The federal government could gain control over how California uses it water resources under H.R. 23, the Gaining Responsibility on Water (GROW) Act, which was passed by the House today. The bill, sponsored by California representative David Valadao, would bring more water to the Central Valley for agriculture, but would impede the Endangered Species Act and preempt California’s water laws in doing so. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) said in an interview, the GROW Act “does not strike the right balance because there’s no reason that we have to accept a false choice and somehow weaken the Endangered Species Act in order to be smarter with water policy.”
California Trout is reaching out to our representatives urging them to oppose the bill, along with our partners, Golden Gate Salmon Association, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, and the American Sportfishing Association. We cannot allow regulations to weaken or eliminate protection for California’s rivers, salmon fishery, and the Bay-Delta estuary.
On behalf of all of us at CalTrout, our Executive Director, Curtis Knight, has issued the following letter to our reps. We encourage you to reach out to your Senators as well to ask that they vote no on H.R. 23. (Click here to find your representative’s phone numbers. For individuals, calling their offices is the most efficient way to get your voice heard. Write a short script to help you out, use language from our letter if that’s helpful.)
[gview file=”https://caltrout.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Opposition-letter-H.R.-23-CalTrout.pdf”]
Sign up to hear from California Trout! CalTrout’s mission is to ensure healthy waters and resilient wild fish for a better California. Hear about our work and how to get involved through our monthly newsletter, The Streamkeeper’s Blog, “Trout Clout” action alerts, article from our e-magazine, The Current, event invites, and much more! We respect your privacy and will never sell or share your information with other organizations.
Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.
1 Comment
I LIVE IN THE TROUT CLUB FROM 1941 THU 1949, ARE THERE STILL CLUB IIN THE LOWER POND