HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetters of Support for AB 3045 and AB 3012 Menchaca, Clarissa
From: fling, Brian
Sent: Monday,April 16, 2018 8:28 AM
To: Lambert, Steve; Kirk, Maureen; Connelly, Bill;Teeter, Doug;Wahl, Larry; 'Paul Yoder;
Erica Smith; 'psmith@rcrcnet.org'
Cc: McCracken, Shari; Menchaca, Clarissa; Snyder, Ashley, Ring, Brian
Subject: Butte County- Letters of Support AB 3045 and AB 3012
Attachments: AB 3045.pdf;AB 3012.pdf
Good morning all—
Please find the attached letters of support for AB 3045 and AB 3012 that were approved by the Board last Tuesday,April
101h
Thanks!
Brian Ring
Assistant Chief Administrative Officer
Administration
25 County Center Drive Oroville CA 95965
T: 530.552.3311 ] M: 530.570.7688 1 F: 530.538.7120
i
0ot SU
r•' BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BILL CONNELt_Y
First District
ADMINISTRATION CENTER LARRY WAHL
••' coI�,°s 25 COUNTY CENTER DRIVE,SUITE 200 -OROVILLE,CALIFORNIA 95965 Second District
TELEPHONE:(530)538-7631
MAUREEN KIRK
Third District
STEVE LAMBERT
Fourth District
DOUG TEETER
April 10, 2018
Fifth District
Assemblyman James Gallagher
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0003
RE: SUPPORT FOR AB 3045(GALLAGHER)
Dear Assemblyman Gallagher:
The County of Butte writes to support AB 3445,which would ensure independent dam safety
reviews by moving the supervision of dams and reservoirs from the Department of Water
Resources (DWR)to the Division of Safety of Dams within the Department of Natural
Resources.
We must learn from the incident at Oroville and take concrete steps to ensure such a failure does
not occur at other aging critical water infrastructure in the state. Even though Oroville and other
State Water Project facilities are paid for by the beneficiaries of the project,the State Water
Contractors(SWC),the DWR acts as the owner of these facilities. Under the current
organization structure,the DWR is also responsible for dam safety inspections.
This creates a situation where the DWR is both the regulator and the owner of State Water
Project infrastructure. This is a clear conflict of interest that could result in lower safety
standards in an effort to control costs. In fact,the forensic team that investigated the failure at
Oroville Dain found that the DWR was likely subject to significant pressures by the SWC to
control costs.
We enthusiastically support AB 3045 because it would eliminate the conflict of interest that
currently exists by moving the supervision of dam safety from the Department of Water
Resources to a newly created Division of Safety of Dams under the Department of Natural
Resources. Should you have any questions regarding our position,please do not hesitate to
contact Shari McCracken, Interim Chief Administrative Officer,at 530-522-3300.
Sincerely,
Steve Lambert, hair
Butte County Board of Supervisors
cc. Members, Butte County Board of Supervisors
The Honorable Brian Dahle, Member, California State Assembly
The Honorable James Gallagher, Member, California State Assembly
The Honorable Jim Nielsen, Member, California State Senate
Paul Yoder, Shaw,Yoder, Antwih, Inc.
California State Association of Counties
Rural County Representatives of California
2
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BILL CONNELLY
First District
ADMINISTRATION CENTER LARRY WAHL
11*•. "� _T�..'{•"'�If 25 COUNTY CENTER DRIVE,SUITE 200 -OROVILLE,CALIFORNIA 95965 Second District
TELEPHONE:(530)538-7631 MAUREEN KIRK
Third District
STEVE LAMBERT
Fourth District
DOUG TEETER
April 10, 2018 Fifth District
Assemblyman Jaynes Gallagher
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0003
RE:SUPPORT FOR AB 307.2 (GALLAGHER)
Dear Assemblyman Gallagher:
The County of Butte writes to support AB 3012,which can be used to enhance shorelines and
ecosystems by authorizing the State Coastal Conservancy,through its Climate Ready Program,
to fund multi-benefit projects that remove sediment if the sediment can be used for
environmental projects.
Research shows that California beaches have suffered severe erosion due to natural disasters,
climate change, lack of sediment, lack of rainfall, and rises in sea elevation. Up to 67%of the
Southern California's beaches will be complexly eroded by the end of the century.
However, beach erosion and climate change is a manageable issue, and there are a variety of
natural locations where sediment can be gathered to enhance shorelines and our ecosystems.
For example, sediment can be collected from channel flood plains and flood control sites where
it is deposited in excessive amounts.The reuse of sediment is environmentally beneficial and
can be used for beach fill, as buffers to reduce climate-change and storm-surge,for supporting
existing habitat, and for adapting to sea level rise.
It is important to note that The Conservancy has already funded several projects beyond beach
nourishment to include:
• Excavating significant amounts of sediment to restore wetlands of Elkhorn Slough in
Monterey;
• Utilizing on site sediment dredged to help the Eel River Wildlife Area; and
0 Raising the elevation of diked historic tidelands in Humboldt Bay.
The funds from the Conservancy Program can be instrumental in post-disaster sediment
removal such as excavating sediment build-up along the Feather River after the 2017 Oroville
Dam spillway failure and utilizing mudslide sediment to nourish Goleta Beach following 2018
fire in Southern California.
We must seek proactive steps in utilizing sediment deposits which could be used to benefit our
environment. For these reasons we enthusiastically support AB 3012. Should you have any
questions regarding our position, please do not hesitate to contact Shari McCracken, Interim
Chief Administrative Officer, at 530-522-3300.
Sincerely,
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Steve Lambert, Chair
Butte County Board of Supervisors
cc: Members, Butte County Board of Supervisors
The Honorable Brian Dahle, Member, California State Assembly
The Honorable James Gallagher, Member, California State Assembly
The Honorable Jim Nielsen, Member, California State Senate
Paul Yoder, Shaw, Yoder,Antwih, Inc.
California State Association of Counties
Rural County Representatives of California
2