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<font face="Garamond" size=5 color="#0000FF">our compliments to the
editorial writer - perfecto !<br><br>
</font>At 07:19 PM 6/23/2011, Tom Stokely wrote:<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""><h1><b>Herger gets it
right</b></h1><br><br>
But then blows it with phony anti-ESA slam<br>
<a href="http://www.newsreview.com/chico/herger-gets-it-right/content?oid=2412796">
http://www.newsreview.com/chico/herger-gets-it-right/content?oid=2412796</a>
<br><br>
<a href="http://www.newsreview.com/chico/herger-gets-it-right/content?oid=2412796#readComment">
Read 1 reader submitted comment</a><br><br>
<br><br>
This article was published on
<a href="http://www.newsreview.com/chico/2011-06-23/archive">06.23.11</a>
.<br><br>
<b>Last week, in his
<a href="http://www.newsreview.com/chico/big-ags-water-heist/content?oid=2345735">
guest comment</a> on this page,</b> Aqualliance water-policy analyst Jim
Brobeck wrote about the San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act (HR
1837). That’s a bill by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) and two other San
Joaquin Valley Republican congressmen that would clear the way to ship
more Northern California water south by, among other things, abolishing
policies meant to protect Northern Californians’ senior water
rights.<br><br>
Brobeck called on local Reps. Wally Herger and Tom McClintock to “join
with Northern California politicians of all stripes to oppose this water
heist.”<br><br>
We’re happy to report that Herger and McClintock have said they will
oppose HR 1837. As Herger put it in a press release, “California’s area
of origin protections are clear and unambiguous—our water needs must be
met first, before excess water is allowed to flow south.”<br><br>
But Herger also made a point of stating that he agreed “with Congressman
Nunes’ desire to address the [Endangered Species Act]-driven water
shortages that have needlessly devastated family farmers and the economy
of rural California.” That’s when his otherwise reasonable policy
statement veered right off the cliff.<br><br>
The ESA wasn’t responsible for the water shortages in 2008 through 2010;
a prolonged drought was the culprit. Even so, San Joaquin Valley farm
sales stayed high throughout the dry spell. The economy of rural
California was not devastated. And this year, a wet one, farmers are
getting plenty of water—despite the fact that the ESA is still solidly in
place.<br><br>
We applaud Rep. Herger for protecting Sacramento Valley water rights.
That’s what we elected him to do. If he wants to reform or abolish the
ESA, however, he should do so conscientiously, by offering a thoughtful
critique of the act. Otherwise he’s just taking cheap shots and parroting
the party line.<br>
</blockquote>
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Kier Associates, <i>Fisheries and Watershed Professionals<br>
</i>P.O. Box 915<br>
Blue Lake, CA 95525<br>
707.668.1822 <br>
mobile: 498.7847 <br>
<a href="http://www.kierassociates.net/">http://www.kierassociates.net<br>
</a>GSA Advantage Contractor GS-10F-0124U </body>
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