Newsom and legislators have a choice: side with the environment or with Trump
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2019/09/newsom-and-legislators-have-choice-side.html
By John McManus, Special to
CalMatters |
Gov.
Gavin Newsom faces thorny challenges as he seeks to balance water use between
cities and farms, without destroying Central Valley rivers and wildlife.
Some
water decisions are on the horizon, others are here now. At the center are the
state’s salmon runs, whose protection supports healthy rivers and the Bay-Delta
ecosystem.
The Trump
administration, under Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, is finalizing plans
to rip up restrictions on diverting Northern California water to its friends in
the agricultural industry in the dry western San Joaquin Valley.
Trump
also claims state environmental laws don’t apply to the federal Central Valley
Project, which delivers water from the Delta to farmers to the south. That’s a
threat to the State Water Project, which provides water to some farms and the
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. If the feds jack up water
diversions, the state could be forced to ratchet back its draw on the
Delta.
If the
state doesn’t, wildlife populations will crash, fishing jobs will be lost and
toxic blue green algae blooms will likely sweep through the Delta.
Senate
President Pro Tem Toni Atkins is offering a solution in the form of
Senate Bill 1. This legislation would temporarily adopt federal pumping
restrictions and wildlife protections that existed prior to Trump’s
inauguration in January 2017, allowing the California Department of Fish and
Wildlife time to review and revise them as needed.
However,
some of the state’s biggest water districts oppose SB 1, hoping that Trump
administration efforts will translate into increased water
diversions.
The State
Water Contractors, an organization that includes the Metropolitan Water
District, states it opposes SB 1 because the bill would block Trump
administration efforts to weaken federal Endangered Species Act protections for
the Bay-Delta and salmon.
Strange
to see California water officials backing Trump administration work tearing
down the environment we cherish here in California.
The
salmon runs that feed families, coastal economies, and ports throughout the
state will be devastated if Interior Secretary David Bernhardt succeeds in increasing
water diversions.
It’s
noteworthy that before becoming interior secretary, Bernhardt worked as a
lobbyist for the Westlands Water District, which includes much of Fresno and
Kings counties. Westlands farmers depend on the Central Valley Project to
irrigate their crops.
The state
can stop this water grab by adopting SB 1. Without that legislation, there is a
good chance Gov. Newsom will see extinctions during his tenure.
SB 1
would settle the question of whether the huge federal Central Valley Project’
with dozens of dams, pumps and canals, must operate by the same state rules
that govern every other California water user.
The Trump
administration’s insistence it’s not bound by state law matters because its
increased water diversions could come at the expense of the 20 million Southern
Californians and vast agricultural holdings in Kern County that rely on water
from the State Water Project.
SB 1
would enshrine state sovereignty over California water instead of letting the
federal government call the shots.
If these
water districts win and SB 1 fails, they’ll have the governor where they want
him, with far fewer tools for the next set of water challenges. The
ramifications would cascade through future Newsom administration water
decisions including pending Trump rollbacks and the single water delivery
tunnel the governor has proposed for the Delta.
Conversely,
if SB 1 passes, the environment, including valuable salmon runs, would be protected. The state would be in a stronger position to fight Trump
administration moves to weaken salmon protections and resolve water issues in a
way that works for everyone.
Sen.
Atkins has amended the bill several times to address concerns of water
districts and the governor’s office. The result is a compromise that would
allow agencies to use the most recent and best available science to guide state
wildlife protections.
SB 1
would afford the state considerable flexibility in how it will be implemented
so that all parties get a fair shake. It would greatly strengthen the
governor’s hand and preserve California’s sovereignty over the rivers,
streams and lakes of California, a position the Trump administration is
actively seeking to undermine.
—
John
McManus is president of the Golden Gate Salmon Association, john@goldengatesalmon.org.He
wrote this commentary for CalMatters, a public interest journalism venture
committed to explaining how California's Capitol works and why it matters. To
read his past commentary for CalMatters, please click here.
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