Portions of the Governor’s proposed Trailer Bills that would significantly weaken the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) could be approved as early as next week. Tell the Governor we reject his secretive trailer bill effort, which excludes public input and evades the democratic process. We provide a suggestedphone/email script below but encourage you to use your own words.  TAKE ACTIONYou can call the Governor’s office at 916-445-2841 or email through the portal at Contact the Governor.Additionally, please tell your elected representatives in the State Legislature to Keep CEQA Strong. Remind them that a strong CEQA is vital to protecting public health and the environment, advancing California’s urgent climate priorities, and giving disadvantaged communities a voice in local land use decisions. Please find your state legislators and write [...]

Restore the Delta has submitted a letter of opposition against Governor Newsom’s efforts of gutting the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) through his Budget Trailer Bills.  These Budget Trailer Bills jeopardize weakening CEQA, and if passed could have huge impacts on water and other related climate infrastructure. One of the proposed bills could speed up the permit process for developing the Delta Conveyance Project (Delta Tunnel). The Delta Conveyance Project presents multiple concerns ranging from water quality, public health, and environmental degradation of the surrounding project area and waterways of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.  Additionally, on May 25th, “In a 3-0 vote, a Senate budget committee found Newsom’s package was too complex for last-minute consideration under legislative deadlines.” Yet, even with that vote, these [...]

Restore the Delta has submitted a letter of opposition against Governor Newsom’s efforts of gutting the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) through his Budget Trailer Bills.  These Budget Trailer Bills jeopardize weakening CEQA, and if passed could have huge impacts on water and other related climate infrastructure. One of the proposed bills could speed up the permit process for developing the Delta Conveyance Project (Delta Tunnel). The Delta Conveyance Project presents multiple concerns ranging from water quality, public health, and environmental degradation of the surrounding project area and waterways of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.  Additionally, on May 25th, “In a 3-0 vote, a Senate budget committee found Newsom’s package was too complex for last-minute consideration under legislative deadlines.” Yet, even with that [...]

The State Water Board is hosting an online Environmental Justice Listening Session on June 7th from 3pm to 7 pm. This listening session will focus on gathering Environmental Justice community input on its implementation of the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Bay Delta Plan/BDP) and proposed Voluntary Agreements. Representatives of environmental justice organizations, economically disadvantaged communities (DACs); and black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) community members and individuals are specifically invited to this event.  The Board will run short presentations on the Bay-Delta Plan process and Voluntary Agreements, including a recently released Tuolumne River Voluntary Agreement. These will be followed by the public’s “opportunity to provide input” and then breakout groups that will inform [...]

On March 16, 2023, the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency Board authorized balloting for a proposed property assessment to fund levee construction and maintenance. Assessment ballots have been mailed to affected property owners. Ballots must be returned by June 8, 2023. The SJAFCA’s property assessment for a property can be calculated here. Restore the Delta encourages property owners to vote FOR the assessment so state and federal money to come to our region for flood control.Our Community is Threatened by Massive FloodingAs California’s weather becomes more extreme, floods and drought are becoming the new normal. Unfortunately, San Joaquin County and cities like Stockton are not ready to combat it. Floods aren’t new for Stockton, but the upcoming climate change storms and [...]

Dear Friends, Here is a more detailed update as to why we are asking you all to join us in advocating for a completed Bay-Delta Plan with the State Water Resources Control Board on 3/27 from 1 to 7 pm.  (More details about the mechanics of the event at the end of this email.)If you have been following our work with petition filing with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and US EPA, you will note that we have been asking for the following: 1.Updated, protective Bay-Delta water quality standards because the Board has not updated standards for over two decades. The entire process has been delayed by the voluntary agreements, which will further short-change the Delta of protective water quality [...]

TODAY: Sign the Petition for San Joaquin River Salmon San Francisco Baykeeper and The Bay Institute are cosponsoring a petition demanding a  renegotiation of the San Joaquin Exchange Contract to help restore San Joaquin River Salmon.“Each year, the federal government delivers up to 875,623 acre-feet to the Exchange Contractors. In some years, that is actually more than the entire natural flow of the San Joaquin River. Even in the driest years, deliveries to the Exchange Contractors are only reduced to 75 percent of the full amount, while other water districts are cut back much more.“The destruction of the San Joaquin River; its intended restoration under the 2006 agreement; and the increasing effects of climate change, all make the terms of the Exchange Contract–signed [...]

The California Department of Water Resources public hearings on the draft environmental impact report (EIR) on the proposed Delta Conveyance Project have begun. Read Barbara’s latest blog on the subject for a summary of where we are right now in the process. We need everyone to get involved.  NOTE: The new end date for the comment period is Friday, December 16, 2022. Below you will find instructions from DWR on how to make a three minute virtual public comment at one of the meetings. Remember 250 to 300 words is the maximum number of words for a 3-minute comment.  Upcoming Delta Conveyance Project Draft EIR Hearings Wednesday, September 28, 2022, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.Zoom Link:Click to Joinhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/84861494062?pwd=jnx2K-i2_XhG47Dtw8DkncMBc-b-jD.1English Call-in Information:1-833-548-0282 (Toll Free)Webinar ID: 848 [...]

The California Department of Water Resources public hearings on the draft environmental impact report (EIR) on the proposed Delta Conveyance Project have begun. Read Barbara’s latest blog on the subject for a summary of where we are right now in the process. We need everyone to get involved.  Below you will find instructions from DWR on how to make a three minute virtual public comment at one of the meetings. Remember 250 to 300 words is the maximum number of words for a 3-minute comment.  Upcoming Delta Conveyance Project Draft EIR Hearings Thursday, September 22, 2022, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.Zoom Link:Click to Joinhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/88236180216?pwd=99fG75btij8-A1UBxwilsfsS57UXBC.1English Call-in Information:1-888-788-0099 (Toll Free)Webinar ID: 882 3618 0216Passcode: 345979Spanish Call-in Information: 602-580-9659 | Access Code: 8833787Chinese Call-in Information: 605-313-5814 [...]