Assessing the California Environmental Quality Act at 40

On Friday, November 4th, the U.C. Davis School of Law’s California Environmental Law & Policy Center will host an important conference: “CEQA at 40: A Look Back, and Ahead.”

This year marks the 40th anniversary of California’s influential environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Modeled on and inspired by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), CEQA over the past four decades has evolved into a far more powerful environmental assessment law than its federal counterpart.  CEQA also is the most influential “little NEPA” statute in the United States.

Next week’s “CEQA at 40” conference brings together government policymakers, judges, legislators, developers, activists and the state’s top CEQA lawyers. The conference will assess how CEQA has evolved over the past 40 years and, critically, what the future holds for California’s most important environmental statute. More information about U.C. Davis School of Law’s “CEQA at 40” event, including a conference agenda, can be found here.