A new federal program will clear the way for more water to be delivered to the state of California's agriculture industry, overruling environmental safeguards that protected fish.
Lauren Sommer reports: "The Trump administration has announced a plan to divert water to California farmers, fulfilling a campaign promise by the president, but contradicting federal biologists who found the plan would drive endangered salmon closer to extinction and could harm other fish."
The backstory for decision includes a history of the Trump administration overruling scientists on the federal payroll. When "analysis completed by NOAA Fisheries biologists in July found the administration's proposed plan jeopardized the future of endangered fish," the Trump administration removed those biologists and developed this new approach, which focuses more on real-time analysis.
"The administration's latest plan creates new hatcheries to breed fish, and relies on real-time monitoring to track the location of threatened fish. They plan to slow pumping when the fish are nearby," explains Sommer.
The announcement of the new program is set against the backdrop of questions about conflicts of interest in the Department of the Interior—Interior Secretary David Bernhardt has made decisions benefitting his former employer, the Westlands Water District.
FULL STORY: Trump Plan Weakens Protections For California Fish, Diverts Water To Farms
Trump Administration's New CA Water Plan Chooses Farmers Over Fish
A plan to divert water to farmers in California, released at the end of October, would allow for the annihilation of winter-run Chinook Salmon.
Why Are the Feds Suddenly in Favor of Raising the Shasta Dam?
Despite state opposition and potential violations of California law, the Trump Administration has revived a project that was deemed impracticable only a few years ago.
Panel Opposes Delisting Grey Wolves
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to take the grey wolf off the Endangered Species list across most of the continental U.S. but a key panel determined their decision was based on questionable science that dealt with species identification.
The California High-Speed Rail Project Illustrates America’s Transit Issues
Slow progress and a bloated budget have plagued the High-Speed Rail project linking San Francisco to Los Angeles, exposing deeper issues with American transit projects.
New White House Housing Initiative Includes Zoning Reform Incentives
The Biden administration this morning released a new program of actions intended to spur housing construction around the United States.
What Role Does Health Care Play in Community Development?
Cities are economically diverse and require accessible health care systems, but this can be challenging to implement. Urban developers are working alongside health professionals to create affordable care for city residents.
Highlights From the National Shared Mobility Summit
Mobility leaders from around the country met to discuss multimodal transportation, equity, and accessibility.
Opinion: Ohio Needs Public Transit
A new Intel facility is set to bring thousands of workers to rural Ohio. Will the state embrace mass transit or give in to auto-centric sprawl?
New York Affordable Housing Program Set To Expire
A program that has supported the construction of thousands of affordable units could lapse if state lawmakers don’t approve an extension or revision.
County of Napa
Clarion Associates
Urban Planning Partners
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
