<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
h2
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:14.5pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
color:windowtext;
font-weight:bold;}
span.Heading2Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2";
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
font-weight:bold;}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;line-height:170%'><b><span
style='font-size:14.5pt;line-height:170%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Panel
to debate controversial water issues<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:170%;font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"'>FRESNO <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#660000'>J</span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>anuary
22, 2009 11:00am <span style='color:#660000'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:170%'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:170%;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"'>• Set for Feb. 4 at Fresno State <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:170%'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:170%;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"'>• U.S District Judge Oliver Wanger to
moderate <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>A public debate on water
policy in California and the Central Valley will be <b>moderated by U.S
District Judge Oliver Wanger</b> at 7 p.m. Feb. 4, at California State
University, Fresno. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Agricultural and environmental advocates
will face off on the issues. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The debate, which is free and open to
the public, will be held in the Satellite Student Union (2485 E. San Ramon Ave.
at Maple Avenue). It is sponsored by Fresno State’s Political Science
Student Association and the Political Science Department. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>As the presiding judge for the Eastern
District of California, Mr. Wanger has ruled over most of the major water cases
recently in the Valley, including the controversy over preserving Delta smelt
in the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Mr. Wanger will provide brief opening
remarks, says Thomas Holyoke, a political science professor who is coordinating
the event. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Mr. Holyoke says <b>the debate will
focus on Valley East Side, West Side and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta
issues</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“The single most important public
policy problem confronting California’s Central Valley today is the
availability of water,” Mr. Holyoke says. “The declining snowpack
in the Sierra Nevada, the falling groundwater table and decisions to restore
Chinook salmon in the San Joaquin River and smelt in the Delta will most likely
mean considerably less water in the future for Valley agriculture.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>He says the issue also is forcing state
and local policymakers to develop a broad new policy to strike a balance
between supporting the agriculture economy and ensuring the quality of water
and the environment that depends on it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The forum will also provide an
opportunity for the public to express its concerns, Mr. Holyoke says. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Valley agricultural community
participants are: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>• <b>Thomas Birmingham</b>,
general manager and general counsel of the Westlands Water District <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>• <b>Kole Upton</b>, former
chairman of Friant Water Users Authority <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>• <b>Jim Beck</b>, general manager
of Kern County Water Agency <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Representing environmental concerns are:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>• <b>Lloyd Carter</b>, board
member of the California Water Impact Network and Revive the San Joaquin and
president of California Save Our Streams Council <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>• <b>Michael Jackson</b>, board
member of California Water Impact Network and former counsel to California
Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Regional Council of Rural Counties <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>• <b>Bill Jennings</b>, chairman
of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-indent:6.75pt;line-height:170%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
170%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Free parking will be available in Lot P
at Barstow and Maple avenues and in Lot J off of Woodrow Avenue. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Byron
Leydecker, JcT</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Chair, Friends
of Trinity River</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>PO Box 2327</span></i><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Mill Valley, CA
94942-2327</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810
land</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 519 4810
cell</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a
href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net"><span style='color:blue'>bwl3@comcast.net</span></a></span></i></b><b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a
href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org"><span style='color:blue'>bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</span></a>
</span></i></b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>(secondary)</span></i><b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a
href="http://fotr.org/"><span style='color:blue'>http://www.fotr.org</span></a>
</span></i></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>