In 2014, Proposition 1, a water bond for $7.545 billion, was passed by the voters in California so that new reservoirs could be built to prevent future droughts. I might ask where is the action? Why isn’t it full speed ahead? Are we playing another shell game with taxpayer money? Is all the water being […]
Western pine beetles, native inhabitants of Sierra Nevada forests, typically go unnoticed. The grain-of-rice-sized insects live a quiet life, spent mostly beneath the bark of weak, diseased or injured trees. But the beetles of late have been causing an uproar. They have been decimating ponderosa pine trees throughout the central and southern Sierra, turning entire […]
The Fresno Bee editorial “Temperance Flat is linchpin of Valley’s water future” omitted critical facts about this project, including how much water it will reliably produce, who will actually benefit from that water, and how much it will really cost. The reality is that this dam will never produce as much water as promised and […]
Just before wrapping up the second session of the 114th Congress, the House and Senate approved the Farm Bureau-supported Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act (S.612). The measure includes the Water Resources Development Act of 2016, which authorizes investment in America’s ports, channels, locks, dams and other infrastructure that supports the maritime and […]
There are many reasons to be skeptical about a federal water bill that is sitting on President Barack Obama’s desk, but the biggest reason is this: We don’t trust a bunch of politicians to solve such a complex problem. Congress appears willing to sacrifice a few types of fish so that farmers can continue to […]
Urging her fellow lawmakers to pass a bill that would send more of California’s water to the arid farm fields of the San Joaquin Valley, Sen. Dianne Feinstein gave an impassioned speech Friday about the threat facing family farmers. “These water supplies are not for big corporate agriculture, as some would have you think,” said […]
OPINION: John G. Wetzler: Why Haven’t Any Dams Been Built With All That Prop 1 Money?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Modesto Beeby John G. WetzlerIn 2014, Proposition 1, a water bond for $7.545 billion, was passed by the voters in California so that new reservoirs could be built to prevent future droughts. I might ask where is the action? Why isn’t it full speed ahead? Are we playing another shell game with taxpayer money? Is all the water being […]
California: Why Tiny Insects Are Tearing Up Sierra Forests
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The San Jose Mercury Newsby Ula ChrobakWestern pine beetles, native inhabitants of Sierra Nevada forests, typically go unnoticed. The grain-of-rice-sized insects live a quiet life, spent mostly beneath the bark of weak, diseased or injured trees. But the beetles of late have been causing an uproar. They have been decimating ponderosa pine trees throughout the central and southern Sierra, turning entire […]
BLOG: Temperance Flat Distracts From Real Water Solutions
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Fresno Beeby Eric Wesselman and Anita LodgeThe Fresno Bee editorial “Temperance Flat is linchpin of Valley’s water future” omitted critical facts about this project, including how much water it will reliably produce, who will actually benefit from that water, and how much it will really cost. The reality is that this dam will never produce as much water as promised and […]
Waterways Infrastructure Bill Ready For President’s Signature
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee / American Farm Bureau Federation (Washington D.C.)Just before wrapping up the second session of the 114th Congress, the House and Senate approved the Farm Bureau-supported Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act (S.612). The measure includes the Water Resources Development Act of 2016, which authorizes investment in America’s ports, channels, locks, dams and other infrastructure that supports the maritime and […]
OPINION: Federal Water Bill Points To More Trouble
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Daily Democrat (Woodland)There are many reasons to be skeptical about a federal water bill that is sitting on President Barack Obama’s desk, but the biggest reason is this: We don’t trust a bunch of politicians to solve such a complex problem. Congress appears willing to sacrifice a few types of fish so that farmers can continue to […]
Fact Check: Feinstein Way Off the Mark When She Said ‘Tens of Thousands’ of California Farmers Going Bankrupt
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Ryan Sabalow and Dale KaslerUrging her fellow lawmakers to pass a bill that would send more of California’s water to the arid farm fields of the San Joaquin Valley, Sen. Dianne Feinstein gave an impassioned speech Friday about the threat facing family farmers. “These water supplies are not for big corporate agriculture, as some would have you think,” said […]