Air Quality and Public Health Events – Spanish & Vietnamese (September 2024)
Valley Vision, United Latinos and ClimatePlan co-hosted two educational community events on Wednesdays September 18th and 25th in South Sacramento, where more than 95 community members learned about vehicle emissions impacts to public health, and ways they can improve air quality.
Additionally, thank you to Teatro Nagual and Breathe California – Sacramento Region who contributed to two successful and impactful in-language events. Also, huge thanks to Laguardia Translations for providing interpretation services to Spanish and Vietnamese community members present at the events!
Presentation slides for both the Spanish and Vietnamese events are listed below:
- Learn more about the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District’s Clean Cars 4 All Program, where income-qualified Sacramento residents can trade in their old vehicles and receive rebates for purchasing zero or near-zero emissions vehicles or electric bikes.
- Need help with your energy bill? Community Resource Project can help you through their Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).
These educational community events are a part of the Sacramento County Vehicle Emissions Project (VEP) funded by Sacramento County Department of Public Health and the State of California Department of Justice.
CAP Technical Advisory: Checking in on the 2025 Blueprint with SACOG (December 2024)
At the December 6th Cleaner Air Partnership Technical Advisory Committee (CAP TAC) meeting, SACOG staff shared updates on the 2025 Blueprint, methodologies they utilized for land use and transportation assumptions, and what’s next on the timeline for 2025.
Thank you to the generous contributors to the Cleaner Air Partnership: Sac Metro Air District, Teichert, SMUD, CEMEX, Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District, Sutter Health, Sacramento Association of REALTORS®, Placer County Air Pollution Control District, PG&E, and the El Dorado County Air Quality Management District.
Additionally, thank you to SACOG Staff for the in-depth presentation:
- Hannah Tschudin, Outreach Coordinator – Government & Public Affairs
- Dov Kadin, Senior Planner – Planning and Programming
- Samuel Shelton, Senior Planner – Transportation
Presentation Slides:
Other related resources:
- Presentation: SACOG’s Travel Demand Model Presentation
*Virtual* CAP Technical Advisory: 2025 Blueprint – December 6th
At the next *Virtual* Cleaner Air Partnership Technical Advisory Committee (CAP TAC) meeting, SACOG staff will share updates on the 2025 Blueprint including the technical methodologies used for land use and transportation, and what is next on the timeline. RSVP to receive a Zoom link!
CAP events are an opportunity to learn about important air quality topics affecting the 6-county Sacramento region. Thank you to the generous contributors to the Cleaner Air Partnership: Sac Metro Air District, Teichert, CEMEX, Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District, SMUD, Sutter Health, Sacramento Association of REALTORS®, Placer County Air Pollution Control District, PG&E, and the El Dorado County Air Quality Management District.
All CAP events are free to attend. We are looking forward to connecting with you at the next event! For inquiries, please email Kathy Saechou at kathy.saechou@valleyvision.org.
Biomass & Beyond Regional Event (November 2024)
Valley Vision hosted a regional gathering at the Folsom Community Center where attendees discussed solutions for our forests and working lands, focused on the opportunities around biomass utilization. At the event, participants took part in establishing a shared understanding of biomass utilization, exploring workforce needs surrounding forest health and management, and agricultural careers in our region, and mobilizing leaders, community members, and decision-makers for action.
Resources including the recording and presentation slides are listed below:
- Forest Entrepreneurship Training (Tuition Free) – Dec. 7th & 8th, 2024
- Report: Forest Biomass Diversion in the Sierra Nevada (2015)
Many thanks to our steering committee for assisting Valley Vision in event development:
- Erik White, Placer County Air Pollution Control District
- Tony Firenzi, Placer County Water Agency
- Kerri Timmer, Placer County
- Lindsey Nitta, We Prosper Together Leadership Council
- Norma Santiago, South of the Fork American River Collaborative
- Jeff Clary, Foundation for California Community Colleges
- Erin Kangas, North Far North Regional Consortium
This event was hosted in collaboration with the Cleaner Air Partnership, Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative, and the Los Rios Community College District.
Drive Change Public Workshop (October 23rd, 2024)
At the public workshop on Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024 at the Oak Park Community Center, Valley Vision partnered with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to provide Sacramento County residents the opportunity to help develop regulations to reduce air pollution from gasoline cars and light trucks, and enhance the process of purchasing and driving a zero-emission vehicle. Residents also had the opportunity to learn more about local efforts to improve access to clean mobility and air quality.
Thank you to the California Air Resources Board for making this event possible, and thank you to the organizations and agencies who provided resources to community members. Last but not least, thank you to the community members who provided valuable input to help inform changes to clean mobility regulations!
The following are resources that were shared at the workshop including the presentation slides:
- The California Air Resources Board protects public health from the harmful effects of air pollution through development and implementation of clean mobility programs and regulations such as Advanced Clean Cars II. Stay informed.
- Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District’s Clean Cars 4 All Program is available to income-qualified Sacramento residents to apply for up to $12,000 towards the purchase of a zero or near-zero emission vehicle or electric bike.
- The City of Sacramento is expanding access to and awareness of electric vehicles primarily in under-resourced communities through the EV Blueprint project.
- Sacramento Clean Cities Coalition works to move fleets to zero-emission levels and implement mobility hubs for traditionally underserved communities. Engage with the Coalition.
- The California Energy Commission provides funding to support the deployment of clean transportation infrastructure and technologies. Learn more about the Clean Transportation Program.
Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG)
Overview:
The U.S. EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program provides funding to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to develop and implement plans that reduce greenhouse gases and associated criteria and toxic air pollution, create green jobs to support a low carbon economy and provide tangible benefits to communities impacted by environmental injustice. The CPRG program is a two-phased grant program that provides funding for planning grants and implementation grants. Planning funds can be used to update existing climate, energy, or sustainability plans or to develop new plans. The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (Sac Metro Air District) is leading the climate planning process for the Sacramento region – El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba.
In March 2024, the Sac Metro Air District published the Capital Region Climate Priorities Plan which serves as the CPRG Priority Climate Action Plan for the Sacramento region.
The Sac Metro Air District and the CPRG steering committee are creating a new regional climate action plan that draws from the policies, greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction measures, and quantification methodologies for existing climate action plans, sustainability plans, greenhouse gas reduction plans, and energy plans in the Sacramento region to make a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP). The CCAP acts as a pathway for the long-term implementation of priorities established under the Capital Region Climate Priorities Plan to further advance climate action in the Sacramento region.
What is Valley Vision’s role?
Valley Vision is the lead for the “Community & Stakeholder Engagement” component of the larger CCAP, and is supported by AECOM. Our role is to identify inclusive engagement strategies to understand community preferences and priorities around GHG strategy implementation, specifically for Low-Income Disadvantaged Communities.
Visit the Sac Meto Air Districts project page for more information about the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program. Please reach out to Grace.Kaufman@valleyvision.org with any questions.
EV Blueprint Phase II
Overview:
The City of Sacramento’s EV Blueprint project is working to expand access to clean mobility options in underserved neighborhoods across the city.
Expanding access to Electric Vehicles (EVs) in underserved communities is important to address transportation, air quality, and infrastructure-related inequities. It is also an important step for meeting the state’s climate and EV goals of transitioning 100% of new cars to zero-emission vehicles by 2035, helping to reduce the impacts of air pollution in environmental justice communities. Some of the challenges communities currently face to accessing electric vehicles are upfront costs of purchasing an EV, lack of access to residential and public charging infrastructure, and lack of awareness about affordable EVs and programs.
As part of an award from the CA Energy Commission, the City is deploying three distinct types of infrastructure in communities in which the most significant barriers to EV access and adoption persist.
- Level 2 electric vehicle chargers will be installed at 13 libraries, community centers, and parks in the City of Sacramento to provide convenient access for residents who may have challenges charging at their home or work.
- In partnership with the Sacramento Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD), the City will expand the Our Community Car Share Program (OCCS) beginning with a hub at the Colonial Heights Library. Income-qualified residents near the hubs will be able to reserve an electric vehicle for personal use at an affordable rate. The goal is to enhance mobility for households with limited options and introduce residents to the benefits and ease of driving electric vehicles.
- Through a collaboration with the Sacramento Public Library, an electric tricycle (eTrike) lending program was launched in August 2023 at the Colonial Heights Library. Library patrons 18 and older with a valid library card can check out an electric tricycle with cargo capacity for personal use at no charge for up to 1 week. The goal is to introduce the community to electric-assisted cycling as an alternative for short local trips. This project will bring meaningful infrastructure to the 66,000+ residents near the new charging sites and their larger communities and will address mobility needs while improving air quality in our region.
Valley Vision is the project team lead for the “Engagement and Relationship Building” component of the larger EV Blueprint Phase II project, and is supported by subcontractors Frontier Energy, ClimatePlan, and Diysl Consulting. Our role is to engage underserved communities to increase education and awareness of the EV Blueprint project and the new mobility options that are coming to their neighborhoods.
Visit the City’s project page for more information about EV Blueprint implementation and project updates.
How to check out an eTrike:
- Visit: saclibrary.org/etrike
E-trikes available for check-out at:
- Colonial Heights Library
- Belle Cooledge Library (coming soon)
- North Natomas Library (coming soon)
- South Natomas Library (coming soon)
The City of Sacramento and Brent Trayce Sands at Impound Comics worked with the Sacramento Public Library’s System-wide Teen Advisory Board (S.T.A.B.) to create an innovative comic book about EVs and E-bikes that takes place in South Sacramento.
RSVP: Biomass & Beyond Regional Event – November 20th
Join Valley Vision for a regional gathering to propel solutions for biomass utilization, with an emphasis on policy advocacy, community impact, and workforce opportunities related to biomass utilization in our forests and working lands.
This event, hosted in collaboration with the Cleaner Air Partnership, Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative, and the Los Rios Community College District, will establish a shared understanding of biomass utilization, explore the future of forest management and agricultural careers in our region, and mobilize leaders and decision-makers for action.
RSVP today to join the conversation on November 20th! Registration is for food and event planning purposes.
For inquiries and additional requests for accommodations, please email Kathy Saechou at kathy.saechou@valleyvision.org by end of day November 6th, 2024.
Drive Change Public Workshop – October 23rd
Join community members on Wednesday, October 23rd at the Oak Park Community Center to help shape California’s clean car future!
Valley Vision is partnering with the California Air Resources Board to enable community members to (1) help develop regulations to reduce air pollution from gasoline cars and light trucks, and (2) enhance the process of purchasing and driving a zero-emission vehicle. We’ll also share information about local efforts to improve access to clean mobility and air quality.
Spanish translation services are available. Please reach out to kathy.saechou@valleyvision.org with questions about language and accessibility accommodations.
*Come as early as 5:30 PM for a free meal, as the event will begin promptly at 6:00 PM.
For questions or more information about the event, contact: kathy.saechou@valleyvision.org or cleancars@arb.ca.gov.
Valley Vision 30th Anniversary Celebration – Video & Photos (2024)
Thirty years ago, Valley Vision was founded to establish a vibrant future for the Sacramento region. Today, Valley Vision serves as the region’s trusted civic leadership hub. During our history, we have led hundreds of projects touching every aspect of the region’s well-being, including healthcare, air quality, workforce training, economic development, and empowering vulnerable populations.
At our 30th Anniversary celebration on Thursday, September 12th, 2024, we shared the video produced by our friends at KJ2 Productions, which highlights our history and work to date, as well as what the future holds for Valley Vision:
We are also thrilled to have worked with Tia Gemmell to capture event photos. A few favorites are below:
Valley Vision 30th Anniversary Report (2024)
Thirty years ago, Valley Vision was founded to establish a vibrant future for the Sacramento region. Today, Valley Vision serves as the region’s trusted civic leadership hub. During our history, we have led hundreds of projects touching every aspect of the region’s well-being, including healthcare, air quality, workforce training, economic development, and empowering vulnerable populations.
In 2024, Valley Vision reflects on the past three decades and celebrates its impact on the region with this 30-Year Impact Report:
Air Quality and Public Health in South Sacramento – September 18th (Spanish/English)
Come learn about community resources to improve public health and air quality in Sacramento! There will be free food, entertainment, and giveaways!
Join residents and community-based groups on Wednesday September 18th, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Millennium Event Center (560 Power Inn Rd #500, Sacramento, CA 95824) to learn about important vehicle emissions impacts to public health and air quality in South Sacramento.
Register at air-quality-and-public-health-sept18.eventbrite.com.
Sacramento residents face many health challenges due to poor air quality and some communities are more impacted than others by vehicle emission exposure due, in part, to their proximity to major roads and freeways. This community-led event is one of many efforts across Sacramento County to address and take action on public health impacts from vehicle emissions.
This event is a part of the Sacramento County Vehicle Emissions Project funded by the California Department of Justice. The effort is led by a diverse coalition conducting mobile air monitoring and assessing health impacts in the West Arden Arcade, North Highlands, South Sacramento, North Vineyard and Gardenland-Northgate areas.
This will be a Spanish primary language event, with English language translations. If you have other language needs or require additional accommodations, please email Kathy Saechou by end of day September 6th, 2024 at kathy.saechou@valleyvision.org.