Quick Take
Santa Cruz County needs more ways to fight “weather whiplash,” and advocates believe Measure Q is the answer. The measure on November’s ballot establishes a dedicated fund for proactive work to protect our natural water sources, ocean and beaches, as well as investments in wildfire risk reduction, wildlife habitat enhancement and improvement of parks. It has widespread support from elected leaders and environmental groups. Sarah Newkirk, executive director at the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, retired water resources manager John Ricker and Jared Childress, program manager for the Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association, argue that it will help us better prepare for an uncertain future of climate-induced change.
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In Santa Cruz County, we have a long-standing reputation for crafting our own solutions to big issues we face as a community. We don’t like waiting to be rescued by others, especially by the state or federal governments. Measure Q, the Water & Wildfire Protection Act, is a great example of our local spirit of innovation and independence – in this case as a response to the frequency and intensity of the natural disasters that continue to thrash Santa Cruz County.
Extreme weather, or “weather whiplash,” has been wreaking havoc on Santa Cruz County with growing frequency and levels of damage in the form of droughts, catastrophic wildfires (CZU Lightning Complex fire), flooding (Pajaro River) and wave action along the coast (Capitola and Seacliff).
These weather events, driven by climate change, threaten our local natural water sources, redwood forests, wetlands and wildlife habitats, as well as our way of life. Measure Q represents ongoing local investment in strategies that make our precious lands and community more resilient to the impacts of extreme weather.
How will Measure Q help protect us?
Investments will go toward resilience projects that follow proven practices and science to reduce wildfire risk, protect natural water sources and enhance wildlife habitats. Here are a few examples of the types of projects Measure Q could fund:
- Habitat restoration along the banks of rivers and other water bodies. Restored native habitats result in less erosion, as well as fewer pollutants entering waterways.
- Groundwater recharge projects to reduce runoff and flooding, reduce erosion and sedimentation and increase water supplies.
- Fuel-load reduction through funding for wood-chipping programs that support homeowners who reduce brush around their homes and properties.
- Reintroduction of low-intensity controlled burns on public lands, conducted by qualified experts, including tribal partners.
The funds raised by Measure Q will be held in a separate account with the County of Santa Cruz and legally can only be used for purposes articulated in Measure Q. Measure Q will raise approximately $7.3 million annually by collecting $87 per year for each parcel of land in the county.
Fiscal accountability and transparency will be hallmarks of Measure Q. A nine-member committee of local residents will steer all spending decisions. The committee will work openly and be subject to California’s Brown Act, which ensures public participation and transparency in decision-making by public agencies. Annual audits will be conducted to ensure the county spends the funds responsibly.
Recognizing the urgency we face and the vision of Measure Q, a broad coalition of leaders has united to support us. Dozens of influential local organizations have vetted the measure, taken votes of their leadership and endorsed Measure Q.
Organizations dedicated to wildfire prevention uniquely understand how high the stakes are, as sustained high temperatures and more frequent droughts become part of our “new normal.” It is especially meaningful that Measure Q has earned the endorsement of the Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County, Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association and the Professional Firefighters of Santa Cruz County, Local 3535, the largest union of firefighters in Santa Cruz County.
Support for Measure Q is especially strong from local environmental, conservation and climate change nonprofits. These organizations have deep experience in stewarding our ocean, forests, rivers, agricultural lands and park spaces. A quick sampling of some of these organizations includes Save Our Shores, Watsonville Wetlands Watch, Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, Sempervirens Fund, Ecology Action and the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau.
Measure Q is about investing in our future and protecting our way of life.
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That’s why support for Measure Q also comes from a broad range of organizations focused on creating and maintaining a sustainable community that benefits all: the Democratic party and every Democratic club, as well as the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council and Santa Cruz Works.
Elected officials have also stepped forward to strongly support Measure Q, including U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, state Sen. John Laird, Assemblymembers Dawn Addis and Gail Pellerin, all five county supervisors, as well as numerous elected officials representing city councils, water agencies and school districts throughout the county.
Measure Q, the Water & Wildfire Protection Act, is an initiative authored by local residents with a vision for a Santa Cruz County that is more resilient to extreme weather, with a dedicated source of funding that cannot be taken from us and is spent with transparency and direct input from residents.
Our local, treasured natural resources need our help.
Measure Q is Santa Cruz County’s first-ever opportunity to directly and specifically take control of our future in the face of a changing climate. Please join the long list of respected leaders and local organizations endorsing the Water & Wildfire Protection Act and support yes on Q in this election.
Sarah Newkirk is the executive director of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County. She is an energetic conservation strategist with a passion for bringing nature into communities by uncovering the myriad values the land has for people.
John Ricker is a UC Santa Cruz environmental studies graduate. He worked for Santa Cruz County in watershed management, water quality and water resources management 1974-2020, and has served as an advisor for the California Water Plan and other state water quality plans. He serves on the board of the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County and the Regional Water Management Foundation, a subsidiary of the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County. He has always lived in rural areas in the wildland-urban interface.
Jared Childress is the program manager for the Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association. He is a California certified burn boss, has worked in wildland fire since 2001 and lives in Bonny Doon, where he volunteers as a firefighter.