August 21, 2015
CapitalPress.com
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By ELLEN KNICKMEYER
Associated Press Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —
State contractors have readied
plans to acquire as many as 300
farms in the California delta by
eminent domain to make room
for a pair of massive, still-unap-
proved water tunnels proposed
by Gov. Jerry Brown, according
to documents obtained by oppo-
nents of the tunnels.
Farmers whose parcels were
listed and mapped in the 160-
page property-acquisition plan
expressed dismay at the ad-
vanced planning for the project,
which would build 30-mile-long
tunnels in the Delta formed by
the San Joaquin and Sacramento
rivers.
“What really shocks is we’re
fighting this and we’re hoping to
win,” said Richard Elliot, who
grows cherries, pears and other
crops on delta land farmed by
his family since the 1860s. “To
find out they’re sitting in a room
figuring out this eminent do-
main makes it sound like they’re
going to bully us ... and take
what they want.”
Officials involved in the
project defended planning so far
ahead regarding the tunnels.
“Planning for right-of-way
needs, that is the key part of
your normal planning process,”
said Roger Patterson, assistant
general manager for the Metro-
politan Water District of South-
ern California, one of the water
agencies that would benefit
from the twin tunnels.
The district serves 17 million
people in Southern California
as well as large farms and busi-
nesses.
Brown’s administration said
re-engineering of the delta —
the largest estuary on the West
Coast — is essential to undoing
mistakes of past water projects
and to supplying water to South-
ern California.
Brown has pushed for a
massive Delta makeover since
his first stint as governor in
the 1970s and 1980s. In May,
he told critics of the tunnels to
“shut up.”
Opponents say the tunnels
would jeopardize delta farming
and destroy vital wildlife habi-
tat.
“If these reports are correct,
then we have further confirma-
tion that the tunnels project has
been a forgone conclusion,”
state Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis,
who chairs a committee on the
Delta, said in an email Monday.
The environmental review,
“which should be used to choose
a project, is simply being used to
justify the favored project,” she
wrote.
Through October, the project
officially is in a period of public
comment on the environmen-
tal impact of the tunnels. The
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, which opposed an ear-
lier version of the project, also
must still weigh in.
Restore the Delta, a group
of farmers, fishing associations,
environmental groups and other
opponents, released the property
plan that was obtained with a re-
quest made under the state open
records law. The plan targets
public and private land in Sac-
ramento, San Joaquin, Contra
Costa and Alameda counties to
be acquired for the project.
Under the plan, landowners
would have 30 days to consider
and negotiate a one-time state
offer, while officials simultane-
ously prepare to take the land by
forced sale if owners declined to
sell. “Negotiations to continue
in parallel with eminent domain
proceedings,” the plan notes.
Contractors also appear to
call for minimal public input.
“All transactions are con-
ducted, reviewed and approved
internally by DCE staff and
managers to maintain control
and avoid unnecessary delays
to schedule,” the property plan
outlines. “DCE shall seek to
minimize external review and
approval requirements.”
DCE is short for Delta Con-
veyance Facilities Design and
Construction Enterprise, a pri-
vate-contractor group embed-
ded within the state Department
of Water Resources to work on
the proposed tunnels.
California
Fairs to get $10 million for upgrades, operations
By TIM HEARDEN
Capital Press
ANDERSON, Calif. —
Tucked inside the $167.7 bil-
lion budget approved by Cali-
fornia lawmakers this summer
was a partial reprieve for cash-
strapped local fairs.
The state’s network of 79
local fairgrounds will receive
$10 million in fiscal 2015-16,
marking the first time fairs
have received significant state
fiscal help since Gov. Jerry
Brown zeroed out their $32
million annual allotment in
2011.
About $3 million will go
toward operational support,
handing the 45 smallest fairs
between $40,000 and $50,000
apiece, said Stephen Chambers,
the Western Fairs Association’s
executive director.
The rest of the money will
be spent on needed fairgrounds
repairs and upgrades and will
be awarded for individual proj-
Tim Hearden/Capital Press
The sign at the Shasta District Fair grounds in Anderson, Calif., ad-
vertises upcoming events. The state has partially restored funding
to California fairs, including money to spruce up facilities.
ects, Chambers said.
“Fairs realize that some fairs
might get more than one proj-
ect,” he said.
At the Shasta District Fair
grounds in Anderson, manager
Kerby Workman is hoping to
receive some of the funds to
paint buildings and upgrade fa-
cilities, she said.
“We need to keep our
grounds looking good for the
public so they’ll keep want-
ing to hold their events here,”
Workman said.
“We’re absolutely thrilled
that they (legislators) under-
stand that fairgrounds are such
a huge part of the economy,”
she said. “We’re pleased to
have an outcome like this.”
Brown put the fairs’ allo-
cation in his January budget
proposal after fairs advocates
failed to get it included in last
year’s budget, Chambers said.
While fairs have found cre-
ative ways to make ends meet,
state funding for site improve-
ments is necessary, he said.
“With everything we
looked at, from basketball
arenas to parks and conven-
tion centers, there’s always a
public financing partner for
public facilities,” Chambers
said. “Most fairs are able to
sustain themselves operation-
ally, but the cost of electrical
upgrades, roof replacement,
paving, fire and safety repairs
— I know of no public facili-
ties that cover those costs by
themselves.”
Local fairs have sought
innovative ways to bring in
money since their state fund-
ing was eliminated to reduce
the state’s deficit. At the Shasta
District Fair, a boosters’ club
was formed to sell raffle tick-
ets, operate a beer booth at the
fair and do other fundraisers
for the annual June festival.
This year, for instance, the
Friends of the Shasta District
Fair asked an FFA group to build
a new ramp to load hogs sold at
auction onto trucks. Other fairs
have held consignment auctions
and asked for donations at the
gate to raise funds.
Chambers said the efforts
showed legislators that fair-
grounds — particularly in rural
areas — are important to their
constituents.
“It proves they’re relevant,”
he said. “If fairs had had no suc-
cess, that would have made the
argument for no fiscal support.”
The advocates hope the state
resumes supporting the fairs
with annual allocations.
New UCANR vice president wants to boost partnerships, advisers
reach project that is seek- in California,” Humiston said. cattle ranch in Colorado and national conferences and was
ing ways to feed a world “We definitely need more ad- served as a Peace Corps volun- then appointed by President
population expected to visers in the field as well as spe- teer in Tunisia after graduating Barack Obama in 2009 as Cal-
cialists on the campuses to find from Colorado State University ifornia state director of USDA
reach 8 billion by 2025.
DAVIS, Calif. —
Among Humiston’s answers to the really complex with a bachelor’s degree in an- Rural Development.
The new leader of the
biggest priorities is to questions (growers face). … imal science. She later earned a
At the UC, she assumes con-
University of Califor-
boost the ranks of the We’re already on a trajectory to master’s degree in international trol of an organization that in-
nia’s agricultural di-
more than 700 academ- increase those, and I’m putting agricultural development from cludes 1,350 scientists and other
vision says she wants
Glenda
UC-Davis and a doctorate in en- employees working in 60 county
ic researchers and 300 that at the top of my agenda.”
to expand economic
Humiston
Humiston takes over for vironmental science, policy and extension offices, nine research
UC Cooperative Exten-
opportunities for farm-
ing industries and increase the sion advisers and specialists, Barbara Allen-Diaz, a former management at UC-Berkeley.
centers and three UC campuses.
Humiston served then-Pres-
number of advisers and special- she told reporters in a confer- UC-Berkeley professor who
“Even though I loved the job
led the Division of Agriculture ident Bill Clinton as deputy at USDA Rural Development, I
ence call Aug. 13.
ists in the field.
“I am a long-time, very and Natural Resources before USDA undersecretary for natu- just couldn’t let this pass,” Hu-
Glenda Humiston, who
started last week as the UC’s strong supporter of Coopera- retiring June 29. She reports di- ral resources and environment, miston said. “It’s an opportuni-
worked on sustainable devel- ty to step into a bigger, broader
vice president for agriculture tive Extension, its mission and rectly to Napolitano.
She grew up on her parents’ opment issues for two inter- way to serve California.”
and natural resources, said what it does for all the people
she also wants to build better
partnerships with commodity
groups and urban leaders.
The former USDA deputy
Alder, Maple, Cottonwood
undersecretary and rural devel-
Saw Logs, Standing Timber
opment director said she’s excit-
ed to take part in UC President
Janet Napolitano’s Global Food
www.cascadehardwood.com
Initiative, a research and out-
By TIM HEARDEN
Capital Press
BUYING 6” and UP
ROP-32-4-2/#24
Farmland
acquisition
planned for
proposed
water tunnels
13
34-4/#4N