By Analise Rivero, CalTrout’s Policy Associate
I was beyond thrilled to join California Trout in March 2021 as the new Policy Associate – CalTrout’s first dedicated policy staff based in Sacramento. It is often said that other states and countries look to California to see what cutting-edge environmental policies we are working on. Therefore, it is critical that CalTrout remain engaged at the policy level to ensure California’s native fish species are represented and have a voice. With all of the incredible on-the-ground work CalTrout does across the state, I find it incredibly exciting to champion our priorities with enthusiasm in the state legislature and with state agencies.
In my position as the Policy Associate, I work closely with CalTrout’s Legal and Policy Director, Redgie Collins to develop and implement CalTrout’s natural resource and water policy agenda in the California state legislature. This includes supporting CalTrout’s organizational goals through regulatory and public funding advocacy, agency relationship building, partnership development, and other policy-related objectives that add to CalTrout’s success. We determine which issue areas we focus on based on what we hear from our on-the-ground staff as priorities, in addition to what trending topics are taking place within the legislature that impact CalTrout’s mission. Due to the pandemic, lobbying has looked quite different throughout the past year and a half. Under normal circumstances, I would be walking the halls of the Capitol taking meetings with legislative staff, giving testimony on bills at committee hearings, and more. Instead, everyone has adjusted to taking all of our meetings over Zoom. Nonetheless, we have remained strong advocates on a plethora of issues.
Though not exhaustive, here is an overview of CalTrout’s Policy Team’s efforts this year:
- Advocating for new sources of state investment in projects to restore salmon and steelhead habitat via a climate resiliency bond.
- Working to secure funding interests and trailer bill language in the record setting 2021/22 California budget process.
- Creating and improving mechanisms to streamline the permitting of habitat restoration projects, including by participating in the state’s Cutting Green Tape initiative.
- Creating a stable source of long-term funding for the CDFW Coastal Monitoring Program (CMP) to monitor salmon and steelhead populations, and to establish CMP as a core function of the agency.
- Supporting the North Coast Salmon Project, a CDFW initiative to accelerate the recovery of coho salmon populations in four North Coast pilot watersheds and thereby develop measures to be exported more broadly to other areas.
- Engaging on cannabis legislation as it pertains to salmon and steelhead issues, including in the areas of water diversion and use, cannabis revenue in support of environmental restoration, the application of CEQA to cannabis operations, and funding for enforcement measures.
- Pursuing opportunities through the annual budget process, including funding for the priorities stated above.
While we continue pushing on the above areas and look forward to the next legislative cycle, the Policy Team will work more deeply on drought related budget/legislation and issues related to equitable outdoor access. As we work on these critical issues, we would love to have you follow our efforts. The Policy Team is excited to announce our monthly Capitol Corner blog post where we will take a deeper dive into various aspects of our work. You can check out the first Capitol Corner here: Capitol Corner: Advocating for Native Fish in State Budget!
Featured top photo by Carson Jeffres.
