[env-trinity] Trinity Journal: Trinity wants seat in water talks

[Tom Stokely]

The letter is attached.

http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/environment/article_4a330afc-b710-11e4-b4dd-37bcbd5032ed.html?_dc=20939703565.090897 

Trinity wants seat in water talks
By Sally Morris The Trinity Journal | Posted: Wednesday, February 18, 2015 6:15 am
Goosey about federal drought legislation talks last November that several Northern California representatives claimed were held in secret without them, the Trinity County Board of Supervisors has raised its hand for a seat at the table when further water talks resume in the new 114th Congress.
“Since 1964, Trinity County has contributed more than 46 million acre feet of water from the Trinity River basin to the Central Valley. Simply put, to the Central Valley Project and other water recipients like the San Luis Unit, we are a water donor county. Likewise, any decision on allocation of water from Trinity Reservoir must carefully consider Trinity County’s preferential right as the County of Origin,” the board said in a Feb. 3 letter to California Sens. Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein.
A delegation of Democratic Northern California representatives including Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) of the North Coast District 2 issued a joint statement last November condemning what they said was a House Republican water bill of sweeping changes and misstatements of current law developed without public input or legislative oversight and calling it divisive, dishonest and potentially devastating.
After Sen. Feinstein announced she would not be pursuing a federal water bill dealing with California’s drought during the remainder of last year’s lame duck session, the Northern California representatives said they were pleased to hear the legislation “secretly negotiated by her and House Republicans” would not move forward.
Their statement said the draft legislation “would have eviscerated environmental laws protecting fisheries, California watersheds, local water supplies, tribal and local economies in order to benefit a few powerful Delta water exporters. We applaud the Senator for stepping away from this deeply flawed legislation and realizing that a bill of this magnitude requires public hearings and regular committee process.”
They said that in the new year, they would continue to demand that any water legislation responding to California’s severe drought be balanced and take into consideration the array of stakeholders in California. Along with Huffman, that delegation included Democratic Reps. George Miller, Mike Thompson, Doris Matsui, Jerry McNerney, John Garamendi and Ami Bera.
“Some of the things that came up in November were frightful and our representative (Huffman) was not included in those tightly closed hearings, but others in the state were, so there’s a big push to include a lot of other people in talks because the drought affects everyone in the state, not just certain areas,” said Sup. Judy Morris in presenting the Trinity County letter to other board members for approval. She added that she wants to remind everyone about county of origin rights “that were not mentioned in the November talks.”
With unanimous approval, the board’s letter requests that the many voices and interests in Trinity County and the North Coast region, including counties, tribes, commercial/sport fisheries and water-dependent industries, be invited to participate fully and openly in all future water talks and deliberations.
The county also requests that any federal drought or water legislation expressly states that if water diverted from the Trinity Basin is resold by any water entity, the revenues will be remanded to Trinity County (something that’s never been done); that any federal legislation include full ratepayer protection for the Trinity Public Utilities District; and that all draft language and justifications for any legislation be publicly released to ensure meaningful participation in the process is possible.
In conclusion, the board’s letter requests “full participation in Congressional drought talks to address the impacts caused by massive export of Trinity Basin water supplies. There are additional Trinity Basin management and operational issues that also could be impacted by Congressional action directing how the Central Valley Project will be operated. We look forward to following up with you regarding these important drought related operational and management issues that impact the health and financial well-being of our communities.”
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