Frustrated by the delaying tactics of the Bureau of Reclamation and United Water Conservation District, CalTrout said today it intends to file suit to force the Bureau and United to comply with the terms of the biological opinion released by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Too complicated for you?
Here it is in Reader’s Digest form: though damned few SoCall Steelheed remain (numbers like 500 keep getting tossed about), the people who are supposed to be doing something about it… aren’t <shocked gasp>:
Saticoy, Calif. – Conservation and advocacy group California Trout today filed a 60-Day Notice of Intent to Sue (NOI) United Water Conservation District (United) and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau) for violations of the Endangered Species Act. The NOI asserts that United and the Bureau are causing ongoing harm, harassment and death to the endangered Southern California steelhead at the Vern Freeman Diversion Dam.
It follows the July release of a Biological Opinion by the National Marine Fisheries Service that outlines the ways that the Freeman Diversion jeopardizes steelhead and the remedies to ensure the species’ survival. The NOI focuses on the lack of action by United and the Bureau of Reclamation to implement the actions specified in the opinion for protection of the steelhead.
“It is never our first choice to file a law suit,” said Nica K. Knite, Southern California Regional Manager for California Trout. “But our first concern is for the few remaining Southern California steelhead, and both United and the Bureau seem committed to business as usual at Vern Freeman without regard to the NMFS findings and no matter what the cost to the fish.”
See you in court, Tom Chandler.
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