A draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan is scheduled to be released at the end of 2009.

by Erica Szlosek, External Affairs
For the past three weeks, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has joined the many state and federal agencies working on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) in a series of 12 public scoping meetings across the state. The BDCP is being prepared by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) as a Habitat Conservation Plan that will be submitted to Service and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as part of a permit application.  It will include alternatives for water conveyance, habitat restoration, and operating criteria and its goal is to resolve the long-term environmental needs of the Bay/Delta and to provide water south of the Delta. 

The permit is required because of the potential effects to federally-listed species, including delta smelt and salmon.

The public scoping meetings were held to gather ideas and thoughts about the plan and what issues should be considered during the agencies’ review. Meetings were held in locations as far north as Chico and as far south as San Diego.  Public comments can also be taken by mail until May 15, 2009 by sending them to: Ms. Delores Brown, Office of Environmental Compliance, DWR, P.O. Box 942836 Sacramento, Calif., 94236 or emailed to: BDCPcomments@water.ca.gov

A draft plan will be published by the end of 2009 and there will be an opportunity for people to provide additional comments at that time.