With California’s largest wildfire of the year so far burning in Siskiyou County, and drought conditions upping enforcement of water restrictions throughout the state, questions persist about why generous water storage plans and fire prevention policies haven’t come to fruition in Sacramento.
Almost a decade ago, voters approved Proposition 1, authorizing $7 billion in bonds to fund critical water quality, storage and infrastructure repair projects that still haven’t materialized; stymied in part by lawsuits over environmental impact and more and more regulatory hurdles.
But the longer the wait, the more environmentally vulnerable California becomes, State Sen. Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, who is challenging Gavin Newsom in the governor’s race, told the Northern California Record.
“We're in this cycle of constant emergency, and we don't have to be there,” Dahle said. “There are opportunities for places to put water storage in the Sierras, they’re smaller projects but they are available, we just have to get them permitted.”
The recent Metropolitan Water District’s approval of Sites Reservoir funding could also mean progress on the Sacramento Valley project, which has bipartisan support. Still, pushback from environmental groups is sure to heighten, and Newsom appears more interested in leaving California, like the millions who’ve already moved.
Dahle calls his campaign My Commitment to California, and he noted that California’s burning forests are causing carbon emissions similar to the state’s vehicle emissions.
Dahle said his platform is shaped by economic realities and supporting landscape sustainability; his family has farmed here for generations. One of voters’ overall concerns with Gov. Newsom is what’s been described as elitism and failure to genuinely address the facts facing Californians as prices continue to rise here.
And essentially none of Newsom’s fire prevention plans have been implemented, CapRadio reported.
“There's a record amount of money in Sacramento but it doesn't seem to be fixing the problems; they are spending money everywhere, but we're not seeing results,” Dahle said.
As the Legislative Analyst’s Office stated on fire prevention in the 2022-23 budget, “[W]e note that in many cases, departments are still implementing the funding from the prior wildfire and forest resilience packages and that information on the outcomes from those funds is limited.”
The budget money should be going toward better management of forest lands around reservoirs, stopping pollution and reducing dry vegetation that fuels fires, Dahle said.
“Thinning our forests – not clear cutting it – would allow the snow to actually get to the ground so that it doesn't evaporate off the limbs of trees,” Dahle said. “Opening up like it was before we let too much brush grow means we’re able to capture that water – it will be stored in aquifers and in our meadows and that will produce more water as well.”
While many reservoirs were built for flood control, Dahle noted those can also be repurposed and used for water storage.
“And instead of letting all that water out for flood control – manage them differently – so when we have these winters where we don't get nearly enough water, we’d be saving that water for use in the future.”
In Proposition 1, voters approved $2.7 billion to be allocated for water storage projects.
Supermajority rule by Democrats hasn’t produced results for California’s residents, Dahle said, with ongoing wildfires, rising crime, and record-setting inflation continuing to impact quality of life here.
“I just ask the voters of California – do you think you're going to be better off or not four years from now – do you think things are going to change for the better?
“We cannot continue on this pathway – and I want to bring balance back to Sacramento, and work across party lines to make Californians be able to afford to live in California," Dahle said.