The California Water Quality Control Board is preparing to augment their water quality (401) permit to address perceived regulatory gaps subsequent to recent Supreme Court rulings related to the Federal Clean Water Act (404). A study funded by U.S. EPA is currently under review. Water Quality Control Board Member Charlie Hoppin has asked SACOG to review the findings and provide alternatives to the Water Quality Control Board and its members. The implications of a poorly crafted or over-reaching re-tool of the 401 permit could have serious ramifications to Blueprint and RUCS implementation.
Board members are meeting with greenhouse gas modelers currently measuring carbon sequestration opportunities on rice lands. This study, partially funded through a grant jointly awarded to the California Rice Commission and Defenders of Wildlife, has the potential to inform the state of sequestration opportunities and give an economic boost to the industry. The modelers will also discuss the potential to expand the model to cover other commodities in our region.
The proposed mapping of the Placer County Conservation Plan (PCCP) is expected to be presented to the Board of Supervisors as early as September 23. Should the Board adopt the map, the PCCP will cross a critical threshold and begin the process of fine-tuning and negotiating with federal and state regulatory agencies. SACOG has been in a support role and will continue to work with the ad hoc committee through the process of negotiation, potential funding and overall strategy. The region's Habitat Conservation Plans are a critical link in the RUCS framework.