As you may have read in the press, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein this week released her much-anticipated drought bill, which seeks to strike a balance between environmental interests and those of agriculture and communities seeking more reliable flows. Audubon California has weighed in several times as this legislation was being developed, and our focus has been to maintain adequate water for Central Valley refuges which provide habitat for millions of birds each year, continued support for the San Joaquin River restoration, and no change in bedrock environmental protection laws.

We're still looking through the bill, but overall we are grateful for Sen. Feinstein's leadership and hard work on this issue over the past several years. We also greatly appreciate that she has accepted nearly all of the input from the wildlife refuge community on portions of the bill that affect refuges. However, we share the concerns raised by the State of California and advocates for healthy fish populations that portions of the bill will affect management of the Delta system to increase exports while putting endangered fish populations at greater risk. We look forward to continuing to work with the Senator, her staff, and other members of the Senate and House, to complete a bill that provides drought relief for Californians without further threatening our state’s biodiversity.