING
TO LIE. I FEEL COMFORTABLE. AND
MISS BARTH, I WAS COPIOUSLY
TAKING NOTES AS TO WHERE I WAS
GOING TO ASK QUESTIONS. AND I
APPRECIATE YOU COVERING HOW
YOU'RE HANDLING THE BIOMASS AND
YOUR DIFFICULTIES WITH
REGULATORS ON THE CONTROL BURN,
BECAUSE IT NOT ONLY HAPPENS IN
PARKS, IT ACTUALLY HAPPENS IN,
YOU KNOW, MUNICIPAL AREAS AS
YOU'RE ALL SHAKING YOUR HEAD,
YOU KNOW, AND I'M ALSO WAS
PLEASED TO SEE, AS I SAID, WHAT
YOU'RE DOING WITH BIOMASS, I'M
VERY AWARE OF THE CARBON THAT IT
EMITS. AND I RECENTLY HAD THE
PRIVILEGE OF GOING TO LOOK AT
SOME FORESTS IN, NEAR SHASTA AND
SEEING THE WHAT THE US FOREST
SERVICE DOES NOT DO, AND TO SEE
WHAT SOME PRIVATE LANDOWNERS ARE
DOING WITH SOME VERY SURGICAL
WAYS OF DOING CUTTING AND THE
HEALTHY FORESTS THAT COMES FROM
THERE. ONE OF THE THINGS, IF I
CAN JUST BORE YOU REALLY QUICKLY
WAS WE LOOKED AT THE
CIRCUMFERENCE OR DIAMETER OF A
TREE AND THEY WERE BOTH THE SAME
AGE, BUT WHERE YOU HAD SOME
REALLY CLOSE KNIT TREES, A 75
YEAR OLD TREE WASN'T MUCH BIGGER
THAN THIS, WERE YOU? A TREE HAD
AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW. A 70
YEAR OLD, 75 YEAR OLD TREE WAS,
YOU KNOW, LARGER THAN I COULD
GET MY ARMS AROUND. SO IT WAS A
REAL EYE OPENER. SO, BUT I AM
AWARE OF THE BIOMASS PART OF IT,
AND THERE'S SO MUCH HAPPENING. I
WAS JUST AT A HEARING EARLIER
TODAY THAT DEALS WITH BIOMASS
AND WHAT WE CAN DO WITH IT, AND
SO MANY INNOVATIVE WAYS THAT,
FOLKS ARE USING IT, WHETHER
WE'RE GOING TO BURY IT BECAUSE
OF ITS CARBON INEFFICIENCIES OR
TURN IT INTO FUEL. AND THERE'S A
LOT OF CREATIVE THINGS OUT
THERE. SO STAY TUNED. AND I'M
HOPEFUL THAT THE STATE PARKS CAN
COME INTO THAT FOLD BECAUSE
YOU'RE EASY GROUND FOR US,
CERTAINLY. BUT I WANT TO COME
BACK TO LAND ACQUISITION BECAUSE
YOU TALKED ABOUT LAND
ACQUISITION, AND I KNOW WE HAVE,
DOS RIOS. AND FIRST OF ALL, HOW
DID YOU ACQUIRE YOUR LAND? YOU
MUST HAVE HAD DONATED LAND. WE
YEAH, WE SECURED COMPETITIVE
GRANTS, ACTUALLY, FROM NINE
DIFFERENT PUBLIC PROGRAMS TO BUY
DOS RIOS, TO BUY PRIVATE LAND.
OWNER, WILLING LANDOWNER. OKAY
AND HOW WAS THE PRICE
DETERMINED? I'M JUST CURIOUS BY
APPRAISAL. COME AGAIN? FAIR
MARKET VALUE OF IT WAS FAIR
MARKET VALUE. OKAY. VERY
INTERESTING. SO YOU'LL HAVE TO
AND DO YOU APPLIED FOR GRANT
MONEY TO GET IT. AND HAVE YOU
DONE THAT WITH SOME OF THE LAND
YOU'RE LOOKING AT. YEAH. AS I
UNDERSTAND IT THERE ARE PEOPLE
THAT ARE AROUND TO HELP ACQUIRE
THE LAND. IT'S THE MAINTENANCE
THEREAFTER THAT IS THE BIGGER
ISSUE. YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF
PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THEIR LAND
CONSERVED AND THEY KEPT IT IN
THE FAMILY, AND THEY'RE READY TO
JUST GIVE IT TO SOMEBODY TO TAKE
OVER. BUT THE EXPENSE IS REALLY
IN ALL THE OTHER STUFF. BUT,
OKAY, YOU WERE GOING TO ANSWER
OR. OH YEAH, THERE ARE PEOPLE
WHO ARE WILLING TO DONATE LAND.
THERE'S A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS
LIKE OURS THAT GO GET GRANTS OR
HAVE PRIVATE, YOU KNOW,
DONATIONS TO BUY LAND AND ARE
READY TO TRANSFER IT TO STATE
PARKS, BUT THE PROCESS OF
TRANSFERRING TO STATE PARKS IS
DIFFICULT, EVEN WHEN STATE PARKS
IS RECEPTIVE. WHY IS THAT? WELL,
THEY HAVE A PRETTY ELABORATE
REVIEW PROCESS THAT THEY NEED TO
GO THROUGH THAT INVOLVES NOT
ONLY THEIR OWN INTERNAL REVIEW
AND REAL ESTATE STAFF, BUT ALSO
GOING THROUGH DGA AND THE PUBLIC
WORKS BOARD AND THINGS CAN GO
INTO A BLACK BOX AND SORT OF BE
DI FOR YEARS AT A TIME. AND SO
IT'S VERY, VERY HARD AND IT
CREATES DISINCENTIVES FOR
PARTNERS LIKE US TO WANT TO
CONTINUE TO WORK WITH STATE
PARKS, BECAUSE IT'S JUST VERY
DIFFICULT. WELL, WE'LL HAVE TO
TALK TO HIM ABOUT THAT. THAT
REMINDS ME, I HAVE A CONSTITUENT
THAT'S BEEN OUT OF FOR FIVE
YEARS TRYING TO SELL SOME LAND.
I HAD JUST FORGOTTEN UNTIL THIS
VERY MOMENT. OKAY, WELL, THAT'S
SOMETHING WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE
A LOOK AT. I MEAN, IT'S
BOTTLENECKED ON OUR END AND THE
MONEY IS THERE, AND YOU'VE
ACQUIRED IT, AND YOU'RE READY TO
DONATE IT. IT'S A BUREAUCRATIC
SET OF BUREAUCRATIC PROCESSES
AROUND HERE, RIGHT. WHICH IS WHY
I WAS STRESSING, I THINK TO THE
DEGREE THAT THIS BODY CAN HELP
SUPPORT STATE PARKS IN
INNOVATION AND EXPEDITING SOME
OF THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE
DONE, WHETHER IT'S LAND
ACQUISITION OR OR PRESCRIBED
BURNS OR WHATEVER, THAT'S AN
ESSENTIAL ROLE. YOU CAN PLAY TO
HELP ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, LOTS
OF COOL THINGS ARE HAPPENING
AROUND THE STATE BECAUSE OF
PARTNERS AND, AND INNOVATION,
LITTLE POCKETS OF INNOVATION
AMONG THE AGENCY STAFF. BUT YOU
ALL CAN HELP HIGHLIGHT THAT,
TELL STORIES ABOUT IT, EXPLAIN
IT TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND HELP
SUPPORT SOME OF THE REGULATORY
RELIEF OR OTHER STREAMLINING
THAT CAN HELP MAKE THIS WORK
MORE, HAPPEN MORE QUICKLY.
CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY. AND THEN
THE OTHER THING IS, IS IF YOU
HAVE A STATE PARK THAT ABUTS
SOME OF OUR RESPECTIVE
DISTRICTS, ESPECIALLY COMES TO
MIND AS SEA LEVEL RISE, YOU
KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOME
SOME GRAY, BERM OR, YOU KNOW,
WHATEVER IT IS TO HELP THAT THAT
ABUTS SOME OF I KNOW SOME OF
YOUR CITIES, SOME OF MY CITIES,
THERE IS THE ABILITY HOPEFULLY
TO WORK WITH THOSE LOCAL
JURISDICTIONS, AND I'LL BE
KEEPING MY EYE ON THAT AS WELL.
SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU ALL FOR
YOUR HARD WORK, YOUR PASSION.
AND OF COURSE, THE RECHARGING OF
THE AQUIFER MADE MY MADE ME VERY
EXCITED BECAUSE THAT'S
SOMETHING, AS YOU KNOW,
GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY WE'RE
WORKING ON. LIKE NOBODY'S
BUSINESS. SO, I'M GLAD TO SEE
THAT DOS RIOS IS A WIN WIN, WIN
WIN. OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH FOR ME.
THANK YOU. SPECIFICALLY, THE
VIDEO ON THE AQUIFER THAT WAS
THE GRAPHIC. YES. MR. HART.
WELL, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF A
QUESTION BECAUSE I HAVE SO MUCH
TO SAY, BUT, I THINK REALLY WHAT
I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS HOW
POWERFUL YOUR VISION IS ABOUT
WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING AND HOW
DAUNTING AND INSPIRING THE SCOPE
OF CHANGE THAT'S REQUIRED. AND
WHEN I HEARD THAT, DOS RIOS IS
THE FIRST STATE PARK IN TEN
YEARS, IT MADE ME PAUSE AND
THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT IS NOT
GOING TO MEET THE CHALLENGE
GOING FORWARD. WE'RE OBVIOUSLY
CONSTRAINED BY RESOURCES. AND
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW
IS PRIMARY IN OUR JOB, IS TO
FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET THE
STATE BALANCE, STATE BUDGET IN A
PLACE WHERE WE CAN MAKE THE
INVESTMENTS THAT WE NEED TO DO.
THERE'S PLENTY OF WILLING
PARTNERS, THERE'S PLENTY OF
VISION, THERE'S PLENTY OF
OPPORTUNITIES. BUT ULTIMATELY IT
DOES COME DOWN TO MONEY. WE NEED
MONEY TO MANAGE THESE LANDS. WE
NEED MONEY FOR THE SCIENCE TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BEST USE OF
THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND, AND WE NEED TO QUICKEN THE
PACE, YOU KNOW, THE 30 BY 30
CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE GOING. I
WAS DOING THE MATH. IT'S ABOUT A
MILLION ACRES A YEAR, AND IT'S
GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF
CREATIVITY AND A LOT OF MORE
THAN JUST WAITING FOR COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS TO RALLY TO
PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE SPACES
IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. WE NEED
STATE LEADERSHIP, AND WE NEED WE
NEED NATIONAL LEADERSHIP.
HONESTLY, AND THERE'S
OPPORTUNITIES THERE TO DO THAT.
BUT I JUST WANT TO CONCLUDE,
BECAUSE I DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE A
QUESTION, I THINK YOU'VE RAISED
SO MANY ISSUES THAT WE COULD
SPEND HOURS TALKING ABOUT THIS,
AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE
CHAIRS TO HAVE BROUGHT US
TOGETHER HERE TO HIGHLIGHT THESE
ISSUES. IT REALLY IS IMPORTANT
FIRST TO HIGHLIGHT THESE ISSUES
AND TO REALLY PUT THE SPOTLIGHT
OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE ON WHAT
YOU'RE DOING AND WHAT WE NEED TO
DO. BUT, I THINK ALL
CALIFORNIANS HAVE A DEEP
INVESTMENT IN OUR NATURAL LANDS
AND OUR STATE PARKS. IT REALLY
IS THE HISTORY OF OUR STATE. YOU
KNOW, IT IS WHY WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT LIVING IN CALIFORNIA,
PEOPLE HAVE AN IMAGE IN THEIR
MIND IMMEDIATELY. AND IT'S THE
REDWOODS AND IT'S THE COAST AND
IT'S THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND ALL
THE BEAUTIFUL PLACES, THE
MOUNTAINS, AND IT IS SO
IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE
OUR ROLE IN A MULTIGENERATIONAL
EFFORT TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT
AND RESTORE THOSE LANDS. AND
IT'S TIME FOR US TO STEP UP TO
THAT TASK. SO THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU FOR
THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
WE'RE COMMITTED TO BEING
PARTNERS WITH YOU. THANK YOU. I
ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR THE INFORMATION YOU'VE
PROVIDED, I THINK, TO WHAT YOU
WERE TALKING ABOUT, EMILY, ABOUT
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ABOUT
THESE SHADE STATIONS. AND IT
WE'RE NOT DOING IT JUST TO HAVE
IT. WE'RE DOING IT BECAUSE WE
WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THIS
IS AVAILABLE TO THEM. THIS IS
THEIR LAND. IT DOESN'T BELONG.
THEY ARE THE STATE. AND WE HAVE
TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT
IT BELONGS TO THEM. THE THOSE
THOSE RIOS I WE HAVE A
CONSERVATION CORPS IN IN MY AREA
AND THEY HAD SENT UP A DOZEN OF
THE STUDENTS UP TO, TO YOUR LAND
TO, TO WORK THERE AND I MET WITH
THEM JUST RECENTLY AND THEY, YOU
KNOW, THEY WERE SHARING WITH ME,
YOU KNOW, PITCHING TENTS AND,
AND, YOU KNOW, WALKING IN THOSE
BOOTS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE
MUD AND JUST HOW MUCH THEY
ENJOYED IT, EARLIER I THINK IT
WAS MADELINE THAT TALKED ABOUT
JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSION. AND WHEN WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT THAT, THAT'S
REALLY WHAT THE STATE PARKS ARE
ABOUT. AND THAT'S THE REASON
THAT I WANTED TO BE INVOLVED IN
THIS WITH THIS SELECT COMMITTEE,
BECAUSE I WANT STATE PARKS TO BE
SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY
RECOGNIZES AS PART OF WHERE THEY
CAN. THEY CAN GO, PART IT
BELONGS TO THEM, AND THEY GET TO
GO AND THEY GET TO VISIT. THEY
GET TO SIT IN THE SHADE, OR THEY
GET TO GO INTO THE WATER. AND,
I'M NOT FROM A COASTAL TOWN. I'M
FROM THE INLAND EMPIRE. WE'VE
GOT TO DRIVE A DISTANCE BEFORE
WE CAN GET TO WATER. AND I WANT
MY COMMUNITY TO ALSO BENEFIT
FROM ALL OF THIS. I WANT THEM
YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A STATE
PARK, AND WE TOOK MANY OF OUR
YOUNG LEGISLATORS UP TO VISIT.
AND FOR MANY OF THEM, THEY HAD
NEVER BEEN TO A STATE PARK. THAT
FOR ME IS VERY SAD BECAUSE
THAT'S A PART OF OUR COLLECTIVE
CULTURE. AND THEY NEED TO KNOW
THAT, THAT THIS, THIS IS WHERE
THEIR ANCESTORS, HAVE BEEN. AND
THEN TO HEAR AUSTIN, TO HEAR YOU
TALK ABOUT VERY SPECIFICALLY
YOUR GRANDMOTHER TALKING ABOUT
THESE, THESE, THIS AREA AND FOR
YOU NOW TO BE ABLE TO YOU WERE
SAYING AND I FORGET HOW YOU SAID
IT, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE WAS
LOOKING AT IDENTIFYING DIFFERENT
THINGS AND YOU WERE LOOKING AT
SAYING, THERE'S A BASKET,
THERE'S FOOD. I WANT ALL OF OUR
CHILDREN TO EXPERIENCE THAT. I
WANT THEM TO KNOW WHAT OUR LAND
WAS LIKE AND HOW RICH IT IS IN
CULTURE AND IN SO MANY, SO MANY
DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT WHAT YOU
OFFER HERE TODAY IS IMPORTANT.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS
LEGISLATORS, AS POLICYMAKERS TO
HEAR THIS AND TO FIND WAYS. JUST
AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID TO IT'S
THAT BUDGET, RIGHT? IT WAS FIRST
COMMENTS. AND THIS IS THIS HAS
BEEN HER SINCE SHE GOT HERE. SHE
SAYS, DON'T TELL ME ABOUT ALL
THE GOOD THINGS YOU WANT TO DO.
TELL ME WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO
FIND IT IN THE BUDGET, AND THAT
IS TRUE, BUT A BUDGET IS A
REFLECTION OF OUR OF OUR VALUES.
AND SO WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO,
TO FUND THE VERY THINGS THAT
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, I OFTEN
HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE BIOMASS I
HAVE. I'VE SAT ON A NUMBER OF
COMMITTEES, HAVING TO DO WITH
WILDFIRES AND, OVER THE YEARS
SINCE I'VE, SINCE I ARRIVED
EIGHT YEARS AGO. AND THAT IS SO
TOUGH FOR ME. BUT I ALSO
RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT WE HAVE TO ACCEPT, THE
FIRES, THE CONTROLLED FIRES.
WE'RE TOLD THAT THE NATIVE
PEOPLES USED TO DO THAT. SO IF
THEY WERE ABLE TO DO THAT, THEN
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK
AND FIGURE OUT HOW DID WE DO IT.
THE FIRST PEOPLES DID IT. WE
NEED TO LEARN SO THAT WE CAN
THEN HAVE LAND THAT IS NOT GOING
TO GO UP IN FLAMES BECAUSE OF
ALL THE FUEL WE'RE LEAVING ON
THE GROUND. SO I ALSO DON'T HAVE
A QUESTION. I JUST WANT TO THANK
YOU SO MUCH, AND I LOOK FORWARD
TO CONTINUING THESE
CONVERSATIONS. PLEASE KNOW THAT
NOT ONLY THE THREE OF US, YOU
SAU ASSEMBLY MEMBER QUIRK-SILVA,
OUR VICE CHAIR, DEVON MATHIS,
WE'RE AVAILABLE TO YOU, AND YOU
RAISED YOUR EYEBROWS. OKAY, I'M
CALLING YOU, BUT WE ARE
AVAILABLE TO YOU. WE WANT TO BE
PART OF THE SOLUTION. AND
WHETHER IT'S IN THE BUDGET THAT
WE TRY TO FIND WAYS OR IT'S IN
POLICY, WE ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH
YOU AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. ALL
OF YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL
RIGHT. NOW WE YES. SO NOW WE'RE
GOING TO TAKE, COMMENTS PUBLIC
COMMENTS. IF THERE ARE ANY
PUBLIC COMMENTS. IF NOT, THEN I
WOULD INVITE OUR OTHER TWO
SPEAKERS AND YOUR SPEAKERS IF
YOU'LL COME HERE ALSO. THANK YOU
SO MUCH. THIS CONCLUDES OUR
INFORMATIONAL HEARING. OUR JOINT
INFORMATIONAL HEARING WITH WATER
PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMITTEE AND
THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON STATE
PARKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DO
YOU WANT TO TAKE A PHOTO? AUSTIN
YEAH. WOULD YOU ALL PLEASE THE
RANGE OF ISSUES ACROSS THE
PICTURE? WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A
PICTURE. Þ JULIE. SORRY. OH NO,
DON'T STAND IN FRONT OF ME.
STAND UP FOR ME. YEAH COME ON,
ALL OF US. YES, EVERYONE. WE'RE
USED TO THAT. OKAY, SO. EVERYONE
HERE FOR ME, THIS TIME. AND THEN
THERE'S ONE, TWO. OH ONE TWO,
THREE. THANK YOU. I KNOW I'M NOT
TRYING TO. HURT. YOU, ARIANA.
YOU GOT IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU
ALL. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, THANK
YOU. HERE WE COME. HERE IN
PERSON. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT
WAS. OH, PLEASE. YOU KNOW, WILL.
OKAY, GOOD. THANK YOU. I JUST
OH, OH I SEE I HAVE. YEAH. WE
HAVE.