ELEVATOR GOOD AFTERNOON. WELCOME
. TO THE ASSEMBLY NATURAL
RESOURCES COMMITTEE. WE HAVE ONE
MEASURE TODAY. MAYBE IT'S 76.
MAYBE 876 BY SPEAKER RIVAS. AH!
LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE
ROLE. THREE OF US HERE.
THREE OF US HERE, LARA. ADDIS AT
US HERE, FRIEDMAN FRIEDMAN HERE,
HOOVER. MATHIS MARTUCCI OTSUKI
HERE, PELLERIN COLOR IN HERE,
WARD. WORD HERE WOULD WOULD HEAR
ZABAR WE HAVE A QUORUM. WHENEVER
YOU'RE READY. AND THANK YOU,
MADAM CHAIR AND COLLEAGUES. UM,
AND THIS LEGISLATION IS URGENCY
LEGISLATION. UM WHICH IS
IMPORTANT TO THE REGION I
REPRESENT, AS IT INTENDS TO
SPEED UP CRITICAL A CRITICAL
$400 MILLION FLOOD RISK
MANAGEMENT PROJECT. IT'S A
PROJECT THAT SEEKS TO PROVIDE
100 YEAR FLOOD PROTECTION TO OUR
REGION, AND THIS IS A PROJECT
THAT'S LOCATED IN THE PASTORAL
VALLEY, WHICH IS NESTLED BETWEEN
THE COUNTIES OF MONTEREY AND
SANTA CRUZ. AND SPECIFICALLY,
THIS BILL PROPOSES TO GRANT THE
POMODORO RIVER FLOOD RISK
MANAGEMENT PROJECT. LAKE AND
STREAM BED ALTERATION
AGREEMENTS. WITH THE DEPARTMENT
OF FISH AND WILDLIFE. AS WELL AS
EXEMPTIONS FROM CERTAIN WATER
QUALITY PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS
. IT ALSO SEEKS TO GRANT THIS
PROJECT AND EXPEDITED SEQUA
PROCESS, WHICH IS LOOSELY BASED
ON PRECEDENT REGARDING DAM
REMOVAL ALONG THE CLIMATE RIVER.
UM IN BOTH CASES, RECOGNITION OF
THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF
THE PROJECTS JUSTIFIED A LESS
EXTENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
SO THAT WORK COULD BEGIN SOONER
AND FASTER. IT SHOULD BE NOTED
THAT THIS PROJECT WILL ONLY
RECEIVE THESE EXEMPTIONS IF IT
MEETS THE HIGHEST ENVIRONMENTAL
STANDARDS. WE HAVE INCORPORATED
EXTENSIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY AND FROM
THE SENATE, NATURAL AND
RESOURCES, WATER. UM THE
COMMITTEE. IN FACT, THIS PROJECT
IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN
SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL AH! AH
SOME BENEFITS. YOU KNOW, AS I
MENTIONED THIS IS IMPORTANT
LEGISLATION FOR THE FOR OUR
DISTRICT. BECAUSE THESE
COMMUNITIES IN THE PARK VALLEY
OF THE TOWN OF PATROL THE CITY
OF WATSON, VILLAR, SOME OF THE
MOST DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES
IN OUR STATE. AND RECEIVE SOME
OF THE LOWEST LEVELS OF FLOOD
PROTECTION IN CALIFORNIA. WE
KNOW THIS BECAUSE IN THE EARLY
19 SIXTIES, A REPORT BY THE U. S
ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
CONCLUDED THAT THE PAROLE RIVER
LEVEE SYSTEM WHICH WAS BUILT IN
THE 1949. WAS INADEQUATE AND
ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN
CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION TO
RECONSTRUCT THIS LEVEE SYSTEM.
UNFORTUNATELY THAT
RECONSTRUCTION NEVER OCCURRED.
AND, AS REPORTED BY THE L A
TIMES JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO.
FEDERAL STATE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAD KNOWN
FOR DECADES THAT THE POWER OH
RIVER LEVEE SYSTEM WAS
VULNERABLE TO COLLAPSE. WHICH
REPRESENTED A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC
SAFETY RISK TO RESIDENTS OF OUR
REGION. BUT THEY NEVER
PRIORITIZED LEVEE SYSTEM REPAIRS
, IN PART BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED
IT DID NOT MAKE FINANCIAL SENSE.
TO PROTECT THIS LOW INCOME AREA.
THE RESULT, AS WE ALL KNOW IS
THAT SEVERAL MAJOR FLOODS HAVE
DEVASTATED THESE COMMUNITIES
OVER THE YEARS, INCLUDING THIS
PAST SPRING, WHEN HUNDREDS OF
HOMES AND BUSINESSES WERE
DESTROYED. THAT RECOVERY. OUR
RECOVERY IS STILL ONGOING.
HUNDREDS OF LOCAL FARM WORKERS
HAVE BEEN LEFT UNEMPLOYED AS A
RESULT OF THIS DESTRUCTION AND
AGRICULTURAL FIELDS AND
SURROUNDING AREAS. SENATOR LAIRD
HAS ALREADY PASSED LEGISLATION
WHICH WE WORKED ON TOGETHER.
REGARDING THE GOVERNING OF THE
STATE'S SHARE OF PROJECT COSTS.
BUT NOW WE NEED TO SPEED UP THE
TIMELINE FOR THIS PROJECT
COMPLETION. IF I HAVEN'T
MENTIONED IT, THIS LEVEE UPGRADE
IS PROJECTED TO PROVIDE 100 YEAR
FLOOD PROTECTION TO OUR REGION.
WITH ME HERE TO TESTIFY AND
SUPPORT IS JACKSON GUANACO ON
BEHALF OF THE PASTORAL, REGIONAL
FLOOD MANAGEMENT AGENCY. THANK
YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, MR
SPEAKER, MADAM CHAIR MEMBERS,
JACK WALKER WITH IGUACU GROUP ON
BEHALF OF THE OHIO RIVER FLOOD
MANAGEMENT AGENCY. THE SPEAKER
KNOWS HIS DISTRICT WELL, KNOWS
THE PROJECT VERY WELL, JUST
SIMPLY LIKE TO ADD THAT THE
CURRENT SITUATION WITH THE
LEVEES AS THE THAT COMMUNITIES,
THOSE COMMUNITIES ARE ONLY
AFFORDED 5 TO 7, YOUR FLOOD
PROTECTION. SO MOVING THIS
PROJECT ALONG QUICKLY. IT'S
ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. THE
LEGISLATURE HAS ENDORSED THIS
PROJECT AT LEAST TWICE OVER THE
LAST COUPLE OF SESSIONS, SO YOU
CLEARLY RECOGNIZED THE
IMPORTANCE TO THE COMMUNITY. AND
I DO ALSO WANT TO THANK YOUR
STAFF FOR WORKING WITH US TO
MAKE SURE THERE'S A PROPER
BALANCE BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AND ADVANCING THE
PROJECT IN AN EXPEDITED HUESO.
WHAT, THAT I RESPECTFULLY ASK
FOR YOUR VOTE. THANK YOU. ARE
THERE ANY ADDITIONAL WITNESSES
AND SUPPORT.
WE'LL TRY THAT. THERE WE GO.
GAIL DELAHUNT WITH WESTERN
GARAGE ASSOCIATION IN STRONG
SUPPORT. THANK YOU, MADAM
CHAIRMAN OF MEMBERS MATT CREMINS
ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA
NEVADA CONFERENCE OF OPERATING
ENGINEERS IN SUPPORT. MICHAEL
JARED, ON BEHALF OF THE
COMMUNITY ALLIANCE WITH FAMILY
FARMERS AND THE NATURE
CONSERVANCY AND SUPPORTED THIS
BILL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ARE
THERE ANY WITNESSES IN
OPPOSITION? I SEE. NONE WILL
BRING A WE HAVE A MOTION AND A
SECOND ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S AT US. I JUST
WANT TO THANK THE SPEAKER FOR
BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I VISITED
PALMYRA AS YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF
TIMES AND THE DEVASTATION THAT I
SAW THERE TO RESIDENTS TO
BUSINESSES TO AGRICULTURAL LANDS
AND TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU
MENTIONED. WAS NOTHING LIKE I'VE
EVER SEEN BEFORE, UM, AND TO BE
CAUSED BY, UH GOVERNMENT THAT
JUST DIDN'T DO HIS JOB ADDED
INSULT TO INJURY, AND WHEN I WAS
THERE, ONE RESIDENT SAID TO ME,
SHE SAID. DON'T COME HERE JUST
TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING, LIKE,
DON'T COME HERE. IF YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT
THIS, AND SO I'M JUST SO
APPRECIATIVE THAT AS A BODY,
WE'RE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS
AND I JUST I WILL ALSO ADD.
BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH. THERE
WAS THIS FEELING ON THE GROUND
OF JUST CROSSING FINGERS THAT
THAT LEVEE WOULDN'T BREAK AND I
CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I
HEARD. WE JUST HOPE THIS LEVY
DOESN'T BREAK BEFORE MORE RAIN
COMES AND THEN IT DID, AND SO TO
NOW BE IN A POSITION TO SPEED
THINGS ALONG. UM AND NEVER BE IN
THAT SITUATION AGAIN. I JUST
WANT TO SAY A PERSONAL THANK YOU
FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I
APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS, BUT IT
SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WE ARE
STILL CROSSING OUR FINGERS
HOPING BECAUSE WE DO ANTICIPATE
IN EL NINO YEAR, AND SO THAT'S
WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT THAT
YOU KNOW THE CONSTRUCTION WON'T
BEGIN FOR ANOTHER YEAR OR SO. UM
AND WITH THAT IT'S YOU KNOW, YOU
KNOW, IT'S EXPECTED TO SHAVE OFF
ABOUT 4 TO 5 YEARS FROM THE
TOTAL PROJECT COMPLETION, BUT WE
STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO. THANK
YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
SEE NONE. UM AND I WOULD LIKE TO
THANK MR SPEAKER FOR BRINGING
THIS LEGISLATION INTRODUCING
THIS LEGISLATION ON BEHALF OF
HIS COMMUNITY, UH, YOU KNOW,
THIS IS A VERY VULNERABLE
COMMUNITY THAT OFTEN GETS
IGNORED. UM AND SO, THANKS TO
YOU, YOU KNOW, THIS PROJECT WILL
BE ABLE TO GET EXPEDITED. SO
THANK YOU. ABOUT WE HAVE A
MOTION AND A SECOND AND THE
MOTION IS THAT THE SENATE
AMENDMENTS BE CONCURRED IN
SECRETARY, PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL.
THREE OF US SAYIGH FLORA FLORA.
I AT US AT US I FRIEDMAN
FRIEDMAN HIGH HOOVER. HOOVER I
MATHIS MOUTH IS I MURDERED SUKI
. SUKI. I PELLERIN, HELENA AND I
WARD WARD. I WOULD WOULD I
ZABAR. GOOD NIGHT FOR I 11 TO 0.
11 0. THAT BILL IS OUT. AND THIS
MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.
YEAH, YEAH.