What’s changing:

• New Environmental Justice Element (Senate Bill 1000):
  Cities must now include environmental justice in their plans -- focusing on reducing health risks, improving community participation, and prioritizing programs in areas that need them most.

• Open Space Element Update (Senate Bill 1425):Updates to parks and green space policies to reflect climate change, access, and future sustainability goals.

1. How Are These Elements Related?

Together, these Elements promote equitable access to healthy environments by ensuring that all communities, especially disadvantaged ones, benefit from protected natural spaces and environmental resources.

Open Space Element

Goals and Objectives

• Seeks to protect, maintain, and enhance the City's natural resources recreational areas, and green spaces
• Supports environmental sustainability, public health, and community well-being

Requirement (SB 1425)

• Address equitable access to open space for all residents, integrate climate resilience strategies, and identify opportunities for rewilding
• Align with other General Plan elements, including Safety and Environmental Justice

Image captions: Trails · Parks and Open Spaces · Recreation · Nature and Wildlife

Environmental Justice Element

Goals and Objectives

• Identifies disadvantaged communities and outlines policies to reduce pollution exposure, improve access to resources, and promote equitable participation in planning decisions

Requirement (SB 1000)

Identifies objectives and policies to:

• Reduce the health risks in disadvantaged communities
• Promote civil engagement in the public decision-making process
• Prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of disadvantaged communities

Groups Most Often Identified as Socially Vulnerable

• Low-income households
• Racially and ethnically diverse communities
• Immigrant and linguistically isolated populations
• Residents with pre-existing health conditions
• Groups experiencing risk due to age or ability
• Areas with limited access to services

City of Fullerton Open Space and Environmental Justice Elements

2. Environmental Justice

Where are the Socially Vulnerable Communities Located?

How is Social Vulnerability Measured?

The CalEnviroScreen composite score is a measure developed by California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to identify communities that face the greatest environmental and health burdens. It combines data from 21 indicators grouped into two main categories:

1. Pollution Burden – Includes environmental exposures such as air pollution and contaminated drinking water, as well as environmental effects like hazardous waste sites and groundwater threats.
2. Population Characteristics – Covers sensitive populations such as children, the elderly, and individuals with health conditions — and socioeconomic factors including poverty, low educational attainment, and unemployment.

Other Metrics to Consider

Access to Trails and Parks Limited access to parks and green areas is considered a population vulnerability factor that can exacerbate health and environmental burdens in disadvantaged communities.

Population Density Population density can be used in the Environmental Justice Element to identify census tracts with high concentrations of people that also exhibit elevated levels of environmental vulnerability.

Vulnerability Index The CDC's Social Vulnerability Index is a tool that uses census data to identify communities that may be more vulnerable to disasters and public health emergencies based on socioeconomic and demographic factors.

Census tracts highlighted in orange and red note areas of high vulnerability.

Source: Cal OEHHA, City of Fullerton, CA Open Data Portal, Esri. Projection: California State Plane Coordinate System Zone 6, NAD 83. Data Sourced: 2021.