Chapter Highlights Printable Budget Documents Additional Information

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Program Enhancements and Other Budget Adjustments

Despite the need for significant General Fund reductions to ensure a balanced budget, the Governor's Budget includes the following major program enhancements to protect the natural resources of the state.


IMPROVING FIRE PROTECTION
The 2007 fire season was one of the worst on record. The October 2007 Southern California wildfires burned 517,267 acres, destroyed 3,204 structures, and resulted in 10 deaths and 139 injuries. The total cost of fire suppression efforts for the Southern California wildfires is estimated at $139.4 million.

To prevent catastrophic fires from occurring in the future, the Budget proposes $33.1 million Insurance Fund and 387.6 positions to enhance CAL FIRE's fire protection capabilities, including:

• $28.9 million and 1,100 seasonal firefighters to staff all 336 state fire engines with full four-member crews during peak and transition fire seasons. The current standard is a three-member crew per engine. The additional firefighters will increase fire-fighting effectiveness by improving deployment, reducing fatigue, and accelerating equipment movement.
• $4.2 million and 3.8 positions to install GPS tracking on key pieces of equipment, such as fire engines and aircraft, linked to computer-aided dispatching. GPS permits real-time monitoring of equipment position and movements and enables instant dispatching and faster redeployment of resources.

Additionally, the Budget proposes a multi-year expenditure plan to enable CAL FIRE to purchase eleven new, all-weather, 24-hour firefighting helicopters over the next six years. These new helicopters will replace CAL FIRE's existing fleet of Vietnam-era helicopters, which are restricted to daytime and mild weather conditions. These helicopters will improve CAL FIRE's ability to effectively respond to intense and frequent wildland fires, as well as other disasters such as earthquakes and floods.

These CAL FIRE proposals are components of a comprehensive Wildland Firefighting Initiative. For additional information, see the Wildland Firefighting Initiative discussion in the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive Chapter.

The Budget also includes $3 million General Fund and 28.5 park ranger positions to improve the detection and prevention of fires in state parks. According to several documented reports, the November 2007 Malibu fire appears to have started in Malibu Creek State Park. Additional park ranger patrols will reduce the risk of catastrophic fires starting in fire-prone state parks.


FLOOD PROTECTION
The devastation resulting from the failed levees in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 called attention to California's aging levees. To prevent a Katrina-like event from occurring in California, Governor Schwarzenegger has made improving flood protection a high priority. In 2006, new general obligation bonds (Proposition 1E) for flood control system improvements and levee repairs was one of the primary components of the Governor's Strategic Growth Plan. In 2007, the Governor signed legislation that requires the development of a comprehensive Central Valley Flood Protection Plan by 2012.

To address the state's urgent flood control needs, the Budget includes $598.3 million from Proposition 1E and Proposition 84 bond funds and 14.2 new positions for the following activities:

• $461.1 million and 14.2 positions for the Flood SAFE California Program. This program will provide subventions to help local governments protect their communities from flooding, enhance emergency preparedness and flood response, and provide grants to local governments for urgent repairs and improvements of levees in the Central Valley and the Delta.
• $126.5 million for levee evaluations and the repair of critical levee erosion sites.
• $10.7 million for five flood control capital projects: Mid-Valley Area Levee Reconstruction, South Sacramento County Streams, West Sacramento Project, Merced County Streams, Sutter Bypass, and for feasibility studies on additional projects.

The Budget also provides $2 million General Fund to establish a new Central Valley Flood Protection Board within DWR, as specified by Chapters 365 and 366, Statutes of 2007. The new board will assume the responsibilities of the former State Reclamation Board, approve a Central Valley Flood Protection Plan by July 1, 2012, and ensure that cities and counties consider flood risks when making land use and development decisions.


PROPOSITION 84
In recent years, California's voters have approved a series of bonds to protect and enhance the state's natural resources. Propositions 12, 13, 40, and 50 have made available a total of $10.1 billion dollars that has been used by local governments and state agencies for a wide variety of activities such as water conservation, acquisition of land to protect wildlife habitats, and restoration of damaged ecosystems.

Most recently, the voters approved Proposition 84, which authorizes an additional $5.4 billion in general obligation bonds for water, flood control, natural resources, park, and conservation projects. The Governor's Budget proposes the expenditure of $1 billion in Proposition 84 funds for natural resources programs in 2008-09, including:

• $350 million and 9.5 positions for DWR for regional projects that increase water supplies, encourage water conservation, improve water quality, and reduce dependence on exported water.
• $89.1 million for the State Coastal Conservancy to restore coastal wetlands and watersheds and promote public access to the coast.
• $26.4 million for the Ocean Protection Council to develop marine protected areas and enhance habitat for marine species.
• $33.3 million for the California Conservation Corps and local conservation corps for public safety and watershed restoration projects, as well as grants to local corps for acquisition and development facilities to support local corps programs.
• $16.7 million for Parks for deferred maintenance, interpretive exhibits, and cultural and natural stewardship projects at state parks.
• $15.8 million and 10.5 positions for DWR to complete feasibility studies for surface water storage projects, evaluate climate change impacts on the state's water supply and flood control systems, and develop a strategic plan for the sustainable management of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta's water supplies and ecosystem.
• $10.8 million and 2.8 positions for Fish and Game for environmental and ecosystem restoration activities at the Salton Sea.

ALTERNATIVE AND RENEWABLE FUEL AND VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
The Budget includes $100.9 million Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund and 5.7 positions for the California Energy Commission to prepare guidelines and provide grants, loans, and other appropriate measures to public agencies, public-private partnerships, and other entities to develop alternative fuels and related technologies, including electricity, ethanol, renewable diesel, natural gas, hydrogen, and biomethane, among others. The development of these fuels and technologies will help reduce California's dependence on petroleum-based fuels.

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CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS for Resources Back to Top

	Proposed Workload Budget
	Proposed Budget-Balancing Reductions
	Other Special Session Issues
	Program Enhancements and Other Budget Adjustments

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PRINTABLE BUDGET DOCUMENTS Back to Top
Budget Summary - Resources (pdf * - 281K) -
Provides this entire Resources Chapter in pdf format.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Back to Top
Proposed Budget Detail - Resources
Displays Proposed Budget Detail information for Resources.