by Chuck Mills A California ReLeaf board member recently commented that urban forestry is now experiencing a “Green Rush” of funding stemming from recent State Budget appropriations. It’s a poignant observation that should motivate all of us to seize this...
Advocacy
Setting the Stage for 2015
by Chuck Mills | Jun 25, 2014 | Advocacy, Updates
by Chuck Mills Now that CAL FIRE has received over $17 million in cap-and-trade auction proceeds to support the Urban and Community Forestry, we must all take to celebrate… for about four months. This single victory represents a huge win for all of us,...
Urban Forestry Makes History
by California ReLeaf | Jun 17, 2014 | Advocacy, Network, Updates
By Chuck Mills On June 15, 2014, the Legislature passed a state budget bill that includes $17.8 million for CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry (U&CF) Program. Governor Brown is expected to sign this deal. To the best of our knowledge, this is...
Silence Isn’t Golden
by California ReLeaf | Apr 14, 2014 | Advocacy, Network, Research, Resources
Over the next month, community groups and ReLeaf Network members across California have an opportunity to comment on two important issues. They are the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWM); and the California Air...
Andy Lipkis Speaks Up About Water
by California ReLeaf | Feb 6, 2014 | Advocacy, Network, Research, Updates
Recently, TreePeople's founder and Executive Director Andy Lipkis was interviewed by Transition Network about the drought occurring throughout California. In the interview, Andy talks about his past experiences that led to the foundation of one of the most influential...
Prop 39 Implementation
by California ReLeaf | Jan 14, 2014 | Advocacy, Grants, Network, Resources, Updates
Let’s Shade Some Schools California voters passed Proposition 39 in 2012 by a 60% margin in order to eliminate a corporate tax loophole and provide $550 million each year over the next five years for energy efficiency projects throughout the state. Flash...
Governor’s Budget Directs Millions for Local Projects
by California ReLeaf | Jan 9, 2014 | Advocacy, Grants, Network, Press, Updates
Just over a year ago, California ReLeaf staked 100% of its public policy agenda on the idea that cap and trade auction revenues were the very best opportunity to breathe new life into CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, which allocated its last remaining...
State’s Right to Sell Carbon Permits Upheld
by California ReLeaf | Nov 19, 2013 | Advocacy, Updates
By Rory Carroll SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California's environmental regulator can sell carbon emission permits at quarterly auctions as part of the state's cap-and-trade program, a state court said on Thursday, in a setback to businesses that argued that the sales...
Government Shutdown Hitting Close to Home
by California ReLeaf | Oct 10, 2013 | Advocacy, Updates
We recently received this letter from Sandy Bonilla, the Director of the Urban Conservation Corps for the Southern California Mountains Foundation. Sandy spoke to California ReLeaf Network members at our August 1 workshop. The audience was moved by the work that she...
Health in All Policies – A Guide for State & Local Governments
by California ReLeaf | Oct 3, 2013 | Advocacy, Research, Resources, Updates
A new guide for health in all policies for state and local governments is available. You may wonder why you're reading about this on a blog about urban forestry, but if you take a quick look at the cover of the guide, you'll quickly see that trees and greenspace are...