A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
July 30, 2007
3. Watersheds
SIERRA WATERSHEDS:
Gold or fish? Battle brews on California rivers; Miners say bill that would limit dredging to protect native trout and other species goes overboard - Sacramento Bee
Folsom Dam pours it on; Rapid releases are worrying fish fans - Sacramento Bee
Sea money proves bone of contention - Desert Sun
Sac. River made priority; The House, with help from Rep. Wally Herger, has given funds to the area to help improve it - Woodland Daily Democrat
Plans underway to reclaim wetland for endangered birds; Restoration at Eden Landing a multipart project - Inside Bay Area
LOS
Tension mounts over Los Cerritos Wetlands; A developer may be buying a parcel that two agencies want preserved - Los Angeles Times
JOINT COMMISSION ANNOUNCED:
Schwarzenegger Announces
SIERRA WATERSHEDS:
Gold or fish? Battle brews on California
Sacramento
By Peter Hecht, staff writer
CAMPTONVILLE -- In his 49th year of life, veteran miner Jeff Kilgore feels increased kinship with the original 49ers who long ago worked the same frigid river high in the
It's different now. The Gold Rush is gone. Kilgore uses modern equipment -- a gas-powered gold dredger -- to vacuum precious flecks from the cobbled rock beneath the
On good days, thanks to high gold prices, Kilgore says he recovers enough gold to earn $100 selling minuscule pieces and dust to jewelry makers and tourist shops along historic Highway 49. He used to take in barely $40 a day, working two mining claims six days a week.
Now Kilgore says he fears his modest livelihood is in danger from state legislation that seeks to restrict gold dredging in order to protect fish populations.
"They're messing with heritage here a little bit," Kilgore said of a species protection bill for native trout, aquatic and amphibian species moving through the Legislature. "Do people forget what put
Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, D-Davis, and the California Trout environmental and sport fishing group say the state needs greater authority to ban gold seekers from using vacuum or suction dredge machines on rivers and streams where endangered fish species live.
Wolk's bill, AB 1032, would empower the state Department of Fish and Game to close down some 1,100 "wild heritage trout streams" and ban gold dredgers if it believes there is a threat to fish.
The bill followed declarations by state Department of Fish and Game biologists and researchers that gold dredging in some
Jeff Shellito, governmental affairs manager for California Trout, also claims the dredgers vacuum up treasured river gravel for steelhead and other wild trout, spread mercury left over from the Gold Rush era and chase fish "fingerlings out into the middle of the river, where the temperature is too cold" for survival.
"If those things (dredging machines) aren't regulated properly, they definitely cause harm to fish," Shellito said.
But Wolk's bill, which has cleared the Assembly and is expected to be voted on in the Senate in August, has riled up gold miners and lobbyists for rural counties who feel the dredging industry is unfairly under assault.
Lighting up Internet message boards and appealing to Capitol politicians and the media, they argue that the state already restricts gold dredging during fish-spawning seasons and that users of the equipment must have permits.
They complain that the legislation could lead the Department of Fish and Game -- which issues about 3,000 dredging permits a year -- to abuse its authority by shutting off rivers and streams. They contend that such actions would harm tourism in Mother Lode counties and violate their rights under federal law to work gold claims.
"There's a fear factor. We don't know who is going to make the decision to shut down the rivers -- and for what reason," said Bill Kinzie, 55, a recreational dredger who works a mining claim on the
Wolk said her bill would give state Fish and Game officials the authority to ban gold dredging on about 5 percent of 20,000
Wolk said the legislation wouldn't affect recreational gold panning but "would restrict motorized dredging, the major commercial type operations."
"It's not a family going out on the stream panning for gold. It's a giant suction machine that simply vacuums the bottom of the stream and has a very harmful effect on fish," she said.
But Wolk's depictions only infuriate Dave DeCosta, a
It's a total fish story," said DeCosta. He argues that vacuuming by gold dredgers, generally small-time operators, actually removes mercury and helps the environment by cleaning out river bottoms, redistributing gravel and creating underwater holes that are ideal for fish spawning.
"In every place I dredge, I come back later to a greater population of fish," DeCosta said. "The tailings (from dredging) create nice, soft, even gravel beds and the fish are thriving."
In a 2006 court declaration, Peter Moyle, a University of California, Davis, fisheries biologist, said dredging can create underwater gravel piles "that are attractive for spawning." But he said they are also "unstable" and can damage fish embryos.
Near Camptonville, where Fiddle Creek trickles into the north fork of the
"I like to think of myself as an environmentalist," he said, taking a break from the body-straining labor. He told of cleaning up -- in a single day -- as much as 1 1/2 pounds of lead weights that fishermen left in the river, and described how he also routinely clears litter off the banks.
"This is about as picturesque and beautiful place as you're going to find," he said. "We are not going to disrupt it. Understand, this is our backyard."
But Bill Carnazzo, a fishing guide in Foresthill, said gold dredgers operating on the middle and north forks of the
Wolk's bill grew out of a 2006 lawsuit filed by the Karuk Indian tribe in far
In a settlement, the state agreed to close certain rivers and impose seasonal restrictions to protect native species. But after the settlement was challenged by a gold-dredging club, an Alameda Superior Court judge ordered the Department of Fish and Game to perform an environmental review. The study, estimated to cost $500,000 to $1.5 million, was never funded.
Miners charge that Wolk's bill seeks to bypass the court's decision before the actual effects of gold dredging on fish populations are known.
"I just wonder how the elected people are going to make a decision if they don't even know what dredging is," said Kilgore, who says it is environmentally safe. "The fact is my livelihood is tied to a bad bill." #
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/297401.html
Folsom Dam pours it on; Rapid releases are worrying fish fans
Sacramento
By Matt Weiser, staff writer
Drought and rapid water releases out of Folsom Dam this month are causing some
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has been releasing water from Folsom Dam at around 4,000 cubic feet per second every day this month -- far more than in the two previous dry years, in 2001 and 2004.
That's been good for river recreation but may mean trouble for fish. It could deplete cold water in Folsom Lake that would otherwise be available to release when salmon return to spawn and young steelhead wait to travel downstream.
Salmon and steelhead are both protected by state and federal endangered species laws. Ironically, a crisis with another protected fish contributed to the problem this year.
In June, state and federal water exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta were slashed to protect the Delta smelt.
Hundreds of the tiny fish were dying in the pumps, when their total population was already known to be at historic lows.
To continue serving farms and cities south of the Delta, water was delivered instead from San Luis Reservoir near Los Banos, a waystation along the state and federal canal system.
Extra releases from Folsom Dam this month are meant to refill San Luis Reservoir and make up for the shortfall in deliveries to San Joaquin Valley farmers during the smelt crisis, said Jeff McCracken, spokesman for the federal Bureau of Reclamation.
But he emphasized that federal water customers are feeling the pain, too: They're only getting about half their contracted deliveries because of the dry year.
Tim Horner, a geology professor at
"I can almost guarantee we will have a large fish kill this fall," he said. "We're going to kill a bunch of fish before they spawn, and maybe we'll finally realize we've got to do things differently. We can't deliver all the (water) contracts and still have enough water for fish."
The Bureau of Reclamation plans to cut releases from the dam to 2,500 cfs in mid-August. This strategy will leave enough cold water in the lake for fall releases, when the fish need it, McCracken said.
"We're going to ensure we meet all of our requirements in the
Fall-run chinook salmon normally start returning from the ocean to the
Historically, cold water flowed out of the mountains unhindered. Riverbanks offered more shade to keep the water cool. Fish could also migrate farther upstream to find cooler conditions.
Modern dams, however, capture mountain runoff and cause it to heat up. Water usually becomes stratified behind dams, remaining cool below a certain depth but warmer at the surface. By adjusting operations, dam managers try to bank deeper cold water to release in the fall, when weather is still warm but rains haven't arrived to cool down rivers naturally.
When water levels drop in dry years, the entire water volume in the reservoir can heat up, leaving no cold reserve.
In other cases, the cold pool might shrink too low in the reservoir, beyond reach of the dam's outlet gates.
"I believe we're going to have a very tough year water-wise," said Felix Smith, a retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist and now a board member of Save the American River Association. "It's going to be touch and go."
Water has been released from Folsom Dam this month at a much higher rate than in the last two July droughts, in 2001 and 2004.
In July 2001, releases hovered around 2,500 cfs, compared to the 4,000 cfs this month. Folsom
The faster rate of releases this month means Folsom Lake has lost about 70,000 acre-feet more water than in July 2001. That's enough to provide a month of cold water for migrating salmon in the fall.
Even so, in 2001, thousands of salmon died in the
"We are in a river system that is on the edge, temperature-wise, in years in which there's not much water available, like this one," said Ronald Stork, senior policy advocate at Friends of the River. "This may be a year in which those problems are going to be demonstrated." #
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/297834.html
Sea money proves bone of contention
Desert Sun – 7/28/07
By Keith Matheny, staff writer
How an $8.9 billion proposal to restore the 
A bill sponsored by state Sen. Denise Moreno Ducheny would provide $47 million to make early headway on a 75-year
A proposed amendment to the bill would put project governance in the hands of a 19-member conservancy board, including "eight or 10 senior department heads" of state agencies such as the departments of Water Resources, Fish and Game, and Parks and Recreation, Salton Sea Authority executive director Rick Daniels said Friday.
Some members of the La Quinta-based Authority raised concerns the conservancy board as proposed would give
Authority members such as
"I think that is intolerable and arrogant and outrageous," said Patricia "Corky" Larson, a Coachella Valley Water District board of directors and Salton Sea Authority member, Friday.
"The
"We have all of the impacts, but they want all of the control. I, for one, will not participate in that model."
No final decisions on conservancy board structure have been made, and locals will remain key drivers of the sea restoration process, state Department of Resources spokesman Sandy Cooney said, also on Friday.
"We have bent over backwards to make absolutely certain that local voices not only were heard but will continue to be heard in this process," he said.
The state's nine conservancies, including the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, have shown the governance structure is an effective one, Cooney said.
Because the project will necessarily rely upon billions in state and federal money, "it's important all stakeholders have a say," he said.
A message left with the office of Ducheny, D-San Diego, was not returned Friday.
The Salton Sea Authority earlier supported a restoration governance structure that included the five authority members and a smaller group of state leaders and citizen appointees.
Under that earlier proposal, some of the appointees would be
Time's running out to resolve the governance dispute, Daniels said. If a dam and dyke structure isn't in place at the Salton Sea by 2017, an already-struck deal by
Building a dam and dyke structure will take six years, he said. And the engineering and permitting necessary before that can happen will take years as well.
"It's an incredibly tight project," Daniels said. "Some would say everything will have to go perfect for that to happen (in time to save the sea)."
Authority members hope to arrange a meeting with Ducheny to express their concerns, Daniels said. Though money in Ducheny's bill is currently restricted to implementing early-start habitat restoration and air and water quality improvements at the sea, Daniels said he hopes a portion can be used to start the process of developing an environmental impact report necessary to moving along the process toward dam and dyke construction. #
http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007307280002
Sac. River made priority; The House, with help from Rep. Wally Herger, has given funds to the area to help improve it
Woodland Daily Democrat – 7/28/07
By Robin Hindrey, staff writer
Residents of the
Thanks to a revision of the legislation late Wednesday night, the farm bill now includes the 382-mile river as one of five national priority projects for a $1.5 billion Regional Water Enhancement Program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The funds would be handed out over a five-year period, with up to half available for the priority areas, which also include the Klamath River, Chesapeake Bay, the Everglades and the upper
The money for the Sacramento River - up to $30 million a year - would go toward enhancing natural resources, thereby helping to sustain agricultural productivity and environmental quality, according to Rep. Doris Matsui, a California Democrat from the 5th District, who helped lead the effort to add the river to the list of priority sites.
Matsui had originally requested $105 million in federal funds to address conservation and water-management challenges facing the region, but she expressed satisfaction with Friday's vote and said she looked forward to building on "this first, crucial step."
"At this moment, we have the unique opportunity to shape the land and water preservation programs from the ground up,"
Matsui said in a statement after voting in favor of the bill. "This designation, included in such a landmark piece of legislation, is a shining example of the developments that can happen when the federal government partners with local representatives."
The
Matsui and a number of state and local government officials and conservation groups have been working to find ways to prevent overdevelopment and boost flood protection in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which is home not only to hundreds of thousands of people and more than $47 billion in infrastructure, but also to an overburdened levee system.
California Rep. Wally Herger called the
Herger represents District 2, which includes the majority of
Despite his overall praise for the farm bill, Herger, a Republican, voted against it, saying Democrats' inclusion of several billion dollars in new taxes was "irresponsible tax policy." The taxes would target certain multinational companies with
But Herger said he was optimistic that a farm bill that was more palatable to both parties could still emerge before the current bill expires Sept. 30.
"We haven't seen the Senate version of the bill yet, and there's a lot of water that still has to pass under the bridge," he said in a phone interview Friday. "But the (House) bill itself - with the exception of the tax increases - I'm very pleased with."
The final vote on the measure Friday afternoon was 231-191. Legislators from California voted largely along party lines, with only two "no" votes among Democrats - Rep. Pete Stark of District 13 and Rep. Henry Waxman of District 30 - and not a single "yes" vote among Republicans. Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not vote on the bill. #
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_6488517
Plans underway to reclaim wetland for endangered birds; Restoration at
Inside Bay Area – 7/30/07
By Rachel Cohen, staff writer
But not all the way back before 150 years ago, when the salt companies moved in to harvest the
Associate wildlife biologist John Krause of the California Department of Fish and Game led a stakeholders tour across the ponds Friday afternoon.
"The biggest challenge," he said, "is to reduce the footprint of the pond size and accommodate the same diversity of species."
Some 35 environmentalists, engineers and geologists from the Eden Landing Working Group toured in preparation for their jam-packed afternoon to discuss the Phase 1 actions for the ponds.
The restoration project has three main goals: to restore the wetland habitats, to provide for flood management, and to provide wildlife-oriented public access and recreation opportunities.
Through the center of the wetlands runs Old Alameda Creek, while Alameda Creek Flood Control forms the southern border. Cargill Salt stopped harvesting salt from the area in 2003, when the state and federal governments and private groups purchased the rest of Eden Landing.
The Wildlife Conservation Board, the acquisition agency for the California Department of Fish and Game, put up $72 million of the total $100 million cost.
There is much evidence of human development. Remnants of old wooden flumes appear like a graveyard of tree stumps, their wooden posts encrusted with salt. On the horizon, X's mark the spot where passive wind power was once used to circulate water. The most recent are boxy structures — duck blinds — for controlled hunts that Fish and Game allows six days a year.
Only by a flutter of wings will the attentive observer notice Eden Landing's most famous endangered species, the snowy plover.
The size of a fist, this quick runner easily blends into the salt ponds where it nests and finds peaceful respite from its former beach habitat.
The restoration project planners are looking forward to a boardwalk for a raised vantage point and interpretive signs for visitors along the future Bay Trail segment to connect the wetlands with a network of biker/pedestrian lanes ringing the bay's shoreline.
It runs nearly a mile out from solid land and will include access to a kayak launch site.
"We want to restore the tidal habitat, but we don't want to wipe out the mix of habitats," Krause said.
He raises a 2-foot-long tube from the water next to a levee gate of one of Eden Landing's 23 ponds. He reads information and enters it into a laptop.
"We have a gradation of salinity in the ponds to see which are better for bird use," he said.
The group hops back into vans for the caravan trip along the dusty levees and discusses how to turn back the tide on an invasive species of the spartina grass that seems to be the only green thing on the shores of many slough shores, and has pushed out many native grasses. Meanwhile, a formation of maybe 50 pelicans skims the water's surface. #
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_6498282?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com
LOS
Tension mounts over Los Cerritos Wetlands; A developer may be buying a parcel that two agencies want preserved
By Deborah Schoch, staff writer
If Tim Anderson had his way, he would be exploring this seemingly tranquil marsh to photograph the endangered Belding's savannah sparrow nesting in pickle weed.
But life isn't tranquil these days at the Los Cerritos Wetlands.
First, the gray-bearded naturalist from
Today, two pools have vanished and the reeds are turning brown, said Anderson, 54, who heads a local wetlands land trust. He shipped off his images to the California Coastal Commission, where the staff concluded that a pipe project violated the state Coastal Act and ordered an immediate stop to it. It's unclear whether drought or man-made disturbance caused the pools to dry up.
As officials check for other potential violations, community tensions are rising over the future of Los Cerritos, a patchwork of tidal inlets, dried earth and oil pumps that straddles the Los Angeles County-Orange County line near
A century ago, the Los Cerritos marshes stretched over 2,400 acres at the mouth of the
Los Cerritos is at a turning point. State conservation officials want to buy the entire wetland and restore it, but the single largest owner, Bixby Ranch Co., has not agreed to sell to the state and may be negotiating with a private suitor, state and
The marsh is the last crucial link in a decades-long struggle to purchase and restore vanishing coastal wetlands along a migratory bird route called the Pacific Flyway from
Los Cerritos has received unprecedented attention this year, in part because of two projects proposed on dry land on both sides of the wetlands: a 16.5-acre Home Depot Design Center retail complex to the east and a 425-unit Lennar Homes luxury condominium and retail complex to the southwest.
Several
"It will be like Bolsa Chica or Ballona or any of the other incredible land-use battles for which Southern California is famous," said Sam Schuchat, executive officer of the Coastal Conservancy, one of two state agencies working together to try to buy Los Cerritos.
The private developer seeking the land, he said, "is in for the legal and political battle of their life."
Some who live nearby worry that more growth would harm wildlife, exacerbate traffic and destroy the sense of open space that parts of the marshes convey.
Even now, much of Los Cerritos looks like some kind of dirt patch specked with puddles. Flanked by four supermarkets, two cinema multiplexes, two motels and a lineup of power plants, it's a place where people and nature intermingle in curious ways.
Birdwatchers use the stores as signposts, relating how they spotted blue-winged teals just east of the In-N-Out Burger. Or they snap photos of egrets across from Barnes & Noble. A few weeks ago, traffic stopped on
"I always take my binoculars to Trader Joe's, because I can go shopping and birding at the same time," said resident Harriet Bennish, who spotted a pair of American avocets last month in a pond that dried up weeks later.
Rich in oil
Oil is the reason these marshes have survived at all.
Long before voters passed the State Coastal Act in 1976 to protect such lands, Los Cerritos was an active oilfield, studded with bobbing oil pumps and threaded with unpaved roads.
More than 180 acres belongs to Bixby Ranch Co. of Seal Beach, with ties to the Bixby family that once owned most of
Los Cerritos is hardly a household name in Southern California, where more high-profile wetlands historically have grabbed the headlines: Ballona south of Marina del Rey, Bolsa Chica and, in
But the name is well known among birders and wetlands experts, because migratory birds cruising between
But development crammed along the coast has destroyed nearly all the mud flats and vegetation where birds thrive.
Schuchat counts only a few wetlands totaling 5,000 to 6,000 acres that have been or could be restored in the three-county
These remnants are key to the coastal environment, said Alexis Strauss, director of the water division at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regional office in
"Wetlands filter out contamination, they provide wildlife habitat, they provide rearing grounds for fish," said Strauss, who is monitoring the investigation at Los Cerritos.
Vigilant visitors to Los Cerritos have begun snapping photographs, not just of birds but of whatever appears to be disturbed soil or dumped construction waste.
The investigation continues. Peter Douglas, executive director of the Coastal Commission, issued a cease-and-desist order June 28 to Bixby Ranch Co. to halt what the firm described as a pipe project along
The state Department of Fish and Game is investigating the site.
So are the Army Corps of Engineers and the Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Building in a coastal wetland would require separate permits from those four agencies, said water board spokesman Stephen Cain.
"Our records do not show they approached our agency to do that," Cain said.
The work was done to repair leaks in a freshwater pipeline, said Gregory Brown, who is an executive with BreitBurn Operating, which runs the oilfield for Bixby.
Brown said that workers scooped dirt onto the area so they could repair the pipe and that the firm considered it the kind of repair and maintenance that does not require a permit.
BreitBurn has hired a consultant to aid regulators in determining how much of the area is wetland, Brown said.
Timothy J. King, vice president of Bixby Ranch Co., declined to comment on the investigations or any construction on the firm's property.
"We have a policy here, that I stick to very vehemently, that we do not make comments in articles," King said. As for
Jigsaw puzzle
Los Cerritos is a real estate jigsaw puzzle, with three private landowners holding most of the land.
A year ago, the state purchased 66 acres from one of those landowners, the Bryant Family Trust, in a $10-million deal struck with the help of the Trust for
The same state officials are working to buy another piece, more than 100 acres known as the Hellman property in
The biggest prize, the 180 acres of Bixby property at the wetlands' heart, appears out of reach for now.
Talks with Bixby Ranch Co. have repeatedly stalled, state officials said.
Long Beach Councilman DeLong said he has been told that Thomas Dean, who is involved in the nearby Home Depot project, is in escrow to purchase the Bixby property. Frick, the city's planning director, said she had heard the same from Dean. And on Friday, former Councilman Frank Colonna, now a board member of the other state conservancy working to buy the land, said King told him less than two weeks ago that the land is in escrow.
Foster, the mayor, said July 20 that Dean called him a few months ago to say he was making an offer on the property. Foster said he told Dean that the land should remain wetlands.
"The policy of the city would be to have all those wetlands ultimately in public hands and ultimately restored," Foster said. Although he would prefer that the state buy it now, he said, "you have to have a willing seller and a willing buyer."
Dean did not respond to repeated telephone calls in the last two weeks or a letter faxed to his office July 19. County land records do not show a recent transaction, and King would not comment on a potential sale.
"There have been stories for years. This is not something new," he said. "At this point, we are simply operating as an oil company."
The Coastal Act limits building on wetlands but does not rule it out, although commercial and residential projects typically are not allowed, experts said. Still, fierce legal fights have erupted in the past at Bolsa Chica and elsewhere over the definition of wetlands and the role of property rights.
Even if the land is sold, state officials say, they would be willing to buy it from the new owner after an appraisal.
"If Bixby were for sale to us, and if it was at a price that was at fair market value, the state has the money to buy it," said Schuchat, citing the Proposition 84 funding that voters approved last fall to protect water quality and safety.
Belinda Faustinos, executive director of the
Even if the state could buy all of Los Cerritos, rejuvenating it would cost many millions. The Bolsa Chica restoration cost $147 million, bankrolled in part by the
Port officials, long pressured to aid wetlands closer to home, said they might consider a similar effort in
DeLong promises to work hard to ensure public ownership. He is the new chairman of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority, made up of representatives of
Some residents chide the first-term councilman, calling him too sympathetic to real estate and development interests.
They criticize his support of Home Depot and his creation of an advisory group that met privately to plan zoning changes that could affect development around the wetlands.
The members of the group included residents working in real estate, construction equipment and education but not any wetlands scientists or environmentalists.
DeLong defends the members as people who put the public interest first.
The City Council balked at endorsing the plan, and Frick said her staff is creating its own plan, using research from DeLong's group and others involved in the issue.
Two council members from eastern
"We're starting to do what we should have done all along, which is to give the wetlands more focus," he said.
Added Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, "I just hope we're not too late."
Wetlands species
The Los Cerritos Wetlands provide feeding grounds for rare wildlife and plants, including the federally protected
Belding's savannah sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi
Lives year-round in coastal salt marshes from Goleta Slough in
Southern tarplant
Centromadia parryi ssp. australis
Grows in salt marshes and grassy lowlands along the
Sandy Beach tiger beetle
Cicindela hirticollis gravida
Lives only on light-colored sandy areas near water. It can be found at Los Cerritos on areas called salt panne, which are intertidal salt flats bare of plants. It is food for the Belding's savannah sparrow, and the state ranks it as a sensitive species.
Sources: California Department of Fish and
Reported by Deborah Schoch
JOINT COMMISSION ANNOUNCED:
Schwarzenegger Announces
News Release, Office of the Governor – 7/28/07
YubaNet.com
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons earlier this week to create the California-Nevada Tahoe Basin Fire Commission. In accordance with the MOU, each Governor shall designate eight-voting members and up to three non-voting ex officio members to the Commission and will each assign one voting member as co-chair. The Governors also ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary to designate one person from the U.S. Forest Service to serve as a voting member on the Commission.
"It is crucial that we all work together to prevent something like the Angora Fire from happening again. That is why we are directing this Commission to examine all federal, state and regional rules and regulations to make sure people have the right fire protection tools to protect their property," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "With this action, I know
Governor Schwarzenegger has designated State Fire Marshal Kate Dargan co-chair of the California-Nevada Tahoe Basin Fire Commission and also named Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Director Ruben Grijalva, California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) Undersecretary Cindy Tuck, California Tahoe Conservancy Executive Director Pat Wright, Lake Valley Fire District Chief Jeff Michael, Nevada Fire Safe Council Tahoe Basin Coordinator John Pickett, North Lake Tahoe Resort Association Board of Directors Member Ron McIntyre and Angora Fire victim John Upton as voting members to represent California on the Commission. Additionally, the Governor announced Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Chair Julie Motamedi and Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board Chair Amy Horne as non-voting members on the Commission.
Kate Dargan has over 30 years of experience with CAL FIRE and was appointed this year by Governor Schwarzenegger as
Ruben Grijalva was appointed the director of CAL FIRE by the Governor in April 2006. He served as acting director of the department from January 2006 to April 2006. Grijalva was appointed state fire marshal in 2004 and served in this post until March of this year. Previously, he served as fire chief for the Palo Alto Fire Department from 1994 to 2004, where he also was assistant fire chief from 1990 to 1994. Grijalva served in the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety from 1976 to 1990. During this period, he held positions in both the police and fire divisions before serving as fire marshal from 1985 to 1990. He is past president of the Fire Chiefs Department for the League of California Cities and the Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association. He is a member of the California Fire Chiefs Association and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
Cindy Tuck was recently appointed undersecretary for Cal/EPA. She has more than 20 years of air quality, water quality and hazardous materials management experience in
Patrick Wright has served as the executive director of the California Tahoe Conservancy, a state agency charged with protecting and enhancing natural resources and recreational opportunities in the
Jeff Michael has served as the fire chief of the Lake Valley Fire District for the past two years and has been with the District since 1979. Previously, he held the positions of battalion chief, captain, engineer and firefighter. Michael went to high school in
John Pickett has served as the coordinator for
Ron McIntyre has lived, worked and served in various official capacities in the
John Upton is a victim of the Angora Fire and lost his rental home in the fire. He has served as a City of
Julie Motamedi has served on the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) since 2005. Additionally, she has been a corporate officer for Lakehouse Mall Property Management since 1998. Motamedi is a founding member of the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation. She also serves as a member of the
Amy Horne has served on the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board since 2003, where she currently serves as chair. She has also been a consultant specializing on natural resource policy and science since 2005. From 1998 to 2005, Horne was the research director for the Sierra Business Council, where she produced the award-winning Sierra Nevada Wealth Index and Investing for Prosperity, a comprehensive guide to rural economic development. Between 1993 and 1997, she worked for the Pacific Northwest Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service, where she conducted the economic assessment for the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project. Horne is also a board member for the Tahoe Baikal Institute.
The Commission will perform a comprehensive review of federal, state and regional laws, policies and practices that affect the vulnerability of the
http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_62181.shtml\
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