The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is a California statute passed in 1970 to institute a statewide policy of environmental protection. CEQA requires state and local agencies to follow a protocol of analysis and public disclosure of environmental impacts of proposed projects and adopt all feasible measures to mitigate those impacts.

Our speaker, Gary Patton, serves on the Board of Directors of Sierra Club California. He practices environmental law in Santa Cruz, and was a Santa Cruz County Supervisor for twenty years. He will explain the current efforts in the California legislature to weaken CEQA in the name of "reform."

We'll also be following up on the activities of SMCDFA's 2013 Task Forces.

Bring a friend or two, and we'll see you on the 1st. And don't be late -- as always, we'll begin with dessert!

When: Wednesday, May 1, at 7:00 pm

Where: Woodside Road United Methodist Church, 2000 Woodside Road, Redwood City - corner of Woodside & Alameda
Map: http://mapq.st/UO50Hu

Contact: Carole Dorshkind at cdorshkind@comcast.net

Our concern for sustainability, food, nutrition, and the environment inspired San Mateo County Democracy for America (SMCDFA) to author a resolution (below) which was adopted unanimously by the California Democratic Party at their E-Board meeting in July.

With the weight of the California Democratic Party endorsement behind us, we are sharing the resolution with our federal, state and local legislators as they consider bills that affect the farmers and consumers of California, and especially the Farm Bill of 2012.

RESOLUTION: INCREASE SUPPORT FOR SUSTAINABLE FARMING, CONSERVATION AND HEALTHY FRUIT, VEGETABLE AND NUT PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION

WHEREAS, California leads the country with an agricultural output of about $35 billion a year (12% of total U.S. agricultural revenue), growing roughly half of all the fruits, vegetables and nuts consumed in the U.S. but has finite water, land and soil resources that need to be utilized not only for today's agriculture but protected for future generations, and has a population which consumes alarmingly low rates of fruits and vegetables, resulting in the state and nation incurring billions in added health expenditures related to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other diet related diseases, and

WHEREAS, in addition to fighting urban land encroachment, drought and restrictions on water deliveries, fruit, vegetable and nut growers representing 50% of California's agricultural output received only indirect support from the federal government, and all federal funding for statewide agricultural conservation programs that help farmers reduce their use of chemicals and protect water, land, soil and wildlife habitat amounted to less than $100 million in 2009, and

WHEREAS, commodity crops, which are an important part of California's agriculture portfolio, receive the bulk of direct federal farm subsidies in California, and it is important to establish that any subsidy is not only necessary to ensure crop production but also be targeted to those farming operations that don’t have other governmental or private resources available to them,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party urges our state and federal delegations and local officials to promote policies that:

1) Promote conservation of water, land and soil resources,

2) Ensure that California's farms receive a reliable water supply and that farms be protected from encroaching urbanization,

3) Increase fruit, vegetable and nut consumption through larger federal purchases of these products for schools and domestic nutrition programs,

4) Ensure that small and mid-size farmers obtain access to federal and state assistance programs, including federal subsidies,

5) Increase research and extension for organic agriculture,

6) Ensure that fruit, vegetable and nut farms have a greater share of federal farm subsidies.

On this page you can join SMCDFA . Our fiscal year begins on May 1st, and any new memberships that begin later than that will have the dues pro-rated.

 Our dues remain the same as last year:

	$25 – individual membership
	$40 – family membership
	$10 – senior, full time student, on disability or unemployment

 And when you are thinking about renewing your membership please consider making an additional gift to SMCDFA – it will be put to good use to help with our expenses for voter registration and communication, and for member recruiting and retention.

Checks should be made out to SMCDFA and mailed to:
      Kacy McClure
      355 Stevick Drive
      Atherton, CA 94027