How are California local jurisdictions incorporating a strategic environmental assessment in local comprehensive land use plans?

Lack of early incorporation between planning and decision-making has affected the effectiveness of environmental assessment. This study measures the ability of local jurisdictions in California to incorporate strategic environmental assessment (SEA) into comprehensive land use plans and develops an empirical method with measurable indicators to examine the strengths and weaknesses of integrating SEA into local comprehensive land use plans. The results indicate that local jurisdictions in California have generally addressed many local environmental elements, but have not fully incorporated strategic environmental impacts and related tools into local plans.