Details for the state budget are now coming out and it is clearly a mixed bag for conservation. The major environmental setback in the deal to be voted on later today is inclusion of the highly contentious oil drilling scheme aimed at Tranquillon Ridge off the Santa Barbara Coast. The deal would allow a Texas oil company to sink new wells off the Santa Barbara coast. It comes almost exactly 40 years after a spill that devastated the area, blackening coastal habitat and killing thousands of birds. Audubon California is one of many conservation organizations that has vehemently opposed anything like this. The potential closure of state parks and a sizeable one-time transfer from the Department of Fish and Game are also tough to swallow. More analysis below the fold:

Sadly, it is now clear that Tranquillon Ridge is part of the budget deal as a trailer bill, meaning that it only requires a majority vote. Offshore oil drilling is a settled issue politically in California. With no new leases in over 40 years, the public, if given the chance, would have given thumbs-down to this bad idea.  

In all, the offshore oil provision approves $100 million in budget year revenue that will be generated with the enactment of a lease to drill for oil in the Tranquillion Ridge Field from an existing platform in federal waters. In exchange for the approval of the lease, the Plains Exploration and Production Company will decommission three existing platforms by 2017, shut down and convey Gaviota and Lompoc processing facilities, offset all greenhouse gas emissions from the project and donate 3,900 acres of land on the Gaviota coast and in Lompoc Valley to the public. 

Other than the offshore oil drilling debacle, natural resources overall was spared much of the carnage that will be showing up in other functions of state government – particularly education, social welfare and public safety. Which is not to say that this is an environmentally friendly budget deal. Far from it.

As we said earlier, a vote is set for late today in both houses.

Some more notes on the budget:

• If not for the oil drilling proposal, the biggest tragedy for the environment in the budget deal would be the reduction of the operations budget for the Department of Parks and Recreation by $8 million (General Fund). This reduction will be partnered with a combination of special fund loans and reversions of prior year unexpended funds that, together, will have a total General Fund savings of $70 million. This proposal will result in the closure of roughly 50 state parks. Given the importance of parks not only to conservation, but to promoting the outdoors to generations of Californians, this is galling. We’re not sure at this time which parks will be closed and when – that will be left to the department to determine through its own cost/benefit analysis.
• Shifts on a one-time basis $30 million from the Fish and Game Preservation Fund to replace General Fund funded activities at the Department of Fish and Game. This is very worrisome given that it could jeopardize federal matching funds for wildlife programs.
• Abolishes the California Integrated Waste Management Board, and transfers its duties and responsibilities as well as the California Beverage Recycling Program to the new Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery.
• Approves an $8 increase in fees for the optional Environmental License Plate and rejects cuts to various resources programs proposed by the Governor.
• Shifts $4.4 million in baseline funding for the Department of Fish and Game to implement the Marine Life Protection Act from General Fund to Proposition 84 bond funds.
• Rejects $40 million (Special Funds) in the California Energy Commission's budget for hydrogen vehicle infrastructure.
• Approves 15 positions on a 2-year limited term basis to support the Department of Water Resources' Delta Habitat and Conveyance Program with budget bill language stating that no funding can be used for the construction of an alternative conveyance facility.
• Maintains current levels of funding for the Office of Health Hazard Assessment but shifts $4.1 million from the General Fund to Special Funds.
• Reduces state subventions to local governments (primarily counties) under the Williamson Act Program by 20 percent from the amount provided in the 2009-10 Budget Act. This results in a General Fund savings of $6.9 million. Under this longstanding program, the state backfills a portion of the revenue lost by local governments when they enter into contracts with land owners to limit property tax.