Members of the Coalition

Alliance for Habitat Conservation Calpine Corporation Associated General Contractors Chemical Industry Council of California Association of California Water Agencies CH2M Hill California Association of REALTORS® Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California Building Industry Association California California Business Properties Association Home Ownership Advancement Foundation California Business Roundtable Imperial Irrigation District California Cable and Telecommunications Independent Oil Producers Agency Association Institute of Real Estate Managers California Cattlemen’s Association International Council of Shopping Centers California Chamber of Commerce International Mass Retailers Association California Chapters of the National Association Kings River Conservation District of Industrial and Office Properties Kings River Water Association California Council for Environmental and League of California Cities Economic Balance Nisei Farmers League California Downtown Association Resource Landowners Coalition California Farm Bureau Federation Sacramento Valley Landowners Association California Independent Petroleum Association San Diego Regional Economic Development California Manufacturers and Technology Corporation Association Sempra Energy California Mining Association Southern California Ready-Mixed Concrete California Natural Gas Producers Association Association California Retailers Association Southern California Rock Products Association California State Council of Laborers State Water Contractors California State University Wine Institute California Women for Agriculture

An Open Letter To The California Legislature September 22, 2003

We, the members of the coalition of organizations and companies listed above, wish to thank the Legislature for not approving SB 18 (Burton) during the recently completed legislative session. SB 18 failed passage in the Assembly on September 12. During the debates on this measure, it became clear that while the Legislature desired to protect Native American traditional tribal cultural sites (TTCS), there were many concerns with the new land-use decision- making process envisioned by the bill and the disruptive impact it would have on local and state infrastructure projects and residential and commercial development in the state.

Throughout the year, the coalition stressed the fact that it was not opposed to the goal of protecting traditional tribal cultural sites. Rather, the coalition was concerned with the dramatic shift in land-use decision-making from local government to the state, the new complications the bill would create for environmental impact reviews under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and the reliance on project-by-project reviews rather than up-front identification and planning.

We continue to believe a constructive solution is possible. Indeed, as California’s economic development stakeholders – who are committed to a certain and systematic method of protecting TTCS while preserving local government sovereignty and working within the context and timeframes of CEQA – we are prepared to sit down immediately with tribal leaders and go to work to develop a balanced and workable law that works for all parties.

Again, the coalition appreciates being given the opportunity to help achieve the legislative goal of protecting and preserving sites of cultural and religious significance to Native Americans in California. We look forward to working with all parties toward this objective in the coming months.