Delta Stewardship Council Staff Gathers Valuable Input

SACRAMENTO, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- In the ongoing effort to communicate with a wide range of organizations, agencies and citizens in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and around the state, the Delta Stewardship Council staff held its third workgroup meeting today in Sacramento.

This workgroup meeting focused on the council's communication methods with the public and other interested parties. The effort will aid the council with its goal of creating an effective two-way dialogue that will assist this new state agency in informing Californians about the development of the Delta Plan. The Delta Plan will guide all state, regional and local projects in the Delta.

Council staff gathered suggestions, comments, ideas and questions from many different audiences including representatives from the fishing industry, recreational fishermen, environmental groups, municipal utilities, farmers and water districts representing a variety of interested Californians.

The feedback that attendees of the workgroup provided will be useful to the Council according to Keith Coolidge, interim acting chief deputy executive officer for the Council.

"We like to see this amount of diversity represented at these meetings," Coolidge said. "These are smart, experienced people who realize the importance of the Delta and how critical it is to receive everyone's best thinking. These folks are taking the opportunity to open up a two-way dialogue and we need that."

While this is the last of the workgroup meetings, the Council wants to remind everyone that it's not too late to get involved and encourages more participation.

"The last thing we want is for anyone to say, 'I didn't get a chance to be heard,'" added Coolidge. "Now is the time for us to hear from all interested parties."

The Council has also released a survey - www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZFRFMYK - to hear from a variety of Californians about how to best communicate with them.

To learn more about the Council or to join the mailing list, please visit: www.deltacouncil.ca.gov.

SOURCE Delta Stewardship Council