Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Proposed National Heritage Area:

Local Leaders Working Together to Preserve
the Delta's Rich Culture, History, and Economy

 

"For 33 years my family has lived in the Delta. We love its unique character and history. Its waterways, communities, farms, ecosystem together form a valuable and fragile part of California. This legislation will give local communities and individuals the tools they need to protect the Delta."
-- Congressman John Garamendi

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Congressman John Garamendi (D-Walnut Creek, CA), with original co-sponsors Reps. George Miller (D-Martinez, CA), Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento, CA), Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton, CA), and Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena, CA), have introduced historic legislation to protect the culture, history, and economy of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta estuary. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer have introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

The legislation, H.R. 6329 and S. 3927, would establish the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area to protect and promote the cultural, historical, and natural assets of the region. The legislation would authorize $20,000,000 ($2,000,000 in any fiscal year) to the California Delta Protection Commission to implement the National Heritage Area, with up to 50 percent federal cost-share for improvement projects. Private property owners and tribes are explicitly protected in the legislation and capable of opting out of any recommendations. State water procurement policy is not within the mission statement of the National Heritage Area.

Congressman Garamendi served as President Bill Clinton’s Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Interior Department from 1995-1998, a post that gave him the opportunity to help better protect the Delta.

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is the most extensive inland delta in the world. Its approximately 60 islands are protected by 1,100 miles of levees. The Delta region is home to 3,500,000 residents, including 2,500 family farmers. The Delta offers recreational opportunities to the two million Californians that visit the Delta each year for boating, fishing, hunting, visiting historic sites, and viewing wildlife. It provides habitat for more than 750 species of plants and wildlife.
 

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