FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 15, 2009
Contact: Joan Moody
(202) 208-6416

 Secretary Salazar Announces $260 Million in Economic Recovery Investments
    to Help California Address Long-Term Water Supply Challenges and
                     Devastating Drought Conditions

     Water-Related Economic Investments Total $1 Billion in the West

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, at a press conference with Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger and California congressional leaders, Secretary of the
Interior Ken Salazar announced the Department of the Interior will invest
$1 billion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
in America’s water infrastructure to create jobs and get the economy moving
again.  Overall, the Department of the Interior will manage $3 billion in
investments as part of the recovery plan signed by the President to
jumpstart our economy, create or save jobs, and put a down payment on
addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st
Century.

Of the $1 billion that Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation is investing in
water projects across the country, $260 million will go to projects in
California that will expand water supplies, repair aging water
infrastructure, and mitigate the effects of a devastating drought the state
is currently experiencing.  An additional $135 million is available for
grants for water reuse and recycling projects; California is emerging as a
leader in the development of these projects and is expected to also
significantly benefit from this funding.

“In the midst of one of the deepest economic crises in our history,
Californians have been saddled with a drought that is putting tens of
thousands of people out of work and devastating entire communities,” said
Secretary Salazar. “President Obama’s economic recovery plan will not only
create jobs on basic water infrastructure projects, but it will help
address both the short- and long-term water supply challenges the Golden
State is facing. From boosting water supplies and improving conservation to
improving safety at our dams, these shovel-ready projects will make a real
and immediate difference in the lives of farmers, businesses, Native
American Tribes and communities across California.”

Secretary Salazar, who earlier in the day toured the Sacramento Delta with
Governor Schwarzenegger, announced that more than 30 Bureau of Reclamation
water infrastructure projects will be funded in California under the ARRA,
including:

  ·  $40 million for immediate emergency drought relief in the West,
     focused on California. These investments will allow for the
     installation of groundwater wells to boost water supplies to
     agricultural and urban contractors, the facilitation of the delivery
     of Federal water to Reclamation contractors through water transfers
     and exchanges, and the installation of rock barriers in the
     Sacramento Delta to meet water quality standards during low flows;
  ·  $109.8 million to build a screened pumping plant at the Red Bluff
     Diversion Dam to protect fish populations while delivering water to
     agricultural users irrigating approximately 150,000 acres;
  ·  $22.3 million to address dam safety concerns at the Folsom Dam near
     Sacramento, which is currently among the highest risk dams in the
     country for public safety;
  ·  $8.5 million to repair water-related infrastructure at Folsom Dam;
  ·  $20 million for the Contra Costa Canal to protect water supplies for
     500,000 Californians and to build fish screens to restore winter-run
     Chinook salmon and the endangered Delta smelt;
  ·  $4.5 million to restore the Trinity River and honor the Federal
     government’s responsibility to the Native American Tribes;
  ·  $26 million for Battle Creek Salmon/Steelhead Restoration project,
     which will help restore fisheries that support thousands of jobs in
     northern California.
  ·  $4 million to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan for conveyance systems
     to move Central Valley Project and State Water Project water, habitat
     restoration and adaptive management;
  ·  $4 million to broaden scientific knowledge of Klamath River
     sedimentation for future management decision-making;
  ·  $20.7 million in smaller water infrastructure and related projects
     across California.

With an array of projects identified by stakeholders as critical, the
Bureau of Reclamation worked through a rigorous merit-based process to
identify investments that met the criteria put forth in the Recovery Act:
namely, that the project addresses the Department’s highest priority
mission needs; generates the largest number of jobs in the shortest period
of time; and creates lasting value for the American public.

The $1 billion announced by Secretary Salazar today will go to programs
including:

  ·  Meeting Future Water Supply Needs (including Title XVI water
     recycling projects and rural water projects)  – $450 million
  ·  Improving Infrastructure Reliability and Safety – $165 million
  ·  Environmental and Ecosystem Restoration – $235 million
  ·  Water Conservation Initiative (Challenge Grants) – $40 million
  ·  Green Buildings – $14 million
  ·  Delivering water from the Colorado River to users in central Utah
     under the Central Utah Project Completion Act - $50 million
  ·  Emergency drought relief in the West, primarily in California - $40

“President Obama and this Department have ambitious goals to build
America’s new energy future, to protect and restore our treasured
landscapes, to create a 21st Century Youth Conservation Corps,” added
Salazar. “These Bureau of Reclamation projects will help us fulfill these
goals while helping American families and their communities prosper again.”

Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and
accountability in the implementation of the Department of the Interior’s
economic recovery projects. The public will be able to follow the progress
of each project on www.recovery.gov and on www.interior.gov/recovery.
Secretary Salazar has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery,
Chris Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force. Henderson
and the Task Force will work closely with the Department of the Interior’s
Inspector General to ensure that the recovery program is meeting the high
standards for accountability, responsibility, and transparency that
President Obama has set.

Re: Statewide Consumer Water Conservation Program Launched
 
Dear California Leader:
 
Today the new “Save Our Water” public education program was launched at a Capitol press conference in Sacramento. The program is a partnership formed between the Association of California Water Agencies and the Department of Water Resources as an answer to Governor Schwarzenegger’s state of emergency proclamation in February.
 
Water is a critical resource to California’s quality of life.  Unfortunately, population growth, climate change, regulatory restrictions and aging infrastructure are contributing to a water shortage and threatening the future of our communities, our economy and our environment.  Three years of inadequate rainfall and snowpack have not helped matters.
 
The “Save Our Water” program is just one of the components of a comprehensive solution to the state’s water problems. It is intended to be a strategic, multi-year effort that seeks to not only reduce the public’s water use now but create a life-long habit of conserving water, just as we’ve done with energy and recycling.  The program will also educate the public about the issues contributing to the state’s water shortage and ways to solve our problems for the long term. 
 
A recent statewide survey indicated that 61% of Californians ranked “having sufficient water supplies” a top concern – while 85% expressed a willingness to significantly change their water use habits.
 
We are asking that organizations like yours to partner in this statewide conservation program in a variety of ways:  publishing information about water conservation in your organization’s newsletter or magazine, inviting a guest speaker to a meeting or conference to discuss water conservation, helping fund this public education program—there are many ways to help. 
 
The first way your organization can help is by posting the attached Web site banner on your organization’s Web site providing a link to the “Save Our Water” Web site, www.saveourh2o.org.  The banner is included in this email. 
 
We hope that you will participate in this crucial effort to educate the public on water conservation. If you are interested in joining the effort and help spread the word about California’s water supply challenges and the need to “Save Our Water” please contact ACWA’s Region /Outreach Coordinator, Ellen Manolis, at ellenm@acwa.com or 916-441-4545.
 
We will continue to provide updates and information on the “Save Our Water” program as needed.  We look forward to working with your organization throughout the year on California’s new water conservation program. 
 
For more information on the program, please visit www.saveourh2o.org.

The Conservation Partnership

ACRCD~NRCS

“Out in the Open” calendars are now for sale at a cost.

There is a limited amount left.  See the website at www.acrcd.org

Or contact Peggy Kiefer at peggy.kiefer@acrcd.org.

Alameda County Resource Conservation District

Has Openings Left in

Three Upcoming Workshops on Local Threatened Wildlife—

April and May

Red-legged Frog — Tiger Salamander — Alameda Whipsnake

The Alameda County Resource Conservation District, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and our partners are pleased to offer these workshops on the biology and management of three listed amphibians and reptiles.  Each workshop is led by recognized experts on the species, and includes both classroom and field experience.  Participants will receive field training in species identification, sampling techniques, and habitat requirements.  Class sizes are limited to allow for a more interactive experience, so please register as soon as possible if interested.  For more information, please follow the links below, go to www.acrcd.org, or contact Peggy Kiefer at peggy.kiefer@acrcd.org, (925) 371-0154, ext. 122.

California Red-legged Frog Workshop – Just a couple spots left!

April 29-30

Presenters: Drs. Galen Rathbun and Norm Scott

The workshop includes both day and night-time field sessions in small groups to allow for a more interactive experience with the presenters and species.

$375

For more information, please go to http://www.acrcd.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=vCW3B6yYLd0%3d&tabid=61 (opens pdf file)

California Tiger Salamander Workshop

May 11-12

Presenter: Dr. Pete Trenham

Join California tiger salamander expert Peter Trenham, PhD. for a workshop covering the biology and conservation of this federally threatened salamander.

$300

For more information, please go to http://www.acrcd.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Kj6%2fpzng0SY%3d&tabid=61 (opens pdf file)

Alameda Whipsnake Workshop

May 27

Presenter: Karen Swaim

Karen Swaim, M.S., and Swaim Biological, Inc. staff will detail the biology of the Alameda whipsnake and how this information can be applied to habitat management, conservation planning, impact analysis, project monitoring, and educational outreach.

$250

For more information, please go to http://www.acrcd.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=7TzDmJKLl5k%3d&tabid=61 (opens pdf file)

Thanks Tacy,

Peggy

Peggy Kiefer, Outreach & Workshop Coordinator

The Conservation Partnership

Gold Ridge RCD of Occidental Honored for Environmental Excellence by EPA
 
Occidental, CA - The Occidental-based Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District (RCD) today announced that the RCD has received an Environmental Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their leadership role in innovative, collaborative conservation efforts that produce measurable results in lowering non-point source pollution in creeks and streams in western Sonoma County.
 EPA’s Environmental Awards program recognizes the strong commitment of the RCD in their efforts to demonstrate that a voluntary, incentive-based approach to agricultural management can successfully protect and enhance soil and water resources, while preserving the economic viability of a diverse agricultural community in the Estero Americano and Salmon Creek Watersheds. 
 “It is a great pleasure and honor that we can recognize the innovative and important environmental work achieved by this year’s impressive group of organizations and individuals, and the example they set for all of us to follow,” said Laura Yoshii, the U.S. EPA’s acting administrator for the Pacific Southwest region. “This year’s winners and nominees have made superb efforts to protect and preserve our air, water and land, and increased awareness of the environmental challenges we all face.”
The Gold Ridge RCD is one of 40 organizations in the EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region from over 300 nominations received this year from businesses, government agencies, Native American tribes, media groups, environmental organizations and community activist groups.
“We’re very proud of this award and very grateful to the landowners, our partners and volunteers who have made it possible,” said Gold Ridge RCD Executive Director Lisa Hulette. “Good news has been in short supply this year, and this achievement helps keep the staff and landowners optimistic that the work we do is being noticed at the national level. In my opinion, our accomplishments are due in large measure to the RCD’s focus on the economic viability of the agricultural landowners while at the same time working at the grass-roots level to nurture and conserve natural resources and improve our environment.”
-more-
There are 102 Resource Conservation Districts in California. RCDs provide free assistance and educational opportunities to agricultural producers, land users, educators, and anyone with land-based resource conservation needs, on a strictly voluntary basis. Conservation projects may include education, soil erosion control, water quality enhancement, range management, vineyard development, woodland, forestry and wildlife management, and watershed and stream enhancement.
Gold Ridge RCD was established in 1941, the seventh RCD in the state. The district — bordered by Marin County to the south, the Russian River to the north, the Pacific coastline to the west, and the Laguna de Santa Rosa to the east — covers 134,000 acres and includes eight watersheds. The diverse resources of the region include rangeland, woodland, wildlife habitat, vineyards, dairies, orchards, cropland, streams, coastal areas, as well as rural and urban areas.
The Gold Ridge RCD is overseen by a supportive and active Board of Directors which includes Don Petersen (President) dairy operator in the Laguna de Santa Rosa Watershed; Martin Albini, sheep and cattle rancher in Bodega, whose family roots in go back to the late 1800s; vineyard owner Joe Dutton of Graton; Barry Fisher, a former principal in the Sebastopol Union School District; and Ann Cassidy, a member of the Salmon Creek Watershed Council and long-time Bodega resident.
For more information about the Gold Ridge RCD, visit:  http://www.goldridgercd.org.

Hello all:
 
The Napa County Resource Conservation District is hosting the 1st Annual Napa Valley 5K/10K Salmon Run to benefit our local natural resource programs.  Please register to run or walk in this event…. and pass this notice on to others you know who may be interested. The Salmon Run is on Sunday, June 28 and you can register at www.active.com (search Napa Valley Salmon Run). Attached is a flyer with additional information regarding race location and registration.
 
Thanks for your help in spreading the word. We look forward to seeing you at the starting line!
 
Best wishes,
 
Leigh
 
leigh sharp
District Manager
Napa County Resource Conservation District |1303 Jefferson Street, Suite 500B|Napa, California 94559
707/252-4188 ext. 110|www.naparcd.org

Southern California Official Named To Head Agency’s Office of Water
President Obama announced his intention April 3 to nominate Peter S. Silva, senior policy adviser for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, as the Environmental Protection Agency assistant administrator for water.

Silva is a civil engineer with nearly 32 years of experience in the water and wastewater fields, the White House said in announcing Silva’s selection for the EPA post.If confirmed by the Senate as head of EPA’s Office of Water, Silva would be in charge of the agency’s programs implementing the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Among the issues likely to confront the Office of Water is the question of which waters are protected by the Clean Water Act.
Members of Congress, industry and environmental groups, and the agency itself have indicated that there has been much confusion over the issue since a divided U.S. Supreme Court in 2006 failed to agree on the extent of federal jurisdiction over wetlands under the act in Rapanos v. United States (126 S. Ct. 2208, 62 ERC 1481 (2006)). Legislation pending in Congress would attempt to clarify the jurisdictional issue (62 DEN A-19, 4/3/09).

Prior to his position with the Southern California water district, Silva was the vice chairman of the California Water Resources Control Board for six years, according to the White House. He has served in various public sector positions specializing in water resources policy with extensive experience in U.S.-Mexico border issues, the White House said.  Silva was appointed by President Clinton to serve for three years on the board of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, established under the North American Free Trade Agreement to protect and enhance the environment in the U.S.-Mexico border region. He also served as the commission’s deputy general manager for three years in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

His other experience includes 10 years with the city of San Diego and four years in charge of the San Diego office of the International Boundary & Water Commission, a joint U.S.-Mexican organization that helps implement the boundary and water treaties of the two countries.  He also spent five years with the California Regional Water Quality Control Board in San Diego, the White House said.

Colusa Glenn

Subwatershed Program

P.O. Box 1205, Willows, California 95988 - Phone (530) 934-8036 - Email cgsubwatershed@sbcglobal.net

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Date: March 31, 2009

For additional information, please contact Kandi Manhart, Outreach and Education, at (530) 934-8036 or cgsubwatershed@sbcglobal.net.

***

Education and outreach to those who are not familiar with farmers, ranchers and wetland managers daily activities is essential.

They are very familiar waking up at the crack of dawn, grabbing coffee to keep their momentum throughout the day, returning home when the sun has set or they are unable to use man-made light in the field as a means to get work done, and praying every night in hopes “Mother Nature” brings them the perfect growing conditions for this year’s crop whatever that might be. They are very familiar with their best management practices that they use on a daily basis to protect the natural resources they were provided. They live next to and for their work. They protect our soil, water, and air to the best of their abilities because they touch, drink, and breathe it 365 days a year. And, they want to share this with those who aren’t in their shoes.

Agriculture. It is the life and economics for many in the Sacramento Valley.

Recently, the Colusa Glenn Subwatershed Program provided the opportunity to share information about watersheds, agricultural lands, best management practices, and more to the Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Region (RWQCB) staff and the Sacramento Valley Water Quality Coalition (SVWQC) representative. The attendees were those who work in the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) based in Rancho Cordova. For those who may not know, the ILRP is a mandated program through the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Region for growers within the Central Valley who have the potential to discharge waste from irrigated lands during the irrigation or storm seasons. Through this program growers have joined together to establish a network throughout the Sacramento Valley to monitor agricultural runoff, report results, and correct any problems found on their irrigated lands, if any.

This outreach opportunity was provided because they too want to understand, learn and gain insight of the farms, ranches and wetlands in the Central Valley to help them in their daily activities. They want to manage the ILRP to their best abilities and to create a productive, manageable program for everyone involved. On this important day the outreach began with a brief introduction of the Colusa Glenn Subwatershed Program, they learned about efforts of Colusa and Glenn County Ag Commissioner offices to advance and streamline the technical side of the program, and toured the water quality monitoring sample sites including: Glenn County - Walker Creek @ County Road 48, Walker Creek @ County Road 33, Colusa County – Logan Creek @ 4 Mile-Excelsior Road, Lurline Creek @ County 99W, and Freshwater Creek @ Gibson Road.

The local Board of Directors including Larry Domenighini, John Garner, Denise Carter, Joe Carrancho and Greg Overton shared their experiences and knowledge of irrigated lands, as well as Jon Richter from Colusa County Ag Department and Lester Messina and Lisa Hunter from Glenn County Ag Department.

In the end CGSP President Larry Domenighini said, “Days like this are important. We were able to acquaint the RWQCB staff with our area and our concerns. We had the opportunity to meet each of them personally, and because of this we can build a strong working partnership that will benefit all of our growers in Glenn and Colusa Counties.”

For questions or additional information, please contact Kandi Manhart, Outreach and Education at (530) 934-8036.

(PICTURE ATTACHED)

Picture (left to right): Back - Gene Massa, Colusa Basin Drainage District; John Garner, CGSP Director; Jon Richter, Colusa County Ag Department, Front - Margaret Wong, RWQCB; Lisa Hunter, Glenn County Ag Department; Karen Larsen, RWQCB; Denise Carter, CGSP Director; Paul Hann, RWQCB; Susan Fregien, RWQCB; Kandi Manhart, CGSP Outreach & Education; Joe Carrancho, CGSP Director; not pictured Bruce Houdesheldt, SVWQC; Lester Messina, Glenn County Ag Department. Location: Logan Creek @ 4 Mile-Excelsior Road, Glenn County.

***

Full PDF Press Release

Hi everyone,

• Earth Island Institute is considering a videography project to create brief documentary interviews featuring organizations impacted by freeze: Earth Island Institute is working on a project to create a series of 90 second documentary interviews, each highlighting a specific organization and how they’ve been impacted by the freeze.  If you are interested in participating in this project, let me know and I’ll put your names forward for consideration should the project go forward.  As I understand, the videos will be shown to elected officials and potential financial investors.
• Success of Tax-Exempt Bond Sale means many back invoices will be paid: Tina Andolina, from the Planning and Conservation League Foundation (PCL) has seen the list of money that each agency is going to get out of the $2.6 billion in extra money from the tax-exempt bond sale and most projects with back invoices will be paid. A small percentage of projects might not qualify because it was a tax-exempt sale. Some invoices will not be reimbursable until next month when the Treasurer goes to market with taxable bonds.
• Interest on loans to continue work on frozen projects may be reimbursable: PCL has been working on getting assurances of payback at some point for folks using their own money or going to get loans to continue work on frozen projects. Tine said they are getting really close to formalizing those assurances.  PCL has been under the assumption that repayment of interest on these loans was not allowed under the bond language passed by voters. Yesterday, however, PCL learned for the first time from the Attorney General’s office that there is potential to get reimbursed on interest  on loans that people take out to get projects up and running. Tina said they don’t have solid legal opinion yet but they are working in that direction. It make take a simple change in statute.  Interest would have to be in line with interest rates the State already uses through PMIB. But within those terms, repayment may be within the confines of bond language passed. This is huge news for groups that can’t participate in private placement bond sales. This could be an easier and simpler way to get projects going again, though it might not be that much faster because of the need to pass a bill.  Still, it might add another tool to the toolbox.  When this is settled, the provision probably won’t be retroactive–won’t cover interest already paid.
• PCL sent letter to Governor and others (Dept. of Fiance, Treasurer Bill Lockyer, etc) requesting equity in the way bond money is distributed–still possible to sign on: PCL sent out a letter Tuesday pushing back on the seemingly inequitable flow of bond money toward transportation projects. The letter requested that all back invoices be paid first, that there be transparency in the way money is doled out so that there is known criteria and opportunity to comment, and that criteria not only include safety issues, etc. but also consider impact on the viability of projects in response to delay (risk of irrecoverable financial loss or termination of project because of delay). Over thirty groups have signed on and it is still possible to be become a signatory to this letter as PCL has put in for a meeting with Tom Sheehy in the Dept. of Finance and will take the letter with them.  I will send out a link to this letter as soon as it is posted for review (it is not yet–I checked).
• Plans for future bond sales - only taxable bonds in near future: Tina said PCL is hearing that a taxable bond sale is planned for April, but another tax-exempt sale is not likely before budget discussions begin (May or June??).  During debate about a budget fix, the Treasurer’s office will stay out of the market.  There is no way to know how long budget discussions will last.  If a supermajority is required, it could be a while.
• SB 553 - Senate bill requiring state agencies that award grants to pay interest to grant recipients whose undisputed invoices are reimbursed late - PCL needs examples from organizations that have been in this scenario with DFG: This bill, introduced by Senator Wiggins, is calendared for hearing on April 28th.  Apparently, DFG already voluntarily abides by this policy in their Fisheries Restoration Grant Program.  Any organizations that have experience with this policy are asked to contact PCL with case study examples that might help support discussions regarding SB 553.
• Current questions being investigated regarding Private Placement Bond Program:
  • There is a question on the table about whether or not Counties can legally bundle their money with other Counties to participate in bond purchase
  • There are currently attempts to get the League of California Community Foundations to address whether and how Community Foundations can serve as lead investor for bundled investors
• ReSeed Website to be developed as tool for soliciting project investors: The ReSeed website is continuing to change and develop.  Originally called “Stop Work Impacts,” now “ReSeed California,” it may eventually be called “ReSeed Marketplace” and provide a space where organizations can post projects for investors to consider.
  • http://stopworkimpact.ning.com