awpw.assembly.ca.govawpw.assembly.ca.gov/sites/awpw.assembly.ca.gov/files/Asm Marc... · Created...
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COM!!IITTEES VICE CHAIR: LOCAL GOVERNI\.'lENT GOVER hI IVIENTAL ORGAN iZATiONI HiGHER EDUCATION AGIT.IG AND LONG-TERM CARE ARTS. ENTERTAINMENT. SPORTS, TOURISM AND iNTERNET MEDIA SELEET COMMITTEES CHAIR: AGRICULTURE AND THE ENVIRONI\4ENT BIOTECHI.JOLOGY W!I.JE $xwwhlg ff aIif sr xfi w E$t glxLwtw v N4ARC LEVINE ASSEIvIBLYMEMBER, TENTH DlSTRlCl. August 21,2013 The Honorable Antliony Rendon Chair, Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee State Capitol, Room 2136 Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Assemblymember Rendon: fhank you fbr inviting my input on the water bond. I am writing to comment on the principles of the Clean Drinking Water & Climate Change Response Act of 2014. I applaud your eftbrts on this vital issue. As you know, there are no silver bullets. We cannot build or store our way to a sustainable water system and a menu of policies will be necessary to ensure that competing needs are met. With that in mind, I would like to ask that some porlion of the bond be dedicated to agricultural rvater conservation. The Department of Water Resources details conservation measures fbr both on-farm water conservation and irrigation district system improvements. We have funded those practices thlough previous waler bonds and those programs have been oversubscribed. It makes sense to continue these efiorts. Agriculture accounts lor 80% of developed water use in California. Because of this I feel strongly that conservation efforts, with a parlicular emphasis on agricultural conservation, need dedicated funding in the Act. We must build on conservation efforts by creating incentives fbr reducing net water use in ways that recognize water rights. but that also result in water savings that benefit the state as a whole. This could be administered through either the Regional Water Management Groups directly or through the Department of Water Resources or both. r-q:g{iil i-qrq$ggr8 PrinteC otl Recycled Peper STATE CAPiTOL PO. BOX 942849 SAcRAMENTO. CA 94249-001 0 (916) 319-2010 FAX (916) 319-2110 DISTRICT OFFICES 3501 CIVIC CEI'lTEfi DRIVE. ROOM 412 SAN RAFAEL. CA 94903 (415) 479-492C FAX (415) 479-2123 11 ENGLISH STREET PETALUMA, CA 94952 17o7l 773-0646 50 D STREET, SUITE 301 SANTA ROSA. CA 95404 (707) 576-263 r E-MAIL Assemblymember.Levine @ assembly.ca. go,r WEBSITE www.assembly.ca. gov/Levine
Transcript of awpw.assembly.ca.govawpw.assembly.ca.gov/sites/awpw.assembly.ca.gov/files/Asm Marc... · Created...
COM!!IITTEESVICE CHAIR: LOCAL GOVERNI\.'lENTGOVER hI IVIENTAL ORGAN iZATiONIHiGHER EDUCATIONAGIT.IG AND LONG-TERM CAREARTS. ENTERTAINMENT. SPORTS, TOURISM AND
iNTERNET MEDIA
SELEET COMMITTEESCHAIR: AGRICULTURE AND THE ENVIRONI\4ENTBIOTECHI.JOLOGYW!I.JE
$xwwhlgff aIif sr xfi w E$t glxLwtw v
N4ARC LEVINEASSEIvIBLYMEMBER, TENTH DlSTRlCl.
August 21,2013
The Honorable Antliony RendonChair, Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife CommitteeState Capitol, Room 2136Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Assemblymember Rendon:
fhank you fbr inviting my input on the water bond. I am writing to comment on the principlesof the Clean Drinking Water & Climate Change Response Act of 2014.
I applaud your eftbrts on this vital issue. As you know, there are no silver bullets. We cannotbuild or store our way to a sustainable water system and a menu of policies will be necessary toensure that competing needs are met. With that in mind, I would like to ask that some porlion ofthe bond be dedicated to agricultural rvater conservation.
The Department of Water Resources details conservation measures fbr both on-farm waterconservation and irrigation district system improvements. We have funded those practicesthlough previous waler bonds and those programs have been oversubscribed. It makes sense tocontinue these efiorts.
Agriculture accounts lor 80% of developed water use in California. Because of this I feelstrongly that conservation efforts, with a parlicular emphasis on agricultural conservation, needdedicated funding in the Act. We must build on conservation efforts by creating incentives fbrreducing net water use in ways that recognize water rights. but that also result in water savingsthat benefit the state as a whole. This could be administered through either the Regional WaterManagement Groups directly or through the Department of Water Resources or both.
r-q:g{iili-qrq$ggr8
PrinteC otl Recycled Peper
STATE CAPiTOLPO. BOX 942849
SAcRAMENTO. CA 94249-001 0(916) 319-2010
FAX (916) 319-2110
DISTRICT OFFICES3501 CIVIC CEI'lTEfi DRIVE. ROOM 412
SAN RAFAEL. CA 94903(415) 479-492C
FAX (415) 479-2123
11 ENGLISH STREETPETALUMA, CA 94952
17o7l 773-0646
50 D STREET, SUITE 301SANTA ROSA. CA 95404
(707) 576-263 r
E-MAIL Assemblymember.Levine @ assembly.ca. go,r
WEBSITE www.assembly.ca. gov/Levine
August 2I,20I3The Honorable Anthony Rendon
Page2
Conservation is a small but signihcant component for solving our water needs. Greater
efficiency through conservation will improve our environment, enhance our ability to adapt to
changing water availability, and return more water to the system.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss further the role that conservation can play as the Actdevelops in the coming weeks.
MARC LEVINEAssemblymember, 1 Oth District
ML:ro
