Sierra Conservancy bill moves to governor's desk

California Farm Bureau Federation vigorously opposes a measure approved by the Legislature last week that calls for the creation of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, an added layer of government that could impact members in 22 counties throughout the Sierra Nevada region.

"We are extremely disappointed," said Bill Pauli, California Farm Bureau Federation president. "This legislation is contrary to the governor's California Performance Review and deserves to be vetoed."

For almost four years, Farm Bureau and other business groups have worked to oppose legislation that would create a Sierra Nevada Conservancy and further increase government ownership of private lands. The government currently owns 72 percent of the land area in the Sierra Nevada.

The stated purpose of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy is to serve as a central forum for coordination and planning of conservation efforts throughout the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains. The Sierra Nevada Conservancy would fund grants and projects across the region. Proponents say, the agency's goals are to protect sensitive areas, reduce the risk of natural disaster, including fire, and increase recreational and tourism opportunities.

"This conservancy represents a fresh approach to addressing its unique needs and challenges," said Assemblyman Tim Leslie, R-Tahoe City, a co-author of the bill. "Rather than the typical Sacramento-knows-best paradigm, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy will empower local communities to identify needs and set priorities for a future we can all be proud of."

"When is enough, enough? Isn't nearly three-quarters of the land area enough for conservation purposes? Seventy-two percent of the land in this region is already owned by the government," said John Gamper, CFBF director of taxation and land use. "If the state continues buying more land and taking it off of the tax rolls, then there isn't going to be a tax base to provide essential services needed by the citizens of the region."

The Sierra Nevada bill, Assembly Bill 2600, by Leslie and Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, could be detrimental to the livelihoods of landowners in the rural counties of the Sierra Nevada, the Farm Bureau contends. Impacted counties include: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne and Yuba.

Valerie Zentner, El Dorado County Farm Bureau executive director, has fought conservancy legislation for a number of years and said that it will adversely affect the people of the state.

"The creation of a Sierra Nevada Conservancy is bad for farmers and ranchers, bad for business, bad for local governments and bad for the state's taxpayers," Zentner said. "It ensures that government continues to grow and yet provides no assurances that the conservancy will actually accomplish anything of value in the Sierra."

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Gamper said, has the authority to provide grants to other state agencies, local governments and non-profit groups to acquire land. If the land is acquired and not managed properly, he said, it could impact the neighboring operations.

Opponents of AB 2600 have expressed concern about the loss of local control because the conservancy is not bound by local general plans or zoning ordinances.

"Our fundamental concern is increased government ownership of private land, especially in El Dorado County where over 60 percent of the land area is already owned by the government," Zentner said. "The county's struggling local government and our members simply cannot afford the loss of any more land from property tax-paying status and the accompanying reduction in services."

As a "remedy," in the last set of amendments to the bill, it stated that the Sierra Nevada Conservancy shall coordinate with local governments and consider their general plans, but Gamper noted that the conservancy will remain as the overarching authority.

The conservancy's board will be comprised of 13 members and of those, six will be locally elected county supervisors. The governor will appoint five other members and the Legislature will appoint two public members to represent statewide interests.

"Timber-dependent counties such as El Dorado simply cannot accept further government restrictions on our largest agricultural commodity. Existing regulations have reduced the number of sawmills to one. Any further intrusion could be the final blow to an historic industry that provides quality wood products and employment in El Dorado County," said Norman Krizl, El Dorado County Farm Bureau president. "Governor Schwarzenegger has been supportive of agriculture in California. We can only hope that he hears our message that timber is an agricultural commodity and deserves the same support as all other agricultural pursuits."

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy bill was forwarded to Schwarzenegger, who has 30 days to sign the legislation. Since Schwarzenegger's Resources Agency played a key role in crafting the bill, it is expected that the governor will sign the measure into law.

Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item. (Top)

Answered my own question by going to their web-site!!!

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Mike Chrisman named secretary of resources Issue Date: November 26, 2003

By Kate Campbell Assistant Editor

Mike Chrisman, 59, a fourth-generation Tulare County farmer and rancher, has been appointed California secretary of resources by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. In addition to a distinguished career in business and public service, Chrisman has been very active in Farm Bureau.

Chrisman is a former president of Tulare County Farm Bureau. He also served as a director of the California Farm Bureau Federation from 1984 to 1990 and has been active in issues affecting agriculture and the environment for more than 40 years.

"Mike's strong business and government management experience, coupled with his proven track record in resource conservation, will be invaluable to this administration," Schwarzenegger said. "The vast natural resources of our great state are a tremendous asset for all Californians and we must be responsible stewards of their use. I look forward to working with such a well-qualified individual to develop policies and programs to accomplish this."

The Resources Agency, through its various departments, boards, commissions and conservancies, is responsible for administering programs that conserve, preserve, restore and enhance the rich and diverse natural and cultural resources of California. The agency has 15,000 employees with an annual budget of more than $5 billion.

California Farm Bureau Federation President Bill Pauli said Chrisman's selection to head the state Resources Agency is an excellent choice based on his background and leadership in agriculture, combined with his experience in state service.

"Mike has demonstrated a high level of leadership and skill in serving in the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the state Resources Agency," Pauli said. "He has played an active role in protecting our state's precious resources. His background in agriculture, water and environmental issues will serve all Californians well in the future as part of Gov. Schwarzenegger's team to protect our environment and promote jobs."

In addition to ongoing involvement in his family's farming and ranching operations, Chrisman has served as Southern California Edison's region manager for the San Joaquin Valley since 1996. Prior to that, he "erved as undersecretary for CDFA and deputy secretary for operations and legislation for the California Resources Agency, which he will now lead.

"Although I've been a farmer and rancher all my life, my work in government has come out of the resource agencies," Chrisman said. "That includes the Department of Food and Agriculture and my experience on the Fish and Game Commission. I've had a life-long interest in the management of our natural resource base."

He said the agency will now need to set priorities and begin managing the state's natural resources in light of population growth and budget constraints.

"It's all interrelated and I look forward to working with A.G. Kawamura at CDFA and Terry Tamminen at the state's Environmental Protection Agency," Chrisman said. "Water is always a major issue in California because of the need to meet ever-increasing demand. It's an issue that needs to be viewed from a holistic standpoint."

Chrisman said the governor's environmental action plan will serve as a blueprint for the Resources Agency. He said agency priorities will include getting more engaged in the Cal-Fed Bay-Delta Program, focusing on energy and electricity, improving the business climate in California and increasing jobs.

Chrisman has served as a staff director for the Assembly Republican Caucus. In addition, and he served as chief of staff and advisor on agriculture, water and environmental issues to then-Assemblyman Bill Jones. Chrisman also has been a partner since 1966 in a family farming operation, producing stonefruit, walnuts, row crops and beef.

He has served as vice president of the California Fish and Game Commission, and is immediate past chairman of the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks Foundation, chairman of the Great Valley Center and member of the board of directors of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

CFBF Administrator George Gomes said, "Mike served on CFBF's board of directors for six years and during that time he was always attentive to the issues. He gathered input from everyone before making a decision. That approach is important as he takes on this new job. He'll have a lot of pressure from different interests and he'll need to weigh those interests and make sound decisions based on facts and science."

Tulare County Farm Bureau President Nancy Pitigliano said, "Given that I know Mike personally and have worked with him for years, I'm thrilled at his appointment. Mike knows resources, forestry, water. He has all the background necessary to do a wonderful job. He's a great choice."

Pitigliano said Chrisman has always played an active role at Tulare County Farm Bureau. He has been involved on many committees, most recently helping organize an outreach program to educate those in urban areas about the role and practices of California agriculture.

"Mike is a statesman and we will miss his contributions to Tulare County Farm Bureau and this entire area," she said. "Mike is a great resource himself that now we're going to have to share."

CFBF Board Member Kerry Whitson, who is a Tulare County stonefruit and grape grower, said, "Mike is going to be a fantastic resources secretary. He has always been a voice of reason and has a very calming effect when contentious issues are being discussed. He researches issues and is knowledgeable about a subject before coming to conclusions. One of his greatest strengths is accessibility."

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Farm Bureau endorses Schwarzenegger Issue Date: September 10, 2003

By Robyn Rominger Managing Editor

Gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger is greeted by California Farm Bureau Federation President Bill Pauli, as Schwarzenegger prepares to address enthusiastic supporters at a rally at the CFBF building in Sacramento. The California Farm Bureau Federation's board of directors, citing concerns about a depressed agricultural economy and an increasingly burdensome regulatory climate in the Golden State, has endorsed gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Oct. 7 special election.

The endorsement was formally announced last Saturday at a rally at the CFBF headquarters building in Sacramento, featuring the gubernatorial candidate and farmers and ranchers from across the state. About 200 enthusiastic supporters cheered several times during Schwarzenegger's remarks.

Western Growers Chairman Edwin Camp also announced that group's formal endorsement of Schwarzenegger at the rally.

"We believe that Arnold Schwarzenegger will ensure that California agriculture continues to provide safe, reliable, high-quality food through responsible stewardship of our natural resources for all Californians," said CFBF President Bill Pauli. "On the issues that matter to farmers and ranchers, this candidate understands that to restore economic health to the state, we need to support and encourage a healthy and economically viable agriculture, which provides food, jobs and environmental benefits."

The two major agricultural organizations say that significant issues facing the state's No. 1 industry include government regulations, excessive fees and taxes, and workers' compensation insurance costs. In introducing Schwarzenegger at the rally, Pauli and Camp said that the candidate will help rebuild a positive business environment for the state's important farming sector.

"It's about surviving, it's about providing an opportunity for the future, it's about providing the fruits, nuts, vegetables, flowers and forest products for our great state and the rest of our great nation," said Pauli, who grows pears and winegrapes in Mendocino County. "We need an opportunity to remain in business, to provide jobs and support the economy. The overlapping regulations in air and water cannot continue. We, like all other small businesses, cannot continue unless we can make a profit. The problems we face right now are created by government. They are taking away our opportunity."

Pauli made his remarks as he stood next to Schwarzenegger and Camp on a stage decorated with brightly colored fruits, vegetables and flowers.

"Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced a platform to revitalize California's economy and he has made it clear to us, the farmers of this state, that agriculture is fundamental to rebuilding a strong economy. This is not what we've seen with the current administration," said Camp, a third-generation farmer. "Instead of supporting our already overburdened industry, government is driving agriculture out of business with additional state costs, mandates and regulatory burdens. Arnold has told us that he plans to protect farmers and protect businesses."

Western Growers is an agricultural trade association based in Irvine whose members grow, pack and ship 90 percent of the fresh vegetables and approximately 70 percent of the fresh fruits and nuts in California and Arizona.

"My family and all the membership is proud to feed the country, but times have never been tougher," Camp added. "For ag, the best we can hope for in this state right now is that our Legislature doesn't continue to pass more heavy-handed burdens on us and drive us out of business. And we need to have a governor who is willing to veto unjust, unfair and unconstitutional legislation. We believe Arnold Schwarzenegger would be that type of governor."

The rally was held in an oak grove adjacent to the CFBF building.

"To get this endorsement here today is really going to give me the energy that I need for this campaign," Schwarzenegger said. "These are two powerful organizations that represent 88,000 farmers in this state. This is an industry that is extremely important. It is one of the most powerful industries that help not only to feed California and America, but to feed the world-that is the key thing. And it is an industry that we have to take care of. We must do everything possible to help our farmers.

"The first thing I want to do when I go into this office and become governor is to turn the economy around, to bring it back and make it again the Golden State that it once was," Schwarzenegger said. "Agriculture will be a crucial part to turn our economy around. This is why it's so great to work now with the farmers, to get together. One of the first things I will do when I go into office is to get together and start working on the problems that the farmers face. And there's an endless amount of problems."

The increased cost of workers' compensation insurance was one of the issues he mentioned.

"The first thing you hear out of everyone's mouth is 'workers' compensation,'" Schwarzenegger said. "This is terrible to pay those fees, those increases, and then the benefits are so little for the workers. Someone is creaming off the top and we have to have workers' compensation reform when I get into office."

He said government regulations are causing California companies to leave the state to conduct business elsewhere. "This is embarrassing what is happening here to this state," Schwarzenegger said. "The jobs are leaving, too. Last month alone, half of the people that lost their jobs in America lost their jobs right here in California. We've got to bring businesses back to this state. We've got to bring our workers back."

He touched on the issue of international trade.

"We cannot get our products into countries even though they send their products to our country," Schwarzenegger said. "This is unfair and we have to take care of that."

Air quality was another issue he cited.

"Of course we are all worried about that," Schwarzenegger said. "Of course we want our children to grow up healthy. But at the same time, we don't need overregulation, we don't need to have the federal government come down on farmers, the state government come down and start overlapping and overregulating, overburdening the businesses, overtaxing the farmers-we should not do that. Because the only way that we can continue with this business and continue feeding everybody is by helping the farmers, help understand their problems. This is the kind of governor I want to be. grew up in Austria in a rural area in the middle of farms, so I know what it is like to be a farmer. I milked the cows every morning."

He explained why he is running for governor. "I owe it to California," Schwarzenegger said. "It is my duty to run for governor of this great state because I can no longer stand by and watch the politicians neglect the people and run this state down, run the economy down. I am sick and tired of politicians saying, 'We can't do this, we can't do that.' I want to be the kind of governor that believes in the things that the state can do. I want to bring the economy back. I want to help California. So I don't care what I give up with the (acting) career because everything that I have today, everything that I have accomplished in this state is because of California and I want to make it again the state of opportunity. You can make your dream come true. That is what my governorship is about. I want to be the governor of the people."

Schwarzenegger told farm leaders that he needs support from California agriculture to win on Election Day. He called on farmers and ranchers to make sure all of their friends and relatives are registered to vote and that they all vote on Oct. 7.

"We are highly motivated to ensure California's farmers and ranchers help to get out the vote in every county throughout the state," said Pauli.

Several legislators attended the rally, including U.S. Rep. Doug Ose, R-Sacramento; Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa, R-Redding; State Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Modesto; and Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian, R-Stockton.

Heard some guy from Santa Barbara call Rush today to remind him that during the campaign stop in S.B. everyone on the Schwarzenegger campaign including Arnold affirmed they would use the endangered species act(s) to stop further development. Rush was making the point that none of the speakers at the convention last night were spewing moderate, or leftist ideas that the media and liberals expected.

Here's what we're up against with the Bobby Kennedy, Jr. environmental advisor to Arnold nutcase from the NRDC:

-------Original Message-------

From: EWC Newsletter

Date: 08/30/04 11:07:58

To: COMMONS-CA-ENV-WATER-CAUCUS-NEWS@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Subject: NRDC Coalition victory in suit to restore San Joaquin River

[NRDC news release 8/27/2004]

NRDC COALITION WINS LAWSUIT TO RESTORE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER

Decision a victory for the environment, millions of Californians, says NRDC

SACRAMENTO (August 27, 2004) - In a decision with ramifications for millions of Californians, a federal judge in Sacramento has ruled that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation illegally dried up California's second longest river, the San Joaquin. The ruling means that the bureau will have to release water from Friant Dam near Fresno for the first time in 55 years, according to NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).

"The judge's decision means that we can look forward to bringing a dead river back to life," said Michael Wall, a senior attorney with NRDC. "It's a tremendous victory for all Californians who deserve a healthy, living river."

NRDC led a coalition of 13 conservation and fishing groups in suing the bureau over its operation of the federally-owned dam and the renewal of water supply contracts for the Friant Water Users Authority, which represents irrigation districts on the east side of the San Joaquin Valley. The suit charged the bureau with violating Section 5937 of the California Fish and Game Code, which requires that "[t]he owner of any dam shall allow sufficient water to pass over, around or through the dam, to keep in good condition any fish that may be planted or exist below the dam." The lawsuit was first filed in 1988, making it one of California's longest running water disputes.

"Restoring the river will benefit everyone," said NRDC senior attorney Hal Candee. "It will benefit downstream farmers who will get cleaner, more reliable irrigation water. It will benefit the 20 million people in the Bay Area and Southern California who rely on the delta for clean drinking water. And restoring the river's once thriving salmon fishery will help bring back more fishing jobs to our state."

Before Friant Dam's completion, the San Joaquin River supported one of the most important salmon fisheries on the Pacific coast and the southernmost Chinook salmon run in North America. Today, virtually all the water upstream from the dam is diverted for irrigation, and two sections of the river totaling 60 miles have completely dried up.

In his 41-page decision, U.S. District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton wrote that before the dam, "So many salmon migrated up the San Joaquin River during the spawning season that some people who lived near the present site of Friant Dam compared the noise to a waterfall. Some residents even said that they were kept awake nights by the myriad salmon heard nightly splashing over the sand bars in the River. . A fisherman who lived downstream recalls that, in the 1940s, the salmon were still 'so thick that we could have pitch-forked them. One almost could have walked across the River on the backs of salmon when they were running.'"

Writing of the dam's damaging effects, the judge noted, "In the words of the Department of Interior, Friant Dam's operations have been a 'disaster' for Chinook salmon."

Restoring the San Joaquin River could be one of the biggest, most important environmental restoration projects in California history. The conservation and fishing plaintiffs say it can be done without harming valley farmers. "With improved water management, we can restore the river while protecting our agricultural economy," said Wall.

And restoring the river will benefit downstream farmers in the delta region near Stockton who have suffered from low flows and poor water quality. "The plight of the San Joaquin River is a national disgrace that must be remedied," said Dante Nomellini of the Central Delta Water Agency, an irrigation district that supported NRDC's position in the case with an amicus brief. "This decision is a good first step."

"This ruling will help restore one of the two great rivers that sustain the health of San Francisco Bay," said Grant Davis, executive director of The Bay Institute. "It is now time to begin restoring this vital resource for future generations."

"This has been a long time coming, but after 60 years, Judge Karlton has finally righted this wrong," said Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations. "We have now started down the road to restore one of the West Coast's premier salmon runs, and, along with it, fishing jobs in California's coastal communities."

The plaintiffs in the suit are NRDC, Trout Unlimited, California Striped Bass Association, National Audubon Society, Stanislaus Audubon Society, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, United Anglers, CalTrout, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, Sierra Club, Bay Institute, San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center, Friends of the River, and Nor-Cal Fishing Guides and Sportsmen's Association.

The case is Natural Resources Defense Council, et al. (Plaintiffs) v. Kirk Rodgers, as Regional Director of the United States Bureau of Reclamation, et al. (Defendants) and Orange Cove Irrigation District, et al. (Defendants-Intervenors); Case No. CIV-S-88-1658 (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California).

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 1 million members and e-activists nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Santa Monica and San Francisco.

For more information, please visit our web site at www.nrdc.org.

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