Delta Tribes and statewide organizations urge legislators to reject Governor Newsom’s Delta tunnel and Bay-Delta Plan trailer bills
Source: Maven’s Notebook
Author: Conservation organizations & coalitions
The Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC) and a coalition of statewide organizations dedicated to the equitable stewardship of California’s water resources sent letters to legislative leaders urging them to reject Governor Newsom’s proposed budget trailer bills, which would accelerate the Delta Conveyance Project (otherwise known as the Delta Tunnel) and eliminate critical environmental reviews for the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. The Governor’s proposal to fast-track the Delta Tunnel and circumvent legal protections is also facing unanimous opposition from the California Legislative Delta Caucus.
Governor Newsom’s trailer bill language seeks to bypass decades of established water laws, environmental protections, and public processes in order to fast-track one of California’s most controversial and costly infrastructure projects—The Delta Tunnel. The legislation also threatens water quality standards for the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary.
“We know there are solutions that will restore and protect our sacred waterways and allow our people to maintain our culture and traditions while providing sufficient water for Southern California,” said Malissa Tayaba, Vice Chair of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. “Instead of pursuing those solutions, Governor Newsom is pushing the Delta Conveyance Project, which would destroy the remaining life in our Delta watershed and eco-cultural estuary.”
In their letter, the Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC) —including the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Little Manila Rising and Restore the Delta—highlights the significant harm this project could inflict on the communities relying on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. They also argue that the Governor’s proposals fail to advance climate resilience and would financially burden California ratepayers, undermining the legislature’s focus on affordability this session.
“The proposed trailer bill is a blatant attempt to codify illegal provisions to advance the Delta Tunnel. It’s a misuse of the budget process—bypassing legal requirements and undermining the public processes that are fundamental to our democracy,” said Cintia Cortez, Policy Program Manager at Restore the Delta. “As it stands, the project is incomplete, violates multiple laws, and could not legally move forward otherwise. Restore the Delta remains committed to defending Delta communities in the face of these flagrant efforts.”
Tribes and organizations including the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Restore the Delta, Golden State Salmon Association, and Sierra Club California are also urging the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to approve an audit of the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) spending on the Delta Tunnel. The goal is to ensure full accountability for DWR’s expenditures of public funds and to hold the agency responsible for protecting California’s crucial Delta water resources and ecosystems.
