STATEWIDE CALIFORNIA WATERSHED PROGRAM

Transition plan for the CALFED Watershed Program development into a Statewide California Watershed Program

Lead Entity(ies): Secretary of Resources and CA State Department of Conservation (DOC)

Program Background: Watersheds have proven to be an effective organizing unit for managing natural resources. Because no single agency or other entity alone can effectively manage watersheds, it is in the state’s interest to develop and support a statewide watershed program (Program) that will promote and conduct effective stewardship of natural resources in a watershed context. The Program will promote watershed management that includes local communities and state and federal agencies in collaboration with other stakeholders. The Program will retain many of the important elements that made the CALFED Watershed Program successful, as outlined and recommended during meetings of earlier Watershed Public Advisory Committees.

The Program has established a Public Advisory Committee to reflect the statewide focus by providing liaison between the Program and the Regions. The past level of public involvement and Program transparency will thus remain intact through an interactive public advisory function using basic principles of operation that will be developed with extensive public input. They will provide a basis for Program development and implementation that will maintain an emphasis on multi-stakeholder, multi-objective management.

The new program is a Resources Agency action, and is administered through the Department of Conservation (DOC). It will include strong interaction and cooperation with other state and federal and local agencies.  The structure and roles developed to guide public and agency involvement in describing the new strategy include:

Secretary of Resources: Provides overall policy guidance and feedback on Program development and implementation, after considering the public advice and comment gathered at the regional forums.

DOC Director: Provides administrative leadership for the Program, and works closely with the Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee to define and include the interests of other state and federal agencies. 

Steering Committee: A Committee of up to 24 non-agency stakeholders, chaired by two Co-Chairs (Robert Meacher and Martha Davis) meet regularly to provide liaison between the Watershed Program and the Regions; to help generate diverse participation in the regional forums; to assist with meeting site selection, agendas, and meeting management; and to help synthesize and organize the ideas and advice received through the regional forums.

Science Panel: A group of selected scientists and experts to advise on key questions posed by the Program. The major early task will be to develop a model to describe baseline conditions and to track change over time in each of the ten major hydrologic regions of the state.

Immediate term Program Functions: Continuing implementation and management of the remaining contracts and projects of the CALFED Watershed Program; maintaining strong public involvement and inclusion in Statewide Watershed Policy development; and maintaining effective contact with other state and federal agencies and programs.

Regional Forums: Open meetings to take place in each of the ten identified hydrologic regions to solicit public comment and recommendations on Program development and implementation appropriate for the Region of focus, and to provide an avenue to include local experts in setting and tracking Program priorities and implementation actions.

Click Here to visit the CA State Department of Conservation Website

THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COALITION FOR WATER

The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water is a network of more than fifty grassroots and intermediary organizations. EJCW works to empower community members to become strong voices for water justice in their communities. We enable community members to take control of their water resources by participating in water policy, planning and decisions. We ensure policy makers are listening to the concerns of community members and hold policy makers accountable for the heavy impacts water policy has on low-income communities and communities of color. Our coalition is building a collective, community-based movement for democratic water management and allocation in California.

The priorities of our member organizations range from indigenous sovereignty to immigrant rights. We all recognize that access to safe, affordable water is a crucial part of achieving economic development, a clean environment, and ensuring public health for low-income communities and communities of color. Member groups organize around contaminated drinking water, expansion of dams, and many other water-related issues.

Urban Semillas is a member organization working specifically on two statewide working groups:  Watersheds and Democratization.

Watersheds Work Group

The Watershed Work Group of the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water is working toward preserving, restoring, and managing watersheds in environmental justice communities and supporting sustainable watershed management. Working together the WG members will coordinate and integrate our efforts to create community-based watershed programs and plans that educate and advocate for watershed protection, restoration, management and policy enforcement. Public and Tribal Trust philosophies and a commitment to pollution prevention, water conservation, public participation, multifunctional open space, polluter pays, and the precautionary principle will guide the Work Group’s activities.

Democratization Work Group

The purpose of the Democratization Working Group is to open and diversify the world of California water management and increase the number of communities and people who are able to make informed, sustainable, holistic decisions about local, regional, and statewide water policy. The WG will use two primary approaches to accomplish this: it will build capacity among environmental justice advocates, and address institutional barriers to community participation in California water policy. The WG will build a base of empowered water justice advocates around the state by developing multi-generational capacity and leadership among communities. This base will provide a pool of qualified people to fill positions of power and will hold leaders accountable. This entails developing strategies for leadership development and capacity-building, and grooming and supporting potential leaders. Simultaneously, the WG will generate strategies to address the policies, procedures and institutions that keep environmental justice leaders out of decision-making positions. It will identify key positions of power to fill with environmental justice leaders. This can include, but is not limited to, reforming land-owner based districts; opening up water boards; and ensuring basic public participation goals are met in water policy meetings.

Click Here for more information about The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water