Have Your Say: Shape the Future of Redding’s Environment!

ByS.E.A.

The City of Redding’s Draft General Plan and Environmental Impact Report has recently been released for public comment and, if you are concerned about the future of Redding’s environment, we highly encourage you to take action by commenting on the plan via email or through their online survey, and/or attending and giving comment at one (or both!) of the two meetings that the City is holding to inform the public about the general plan. This is a huge opportunity to have an impact on the way the City of Redding will address many environmental issues for years to come! The last day to comment is August 28, 2023!

The language that the city has chosen to use in many of the Plan’s environmental components severely weakens the protection and conservation of our natural surroundings. The Draft General Plan has phrases such as “Strive to protect and preserve” or just “consider” protecting. For example, Section NR6A “Strive to preserve and protect existing native oaks…” in the Natural Resource Element. Another example, in Section HR6E: “Consider undertaking measures to maintain and expand the urban forest by:…” These phrases are used throughout and severely weaken the old General Plan.

We encourage you to urge the City Council to reject the EIR because the language in the General Plan is so weak as to be meaningless mush. It’s so important for the City to hear why environmental preservation is important to you. Some suggested talking points for either the survey or your comments could include:

  • Discuss protecting Redding’s trees and why they’re important to you
  • Increasing the City’s tree canopy and the benefits of it
  • The importance of developing a climate action plan
  • The need of protecting the riparian areas of the Sacramento River and our creeks
  • The General Plan has too many weak clauses which should be removed and the EIR rejected until this is done.

To see the General Meeting video explaining how to comment on the General Plan, the Survey link, and all elements of the General Plan update, use this link: General Plan (insert link). You will also find the public meeting dates and locations. You may send comments on the City webpage or send them to [email protected]

The final public presentation on the Draft General Plan will be August 23, 5:15 pm at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, 1815 Sheridan Street.

SEA will send out our comments on the General Plan and EIR next week.

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