Agencies seek public input on issues to be addressed in federal Bay-Delta work plan

WASHINGTON, DC, Nov. 17, 2009 -- On September 30, six federal agencies announced their intent to play a leadership role in ensuring a sustainable water supply and restoring the environmental integrity of the California Bay-Delta ecosystem. Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the Departments of Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and the Army, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Council on Environmental Quality, committed to developing a plan by December 15, 2009, that will lay out specific short-term federal goals and actions in this effort. Federal agencies are committed to developing this plan in a way that ensures open and ongoing communication with the diverse stakeholders in the region.

Toward this end, federal agencies seek public input on the key issues they should address within the short-term plan they are developing. In particular, the agencies seek comment on the appropriateness of the categories of actions laid out in the September 30 MOU. Input from the public and from interested stakeholders is critical to ensuring that federal actions are appropriately targeted to meet the near-term and longer term challenges facing the Bay-Delta.

Members of the public may submit comments on the following website: www.doi.gov/CAWaterComments

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