John Laird
The Natural Resources Agency is charged with protecting the state’s natural, historical and cultural resources. An official announcement of the state’s head environmental official is expected as early as Monday when Brown takes office. Brown’s office has been tight-lipped about its appointments.
Laird’s appointment is a boon for the Sierra and its foothills, because the 60-year-old has longstanding ties to the region. Among them: He is on the board of the Sierra Fund in Nevada City. (Laird will need to resign from the Sierra Fund to become Secretary). Laird also is a Sierra homeowner, making him a regional “stakeholder.”
During his legislative tenure, Laird authored 82 bills signed into law, including ones to establish the landmark Sierra Nevada Conservancy and significantly expand water conservation. He also became a leading voice for sustainable building.
The Sierra Nevada Conservancy region, made up of all or part of 22 counties and more than 25 million acres, is one of the world’s most significant natural and biologically diverse regions.
(An insider’s footnote: Artwork from Photographer Elizabeth Carmel of Truckee, featured at the top of this blog, is displayed in the Conservancy’s office in Auburn; Nevada City once vied for that office).
Laird was elected to the 27th Assembly District in 2002 and was re-elected in 2004 and 2006, with more than 70 percent of the vote.
Democrat Laird ran for state Senator for District 15 this past year but lost to Republican Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee to fill the Central Coast seat vacated by Abel Maldonado.
The defeat last August (44 percent to 48 percent) kept the seat in GOP hands — a victory for the party in a Democratic state.
Laird also served on the Santa Cruz City Council and on the Cabrillo College Board of Trustees. Laird was raised in Vallejo and educated in Vallejo public schools. He graduated from UC Santa Cruz’s Adlai Stevenson College.
Laird has been active with the lesbian and gay community. In the Assembly, he served as chair of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus.
Laird lives in Santa Cruz. He is a life-long Chicago Cubs fan.
Laird replaces Lester Snow, who was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Feb. 1.
“Fishing groups, Indian Tribes and environmentalists have criticized Snow, as Schwarzenegger’s head environmental official, for his support of the peripheral canal and new dams, the controversial Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative and the annual dewatering of the Scott and Shasta rivers, key Klamath River tributaries, by irrigators,” as the Bay Area Independent Media Center reported.
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Great news. Thanks for the post Jeff.
Jeff,
Good scoop!
Now which of our natural resources will Mr. Laird be willing to manage: Forestry? Mining? Water?
Our state has such potential!
John
He will be managing all the pirates in California.
Hippie New Year, Mister Stoos!!
M.
Michael,
Not really very far from the truth!
Happy New Year to you and yours as well.
John
The Sierra Find has been partnering with the Taylorsville Rancheria’s Tsi Akim tribe.
One hopes, that in his new position, Mr. Laird acquaints himself with the Nisenan, and the NCR, Nevada County’s own indigenous peoples, and deals with them fairly on tribal matters.
It would be nice if someone at Sierra Fund got that one right.
Thanks Judith! Nevada County needs to wake up and embrace its own indigenous peoples!
Outstanding and well earned!
John Laird is one of the most genuine, intellectually gifted and truly compassionate public servants I have ever met. His work — and that of his staff — and his courage in taking on the Sierra Conservancy legislation over the hue and cry of objection from “local stakeholders” — and then being a gentleman enough to allow them to participate in the success as the writing was on the wall, is one of the most inspired things I’ve ever participated in.
He will be an exceptional Resources Secretary, who will have to manage the agency with increasing demands and limited financial resources.
My hope is that he implements “outcomes” based planning for the agencies and Conservancies so that we leverage other state agencies and federal agencies in directing financial resources towards identified objectives, and stop the Agency from behaving as if resource protection exists outside of job creation or economic development or community stabilization.
Thanks for your insight Shawn. Let’s hope Tom McClintock, in his new role in Congress helping to “manage” our district’s natural resources, will work constructively with state officials such as John Laird. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, but I’m going to shine a light on it either way.
Happy New Year to you and your family!
I could not agree more with Shawn about John Laird. He is one insightful, intelligent, understanding and benevolent guy. During the Sierra Nevada Conservancy effort he worked tirelessly with state staff, including the Governors office and Assemblyman Tim Leslie’s office to make sure that local concerns were not just considered, but meaningfully incorporated into the process. His staff did most of the drafting of the legislation, and shared credit kindly with others.
During a truly tight race for the state Senate against Sam Blakeslee he stayed above the fray, did not engage in negative politics, and campaigned on real issues, not personality.
John co-won the Vision 2020 award (along with Tim Leslie) from Sierra Business Council in 2005 for his work on creating the Sierra Nevada Conservancy .
He will be a truly great Resources Secretary.
I also agree with Shawn that John Laird is the guy who can implement new outcome based planning at the agency, and could leap into a performance based budget approach, with an open mind and real desire to link resources to local economies.
It is a good start to the year for the Sierra Nevada.
A couple of other references to John Laird are coming out now that I have a news alert posted for him.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16988724
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/terry-tamminen/hell-be-back_b_802128.html?ir=Politics
Hey Steve,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, too. The SBC showed real prescience in handing out that award five years ago. Happy New Year.
BTW, this report, on Friday, was ahead of all others. The Bee has been pointing to this blog all day and yesterday. Shows how the media landscape is changing.