Part of the CRA Briefs is a section providing updates on state and regional plans and initiatives. This is from the brief shared on April 12, 2022.
California Assembly Bill to Establish Statewide Disaster Donation System: On March 9 the Governor approved AB 1568 which requires CalOES to establish a statewide donations system for private businesses and nonprofit organizations that are interested in donating in response to natural, technological, or human-made disasters and emergencies. The law provides certain exemptions from civil liability to private businesses and nonprofit organizations included on the statewide registry that voluntarily and without expectation and receipt of compensation donate services, goods, labor, equipment, resources, or dispensaries or other facilities during a declared state of war, state of emergency, or state of local emergency This bill provides that these exemptions apply to private businesses and nonprofit organizations utilizing the donations system. For the full text see: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1568
California Governor Moves to Bolster Regional Water Conservation Efforts: Following the driest first three months of a year in the state’s recorded history, Governor Gavin Newsom today took steps to drive water conservation at the local level, calling on local water suppliers to move to Level 2 of their Water Shortage Contingency Plans, which require locally-appropriate actions that will conserve water across all sectors, and directing the State Water Resources Control Board to consider a ban on the watering of decorative grass at businesses and institutions. Press Release: https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/03/28/as-western-drought-worsens-governor-newsom-moves-to-bolster-regional-conservation-efforts/ Executive Order: https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/March-2022-Drought-EO.pdf
Bay Area National Weather Service Zone Changes: Earlier this month the NWS Weather Forecast Office San Francisco Bay Area divided the North Bay Mountains and the East Bay Hills public and fire weather forecast zones into five new zones. The North Bay Mountains and the East Bay Hills forecast zones will be divided to more accurately represent meteorological and climatological conditions. This change will allow for more refined watches and warnings in these zones and are expected to reduce overwarning in areas that otherwise would not need to be under a watch or warning. Maps of new zones are available. https://www.weather.gov/mtr/2022BayAreaZoneChanges