Two Wolk bills pass Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee

Unanimous support for statewide invasive species plan and extension of California Bay-Delta Authority

• AB 577 would require the Secretary for Food and Agriculture and the Secretary of the Resources Agency to develop a statewide plan for management and control of all invasive species by January 1, 2007.

  Last year, Wolk authored AB 2631 to create an Interagency Invasive Species Council. Although that bill was vetoed, the Governor directed the Secretaries of Food and Agriculture and Resources to "review existing invasive species prevention and eradication efforts, identify opportunities for federal funding, and make recommendations to [the Governor] on ways to enhance cooperation and effectiveness by December 31, 2004. No such review or recommendation has yet been made.

• AB 1244 extends the life of the California Bay-Delta Authority to ensure continued coordination and leadership for the multi-agency CALFED Bay-Delta Program, which has proven to be a valuable asset in protecting one of the State's most diverse and valuable natural resources – the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Three years ago, the Legislature created a governance structure for the Bay-Delta Authority ahead of our federal partners. This bill seeks to conform state and federal law in the light of a six-year federal reauthorization of the CALFED program enacted last year.

“AB 577 addresses the need in California to assess all types of invasive species in the state, to evaluate the economic impact of invaders, and to coordinate efforts and conduct long-term planning for their control or eradication,” said Wolk. “Successfully combating and minimizing non-native species invasions in California will support the health of our natural and human systems, as well as our economy.”

“AB 1244 would ensure the California Bay-Delta Authority’s continued leadership in strengthening relationships and fosters dialogue, instead of litigation among all Delta players,” said Wolk. “The Authority is a unique federal-state collaborative effort that brings together two dozen, or more, state and federal agencies that have responsibility for managing the resources in the Delta, which is the most valuable estuary ecosystem on the West Coast of the Americas – and the heart of our State's water system.”

Both bills passed with a 12-0 vote. AB 577, next be heard in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, is supported by the Western Municipal Water District, the Association of California Water Agencies, the California Invasive Plant Council, the Regional Council of Rural Counties, the San Francisco Bay Region Regional Water Quality Control Board, The Nature Conservancy, the California State Parks Foundation, and Western Growers. AB 1244, next to be heard in The Assembly Committee on Governmental Organization, is supported by its sponsor, the California Bay-Delta Authority.