Wolk Delta Recreation Area and fish protection bills approved

SACRAMENTO–Two bills by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) to help restore Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta fisheries, and expand fishing and hunting opportunities in the Delta were both approved by the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee today.

Wolk’s Assembly Bill 2502, which passed on a 9-0 vote, establishes the Delta Ecological Restoration and Recreation Area in the northwest Delta that includes Liberty, Prospect and Little Holland Islands.  The bill seeks to bring state ownership to the three submerged islands that are now owned by two federal agencies and the Trust for Public Lands.  The bill seeks to bring together the local communities with duck hunters, anglers, boaters, and other recreation seekers in developing a plan to manage the islands for public benefit.
 
“This bill is an excellent opportunity to accomplish ecosystem restoration in the Delta while enhancing the local economy by creating greater opportunities for recreation such as hunting and fishing, and other outdoor activities,” said Wolk.  “These islands have been neglected and poorly managed, as was shown by the devastating fish kill that occurred on Prospect Island this past December.  It’s time for a new approach and someone to take charge.”

AB 2502 would provide uniform ownership and management of the islands under the State Department of Parks and Recreation. The bill also establishes funding for restoration and management through an endowment fund. 

Also heard in the committee was Wolk’s AB 1806 to require public land managers to prepare emergency fish rescue plans before undertaking a project that would have a significant adverse impact on fishery resources in the Delta.  Wolk introduced the bill, which passed on an 8-3 vote, in response to Prospect Island fish kill that took place last year after the Bureau of Reclamation drained water from the area for levee repairs, leaving thousands of striped bass and other fish to die while fishermen volunteers struggled to rescue fish. 

The bill also requires the State Water Board to enforce reasonable mitigation requirements for adverse impacts on Delta fisheries arising from operation of the large water export pumping facilities of the state and federal water projects.  AB 1806 highlights the need to address the fishery crisis in the Delta, a crisis further highlighted this week by the complete closure of the 2008 salmon fishing season in California by state and federal regulators.  Witnesses testified that 90 percent California’s total salmon production consists of fish that migrate through the Delta.