State Action Alerts
Action Alert: California’s Environment Is on the Chopping Block
California’s natural beauty and wildlife are under increasing threat, and now is the time for us to speak up and let our State representatives that we care. Please use Find Your Rep to identify your State Assemblymember and Senator—then use the links to their websites to leave a comment or call their offices to share your support or opposition on the critical bills below. It only takes a few minutes to make a difference.
SUPPORT AB 454 – Protect Migratory Birds (Assemblymember Ash Kalra)
This bill ensures that California’s existing protections for migratory birds remain in place—regardless of weakening actions by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Why it matters: With federal safeguards under threat, AB 454 preserves our state’s longstanding commitment to bird conservation.
Fact Sheet and Audubon California Action Alert
OPPOSE SB 607 – CEQA Rollback Disguised as Infill Housing (Senator Wiener)
SB 607 represents a sweeping attack on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a cornerstone of environmental protection for over 50 years.
Why it matters: This bill would gut environmental review for nearly all private and public projects—including freeways, airports, dams, railyards, shopping centers, sports complexes, power plants, prisons, and mining operations —under the guise of promoting housing.
Analysis & a Group Letter that SCVBA signed in opposition,
OPPOSE SB 315 – Undermining the Future of Parks (Senator Grayson)
SB 315 would block cities from requiring developers to dedicate parkland or pay park fees for many new housing projects, especially within ½ mile from existing parks (even tiny ones!).
Why it matters: This bill would result in more housing without the parks and open space residents need, weakening communities across the state.
SUPPORT SB 457 – A Smart Fix for Housing Accountability (Senator Josh Becker)
SB 457 addresses misuse of the “Builder’s Remedy,” closing several loopholes that allow speculators and developers to override local zoning laws even when cities make good effort to meet state housing goals.
Why it matters: The bill promotes fair, balanced housing development and protects communities from speculative projects that disregard planning standards.
Take Action Today: Your voice matters—reach out to your representatives and urge them to protect California’s environment during this critical legislative session.
SCVBA in the Media:
Los Altos City Council adopts an ordinance to address light pollution, but drops work on Bird Friendly Design. “Shani Kleinhaus with the Silicon Valley Bird Alliance was disappointed with the council’s action. “This wasn’t a sweeping or radical policy,” she said. “The proposed ordinance would have applied only to new construction – there was no mandate to retrofit or replace existing buildings. The goal was simple: incorporate well-established design practices into future development to prevent birds from fatally colliding with glass, something that kills an estimated one billion birds in the U.S. every year.”
San Jose parks budget has not kept up with the need for maintenance, “Parks advocates such as All District Leadership Group President Greg Peck and Shani Kleinhaus, an environmental advocate with Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance, said San Jose elected officials need to scale back tax breaks that allow housing developers to avoid funding park maintenance.”
Palo Alto City Council Directed staff to develop stronger regulations to curb light pollution
Advocates from the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance and the Sierra Club similarly argued that the city needs to take a more aggressive stance toward light pollution. Shani Kleinhaus, who represented the Bird Alliance, argued that the applicability criteria of the proposed ordinance actually “degrades the protections that residents and the environment in Palo Alto currently enjoy.” She cited one local resident who complained to code enforcement after her neighbor across the street flashed three projectors into her house. “If the ordinance moves forward as is, applying only to new construction that becomes legal, she can no longer ask code enforcement to ask neighbors to turn the light off or turn it down instead of into her home or anything. Basically, any existing property is now exempt,” Kleinhaus said.