September 16, 2005

Senator Feinstein and Congressman Radanovich Commended for Efforts to Find Common Ground in Water Dispute

(Fresno, California): Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman George Radanovich are to be commended for their efforts to find consensus in the long-running dispute between Friant Water Users Authority (FWUA) and the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC). Litigation focusing on restoring portions of the San Joaquin River with water from Friant Dam, which communities both large and small from Merced to Kern county have relied upon for more than a half century, is at the heart of the dispute.

“We applaud the leadership of Senator Feinstein and Congressman Radanovich, as well as the entire Central Valley Congressional delegation, for recognizing the importance of the issue to the region. It is only through the collective efforts of our local, state, and federal representatives that consensus can be reached, allowing our communities to move forward with a secure and reliable water supply, benefiting all of our business, municipal, agriculture and resource interests”, said Dale Brogan, secretary/treasurer of the Valley Water Alliance (VWA). “Those within the Friant water community have attempted to work with the NRDC to reach consensus about how we can re-water the San Joaquin River while insuring a reliable and affordable water supply for our region now and in the future to no avail. We hope the efforts of Senator Feinstein and Congressman Radanovich will reach a different conclusion.”

The radical shifts in water supply currently advocated by the NRDC would dramatically impact the economy of the Central Valley. Restoration of a fishery on the San Joaquin River is an admirable goal, but it cannot be accomplished by taking water from the people that live and work in our communities.

“We look forward to participating in the discussions led by Senator Feinstein and Congressman Radanovich and appreciate their commitment to bringing everyone to the table to find a viable resolution to the conflict at hand,” Brogan continued. “They know the region and they know the issue, if anyone can get the job done it will be Senator Feinstein, Congressman Radanovich and our current Central Valley delegation who recognize the value of working together across party lines.”

A non-profit organization, the VWA board of directors is committed to making sure the economic impacts of any restoration strategy are taken into consideration. The board of directors includes elected officials, business owners, and labor interests from Merced to Kern Counties who recognize our water is our future. A partial list of board members include representatives from each board of supervisors from the counties of Kern, Tulare, Fresno, Madera, and Merced, Mayor of Fresno Alan Autry, Mayor of Lindsay Ed Murray, Mayor of Orange Cove Victor Lopez, Councilman David Couch from City of Bakersfield, Richard Kuckenbecker of Kuckenbecker Farm Equipment, Randy Ghan from the Fresno-Kings Counties Central Labor Council, Larry Mapes of Farm Credit West, Bob Keenan of Building Industry Assoc. of Tulare/Kings, Chuck Waite from the Central Labor Council of Kern-Inyo-Mono Counties, Tim Razzari of Razzari Ford, Fred Ruiz of Ruiz Foods, Lionel Pires of TF Tires & Service and Robert Silva of Silva Ford.