CGF: Glossary

Environmental Terms and Acronyms

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Academic Growth Boundary (AGB)
A construct to manage development of Stanford University lands, patterned after Urban Growth Boundaries. The use of an Academic Growth Boundary for Stanford was specifically recommended by the Santa Clara County planning staff, the County Planning Commission, the City of Palo Alto, the Committee for Green Foothills, and others. As with an Urban Growth Boundary, development must occur within the AGB, with lands outside the AGB remaining in open space. With the County's approval of the Community Plan for Stanford on December 12, 2000, an AGB for Stanford has been established and will remain in place for a period of at least 25 years.

Acterra
The nonprofit organization formed by the summer 2000 merger of two Bay Area environmental groups: Bay Area Action and the Peninsula Conservation Center Foundation. Headquartered in the PCC building.
http://www.Acterra.org/

Army Corps of Engineers (ACE)
A federal agency working on engineering and environmental projects nationwide, including planning, designing, building and operating water resources and other civil works projects (navigation, flood control, environmental protection, disaster response, etc.).
http://www.usace.army.mil/

Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
A regional planning agency composed of the cities and counties of the San Francisco Bay Area. It was established in 1961 to protect local control, plan for the future, and promote cooperation on area-wide issues. Its primary activity now is to establish regional housing needs for the nine-county Bay Area.
http://www.abag.ca.gov/

Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG)
A regional forum for planning, discussing, and studying regional problems to assist planning in the cities and counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties.
http://www.ambag.org/

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Bay Area Action + Peninsula Conservation Center Foundation (BAA+PCCF)
See Acterra.

Bay Area Open Space Council (BAOSC)
A collaborative program of public and non-profit agencies and organizations, providing regional leadership and expertise for the preservation and professional management of important open spaces in and around the cities of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC)
Created by the California Legislature in 1965, the 27-member commission is comprised of appointees from the local governments and state/federal agencies. The Commission is charged with regulating all filling and dredging in San Francisco Bay, protecting the Suisun Marsh, regulating new development within the first 100 feet inland from the Bay, and local administration of the federal Coastal Zone Management Act. BCDC jurisdiction is the Bay and inland area within 100 feet of shoreline.
http://www.bcdc.ca.gov/

Buildout
The maximum amount of building that can take place within a certain area, typically over a given period of time.

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California Air Resources Board (ARB)
Part of the California Environmental Protection Agency, the California Air Resources Board is charged with promoting and protecting public health, welfare and ecological resources through the effective and efficient reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering the effects on the economy of the state.
http://www.arb.ca.gov

California Coastal Commission
Established by voter initiative in 1972 (Proposition 20), the Commission is the lead agency responsible for carrying out California's coastal management program. Plans for and regulates development in the coastal zone consistent with the policies of the California Coastal Act. Under the Coastal Act, each City and County within the jurisdictional boundary of the California Coastal Zone must prepare a local Coastal Program (LCP), consistent with the California Coastal Act. The 12-member Coastal Commission certifies the LCPs and acts as an appellate body for certain types of development.
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/

California Conservation Corps (CCC)
State agency with a dual mission — the employment and development of youth, and the protection and enhancement of the state's natural resources. Also involved in emergency response.
http://www.ccc.ca.gov

California Department of Fish and Game (DFG)
A public agency within the Resources Agency of the State of California. This agency is responsible for managing California's diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public. DFG also is responsible for the administration of the provisions of the State Endangered Species Act, and for operating the California Natural Diversity Database. The Department has traditionally focused on hunting and fishing regulations, but is increasingly turning its attention to management of all natural resources.
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
A statute established in 1970 that requires state and local agencies to identify the significant environmental impacts of their actions and to avoid or mitigate those impacts, if feasible. EIRs are prepared as required by CEQA. State-level equivalent of national policy, NEPA. See also National Environmental Protection Act.
http://ceres.ca.gov/ceqa/

California Native Plant Society (CNPS)
The California Native Plant Society is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to increasing understanding of California's native plants and to preserve them in their natural habitats through scientific activities, education, and conservation. The Society works primarily through its local chapters.
http://www.cnps.org/

California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB)
The California Natural Diversity Database is part of the Wildlife and Habitat Data Analysis Branch, Habitat Conservation Division, California Department of Fish and Game. It is a statewide inventory of the locations and condition of the state's rarest species and natural communities. Data in the CNDDB are stored in Geographical Information Systems format, and can be retrieved as reports, maps, or overlays.
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/whdab/html/cnddb.html

California State Department of Transportation (CALTRANS)
Responsible for the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of state highways, of federal highways within California. Also supports intercity passenger rail service.
http://www.dot.ca.gov/

California Transportation Commission (CTC)
A nine-member commission appointed by the Governor and responsible for the programming and allocating of funds for the construction of highway, passenger rail and transit improvements throughout California.

Certificate of Compliance (COC)
A mechanism for legalizing a parcel of land that was created without benefit of review and approval by a local government.
The current landowner must present evidence that the parcel would have complied with applicable laws at the time it was created. The local government (city or county) then issues a Certificate of Compliance. Often, parcels legalized by COCs do not meet today's zoning standards, and may not be buildable (can not be legally developed). See also Conditional Certificate of Compliance.

Citizens' Alliance for the Tunnel Solution (CATS)
A union of the two pro-tunnel groups formed following the 1995/96 winter closure of Highway 1 at Devil's Slide, Citizens for the Tunnel and Pacifica's Tunnel Alternative for Highway 1. CATS, together with Save Our Coast, served as the "Yes on Measure T" Campaign coalition.

Coastal Open Space Alliance (COSA)
An association of organizations and individuals committed to the preservation of open space in San Mateo County, especially in the area of the San Mateo County Coastside. COSA led the effort to support approval of the Coastside Protection Program of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.
CoastalOpenSpace.org

Committee for Green Foothills (CGF)
A regional grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to establish policies and zoning ordinances that protect the environment throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Founded in 1962 to protect local open space, the Committee represents a vision of protected open space, sound long-range planning, and sensible growth. For more than 40 years, our work has been in the forefront of the continuing drive to retain the natural, rural atmosphere of our peninsula and to protect what is left of our local open space.
www.GreenFoothills.org

Community Plan (CP)
A planning tool. Santa Clara County has chosen a Community Plan as the appropriate instrument to regulate the use of Stanford lands. The Community Plan establishes policies and land use designations and will guide the County in its approval processes for development of Stanford lands. The Community Plan will be an amendment to the County General Plan and supercede a current section in the General Plan pertaining to Stanford, and cannot be changed without a vote by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. The entire General Plan is reviewed periodically, and may be amended by the Board of Supervisors. The Community Plan is a policy document and does not provide specific entitlements.
http://www.co.santa-clara.ca.us/planning/ndins.htm

Conditional Certificate of Compliance (CCOC)
A mechanism used by local governments in limited circumstances to require changes in parcel configuration or size to comply with current zoning. With the passage of SB 497, the law will be clarified to make CCOCs applicable in more situations. Often, COCs and CCOCs have been used to legalize parcels which don't really suit the needs of the landowner, or which may not even be developable, but accompanying Lot Line Adjustments can fix this problem. See also Certificate of Compliance.

Coordinated Resource Management and Planning (CRMP)
A consensus-based process tool for managing natural resources in a given area. CRMPs are based on natural resource boundaries, rather than political jurisdictions, organized locally, and involve those who will be affected by the decisions made. See also San Francisquito Watershed Council.

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Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)
A draft report prepared as part of the CEQA review process — state level. The DEIR is an open document that is expected to be modified by public comment. See also Environmental Impact Report.

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Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund (ELDF)
Formerly the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund. A nonprofit law firm that represents environmental clients without charge.
http://www.earthjustice.org/

Eminent Domain
The right of any government entity to take private property for public use in exchange for payment of that property's fair market value. Although the MROSD board issued a resolution (their "willing sellers only" policy) to eliminate the District's right to use eminent domain in the Coastside Protection Program area, residents feared that this decision might be overturned in the future.

Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
A final report prepared as part of the CEQA review process - state level. Analyzes the effect on the environment of significant projects. See also Draft Environmental Impact Report.

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
A document required of federal agencies (or other agencies, when federal funds are involved) by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for major projects or legislative proposals significantly affecting the environment. A tool for decision making, it describes the positive and negative effects of the undertaking and cites alternative actions.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
A federal agency established in 1970 to protect, maintain, restore, and enhance environmental quality and human health through the regulation of activities that have potentially harmful effects on air, water, and land resources.
http://www.epa.gov/

California also has an Environmental Protection Agency, which includes the California Air Resources Board, the State Water Resources Control Board, and other agencies.
http://www.calepa.ca.gov/

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Finding Of No Significant Impacts (FNSI or FONSI)
A document prepared by a federal agency showing why a proposed action would not have a significant impact on the environment and thus would not require preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement. An FNSI is based on the results of an environmental assessment.

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General Use Permit (GUP)
A development entitlement document granted by a governing agency that defines and sets conditions for the amount and type of development allowable within a certain area. A GUP also contains conditions of approval and environmental mitigations for the identified impacts of development.

Greenbelt Alliance
A Bay Area citizen land conservation organization founded in 1958 to protect the region's Greenbelt of open space.
www.greenbelt.org

Greenline
The Urban Growth Boundary for the City of San Jose. In November 1996, the City of San Jose and the County of Santa Clara adopted amendments to their respective General Plans establishing the Greenline.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA)
The world's largest national park in an urban setting. GGNRA's 74,000 acres of land and water include approximately 28 miles of coastline, Alcatraz, Marin Headlands, Fort Funston, Fort Mason, Muir Woods National Monument, Fort Point National Historic Site, the Presidio, Woodside's Phleger property, Milagra Ridge in Pacifica, and Sweeney Ridge. GGNRA also includes an open space easement on San Francisco watershed lands.
http://www.nps.gov/goga/

Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
Designated in 1981, the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is a Federally protected marine area offshore of California's central coast, established for the purpose of resource protection, research, education and public use. Just north of San Francisco, GFNMA includes 1,235 square miles of nearshore and offshore waters ranging from wetlands and intertidal to pelagic and deep-sea communities. Some of the world's busiest shipping lanes pass through the Sanctuary into the San Francisco Bay.
http://www.gfnms.nos.noaa.gov/

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Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP)
A document prepared under the federal Endangered Species Act. HCPs are designed to minimize and mitigate impacts to threatened and endangered plant and animal species while allowing development to proceed through the issuance of "incidental take" permits to developers and landowners. Although some HCPs can be very small, covering only a few acres, many cover entire counties or other large areas.

For more information, see
California Dept. of Fish & Game
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - HCP Homepage
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Conservation Plans and Agreements Database

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League of Conservation Voters (LCV)
A national organization with state and local chapters — see Santa Clara County Chapter of the League of Conservation Voters.
www.lcv.org

League of Women Voters
A nonpartisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government.
www.lwv.org

Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo)
The agency in each county chartered by the Legislature to encourage the orderly growth and management of cities and special districts in California.

Each LAFCo is comprised of two representatives of cities, two representatives of counties, one member of the public and - in some counties - two representatives of Special Districts.

Local Coastal Program (LCP)
Specific implementations of the Coastal Act by cities and counties. Defines how development can take place in the Coastal Zone. For more information, see our LCP Primer.

Lot Line Adjustment (LLA)
A mechanism for adjusting the common boundary lines between two or more adjoining parcels, provided that no new parcels are created. LLAs are used in combination with COCs (and CCOCs) to create more buildable parcels - generally without public review and approval. Together they increase the risk of development in inappropriate locations, loss of open space, and strain on limited public services. SB 497 will now limit the use to LLA's to four parcels per ownership. Landowners who seek greater numbers of LLA's can use a "resubdivision" process, which has greater public review.

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Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
Created by the state Legislature in 1970, MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.
http://www.mtc.dst.ca.us/

Midcoast Community Council
An elected advisory board to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors which represents the unincorporated Midcoast communities of El Granada, Princeton-by-the-Sea, Moss Beach and Montara. The Pescadero Municipal Advisory Council is this group's equivalent on the south coast.
http://mcc.sanmateo.org/

Mid-Peninsula Action for Tomorrow (MPACT)
A peninsula-based grassroots organization formed to fight Stanford's Sand Hill Road development package. Supported in part by Committee for Green Foothills.

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD)
A special district on the peninsula formed to create a regional greenbelt of open space lands, linking District preserves with other public parklands. MROSD was created through the efforts of Committee for Green Foothills members and other conservationists through a voter initiative on the ballot in 1972. At that time, the District's boundaries were within northwestern Santa Clara County, but in 1976, voters approved annexation into southern San Mateo County. In 1992, the District annexed a small portion of Santa Cruz County. In 1998, Coastside voters approved an advisory measure requesting that the District expand their boundaries to include the San Mateo County Coastside. The District encompasses 16 cities and has territory within three counties, although it does not have any county in its entirety. Since its formation in 1972, the District has preserved over 45,000 acres of foothill and baylands open space and manages 24 open space preserves. The District covers an area of 330 square miles and serves a population of approximately 650,000.
http://www.openspace.org/

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS)
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a federally protected marine area offshore of California's central coast, established for the purpose of resource protection, research, education and public use. Stretching from Marin to Cambria, the MBNMS encompasses a shoreline length of 276 miles, and 5,322 square miles of ocean, extending an average distance of 30 miles from shore. At its deepest point, the MBNMS reaches down 10,663 feet (more than two miles).
http://bonita.mbnms.nos.noaa.gov/

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National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA)
A federal act of 1969 requiring federal agencies to identify the predicted environmental impacts of a proposal in an Environmental Impact Statement. See also California Environmental Quality Act.
http://www.cnie.org/nle/leg-8/o.html

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
A federal agency, part of the NOAA. NMFS administers programs that support the domestic and international conservation and management of living marine resources. NMFS provides services and products to support domestic and international fisheries management operations, fisheries development, trade and industry assistance activities, enforcement, protected species and habitat conservation operations, and the scientific and technical aspects of NOAA's marine fisheries program. The NMFS jurisdiction includes oversight of local Coho salmon and steelhead trout populations. See also National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (is a federal agency and part of the Commerce Department. Its mission is to conduct research and gather data about the global oceans, atmosphere, space, and sun, and applies this knowledge to science and service. NOAA provides these services through the National Weather Service, the National Ocean Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and other units. See also National Marine Fisheries Service.
http://www.noaa.gov/

National Park Service (NPS)
Federal agency responsible for promoting, regulating use of, and conserving national parks.
www.nps.gov

Natural Resources Defense Council
Nationwide environmental nonprofit employing science, law, and advocacy to protect the environment.
www.nrdc.org

Negative Declaration (Neg Dec)
A negative declaration is filed when the lead agency filing an Environmental Impact Report has determined that a proposed project poses no significant chance for effect on the environment.

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Parcel
An outlined piece of land that can be sold.

Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST)
Founded in 1977 as a land conservancy for the peninsula. After raising funds from private and public sources, POST purchases properties and then sells lands to public agencies when public monies become available.
www.openspacetrust.org

People for Livable, Affordable Neighborhoods (PLAN)
An activist organization formed by Committee for Green Foothills, the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the Audubon Society, the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club, and the Community Homeless Advocacy Ministry to put a referendum on the ballot in San Jose to defeat the Cisco proposal.

Pescadero Municipal Advisory Council
An elected advisory board to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors which represents the unincorporated south coast communities of Pescadero, Loma Mar, and surrounding unincorporated areas (excluding San Gregorio and La Honda). The Midcoast Community Council is this group's equivalent on the Midcoast.

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San Francisquito Watershed Council
The Watershed Council (formerly known as CRMP) has involved more than 80 agencies, community organizations, and individuals to plan for management of the San Francisquito Creek and its watershed. See also CRMP.
http://www.pccf.org/crmp/

San Mateo County Resource Conservation District (SMCRCD)
A Resource Conservation District is a special district organized by local voters as a unit of local government under state law. Each district has a responsibilities for soil and water conservation and other natural resources within its boundaries. The SMCRCD includes projects to improve and protect watersheds of Pescadero and Butano Creeks, to manage equestrian pollution, and other projects.

Santa Clara County Chapter of the League of Conservation Voters
In May 1995, Committee for Green Foothills led the way in the creation of a Santa Clara County chapter of the LCV. The chapter can endorse local and state officials and ballot measures in support of an environmental agenda.
http://www.ecovote.org/chapters/chapters.htm

Santa Clara County Open Space Authority
The Santa Clara County Open Space Authority was created by the State Legislature in response to efforts by citizens and local governments. The Authority is governed by a directly elected Board of Directors and is comprised of the cities of Campbell, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Santa Clara and San Jose, as well as unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County not within the Midpeninsula Open Space District. Funding, established in 1994, comes from a benefit assessment district within the Authority's boundaries.
http://www.openspaceauthority.org/

Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
This local chapter of the Audubon Society, the second largest chapter in the state, is an active conservation organization affecting legislation and policy issues in the South Bay.
http://www.scvas.org/

Save Our Coast (SOC)
Save Our Coast was formed in 1986 to sponsor Measure A, the landmark environmental initiative for San Mateo County. The initiative won with a 63% vote, resulting in the prohibition of onshore oil facilities for offshore drilling and strong protections for rural areas of the coast. SOC served as an umbrella for the three organizations that have historically opposed the bypass at Devil's Slide: Committee for Green Foothills, Sierra Club, and Committee for the Permanent Repair of Highway 1.

Sequoia Audubon Society
The local chapter of the Audubon Society serving San Mateo County.
http://www.sequoia-audubon.org/

Sewer Authority Midcoast
A Joint Powers Agreement agency that operates the sewer plant on behalf of Half Moon Bay, the Granada Sanitary District, and the Montara Sanitary District.

Special District
A local government agency generally organized to perform a single function, such as managing water, sewer, fire, recreation or parks services.

Stanford Open Space Alliance (SOSA)
A network of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and neighbors dedicated to protection of Stanford's undeveloped lands in the foothills.
http://www.sos-alliance.org/

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Trust for Public Land
A national nonprofit founded in 1972 and working exclusively to protect land for human enjoyment and well-being.
http://www.tpl.org/

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Urban Growth Boundary (UGB)
A boundary, typically enacted for a period of 20 years, to designate areas in which future urban development should occur, and to create economic incentives for development to take place within those areas. UGBs often extend beyond a city’s Urban Service Area as part of a long-term planning strategy; before urban-scale development can occur on land within the UGB, the land must first be annexed to the city’s USA. Compare to Urban Service Area (USA).

Urban Service Area (USA)
City land (developed, undeveloped or agricultural), either incorporated or unincorporated, that is served by urban services (police, fire, water and sanitation) or that is proposed to be served by urban services in the near future. Because land must be annexed to a city’s USA before urban-scale development is allowed, USA boundaries encourage orderly city growth. Compare to Urban Growth Boundary (UGB).

United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Part of the Department of the Interior, this is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. Administers, among many other things, federal listings of endangered and threatened species.
www.fws.gov/

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Williamson Act
The Williamson Act is a procedure authorized under state law to preserve agricultural lands as well as open space. Property owners entering into a Williamson Act contract receive a reduction in property taxes in return for agreeing to protect the land's open space or agricultural values.
http://ceres.ca.gov/topic/env_law/williamson/stat.html