To help local communities effectively participate in the environmental review process the Planning and Conservation League Foundation developed the Community Guide to CEQA. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that the environmental impacts of proposed development projects be rigorously evaluated, and that feasible mitigation measures or alternatives be adopted prior to project approval. The Workshop and Community Guide will help you understand the CEQA process and give you the tools to participate effectively.

Workshop Background
Since 1998, the PCL Foundation has offered introductory community workshops focusing on the fundamentals of CEQA. This workshop series focuses on presenting useful information about CEQA, and is especially intended to empower local residents and local environmental and social justice groups with the ability to affect decisions at the local level that will fundamentally determine the future of their community.

Who Should Attend
The PCL Foundation usually has between 50 and 75 participants at each workshop, depending on the community and its need. Participants include individuals, non-profits, agency staff, policymakers, environmental advocates and community leaders.

Arranging a Workshop
To learn how you can schedule a workshop in your community, please contact us:

Sierra Nevada Counties
Justin Saydell jsaydell@pcl.org
916-313-4506

Non-Sierra Nevada Counties
Melanie Schlotterbeck mschlotterbeck@pcl.org
714-779-7561

Workshop Program
Each CEQA Workshop has the same general outline with specific local examples. For ease of instruction, the Workshop Agenda closely parallels the Community Guide to CEQA and contains information on the following items:

1. Introduction
2. CEQA’s Purpose and the Power of CEQA
   
   - break-
   
   
3. The CEQA Process: An Overview
4. Definition of a Project Under CEQA
5. CEQA’s 3-Step Evaluation Process
6. Negative Declaration / Mitigated Negative Declaration
   
   Lunch Break
   
   
7. Contents of an Environmental Impact Report
8. Public Review of an Environmental Impact Report
   
   - break-
   
   
9. Final Environmental Impact Report
10. Certification, Project Decision, and Recirculation
11. Legal challenge of an agency’s decision
12. Closing activities / reflection