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Lawyer again plumbs depths of state water issues

Posted by: Maven on July 7, 2009 at 8:31 am

From the Fresno Bee:

David J. Hayes is once again No. 2 at the Interior Department and No. 1 for California water.

Call it political déjà vu. After an eight-year absence, the Stanford-trained environmental lawyer has reclaimed both the California water portfolio and the title as deputy secretary of the Interior. The high-profile, high-risk assignment puts him back in the middle of the Central Valley’s interminable fish-vs.-farm water disputes. “I expect I’ll have to pay taxes in California, I’ll be spending so much time out there,” Hayes said, half-jokingly.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar introduced Hayes as his department’s go-to California water guy at a Fresno town hall meeting a week ago. Beyond serving as what he calls the “chief operating officer” of the $10 billion-a-year Interior Department, Hayes will coordinate the Obama administration’s role in California water use.

When Valley congressmen are unhappy, they’ll call Hayes. When irrigation district officials want their concerns really heard, Hayes is their man. When decisions get made on protecting species or approving projects, Hayes will be in the middle of things.

Read more from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.

July 7, 2009 · Filed Under Uncategorized

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