As we stated in our Sunday newsletter, the Newsom Administration is trying to move forward with disingenuous Delta watershed restoration bills that replace water with habitat (instead of doing both). This is part of their full court press to create “voluntary agreements” to fill the Delta tunnel. We need you to call your legislator and Governor Newsom’s office to express opposition to the following two bills:
- In Section 23 of SB 155 published Sunday is current wording re CEQA exemption for habitat projects:
- In section 10 of SB 170 published today is funding for habitat projects:
What they are proposing completely disregards the needs of Delta communities for healthy water quality and quantity. Furthermore, as explained Sunday, it will allow a political appointee of any and all future governors to override CEQA for any project s/he deems necessary. No elected official or appointee should hold such authority individually.
It disrespects environmental justice communities starting with California tribes all the way through Southern California because funding should be spend to: 1) rewater rivers and tributaries for Northern California Tribes for fishery production; 2) to protect drinking water quality and quantity from Redding to Bakersfield as wells dry up for families; 2) to deal with the harmful algal bloom outbreaks throughout the state, especially in the Delta; 4) and to ensure that clean water is affordable and accessible for environmental justices communities throughout the state via conservation and recycling projects, including throughout Southern California.
These bills will protect big industrial agribusiness at the expense of public trust resources for Californians.
Call today. And when your elected official complains that there must be solutions, use the list above. We have offered these fact and science-based solutions (developed by science and legal experts) for over 15 years. Perhaps it is time with the climate change/drought emergency we are facing to start listening.
1. Contact your legislator here. Enter your address and it will show you who your State Senator and State Assemblymember are, with links to each of their websites and contact information.
2. Contact Governor Newsom’s office:
- Via Email: Through his website, scroll down to the email submission form.
- Via Phone: (916) 445-2841
- Via Twitter: @CAGovernor
Yours in action,
Restore the Delta