Governor's office of planning and research
Recovery.

RFA: State Fiscal Stabilization Fund.

Legislative Review

Get involved in government.
Track legislation.
Read about legislation that affects OPR, CEQA or General Plans.

Local and Tribal Intergovernmental Consultation

State planning law requires cities and counties to consult with California Native American tribes during the local planning process for the purpose of protecting Traditional Tribal Cultural Places. OPR’s consultation guidelines, background information, and training session information are all available on-line.

OPR Calendar, Announcements, Events

***URGENT***

In order to implement Executive Order S-13-09, which the institutes a third furlough day for state agencies, OPR will close the State Clearinghouse three Fridays each month.

The State Clearinghouse will be closed on July 10, 17 and 24, 2009. Effective August 7, 2009, the State Clearinghouse will be closed the first, second and third Fridays of each month. The State Clearinghouse will not receive, post, or process any environmental documents on those Fridays.

We apologize for this inconvenience. Please click here for more information and feel free to e-mail or call the State Clearinghouse if you have any questions at state.clearinghouse@opr.ca.gov or (916) 445-0613.

CEQA Guidelines and Greenhouse Gases

On April 13, 2009, OPR submitted to the Secretary for Natural Resources its proposed amendments to the state CEQA Guidelines for greenhouse gas emissions, as required by Senate Bill 97 (Chapter 185, 2007). These proposed CEQA Guideline amendments would provide guidance to public agencies regarding the analysis and mitigation of the effects of greenhouse gas emissions in draft CEQA documents. The Natural Resources Agency will conduct formal rulemaking in 2009, prior to certifying and adopting the amendments, as required by Senate Bill 97.

OPR would like to express its deep appreciation to the numerous organizations, agencies and individuals that participated in the development of OPR’s guideline amendments over the past 16 months. Your advice, comments and support have helped OPR to craft amendments that we believe are practical and useful, and which will encourage consistency in the environmental impact assessment of greenhouse gas emissions. That so many dedicated their time and energy over such a long period of time is a testament to the importance of these CEQA Guideline amendments. OPR thanks each and every one of you.

Click here to view OPR’s proposed CEQA Guideline amendments for greenhouse gas emissions and OPR’s letter to the Natural Resources Agency transmitting the amendments.

STRATEGIC GROWTH COUNCIL
In September 2008 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 732, creating the Strategic Growth Council. The Council is a cabinet level committee that is tasked with coordinating the activities of state agencies to:

  • Improve air and water quality
  • Protect natural resource and agriculture lands
  • Increase the availability of affordable housing
  • Improve the transportation system
  • Promote public health
  • Assist state and local entities in the planning of sustainable communities and meeting AB 32 goals
Council meeting information and materials are available at http://www.sgc.ca.gov.

Level of Service (LOS) Forum
On Friday December 19th 2008, The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research hosted a forum on Level of Service (LOS) policies. The purpose of the forum was to provide a foundation of information about what LOS is and how it is used in state, regional, and local planning processes. On March 12th 2009 the Governor’s Office, in partnership with Caltrans, hosted a second forum to provide the opportunity to continue the lively discussion on LOS and to update participants on current happenings at Caltrans and OPR regarding LOS. Read more >>

Design-Build Projects for Waste Recycling Facilities
Assembly Bill 642 (Chapter 314, 2008) amended Article 5.5 of the Public Contract Code to allow a limited number of design-build contracts for waste and recycling facilities. Section 21093 of the code requires qualifying entities to apply to OPR before their design-build projects can qualify under the statute. Only 20 applications will be approved. Read more >>

NOTICE TO CEQA DOCUMENT FILERS: FISH & GAME FEE INCREASE FOR 2009
EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2009. Fish and Game fees associated with filing of CEQA Notices of Determination (NOD) may be required for your project. In accordance with the Fish and Game Code, the following new Fish and Game filing fees will take effect on January 1, 2009: Environmental Impact Report: $2,768.25; Negative Declaration/Mitigated Negative Declaration: $1,993.00. Read more >>

State CEQA Guidelines, As Amended July 2007

The State CEQA Guidelines were amended effective July 27, 2007, to reflect past changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) statute. Please refer to the CEQA statute and latest CEQA Guidelines which are posted on the website of the Resources Agency of California at http://www.ceres.ca.gov/ceqa/

New Publications available:

General Plan Guidelines Update
OPR is in the process of updating the 2003 General Plan Guidelines which provides guidance to cities and counties in the preparation of their local general plans. The next edition will reflect legislative requirements enacted since 2003, new guidance on addressing climate change and other changes to make the document more
user-friendly.  Read more >>
Reduce your daily use Save our Water. Save Our Water is a statewide public education program designed to educate Californians on the state’s water challenges and encourage then to reduce the amount of water they use everyday.
Visit the Flex Your Power Website Saving Energy. It's a Way of Life. Energy efficiency and conservation information. Find incentives/rebates, technical assistance, retailers, product guides, case studies and more.
Save a child with AMBER ALERT Amber Alert logo. AMBER ALERT empowers law enforcement, the media and the public to combat abduction by sending out immediate information.