Posted by Barry Nelson in Living Sustainably , Saving Wildlife and Wild Places , U.S. Law and Policy
My post about opponents of protections for the Delta drew a response from the Pacific Legal Foundation, claiming that protections for the delta smelt are unconsitutional. My colleague Kate Poole has responded here with a short history of PLF's unsuccessful efforts...
Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy
A week ago, the Marin Independent Journal ran an opinion piece by Lynn Axelrod criticizing the package of water bills passed by the state legislature in November and criticizing Assemblyman Jared Huffman, a key leader in crafting that package. Yesterday,...
Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy
Here is an excellent summary of the water reform package passed by the state legislature on Nov. 4, as well as a summary of the water bond – with links to the final language. My colleagues and I will be...
Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy
A great deal has been written about the substance of the water reform bills that was passed by the legislature in the wee hours Wednesday. Here’s NRDC’s statement on the three key bills. And here’s a thoughtful editorial from the Los Angeles...
Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy
In general, the direction of the legislation currently under consideration in the state legislature is encouraging. However, in addition to the positive developments, a remarkable debate is taking place in the legislature today. Some water users and legislators have asked...
Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy
Today, the federal Bureau of Reclamation announced that the Central Valley Project's initial water supply delivery allocations would be extremely low. When faced with a crisis, a community can pull together or pull apart. We believe that the water crisis...
Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy
Today, President Obama signed a $787 billion economic stimulus package. NRDC staff worked hard to ensure that the final package includes funding for cutting edge water solutions to help California meet its needs during the current drought and prepare...
Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy
Adaptive management – it has become a popular term among those of us who debate the future of the complex San Francisco Bay-Delta ecosystem. This flexible approach to resource management allows for the testing of hypotheses in complex systems and,...
Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy
Yesterday, the Senate began debating a recovery package to strengthen the nation's economy. During this discussion, the Senate should look to water as a key area for investment - across the nation, and especially in California. Water is one of...
