The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, or AMBAG, publishes a periodic "Clearinghouse Review" that provides a "heads up" on land use issues within the AMBAG region. That region includes the counties of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito. The Clearinghouse process is a forum for the early notification, review and evaluation of federal, state and local development activities potentially having an impact on the region. The process is also intended to promote intergovernmental coordination and sharing of planning information.

AMBAG was officially designated as the regional agency responsible for Clearinghouse operations on March 12, 1984. These procedures implement Presidential Executive Order 12,372. The AMBAG Clearinghouse procedures also implement the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. In addition, the various local governments that make up the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments agreed in 1972 that one of the main purposes of AMBAG was to serve as a regional forum for the review and discussion of plans and projects of area-wide significance.

If you are serious about land use issues, think about getting on the Clearinghouse mailing list. I've provided more information below.

More Information:

• Gary Patton's Two Worlds Blog
• AMBAG Website
• Clearinghouse Website
• For more information, contact Anais Schenk at (831) 264-5088 or aschenk@ambag.org

Yesterday, I introduced you to the "Clearinghouse Review," published by the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments. Each edition of the Clearinghouse Review lists federal, state, and local development activities potentially having an impact on the AMBAG region. In other words, the Clearinghouse provides an early notification of what are generally the most important policy and project proposals being considered in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties, including both city and county plans and projects. The most recent edition spotlighted the following:

• A proposed utility undergrounding project in Pebble Beach.
  
  
• A proposed change to the evaluation process used throughout the State Park System, as a way to evaluate potential road and trail change-in-use suggestions.
  
  
• A proposed Specific Plan for a regional commercial and high-density residential development on 63 acres located immediately adjacent to Highway 101 in the City of Greenfield.
  
  
• A proposed wireless communications facility, to be disguised as a water tank, and to be located on the corner of 8th Avenue and A Street on the CSUMB campus.

Reading the Clearinghouse Review gives you a good idea of what's happening in the area of planning and land use, throughout our three-county region. It's worth signing up.

More Information:

• Gary Patton's Two Worlds Blog
• AMBAG Website
• Clearinghouse Website
• For more information, contact Anais Schenk at (831) 264-5088 or aschenk@ambag.org

Many KUSP listeners might be interested in attending the next EcoFarm Conference, to be held on January 23rd through January 26th at Asilomar. Usually, the EcoFarm Conference is all booked up by Christmas, and the Early Registration Discount ends on December 7th. It's definitely not too early to make plans to attend.

For thirty-three years, the EcoFarm Conference has helped create, maintain, and promote healthy and just food and farming systems. The multi-day conference will provide lots of opportunities for over 1,500 participants to network, and to help build the sustainable agriculture movement.

In 2013, conference organizers are offering over sixty workshops featuring a comprehensive array of technical and informational sessions for farmers, ranchers, handlers, marketers, activists, students, and educators. There will be special events to include tastings, mixers, and live entertainment. The annual EcoFarm Awards Ceremony is held on Friday evening, to recognize and celebrate those providing leadership in the sustainable agriculture community. Here is the final pitch from the organizers: "Each meal we enjoy will be delicious!"

If you'd like to be part of EcoFarm 2013, you can find a link to more information below.

More Information:

• Gary Patton's Two Worlds Blog
• EcoFarm 2013 Website

Tonight, Engineers for Water Alternatives will hold a forum on the following topic:  "Can Water Market Incentives Unlock A Race To Conserve?" The idea is to use "free market" techniques to achieve an important conservation objective. In other words, this isn't your typical "command and control" regulatory approach. If you want to attend the forum, it's at 7:00 o'clock tonight, at the Mid-County Senior Center, 829 Bay Avenue, in Capitola. Admission is free.

I am always somewhat suspicious of claims that the "market" will produce the public good. Just let everyone pursue their own self-interest, and some sort of "invisible hand" will result in the best thing for the community as a whole. Adam Smith pretty much said that. I am dubious, but I think the forum tonight is worth attending.

Besides hoping that "free market" solutions will provide an easy route to water conservation, I think we need to tell ourselves what we want to do, and then "make a rule" to accomplish the goal we've set. If we don't want to embark on a costly desalination project, for example, trying to "manufacture" water to meet what we think are our needs, then we need to decide that we will live within our existing resources, and use every technique we can to make sure that we do. I am pretty convinced that we can do that, and that it is probably cheaper than desal, but it will take work.

More Information:

• Gary Patton's Two Worlds Blog
• Information on the November 15th Forum

In general, lots of people are happy about the proposal to remove the San Clemente Dam on the Carmel River. It is currently a danger to downstream properties, and removing the Dam will not only alleviate that danger, but improve stream habitat, too. There is, however, a "fly in the ointment." Huge amounts of material will have to be taken out of a fairly remote location, in order to remove the Dam. That means potential traffic problems for many Carmel Valley residents.

The Monterey County Planning Commission wants a comprehensive environmental study of proposed alternative access routes for the San Clemente Dam removal project. Led by Commissioners Martha Diehl and Keith Vandevere, the Commission recently requested that a planned Supplemental Environmental Impact Report, or EIR, include enough information about the impact of a proposed new access route to satisfy community concerns. Diehl and Vandevere argued that a more complete environmental review would actually be the quickest way to achieve project completion. The Commission has continued the public hearing until March 13th of next year, to allow time for additional review. 

You can get a link to an article in the Monterey County Herald, discussing this matter, and to other information, below.

More Information:

• Gary Patton's Two Worlds Blog
• Monterey County Herald Article
• San Clemente Dam Removal and Carmel River Reroute Project Website