Assembly Natural Resources Committee Records, 1974-2014

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Summary

Title:
California State Assembly Natural Resources Committee Records
Dates:
1974-2014
Creators:
Assembly Resources and Land Use Committee, 1974-1975; Assembly Resources, Land Use, and Energy Committee, 1975-1980; Assembly Natural Resources and Energy Committee, 1981; Assembly Energy and Natural Resources Committee, 1981-1982; Assembly Natural Resources Committee, 1983-present; Assembly Select Committee on Coastal Protection, 2003-2004; Assembly Special Committee on Fuel Scarcity, 1979; Assembly Subcommittee on Coastal Zone Planning, 1975-1976; Assembly Subcommittee on Energy, 1975-1980; Assembly Subcommittee on Land Use, 1976-1978; Assembly Subcommittee on Parks and Forestry, 1976; Assembly Subcommittee on Public Lands, 1980; Assembly Subcommittee on Resource Status and Trends, 1983-1984; Assembly Subcommittee on Timber, 1985-1986
Abstract:
The Assembly Natural Resources Committee records consist of ninety-three cubic feet of textual records and three cubic feet of audiovisual records dating from 1954-2014. The committee's first predecessor, the Assembly Resources and Land Use Committee was delineated as an investigative standing committee by Assembly Rule 11.5, authorized and directed to ascertain, study, and analyze all facts relating to any subjects that the committee on Rules shall assign to them upon request of the assembly or upon its own initiative. The Assembly Natural Resources Committee is the most recent of four Assembly committees established to oversee the quality and preservation of California's natural resources.
Extent:
93 cubic feet of textual material, 210 audiotapes, 15 compact discs, 13 videotapes, 8 DVDs, 7 slides, 6 Dictabelts, and 26 photographs
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], [Name of Committee] Records, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The Assembly Natural Resources Committee records consist of ninety three cubic feet of textual records and three cubic feet of audiovisual records dating from 1954-2014. Series include bill files, hearing files, subject files, and correspondence reflecting the activities of the committee in introducing and investigating legislation related to the sources, allocation, pollution, regulation, and use, of California's natural resources.

The Assembly Natural Resources Committee records also include the records of many select, special, and subcommittees: Select Committee on Coastal Protection, Special Committee on Fuel Scarcity, Subcommittee on Coastal Zone Planning, Subcommittee on Energy, Subcommittee on Land Use, Subcommittee on Parks and Forestry, Subcommittee on Public Lands, Subcommittee on Resource Status and Trends, and the Subcommittee on Timber. The subcommittee files focus on specific natural resources issues such as energy (oil, gas, solar, coal, geothermal, liquid natural gas), nuclear power, parks, public lands, litter, pollution, air quality, wetlands, and forests. The files may consist of public hearing files, bill files, subject files, correspondence, reports, and committee files encompassing the activities, budget, correspondence, and findings of the committees.

The bill files document legislation authored by and directed to the committee and include committee analyses, letters from interested parties, and the comments of affected agencies. These files show the close involvement of the committee in resource related topics such as air quality, water quality, nuclear initiatives, the handling of hazardous waste, resource allocation and conservation, oil and natural gas, marine and coastal resources, forestry, mining, and recycling. The committee also collected extensive materials on the state energy shortages during the late 1970s. These energy materials include reports, videotapes, correspondence, and fact sheets, which were used to form energy allocation and alternative fuel policy. Joint hearing and correspondence demonstrate the close involvement of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee, as well as the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, Assembly Local Government and the Senate Utilities and Commerce Committees. The California Bottle Bill, AB2020 enacted in 1986 and revisited in later sessions, received substantial attention from the committee resulting in detailed records on the topic of recycling and beverage containers during the 1985-1986 and the 1987-1988 sessions. Large quantities of opposition appear on nuclear energy legislation in 2007, AB719. Other files include, SB568 (2011-2012), prohibiting food vendors from dispensing prepared food to customers in polystyrene foam containers after Janurary 1, 2016 and SB270 (2013-2014), establishing requirements for reusable bags and a 10 cent limit set on stores for distributing reusable bags.

The subject files include correspondence, memoranda, statistical findings, published and unpublished reports, notes, and newspaper clippings regarding subjects heard and reviewed by the committee covering topics such as toxic waste, water quality and use, liquefied natural gas, and marine and environmental preservation. The committee's files on toxic waste in Ward Valley are especially detailed and extensive covering the date range of 1991-1997. Large amounts of hearing files from 1991 and 1993 related to the subject are also available. Hearing Files from 2007 onward provide substantial information on various bills. In addition, large quantities of roll calls and agendas are included between 2009-2010.

Biographical / historical:

The Natural Resources Committee is the most recent Assembly committee to oversee the quality and preservation of California's natural resources.

The first predecessor committee that had natural resources under its purview was the Assembly Resources and Land Use Committee, created by House Resolution 208 on August 28, 1974. The Resources and Land Use Committee was delineated as an investigative standing committee by Assembly Rule 11.5, authorized and directed to ascertain, study, and analyze all facts relating to any subjects that the committee on Rules shall assign to them upon request of the assembly or upon its own initiative. It evolved from the consolidation of two former Assembly standing committees: the Natural Resources and Conservation Committee, and the Planning,Land Use, and Energy Committee.

On September 10, 1975 the committee name changed again per HR50 to Assembly Resources, Land Use, and Energy. The Assembly's list of standing committees for the 1981-1982 session originally listed the committee's name as the Natural Resources and Energy Committee, however House Resolution 15 amended the list of standing and standing investigative committees to record the name as the Energy and Natural Resources Committee on January 29, 1981. In 1981, the committee is noted as having jurisdiction over a variety of subjects including non-vehicular air pollution (including airport noise and agricultural land burning), State lands, agricultural land use, energy conservation, and alternative energy sources. The committee also reviewed legislation affecting the California Pollution Control Financing Authority, the California Energy Commission, the California Coastal Commission, and the Subdivision Map Act (re: timber, coastal, and agricultural land use). The committee also oversaw issues relating to litter and solid waste management excepting hazardous substances, tidelands and submerged lands, wild and scenic rivers, oil spills and water pollution,harbors, siting of power plants, as well as the regulation of oil, mining, geothermal and forestry resources. Housing elements in general plans were also under the purview of the committee until March 25, 1981 when it was re-allocated to the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee.

The number of committee members fluctuates between nine and fifteen. Originally consisting of thirteen members, the Resources, Land Use, and Energy Committee increased its membership of representative Assemblymen to fifteen on January 5, 1976 and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee established it again at fifteen on January 11, 1982. However, the Natural Resources Committee total membership changed almost every other year in the 1990s and 2000s.

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 and eight subgroups: (1) Assembly Select Committee on Coastal Protection Records, (2) Assembly Special Committee on Fuel Scarcity Records, (3) Assembly Subcommittee on Coastal Zone Planning, (4) Assembly (Permanent) Subcommittee on Energy Records, (5) Assembly Subcommittee on Land Use, (6) Assembly Subcommittee on Public Lands, (7) Assembly Subcommittee on Status and Trends, (8) Assembly Subcommittee on Timber.

Accruals:

Further accruals expected.

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

The California State Archives received the records of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee over a number of years and Archives staff arranged them at various times. While the physical arrangement of the records reflects this variety, this inventory describes all of the records according to present archival descriptive standards for legislative committee records. Therefore, the physical arrangement of these records does not necessarily follow the order listed in this inventory.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Processed by Lisa DeHope, December 2009. Updates were added by Spencer Gomez, April 2018.
Date Prepared:
© 2018
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid created by Lisa DeHope, December 2009. Updates were added by Spencer Gomez, April 2018. Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word. Date of source: 1 April 2018.

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 contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives collections.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], [Name of 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