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About DEPM

The Division of Environmental Planning and Management (DEPM) was organized in 1975 to ensure the compliance of the California State Lands Commission with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and to provide analytical staff services (policy and technical) to the members of the Commission, its Executive Officer and the line programs. Some of the functions of this Division are to:

  • Develop, coordinate and implement the Commission's extensive environmental programs. Coordinate the review of and prepare comments on environmental documents circulated through the State Clearinghouse.
  • Serve as the liaison between the Commission and the California Coastal Commission and the Delta Protection Commission. The Chief of the Division represents: 1) the chairman of the Commission who is an ex officio member of the California Coastal Commission; and 2) the Executive Officer who is a voting member of the Delta Protection Commission.
  • Develop, coordinate and administer grants to the Commission for programs and studies funded by federal or private sources.
  • Represent the Commission on task forces and in special project groups affecting the agency; coordinate with other agencies and the public in the review of projects affecting State lands; conduct extensive research projects in response to legislation, and respond to information or program requests of the Commission or other public agencies.
  • Prepare "Public Trust" reports, e.g., "Delta Estuary, California's Inland Coast," "California's Rivers, A Public Trust Report," "California Comprehensive Offshore Resource Report," and "Gateway To The Inland Coast, The Story of the Carquinez Strait."
  • Develop and implement comprehensive plans for land and resource protection and management, e.g., the Sacramento River Greenway Plan and the Carquinez Strait Resource Plan.
  • Administer the Commission's Geographic Information System (GIS) to: 1) provide GIS planning and analytical services to the Division and the Commission's program divisions and other governmental agencies, and 2) facilitate the integration of GIS technology with the Commission's other information systems and functions.
  • Conduct or oversee mitigation monitoring activities to ensure that measures adopted by the Commission to mitigate potential environmental impacts of an approved project are implemented and effective.