Permit Sonoma seeking applicants for Equity Working Committee

Permit Sonoma is seeking applications from the public for its new Equity Working Committee. Members of the Equity Working Committee will help shape Permit Sonoma and Sonoma County’s environmental justice policies and risk-reduction planning for wildfire and other hazards by centering the expertise of under-resourced communities. Applications will be accepted until November 4, 2022.

The Equity Working Committee will help Permit Sonoma integrate the experiences of low-income residents, communities of color, communities experiencing disproportionate poor health outcomes, and people with disabilities to improve policy making, planning, and public participation programs. The Equity Working Committee will advise Permit Sonoma in key policy efforts such as the Environmental Justice and Safety Element Updates to the General Plan. The Equity Working Committee will also assist in identifying ways to improve community engagement with fire prevention grant programs.

The Environmental Justice and Safety Element updates to the General Plan will develop policies to protect the public from hazards and to prioritize the needs of environmentally burdened and under-resourced communities. Together these efforts are critical to advancing public health, resilience, and climate adaptation, and ensuring that everyone gets to access environmental benefits such as clean air and parks.

Anyone who lives or works in Sonoma County may apply to participate in the Equity Working Committee. To ensure a diverse representation from community groups and locations of Sonoma County that state environmental agencies have determined are disadvantaged, the committee will comprise the following membership positions:

• Community Member from Supervisorial District (1)
• Community Member from Supervisorial District (2)
• Community Member from Supervisorial District (3)
• Community Member from Supervisorial District (4)
• Community Member from Supervisorial District (5)
• Nonprofit organization / Community-based organization (1)
• Nonprofit organization / Community-based organization (2)
• Nonprofit organization / Community-based organization (3)
• Nonprofit organization / Community-based organization (4)
• Nonprofit organization / Community-based organization (5)
• Agricultural community
• Disadvantaged Community: Kashia Band of Pomo Indians of the Stewarts Point Rancheria
• Disadvantaged Community: Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians
• Resident of Disadvantaged Community: Census Tract 6097153200 (unincorporated southwest Santa Rosa)
• Faith-based community
• At-large
• Youth at-large
• Person with disabilities

A one-time $200 stipend will be available to ensure that more members of the community are able to participate. The time commitment for members of the committee is expected to be one 90-minute virtual meeting per month throughout 2023. Applications for the committee will close November 4, 2022. Staff will announce committee membership shortly thereafter.

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Media Contact:
Bradley Dunn, Permit Sonoma Policy Manager 
Bradley.Dunn@sonoma-county.org 
(707) 321-0502
2550 Ventura Ave.
Santa Rosa, CA 95403