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<h2 style='margin-top:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>15. ENDANGERED
SPECIES: Judge scolds NMFS on Calif. water curbs, signals relief for farmers <span
class=origin>(05/19/2010)</span><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<h5><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Colin Sullivan, E&E
reporter<o:p></o:p></span></h5>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>U.S.
District Judge Oliver Wanger yesterday delivered a victory for farmers and
water districts looking to pump more water from the San Joaquin-Sacramento Bay
Delta, ruling that federal agencies "completely abdicated" their
responsibility to protect economic interests in California alongside endangered
salmon.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Wanger,
ruling from the U.S. Eastern District of California in Fresno, signaled his
intention to provide San Joaquin Valley farmers and water districts some degree
of relief from water export restrictions ordered under the Endangered Species
Act.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>While he
did not yet specify what that relief would entail, Wanger sent a clear message
to officials at the National Marine Fisheries Service who crafted a scientific
opinion that protects salmon and steelhead in the delta. That message amounted
to a public scolding.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Federal
officials, he wrote, "have acted arbitrarily and capriciously in
formulating [flow restrictions] to protect threatened species under the ESA
that lack factual and scientific justifications."<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"NMFS
has failed to adequately justify by generally recognized scientific principles
the precise flow prescriptions imposed by" actions to protect salmon,
Wanger wrote in a <a
href="http://www.eenews.net/features/documents/2010/05/19/document_cw_01.pdf">134-page
decision</a>. He added that the restrictions amount to "guesstimations and
attempts to try to achieve 'equity,' rendering it impossible to determine
whether [the actions] are adequately protective, too protective or not
protective enough."<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Wanger
went on to say he is inclined to provide plaintiffs -- led by the Westlands
Water District and the San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority -- with
injunctive relief that could curtail the pumping limits, which are active
through June. He has scheduled a hearing for this morning with attorneys to
discuss.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The
ruling comes as part of a larger case filed by the water districts and
agriculture industry against a NMFS biological opinion on winter-run and
spring-run chinook salmon in the Central Valley, among other species. The
districts are seeking an injunction until that case goes to trial. Also likely
to see a ruling in the next few weeks is a separate injunction attempt aimed at
a bi-op that applies to the delta smelt.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Christopher
Carr, an attorney for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California,
said Wanger was signaling that NMFS "fell short on the science"
behind the notion that pumping limits help the fish. He refused to speculate on
the possible remedy, which could become clear today.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"We're
delighted with the ruling," Carr said. "It's an extremely strong
decision."<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Doug
Obegi, a lawyer with the Natural Resources Defense Council, agreed that Wanger
was showing a distaste for how the agencies had justified the pumping limits in
court. But he also noted that Wanger's decision stated that salmon fishermen in
the Bay area and the fish themselves are entitled to equal protections.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"I
think it's very much a mixed bag," Obegi said. "He's clearly shown
that some pumping restrictions are necessary."<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Going
forward, Obegi said he has a hard time seeing how Wanger will be able to
straddle the interests of farmers, districts, fishermen and native tribes, not
to mention the fish. The judge seems likely to order a new analysis by NMFS
under the National Environmental Policy Act, but Obegi is not sure that means
progress.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"It's
not really clear to me that you get a lot out of that process," he said.
"Plenty of money for the lawyers, but I'm not sure what it does for the
fish."<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Wanger,
he added, "may tweak some of the numbers a little bit, but I'm not even
sure he's going to go that far. We'll see."<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/fax (call first to fax)</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
mobile</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>
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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>
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