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href="http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/02/25/1836035/westlands-district-quits-state.html">http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/02/25/1836035/westlands-district-quits-state.html</A></DIV>
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<DIV>Westlands district quits state water association
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<H4 class=date>The Westlands Water District, the powerful farm irrigation agency
in the San Joaquin Valley, has quit its membership in a leading statewide water
association.</H4>
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<P>Spokeswoman Sarah Woolf said Westlands quit the Association of California
Water Agencies because of budget priorities. Its ACWA membership cost about
$19,000 a year, she said.</P>
<P>Westlands, the nation's largest farm irrigation district, is engaged in a
number of high-profile lawsuits against wildlife protections in the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It is choosing to focus on those efforts, Woolf
said.</P>
<P>"We just have to be very strategic on where we put our resources right now,"
she said. "We are in a lot of court cases and that's not cheap."</P>
<P>A letter obtained by The Bee, however, indicates Westlands had other reasons.
The Feb. 3 letter from Westlands board President Jean Sagouspe terminates its
membership effective Feb. 28, and criticizes ACWA Executive Director Tim Quinn
for making statements and advocating policies contrary to Westlands' interests.
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<DIV id=cycleControls>"It was our hope that Tim would cease making such
statements. But he has not," Sagouspe wrote.</DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>
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<P>Quinn said late Wednesday that ACWA disagreed with Westlands' support for a
controversial bill amendment proposed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein to alter
Endangered Species Act protections for the Delta smelt. But he said they also
have agreed on many recent issues.</P>
<P>"We have tactical differences," Quinn said. "It's not unusual for the head of
a large association to get criticism from its members. I respect their
views."</P>
<P>ACWA, the nation's largest coalition of public water agencies, represents
about 90 percent of all the water delivered to California cities and farms.
Perhaps as a result of this broader responsibility, it has struck a more
cooperative posture toward environmental groups and regulators.</P>
<P>– Matt Weiser </P></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>