Category: Blog Post

What matters to me today is Land Use Decision-Making: Who Decides? “Land use, who decides?” The answer, of course, is “all of the above.” Land use decisions necessarily involve local decision-making, state decision-making, and federal decision-making. When we try to elevate one above the others, we...

What matters to me today is the Endangerment Finding Is Dead. Massachusetts v. EPA May Be Next. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized and will publish tomorrow (2/18/2026) its rescission of the 2009 Endangerment Finding—the legal foundation for federal regulation of greenhouse gases from motor vehicles. That single...

What matters to me today is The Endangerment Finding: Yes, You Care. Reports in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and elsewhere state that the Administration’s final repeal of the Endangerment Finding is imminent. Yet, for now, the federal government websites that climate-policy wonks like me refresh compulsively...

What matters to me today is the ongoing AB 130 debate. California’s AB 130 CEQA exemption has become one of the most debated housing tools in recent memory, and the conversation is far from settled. In just the past two weeks, I had the privilege of moderating a panel...

“Lions and tigers and bears”?  Try: “Lions and bees and owls”!!  OH MY!!! If you’re a frequent reader of my humble little blog, you know there has been disproportionate focus on species of late.  Never my intent!  But the inescapable fact is that since launching my own shop last...

What matters to me today are CEQA and species. California law is clear: the Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) must comply with CEQA before issuing an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) for a protected species — including candidate species. Problems arise when a city or county previously served as...

What matters to me today is the [NOT] 40th Annual [NOT] UCLA Land Use Law and Planning Conference. One of the most personally impactful milestones of my legal career was three icon mentors in my legal practice inviting me to co-Chair what I considered the preeminent conference in my...

What matters to me today is California Development at a Crossroads in 2026. As California heads into 2026, land use and environmental regulation sit at an unusually volatile intersection of law, politics, and uncertainty. First, CEQA is on the ballot. After years of incremental legislative tweaks...

What matters to me today is the future of CDFW without Director Bonham. Governor Gavin Newsom’s selection of the next Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) may prove one of the most consequential appointments of his remaining term—and perhaps of a likely 2028 presidential run....

What matters to me today is CEQA on the ballot. For decades, Sacramento has promised meaningful, comprehensive reform of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Yet each legislative session ends the same way: a patchwork of exemptions for politically favored projects, no structural fixes, and growing frustration from communities...

What matters to me today is regulatory déjà vu . . . again. If it feels like we’re reliving the same regulatory battles every administration, it’s because we are. The latest wave of proposed rules from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)...

What matters to me today are climate-related regulatory fits and starts. Climate policy continues to unfold in fits and starts, this week offering a vivid illustration of California’s chaotic regulatory landscape. Just hours after California Air Resources Board (CARB) staff held a workshop outlining implementation plans for SB 261...