California Trout Rescues Fishing License Funds From Schwarzenegger's Raid

by Dan Bacher
July 2, 2008. California Trout, a statewide fishery conservation organization, recently defeated an underhanded attempt by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to raid fishing license funds.

On May 30, California Trout issued a statement release calling for a freeze on California fishing license fees in the face of a Schwarzenegger administration proposal to transfer $4 million from the Hatchery and Inland Fisheries Fund (HIFF) to the state's General Fund. Fortunately, the State Legislature’s Budget Conference Committee rejected the transfer on June 13, in large part because the administration officially withdrew the proposal.

“This is an important victory for fishing enthusiasts and conservation advocates across California,” said Brian Stranko, CEO of California Trout. “Trying to raid funds that support state fish hatchery operations and protection of wild trout stocks was a bad idea from the start. We’re pleased that these funds remain secure.”

CSPA News

CSPA to Sue City of Stockton for Sewage Spills and Illegal Discharges 

July 1, 2008. Stockton, CA - The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) today gave formal notice, pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), of its intent to sue the City of Stockton for illegal sewage spills, overflows and discharges to the Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta. The CWA requires that citizens enforcing the Act must provide a discharger 60 days notice prior to filing the lawsuit. The CSPA letter puts Stockton on notice that its municipal sanitary sewer collection and treatment system has illegally allowed egregious quantities of raw sewage to overflow into city streets and the storm water collection system and that the wastewater treatment facility has routinely violated water quality limits in direct discharges to the San Joaquin River and Delta. 

“Stockton’s wastewater control system is a public health and environmental hazard,” said CSPA Executive Director Bill Jennings. “The ... (Read the full story)

Update on Bush's plan to raid Salmon Disaster Relief Funds to Pay for Census!

By Dan Bacher
July 2, 2008. West Coast representatives and leaders of fishing groups are outraged over an attempt by the White House to yank $70 million in disaster funding from commercial and recreational fishermen in order to pay for the 2010 US Census.

The Bush administration's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Monday, June 9, sent a proposal to Congress to amend the president's budget and take back $70 million of the $180 million West Coast representatives had put into the farm bill for disaster assistance for fishermen devastated by fishing closures off California and Oregon and in Central Valley rivers.

West Coast Democrats reacted to the proposal by sending an angry letter to President Bush. They called "unconscionable" his proposal to deny the disaster funding to fishermen and use it to pay for a failed contract with the Harris Corporation. Harris, assigned to do the 2010 Census, was forced due to serious mismanagement to abandon its plans for using handheld computers to conduct the census and will have to conduct a costly paper census.

Feds' plan to improve Delta water system isn't accurate, agency warns

By Matt Weiser-mweiser@sacbee.com
July 1, 2008. A court-ordered fix for the threatened Delta smelt population is running into trouble before it has even seen daylight.

Federal water officials have been warned that their work on a draft plan for operating the Delta's water works "contains deficiencies, incomplete analysis, inaccuracies and omissions."

The warning came from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which faces the same court deadline of Sept. 15 to submit the plan, called a "biological opinion." The goal is to create a new set of operating rules for the massive state and federal pumping systems that export water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the Bay Area and Southern California.

Federal Judge.... (Read the full story at the Sacramento Bee on-line.)

CVP/SWP OCAP Biological Assessment (Link only)
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Were CSPA's John Beuttler's comments on the 27th the fuel to spur DFG to announce the start of a bay halibut survey? Read his comments below.

Successful San Francisco Bay Halibut Catch Triggers DFG Survey to Ensure Sustainable Fishery

DFG Press Release, June 30, 2008. The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will monitor the San Francisco Bay halibut fishery to ensure that current regulations are protecting the species from overfishing. Recreational anglers and commercial hook-and-line fishermen are harvesting a higher than normal number of halibut from the bay for this time of year.

“This successful harvest is likely due to a strong class of halibut that were born in 2004 and such reproduction is historically infrequent,” said DFG Director Donald Koch. “Although there is no indication that the halibut fishery is not sustainable, additional scientific data will allow us to better assess how the species should be managed, particularly in booming ... (Read the full story)
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Recent Headlines

June 27-Sen. Feinstein praised for selenium report release C-WIN, CSPA want more tough questions of USBR

June 27-Another Delta species, the longfin smelt, in trouble by Dan Bacher

June 27-Is ANOTHER Delta species headed for the endangered list? DFG Press Release

June 24-Wolk's Fish Rescue Bill, AB 1806, Passes Senate NR&W Committee

June 24-Five California Congress Members ask for accountability by NOAA and U.S. Fish and Wildlife regarding their participation and input to the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan

June 22-A tale of two cities: What is LA doing right that Sacramento is doing wrong?

More News

CSPA News

CSPA recommends SWRCB include groundwater in analysis of discharges in actions re Berry Petroleum

July 1, 2008. In a letter sent to the State Water Resources Control Board, CSPA Executive Director, Bill Jennings, commended the board for addressing the issues of discharge from the Berry Petroleum Company in Kern County but also recommended that groundwater be included in the remand to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) regarding the scope of the necessary anti-degradation analysis. (Read the complete letter)
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Bee Editorial

Little fish, big bad idea: Smelt hatcheries would just be a waste

Sacramento Bee. June 30, 2008. Even during a drought, goofy ideas flow through the Legislature like sludge in a sewer. The latest one? Sen. Dean Florez's plan to build factories for the Delta smelt.

The smelt, as you might recall, is a finger-length fish that lives in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It's threatened with extinction. Invasive species and lost habitat have hurt these little fish. So have the Delta's water pumping plants, which kill smelt directly, and alter the estuary's natural flows.

Last year, a federal judge cut back the pumping because of evidence the smelt were on the brink of oblivion. Ever since, cities and San Joaquin Valley farms dependent on the pumps have scrambled for remedies.
(Read the full story on-line at the Sacramento Bee)

6-26-08 Measure would set up hatcheries for endangered Delta smelt
by M. Weiser mweiser@sacbee.com (Link only)

6-23-08 CSPA and additional NPO's letter to State Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee opposing SB 994
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Read John Beuttler's comments

State's halibut gamble: Don't worry, be happy

By Nels Johnson, Marin Independent Journal
June 27, 2008. California's top recreational fisheries advocate says regulators are rolling the dice on San Francisco Bay's halibut fishery. John Beuttler, conservation director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, said the fishery is at risk as it gets hammered by hundreds of anglers day after day.

Because salmon fishing has been shut down, regional recreational and commercial fleets are focusing on bay halibut, and thousands of fish have been decked following unprecedented pressure during the peak spawning season.

"The impact on this year's spawning could seriously set back the whole fishery," said Marin Assemblyman Jared Huffman.

But Steve Wertz, 47, a senior marine biologist for the Department of Fish and Game, says there is "no indication there is any problem with the fishery."

Wertz, a department veteran based in Los Alamitos, said no study has been done but asserted... (Read the full story)

Salmon Symposium Draws Experts and Activists to the Yuba River: Three-Day Public Event Includes Field Tours, Workshops, Panel Discussions and the Presentation of a Calling Back The Salmon Resolution

South Yuba River Citizens League
June 30, 2008. NEVADA CITY- A council of indigenous leaders, ecologists, scientists, community activists, healers and elders will present a Calling Back the Salmon Resolution, closing the first of a three day event at the 3rd Annual Spring-Run Chinook Symposium, held for the first time in Nevada City.

The Salmonid Restoration Federation (SRF) and South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) are producing the event, which includes a full day Symposium on Thursday July 10th exploring the challenges and opportunities for recovering California's Spring-Run Chinook salmon - historically the most abundant salmon run in California and currently threatened with extinction. The symposium will be followed by field tours on Friday....(Read the full story)
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CSPA News

CSPA Recommends Decommissioning Centerville Powerhouse

By Chris Shutes, CSPA FERC Projects Director
June 27, 2008- In a filing today with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today, CSPA and a coalition of conservation groups recommended decommissioning Centerville Powerhouse in PG&E's DeSabla - Centerville Hydroelectric Project. The Project is located on Butte Creek and the West Branch Feather River, east of Chico. The run of wild Spring-run Chinook salmon in Butte Creek is the largest remaining run of springers in the Central Valley.

"In 2007, the Spring-run in Butte Creek represented over 5% of all adult salmon that returned to spawn in the Central Valley. It is essential that management of the Project optimize habitat for Spring-run Chinook and for steelhead as the Project's.... (Read the full story)

June 27, 2008-CSPA Comments and Recommendations regarding the relicensing of the  DeSabala-Centerville Project # 803

(Watch the video: Butte Creek Spring-run salmon at Helltown migrating downstream to spawn, September 25, 2007)
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Recent CSPA 
News Stories

June 24-Statement by John Beuttler, Conservation Director for CSPA to the Senate Natural Resources & Wildlife Committee

June 19-CSPA gearing up to defend the striped bass right to exist

June 16-CSPA Intervenes in Butte Creek FERC Proceeding

June 15-CSPA's John Beuttler to testify at Senate NR&W Committee hearing on AB 1806

June 15-Diablo Valley Fly Fishers send in over 100 letters of support for AB 1806

June 4-CSPA Advisory, 6.4.08. Your support is critical to move AB 1806 out of Senate Committee Hearing

May 20-CSPA, CSBA and NCCFFF Intervene in Striped Bass Lawsuit