Wild and Scenic Victory in Assembly Committee

photo by Gudrun Kleist

Key Assembly Committee Approves South Yuba Wild & Scenic River Bill

The Assembly Natural Resources Committee voted 6-3 today (6/28/99) in
support of SB 496, a bill that would add 39 miles of
the South Yuba River to the California Wild & Scenic Rivers System.

The Nevada County Board of Supervisors and the South Yuba River Citizens
League testified in support of SB 496. The
Northern California Water Agency and the Yuba County Water Agency
opposed the bill. No new issues were raised at the
hearing, which focused on the threat of proposed dams to the South Yuba
River and Nevada Countyıs tourism-based economy,
and specious arguments by opponents that Wild & Scenic designation would
foreclose on flood management options needed by
downstream Yuba County.

The vote was along party lines, with the Democrats voting for the bill
and the Republicans opposing it. "Aye" votes
included the committee chair, Howard Wayne, as well as Assemblymembers
Carole Migden (a SB 496 co-author), Darrel
Steinberg, Alan Lowenthal, Hanna Beth Jackson, and Fred Keeley.
Steinberg was recently appointed to the committee to
replace Elaine Alquist (D).

Although he left before the vote actually occurred, Assemblymember Mike
Machado (D) indicated his support for the bill by
stating his belief that SB 496 does not conflict with Yuba Countyıs
flood management needs.

Perhaps one of the most cogent statements at the hearing was made by
Assemblymember Darrel Steinberg, who noted the
similarity between the South Yuba Wild & Scenic River controversy with
the ongoing debate over the Auburn dam and
Sacramento area flood control issues. Steinberg stated that flood
control proponents often focus exclusively on
environmentally destructive dams as a solution to flood problems, to the
detriment of reaching more realistic flood
protection alternatives such as levee improvements.

Tempers flared torwards the end of the hearing when Assemblymember Sam
Aanestad (R) heatedly interrupted SB 496ıs author,
Senator Byron Sher (D) during Sherıs rebuttal to opposing testimony.
Fellow Democrat Migden came to Sherıs defense,
stating that Aanestad was out of order and should be removed from the
hearing. Committee Chair Wayne had to gavel both
Aanestad and Migden to bring the hearing to order.

The bill now goes to the Assembly Appropriations Committee (chaired by
Migden), which must pass the bill by August 27.

What You Can Do:

If one of the Natural Resources Committee members who voted for SB 496
is your Assemblymember, please write to them and
thank them for supporting the bill.

Some key Appropriations Committee members who may need to hear from
their constituents in support of SB 496 included Gil
Cedillo (D-Los Angeles), Susan Davis (D-San Diego), Robert Hertzberg
(D-Sherman Oaks), Lou Papan (D-Millbrae), Gloria
Romero (D-Los Angeles), Helen Thomson (D-Davis), Herb Wesson (D-Los
Angeles), and Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa).

If one of these potential key votes is your Assemblymember, please write
to them today at State Capitol, Sacramento, CA
95814 and urge them to support SB 496, the South Yuba Wild & Scenic
River bill. In your letter, note that the bill is
sponsored by the Nevada County Supervisors to protect the riverıs
outstanding scenic, recreation, and historical values.
Wild & Scenic designation will not foreclose on needed downstream flood
improvements proposed by the Army Corps of
Engineers, and is entirely consistent with the CALFED Bay-Delta
restoration project, and the California Water Plan, and the
Nevada County General Plan.

Even if your Assemblymember is not a member of the Appropriations
Committee, please write to them today and urge their
support of SB 496 when it reaches the Assembly floor.