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align=center><STRONG><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force Praised by Steering
Committee Member </SPAN><U1:P></U1:P></FONT></B></STRONG><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><STRONG><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy
size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><STRONG><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE</SPAN><U1:P></U1:P></FONT></B></STRONG><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><U1:P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><STRONG><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></U1:P>Contact:
</SPAN><U1:P></U1:P></FONT></B></STRONG><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><st1:personname
u2:st="on"><SPAN lang=SV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Laura Harnish</st1:personname>,
510-290-5794<FONT color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"> (</SPAN></FONT>cell) <A
href="mailto:lharnish@environmentaldefense.org"><FONT color=black><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext">lharnish@environmentaldefense.org</SPAN></FONT></A>
<U1:P></U1:P></SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><st1:personname
u2:st="on"><SPAN lang=SV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Spreck
Rosekrans</st1:personname>, </SPAN></FONT><SPAN lang=EN>415-293-6050
or</SPAN><SPAN lang=SV> 510-393 4593 (cell) <A
href="mailto:srosekrans@environmentaldefense.org"><FONT color=black><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext">srosekrans@environmentaldefense.org</SPAN></FONT></A>
<U1:P></U1:P></SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><st1:personname u2:st="on"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Jesus
Mena</SPAN></st1:personname></FONT></st1:PersonName>, <SPAN lang=EN>415-293-6097
or </SPAN>415-948-4220<SPAN lang=EN> (cell) </SPAN><A
href="mailto:jemena@environmentaldefense.org"><FONT color=black><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext">jemena@environmentaldefense.org</SPAN></FONT></A>
<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><U1:P> </U1:P></SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">(<st1:city u2:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:City></st1:place></st1:city> – December 17, 2007)
Governor Schwarzenegger’s </SPAN>Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force has taken a
giant step forward today by highlighting both the estuary’s immediate and
long-term priorities and the need to establish an independent governance
structure to manage the state’s water supplies while protecting the Delta
itself. That’s the conclusion of a leading environmental group that is a
member of the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan steering committee, which is
developing a long term plan in 2008 to protect and restore the Delta ecosystem
while providing reliable water supply to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:state u2:st="on">California</st1:state></st1:place></st1:State>’s
farms and cities.<o:p></o:p></FONT><U1:P></U1:P></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><U1:P> </U1:P><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">"</SPAN>We applaud the Task Force’s work, especially for
acknowledging the irrefutable fact that water diversions are a major cause of
the environmental collapse in the Delta and the recommendation that a
revitalized Delta ecosystem will require a reduction in diversions,</FONT><SPAN
lang=EN>"</SPAN> said <st1:personname u2:st="on">Laura Harnish</st1:personname>,
Deputy Regional Director for Environmental Defense. <SPAN lang=EN>"</SPAN>It
will be essential to create a governance structure that integrates water supply
decisions with the requirements of the Delta ecosystem. We look forward to
working with the Task Force as it develops its implementation plan.”
<U1:P></U1:P><o:p></o:p></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Harnish said the most difficult task will be developing
a comprehensive and fiscally responsible finance plan that protects public
resources, while ensuring that stakeholders pay for the water supply benefits
they receive. The next step for the Task Force is to develop an implementation
plan, due to be completed in October 2008, which is expected to contain detailed
recommendations for both governance and finance.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><U1:P><U1:P></U1:P> </U1:P><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: white"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN lang=EN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The Delta is the largest estuary on
the west coast and is home to more than 750 animal and plant species, including
some that are listed for protection under the federal and state Endangered
Species Acts. As much as 15% of <st1:state u2:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place></st1:state>’s
total municipal and agricultural water supply passes through the Delta. The
Delta’s environment and communities, as well as the state’s water supply system,
are threatened by the Delta’s notoriously weak levee system. The Task Force
report lays out 12 “integrated and linked recommendations” and seven “near-term
actions” as part of a restoration plan that may take a decade or more to
complete. </SPAN><U1:P></U1:P><o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: white"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><U1:P> </U1:P></SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: white"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN lang=EN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">“The Task Force has identified
near-term actions that are broadly supported and urgently needed,” said
<st1:personname u2:st="on">Spreck Rosekrans</st1:personname>, senior analyst for
Environmental Defense. “These critical actions include repairing our most
vulnerable levees to prevent a New Orleans-type catastrophe in the Delta and
restoring habitat for fish, including endangered species, and
wildlife.</SPAN><U1:P></U1:P><o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: white"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><U1:P> </U1:P></SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: white"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN lang=EN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">“The longer term recommendations
related to conveyance alternatives and additional storage will require serious
study,” continued Rosekrans. “At this point, we know neither who would benefit
from and pay for the proposed projects, nor how their operating guidelines would
ensure that the environment would be protected from further harm. Discussing
these essential parameters within a stakeholder forum is far preferable to
making a commitment to build the projects through a bond proposal and arguing
about the parameters later.”</SPAN><U1:P></U1:P><o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: white"><U1:P><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></U1:P>###<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><EM><I><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></U1:P>Environmental Defense, a leading national
nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 supporters. Since
1967, Environmental Defense has linked science, economics, law and innovative
private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious
environmental problems. </SPAN></FONT></I></EM><A
title=http://www.environmentaldefense.org
href="http://www.environmentaldefense.org/"><EM><I><FONT face="Times New Roman"
color=black><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext">www.environmentaldefense.org</SPAN></FONT></I></EM></A>
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