Descriptive Summary
Administrative Information
Committee History
Scope and Content
Indexing Terms
Descriptive Summary
Title: California State Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee Records
Dates: 1957-2014
Collection number: See Series Description.
Creator: Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, 2003-present
Creator/Collector: Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee, 1970-2002
Creator/Collector: Senate Natural Resources Committee, 1957-1969
Collection Size:
Approximately 93 cubic feet including videotapes, audiotapes, and CDs.
Repository:
California State Archives
Abstract: The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee six record series consists of Senate Bill Files (1971-2014), Hearing Files
(1959-2013), Subject Files (1972-2003), Committee Files (1960-2003), Salmon Files (1957-1969, 1997-1998), and Session Binder
Files (2005-2011). These files show the close involvement of the committee in such issues as animal welfare, recreation,
forest management, water resources, toxic chemicals and energy, and its close involvement with the Departments of Water Resources
and Parks and Recreation.
Physical location: California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Administrative Information
Access
While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.
Publication Rights
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], Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee Records, [LP number]:[folder number], California State
Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.
Acquisition History
The California State Archives acquired the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee records according to state law.
Committee History
The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee is the most recent Senate committee to oversee legislation regarding California's
natural resources and wildlife.
The first committee that had natural resources under its purview was the Senate Natural Resources Committee. It began studying
legislation on January 8, 1941. Its purpose was to investigate legislation regarding bills amending the Public Resources
Code and uncodified legislation relating to mines and mining, oil, forestry, parks, and to the public domain.
In 1967, its purpose was modified to include bills amending that portion of the Harbors and Navigation Code relating to the
Department of Harbors and Watercraft.
In 1970, this committee was changed. The Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee was formed by Senate Resolution
83, passed on February 18, 1970. In addition to bills amending the Public Resources code and the Harbors and Navigation code,
it also reviewed bills on the Fish and Game code. Geothermal issues were added in 1972.
The Senate passed Senate Resolution 8 on January 5, 1981 which shifted the committee's focus. It began reviewing bills relating
to the conservation and the management of public resources, fish and wildlife, regulation of oil, mining, geothermal development,
and forestry practices, recreation, parks, and historical resources, and legislation affecting California boating and solid
waste.
Senate Resolution 16, which passed on March 7, 1991, added to the committee's scope acid deposition, wetlands and lakes, global
atmospheric effects, and beverage container recycling. It also removed the subject of solid waste.
On January 13, 1995, Senate Resolution 10 added ocean and bay pollution as a new concern for the committee.
On December 2, 2002, this committee was changed. The committee was renamed the Natural Resources and Water Committee by Senate
Resolution 4, although the scope of the committee remained constant.
Senate Resolution 10, passed on March 17, 2005, added the subject of coastal resources and water supply management to the
committee's focus, and beverage container recycling was removed.
The chairs of these committees from 1942 to 2014 were as follows:
Senate Natural Resources, 1941-1969
Wagy, J.I. (Rep.-Dem.), 1942
Fletcher, Edward (Rep.-Dem.), 1943-1946
DeLap, T.H. (Rep.-Dem.), 1947-1948
Mayo, Jesse M. (Rep.-Dem.), 1949-1950
Busch, Burt W. (Rep.-Dem.), 1951-1954
Johnson, Harold T. (Dem.), 1955-1958
Berry, Swift (Rep.), 1959-1960
Arnold, Stanley (Dem.), 1961-1962
Farr, Fred S. (Dem.), 1963-1966
Lagomarsino, Robert J. (Rep.), 1967-1969
Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee, 1970-2002
Lagomarsino, Robert J. (Rep.), 1970-1972
Nejedly, John A. (Rep.), 1973-1980
Presley, Robert D. (Dem.), 1981-1986
McCorquodale, Dan (Dem.), 1987-1992
Thompson, Mike (Dem.), 1993-1994
Hayden, Tom (Dem.), 1995-2000
Kuehl, Sheila J. (Dem.) 2001-2002
Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, 2003-present
Kuehl, Sheila J. (Dem.) 2003-2006
Steinberg, Darrell (Dem.), 2007-2008
Pavley, Fran (Dem.), 2009-2014
Scope and Content
The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee six record series consists of Senate Bill Files (1971-2014), Hearing Files
(1959-2013), Subject Files (1972-2003), Committee Files (1960-2003), Salmon Files (1957-1969, 1997-1998), and Session Binder
Files (2005-2011).
These files show the close involvement of the committee in such issues as animal welfare, recreation, forest management, water
resources, toxic chemicals and energy, and its close involvement with the Departments of Water Resources and Parks and Recreation.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
California State Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee
Wildlife conservation-California
Water-California
Parks-California
Forests and forestry-California
Energy Policy-California