[env-trinity] New Letter on Federal Subsidies vs. Land Retirement in Westlands

[Byron Leydecker]

To:      Interested Federal and State Agencies, Other Interested Parties

From:  Hal Candee, counsel to Bay Institute and NRDC in pending drainage
litigation (Firebaugh Canal Co v. US)

Re:      Additional grounds for expanding land retirement in the drainage
impaired lands in Westlands Water District

 

The Commissioner of Reclamation recently advised Senator Feinstein and other
congressional leaders that the Administration favors a long term solution to
the west side drainage problems that includes a minimum of 200,000 acres of
land retirement in Westlands and a corresponding reduction in the amount of
water provided to Westlands by long term CVP contract.  And of course,
Westlands is now attacking that proposal in the pending court case in
Fresno.  

 

However, new research by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) indicates
that the existing economic analyses by federal agencies have understated the
burdens on federal taxpayers of keeping these drainage-impaired lands in
production, and therefore also undervalued the benefits to taxpayers of
expanding land retirement beyond the minimums called for by the
Administration.  Attached is a new letter from EWG to federal officials
urging a more expanded land retirement effort and a more complete economic
analysis of current federal proposals for solving this longstanding drainage
problem.

 

 

Hamilton Candee

Altshuler Berzon LLP

177 Post Street, Suite 300

San Francisco, CA  94108

(415) 421-7151 (phone)

(415) 362-8064 (fax)

 <mailto:hcandee at altshulerberzon.com> hcandee at altshulerberzon.com

 

This email may contain material that is confidential, privileged and/or
attorney work product for the sole use of the intended recipient.  Any
review, reliance or distribution by others or forwarding without express
permission is strictly prohibited.  If you are not the intended recipient,
please contact the sender and delete all copies.

  _____  

From: Renee Sharp [mailto:renee at ewg.org] 
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 4:41 PM


....................... . . . . . .  .    .    .
Renee Sharp
California Director
Environmental Working Group :: www.ewg.org
2201 Broadway Suite 308  Oakland CA 94612 
p >> 510.444.0973 + 302 :: f >> 510-444-0982

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