Stop The Tunnels: One of the Most Important Actions for 2017

From Restore the Delta: We know that we ask a lot of you, our members, in terms of attending government meetings to speak out against the tunnels. However, the Delta Stewardship Council meeting on Friday, April 28, 2017 in Sacramento is one of the most important meetings for you to attend in 2017. We hope that you can join us.

Mark your calendars:
The meeting will begin on April 28 at 9 a.m. at the Park Tower Plaza, 980 Ninth Street, Sacramento, 2nd Floor Conference Room.

Why is this action so important?
We need you to voice your opposition to the Delta Plan amendments to the Council because in this document: the Delta tunnels come first for promoting “improved” conveyance over consideration of other options. The Delta Plan amendments fail to consider other options for improving conveyance, like fixing existing fish screens, and continue the Council’s pattern an practice of ignoring the portion of the Delta Reform Act that calls for reduced reliance on the Delta, as well as protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem.

In addition, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has made it clear to their own board that they need this amendment to become part of the Delta Plan so that they can move forward with evaluating and approving their financial contribution toward the Delta tunnels. Therefore, your attendance is more important than ever.

How should you prepare your comment?
Your comments should focus on the impacts the Delta Tunnels will have on your home, farm, business, town or city and why the project cannot meet the co-equal goal of restoring and protecting the Delta. Also, it is worth pointing out that the Delta Tunnels cannot improve water supply reliability because there are no longer any guarantees of water deliveries as part of the project — water contractors will be going through the same water availability processes in the future with the State Water Resources Control Board to fill the tunnels as they do now.

Please be ready to attend. Limit your comment to 3 minutes in length, about 390 words. Bring your friends and family. The Delta Stewardship Council is supposed to be the steward of the Delta. We need you remind them of this duty.

Other actions you can take:
Want to make an extra impact?
* Click here to send a tweet telling the Council to stop favoring the Delta Tunnels — you may personalize this tweet.
* Post a comment on their Facebook page regarding this Delta Plan amendment. Remember to be courteous.
* Make a phone call to voice your comments to Eric Alvarez, the Delta Stewardship Public Information Officer, at (916) 445-5383 and/or Cassandra Enos-Nobrida, Delta Plan head staff, at (916) 445-0258.

While we understand some people cannot take time off work, it is very important to be at this meeting. Right now, bodies count. If you absolutely cannot make it, you can send an electronic e-mail by following these instructions:

1) Title your e-mail, “Public Comments for Delta Plan Amendment, 4/28/17 Board Meeting”
2) IMPORTANT: Include in your comments a note to have your comments read aloud at the Board meeting
3) Address the e-mail to the Clerk of the Board, Pat Rogers, Pat.Pogers@deltacouncil.ca.gov and to the Delta Plan head staff, Cassandra Enos-Nobrida, Cassandra.Enos@deltacouncil.ca.gov.

Thank you.

Yours in service,
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla
Restore the Delta

From North Delta CARES:

1. Take the bus from Clarksburg! Barbara Daly will be driving her Delta Heartbeat Tours bus from Clarksburg to the meeting. The bus will leave from Husick’s; please be there by 8:00. The bus will return after the comments are over, which could be the end of the day. If the meeting adjourns earlier, we’ll return sooner. A donation of $5 would be appreciated to help pay for parking and gas. There is space for 14. If you would like a seat or have questions, please email Barbara or call her at 916-761-4726.

2. If you would like to see a video of public comments made at the last DSC meeting in Brentwood March 23, click here. The video may give you ideas for some of your own comments.

3. If you would like to see the letter sent to the DSC by Friends of the River and a coalition of environmental groups on 4/24/17, click here. To see the letter sent to the DSC by attorney Michael Brodsky, click here.