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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from Tulare County Board of Supervisors regarding California's water futureCOUNTY OF TULARE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ALLEN R. ISHIDA Supervisor - District One MW CF wpoy "S Board of Supervisors, Butte County 0r4VaF, IA 25 County Center Drive Oroville, CA 95965 Dear Supervisor, fill �llFOR�� April 7, 2014 Are you tired of the "water wars "? I am. And, so are a lot of other county supervisors that I have spoken to lately. San Joaquin County Supervisor Larry Ruhstaller and I spoke to many of you during the most recent RCRC meeting, and several of you have been present at other events where we have discussed a way to come together and all stand for something that can get California moving on this incredibly important issue. I am sending this on my own behalf and also on behalf of Larry. We are inviting you to lend your name to the attached letter. The letter is intended to get the attention of policymakers in Sacramento. We intend to show that there is in fact a broad spectrum of county supervisors - representing a vast geographical majority of California - who want to ensure that a successful water bond will be on the November ballot. Please let me or my staff know at your earliest convenience if you can sign on to the attached letter. Our plan is to pull together all the signatories for a meeting in May sometime during the upcoming CSAC Spring Legislative Conference. At this meeting, we would like to go beyond concepts and discuss specifically what we all — all — want to see in a water bond this year. The basic idea is that we would quickly thereafter send this more specific information to the Governor and the Legislature in time for the final deliberations regarding same that will inevitably occur late May to late June. It is time to figure out a viable plan for California's water future. Supervisor Larry Ruhstaller and I hope that as many of you as possible can sign the attached letter and join us going forward. If you want to sign on, please notify me or Denise Akins, Tulare County Senior Administrative Analyst - Water Resources, at (559) 636 -5027 or DNAkinsa- co.tulare.ca.us. Sincerely, - Tulare County District 1 Supervisor Allen Ishida tF Administlation Building 2800 W. Burrel, Visalia, CA 93291 (559) 636 -5000 FAX: (559) 733 -6898 April 7, 2014 Senate President Pro Tern Darrell Steinberg State Capitol, Room 205 Sacramento, CA 95814 Assembly Speaker John Perez State Capitol, Room 205 Sacramento, CA 95814 SUBJECT: MESSAGE FROM A BROAD COALITION OF COUNTIES CONCERNING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BALANCED 2014 WATER BOND Dear Senate President Pro Tern Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John Perez: With deliberations over the next water bond still occurring, we are writing to declare that until we as a State create new underground and aboveground storage, water - related disputes between regions and communities will continue to be a reality for our future generations. All bond proposals should include funding for future water storage projects as well as receive continuous appropriations in every State fiscal year to ensure that investments in storage, including surface storage, translate into additional water supplies for fish and wildlife, people, and farms. Furthermore, all bond proposals should include a sizeable investment in the State's existing levee system, which is — and will continue to be — vital to our respective goals. Delivering on these investments is critical for public acceptance of any future water bond, and must be done for future generations of Californians. The Watershed and Integrated Regional Water Management approaches consider how for every action in our watersheds, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Investments both up and down the watershed are more appropriate than in only the most populated regions. The allocation of future bond funds needs to include investments in the counties where our water originates to enhance the upper watersheds and prevent catastrophic fires, in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys where our farm products feed the world and sustain our rural and urbanizing communities, and in the Sacramento -San Joaquin Bay -Delta which supports a vibrant and unique ecosystem. This integrated approach to the water bond discussion is necessary to ensure that we do not piece -meal water management throughout watersheds and risk being left with the same short- sighted approaches to water conflicts that have been left unresolved for decades. Any future investment in California's water infrastructure should consider how all counties statewide contribute to the overall quality of our economy, environment and sustainability. This coalition of counties signing on to this letter understands that the future of this State is inextricably linked to our ability to solve the discrepancy between water supply and demand in California. We all understand that the support of the electorate is required for any water bond's passage; however, the minimum amount of support should not be the goal. The Legislature and the Governor should strive to craft a water bond that will produce overwhelming support from all of California. No part of this great State should be advantaged in our water policy at the expense of another —this is our common belief. We understand that crafting a broadly supportable water bond is not easy; however, the undersigned are committed to doing just that. In the coming weeks, we will provide detailed suggestions for a water bond. The undersigned also stand ready to utilize the funds recently provided for drought relief Statewide to address the needs of all Californians. We stand united and are ready to get to work. PRINT ON COUNTY LETTERHEAD Sincerely, Supervisor Allen Ishida, Tulare County Supervisor [NAME], [COUNTY] County Supervisor [NAME], [COUNTY] County Supervisor [NAME], [COUNTY] County Supervisor [NAME], [COUNTY] County Supervisor [NAME], [COUNTY] County Supervisor [NAME], [COUNTY] County Supervisor [NAME], [COUNTY] County Supervisor [NAME], [COUNTY] County Supervisor [NAME], [COUNTY] County Supervisor [NAME], [COUNTY] County Supervisor Larry Ruhstaller, San Joaquin County Supervisor [NAME], [COUNTY] County Supervisor [NAME], [COUNTY] County Supervisor [NAME], [COUNTY] County