Delta Stewardship Council Adopts Interim Plan
Document will guide the Council's actions through the development and adoption of the Final Delta Plan 16 months from now
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Delta Stewardship Council today (Aug. 27) adopted an Interim Plan that is the first of two primary documents required by statute to guide state and local agency planning and management efforts in the Delta.
"A well-structured, usable Interim Plan will prove an effective framework with which the Council can consistently assess important issues until the Delta Plan is adopted on January 1, 2012," said Council Chair Phil Isenberg. "Adopting the Interim Plan is an important start and illustrates how we will approach the coequal goals of providing California with a reliable water supply and protecting and restoring and enhancing the Delta ecosystem."
As part of last November's comprehensive water package (SBX7 1), the State Legislature directed the Council to adopt an Interim Plan "...that includes recommendations for early actions, projects, and programs" (Section 85084). Although no legislative deadline was given, the Council had set its August meeting as the date for its adoption.
The Interim Plan is intended to have three uses. First, it is the primary framework for the Council until the Delta Plan is adopted and implementation begins. Second, it will inform and assist the Council with its responsibilities in relation to other agencies, as required in the Delta reform Act and other statutes. Third, it provides linkage to the Delta Plan by establishing legal authority, work processes and procedures, and ways to build effective relationships. Because the Interim Plan is not a regulatory document, it does not require environmental review.
In addition, the Interim Plan outlines processes the Council could use to develop its recommendations for early actions, projects, and programs in the fourth quarter of 2010. The final recommendations will subsequently be added to the Interim Plan.
The Interim Plan underwent extensive public review and three drafts since it was first discussed at the Council's April 2010 meeting. The Council considered hundreds of comments and information it learned from various workgroups, discussions with stakeholders and expert advice to meet this significant milestone. Some comments received at the meeting will be incorporated in the final plan and a list of these will be posted on the Council's website by 5 p.m. Monday (Aug. 30).
Created as an independent state agency in February 2010, the Council first met in April and holds two-day meetings on the fourth Thursday and Friday of each month. The final draft Interim Plan, along with earlier drafts and all public comments can be found on the Council's website at www.deltacouncil.ca.gov.
SOURCE Delta Stewardship Council
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