Holland & Knight Partner Jennifer L. Hernandez, leader of the firm's West Coast Land Use and Environmental Group, recently authored an industry report for the Center for Jobs & The Economy, whose mission is to identify and...more
Welcome to CEQA News You Can Use, a quarterly production of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP’s Natural Resources lawyers. This publication provides quick, useful bites of CEQA news, which we hope can be a resource to your...more
Significant Changes Begin Nov. 3 - The California Office of Planning and Research, State Clearinghouse Unit, has adopted new rules for accepting environmental documents for posting. Beginning Nov. 3, OPR will no longer...more
In this op-ed for pv magazine, David Lazerwitz and Linda Sobczynski of Farella Braun + Martel examine the levels of precaution necessary to ensure fire risk mitigation in project development. Originally published in...more
This post is Part Two of our blog series on the 2019 amendments to the CEQA Guidelines. This post focuses on amendments in the areas of greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions, energy, and wildfire impacts, as well as a discussion...more
On January 3, 2019 the Natural Resources Agency (“Agency”) announced that the long awaited comprehensive amendments to the CEQA Guidelines are now in effect. The last major update to the Guidelines was in the late 1990s. As a...more
At the end of 2018, the Office of Planning and Research’s (OPR’s) years-long effort (since 2011) to update the Guidelines (CEQA Guidelines) implementing the California Environmental Quality Act became a reality. This...more
Late last month the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) released two documents of interest to CEQA practitioners. One is a discussion draft of a “CEQA and Climate Change Advisory.” ...more
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (“OPR”) has spent five years drafting a comprehensive update to 30 sections of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) Guidelines. The updated text (“Final Text”)...more
The California Natural Resources Agency has adopted new CEQA Guidelines that will leave behind level of service in favor of vehicle miles traveled. Following years of development and public comment, the Office of Planning...more
The final text of the comprehensive CEQA Guidelines update makes limited changes to the version proposed in January 2018. The California Natural Resources Agency has posted the final adopted text of changes to the...more
The CEQA Statute and Guidelines both contain provisions outlining what types of projects are exempt from environmental review. There are dozens of exemptions, however, that are listed in other provisions of the California...more
Welcome to CEQA News You Can Use, a quarterly publication of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP’s Natural Resources lawyers. This publication is intended to provide quick, useful bites of CEQA news that we hope can be a...more
On January 26, 2018, the Natural Resources Agency issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to the public regarding its proposed updates to the CEQA Guidelines; the Notice and related rulemaking materials are available for...more
The Natural Resources Agency has initiated formal rulemaking for a comprehensive update to the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines. The proposed CEQA Guidelines amendments are the most comprehensive update...more
After a four-year long process, on November 27, 2017, the Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) announced the availability of a comprehensive package of proposed amendments to the California Environmental Quality...more
Following several years of public involvement, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research has just issued comprehensive Proposed Updates to the CEQA Guidelines. In addition to proposing changes or additions to nearly 30...more
The paradigm shift in the evaluation of the transportation impacts of road and development projects has arrived. The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) announced the most comprehensive and far-reaching...more
On August 2, 2017, the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (“OPR”) released its first update to the General Plan Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) since 2003. The Guidelines provide guidance to cities and...more
About one year after being placed in the California Legislature’s “Inactive File,” SB 122 (concerning concurrent preparation of the CEQA administrative record and OPR electronic database) is back “off the shelf.” The bill...more
Comments Sought by Feb. 29 on the Transition from LOS to VMT - The California Office of Planning and Research has issued proposed revisions to the State CEQA Guidelines implementing Senate Bill 743 (2013). SB 743...more
On August 11, 2015, the Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) released a Preliminary Discussion Draft of Changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines (Preliminary Discussion Draft). The OPR...more
Comments Due to Office of Planning and Research by Oct. 12 - The California Office of Planning and Research has issued a preliminary discussion draft of revisions to nearly 30 different sections of the CEQA Guidelines....more
On August 11, 2015, the California Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) released its Preliminary Discussion Draft of a comprehensive update to the CEQA Guidelines – the first global update to the CEQA Guidelines...more