Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee Records, 1976-2012

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Summary

Title:
California State Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee Records
Dates:
1976-2012
Creators:
Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee
Abstract:
The Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee Records consist of 68 cubic feet of records detailing the activity of the committee in evaluating legislation and policy related to California water resources, flood management, fish and game, parks and recreation, and wildlife. The records cover the years 1976 to 2012.
Extent:
68 cubic feet
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], California State Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee Records, LP [number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife records consist of Bill Files, Hearing Files, Correspondence Files, Subject Files, Water Legislation Files, and Committee Administrative Files. In total, the records measure 68 cubic feet and include 1030 file folders of textual materials, 332 cassette tapes, 13 VHS video tapes, 11 compact discs and 1 USB flash drive.

The largest series is Bill Files (1979-2012). Bill files document bills directed to the committee. The files include committee analysis, letters from interested parties, and the comments of affected agencies. These files show the close involvement of the committee in such issues and subjects as agricultural water management; coastal resources; commercial and game fishing; dams and levees; disaster relief; flood protection and control; humane treatment of animals; hunting; invasive species control; marine resources; museum establishment and funding; state parks; threatened, endangered, and protected species; water conservation, reclamation, resources, rights, supply, transfers, and quality; watercraft; wetlands; and wildlife management. The committee worked closely with local water, utility, and irrigation districts as well as California state agencies including, the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, Dept. of Boating and Waterways, Dept. of Fish and Game, Dept. of Parks and Recreation, and Dept. of Water Resources.

The bulk of the Hearing Files (1976-2011) were created from 1988 to 1991 and from 1999 to 2000. There are audiotapes for every year between 1976 and 2000 except for 1982, 1983, 1995, and 1996. The videotapes are from the years 1990 to 1991 and 1997 to 2000. Hearing files are arranged chronologically by hearing date and may include agendas, audiotapes, videotapes, transcripts, testimony, background information, and working files for regular session hearings, interim hearings, and some joint hearings. The committee's hearing files deal with issues and subjects including, agricultural water use, the California Delta, California's water future and water plan, drought, flood control, funding for the Dept. of Fish and Game, the Peripheral Canal, recreation in California, the state park system, water project development, water resources, water supply, water transfers, and wildlife protection.

Correspondence Files (1995-2000) cover the shortest time period of all the series. The letters and memoranda included in these chronological correspondence files have to do with the conduct of the committee's daily business. This series includes correspondence that the committee sent and received and covers a wide range of topics with the majority of all communication originating from the chairperson's office.

The Subject Files (1976-2008) contain materials that the committee gathered or produced while conducting research on issues related to state and local agencies, state parks, fiscal matters, proposed legislation, environmental groups, water resources, land use, flood control, wildlife, and historic preservation. The largest amount of material in this series pertains to the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, the California Endangered Species Act, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Vernalis Adaptive Management Plan, and the Wildlife Conservation Board-Headwaters Forest. Also included are Legislative summaries for the 1985-1986, 1991-1992, and 2003-2004 sessions.

The Water Legislation Files (2009-2010) were created during the 2009-2010 7th Extraordinary Session. This series covers a wide range of topics regarding California water supply and infrastructure. Bills included in this series include the Water Supply Act of 2010 (AB14, SB2 - SB3), Public Resource (AB1, SB1, SB4), Water Resources (AB 11, SB5,), Ground Water Monitoring (SB6), Water Conservation (AB8, SB7), Delta Reform Act (AB12), Delta Conservancy (AB9), State Water Resources Development System (SB9) and California Regional Control Boards (SB8).

The Committee Administrative Files series (2003-2004) contains documents that were used for administrative purposes within the committee. Files contained within this series cover a variety of topics and include summary information on bills heard throughout the legislative session. Materials found in the series include information about hearings, bills before the committee, correspondence, committee agendas and committee worksheets.

Biographical / historical:

Assembly member Eugene T. Gualco authored House Resolution (HR) 31, which was introduced in 1977 on June 15th and adopted on June 24th. At this time, the Assembly Committee on Water widened its scope to become the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife. Gualco was chairman of both the former and latter committees and membership remained the same after the transition. HR 31 established the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife as one of nineteen Assembly standing committees and eighteen Assembly investigating committees.

The number of members making up the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife has risen and fallen over the years. In 1977, the seven members of the Assembly Committee on Water became the seven members of the newly created Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife. In 1978, the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife again had seven members. The committee was made up of nine members from 1979 to 1982. Between 1983 and 2012, the number of committee members fluctuated between eleven and seventeen.

The primary jurisdiction of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife is water resources, flood management, fish and game, parks and recreation, and wildlife.

Acquisition information:
The State Archives received these records in accordance with California Government Code 9080(b) which requires legislative committees to transfer their records to the State Archives when they are no longer needed by the committee.
Arrangement:

Organized into six series: (1) Bill Files, (2) Hearing Files, (3) Correspondence Files, (4) Subject Files, (5) Water Legislation Files, and (6) Committee Administrative Files.

Accruals:

Further accruals are expected.

Physical location:
California State Archives
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Processed by Melissa Tyler and Joseph Johnson
Date Prepared:
© 2006
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid created by Melissa Tyler and Joseph Johnson. Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word. Date of source: 20 December 2017.

Access and use

Restrictions:

While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.

Terms of access:

For permission to reproduce or publish, please consult California State Archives staff. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement that may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives' collections.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], California State Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee Records, LP [number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Location of this collection:
1020 "O" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814, US
Contact:
(916) 653-2246
reference@sos.ca.gov
Website