"First, the good. After a great deal of consultation with our Delta supporters, Restore the Delta has decided to support Senator Lois Wolk's Conservancy Bill SB 458. We believe that it is one piece of a multi-prong effort toward improving governance, funding, and most importantly future management of the Delta. This conservancy bill provides, thus far, the best representation of Delta interests within the structure of a state conservancy.
We also applaud Senator Wolk's consistent effort to remind her colleagues that Delta communities and people have to be part of any future governance changes within the Delta.
While Restore the Delta does not believe that a conservancy alone will solve the primary crisis in the Delta - the crisis of poor water quality and insufficient flows. But a well funded conservancy that represents Delta farming and ecological interests, along with more than adequate fresh water flows into the Delta and a permanent reduction in exports, can help to bring about Delta restoration.
Our one question for the Senator regarding the bill, however, still relates to fees. We want to see fees paid into the conservancy to be used only for Delta conservancy projects.
More good. Last week on the floor of the US Congress, Congressman Mike Thompson (D - District 1) and Congressman George Miller (D-District 7) successfully defended the Delta and salmon fisheries from an exemption to the Endangered Species Act. In a tight roll call vote last week, the House voted "no" on Congressman Nunes' s amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010 to override the biological opinion on salmon."
We also applaud Senator Wolk's consistent effort to remind her colleagues that Delta communities and people have to be part of any future governance changes within the Delta.
While Restore the Delta does not believe that a conservancy alone will solve the primary crisis in the Delta - the crisis of poor water quality and insufficient flows. But a well funded conservancy that represents Delta farming and ecological interests, along with more than adequate fresh water flows into the Delta and a permanent reduction in exports, can help to bring about Delta restoration.
Our one question for the Senator regarding the bill, however, still relates to fees. We want to see fees paid into the conservancy to be used only for Delta conservancy projects.
More good. Last week on the floor of the US Congress, Congressman Mike Thompson (D - District 1) and Congressman George Miller (D-District 7) successfully defended the Delta and salmon fisheries from an exemption to the Endangered Species Act. In a tight roll call vote last week, the House voted "no" on Congressman Nunes' s amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010 to override the biological opinion on salmon."