West Hollywood : Environmental Initiative

If a sweeping environmental initiative leaps several imposing hurdles and is made law by California voters in 1990, West Hollywood can claim to be the first city to have supported the measure.

At its first November meeting, the West Hollywood City Council unanimously approved a resolution in support of the Environmental Protection Initiative of 1990, making it the first city to officially endorse the fledgling effort.

The initiative will seek voter approval of such environmental programs as consumer protection from food pesticides, acquisition of ancient redwood forests and severe limiting of offshore oil drilling. The measure was cleared to gather signatures by the state in October and will start circulating at the end of this month.

“This would be the Proposition 13 of environmental initiatives. If it passes, it will have wide-ranging effects for decades to come, and would likely set the tone for the rest of the country,” said Councilman Paul Koretz, who authored the resolution.

The initiative, which faces an uphill battle with expected opposition from industry and federal sources, is supported by such groups as the Sierra Club and the League of California Conservation Voters.

By showing early support for the groundbreaking measure, Koretz said he hopes West Hollywood will once again lead the way on important state issues.

“We have frequently been on the cutting edge, and I’m happy to see us there in terms of environmental protection,” Koretz said.