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Commentary: Bay Area must speak with one voice on water

Posted by: Maven on October 31, 2009 at 8:27 am

From the Contra Costa Times, this commentary by Carl Guardino, president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the Bay Area Council:

“As the California Legislature appears on the brink of making historic water decisions for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the Bay Area is not speaking with a clear voice on the matter. Locally, the Contra Costa Water District has voiced conditional support if changes are made to a package of Delta, governance and water management reforms. Next door, the East Bay Municipal Utility District was opposed to the package as it came to a debate on Sept. 11, with lawmakers tabling the matter for more negotiations.

When a region doesn’t speak with a clear voice on an issue as important as water, the region risks having no voice at all. The future of the Bay Area is directly connected to the Delta. Water is central to our quality of life and to our economy. Water is the backdrop to world famous tourist destinations in San Francisco, sustains our vital salmon populations and helps fuel many high-tech businesses in the Bay Area.

That is why when a historic opportunity comes along to address this problem — such as right now — we need to constructively support the reform effort.

Our organizations support the policy package being debated in Sacramento. It would revamp and modernize a Delta water system that creates too many conflicts with fish species. It would direct the necessary habitat restoration in the Bay-Delta ecosystem. And it would improve water management in the estuary and statewide. …”

Read more of this commentary by clicking here.

October 31, 2009 · Filed Under Legislation - State & Federal

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