H. E. l: I . GAVIN NEWSOM GOVERNOR The Honorable Muratsuchi Chair, Assembly Natural Resources Committee IOZO Street. Room 164 Sacramento, CA 95814 27 August 20l8 RE: 38-120 (Roth) Water conveyance: use of facility with unused capacity Dear Muratsuchi, lam writing to express my support for (Roth), which would require desert water transfers to be reviewed by the State Lands Commission and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. This interagency review would consider the project?s impacts to natural and cultural resources on public lands in the desert, thus providing the state with an important backstop of stewardship and responsible management of desert lands and resources. California's deserts and the natural and cultural resources contained therein are an important part of the state?s heritage, and provide unique scenic, archaeological, wildlife, scientific, educational, and recreational resources to residents and visitors- The value of California?s deserts has been affirmed through the designation of preserves, such as Mojave Trails National Tree National Park, and the Clipper Mountain Wilderness. Preserving the environmental and cultural values of desert lands need not inhibit responsible use: the interagency coordination and stakeholder consultation in the development of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan is an outstanding example of collaborative planning to responsibly manage the desert?s natural, cultural, and energy resources. This deliberative, science? and stakeholdersdriven process was essential to ensure the best available information would guide decisions to avoid adverse impacts of energy development to highly sensitive desert ecosystems. This intensive process also helped state agencies, including the State Lands Commission and Department of Fish and Wildlife, develop institutional knowledge of desert resources and stakeholder interests. The wildlife inhabiting California?s deserts are highly specialized to this ecosystem?s unique and challenging conditions, so any harm to habitat or resources would imperil the survival of these treasured species, including bighorn sheep and the desert tortoise. Loss of these species would erode the value of our deserts for wildlife viewing and recreation, and would be especially consequential to the cultural values of the desert held by native peeples who have been displaced from these ancestral homelands. El?lf C'?tl?iFDl, 95814 PHONE 19l6} 445-8994 LTE: .1: ij O?v? This vulnerability. of desert ecosystems and hi g-h social and eultura] vai'ue 'assigued to their stability and persistenee requires additional 'cauti'onin decision-making'relat'i'ng to resources development. Of particular importance is water extractiom as. desert ecosystems are heavily reliant on this searee' resource. 513?120. (Roth) would add additional review to desert water projects to ensure these projects have no adverse impacts to desert ecosystems. This review' would also provide additional opportunities for stakeholders to participate in the deeision~ maiting process: which wtiuld ensure develtipment'iof desert. i?esoui'cesr'etlects the needs and values of those who teiy on or otherwise value desert ecosystems. Under this bill, reviews would be. conducted by the State Lands Commission and Department of Fish and. Wildiife. The State Lands Commission is. charged with overseeing the. responsible development of state [and .re'sourees in the desert,- and thus has the expertise and institutional capacityto eonsider the merits of a proposed project and its potential impacts to valued desert uses and resoure'es'.Ti1e Department of Fish and Wildlife is similarly equipped to review desert water projectstor their impaets to. desert wildlife and. eeosystemsr These agencies would provide balanced{seienceshased decisions. that alsoaecount for regional needs anti-stakeholder input, and are thus best suited to review desert water projects. For the reasons stated above, I am advocating for support of would add an additionallaver of seientific'and public ser?uriny. over desert-water projects that have high potential to cause irreparabie harm toiC'aliiornia?s valued desert ecosystems. Si'ncereiy9,115,; Lieuten ant Governor State 'ot'Cali'fornia cc: The Honorable Richard Roth, California Senate The Honorable AnthonyuRendon, Speaker, California State Assembly Th?e'Honorable Toni Pro Tempore, California State Senate