California Extends Safety Net for its National Wild & Scenic Rivers…

California State Capitol. Photo credit: Friends of the River

Friends of the River’s bill to permanently extend the state’s power to quickly add threatened national wild & scenic rivers to the state’s wild & scenic river system was quietly signed by Governor Newsom on October 7.

Representative Laura Friedman (D‑Glendale)

There was no signing ceremony. No photographs were taken and released by the Governor’s press office. Nevertheless, it was a good day at Friends of the River and for the state’s national wild and scenic rivers.

During the first Trump administration, Friends of the River had worked with now U.S. Representative and then Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D‑Glendale) to fashion and pass AB‑2572 in 2018. The bill was signed by Governor Jerry Brown and allowed the California Natural Resources Secretary to put national wild & scenic rivers threatened by Congressional action or Presidential executive orders under the protective umbrella of the state’s wild & scenic river system.

Merced River. Photo credit: Mike Osbourn

A major focus of the state’s system is to prevent many types of water resources projects (think dams, diversions, and reservoirs) from being built.

Assemblyman Nick Schultz (D‑Burbank)

Unfortunately, in 2018 Assemblywoman Susan Eggman (D‑Stockton) was able to impose a sunset clause so AB‑2572’s provisions expired at the end of 2025. Fortunately, well before that sunset date, anticipating the chaos of the second Trump administration Assemblyman, Nick Schultz (D‑Burbank) introduced AB‑43, a bill to remove the sunset clause and sponsored by Friends of the River. Against the enfolding federal chaos, Nick expertly shepherded the bill through the legislature and through to Governor Newsom’s signature.

Kudos to Nick — and to all the organizations (including the City of Burbank) for supporting Nick!

For a list of national wild & scenic river segments covered by the bill, see the second page of our letter to Governor Newsom. For close readers of AB‑43, the rivers added to the state system by the Secretary (the future PRC §5093.71(a)(2)(A) rivers) have special provisions applied, introducing some minor but manageable and understandable complexity to the administration of the system.

For more information and news on further efforts to protect our state’s wild & scenic rivers, check out our wild & scenic river page. We, and that includes all of us, have more to do.