ACTION ALERT
Stand up for Yosemite's rivers:
Vote No on Proposition 45
Defend the law that gives our rivers —
and our communities — a voice
For more than 50 years, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has given everyday Californians the right to weigh in before dams, pipelines, and clear-cuts reshape the places we love. Proposition 45 on the November ballot would eviscerate that law — silencing public input and fast-tracking corporate polluting projects across the state, including in the watersheds of the Tuolumne, Stanislaus, and Merced rivers.
Prop 45 is funded by the California Chamber of Commerce, oil, gas, and electric utilities, and corporate PACs. They have corporations. We have people power.
Join us:
No on Prop 45
educational forum
Want to understand what's really at stake — and how to talk about it with friends, family, and neighbors? Join us for a free one-hour forum on Zoom.
Wednesday, September 9, 20267:00–8:00 p.m. (Zoom)
Hear from two of California's leading environmental law experts:
Gabriel Tolson, Planning and Conservation League
Rachel Hooper, CEQA Works
They'll break down what Prop 45 would do, why it matters for the Yosemite region, and how you can help defeat it.
The current situation
Since 1970, CEQA has been California's bedrock environmental law. It requires that major projects be studied for their impacts on water, air, wildlife, and communities — and it guarantees the public a seat at the table through tools like environmental impact reports and water quality plans. CEQA is one of the most important tools we have for protecting the Tuolumne, Stanislaus, and Merced rivers.
Proposition 45 would gut it. The measure is designed to fast-track projects such as data centers, dams, highway expansions, energy infrastructure, and clear-cutting of forests — while severely curtailing the public's ability to weigh in on decisions that affect their water, their air, and their health.
Here's what you should know about Prop 45:
It fast-tracks polluting projects. Data centers, dams, pipelines, highway expansions, and forest clear-cuts could move forward without the environmental review that protects our watersheds.
It silences community voices. Public input into environmental impact reports, water quality plans, and other decisions would be severely curtailed — handing more power to corporate polluters.
It costs taxpayers. According to the independent Legislative Analyst's Office, Prop 45 would cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
It's not about housing. Legislation passed last year already addressed CEQA obstacles to urban infill housing. Prop 45 isn't about affordability — it's about clearing the way for corporate projects.
A powerful statewide coalition — more than 300 labor, public health, environmental justice, and conservation organizations — has joined forces to defeat Prop 45, the Corporate Polluting Projects Prop.
Why this matters for Yosemite's rivers
The Tuolumne, Stanislaus, and Merced rivers provide drinking water for more than 3 million people, nourish 480,000 acres of Central Valley farmland, and support more than 600 wildlife species — from Chinook salmon and steelhead trout to Great Gray Owls and Giant Sequoias.
CEQA is woven into nearly every fight to protect them. When a dam is proposed, when forests face clear-cutting, when new infrastructure threatens water quality — CEQA is what requires decision-makers to study the impacts and listen to the public before moving forward.
If Prop 45 passes:
Projects like new dams and forest clear-cuts in Sierra Nevada watersheds could be fast-tracked without meaningful environmental review
Communities — including the people who depend on these rivers for drinking water — would lose their voice in the decisions that shape their future
Decades of hard-won protections for salmon, water quality, and forest health would be undermined in a single vote
We've spent more than 40 years defending these rivers. Prop 45 would take away one of the most powerful tools we have to keep doing it.
Take action:
Three ways to defend CEQA
Step 1: Vote No on Prop 45 this November
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Mark your ballot No on 45 — and make sure everyone in your household does the same.
Step 2: Join our educational forum on September 9
Get the facts from the experts, then share them. Register here.
Step 3: Spread the word
Share this page with friends, family, and on social media
Visit the coalition's website at noprop45ca.com for fact sheets and the latest news
If you're part of an organization, consider endorsing No on 45 — join more than 300 groups standing together
This fight won't end on November 3. Sign up for our e-newsletter and we'll keep you posted on what happens next — with Prop 45, with the relicensing battles on the Tuolumne and Merced, and with the restoration work happening on the ground across the region.
You'll get action alerts when your voice is needed most, updates from our field crews, and the occasional salmon sighting worth celebrating. No noise, just what matters.
Stay in the
flow
Stay connected and spread the word!
The more Californians who understand what Prop 45 would really do, the better our chances of defeating it. Every conversation counts.
Thank you for standing with the Yosemite Rivers Alliance as we defend the law that defends our rivers!
Questions? Email Peter Drekmeier at peter.drekmeier@yosemiterivers.org