[env-trinity] Eureka Reporter January 21

[Byron Leydecker]

Regional restoration projects approved

Eureka Reporter - 1/21/07

 

The California Water Resources Control Board announced Friday its approval
of $25 million in grants that it hopes will result in greater water supply
reliability, cleaner water, improved water recycling, environmental
restoration and fisheries habitat enhancement and watershed planning
projects for seven counties in a North Coast consortium.

The North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan was ranked No. 1
in the state, out of 50 applications. 

Seven counties - Del Norte, Siskiyou, Modoc, Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino
and Sonoma representatives - developed the plan. Humboldt County submitted
the plan as the lead agency and will administer the grants for the
seven-county region. 

"The county should be commended for an outstanding proposal," said Liz
Kanter, information officer for the state Water Resources Control Board.
"These grants are very competitive. We're looking forward to working with
the county." 

Humboldt County 1st District Supervisor Jimmy Smith served as chair of the
regional planning team, along with Sonoma Councilmember Jake McKenzie.

"This is a great win for working together as a region and for our local
communities," Smith said. "Water and wastewater infrastructure has
deteriorated to a critical state, and these funds will be a big step in
upgrading ailing systems."

Development of the plan also enabled several North Coast communities to
secure funding through the Proposition 40 Consolidated Grant programs.

Taken together, funding from Propositions 40 and 50 may total some $38
million. Proposition 84, approved by voters on Nov. 7, will add an
additional $37 million in funding for North Coast projects and up to $45
million for restoration of coastal salmon and steelhead populations. 

"The regional cooperation on this plan was unprecedented, and we were
rewarded with tapping a funding source that the North Coast has
traditionally been left out of," said Tom Weseloh, North Coast manager for
California Trout and a technical team representative. "Hopefully, we'll
build upon this regional success for the future, so we can maintain our
infrastructure while protecting and restoring our precious fishery
resources." 

 

 

Byron Leydecker

Friends of Trinity River, Chair

California Trout,Inc., Advisor

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

 <mailto:bwl3 at comcast.net> bwl3 at comcast.net

 <mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org> bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org
(secondary)

http:// <http://www.fotr.org> www.fotr.org

http:// <http://www.caltrout.org> www.caltrout.org 

 

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