EPIC: California State Lands Commission – Sacramento, CA

Job Title: California State Lands Commission Intern

Department/Team: California State Lands Commission (specific team determined based on student’s interests)

Location: The Commission’s office is located at 100 Howe Avenue in Sacramento, CA. The position can be hybrid (one – three days in the office) or remote.

Duration: 35-40 hours per week for ten weeks over the summer

Reports to: Sheri Pemberton (Chief of External Affairs & Legislative Director) and Yessica Ramirez (Environmental Justice and Tribal Liaison)

Areas of Interest: Environmental Justice, natural climate solutions, offshore wind development, offshore oil and gas decommissioning, community engagement, communications, legislative work on environmental bills

Summer 2023 Fellows:

Sydney Guthrie

Summer 2024 Fellows:

Amber Leung

Summer 2025 Fellows:

Katie Baik

Office Description

The Commission, comprised of California’s Lieutenant Governor, State Controller, and Governor’s Director of Finance, is an independent and dynamic public land management agency that manages over 4 million acres of tide and submerged lands and the beds of navigable rivers, streams, lakes, bays, estuaries, inlets, and straits. These lands, often referred to as sovereign or public trust lands, stretch from the Klamath River and Goose Lake in the north to the Tijuana Estuary in the south, the Colorado River in the east, and from the Pacific Coast 3 miles offshore to the world-famous Lake Tahoe, and includes California’s two longest rivers, the Sacramento and San Joaquin. The Commission protects and enhances these lands and their natural resources by issuing leases for use, development, and environmental preservation, championing public access, and resolving boundaries between public and private land. The Commission is also a leader in oil and gas decommissioning, administers an oil spill prevention program, and protects state waters from invasive species introductions.

The student is supervised by the Chief of the External Affairs Division and the Environmental Justice and Tribal Liaison. The student will also work with other staff in the External Affairs Division, environmental scientists in the Commission’s Division of Environmental Science, Planning, and Management, attorneys in the Commission’s legal division, the Executive Office, and staff in other divisions. The External Affairs Division manages the Commission’s legislative program, communications, and social media. This includes a lot of interaction with legislative staff, lobbyists, the press, and collaboration with staff in other natural resource agencies and the Governor’s Office.

Many of the staff on the science team previously served as fellows for the Commission, and have a terrific background and depth of experience on the environmental policy issues that the Commission is focused on. The team’s goals flow from the Commission’s Strategic Plan, with a focus on access to public lands, climate change and sea-level rise, environmental justice, tribal relations, sustainable economic development, and environmental protection.

Description of the Work

While we list potential projects below, we want to make the internship as mutually beneficial and rewarding as possible. We envision an onboarding process with the opportunity to meet and learn about each division and various projects and then, together with the intern hosts, develop a portfolio of projects that will be worthwhile and interesting. We envision a mix of smaller, day-to-day projects and one bigger, long-term project spanning the length of the internship.

List of Potential Projects:

Assist Commission staff with issues where science and policy interface and learn how staff navigate complex and politically sensitive issues, including adaptation to climate change and sea-level rise; equity and environmental justice in public land management; offshore wind energy development; plastic pollution reduction; transitioning to a fossil-free future; and offshore oil and gas decommissioning.
Conduct research, collaborate with Commission staff and sister agencies, and support efforts to implement the Commission’s Environmental Justice Policy.
Learn about the legislative process and experience it firsthand. Conduct legislative research, assist with writing bill analyses, testimony for committee hearings at the State Capitol, and staff reports for the public and commissioners. Participate in legislative discussions with legislative staff and lobbyists.
Assist staff in a variety of divisions with projects that may involve oil and gas decommissioning, offshore wind energy development, waterfront redevelopment. and other emerging environmental public policy.
Assist with developing social media content and updating the Commission’s website.
Assist with developing press/media strategies and content.

Desired Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Enthusiasm, curiosity, and a desire to learn and contribute
Ability to think critically
Self-motivated, self-starter
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Familiarity with Outlook, Microsoft Word, and other basic office programs

Logistics:

EPIC fellows are required to work full-time (35-40 hours per week) for 10 weeks over the summer, and will receive a stipend of $8,000 - $9,500, depending on financial need. This stipend is intended to help cover living and transportation expenses during the fellowship, which the student is expected to arrange and coordinate.
Internship Location: Preferably hybrid (1 – 2 days in our Sacramento office located at 100 Howe Avenue) but will consider fully remote or fully in-person options.
Preferred start date is in mid-June 2026 (exact date to be agreed upon by you and the supervisor).