<p>Tom Nassif, President and CEO of Western Growers, issued a statement in response to a Bakersfield, CA press conference held by Speaker John Boehner and California Members of Congress House Majority Whip, Kevin McCarthy; Congressman David Valadao; and Congressman Devin Nunes; who have proposed legislation to address the ongoing and severe drought in California, according to a press release.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/hl_drought_jan_22_2014_body00.jpg" alt="Images 012214" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"The drought is doing great damage to farmers, farm workers and many other people who are part of the most productive agriculture state in the country. Federal regulatory decisions made last year in the Delta made this situation much worse, by failing to pump and store more than 800,000 acre feet of winter runoff. The federal agencies charged with implementing fish species protections in the Delta declined to use their available discretion to capture that water, instead letting it flow out to sea," explained Nassif.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The press conference announced proposed GOP legislation to handle the immediate drought situation, but it is clear that long-term remedies will ultimately be required to fix California's water situation.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"It is time for Congress to act. We appreciate the efforts of Speaker Boehner and Congressmen McCarthy, Nunes and Valadao to encourage action by both houses of Congress on this crisis. We believe bipartisan agreement is necessary and possible. There are very moderate and reasonable steps available, such as federal legislation giving the regulatory agencies clear direction to allow the state and federal water project pumps in the Delta to operate at higher levels than they have in recent years. We must capture water runoff when it is available and store it for the protection of our farms and communities."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Nassif echoed sentiments from today's State of the State Address by California Governor Jerry Brown, regarding the fact that California's drought situation was an issue of tremendous importance. "Right now, it is imperative that we do everything possible to mitigate the effects of the drought. I have convened an Interagency Drought Task Force and declared a State of Emergency," said Governor Brown.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Nassif also supports a plan by the California's Department of Water Resources, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), which would alter the California River Delta by creating a nature preserve as well as diverting drinking and agricultural water using two 40-ft diameter tunnels. This would protect the levee water system from potential earthquake damage, and is estimated to cost $25 billion.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">In the statement, Nassif also supported ideas like desalinization, water reuse projects, and Federal action to raise the existing Shasta Dam. Overall, the statement places a great deal of blame for the current water scarcity on the shoulders of state water regulators and Federal legislators.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"There is so much to be done, but there has been so little action in Congress so far. We hope that the Speaker’s engagement today marks a willingness by members of both parties and both houses of Congress to work toward bipartisan solutions to the water supply crisis that threatens thousands of America’s most productive farmers and thousands more whose livelihood is tied to their survival."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">What will be the ultimate outcome in the short term? Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to follow this story as it develops.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://wga.com/" target="_new"> Western Growers </a><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://gov.ca.gov/home.php" target="_new"> California Governor's State of the State Address </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
