Bay Briefing: Stimulus checks could be on the way to a lot more Californians
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Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses California’s budget surplus during a visit to Oakland.Jessica Christian/The Chronicle
Good morning, Bay Area. It’s Tuesday, May 11, and graduating S.F. high school students could return to the classroom for as little as one day. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
‘A remarkable turnaround’
California has far more money than it expected and a month to decide how to spend it.
State finance officials project that California will have a $38 billion discretionary surplus in the upcoming fiscal year, more than twice what the Department of Finance estimated in January, reflecting an economy that has recovered far more quickly than expected from the pandemic-induced recession, particularly for the wealthiest Californians.
Could this $36 million Central Valley river restoration project help with California s droughts?
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Julie Rentner, president of River Partners, visits Dos Rios Ranch in Modesto, where a floodplain is being restored.Yalonda M. James / The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
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Dos Rios Ranch seeks to re-establish a natural floodplain with many water-saving and flood-diversion benefits.Yalonda M. James/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
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The Tuolumne River will flood this plain at the Dos Rios Ranch in Modesto.Paul Kuroda/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
MODESTO As California enters what could be a record-breaking drought, a just-completed nine-year floodplain restoration project at the confluence of the San Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers offers an ambitious attempt at one mitigation solution.
Scientists say the world has the next decade or so to avoid the most dire environmental scenarios, so we must invest in land restoration, two environmental advocates say.
Julie Rentner and Manuel Oliva
2021 presents opportunities for decisive and positive action, including the launch of the United Nationsâ Decade on Ecosystem Restoration which reinforces the importance of healing degraded ecosystems around the world before itâs too late. It gives us great hope to know that California is committed to leadership through investment and sharing lessons learned from decades of experience.
Our diverse ecosystems, abundant natural resources and a mild climate have helped attract millions of residents and developed Californiaâs world-class economy. Sadly, our approach to economic progress has imperiled our unique wetlands, grasslands, rivers and mountain meadows â natural assets directly responsible for purifying and storing our drinking water, sequestering carbon, providing recreational opportunities, supporting diverse wildlife habitat and so much more.