Barbara Boxer: “I am pleased today that the Senate is passing legislation to authorize the Secretary of the Interior and other Federal…”

“I am pleased today that the Senate is passing legislation to authorize the Secretary of the Interior and other Federal agency heads to participate in the implementation of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program. For decades, water allocation in California was conducted through endless appeals, lawsuits, and divisive ballot initiatives. Such battles were painful and they prevented us from finding real solutions to our state's very real water problems. In 1994, a new state-federal partnership program called CALFED promised a better way. Through a plan to provide reliable, clean water to farms, businesses, and millions of Californians while at the same time restoring our fish, wildlife and environment, CALFED was committed to identifying a solution that all water users could share. Over the years, what has made CALFED work is that it employs a consensus approach that balances the needs of the various interests competing for California's scarce water resources. This balance is most clearly articulated in the Record of Decision (ROD) that was agreed to on August 28, 2000 by the Federal Government and the State of California.”