From the Lost Coast Outpost:
The two broken dams on the Upper Eel River found a powerful champion this morning, after the United States Department of Agriculture filed a motion to intervene in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proceedings that would see them removed.
The department’s filings today follow Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’s letter to the editor published in the Mendocino Voice last week, in which Rollins told Potter Valley farming interests that they were “not alone in this righteous fight, which strikes at the very heart of our freedoms.” …
Though the department’s principal concern appears to be protecting farmers and ranchers, especially those in the Potter Valley region. But it also makes a number of arguments about the decommissioning plan’s effects on firefighting, recreational opportunities and reforestation.
Read the full story at the Lost Coast Outpost.
PRESS RELEASE: Secretary Rollins Intervenes to Protect Potter Valley’s Water Supply
From the US Department of Agriculture:
Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins filed a notice to intervene in the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project proceedings currently being considered by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). This action will allow USDA to ensure that the interests of the National Forest Service, local farmers, ranchers, agricultural producers, communities, and other stakeholders are represented.
“If this plan goes through as proposed, it will devastate hundreds of family farms and wipe out more than a century of agricultural tradition in Potter Valley,” said Secretary Rollins. “Water is the lifeblood of farming. Without it, crops fail, businesses close, and rural communities crumble. For generations, farmers here have put this water to good, productive use. But under California’s radical leadership, the needs of hardworking families are being ignored while the needs of fish are treated as more important. That’s simply wrong. This plan would put countless USDA investments at risk and leave families even more vulnerable to drought and wildfire. This is why I’m intervening in the FERC proceedings and urging them to reject the pending application.”
Secretary Rollins also filed comments urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reject Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) current application to surrender its FERC license for Potter Valley Project Hydroelectric Project. Secretary Rollins’ comments urge FERC to reject PG&E’s application unless significant deficiencies are addressed. Her notice of intervention guarantees USDA’s ability to actively participate in the proceedings, protect its programs, and advocate for the farmers and communities who depend on the project’s reliable water flows. You may read the full comments (PDF, 610 KB).
Background:
The Department has serious concerns with Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) current application to surrender its FERC license for Potter Valley Project Hydroelectric Project because of the profoundly negative and irreversible impact on local farmers, ranchers, agricultural producers, communities, and USDA equities. USDA maintains a large number of programs across different mission areas that will be negatively impacted; namely, the National Forest System (NFS), the Risk Management Agency, the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Rural Development, and the Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS).
For perspective, according to the last census of agriculture the counties of Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Humboldt, and Marin have a combined total of over $1.4 billion in sales of agricultural products. That’s well over $4.2 billion in extra economic activity due to agriculture if you assume a standard multiplier of $3 to $1 which is standard in the nearby Central Valley.
Recently the Secretary received a letter (PDF, 1.9 MB) from over 920 residents with grave concerns about the proposed surrender and decommissioning plan for the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project.
The Secretary also penned an op-ed, highlighting concerns.
