[env-trinity] Interior Department Press Release from December

Tue Feb 2 15:55:06 PST 2010

Byron,

Attached is what the California Water Impact Network (C-WIN) sent to Interior on their Interim Federal Action Plan in December 2009.  You can also view a referenced July 30, 2009 letter to David Hayes from the California Water Impact Network and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance at http://www.c-win.org/sites/default/files/FullDHLetter20090730.pdf. 

In order to submit comments for the Interim Federal Action Plan, they had to be cut and pasted into a web page rather than mailed, e-mailed or faxed to a real contact person.  There was no acknowledgement whatsoever that Interior even got the comments.  It was obvious that they didn't care what comments they got.

>From C-WIN's perspective, they've got it all wrong, except for the 2-Gates Project.  Interior made the right decision on 2 Gates to shelve the $60 million project unless and until there is a better scientific basis for the project.     

All of this is very relevant to the Trinity River, as the Trinity River is original (but not sole) source of water for the San Luis Unit of the Central Valley Project, which includes the Westlands Water District.  See http://tcrcd.net/exhibita.htm and "How the Trinity Lost It's Water" at http://fotr.org/news_items/HTTLIW.pdf .

C-WIN's comments on all of these projects and a whole lot of other stuff is at our website:
http://www.c-win.org/

Best regards,

Tom Stokely
Water Policy Coordinator
California Water Impact Network
201 Terry Lynn Ave (USPS and UPS)
Mt Shasta, CA 96067
V/FAX 530-926-9727
Cell 530-524-0315
tstokely at att.net
http://www.c-win.org/
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Byron Leydecker 
  To: FOTR List ; Trinity List 
  Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 2:32 PM
  Subject: Interior Department Press Release from December

  This is from December 22, but I had not seen it previously.  Looks like more of the same to me.

  Byron

  DOI press release 

        Date: December 22, 2009
        Contact: Kendra Barkoff 
        202-208-6416 

        Obama Administration Officials Release Interim Federal Action Plan for Water Crisis in California Bay-Delta 

        WASHINGTON, D.C. - 
        The Obama Administration today released a coordinated interim action plan to address the water crisis in California. In accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by six federal agencies at the end of September, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Chair Nancy Sutley of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) joined the Department of Commerce, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of the Army and the Department of Agriculture to release a list of actions being taken by the six federal agencies. 

        "The California water crisis is a full-blown crisis that requires all hands on deck to help those who are suffering.  We are moving aggressively to do our part to address the urgent need to provide reliable water supplies for 25 million Californians, while also protecting the Bay-Delta ecosystem upon which the supplies depend," Secretary Salazar said. "Everything we do will be done in close partnership with the State of California and will build upon the path-breaking legislation recently enacted by the State." 

        "The Obama Administration is committed to robust reengagement in restoring the Bay-Delta ecosystem and addressing California's water needs," said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.  "The actions that Federal agencies announce today will have real, on-the-ground impacts in 2010 and will complement the State of California's ongoing response." 

        The coordinated federal action plan will: 

        . strengthen the federal government's coordination of actions with the state - especially its commitment to more fully engage federal agencies in the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, the most significant effort currently underway to address critical long-term water issues in California. 

        .  help to meet water needs through actions that promote smarter water supply and use such as constructing projects that increase flexibility in the water supply system; enhancing water transfers; ensuring that the best science is applied to water supply decisions;  and intensifying and aligning Federal water conservation efforts with those of the state.   

        . help ensure healthy ecosystems and improved water quality through independent reviews of key scientific questions, including a review of all factors that are contributing to the decline of the Bay-Delta ecosystem; investigation and mitigation of other stressors affecting water quality in the Bay-Delta and impacts to its imperiled species; advancing ecosystem restoration projects, including near-term habitat projects in the Bay-Delta; accelerating the  restoration and propagation of Delta smelt and other aquatic species; continuing construction of fish screens; and addressing climate change impacts on the Bay-Delta. 

        . call for agencies to help deliver drought relief services and ensure integrated flood risk management, including the prioritization of  projects and activities for flood risk management and related levee stabilization projects and navigation. 

        Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes today noted that the federal officials reviewed and considered public comments in preparing this interim plan.  "This plan was produced on an expedited basis due to the crisis, and it will remain a living document that is updated and revised on a going-forward basis." 

        The federal agencies will now begin to implement the actions contained in this plan, working in close partnership with the State of California to advance their shared priorities. 

        To view the draft plan, go here: http://www.doi.gov/documents/CAWaterWorkPlan.pdf 
        . 

  Byron Leydecker, JcT

  Chair, Friends of Trinity River

  PO Box 2327

  Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

  415 383 4810 land/fax (call first to fax)

  415 519 4810 mobile

  bwl3 at comcast.net

  bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

  http://www.fotr.org 

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