The debate over how to divert water around Central California's San Joaquin Valley for delivery to Southern California has been rekindled. A task force is meeting to find a way to address this and many of the state's other long-standing water issues.
"After nearly a year of study, the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force will hold its last two meetings beginning Thursday in Sacramento in hopes of reaching consensus on how to resolve the long-standing conflict in the delta: protecting a delicate ecosystem while providing water to millions of urban users across the state, including parts of the Bay Area."
"Although the panel, appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, will offer a long list of recommendations, water and resource experts said Wednesday they expected the panel to vote by Friday to build a new system to deliver delta water to urban users that is physically separate from the delta itself - a system like the peripheral canal that California voters rejected 25 years ago."
FULL STORY: New delta water diversion debate bubbles up

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.

Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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