INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
FY 2010 APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS

Agency: Department of the Interior

Project Title: Angel Island Immigration Station Hospital Restoration and Stabilization
Recipient:  Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation
Location:  50 Francisco St., Suite 110, San Francisco, CA 94133
Amount Requested:  $1,000,000

This project was authorized in the Angel Island Immigration Station Restoration and Preservation Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-119). The requested funds will continue the ongoing $18 million restoration of the 1910 Hospital, which will be used as a museum and genealogical research facility.  Major repairs are needed, including restoration of the roof, removal of hazardous materials, and stopping the infusion of water which is damaging interior walls and jeopardizing the entire structure. This is an important use of taxpayer funds because it will give the public an opportunity to visit this historic building in a refurbished state, which contributes to the national priority of preserving historic buildings.

Project Title: Beauty Mountain Management Area Inholdings
Recipient:  Bureau of Land Management
Location:  San Diego County, CA
Amount Requested:  $1,500,000

Beauty Mountain is in north-central San Diego County, adjacent to the headwaters for several creeks in the Santa Margarita and San Luis Rey rivers’ watersheds.  This funding will go toward acquiring parcels in the Johnson Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern, which will secure a protected wildlife corridor for the endangered California Gnatcatcher and Quino Checkerspot butterfly. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will protect sensitive habitats, and improve site management by linking park segments that are currently disconnected because of multiple ownership.

Project Title: Desert National Parks Inholdings
Recipient:  National Park Service, Pacific West Region
Location:  San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, CA
Amount Requested:  $1,000,000

These funds would allow the Park Service to purchase inholdings within Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve.  This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will protect this sensitive desert habitat, and improve park management by linking desert segments that are currently disconnected because of multiple ownership.

Project Title: Desert Wilderness Areas Inholdings
Recipient:  Bureau of Land Management
Location:  San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, CA
Amount Requested:  $1,000,000

These funds will allow the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to continue its acquisitions schedule within the wilderness areas as defined by the California Desert Protection Act. These dollars would go toward purchasing projects on BLM’s “Inventory and Prioritization of Desert Wilderness Inholdings” list depending upon willing sellers, and could protect up to 2,000 acres. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will provide recreational opportunities, protect sensitive desert wilderness, and improve desert management by linking segments that are currently disconnected because of multiple ownership. The President’s Budget request includes $500,000 for this project, and I am requesting an additional $1 million.

Project Title: Don Edwards San Francisco Bay NWR, San Francisco Bay Salt Pond Restoration
Recipient:  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Location:  San Francisco Bay, CA
Amount Requested:  $4,000,000

The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge is managing 9,600 acres of the South Bay Salt Ponds, which were brought into public ownership in 2003.  Funding is needed to effectively manage and restore these lands, including installation and management of water control structures, levee maintenance, and monitoring of salt ponds. Restoration will provide dramatic benefits to the region, state and nation by transforming 15,100 acres of salt ponds formerly owned by the Cargill Corporation into a vibrant wetlands area that will provide extensive habitat for federally endangered birds, fish and wildlife. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because funding supports the second largest habitat and wetlands restoration project in the country.  In addition, levee maintenance is necessary to protect the people and property of the Silicon Valley.

Project Title: Don Edwards San Francisco Bay NWR, San Francisco Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Monitoring and Research
Recipient:  U.S. Geological Survey
Location:  San Francisco Bay, CA
Amount Requested:  $1,000,000

The U.S. Geological Survey will use this funding to conduct bird and fish species monitoring, mercury investigations, and water quality studies.  The plan for the salt ponds restoration anticipates a variety of habitats that will change as the restoration progresses.  With restoration work occurring in both the South Bay and North Bay salt ponds, there is an urgent need for monitoring to guide planning and implementation efforts.  The data provided will serve as an important tool in supporting this adaptive restoration program, and the continuance of the project and future restoration activities are dependent upon monitoring as the project is proceeding based on adaptive management techniques.  This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it is critical that monitoring occur to ensure that this nationally-significant project is guided and implemented in an effective manner.

Project Title: Golden Gate National Recreation Area – Alcatraz Island
Recipient:  National Park Service
Location:  San Francisco, CA
Amount Requested:  $4,000,000

The National Park Service needs to conduct a number of repairs to the historic penitentiary on Alcatraz Island, including resealing the roof of the main cell block to prevent water intrusion, and restoring the cement entryways to protect visitors. Doorways have deteriorated to such a state that the Park Service will close these entryways until repairs are completed. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will provide the public with an opportunity to visit this historic building in a refurbished state, which contributes to the national priority of preserving historic buildings.

Project Title: Golden Gate National Recreation Area – Rancho Corral de Tierra
Recipient:  National Park Service
Location:  San Mateo County, CA
Amount Requested:  $1,000,000

Public Law 109-131 authorized the Secretary of the Interior to expand the boundaries of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area to include the 4,076 acre Rancho Corral de Tierra in San Mateo County.  This request will provide the National Park Service with funding to purchase this property. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will provide recreational opportunities and protect the integrity of this important property. The President’s Budget request includes $5 million for this project, and I am requesting an additional $1 million.

Project Title: National Academy of Science Delta Study
Recipient:  National Academy of Science
Location:  Washington, D.C.
Amount Requested:    $750,000

The Fish and Wildlife Service would contract with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct studies in support of sustainable water and environmental management of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California.  The Academy panel would also conduct a more comprehensive analysis of the stressors to the fish species in the Delta, and remain available to review and evaluate various Delta-related proposals.

Project Title: Manzanar National Historic Site (Barracks)
Recipient:  National Park Service
Location:  Inyo County, CA
Amount Requested:  $900,000

The Manzanar War Relocation Center was home to more than 110,000 Japanese-American internees between 1942 and 1945. It was designated a National Historic Site in 1992. These funds will be used to continue reconstruction of the historic buildings that the internees used while they were held at Manzanar. This is an important use of taxpayer funds because it will give the public an opportunity to visit this historic site and learn first-hand about the experiences of internees.

Project Title: Mission Santa Barbara Preservation
Recipient:  California Missions Foundation
Location:  4129 Main Street, Suite 207, Riverside, CA  92501
Amount Requested:  $750,000

Funding will be utilized for historic structure preservation, art conservation, museum upgrades, and cultural landscape preservation and restoration at the Santa Barbara Mission. Santa Barbara has one of the most extensive collections of mission-era works which have never been conserved, including art, paintings, and fabric tapestries.  Santa Barbara was the last mission in California to be secularized and sold by the Mexican government in the 19th century. As a result, many of the best works from other missions were brought to Santa Barbara prior to those sales. This is an important use of taxpayer funds because it will give the public an opportunity to view this historic mission in a refurbished state, which contributes to the national priority of preserving historic buildings.

Project Title: San Diego Formation Aquifer Mapping
Recipient:  Sweetwater Authority
Location:  505 Garrett Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910
Amount Requested:  $900,000

The U.S. Geological Survey has made an initial assessment of the San Diego Formation, the aquifer below San Diego Bay, and believes that there is more than one million acre-feet of reclaimable water.  This potential drinking water source could decrease San Diego’s reliance on imported water.  This funding will allow the U.S. Geological Survey to place eight monitoring wells to collect samples, analyze water quality, and evaluate the size and location of the aquifer. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the data collected may lead to improvements in water supply for the area, and reduce reliance on imported water.

Project Title: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Inholdings
Recipient:  National Park Service
Location:  Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, CA
Amount Requested:  $2,000,000

The National Park Service has identified $10 million worth of lands that are ready for acquisition in the Santa Monica Mountains. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will provide recreational opportunities, protect important archaeological sites, and improve park management by linking segments that are currently disconnected because of multiple ownership.

Project Title: Yosemite Schools (P.L. 109-131)
Recipient:  Bass Lake Joint Union Elementary School District and the Mariposa Unified School District
Location:  40096 Indian Springs Road, Oakhurst, CA 93644 (Bass Lake) and P. O. Box 8, Mariposa, California, 95338 (Mariposa)
Amount Requested:  $400,000

Three schools serve the children of Park Service employees and contractors at Yosemite National Park. Funding will ensure that Yosemite school students have access to the same educational opportunities as the rest of the country. Without these schools, children would have to travel more than 90 miles roundtrip each day to go to school. This is an important use of taxpayer funds because, due to the small student populations and geographic isolation of these schools, they have difficulty providing educational programs.

Agency: Environmental Protection Agency

Project Title: California Emissions Reduction Grants
Recipient:  San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) and South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD)
Location:  SJVAPCD:  1990 East Gettysburg Avenue, Fresno, CA  93726
 South Coast AQMD: 21865 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765
Amount Requested:  $15,000,000

The South Coast Air Basin has some of the worst air quality in the nation, and suffers from the greatest population-weighted health risk as a result of high particulate and air toxics emissions, while the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin is facing significant challenges in its efforts to meet the federally mandated ambient air quality standards.  Major sources of pollution from mobile sources include trucks, port activities, locomotives, marine vessels, and construction equipment.  Heavy-duty diesel trucks produce significant amounts of smog-forming emissions like Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) and fire particulates (PM2.5), and greenhouse gas emissions, with truck emissions expected to grow significantly with projected population and trade growth in the two regions.  Emissions from heavy-duty trucks must be significantly reduced to meet air quality goals. Both districts have developed action plans for emissions reduction, which will rely on the investment of federal dollars. This project benefits taxpayers by improving air quality in the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California, which promotes public health.
 

Project Title: City of East Palo Alto for the East Palo Alto Water Supply Improvement Project
Recipient:  City of East Palo Alto
Location:  2415 University Avenue, East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Amount Requested:  $1,000,000

East Palo Alto’s water system does not have sufficient water storage capacity needed for fire protection, potable supply and other purposes.  Ensuring the City has a safe and reliable adequate water supply is vital to the continued progress of its revitalization. The City is currently using 2.2 million gallons a day, which exceeds its current allocation from the Hetch Hetchy system.  Funding will support construction of a new water storage tank in the Ravenswood area that can meet local health and safety needs. This is a valuable use of taxpayer money because expanding the City’s water supply and storage capacity is critical for economic development and the City’s revitalization initiative.

 

Project Title: City of Eureka for the Martin Slough Interceptor Project
Recipient:  City of Eureka
Location:  531 K Street, Eureka, CA 95501
Amount Requested:  $1,000,000

The Martin Slough Interceptor project will construct a wastewater collection and conveyance system that will address sewer overflows into the aquatic environment around Humboldt Bay, and will help the City meet the requirements of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will improve sanitation and public health around Eureka by limiting sewage overflow and improving water quality.

Project Title: City of Santa Monica for the Santa Monica Water System Reliability Project
Recipient:  City of Santa Monica
Location:  1685 Main Street, P.O. Box 2200, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2200
Amount Requested:  $1,650,000

The City of Santa Monica’s recycled water facility produces more recycled water than the City can use or store. The City is planning a $3 million storage facility to hold up to one million gallons of recycled water. The project will include a pumping station and replacement of undersized recycled water distribution pipelines for the new reservoir. This new reservoir is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will triple Santa Monica’s storage capacity and increase the City’s potable water supply reliability by reducing the demand for imported water.

 

Project Title: Elk Trail Water System Improvements
Recipient:  County of Shasta
Location:  1855 Placer Street, Redding, CA  96001
Amount Requested:  $2,000,000

The community of Elk Trail in Shasta County, utilizes 200 private wells that provide low yield, poor quality water, with biological contaminants and high mineral content.  This area, which is adjacent to Shasta-Trinity National Forest, also has poor fire protection which has led to houses being lost in two fires in the last five years. Shasta County is seeking funds to connect the community to a County Service Area, which will improve water quality and pressure, and to install fire hydrants and water storage tanks for improved fire protection. The total cost of the project is $10 million, of which the County already has $8 million in committed grants and loans. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will improve water quality for county residents and provide increased fire protection.

Project Title: Hunters Point Naval Shipyard Remediation
Recipient:  BRAC Program Management Office
Location:  San Francisco, CA
Amount Requested:  $8,000,000

Since its closure in 1974, the Hunters Point Shipyard has been a neglected and contaminated neighbor to the Bayview/Hunters Point community. The City of San Francisco has been working to cleanup and transform the former Navy shipyard into a source of jobs, economic development, parks and affordable housing.  These funds will allow for the continued cleanup of Hunters Point.  This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because, once cleanup is complete, this site will be an important source of much-needed jobs, economic development, and affordable housing.

Project Title: South Orange Coastal Ocean Water Desalination Project
Recipient:  Municipal Water District of Orange County
Location:  18700 Ward Street, Fountain Valley, CA  92708
Amount Requested:  $1,000,000

The Municipal Water District of Orange County is developing a desalination plant at Dana Point.  After testing and developing different wells and intake systems, the water district is now ready to test treatment and desalination technologies for the “slant-well”, which will be positioned below the ocean floor. This placement will make the intake safe for ocean life, and also reduce the amount of treatment necessary because the water will be filtered naturally through sand and gravel on the ocean floor before entering the plant. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will improve water supply for the area, and reduce reliance on imported potable water.

Project Title: San Francisco Bay Restoration Grants
Recipient:  Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9
Location:  75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
Amount Requested:  $1,000,000

This funding will continue the EPA’s competitive grant program for non-profit organizations working to restore the San Francisco Bay.  All grant funding is matched by the non-profits dollar for dollar.  These grants are a valuable use of taxpayer funds because they support the efforts of non-profit entities to restore this wetland habitat.  The President’s Budget request included $5 million for this program, and I am requesting a $1 million increase.

Project Title: Westminster Stormwater System Improvements
Recipient:  City of Westminster
Location:  8200 Westminster Boulevard, Westminster, CA 92683
Amount Requested:  $1,000,000

The City of Westminster suffers from regular flooding of its streets, and evacuation of residents, because the County’s flood control channel is higher than the City’s streets.  During heavy rains, the channel’s water surface elevation is higher than the catch basins, preventing water from entering the channel. The City is seeking these funds to build a pump station that will transfer water from the catch basins into the channel. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will protect public and private property.

Agency: U.S. Forest Service

Project Title: Angeles National Forest Inholdings
Recipient:  U.S. Forest Service
Location:  Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, CA
Amount Requested:  $1,750,000

Continued acquisitions in the Angeles National Forest support the consolidation of land under the Forest Service, which allows for improved management for wildfires, recreation, and habitat protection. Due to the proximity of population centers, these lands are at a high risk of development which would present significant dangers to the ecology of the region. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because acquisition will improve forest management by linking forest segments that are currently disconnected because of multiple ownership.

Project Title: California Fire Safe Councils Community Fire Risk Reduction Grants
Recipient:  California Fire Safe Council
Location:  502 West Route 66, Glendora, CA 91740
Amount Requested:  $5,000,000

California has more than 150 of community-based Fire Safe Councils, which are authorized by the State to work actively toward minimizing the potential for wildfire damage and promote the health of California’s natural resources. These Councils are implementing community fire plans which outline strategic goals for fuel reduction, planning and education in an effort to better protect public and private lands, as well as life and property. Projects include reduction and treatment of fuels in areas with a history of wildfire conflagration. This grant program is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because funding goes toward the effective reduction of fire hazards, protecting land, public safety and property.

Project Title: California Sawmill Assistance Grants
Recipient:  U.S. Forest Service, Region 5 – Pacific Southwest
Location:  1323 Club Drive, Vallejo, California
Amount Requested:  $2,500,000

This grant program, administered by the U.S. Forest Service, provides assistance to transport hazardous fuels to sawmills, which would otherwise be cost-prohibitive, leaving piles of trees in the forest. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because removing these hazardous fuels will decrease the danger of fire, and provide economic benefits for local communities.

Project Title: Calaveras Healthy Impact Product Solutions (CHIPS)
Recipient:  Blue Mountain Community Renewal Council
Location:  West Point, California
Amount Requested:  $500,000

The Calaveras Consensus Group is an organization of local elected officials and nonprofits that are working to decrease the risk of catastrophic fire while providing economic benefit by removing fuels and making value-added products with usable material (thin fencing, fire-logs, fire pellets, firewood) or as biomass for a co-generation facility.  The Group has developed a plan to implement the Calaveras Healthy Impact Product Solutions. This program can be replicated throughout the state in order to reduce fire risk, improve air quality by decreasing burn piles, create jobs in rural forest areas, and produce renewable energy. This important project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it serves the dual purpose of reducing wildfire fuel, which greatly mitigates the risk of devastating fires in the region, and providing economic development to the local community.

Project Title: Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Inholdings
Recipient:  U.S. Forest Service
Location:  Alpine and Mono Counties, California
Amount Requested:  $2,400,000

Acquisitions in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will secure a wildlife corridor for the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep, red fox, and wolverine. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will provide recreational opportunities for hikers and campers, and protect a wildlife corridor for the animals that inhabit this area.

Project Title: Lake Tahoe Community Fire Protection Project
Recipient:  South Tahoe Public Utility District
Location:  1275 Meadow Crest Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Amount Requested:  $5,000,000

The water agencies in the Tahoe Basin, from California and Nevada, have joined together as the Lake Tahoe Community Fire Protection Project to improve their water distribution systems to better prepare for fire danger.  A majority of the water distribution system is over 50 years old, and was originally constructed as individual, small, privately-owned systems not designed to provide the fire flows necessary to meet current fire codes.  The agencies are replacing hundreds of thousands of feet of undersized, 1.5-inch water lines with six-inch water lines, installing fire hydrants where they did not exist before, and integrating their systems so they are able to assist one another during a fire. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will facilitate water distribution, providing greater protection for property and public safety in the Lake Tahoe region, saving the federal government millions in fire suppression dollars, in the event of a catastrophic fire.

Project Title: Los Padres National Forest Inholdings
Recipient:  U.S. Forest Service
Location:  Monterey County, CA
Amount Requested:  $1,500,000

These funds are for acquisitions in Los Padres National Forest. Inholdings within the National Forest boundaries are important spawning grounds for the endangered Steelhead Trout and the Yellow-Legged and Red-Legged Frog. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will provide recreational opportunities, support critical habitat for threatened and endangered species, protect sensitive watersheds, and improve forest management by linking forest segments that are currently disconnected because of multiple ownership. The President's budget includes $1 million for this project and I am requesting an additional $1.5 million.

Project Title: Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Inholdings
Recipient:  U.S. Forest Service
Location:  Riverside County, CA
Amount Requested:  $1,000,000

Acquisitions within the National Monument's boundaries will improve management for recreation, habitat and fire protection. Due to the proximity of urban areas, these lands are at risk to development, which would present dangers to the ecology of the region. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because acquisition will improve land management and public access.

Project Title: Tahoe and El Dorado National Forests Inholdings
Recipient:  U.S. Forest Service
Location:  Sierra, Nevada, Placer, and El Dorado Counties
Amount Requested:  $1,000,000

Continued acquisitions in the Tahoe and El Dorado National Forests support the consolidation of land under the Forest Service, which allows for improved management for wildfires, recreation, and habitat protection, including for the spotted owl, American marten, and Sierra Nevada red fox. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will provide recreational opportunities, support critical habitat for threatened and endangered species, and protect sensitive habitats. This funding request was included in the President's budget.

 

Project Title: Lake County, California, for wastewater system improvements
Recipient:  Lake County, CA
Location:  230 A Main Street, Lakeport, CA 95453
Amount Requested:  $500,000

Lake County is upgrading the Kelseyville wastewater system to eliminate effluent and high nutrient pollution from entering Clear Lake.  The facility, which is located on the south shore of Clear Lake, is under cease and desist orders to meet clean water standards, and requires expansion  overflows into Clear Lake.  This important project will improve sanitation and water quality for County residents by limiting sewage overflow.

Project Title: Tahoe Basin Vessel Inspection Station
Recipient:  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Location:  Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada
Amount Requested:  $800,000

The requested funding will be used for study, construction, staffing, and other expenses necessary to conduct water vessel inspection and decontamination at stations located away from boat and vessel ramps at Lake Tahoe and Echo Lake and Fallen Leaf Lake in California.  The Tahoe Basin is under threat of Quagga and zebra mussel infestations because of its high-use by recreational boaters.  An infestation could have devastating impacts on the regional economy, including recreation, tourism, property values, and other infrastructure equaling approximately $22 million a year.  If introduced, Quagga and zebra mussels could destroy the region’s fisheries, alter the food web and ecosystem, jeopardize the public drinking supply, and ruin the shoreline and public access points.  An infestation would also jeopardize more than $1.43 billion that has already been invested in environmental restoration and water clarity improvements in Lake Tahoe, including $424 million from the Federal government.

Project Title: Inland Empire Alternative Water Supply
Recipient:  City of San Bernardino Municipal Water Department
Location:  300 North "D" Street, San Bernardino, CA 92418
Amount Requested:  Technical Correction

The Rialto-Colton Basin is seriously contaminated by perchlorate, and the cities and water districts in the area have had to abandon wells or install wellhead treatment equipment to use their groundwater.  Local water providers have found a temporary source of 20,000 - 30,000 acre-feet in the Bunker Hill Basin, within the incorporated limits of the City of San Bernardino, which will use this water source in the long-term. This alternate water supply is reliable and more practical than wellhead treatment in Rialto.  I secured $500,000 in the Fiscal Year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, but the San Bernardino Municipal Water Department has been unable to access these funds and this technical correction will clarify that the city is the recipient of this funding.

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