Sec. 1. Findings
261 words·~1 min read·
/bill/113/hr/4239/ih/section-1A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds the following: As established in the Proclamation of a State of Emergency issued by the Governor of the State of California on January 17, 2014, California is experiencing record dry conditions. Extremely dry conditions have persisted since 2012, 2014 is projected to become the driest year on record, and such dry conditions are likely to persist beyond this year and more regularly into the future. The water supplies of the State of California are at record-low levels, as indicated by a statewide average snowpack of 12 percent of the normal average for winter as of February 1, 2014.
The 2014 drought constitutes a serious emergency posing immediate and severe risks to human life and safety and to the environment throughout northern, central, and southern California. Federal law and implementing regulations directly authorize expedited decisionmaking procedures and environmental and public review procedures to enable timely and appropriate implementation of actions to respond to this type and severity of emergency. The emergency requires an immediate and credible response that respects State, local, and tribal law.
That the policies that respond to the drought should not pit region against region, or stakeholders against one another. It is the policy of the United States to respect California's coequal goals, established by the Delta Reform Act of 2009, of providing a more reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem. These coequal goals shall be achieved in a manner that protects and enhances the unique cultural, recreational, natural resource, and agricultural values of the Delta as an evolving place.