For Immediate Release: January 31, 2014 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; @MrSandHillCrane; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053; [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDeltaGov. Brown Sings from Mega-Growers’ Hymnal, Tries to Bully Federal Scientists into Approving Tunnels, State Mismanagement of Water Helped Cause ShortageSacramento, CA- Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build Peripheral Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom salmon and other Pacific fisheries, today responded to Gov. Brown’s statement Thursday that he urged President Obama to get federal scientists to suspend their expert judgment and approve his tunnels.“It is outrageous that Governor Brown is using the drought to push the president to override federal biologists who think the water tunnels are too risky,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla. “The [...]
Media Alerts
Gov. Brown Sings from Mega-Growers’ Hymnal, Tries to Bully Federal Scientists into Approving Tunnels, State Mismanagement of Water Helped Cause Shortage
The Bakersfield Californian: While D.C. plays politics, real water issues await
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, January 30, 2014Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; @MrSandHillCrane; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDeltaIn case you missed it…The Bakersfield CalifornianTuesday, Jan 28 2014 10:00 PMLOIS HENRY: While D.C. plays politics, real water issues awaitBy Lois HenryThere are real issues to be discussed involving California’s water troubles. Tough issues.Such as, whether we’ve overplanted with crops that simply cannot be accommodated long term given regulatory changes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta.Oh yeah, I went there. Let the howling begin.Can our water system sustain the explosion in almonds, pistachios, grapes and other permanent crops we’ve seen in Kern and other valley counties?I don’t know.But I do know that’s a question being mulled, even among those in the [...]
State and Federal Agencies Suppress Public Comment on Peripheral Tunnels: Brown Administration Decides What the Public Can and Can’t Know
CONTACTS:Bob Wright, Senior Counsel, Friends of the River [email protected] 916- 442-3155 X207Osha Meserve, Local Agencies of the North Delta [email protected] 916-455-7300Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta [email protected] 209-479-2053Nick Di Croce, Environmental Water Caucus [email protected] 805-350-8898FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, January 28, 2014STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES SUPPRESS PUBLIC COMMENT ON PERIPHERAL TUNNELS: BROWN ADMINISTRATION DECIDES WHAT THE PUBLIC CAN AND CAN’T KNOW Tunnels Opponents Accuse Brown Administration of “Fraud and Deceit”; File “Demand” Letter to Halt SuppressionSacramento, CA – Conservation, community and fishing organizations today called on the Brown Administration to stop the suppression of opposing viewpoints on the proposed peripheral tunnels project. Friends of the River, the Environmental Water Caucus, and Restore the Delta submitted a formal Demand letter to the State [...]
The Bakersfield Californian: Don’t use ‘drought emergency’ to divide us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, January 28, 2014 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; @MrSandHillCrane; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta In case you missed it… By The Bakersfield Californian Don’t use ‘drought emergency’ to divide us Saturday, Jan 25 2014 11:06 PM The terrifying consequences of California’s “drought emergency” cannot be denied: acres of mature, nut-bearing trees dug up; fertile land unplanted; agriculture jobs gone. Some communities are even struggling to provide drinking water for their residents. But last week’s “press availability” that starred three South Valley Republican congressmen — Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, Devin Nunes of Visalia and David Valadao of Hanford — as well as House Speaker John Boehner, the Ohio Republican, seemed more about politics than [...]
In case you missed it: Our op-ed in the Sac Bee, “Better solutions for managing California’s water”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, January 27, 2014 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; @MrSandHillCrane; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta In case you missed it… The Sacramento Bee Viewpoints: Better solutions for managing California’s water By Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla Special to The Bee Published: Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014 – 12:00 am During the current drought, the public will hear a lot about water management in California. Unfortunately, Californians are being presented with a false dichotomy – that California’s water problems are about fish vs. people. It’s what large corporate agribusinesses from the Westlands Water District and Kern County Water Agency have been pushing on the public since 2009. While we agree with these opposing groups that we have a water [...]
Media Alert: Radio and Articles of Interest
Restore the Delta media coverage from January 22, 2014. Click to listenKFBK-AM FOX, SacramentoGov. Brown touts California’s progress but says challenges lie aheadSan Gabriel Valley TribuneLegislators, environmental organizations and Delta advocates react to Nunes, McCarthy and Valadao’s proposed drought legislationMaven’s Notebook
Our response to State of the State address by Governor Brown
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; @MrSandHillCrane; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta Restore the Delta Response to the State of the State In his State of the State address, Governor Brown said, “We need to move forward with progress on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.” Governor Brown’s plan to build two forty-foot tunnels under the Delta, at a total cost of $60 billion with interest and operation expenses, will not add one drop of additional water to the system. There is a better way to manage our water. First, we need to export a safe yield of water from the Delta without repeatedly depleting the watershed. Second, we need to reinforce [...]
Tunnels critics blast Congressional move to suspend Endangered Species Act to favor Westlands, Kern mega-growers during drought
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; @MrSandHillCrane; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta Tunnels critics blast Congressional move to suspend Endangered Species Act to favor Westlands, Kern mega-growers during drought The move to push forward legislation by Congressman Devin Nunes, Congressman Kevin McCarthy, and Congressman David Valadao, with the support of House Speaker John Boehner, to allow the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta pumps to operate “as long as water is available” in a drought is nothing more than a blatant, short-sighted water grab, fueled by years of political contributions from huge growers in the Westlands Water District and the Kern County Water Agency to these Central Valley Congressional Representatives. Furthermore, we find it [...]
LA Times: Drought offers an opportunity to consider water policy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, January 21, 2014 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; @MrSandHillCrane; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta In case you missed it… Los Angeles Times Drought offers an opportunity to consider water policy California must prepare to capture and store water to be used during future, inevitable shortages. George Skelton Capitol Journal 6:01 PM PST, January 19, 2014 SACRAMENTO — So it’s official: We are in a serious drought. That means this: Next comes serious flooding. But we’ll still be in a declared drought. That’s just the nature of California weather patterns — and water politics. A drought proclamation, as issued by Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday, changes the political climate. It focuses public attention on [...]
