Natural Resources Policy Specialist Ric Costales reviewed
for the board its decision in April of 2009 to support the
efforts of the organizations River Exchange and Cal Trout in
pursuing the establishment of the Upper Sacramento
Integrated Water Management Region. At Tuesday’s meeting, he
explained that both groups had offered to apply for and
administer a grant to create an Upper Sacramento region IRWM.
In order to qualify for Proposition 84 grant funds, Costales
said, an IRWM must be completed. He explained that the funds
can go toward municipal and district projects related to
water sources.
According to Costales, one early issue has been
participation, with a recent meeting attended only by
representatives from Mount Shasta and the county. He
explained that the DWR requires a stakeholder group of three
or more local agencies with statutory authority over water.
Issues raised by the board at the meeting concerned the
governance structure for implementation of the IRWM, how the
county could opt out of participation and Cal Trout’s
involvement in the plan creation process.
Costales told the board that the governance structure, while
unknown at the present, would likely be crafted during the
planning process. He added that it is his understanding that
if the county were to have issues, it would have to work
through a facilitation process to have concerns addressed.
Supervisors Michael Kobseff and Jim Cook both took issue
with Cal Trout’s involvement, with Kobseff saying that the
group’s involvement was a “big red flag” for him.
To pay the 25 percent match for the grant, Costales said,
participating agencies and groups can provide “in-kind”
contributions, such as supplying individuals for working on
the IRWM. Rich Klug, biologist with Roseburg Forest
Products, stated at the meeting that he was wary of a
process in which interested parties might have to supply an
in-kind contribution that they could not afford. Cook told
him that the board would not support any “pay to play”
system for participation.
Chris Stromsness from the River Exchange and consultant Sari
Sommarstrom encouraged the board to support the River
Exchange’s effort to get the IRWM application underway.
Although the end of the discussion had the board questioning
whether or not it would approve of the groups’
participation, taken to a roll call vote, a motion to
support was passed three to two, with Kobseff and Board
Chair Marcia Armstrong voting no.
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