CEQA and the Coastal Act are the cornerstones of land-use planning in California. In order to function properly, both planning processes require input from an educated and engaged public. Otherwise, planning can easily devolve into short-sighted or even corrupt decision-making that chews up landscapes and fails to acknowledge, avoid, or effectively mitigate significant adverse effects upon the environment that we can all see happening in front of our eyes. CalPlanReview.org is designed to educate the public and planning professionals about how CEQA and the Coastal Act are implemented.
I'm a biologist.
Songbirds are my specialty, but I've participated in many types of field work and engaged in various forms of land-planning and policy-making. Since 1988, I've conducted field work and prepared technical reports on behalf of land owners and governmental agencies. I've also critiqued numerous technical documents and plans on behalf of homeowners' groups and environmental organizations. My goal with CalPlanReview.org is to create a community of regular citizens and professionals interested in CEQA and the Coastal Act. Largely in the context of case studies, I'd like to explore: - Key sections of the statutes and how they're applied.
- Effective strategies and procedures for providing critical review.
- Interpretations of the statutes in court opinions.
The information here can help the public, and other planning professionals, to increase accountability for those who prepare the documents required under CEQA and the Coastal Act, and for the elected leaders who vote projects up or down. At least initially, the page will emphasize my own experience. Eventually, I'd like to pull in other practitioners -- attorneys, activists, planners, other biologists, etc. -- to share their knowledge. We all have much to learn from each other, and I'm excited to see how this page grows and evolves over time. Thanks for your interest.
-Robb Hamilton