On June 11, Congressman Adam Gray (D-Merced) introduced the Valley Water Protection Act, which would ensure Central Valley farmers and producers receive reliable water deliveries to support their operations.
The Act would amend the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to protect impacted farmers from national security threats or regional economic harm related to ESA listing enforcement activity. Specifically, the bill would allow access to the exemption process where a reasonable and prudent alternative or modification to a proposed agency action may impair national security or regional economic impacts. This would allow a permit application to apply for an exemption and prompt the Secretary of Interior to report to the Endangered Species Act Committee what impairment of national security or economic impacts would result before the Committee makes a decision on the exemption application.
Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) joined Congressman Gray to co-lead the bill. The full text of the bill is available here.
For more information, contact RCRC Policy Advocate Eric Will.