Darrell Ticehurst/Fisheries Issues
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Salmon Under Attack. Where is CDF&G? Answer: MIA
Feb. 11 2010, 7:36 PM
Feb. 11 2010, 7:36 PM
Salmon Under Attack. Where is CDF&G? Answer: MIA
There is a major push to grab the Sacramento River water by the Central Valley farmers and the SoCal folks. They are perfectly willing to kill off every salmon and to ride roughshod over every protection provided by the Endangered Species Act. According to Dan Bacher of the Fish Sniffer: "Governor Schwarzenegger and the San Joaquin Valley Representatives have launched a series of administrative, legal and legislative attacks against the biological opinions protecting Delta smelt and Central Valley salmon. The same forces are advocating the construction of a peripheral canal and more dams to facilitate water exports to the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and southern California."
There is a major push to grab the Sacramento River water by the Central Valley farmers and the SoCal folks. They are perfectly willing to kill off every salmon and to ride roughshod over every protection provided by the Endangered Species Act. According to Dan Bacher of the Fish Sniffer: "Governor Schwarzenegger and the San Joaquin Valley Representatives have launched a series of administrative, legal and legislative attacks against the biological opinions protecting Delta smelt and Central Valley salmon. The same forces are advocating the construction of a peripheral canal and more dams to facilitate water exports to the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and southern California."
Now we hear that Senator Feinstein is seriously considering legislation to block ESA protections for the San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento Delta to help in this serious water grab. Senator Feinstein has been reported to have taken major contributions from those water interests. She is certainly not acting for her constituents in Northern California. It is difficult to explain how she can justify thinking about legislation that will cost 20,000 jobs and eliminate $1.4 billion in income from California. According to Southwick Associates, a prominent research firm, we are talking about 1,200 commercial fishing boats, 904 retailers, 230 guide and charter boats, 74 marinas, and hundreds of boat dealers and service centers as well as manufacturers and wholesalers. Amazing what some special interest money buys you!
So all of this action it taking place right now and where is our Department of Fish and Game who are supposed to be on the side of our resources? Nowhere to be found. Can’t hear a peep from them about protecting our salmon smolts or endangered species. MIA. Muzzled by the Governor? Just don’t care? Whatever the reason they are certainly not trying to protect the resources they should be protecting.
This water grab is occurring on so many fronts it is difficult to keep track of the daily actions. Westlands Water is in court and appealing every ruling and vowing to go back to court. Their latest effort to get a Temporary Restraining Order to waive the Delta smelt biological opinion and increase water pumping to the valley was stopped only by fast action on the part of Earthjustice and NRDC attorneys.
Our recreational fishing interests had better be ready for what is shaping up as the fight of the decade for our fish, and we will need to have every voice supporting us in this battle.
Senator Feinstein is really serious about illegally moving water to irrigate marginal farmland that shouldn’t have ever been promised water that wasn’t really available. If she gets away with this she will kill what’s left of our salmon industry. Email her at http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe and tell her what you think. This water war is going from bad to worse and she is not our friend and she needs to know how much she is hurting us.
So all of this action it taking place right now and where is our Department of Fish and Game who are supposed to be on the side of our resources? Nowhere to be found. Can’t hear a peep from them about protecting our salmon smolts or endangered species. MIA. Muzzled by the Governor? Just don’t care? Whatever the reason they are certainly not trying to protect the resources they should be protecting.
This water grab is occurring on so many fronts it is difficult to keep track of the daily actions. Westlands Water is in court and appealing every ruling and vowing to go back to court. Their latest effort to get a Temporary Restraining Order to waive the Delta smelt biological opinion and increase water pumping to the valley was stopped only by fast action on the part of Earthjustice and NRDC attorneys.
Our recreational fishing interests had better be ready for what is shaping up as the fight of the decade for our fish, and we will need to have every voice supporting us in this battle.
Senator Feinstein is really serious about illegally moving water to irrigate marginal farmland that shouldn’t have ever been promised water that wasn’t really available. If she gets away with this she will kill what’s left of our salmon industry. Email her at http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe and tell her what you think. This water war is going from bad to worse and she is not our friend and she needs to know how much she is hurting us.
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