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<h1 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>Senate approves Wiggins' salmon
bill<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";
color:black'>The Times-Standard-6/03/09<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;
color:black'>The state Senate voted 23-10 Monday to approve legislation by
North Coast Sen. Patricia Wiggins, D-Eureka, that aims to enhance efforts to
save the state's imperiled salmon and steelhead populations. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
color:black'>Currently, the state Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is authorized
to make grants and loans for a variety of projects to improve coastal water
quality, improve fisheries, protect ocean ecosystems and similar purposes.
These projects are funded through the Ocean Protection Trust Fund, which is
largely supported by Proposition 84, and has about $45 million in unallocated
funds. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
color:black'>Wiggins' bill, Senate Bill 539, would add projects to restore
native salmon and steelhead trout populations to the list of eligible uses of
the Ocean Protection Trust Fund. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
color:black'>”For the second year in a row, California's oceans are
closed to commercial salmon fishing,” Wiggins said while presenting the
bill, according to a press release. “This bill will give the OPC the
clarity it needs to dedicate existing funding to salmon restoration, and to
coordinate with the state Department of Fish and Game, the state and local
water boards, the Coastal Conservancy and others to concentrate before it is
too late.” <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
color:black'>Wiggins said that while the OPC has engaged in fisheries
management issues, it has not yet focused much attention on the collapse of
California's salmon which is not only a commercial disaster but indicative of a
water-related environmental disaster as well. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
color:black'>A recent report by CalTrout, authored in part by Peter Moyle of
U.C. Davis, said that the state's native salmonids are in unprecedented
decline, and are teetering toward the brink of extinction, according to a
release from Wiggins' office. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
color:black'>The report concluded that if present trends continue, 65 percent
of native salmon, steelhead and other trout species will be extinct within the
next century. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
color:black'>With Senate approval, S.B. 539 is headed to the Assembly for
consideration.<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><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>
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