North Coast economic woes will hurt fish programs
In a press release from Lisa renton of the Sonoma County Water Agency:
(Eureka, CA) — In order to protect the health, economy and water supply of the North
Coast Region, North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) leaders
are seeking payment of $3.2 million in outstanding invoices from the State for water
supply, flood protection, and restoration projects. On December 17, 2008 the Pooled
Money Investment Board (PMIB) suspended work on over 5,000 bond-funded projects in
response to the State’s budget woes. In January, the PMIB approved a list of 276 projects,
including the North Coast IRWMP, to be exempted from the funding freeze due to their
critical nature. Following the successful $6.5 billion bond sales in late March 2009 the
PMIB approved payment of invoices for exempted projects. To date, the North Coast has
yet to receive any payments.
“The bond disbursement freeze will result in nothing short of an economic catastrophe for
local communities in the North Coast,” said Humboldt County Supervisor Jimmy Smith.
“We need payment for work completed and future work to continue projects that will
provide vital services to residents in North Coast communities, including drinking water
and water supply for irrigation.”
The North Coast IRWMP will take its plea for payment to the PMIB this Wednesday, May
20, 2009. The North Coast IRWMP provides funding for crucial projects in economically
disadvantaged communities. The amount owed to North Coast IRWMP sub-grantees
represents a significant fraction of many of our partner organization’s annual budgets.
Further delays have the potential to do irreparable harm to worthwhile projects, the North
Coast IRWM program and the North Coast economy.
See the next page for a table of projects impacted by the continued delay in payments:
