European wood mouse / Common field mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) foraging in tree trunk in forest, Belgium. (Photo by: Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Santa Rosa, California – A new bill advancing through the California Legislature would allow state officials to sidestep some of the state’s toughest environmental protections to fast-track a $500 million highway expansion along the heavily congested State Route 37 corridor. This move has sparked backlash from environmentalists and Native American groups.
Assembly Bill 697, introduced by Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Fairfield), would authorize the Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue “incidental take” permits under the California Endangered Species Act for four fully protected species: the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse and three birds — the California clapper rail, California black rail, and white-tailed kite. These species live in the rare salt marshes north of San Pablo Bay, which the highway cuts through.
The 21-mile Highway 37 connects Vallejo in Solano County to Novato in Marin County and has become one of the most clogged roadways in Northern California. A notorious 10-mile bottleneck, where four lanes narrow to just one in each direction, forces as many as 40,000 daily commuters and wine country tourists into hour-plus delays.
Wilson said the expansion is crucial for her constituents, who earn minimum wage and lose time and money sitting in traffic. “When you factor in the commute, they’re automatically down to $13.89 an hour,” she said. “And that is real.”
Without the legislation, construction crews would be restricted to a narrow 10- to 12-week window each year to avoid violating wildlife protections — significantly slowing progress on the already decades-delayed project. Wilson’s bill would allow a full six- to seven-month building season.
The short-term plan — adding a carpool lane and a toll lane between Mare Island and Sears Point — is intended to relieve congestion while protecting against flooding and restoring 1,200 acres of habitat. But opponents argue it’s a shortsighted fix.
“Building more lanes doesn’t solve traffic,” said Jeanie Ward-Waller of Transform, a group opposing the project. She and other critics point to climate projections showing Highway 37 could be underwater by 2040. They argue the state should prioritize a long-term plan to elevate the highway as a causeway — a multibillion-dollar project currently unfunded.
The bill cleared the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee last week with near-unanimous support. Only one member, Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), declined to vote — effectively a “no.”
Opponents include the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, who say the bill lacks meaningful tribal consultation and threatens cultural species. Conservation groups also oppose the carve-out, warning it sets a dangerous precedent.
Still, with strong backing from labor unions, transportation agencies, and construction firms, AB 697 is gaining traction as lawmakers weigh how to balance infrastructure demands with California’s landmark environmental protections.
