PCL Insider: News from the Capitol

CEQA, GLOBAL WARMING, REPUBLICANS AND THE STATE BUDGET

The State Senate ALMOST passed a budget last night. Republican State Senator Abel Maldonado voted "yes," along with all the Democratic Party Senators. One more Republican vote would have put the budget over the top. However, that "one more vote" was lacking.

Does anybody really know WHY Republican Senators (Mr. Maldonado now excepted) are willing to shut down child care centers and otherwise bring state and local government to a halt? PCL's Gary Patton and a handful of other environmental advocates were at the State Capitol last night, and here's what they found out:

Senate Republicans have been holding up the budget because they want the Legislature to amend the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), to eliminate any consideration of global warming impacts during the normal environmental review process. No Democratic Senators have been willing to do that, and this has apparently been a real "deal breaker" for the Republican Senators. Amazing as it may seem, since CEQA has nothing to do with the budget, Republican members of the State Senate (Mr. Maldonado now excepted) are refusing to vote for the budget unless CEQA is gutted, with respect to global warming.

This demand is not only outrageous because it puts young kids and poor people in jeopardy; it's outrageous on its own terms. CEQA simply requires that if a project would contribute to future global warming, the environmental review must analyze how those global warming impacts could be avoided or minimized. If there is a "feasible" way to minimize or avoid such impacts, then CEQA requires that the project be modified to do that. "Feasible" means "economically feasible," so what CEQA requires is that we actually do whatever we feasibly and economically can to reduce global warming impacts.

Most of us think that's good! Republican State Senators, however (Senator Maldonado now excepted), apparently think that making project applicants implement feasible mitigation measures is bad. In fact, they are willing to torpedo the entire state budget because the Democrats in the State Senate won't eviscerate California's most powerful environmental law, to give global warming polluters a free ride. Shame on them!

Our thanks to Senate Democrats and the President pro Tem of the Senate for not caving in to the illegitimate and disgraceful demand that the price of getting a budget is to violate the integrity of CEQA, and to shortchange efforts to stop global warming pollution.

Our thanks also to those of you who put in calls on this issue. It made a difference!

HEY, THAT'S MY PUBLIC RESOURCE...PROPOSED WATER GIVE-AWAY

This Wednesday, in a closed door meeting in Washington, attended by Senator Feinstein, other Congressional leaders, and representatives of the Bureau of Reclamation, discussions were held on a proposed giveaway of about one million acre-feet in water rights (enough water for two million families for a year), plus the proposed transfer of a good portion of the largest reservoir south of Sacramento, to a select group of influential agri-business interests.

The proposal discussed was advanced by the Westlands Water District, one of the most heavily subsidized irrigation districts in the country. If their proposal is accepted by the federal government, Westlands would be granted permanent rights to almost a million acre feet of California water in connection with the settlement of a long standing lawsuit against the Bureau of Reclamation.

Westlands' lawsuit contends that the Federal Government owes Westlands Water District a drain for the toxic agricultural runoff produced when their selenium laden soils on the west side of the valley are irrigated with Delta water. In 2000 a lower court sided with Westlands and the Bush administration decided not to appeal the questionable ruling. Now, the Federal Government is seriously considering a proposal to give away billions of dollars in public resources, even though the proposed settlement provides no guarantee that the toxic drainage problem will ever be responsibly addressed.

It is ironic that Westlands proposal, in essence, asks for guaranteed water in order to continue irrigating these toxic lands and perpetuating the very problem they sought to address with their lawsuit.

The proposed giveaway would be the largest transfer of a publicly held water right since the Reclamation Act of 1902.  It comes at a time when the State is facing critical water crises with several native species in the Delta on the brink of extinction, and water agencies across the state facing reduced water supplies.

PCL's Executive Director Gary Patton responded to the Westlands proposal, "We hope that our elected officials think twice before giving away the very public resources that are critical to California to avoid extinction and water shortage."  Gary Patton also reacted to the proposal during the California Report radio show this morning.

The PCL Water Team has been promoting an alternative drainage solution focused on retiring drainage impaired lands, returning water to the Bay Delta Estuary, and freeing up space in the San Luis Reservoir to increase the water supply reliability for California.  Westlands Water District has rejected the proposal, choosing instead to focus on grabbing title to as much water as possible from the Bay Delta.

PCL and 44 other organizations sent a strong letter to both Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer urging them to reject the misguided proposal and direct their substantial leadership toward a real solution for the San Joaquin Valley and California.

Read more about the Westlands Proposal here:
8/2/07 Sacramento Bee
8/2/07 San Francisco Chronicle
8/2/07 Chicago Sun-Times 

FIND OUT ABOUT THE FEDERAL FARM BILL

Conservation Opportunities Abound in the Federal Farm Bill
The Federal Farm Bill might just be the "greatest conservation opportunity you've never heard of."  That's because, in the past, the Farm Bill was mostly about subsidies to farmers who produced cotton, wheat, corn, tobacco, and other commodity crops. That didn't really mean much here in California, though there are some California cotton and rice farmers who have gotten lots of money through its subsidy programs.

Most recently, efforts have been made to transform what the Farm Bill does, so it isn't just a massive giveaway program for commodity farmers. (Take note: there is still plenty of giveaway approach still present in the Farm Bill) Amazingly, however, the United States Department of Agriculture spends more than $5 billion each year on conservation, and the source of that money is the Farm Bill.  The Farm Bill provides funding to protect wetlands, restore wildlife habitat, restore streams, grow new energy sources, and promote sustainable forestry.

We encourage you to learn more about this incredible conservation opportunity, and we invite you to participate in a Regional Farm Bill Summit on September 12, 2007. The event will be held in Sacramento. It's free, but we only have 45 seats available and you must register in advance. Participants will learn about the Farm Bill's Conservation Programs and how you can advocate for these programs and mobilize your community. 

Download the registration flyer today!