ESA Principles an Important Statement at an Important Time
If you are a water manager in California, chances are you’ve had an encounter with an endangered species issue or two. Whether you live on the North Coast or in the Central Valley, in the foothills or in Orange County, your agency has probably dealt with the state and / or federal Endangered Species Act at some point in the course of carrying out your mission.
Though every situation is different, some common themes emerge in any discussion of ESA challenges among resource managers today. That was definitely the case for a diverse group of ACWA members that spent the past six months sharing perspectives and hammering out a unified statement on ESA implementation issues.
The product of that effort is a set of policy principles adopted last week by the ACWA Board of Directors. Approved unanimously, the principles reflect broad agreement on the direction ESA implementation must take to meet the needs of species and the state’s communities, farms and businesses in the 21st century.
With species such as Delta smelt and salmon constantly in the news, there is a tendency in many circles to simplify the issues as a debate over “fish versus people.” In embracing these policy principles, by contrast, ACWA’s Board is moving the dialog on a different path – one we hope will lead to constructive improvement in ESA administration at the state and federal levels.
Our principles state clearly that we support the goals of the ESA. But current implementation activities are not working, causing tremendous loss to our economy with virtually no improvement to the ecosystem. Look no further than the Delta for evidence of the collision course we are on if the current approach continues.
ACWA believes there is a better way. Our principles urge state and federal agencies to take a comprehensive, ecosystem-based approach to ESA implementation that is more in line with the co-equal goals that are now the cornerstone of state water policy. We need integrated strategies that address all factors contributing to the decline of species and incorporate real-time data to adaptively manage projects.
While our principles are notable for what they say, they are equally notable for who is articulating them. They were developed by a diverse task force including local water managers, board members and attorneys from every part of California, including agricultural and urban agencies, agencies upstream of the Delta and those that rely on exports from the Delta for all or part of their water supplies. They were approved unanimously and without modification by the ACWA Board, which in turn represents water agencies of every size and stripe.
I’m proud of what ACWA has accomplished with the principles and I am honored to have led the task force. I look forward to more constructive discussions as we move ahead with solutions to ESA issues and other challenges.
