When I look back on four decades of public service, there is one issue that has remained a top priority for me and the people I have had the privilege to represent in county and state government: Protecting our local environment.
As a member of the State Legislature, I was proud to cast the deciding vote to ban offshore oil drilling in California. And as a County Supervisor, I spearheaded the creation of a regional community-choice energy agency that has become a model throughout California and the cornerstone of climate action strategies across the Central Coast.
These efforts—and many others led by elected leaders, conservation organizations and everyday environmentalists over the years—have helped us maintain what makes Santa Cruz County so special.
And in that same vein—as wildfires, drought and intense storms have devastated our coastal, urban and rural communities in recent years—I am strongly supporting another once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in the health of our natural resources.
Measure Q on the Nov. 5 ballot represents a comprehensive countywide strategy for tackling wildfire prevention, protecting natural water sources, bolstering wildlife habitat and keeping our beaches clean. Measure Q will deliver locally controlled funding for critical projects designed to minimize the risks and impacts posed by natural disasters while also preserving our forests, waterways and parks.
Endorsed by the Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County, the Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association and the largest union of firefighters in Santa Cruz County, Measure Q will transform our collective commitment to environmental stewardship into meaningful action, including removing hazardous overgrown brush and conducting prescribed burns.
Likewise, the Valley Women’s Club of the San Lorenzo Valley and the Coastal Watershed Council, two organizations that have worked tirelessly to protect the San Lorenzo River from Boulder Creek to Santa Cruz, are supporting Measure Q’s investment in keeping our waterways free of pollutants.
Measure Q is also forward-looking. It provides a reliable mechanism for us to build future resilience in an era of increasing uncertainty related to climate change. We can’t predict the exact nature of the disasters that will come our way, but we know they will happen, they will happen more frequently, and we need to be ready—as seen by the devastating fires and floods that have plagued our county.
Our community has a long history of voting for our values, and Measure Q is in keeping with that proud tradition. I am reminded of our successful effort in 2016 to pass Measure D, a first-ever local funding source for roads, public transit and other transportation initiatives that made us a “self-help” county.
Similarly, Measure Q funding would be available as a much-needed local match for tens of millions of dollars in state and federal grants.
By offering eligibility for funding to local fire agencies, environmental nonprofits, parks departments and other organizations working to safeguard and enhance our community’s treasures, Measure Q provides for the kind of public-private partnerships that draw on our community’s creativity and collaboration.
All funds raised through Measure Q will stay in Santa Cruz County and cannot be taken by the state. They also will be subject to the dual safeguards of citizen committee oversight and annual audits, which will ensure the funds are spent responsibly and only for voter-approved purposes.
Please join me in supporting Measure Q. We are in good company, including Sen. John Laird, Assemblymembers Gail Pellerin and Dawn Addis, as well as Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, County Park Friends, Land Trust of Santa Cruz County and numerous other environmental and civic leaders.
Let’s stand together to fight for what we love most about our beautiful home.
Bruce McPherson is the Fifth District Supervisor for the County of Santa Cruz, including the San Lorenzo Valley and parts of the cities of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley. His views are his own and not necessarily those of the Press Banner.
