|
 Brown, joined in Sacramento by top Democratic state lawmakers,
told a news conference the money would provide food and housing aid
to those who have lost work because of the drought and expedite
funding to state and local water conservation and reuse projects.
The governor said he expected a bill containing the package to
quickly pass both chambers of the Democratic-controlled California
legislature and speed the money to drought-hit communities across
the parched state within a matter of weeks.
"Unlike a lot of problems we face here in Sacramento, this drought
is not caused by partisan gridlock or ideology, it's caused by
mother nature herself," Brown said. "This is serious. Today is a
call for action."
The measures, which also look to expand the recapture of storm
runoff and the use and distribution of recycled water, would be paid
for by voter-approved bonds and money transferred from other funds.
Even as much of the United States has been pummeled by a series of
snow storms, California is in the grip of a drought that threatens
to inflict the worst water crisis in recorded state history.
Drastic cutbacks in irrigation water could force farmers to idle
hundreds of thousands of acres of cropland in a record production
loss that industry officials say could cause billions of dollars in
damages.
California grows half the U.S. fruits and vegetables and is the top
state by value of agricultural goods produced. Large-scale crop
losses in the state could lead to higher consumer prices, especially
for tree and vine produce grown only there.
Brown has already urged Californians to reduce water consumption by
20 percent voluntarily, and irrigation districts and municipalities
up and down the most-populous U.S. state Are bracing for sharp cuts
in deliveries.
"DROP IN THE BUCKET"?
"It is good to see the Governor and legislative Democrats step up to
the plate with some funding for real needs, but their proposal is
just a drop in the bucket," Republican Assembly leader Connie Conway
and Frank Bigelow, Republican vice chair of the Assembly's Water,
Parks and Wildlife Committee, said in a joint statement.
[to top of second column] |
"It's clear that their approach won't make much of a dent in
addressing our current drought problem until next year at the
earliest, if then," they said. "More must be done to respond to the
many pleas from the families, farmers and small business owners who
are bearing the brunt of the extreme drought conditions plaguing our
state."
A spokesman for the Natural Resources Defense Council said Brown's
proposal showed a commitment to helping communities diversify their
water supplies in addition to providing emergency drinking water.
"It tackles the immediate challenges we are facing as well as those
will be ahead of us as California faces a drier future," said Steve
Fleischli, the group's water program director.
State officials have already launched a public awareness campaign,
using radio spots to encourage conservation. Other measures include
hiring more firefighters in the face of heightened wildfire risks.
But 10 communities are at acute risk of running out of drinking
water in 60 days, with the small city of Willits in the northern
part of the state facing the most drastic shortages, according to
public health officials.
Rural communities where residents rely on wells are at particular
risk because contaminants in groundwater become more concentrated
when less water is available to dilute them, officials said.
Last week, President Barack Obama announced nearly $200 million in
aid for California, including $60 million for food banks to help
workers in agriculture-related industries who have lost their jobs.
(Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis and Dan Whitcomb in Los
Angeles; writing by Dan Whitcomb; editing by Cynthia Johnston,
Matthew Lewis, Lisa Shumaker and Mohammad Zargham)
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