Economy, Political Leadership Shed New Light on Resource Priorities

by DAN KEPPEN

Executive Director Family Farm Alliance 
Klamath Falls, Oregon

In recent months, I have begun to sense a shift in the public’s attitude towards the environment and agriculture, and in particularly, how average folks feel about how scarce water supplies should be used to meet competing demands.

We all want clean water, healthy forests and abundant fish and wildlife. But using questionable means to get there, and elevating fish and fur at the expense of family farmers and farm workers in these dire economic times is something that appears to be losing ground with the public and politicians. When you have elected officials willing to strongly and repeatedly stand up for those family farms, that trend can pick up momentum.

The events that are transpiring in the Central Valley this year provide an interesting case study on this matter.

Last month, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released a new biological opinion that outlines changes the agency will require to the operation of state and federal water projects to protect salmon and other species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The NMFS opinion found that state and federal water pumping from California’s Bay-Delta system is contributing to the possible extinction of salmon, sturgeon, steelhead, and – to the dismay of many - killer whales. As a result, Delta water exports will be reduced 330,000 acre feet. This is above and beyond water reductions that have already been mandated due to the Delta Smelt by another federal agency –the USFWS – in December 2008.

The opinion from NMFS triggered a firestorm of responses from elected officials, including Governor Schwarzenegger. U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes (CALIFORNIA) called the decision’s conclusion that linked the death of killer whales to San Joaquin water users “outrageous”, and with the support of Central Valley Democratic Congressmen Cardoza and Costa promptly introduced an amendment to the NMFS appropriations bill to over-rule the decision.

This action brought what is happening in the San Joaquin Valley to the floor of the House, and generated impassioned arguments for and against the amendment. Rep. Nunes told the House that 40,000 farm workers have already been laid off due to the shortages caused by the delta smelt decision. He said the situation has now been compounded by the NMFS action that “blames cities and farms in California” for the plight of the killer whale.

With lots of arms twisted that resulted in switched votes at the end, the final vote was 208-218 against the Nunes amendment, an exceptionally close vote on an ESA matter. Having this amendment considered by the House at all is a major achievement.

In recent weeks, Rep. Nunes has brought similar amendments to key House committees, where the amendments were narrowly defeated. Rep. Nunes has threatened to keep offering similar amendments wherever possible.

The important matter here is that elected officials and the general public are becoming aware that the ESA – a well-intentioned law with a noble purpose- can inflict very real wounds to average, hard-working Americans when it is wielded by litigious activist groups and narrowly focused federal agency biologists.

Two weeks ago, thousands of farmers, farm workers and their supporters rallied in Fresno, calling on federal officials to ease environmental regulations. Another rally organized a few months earlier by the Latino Water Coalition drew 10,000 supporters and Gov. Schwarzenegger to San Luis Reservoir.

A protest organized last week by well-funded environmentalists in Sacramento in support of fish, on the other hand, attracted just 200 participants.

Elsewhere, a recent poll released by Colorado State University finds– throughout the West - that, when addressing long term water scarcity, average citizens prefer reservoir construction and reuse systems over other water acquisitions, and in particular, are not in favor of water transfers from agriculture.

Could it be - as George Will recently suggested in a column he wrote for the Washington Post – that "the green bubble" has burst, pricked by Americans' intensified reluctance to pursue greenness at a cost to economic growth?

Perhaps Will was right. Reengagement with reality is among the recession's benefits.

Government-imposed Dust Bowl update

by DEVIN NUNES

In my ongoing effort to convince congressional Democrats that Californians need relief from a government imposed Dust Bowl, I have been offering amendments to a number of bills in Congress. These amendments have been straightforward (see an example), despite the efforts of Democrat leaders in Congress and the Obama administration to generate controversy and defeat them.


If enacted, my amendments would prevent federal authorities from depriving Californians access to essential water supplies. Because of federal actions, as much as 500,000 acres are being forced out of production and, according to a recent forecast by economists at the University of California, Davis, more than 40,000 people will lose their jobs.

In Washington this week, the moral bankruptcy and unconscionable heartlessness of congressional Democrats continues to rise to new levels. The party pretends to champion working families but backs the agenda of the radical environmental lobby instead. For the people of the San Joaquin Valley, the Democrat majority and the Obama administration have chosen the delta smelt, a three-inch minnow, over working families and intends to add salmon, sturgeon, killer whales, and steelhead to the list.

This week we tried yet again to get the water flowing to the valley. Late Tuesday night, my friend from California, Ken Calvert, offered an amendment during an Energy and Water Appropriations (markup) meeting, which would have put on hold the biological decisions that have, and will continue to, shut down the delta pumps. The Congressional injunction would have given Congress time to implement a more permanent solution, which would protect families.

A thirty minute debate followed, which included outrageous statements and outright threats (go to 6:28 of this video).

One of my colleagues on the committee said that California’s water is critical to “salmon and other endangered species like killer whales.” He went on to say that “the culprit is not the Endangered Species Act, but climate change.” (go to 2:15 of this video)

Another member of the committee declared the Calvert amendment a “wish amendment.” That same member went on to threaten members of the committee that they will lose their earmarks if they support it.

My questions on the House floor yesterday are simple:

What do ocean wondering killer whales, which traditionally inhabit Puget Sound 700 miles to the north have to do with land-locked farmers in California?


What does climate change have to do with 40,000 people out of work?

I find it ironic that my Democrat colleagues didn’t have that same concern in 2003 when they supported an Energy and Water bill that overturned the Endangered Species Act on the Silvery Minnow. In fact, 31 Democrats currently on the appropriations committee supported overturning the Endangered Species Act back then (smelt and silvery minnow pictured below)




What has changed for my Democrat colleagues? The Slivery Minnow and the Delta smelt are both three inch bait fish.
 “Wish” is certainly the right word to use — families in the San Joaquin Valley wish they had a government that would do its job and deliver water to them.
 My good friend from Idaho, Mike Simpson, said it best late on Tuesday night, “The Endangered Species Act wasn’t written by God. It was written by man. If we can’t make exceptions to it when necessary, what kind of representatives are we.”

Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution says that the Congress shall have the power to provide for the general welfare of the United States.

Congress has the basic responsibility to provide water to its citizens. Congress has abysmally failed in its constitutional duty.

It has been 652 days since I warned of the government imposed Dust Bowl in California. Since then, the Democrat leadership of this country has sat back and watched the economy in the San Joaquin Valley deteriorate to the level of a third world country. Unemployment in the San Joaquin Valley of California is nearing 20% with some communities over 40%.

It is simple: Stop valuing fish over families. Just turn on the pumps and restore the flow of water to the families of the San Joaquin Valley.

Effort to Suspend Endangered Species Act Fails

by GENE HAAGENSON

Washington (KFSN) -- A new effort by Republican Congressman Devin Nunes to get more water to Valley growers has fallen short. Nunes and his supporters attempted to get the measure added as an amendment to an appropriations bill. Supporters of the measure gave committee members a bleak picture of the Central Valley.

Representative Ken Calvert of Riverside introduced the measure saying, "The farming industry in my state is in a total freeze right now. 500 thousand acres are out of production. Total communities are shuttered down. All the storefronts out of business. "

Calvert was trying to push the committee to approve an amendment that would have required the federal and state water projects to waive the Endangered Species Act, and guarantee Central Valley growers more water.

Congressman Norm Dicks of Washington argued against the measure, saying the culprit is not the endangered species act, but climate change.

"You're going to have more droughts. You're going to have higher temperatures and there's going to be less water, and those are going to be the problems we face and I think it's time for you guys over there who just groan, to face the reality of what we're up against as a country, and the world."

But Congressman Tom Latham of Iowa said his sympathies were with the farmers and farm workers.

"The endangered species are human beings in the Central Valley."

In a satellite interview from Washington D.C. on Wednesday night, Congressman Devin Nunes of Visalia, who backed the bill says the effort to overturn environmental rules and give growers more water is getting stronger.

"It's growing, we're getting national attention from this issue because it is so serious. This is a government created dust bowl."

But Congressman Mike Honda of San Jose told the committee hard times were not a reason to pass the bill.

"The example of the recession that's going on in the area, that we need to alleviate it by releasing more water, it's just not that way."

The measure failed on a vote of 31 to 25. Only three Democrats on the committee supported it. Nunes says another effort to get the amendment tacked onto another bill will continue Thursday.

Democratic leaders kill yet another effort to turn on the pumps

by DEVIN NUNES

Tonight, House Appropriations Committee Democrats defeated an amendment I offered that would have restored water deliveries to dry San Joaquin Valley communities.

While the vote was disappointing, we are gaining important public attention and increasing traction in our efforts. We have put Democratic leaders on the defense and on notice - the American people are watching.

I have uploaded video of tonight’s debate and vote. Click here to view the footage on my YouTube Channel.

Government-imposed dust bowl to continue

by DEVIN NUNES

On Wednesday, under the cover of darkness, the House Rules Committee decided to prevent a vote on my amendment to the 2010 Department of Interior spending bill - an amendment that would have halted the insane actions of our government that have deprived California communities of access to water.

Last week, a similar amendment that I offered was narrowly defeated on the House Floor, 218 to 208. The amendment would have passed if Congressman George Miller had not forced several Democrats to change their votes (to see what happened, click here).

Despite the loss, we were able to force a vote and put lawmakers on the record, and on notice – the American people are watching. The Rules Committee decision Wednesday night has effectively shut down the democratic process. It was a crass political maneuver in violation of House Rules and long-standing legislative protocol.

Yesterday, I made this statement on the floor of the House of Representatives:

"Madam Speaker, 636 days and counting. This is the number of days that have passed since I asked the Democrats in this body to take direct action and avoid destruction of the San Joaquin Valley. Instead, we've had 636 days of inaction, 636 days of a man-made drought, a California dust bowl.

"Last week there was a close vote, apparently too close for the Democrat leadership. The bipartisan amendment I offered would have stopped the Obama administration from taking additional measures to starve the people of the San Joaquin Valley of water. The Democrat leadership will not risk the possibility of defeat again. No mistakes this time. No vote will be allowed on the House floor this week on my new amendment to the Interior bill.

"The hypocrisy of this situation is that the Democrat majority champions working families but in reality is just backing the radical environmental element in this country. For the San Joaquin Valley, the Democrats in this House have chosen the 3-inch minnows over working families.

"What we are witnessing is the greatest elected assembly in the history of the world starving its citizens of water, acting like a despot who tortures the innocent just to stay in power. Make no mistake - raw power is what we're witnessing, power that injures and wounds, exercised at the highest levels of this government, straight from the Obama White House and the Democrat leadership in this Congress. They will say anything and do anything to keep power. Their victims are my constituents, the people of the San Joaquin Valley, who have done nothing to deserve this cruelty at the hands of this government. The clock is ticking. There's very little time left. This Congress must act and act now.

"At this moment, Madam Speaker, Members of this body are at the White House having a luau; and in the meantime, there's 40,000 people without jobs in the San Joaquin Valley because of the inaction by the Democrats and this Congress. Come back. Stop the luau. Stop the partying, and come back, and vote ``no'' on this rule and allow an amendment on this bill to bring people of the San Joaquin Valley.

"Come back. Stop the party. Come back now."

The American Energy Act - We need to go nuclear

I and other members of the American Energy Solutions Group unveiled legislation on June 12th that will provide the United States long-term energy security – the American Energy Act, H.R..2846. A key component of the Republican bill is nuclear power – an area of energy policy I have spent considerable time examining.

The American Energy Act will:

• Facilitate the construction of 100 nuclear reactors;
• Create 240,000 high paying jobs, many of which would be permanent positions;
• Yield more than $43 billion in new economic activity, generating $9.5 billion in new tax revenues;
• Cut CO2 emissions in the United States by 40%;
• Generate inexpensive power for more than 118 million households.

Republicans recognize that energy security means economic security. We understand that an "all of the above approach" is the only way to offer the American people lower energy costs today, while providing affordable long-term alternatives.

The construction of nuclear power plants in America is essential if we are to be serious about affordable electrical energy – energy that is clean, safe and capable of fueling the next generation of hybrid cars. Without nuclear power, our country will be forced to ration energy through high prices and taxes. We will fall into economic stagnation and experience long-term challenges that will be difficult to endure.

Congress must act on the American Energy Act. It is time to give the American people meaningful energy reform and real solutions to the problems we face.

The legislative text of the American Energy Act is here.