Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday named the first 14 members of California's Environmental Youth Advisory Council, young people ranging in age from 14 to 20.
The appointments turn a June pilot plan into a named roster, and the first meeting is already scheduled for December. The Sacramento Bee reported that the group will meet then and periodically through the year.
Twelve Counties on a 14-Member List
CalEPA introduced the members by first name and last initial, with a school standing and a home county attached to each name. Twelve of the 14 are still in high school: one freshman, three sophomores, three juniors and five seniors. Two are already in college.
Lauren F., the freshman, is from Alameda County. High school sophomores Amari S., Sofia R. and Magnus F. are from Santa Clara, Orange and Sonoma counties. Juniors Ceasar R., Isabelle S. and Max G. come from Fresno, Los Angeles and San Bernardino. The seniors are Nicholas M. of Sacramento County, Neha P. of Stanislaus County, Christopher K. of Ventura County, Precious Z. of Los Angeles County and Bettina L. of San Bernardino County.
The college students are Arsenia B., a freshman from San Joaquin County, and Abby C., a sophomore from San Diego County. The list covers 12 counties. Los Angeles and San Bernardino are the only ones with two members.
said Thursday that the 14 represent the state's diversity. The agency's post also said Newsom announced the group from COP31, and it opened by declaring that the future of environmental protection is here.
An Advisory Channel, Not a New Agency
The assignment was written down months before the names. A June 18 CalRecycle bulletin said the council creates a new way for youth to advise CalEPA and its boards, departments and office on pressing environmental issues. Those are the parts of the agency that already do the work. The published role is to advise them.
CalEPA's mission is to restore, protect and enhance the environment and to ensure public health, environmental quality and economic vitality. Thursday's post described the youth collaboration as work with state leaders on cleaner air, land and water. The advice brief, as posted, is environmental. The agency those advisers are walking into still has economic vitality in its formal charge.
Unpaid Seats and State-Covered Travel
Applicants had to be between 14 and 20. They also had to be California residents, members of California Native American Tribes, or both, the June bulletin said. A high school freshman and a college sophomore can clear that bar. Both did.
KALW reported in August that participation does not pay, though the state will cover travel costs. Members from 12 counties are scheduled to meet periodically. The state is covering the travel. It is not paying for the time.
An announcement carried by EIN Presswire said the 14 were selected from a pool of more than 300 applicants, and called that pool highly competitive. Fourteen unpaid seats drew that kind of interest.
A December Meeting, Then Fall 2027
Members are scheduled to meet for the first time in December, then periodically through the year, the Bee reported. That is the near-term calendar. The longer one was sketched before any of these names were public.
June materials said the inaugural cohort would be 10 members in a one-year pilot. Thursday's announcement named 14. The EIN Presswire account of the announcement still describes a one-year pilot, then a shift to two-year terms starting in fall 2027, with up to 20 members. The first class is already larger than the June plan, and the version scheduled for fall 2027 can be larger still.
Younger Than the 2023 Federal Council
A federal panel with a similar name launched earlier, on different terms. The Los Angeles Times reported that the National Environmental Youth Advisory Council started in 2023 with 16 members ages 16 to 29, appointed to two-year terms. California's published eligibility starts at 14 and stops at 20, so the state group includes ages that federal council did not seat, and the opening commitment is a one-year pilot rather than a two-year appointment.
People under 20 make up about a quarter of California's population, roughly 9.75 million residents, ArcaMax reported, citing state demographic data. The pilot's answer to that quarter of the state is 14 unpaid advisers, a December start and a fall 2027 date for a council that can grow to 20.
