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CSPA Action Alert 7.21.08 

AB 1806 Under Assault from water contractors, needs Immediate Support

AB 1806, the delta restoration and mitigation bill, is in serious trouble. This bill is extremely important for the future health of delta fisheries. The situation is grim as water contractors are seriously lobbying members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to strike the section of the bill that requires the mitigation for project operations. This portion of the bill is critical to stop the declines of our delta fisheries including Chinook salmon, striped bass, delta smelt and other species. This bill has already passed scrutiny by the assembly committees and passed on the assembly floor. The Senate Appropriations Committee is its last stop before a full senate floor vote.

The bill will be heard by the Appropriations Committee on August 4th.

The only lobbyists the fish have are you, the fish NEED your help. Don't let apathy KILL this bill!

It is imperative that EVERYONE concerned with the health of the delta write the chair and the vice-chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Further, if your district senator sits on the committee, you should write him as well.

Sample letters, senator's addresses, fax numbers, e-mail addresses and on-line contact form links are below for the entire committee.

Club/organization presidents and editors, please forward this Alert to your members via your e-mail network. Please print and distribute if you will hold meetings prior to August 4th. Please encourage ALL your members to write.

Again: 
One letter to the chair
Second letter to the vice-chair
Third letter if you live in one of the member's districts.

Written or typed, stamped letters mailed via snail mail are best, however, the below senators' links provide fax numbers, e-mail addresses when available and on-line form fill pages. The most important thing is that you take action! Write, cut and paste or e-mail!

You may write your own letter or use all or parts of the sample letters below. The most important thing is that you take the time to write! Cut and paste freely!

*********

(Sample Letter One)

In support of AB 1806 (Wolk) - Fish Rescue Plans & Mitigation

Dear Senator ______________,

I have been an avid California fisherman for many years. Sadly, I've witnessed the decline of one of the world's greatest fisheries, the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta. This decline has, in large part, been caused by the damage done during the pumping process of the shipment of water south. The fish killed in this process include the west's most famous game fish, the Chinook salmon, the striped bass and the endangered delta smelt. All of these fish and the other fishes of the delta are in serious decline because the pumping process. The deterioration of the Chinook salmon stocks is so dire that the governors of California, Oregon and Washington asked the federal government to declare it a disaster, a request that President Bush granted.

AB 1806 is an extremely important piece of legislation that requires water users benefiting from the pumping of water south to mitigate for the losses of these fish. It is only fair and right that this mitigation take place since they are the ones benefiting while the fisheries of the delta are being destroyed by their actions. The mitigation will allow for additional funds to restore our state's delta fisheries toward some semblance of their former health.

I sincerely ask you to vote yes when the bill reaches your committee, without any further amendment which would relieve the requirements of mitigation as an integral part of the bill.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
YOUR PHONE NUMBER

###

Here's a second letter, with more detail

*********

(Sample Letter Two)

Re: AB 1806 (Wolk) - Fish Rescue Plans & Mitigation

Dear Senator ______________,

AB 1806 is critical legislation essential to beginning the process of restoring the fishery resources of the Delta and its tributaries. It requires the state and federal water projects fully mitigate for all of the fishery impacts caused by the operation of these projects. This is essential if we are to stop the horrendous decline of the fishery resources dependent on the Delta and its tributaries.

The facts are straightforward, neither of the projects completely mitigates for the direct and indirect losses of the fish killed by their delta export operations in contrast to their legal obligations. 

AB 1806 has passed the Assembly and the Senate Natural Resources Committee because it requires critical action to stop the declines of our fisheries from the annual direct and indirect fisheries losses caused by the project's operations. Many millions of fish are lost each year that are not mitigated and appropriate mitigation is the only solution.

While this is not the only reason for the decline of the fisheries dependent on the Delta, until mitigation for these impacts are accomplished, we will continue to see the estuary's fisheries fail to recover. The decline in our fisheries over the past forty years is estimated by a DFG report to cost $8 billion in income not generated by the State's economy.

In addition, we now face a crisis with our fall-run salmon fishery. This year's salmon closure is estimated to cost some $250 million and the closure is likely to be extended next year. These are very grim economic facts and unless we make a mid-course correction now, this situation will only become worse and fishery closures more extensive.

The largest opposition to resolving this problem comes from the water districts that don't want to pay their fair share of the bill for the damages done by the projects. Should they prevail, it will force fishing and environmental interests back to court to seek more legal remedies. Failure to act now will likely result in more fisheries listed under the Endangered Species Acts and more litigation with solutions that could be far more detrimental to water rights holders in the Central Valley. The result would be greater fishery declines that will cost our state and its tax payers more money and continue to erode the ability of the public and the commercial fishing industry to utilize our once abundant fishery resources.

We urge your "aye vote" on this measure, without further amendment as regard to mitigation, when it's heard in Committee to help resolve one of the most critical problems faced by these valuable public fishery resources.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
YOUR PHONE NUMBER

####

Below is the complete list of the senators on the Senate Appropriations Committee

If you chose to send a response electronically, use the on-line form link if no e-mail address is given.

California State Senate Appropriation Committee Members

Senate Appropriations Committee Chair

District 7
Torlakson, Tom (D)
State Capitol, Room 5050
Sacramento,  CA  94248-0001 
Phone:  (916) 651-4007 
Fax:  (916) 445-2527
Senator.Torlakson@senate.ca.gov
Contact form page  
Use zip code 94519 in zip code box

 

Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair

District 1 Cox, Dave (R)
State Capitol, Room 2068
Sacramento, CA 94248-0001
Phone: (916) 651-4001 
Fax: (916) 324-2680
Senator.Cox@senate.ca.gov

Contact form page

Use zip code 95971 in zip code box

Members

 

District 4 
Aanestad, Sam (R)
State Capitol, Room 2054
Sacramento, CA 94248-0001
Phone: (916) 651-4004 
Fax: (916) 445-7750
Senator.Aanestad@senate.ca.gov

Contact form page
Use zip code 95959 in zip code box
District 18
Ashburn, Roy (R)
State Capitol, Room 3060
Sacramento, CA 94248-0001
Phone: (916) 651-4018
Fax: (916) 322-3304
Senator.Ashburn@senate.ca.gov
Contact form page
Use zip code 93309 in zip code box

 

District 22
Cedillo, Gilbert (D)
State Capitol, Room 5100
Sacramento,  CA  94248-0001 
Phone:
  (916) 651-4022 
Fax:
  (916) 327-8817
Contact form page
Use zip code 90014 in zip code box
District 10
Corbett, Ellen M. (D)
State Capitol, Room 3092
Sacramento,  CA  94248-0001
Phone:  (916) 651-4010
Fax:  (916) 327-2433
Contact form page
Use zip code 94577 in zip code box

 

District 31
Dutton, Robert (R)
State Capitol, Room 5094
Sacramento, CA 94248-0001
Phone: (916) 651-4031
Fax: (916) 327-2272
Senator.Dutton@senate.ca.gov
Contact form page
Use zip code 91730 in zip code box

 

District 16
Florez, Dean (D)
State Capitol, Room 5061
Sacramento,  CA  94248-0001
Phone:  (916) 651-4016
Fax:  (916) 327-5989
Senator.Florez@senate.ca.gov
Contact form page
Use zip code 93301 in zip code box

 

District 23
Kuehl, Shelia James (D)
State Capitol, Room 5108
Sacramento,  CA  94248-0001
Phone:  (916) 651-4023
Fax:  (916) 324-4823
Senator.kuehl@sen.ca.gov
Use zip code 90064 in zip code box

 

District 28
Oropeza, Jenny (D)
State Capitol, Room 4074
Sacramento, CA94248-0001
Phone: (916) 651-4028
Fax: (916) 323-6056
Contact form page
Use zip code 90278 in zip code box

 

District 26
Ridley Thomas, Mark (D)
State Capitol, Room 4061
Sacramento, CA 94248-0001
Phone: (916) 651-4026
Fax: (916) 445-8899
Contact form page
Use zip code 90037 in zip code box

 

District 17
Runner, George (R)
State Capitol, Room 5097
Sacramento, CA 94248-0001
Phone: (916) 651-4017
Fax: (916) 445-4662
Senator.Runner@senate.ca.gov
Contact form page
Use zip code 92392 in zip code box
District 11
Simitian, Joe (D)
State Capitol, Room 2080
Sacramento, CA 94248-0001
Phone: (916) 651-4011
Fax: (916) 323-4529
Senator.Simitian@senate.ca.gov
Contact form page
Use zip code 94301 in zip code box

 

District 38
Wyland, Mark (R)
State Capitol, Room 4066
Sacramento, CA 94248-0001
Phone: (916) 651-4038
Fax: (916) 446-7382
Contact form page
Use zip code 92675 in zip code box
District 8
Yee, Leland Y. (D)
State Capitol, Room 4048
Sacramento, CA 94248-0001
Phone: (916) 651-4008
Fax: (916) 327-2186
Contact form page
Use zip code 94102 in zip code box