Posted by red on 2/8/2008, 7:55 am
4.246.251.138
Jim Martin
Noyo: World's Largest Salmon BBQ Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Fort Bragg, CA
Posts: 1,555
American River stays open- F&G Commission Report
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Big news at the Fish & Game Commission today.
They voted to list list longfin smelt as a candidate for an endangered species in California. They also voted for the most strict option for reducing water flows to the south out of the Clifton Forebay and the Tracy pumps.
Richard Rogers gave an impassioned speech about the need for a peripheral canal and more water impoundments, and blamed the farmers in the south delta for opposing the Governor's bond measure which would have provided for it. He noted that these water users would be the first to be impacted and that it would cost the southern California economy billions of dollars.
One of the big issues I came down here to San Diego to address was the proposed closure of the American River for steelhead in February and March. The Department of Fish & Game recommended against this proposal, and that the proponents come back for the triennial review of sportfishing regulations and focus on their issues then. I think it boiled down to the lack of low-flow regulations on the American whereas they have 'em on coastal streams. I spoke up for the Department's position and submitted all the letters I received to keep the river open. The Commission voted with us - the American stays open!
They also voted to adopt the Master Plan for Marine Protected Areas, kind of a guiding document for the whole MLPA process. RFA's recommendations on a triennial review of MPA regulations were adopted, and additional discussion by the Commission reinforced this point. Vern Goehring and I asked the Commission if they were satisfied with the language on water quality regulations in the Master Plan for MPAs. We noted that there was a lot of support for this from the Commission and the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force at their last joint meeting. Richard Rogers supported our sentiments.
Ken Wiseman, executive director of the MLPA Initiative, took the podium and replied to our remarks. He said there was a lot of language in the MLPA Master Plan about water quality and that they would identify polluted areas and site MPAs in "other areas."
Vern and I came unglued; Richard Rogers refused to let Vern reply to that.
How about using MPAs to attack water quality issues, not site them where it won't be a "problem?"
It was a long day but I think we batted a thousand percent.
More tomorrow...
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-Jim Martin
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