As the world rushes toward a clean energy future, there's a growing concern coupled to progress: the very materials fueling the green transition—like lithium—can also deepen environmental and social injustices if we’re not careful about the way we extract them.
I am a Biologist for Environmental Science Associates (ESA), an environmental consulting firm. For two years, I worked with ESA part time as a Field Biologist while completing the EPM program. From this part-time position I was able to conduct my practicum at ESA, which allowed me to assist on Environmental Impact Reports and project monitoring reports. After graduating from EPM, I transitioned to a full-time position with ESA.
“As California goes, so goes the Nation.” California is the world's fourth-largest economy and remains at the forefront of environmental leadership. So, who carries out this key climate-related legislation across the state?
In 2020, the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) published an updated general plan guidance document for local governments. General plans are policy documents that outline a city or county’s long-term plan for growth and are used to guide decisions about land use, development, and public services. This update, following the directive of Senate Bill 1000 (SB1000), included a new section on incorporating environmental justice (EJ) policies and initiatives into general plans. Following feedback on the original guidelines, LCI determined that updates were needed to streamline guidance in an approachable and digestible manner. To achieve this, LCI collaborated with a group of graduate students from the University of California, Davis, in the Environmental Policy and Management (EPM) program to implement necessary updates, resulting in a concise yet comprehensive final product.
For the Policy Clinic, this team worked with the California Coastal Commission to examine the relationship between ecological restoration and environmental justice within the coastal zone and how the compensatory mitigation process can be used to advance environmental justice in compliance with the Commissions EJ Policy.
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, renowned for its rich soil and biodiversity, faces unique challenges as climate change and development threaten its agricultural landscape through increasing saltwater intrusion, sea levels, and temperatures. Our group collaborated with the Delta Stewardship Council to dig deeper into these pressing issues and explore strategies that help farmers adapt to these changes.
Oregon’s marine reserves are protected areas of the ocean that conserve key coastal areas and function as refuges for marine life. Canary rockfish, aggregating anemones, ochre sea stars, and bull kelp are just some of the species thriving in these protected environments. However, a key question arises: how do marine conservation efforts impact human well-being? This question is central to our Environmental Policy and Management Policy Clinic project, conducted in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and UC Davis partners.
In early June, the UC Davis Graduate Program of Environmental Policy and Management hosted the third annual UC Davis Environmental Policy Symposium, marking another successful year of bringing together students, professionals, and community members to address pressing environmental issues.
Amanda completed her Practicum with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the Pacific Southwest Regional Office working as the Regional Recovery Permit Biologist. in this role, she collaborated with scientists and other interested parties to issue permits and ensure compliance with Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act.
Kassidy is a proud New Yorker who graduated the EPM program in 2019. After graduation, she was hired as a policy analyst for an environmental lobbying firm where she advocated for clients on issues related to environmental health, water, and natural resources. The following year, she was hired on as a legislative aide in the California State Capitol for an elected official from the Bay Area. She was able to expand her policy knowledge to other issue areas and before the end of her first year, she was promoted to legislative director.
The Environmental Policy and Management Social Committee hosted its annual spring celebration, Legacy Night. Previously, known as EProM, this end of year event evolved into something much more than a “prom”. The new name reflects a broader purpose of bringing together EPM students, faculty, alumni and friends to celebrate both accomplishments and the enduring legacy of the program.
I am a Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy (DESP) at the University of California, Davis, and a University Fellow at Resources for the Future (RFF) in Washington, DC. I received my PhD from the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Davis in 1998 and was on staff at RFF from 1998 to 2007, returning to DESP in 2007.
Tracy Winsor is a Senior Assistant Attorney General specializing in environmental law and a lecturer at UC Davis, mentoring students in environmental policy and law.
