Brown will name Laird as Secretary of Natural Resources, insiders say
Source: Kurtis Alexander, Lisa M. Krieger & Paul Rogers/MediaNews
Gov.-elect Jerry Brown is expected to appoint former Santa Cruz legislator John Laird as Secretary of Natural Resources, sources said Saturday — a role that will give the environmental advocate a powerful voice in oversight of logging, fishing, farming, parks and water policies.
The appointment, likely to be announced after Brown's swearing-in this week, suggests the governor-elect is hewing to his liberal principals, despite much talk about bipartisanship in the face of the state's budget disaster. If named to the post, Laird faces an agenda that includes some of California's most contentious issues. One of the most immediate will be the decline of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a major link in the state's water supply. A pricey state bond, designed to address the numerous pressures on the delta, is expected to go before voters in 2012. Other problems include underfunding of the state park system and a shortage of wildlife wardens. Laird would oversee 25 state agencies and boards, including the Department of Water Resources, the Department of Fish and Game, Cal Fire and State Parks. Brown adviser Steve Glazer would not confirm the news — announced by the advocacy group Environment California and confirmed by several sources familiar with the selection — saying that all cabinet appointments will be announced only after Brown takes office Monday. "We are not making any announcements this weekend," Glazer said. Laird, 60, declined to comment.
Laird's political life, which started on the Santa Cruz City Council three decades ago, has been marked by environmental advocacy. On the council, he led fights against offshore oil drilling and pushed for the designation of the Monterey Bay as a national marine sanctuary. As a Democratic Assemblyman he co-authored California's landmark climate bill, AB 32; promoted water conservation; expanded the development of renewable energy and sustainable building standards; protected oil spill response funding; and established the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, a state agency designed to protect the mountain region. He earned a score of 100 percent from the California League of Conservation Voters, which called him "hands-down one of the best legislators California has had this decade." Laird also is considered an ace on state finances, having chaired the Assembly's powerful Budget Committee. To read more, visit the Monterey Herald online: