[env-trinity] Commissioner of Bureau of Reclamation Resigns

[Jay_Glase at nps.gov]

Can anyone tell me what this really means?   "the worst five years of
drought in the past five centuries"

Are they referring to the entire western U.S., a specific location that saw
some particularly dry years, or did the folks that estimate climatology
from tree rings find that in the last 500 years the 5 worst precipitation
years occurred within the last 40 years?  I thought I had seen some tree
ring information from the mid 1800's that looked much worse than the recent
droughts.  And some of the fire ecology presentations I saw in the mid
1990's suggested that, depending on the overall period of time observed,
the western U.S. was actually in a fairly wet period when compared to tree
ring climate estimates dating back several hundred years.
thanks in advance for any insight
jay


Jay Glase
Great Lakes Area Fishery Biologist
National Park Service
(906)487-9080 x27


|---------+---------------------------------------------->
|         |           "Byron " <bwl3 at comcast.net>        |
|         |           Sent by:                           |
|         |           env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.|
|         |           davis.ca.us                        |
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|         |                                              |
|         |           03/17/2006 01:50 PM PST            |
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  |       cc:       (bcc: Jay Glase/Omaha/NPS)                                                                                    |
  |       Subject:  [env-trinity] Commissioner of Bureau of Reclamation Resigns                                                   |
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Norton Lauds Service of John Keys as Commissioner of Bureau of Reclamation
News Release, the Department of the Interior – 3/17/06
Contact: Tina Kreisher/Shane Wolfe (DOI), 202-208-6416, Kip White (Bureau
of Reclamation), 202-513-0684

WASHINGTON-Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton today announced the
resignation of John W. Keys III, from his position as Commissioner of the
Bureau of Reclamation. Norton lauded Keys’ service to the nation and his
success in handling water issues associated with the worst five years of
drought in the past five centuries. After serving nearly 40 years with the
Bureau, Keys intends to spend time with his family. His resignation is
effective April 15.

“As Commissioner, John led the way in developing the Water 2025 Initiative
that is helping to avoid future water crises in the West,” Secretary Norton
said. “He and the rest of the Interior water team were crucial in resolving
a nearly 75-year dispute when California water users reached agreement with
the federal government and six other states on a multi-decade agreement for
sharing and using water in the Colorado River.

“He is a consensus builder who spent a long career with the Bureau of
Reclamation and then agreed to join my team to lead the Bureau as
Commissioner,” Norton said. “He will be missed.”

Among Keys’ accomplishments is development of the Lower Colorado River
Multi-Species Conservation Program (MSCP), a coordinated, comprehensive,
long-term multi-agency effort to conserve and work toward the recovery of
endangered species and protect and maintain wildlife habitat on the Lower
Colorado River.

“I love the Bureau of Reclamation,” Keys said. “I believe in what we do. I
am proud of our part in the water development and management that has made
it possible for us to live in the arid West. I believe that the Bureau and
our Department are ready for the water challenges of the 21st century. It
is a bittersweet time to leave Reclamation again.”

In addition, in his letter to Secretary Norton, Keys thanked her for the
privilege of serving in the job and wrote: “Secretary Norton, I leave the
Bureau of Reclamation in good hands and with a strong course. Reclamation
employees are among the best, with a pervasive can-do attitude and true
commitment to Reclamation’s purpose and mission.”

Keys spent 34 years as a career employee with the Bureau, first as a civil
and hydraulic engineer and later as the Pacific Northwest Regional Director


Byron Leydecker
Chair, Friends of Trinity River
Advisor, California Trout, Inc
PO Box 2327
Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327
415 383 4810 ph
415 383 9562 fx
bwl3 at comcast.net
bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org
http://www.fotr.org
http:www.caltrout.org

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