Education
Total budget-balancing reductions for the Higher Education segments amount to $1.1 billion in
2008-09. Of this amount, $649.4 million is for General Fund programs. Funding for the following
programs has been maintained:
Science Math Initiative: $3.3 million. Funding will continue to the CSU and UC to address the
shortage of high-quality math and science teachers in public schools. The project is intended to
double the number of math and science teacher produced by CSU and UC by 2010.
Environment, Energy and Water
Total budget-balancing reductions for CalEPA amount to $8.3 million and reductions for the
Resource Agency amount to $89.3 million in 2008-09. These reductions include the following:
$4.3 million in 2008-09 for the State Water Resources Control Board. These reductions will result
in delays to the Board's capacity to issue permits for pollutant discharge elimination systems that
regulate the discharge of wastewater to surface waters in the state.
$0.1 million in 2007-08 and $1 million in 2008-09 for the Office of Environmental Health Hazard
Assessment (OEHHA). This adjustment will reduce funding available for scientific evaluations of the
effects of fuels on human health and the state's environment and will reduce the number of air toxic
contaminant evaluations that OEHHA can perform annually.
$1.4 million in 2007-08 and $3.6 million in 2008-09 for the Department of Fish and Game's (Fish
and Game's) Biodiversity Conservation Program. This reduction will reduce funding for habitat
restoration projects and the review of timber harvest plans.
$5.4 million for the Department of Water Resources' (DWR) Flood Management Program. This
reduction will be partially offset because Proposition 1E and Proposition 84 funds are available for
erosion repair, sediment removal, and Delta levee projects.
Funding is proposed, however, at maintained or increased levels for the following:
California Education and the Environment Initiative. The budget includes $1,167,000 one-time for
2008-09 and $917,000 one-time for 2009-10 from the California Beverage Container Recycling Fund to
implement the California Education and the Environment Initiative. The California Integrated Waste
Management Board will assist in the development of the K-12 classroom curriculum for core subjects
incorporating environmental principles and concepts, and will educate students in how their personal
consumption and recycling choices affect the environment.
Green Chemistry and Pollution Prevention. The budget includes $772,000 to expand the existing
Pollution Prevention program in the area of green chemistry. These resources will focus on product
design and industrial innovation that reduces the use of harmful chemicals in products and generates
fewer emissions and less waste.
Water Quality and Water Rights Investigation and Enforcement. $790,000 is budgeted for the Waste
Discharge Permit Fund, $524,000 Water Rights Fund to fund investigators and enforcement personnel
for the State Water Resources Control Board. The program enhancements will improve the Water Boards'
ability to enforce state laws.
Transportation
Transportation Research Initiative. Funding would increase by $5 million to augment UC's
multi-campus Institute for Transportation Studies (ITS), for a total of almost $6 million. This
increase will fund ITS' development of integrated land use and transportation models that can
measure the impact of actions by local governments on greenhouse gas emissions.