The shark population in Monterey is growing. But the good news is that the sharks are heeding their lesson: “Friends, not foes.” In other news:

• Will voters have to rethink their feelings about Prop 47?
• Fire season is upon us.
• The Sites Reservoir and who is trying to stop it.

🤫 Everything you should know

- Proposition 47 reform is on its way to the ballot. Organizers have gathered enough signatures to allow Californians to vote on the “The Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act.” The proposed ballot measure targets Prop. 47, which, when passed by voters in 2014, reduced certain theft and drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. Prop. 47 is seen by many as the spigot that turned on a flood of retail theft over the past few years and use of drugs, particularly by those living on the streets. With offenses that were once felonies downgraded to misdemeanors, criminals are able to offend and re-offend with little recourse from the state. Proponents of reforming Prop 47 want this measure passed to create a pathway for treatment for those arrested for drug possession and increase penalties for multiple offenders. The Kern County DA is putting her full weight behind this reform measure, even collecting signatures to get it on the ballot. Tehachapi News

- Wouldn’t be California if we didn’t have fire red flag warnings, with the year’s first being issued this week for northern Sacramento Valley, northern Solano County, Redding and from Yuba City to eastern Lake County. Under a red flag warning, conditions make it more likely for fires to ignite and spread much faster as lower daytime humidity dries out fuels while strong winds rapidly spread the fire. This warning comes days after the NWS said that much of the Sacramento Valley will experience critical fire weather conditions from Saturday through Monday. We know it won’t be just Sacramento Valley, but the whole state is seeing alarming year-over-year trends that shows that wildfires are only getting worse. So keep your eyes out for more warnings and join us in advocating for solutions that tackle the issues that are causing these fires. FOX 40

- At the same time we’re seeing the state water board fight for control of our resources, environmentalists are wagging their finger at Gov. Newsom (and filing lawsuits) for pushing forward with building the Sites Reservoir. It would be the first new reservoir built in the state in the last 50 years and it’s infrastructure we desperately need to capture and store water for our growing population. The Sites Reservoir is projected to provide water to 3 million households each year, fulfilling a project green-lit by a water bond in 2014. But environmental groups are not happy and have slapped the state with lawsuits claiming the infrastructure will interfere with wildlife. California is between a rock and a hard place when it comes to managing water sources and creating new infrastructure to sustain our state for the next 100 years. SacBee

Celebrating Juneteenth at a Historic California Site

The city of Manhattan Beach held its first Juneteenth event this year, notably at Bruce’s Beach Park. Bruce’s Beach was once owned by Charles and Willa Bruce in the early 20th century and served as a rare beach destination for African Americans during a time of racial segregation. In 1924, the city of Manhattan Beach seized the property through eminent domain under the pretext of building a park, effectively dispossessing the Bruces of their land. For decades, the land remained undeveloped and eventually became a municipal park. In a historic move towards rectifying past racial injustices, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted in 2021 to return the property to the descendants of Charles and Willa Bruce. The process involved intricate legal and legislative steps, including Senate Bill 796 signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, which removed restrictions on the land transfer and facilitated its return. This landmark decision was celebrated as a significant act of restitution – and 100 years after its seizure, residents are celebrating Juneteenth at this historic spot.

📉 What’s behind the drop in rental prices?

California’s largest cities have seen a slight drop in rental prices, the California Apartment Association reported. In Oakland and Sacramento, rates for a 1-bedroom fell by 9.1% and 8.1% from a year ago, respectively. Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, San Diego and Long Beach all also saw lower rents since last year. We believe that the big story is why these rates are falling. The same group that released this data also wrote that the primary reason behind the decline is decreasing demand, meaning people are abandoning these cities they call home. We can’t give up on our great California cities - we can tackle the problems that are leading people to leaving. By working together to tackle homelessness and the cost of homeownership we can build a better California. ConnectCRE

🦈 Sharks Setting Up Shop in Monterey

Rising sea temperatures are causing sharks to look for new homes and they’ve chosen a cove in Monterey. Local authorities have been warning beach-goers about the sharks, but so far the sharks have shown no aggressive behavior and seem to not be interested in the humans. A local researcher has mixed feelings about the new sharks in the region. While it’s exciting to see an abundant, healthy population, it’s also a reminder that climate change is changing the ecosystems and the lives of countless species. SF Gate

🛢️Long Beach Roots

Sharing a Facebook post this week to remind us how far we’ve come. Long Beach used to be filled with oil derricks, and at one time a fifth of the nation’s oil was produced in the Los Angeles Basin.