Legislature Debates Delta Fix
The legislature continues to debate a five bill package intended to address Delta water issues. Lack of action by the state and federal government has left most farmers on the West side of the Central Valley without water and has caused irreparable harm to valley businesses and communities. The five bill package proposed by a Conference Committee chaired by Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) falls short of providing a comprehensive solution to California’s water crisis. The bills only address water conservation and water use efficiency which will not fix the ongoing water crisis in the Central Valley.

Sunstein Confirmed to Top Regulatory Position
Cass Sunstein is the new Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). He will review and approve or reject all regulations put forth by the administration, thus giving him great power to influence these regulations. Sunstein’s earlier assertion that animals should have the right to bring suits against humans, with humans as their legal representatives has caused great concern. He now says he does not favor and would not support such a right, and that his primary concern would be to ensure that regulations are consistent with the Constitution, the law and the principles reflected in governing Executive Orders.

Cong. Radanovich and Shuler(D-N. Carolina) Launch Congressional Gateway Communities Caucus, a bipartisan effort focusing on Gateway Communities which include all cities, municipalities, counties, parishes, towns, villages, districts, wards, boroughs, and tribal lands that are geographically or economically linked with any federal public land or waterway and would be significantly impacted by decisions made by federal managers for these areas. “Gateway Communities provide access and infrastructure to America’s greatest national treasures: our national parks, monuments, forests and other public lands and waterways,” said Radanovich. These communities play an integral role in accomplishing the mission of federal land managers by providing necessary services, such as transportation infrastructure, search and rescue, emergency and medical support services, drinking water and sanitary systems.

H.R.2899 California Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention and Community Protection Act – Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to expedite eligible projects on National Forest System lands and public lands, respectively, in California which are within or adjacent to at-risk communities or watersheds if the project is consistent with the applicable community wildfire protection plan or county fire plan. It requires projects to be carried out in a cost-effective manner that focuses on surface, ladder, and canopy fuels reduction activities or implements forest restoration activities in response to extreme weather events or natural disasters.

Harris Sherman nominated as Under Secretary for Ag. Sec. Tom Vilsack. Sherman currently is the Executive Director of the Colorado Dept. of Natural Resources. He also serves as the Director of Compact Negotiations for the Interbasin Compact Commission, Chairman of the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and Co-chair of the Governor’s Forest Health Advisory Council. He has been Chairman of the Water Quality Control Commission, Chair of the Mined Land Reclamation Board, Chair of the Denver Regional Air Quality Council, Commissioner of Mines and the Denver Water Board, and a Trustee of Colorado College. He’s been active in land conservation efforts with the Nature Conservancy, Colorado Open Lands, and the Trust for Public Land.