Berg seeks salmon disaster declaration
Assemblymember Patty Berg announced Friday that a bipartisan group of state legislators has sent a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asking that he declare this year¹s depleted salmon fishery a disaster.
"Your declaration of a disaster is the first step needed in pursuing a federal disaster declaration," the letter states.
Indicating that such a move might ultimately lead to federal relief programs for fishing men and women and the businesses that support them, the letter states that fishing fleets are facing "the most severe restrictions in recent history on the ocean salmon fisheries offshore California and Oregon" because of dramatically depleted stocks of salmon on the Klamath River.
Oregon's governor has already requested a federal declaration, according to the release.
Berg, who chairs the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture, stated her request was intended to leave ³no stone unturned² in response to the salmon shortage.
"There is no guarantee that we can get federal relief for these people," Berg said. "We know the odds may be long, but you have to try what you can to help the people you serve."
The letter is also signed by Republican Assembly members Tom Harman of Huntington Beach and Dave Cogdill of Modesto, as well as Democratic Assembly members Joe Canciamilla of Martinez, Lois Wolk of Davis, John Laird of Santa Cruz, Mark Leno of San Francisco and state Sen. Wes Chesbro of Arcata.
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