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<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Water plan can
proceed, high court rules<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">The
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
/><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place></st1:City>
Chronicle- 6/6/08<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Bob Egelko,
Staff Writer<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">The state and federal governments can form a long-range
plan for managing water shipments through the bay and delta region without
examining the option of reducing exports to Central and <st1:place
w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place>, the state Supreme Court ruled
Thursday.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Environmentalists had argued that the plan favored dams
over conservation, and farmers said they feared they might be bypassed in favor
of city dwellers. But the court ruled unanimously that CalFed, the state-federal
consortium drawing up the long-range plan, had balanced water supply needs
against ecological and other concerns.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">The decision upheld an environmental review of the plan,
which the agency developed between 1995 and 2000 to try to address urban and
agricultural water needs while protecting the Sacramento-San Joaquin River
Delta, where river diversions, development and pollution have damaged water
quality and wildlife habitat.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">The CalFed proposal includes increased shipments through
the delta, with the goal of assuring reliable supplies for water users to the
south. A state appeals court ruled in 2005 that the environmental review was
inadequate because it failed to include the option of reduced water shipments,
which would avoid the need for additional dams, and did not identify where the
extra water to be shipped south would come from.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Although the justices cleared the way for a planning
process for dams, reservoirs and other projects contemplated in the 30-year
program, the ruling may not have much impact. CalFed, a group of 18 federal and
state agencies formed in 1994 to work on long-term solutions to delta water
problems, has made little headway and is being bypassed by combatants in the
water wars.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed a task force to
take another look at the issues, and a group of major water users, state and
federal regulators and other interested parties is working separately on habitat
protection. The state Senate passed legislation last month to dissolve the state
agency that manages CalFed.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">A federal judge, meanwhile, has ordered a reduction in
water exports from the delta to protect a fish called the delta smelt and has
scheduled a hearing in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Fresno</st1:City></st1:place> today to consider additional protective
measures for salmon and steelhead.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">"The debate has moved on in terms of fixing the delta,"
said Chris Scheuring, a lawyer with the California Farm Bureau and a member of
Schwarzenegger's task force.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"> He said CalFed "collapsed under its own
weight."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">An attorney for environmental groups said the ruling set
a bad legal precedent but probably wouldn't have any immediate effect on the
bay-delta region.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">"The parts of CalFed haven't come together" and the
program is "all but moribund," said Antonio Rossmann, lawyer for the Planning
and Conservation League, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental
Defense. The group of state and federal agencies "hasn't provided environmental
protection, and water agencies and farmers haven't seen the reliability (of
supplies) they thought they were getting," he said.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">But Keith Coolidge, spokesman for the state's CalFed
bay-delta program, said the court had validated the program's environmental
planning process and provided a road map for future efforts to improve both
water delivery and ecological protection. Lisa Page, a spokeswoman for
Schwarzenegger, said the ruling "reinforces our delta restoration
effort."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">The state Supreme Court said CalFed was entitled to
conclude that reducing shipments would not ensure a reliable water supply for
Central and <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place>.
#<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><U><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=blue size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue"><A
href="">http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/05/BACE1145IV.DTL</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></U></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">CALFED wins
ruling on Delta: </SPAN></FONT></B><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">But wording may
help losing side defeat canal</SPAN></FONT></B><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">The <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Stockton</st1:place></st1:City> Record –
6/6/08<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=by><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">By
</SPAN></FONT></B></SPAN><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><A
title="See Profile" href=""><FONT color=black><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext; TEXT-DECORATION: none">Alex
Breitler</SPAN></FONT></A>, Staff Writer <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">SACRAMENTO</SPAN></FONT></st1:City></st1:place><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"> - The government was
legally justified when it did not consider cutting water exports as one way to
solve the Delta's problems, the state Supreme Court ruled on
Thursday.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">But one attorney said
language in the ruling may actually help Delta farmers and environmentalists in
their renewed fight against a peripheral canal.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">In 2000, the
state-federal partnership known as CALFED released a major environmental plan
that listed three broad alternatives to improving the
Delta.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">None of those
alternatives included reducing the amount of water that is exported from giant
pumps near <st1:City w:st="on">Tracy</st1:City> to portions of the Bay Area, the
southern <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">San Joaquin</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceType> and <st1:place w:st="on">Southern
California</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Delta farmers sued. They
lost in Sacramento County Superior Court, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals reversed the decision. That court said the state's population would
eventually adjust to the new realities of less available
water.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The state Supreme Court
decided the matter once and for all Thursday, saying CALFED's entire purpose was
to reduce conflicts over water, and that the agency was justified in deciding
that slashing water exports from the Delta would only make things
worse.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Much has changed since
that original plan was issued. CALFED is widely considered a failure - a bill
pending in the state Legislature would eliminate it
altogether.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Meanwhile, officials
have moved on to new planning processes in the Delta, including consideration of
a peripheral canal.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">But the court's decision
Thursday is not moot. CALFED's plan is still the foundation for many studies
that are under way in the Delta, said CALFED spokesman Keith Coolidge. And the
ruling will be looked to by those who are crafting new
strategies.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">That's why <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Stockton</st1:place></st1:City> attorney Dante
Nomellini, although on the losing end, was
encouraged.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The court acknowledged
that federal and state law means water exports must be "subordinated" to
environmental needs, he said.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">CALFED was based on the
theory that it's possible to restore the Delta's ecology while maintaining or
even increasing water exports.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">"If practical experience
demonstrates that the theory is unsound, Bay-Delta water exports may need to be
capped or reduced," the ruling says.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Good news, said
Nomellini, who represents Delta farmers.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">"I think it's a very
important statement that will have an impact" on current Delta planning, he
said.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The State Water
Contractors, which represents 27 agencies that receive Delta water, praised
Thursday's ruling, calling ecosystem and water supply "co-equal
goals."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">But an environmental
group, the Planning and Conservation League, called it an "unfortunate" decision
that relied on an outdated understanding of the relationship between water
exports and the Delta's ecosystem, including fish species whose numbers have
plummeted under CALFED's watch.#<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><U><FONT
face="Times New Roman" color=blue size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><A
href="">http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080606/A_NEWS/806060324/-1/A_NEWS03</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></U></P>
<P class=articlegraf style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>