Jan. 5, 2011

Save the Date: SCWC Quarterly Meeting Jan. 20

Now is the time to RSVP for SCWC's first 2011 Quarterly Meeting at the Pacific Palms Hotel and Resort in the City of Industry.

The meeting of the Board of Trustees begins at 10:00 a.m., and a luncheon will follow directly afterward.

Among other things, we will be discussing SCWC's priorities for the year, which include the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, the comprehensive 50-year plan to fix the ailing Delta, preparing for the 2012 Water Bond campaign, and other critical California water supply issues.

Don't miss this amazing opportunity to engage with SCWC and be a part of the discussion about California's water future.

To RSVP, please contact Alex Comisar at acomisar@fionahuttonassoc.com. Gov. Brown Taps Veteran Environmental Advocate for Head of Natural Resources

Governor Jerry Brown today announced his selection of former Santa Cruz legislator and longtime environmental advocate John Laird as head of the California Natural Resources Agency.

Laird takes up his post amid a slew of pressing and controversial statewide environmental and water issues, including the deterioration of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Laird began his political career 30 years ago as a member of the Santa Cruz City Council, where he actively opposed off-shore oil drilling and pushed for the national protection of Monterey Bay.

Later, during his years as a state assemblymember, Laird continued his work advocating for environmental protection, co-authoring AB 32, California's groundbreaking piece of climate change legislation.

Sen. Steinberg Introduces Plan to Aid Sac Regional Ratepayers

As part of a strategy to aid Sacramento-area sewage ratepayers impacted by the recent decision to require a comprehensive facilities upgrade of the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District, Senate pro Tem Darrell Steinberg has introduced legislation in the State Senate that would appropriate tens of millions of dollars to ensure the stability of area sewage rates.

In early December 2010, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board voted unanimously to require an upgrade of the Sac Regional facilities that would drastically reduce the amount of ammonia the sanitation district pumps into the fragile Delta. Sac Regional vocally opposed the upgrade, warning that the cost would mean dramatic sewage rate increases for Sacramento-area residents.

Sen. Steinberg's legislation, one piece of a three-part strategy in collaboration with Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, would allocate $50 million of previously approved bond money to help pay for the Sac Regional facility upgrades.  

The bill, SB 52, was read in the Senate for the first time Monday, and action could begin as soon as Jan. 15. We will monitor the status of the legislation and give updates as they become available.

Delta Stewardship Council Announces Scoping Meetings for Delta Plan<

The Delta Stewardship Council, an organization dedicated to protecting the ailing Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, has announced a series of scoping meetings across the state in preparation for the release of its Delta Plan in early 2012.

The meetings are intended to offer water agencies and the public an opportunity to be a part of the plan's development process, and weigh in on the future of the Delta.

The first of the seven meetings is set to take place on Jan. 18 at the South Coast Air Quality Management District in Diamond Bar from 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

A schedule for the full slate of meetings is available online.

Contractors Encourage Federal Participation in BDCP

Several weeks after the release of two anticipated state and federal documents clarifying and elaborating on the future of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, four of California's largest water contractors - Kern County Water Agency, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority and Westlands Water District -- submitted a joint letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior.

In the letter, the four agencies praise recent consensus-building progress between state and federal interests on the BDCP process, but they also express concern over a lack of clarity from the Department of the Interior on several issues, including the extent of the additional water resources the BDCP would make available.

Westlands Water District and the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority individually pulled their support for the BDCP process in late November 2010 with a letter to Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Hayes and a subsequent press release. But the most recent letter to the Interior, which both agencies co-signed, stated that a final decision on whether to support the process is yet to come for all four parties.

Outgoing Gov. Appoints Five to Little Hoover Commission

Last week, on one of his final days as governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger announced five appointments and reappointments to the Little Hoover Commission, an independent state oversight agency.

The appointments include Victoria Bradshaw, senior undersecretary for the Labor and Workforce Development Agency; and Marilyn Brewer, Loren Kaye, Eugene Mitchell and David Schwarz, all returning members of the commission.

Farmland Trust Releases Comprehensive Agricultural Sustainability Report

The American Farmland Trust has released a new report  -- "California Agriculture Vision: Strategies for Sustainability" -- that outlines sustainable agriculture strategies to ensure a healthy future for California's agricultural sector. The report was compiled on behalf of the California Department of Agriculture and the State Board of Food and Agriculture.

Among other solutions, the report prioritizes securing a reliable water supply for California's farmers.

Last fall, SCWC hosted a roundtable discussion on agriculture and water, which focused on many of the issues addressed by the American Farmland Trust report.

FBI Program InfraGard Creates Private Sector Partnership

For water agencies, safeguarding infrastructure and the safety of water supplies is the highest of priorities. One organization, a partnership between the FBI and the private sector, offers help to ensure that safety.

InfraGard is an information sharing and analysis effort serving the interest and combining the knowledge base of a wide range of members. At its most basic level, InfraGard is a partnership between the FBI and the private sector.

The organization's members include businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies and other participants dedicated to sharing information and intelligence to prevent hostile acts against the United States.

For more information, or to join, visit InfraGard online.