CalTrout has long been active in Sacramento, and our history is filled with advocacy victories across the state from State Wild and Scenic River designations to the listing of Southern Steelhead as endangered just a few weeks ago, but did you know that CalTrout also impacts policy in our nation’s capital? Earlier this month, Redgie Collins, CalTrout’s Legal and Policy Director, flew to Washington DC to meet with California representatives to talk about CalTrout’s important restoration work and to encourage legislators to support dam removal and hydropower reform initiatives. His visit directly preceded an exciting announcement by the Biden Administration for major investments in Tribal freshwater projects, dam removal, and fish passage.
CalTrout has grown immensely over the past five years. We’ve opened new offices in Sacramento and Chico, added dozens of new employees throughout the state, and increased the pace, scale, and impact of our restoration work. With that growth comes the need to seek out additional funding sources to match this pace and scale. CalTrout is working with countless federal agencies to implement our work, and to increase our impact we must consider how to remove state AND federal barriers to implementation of large-scale restoration. Pursuing federal funding opportunities and building new relationships legislators in Washington DC gives CalTrout a leg up in protecting and restoring waterways.
Redgie Collins met with a dozen offices in the House and Senate to discuss hydropower reform and to promote CalTrout’s excellent work in congressional districts throughout the state. Collins met with staffers from Assemblymember, and likely future Senator, Adam Schiff to discuss the Southern Steelhead listing under California’s Endangered Species Act; with Senator Padilla and Congressmember Matsui’s staff on aging hydro infrastructure and dam removal; with Congressman LaMalfa’s staff to discuss the bourgeoning Battle Creek Decommissioning Project; and with Congressman Huffman himself on the Potter Valley Project Dam removal efforts.
While legislative champions are essential to our work, Collins also made sure to meet with agency and administration staffers that support CalTrout’s work. Collins presented to the White House Council on Environmental Quality on the importance of tribal engagement on hydropower licensing efforts, on the newest science on greenhouse gas emissions from reservoir operations, and on the need to protect freshwater resources in President Biden’s effort to protect 30 percent of our nations land and water by 2030 (30×30). Collins also spent a day meeting with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff and commissioner’s offices to highlight the need to update the Federal Power Act to give Tribal nations the voice they need in hydropower proceedings. Finally, in a meet and great with federal fisheries and water agencies, Collins added some additional context and support for California Natural Resources Agency’s ask for funding for North Coast Salmon Strongholds which supports several CalTrout project priorities.
