Restore the Delta staff members have spent
considerable time recently evaluating overall Bay
Delta Conservation Plan and current strategies being
implement by the California Resources Agency
to "involve" Delta communities in the BDCP process.
The Resources Agency is hosting four meetings
starting this coming Saturday. The schedule is as
follows: Sept 19, 2009, 8 am to 1 pm, Brentwood;
Sept 22, 2009; Sept 22, 2009 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Stockton; Sept. 24, 2009, 8 am to 1pm, West
Sacramento; September 29, 2009, 4:30 pm to 9:30
pm, Walnut Grove. (For location and directions click here for the BDCP calendar.)
Restore the Delta's response to these meetings and
the Bay Delta Conservation Plan is twofold. First,
despite its name, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan
has always been a tool for ensuring reliable water
supplies for export. It is a tool for the Schwarzenegger
peripheral canal strategy.
For instance, as Jane Wagner-Tyack with RTD
writes, "It was clear from the outset of the BDCP
process that the preferred strategy for conservation of
Bay Delta habitat would be some kind of conveyance
to move Sacramento River water from Hood to the
exports pumps at the south end of the Delta, with
diversions as necessary to supposedly meet
requirements for fish."
Wagner-Tyack adds, "In its formation, the BDCP
steering committee originally had 23 members,
including three fish agencies and six carefully-
selected environmental organizations that are willing
to support a peripheral canal. Contra Costa Water
District, which has export contracts, is the only agency
in the five Delta counties that has a place on the
steering committee. San Joaquin, Yolo, Sacramento,
Solano, and Contra Costa counties have formed the
Five Counties Coalition to speak with one voice to the
BDCP, since their local governments and
communities are not otherwise represented. South
Delta Water Agency and Central Delta Water Agency,
declined to apply to be on the steering committee
when it was made clear to them that they could have
no meaningful impact on the decisions made by the
Potentially Regulated Entities (PREs), that is, the
export agencies. Representatives from Delta fishery
organizations, who believe that new conveyance is not
in the best interests of Delta fisheries, were excluded
from the Steering Committee." Eventually, a paid staff
position for the North Delta Water Agency was
eventually added to the Steering Committee.
Because of continuous criticism by Delta advocates
regarding the lack of Delta representation, the
Resources Agency has embarked on its new
community outreach effort, described by us as the
BDCP makeover. The published agenda for these
community meetings shows a heavily controlled
meeting process that will not allow for really any open
comments from Delta community members. In
addition, when we consider that the Steering
Committee, in particular the water export agencies
have final say on the BDCP's outcome, this public
process, like the CalFed process of the 1990's
and most recently the Delta Vision Stakeholders
process, appears to be another exercise in futility. As
a rule of thumb, recommendations made by Delta
advocates, tribal advocates, fishery advocates, and
representatives for the environmental justice
community, are documented and then placed in a
bureaucrat's drawer and never included in any final
recommendations.
That is why we are inviting all our supporters to
join us for a rally before the Stockton Bay Delta
Conservation Plan Meeting on September 22, 2009 at
3 p.m. across the street from the Civic Memorial
Auditorium - 525 North Center Street, Stockton, CA
94513 -- Martin Luther King Jr. Park. Let's make
it known what we think of a conservation plan that fails
to include Delta farming and fishing representatives,
as well as our local elected officials. Let's let them
know what we want for the Delta's future.
Second, Restore the Delta recognizes that many
people may also wish to make comments during the
workshop. It is advised that people wanting to
participate read the conservation plan at
http://baydeltaconservationplan.com and review the
workshop agenda. In addition, check back on Monday
at the Restore the Delta website for our talking points
on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.
