December 2001 Issues Online June 2007 April 2007 February 2007 December 2006 October 2006 August 2006 June 2006 April 2006 February 2006 December 2005 October 2005 August 2005 June 2005 April 2005 February 2005 December 2004 October 2004 August 2004 June 2004 April 2004 February 2004 December 2003 October 2003 August 2003 June 2003 April 2003 February 2003 December 2002 October 2002 August 2002 June 2002 April 2002 February 2002 December 2001 October 2001 August 2001 June 2001 April 2001 February 2001 December 2000 October 2000 August 2000 June 2000 April 2000 February 2000 December 1999 October 1999 August 1999 June 1999 April 1999 February 1999 December 1998 October 1998 August 1998 June 1998 April 1998 February 1998 December 1997 October 1997 August 1997 June 1997 April 1997 February 1997 December 1996 October 1996 August 1996 June 1996 April 1996 February 1996 December 1995 October 1995 August 1995 June 1995 April 1995 February 1995 December 1994 October 1994 August 1994 June 1994 April 1994 February 1994 December 1993 October 1993 August 1993 Select any issue from the menu in this bar.

Washington View: Jason Peltier

During his 12-year tenure as manager of the Central Valley Project Water Association, which represents users of CVP water, Jason Peltier earned a reputation in the California water community as a dogged advocate of agricultural water users. Last summer, after his wife was appointed Counselor to the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Peltier moved to Washington and took up an Interior Department post: Special Assistant to Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Bennett Raley. ESTUARY recently spoke with Peltier about his new job.

ESTUARY: So what exactly does your new position involve?

Jason Peltier: The Assistant Secretary is responsible for the U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Reclamation. My responsibilities include assisting Mr. Raley in dealing with completing construction of the Central Utah Project, and working on issues related to the Klamath and Colorado rivers, the CVP and projects all across 17 Western states. The most exciting part of my job is working on issues outside of California, although the learning curve is steep. It is also fascinating to see how others deal with and view water problems in California. I love my job and have the highest regard for Bush administration appointees.

E: Has your experience in California been helpful?

JP: Yes. There are amazing parallels between California and the rest of the West in terms of the tensions between competing demands for water and power. There are the same types of questions about what is the best way to improve the environment and make balanced progress. On the user side, there are the same types of challenges in terms of increasing efficiency and modernizing operations.

E: Are you working on CALFED at all?

JP.: I am trying to be helpful on CALFED. Mr. Raley has been designated the lead Interior official on the CALFED policy group, so I’ve been spending a lot of time helping him and others at Interior get up to speed. There is surprisingly little institutional knowledge about CALFED here. I have had a real challenge explaining this monolithic planning effort that is CALFED, including the history and the various obligations, opportunities and challenges created by the Record of Decision.

E: Tell us more about the challenges you’re finding.

JP: They just get greater and greater. Things have changed a lot since the CALFED Record of Decision was approved in 2000. That was about planning, which is relatively easy because a lot of it is theoretical. But now we are transitioning into the implementation phase where we have to deal with reality, which is a lot more complex. It’s very difficult to make progress with so many conflicting voices coming out of the state. Also, the ROD included certain expectations and assumptions that have not come to pass on the fiscal side of things. For example, the ROD called for $400 million in federal funds in fiscal year 2002 — we have $30 million. The aggressive progress envisioned in the ROD is now at risk. Timelines are going to have to be modified to deal with programmatic and financial realities. September 11 has also changed everything about Washington in terms of budgets and priorities. The war effort now comes first.

E: Has your perspective on CALFED and other water decision-making processes changed since you went to Washington?

JP: I recognize that I’m in an entirely new role here. As an advocate it was easy to throw stones at the process — it’s much harder to work on the inside with the responsibility to consider all the obligations that the Secretary has and to try to make progress — it’s quite humbling.

«To @@(newsletter_title)@@ Index

[ ABAG HOME | SFEP HOME ]

Copyright © 2002, San Francisco Estuary Project