A coalition of farmers and desalination supporters is collecting signatures for a California ballot measure that would fast-track construction processes for water storage projects.

As Paul Rogers reports, a coalition of Central Valley farmers and their supporters are "collecting signatures for a statewide ballot measure that would fast-track big water projects and provide billions of dollars to fund them — potentially setting up a major political showdown with environmentalists next year shaped by the state’s ongoing drought."
If the measure were to get on the ballot and pass, it would allocate 2 percent of California's general fund to expanding water supplies by 5 million acre-feet with projects such as dams, reservoirs, and desalination plants. Supporters of the measure argue that conservation alone won't keep up with demand as drought continues to batter the state. Meanwhile, Rogers writes, environmental groups argue that the measure would go too far in providing billions of dollars to projects without environmental oversight and accuse it of attempting to "gut" the state's Coastal Act.
In 2014, California voters approved $2.7 billion in funding for new storage projects, all of which have yet to be built. In the Bay Area, the Contra Costa Water District is planning to expand the Los Vaqueros reservoir to increase water supply capacity. The Los Vaqueros expansion is one of the few projects not facing opposition from environmental groups, partly because the agency has taken steps to mitigate environmental impacts.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

Detroit Says Problems With Property Tax Assessments are Fixed. Advocates Disagree.
With higher-valued properties under assessed and lower-valued properties over assessed, advocates say there's still a problem with Detroit's property tax system.
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