Walker River Draft Environmental Impact Statement – Mirage Of Credibility (Post 13)
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
For those who don’t know better the use of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for conducting a public Environmental Impact assessment would seem to establish a foundation of credibility for moving forward with the University system in Nevada purchasing of water rights from willing sellers. For those who have reviewed the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and/or have attended the public input meetings (like the one I attended last night – August 18th – in Yerington) the reality is that the process is merely a shell-game to offer the appearance of legitimate evaluation and input. Yes, you can participate (and still probably should) by sending your comments regarding the DEIS to the Bureau of Reclamation. You might even have your input included as part of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). After that, those involved in making water purchases or other decisions related to taking water out of use for productive purposes in the irrigation process along the Walker River Basin, can and will do whatever they wish.
There is no obligation (or even connection) to the EIS and the decisions to be made. Accountability is really only oriented to the marching orders of acquiring the water rights. As indicated in the public meeting, there’s nothing assured that water bought for the lake will get to the lake.
The Yerington meeting and its poor turnout of citizens (about 30 people total and that included the people who were there to put on the charade) demonstrates that most of those directly involved understand that it a sham, with no meaningful input considered. Senator Harry Reid has decided that he’s going to get water into Walker Lake and there are no limits to the ways in which the federal government’s checkbook will be used to accomplish that outcome.
Whether its by-passing a Congressional mandate to not use funds for the purchase of water or land (laundering the funds through the Nevada System of Higher Education under the guise of establishing a “world class” research facility)…to conducting a NEPA analysis with no connection for those making the decisions and the evaluation of the alternatives (except for the incestuous application of research findings determined by research of the same University System that is predisposed to make the water purchases by order of the legislation that gave them the money to do the research) – one of the most amazing performance is that those who are directly involved are able to keep straight faces while they tell everyone else of how transparent they are in operating the process. Yep, we see right through it and have it figured out pretty well, even if you’re trying to make it appear as if the process is being operated with some sense of legitimate or professional anything…
The Tuesday night performance in Yerington did shed some light on the emerging new player in the process, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). Embodied in the 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations legislation, working its way through the legislative process in Washington, D.C., the federally-chartered, non-profit NFWF is being position for authorization to make water purchases and take over the ownership of water rights destined for Walker Lake. No longer needing to use the University of Nevada System for their “services”, NFWF appears to be the next tactical player to be called in for action. This approach only requires the completion of the appropriations process and finalization of the $75.7 million earmarking contained in the bill that will be in conference committee to work out the differences between the Senate and House versions. (Wasn’t there supposed to be some “Change” we were going to get in open government and discontinuance of earmarks?)
I guess we should know better and recognize that as the Walker River Basin Acquisition Program demonstrates, as long as we have those who are presently manipulating the processes of government (legislative and bureaucratic) to accomplish their agendas – our interests for legitimate governmental actions will not be possible. The “Change” we really need involves using the ballot box in 2010 to un-elect the person responsible for this ever-evolving assault on Nevada’s irrigated agriculture.
For those who don’t know better the use of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for conducting a public Environmental Impact assessment would seem to establish a foundation of credibility for moving forward with the University system in Nevada purchasing of water rights from willing sellers. For those who have reviewed the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and/or have attended the public input meetings (like the one I attended last night – August 18th – in Yerington) the reality is that the process is merely a shell-game to offer the appearance of legitimate evaluation and input. Yes, you can participate (and still probably should) by sending your comments regarding the DEIS to the Bureau of Reclamation. You might even have your input included as part of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). After that, those involved in making water purchases or other decisions related to taking water out of use for productive purposes in the irrigation process along the Walker River Basin, can and will do whatever they wish.
There is no obligation (or even connection) to the EIS and the decisions to be made. Accountability is really only oriented to the marching orders of acquiring the water rights. As indicated in the public meeting, there’s nothing assured that water bought for the lake will get to the lake.
The Yerington meeting and its poor turnout of citizens (about 30 people total and that included the people who were there to put on the charade) demonstrates that most of those directly involved understand that it a sham, with no meaningful input considered. Senator Harry Reid has decided that he’s going to get water into Walker Lake and there are no limits to the ways in which the federal government’s checkbook will be used to accomplish that outcome.
Whether its by-passing a Congressional mandate to not use funds for the purchase of water or land (laundering the funds through the Nevada System of Higher Education under the guise of establishing a “world class” research facility)…to conducting a NEPA analysis with no connection for those making the decisions and the evaluation of the alternatives (except for the incestuous application of research findings determined by research of the same University System that is predisposed to make the water purchases by order of the legislation that gave them the money to do the research) – one of the most amazing performance is that those who are directly involved are able to keep straight faces while they tell everyone else of how transparent they are in operating the process. Yep, we see right through it and have it figured out pretty well, even if you’re trying to make it appear as if the process is being operated with some sense of legitimate or professional anything…
The Tuesday night performance in Yerington did shed some light on the emerging new player in the process, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). Embodied in the 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations legislation, working its way through the legislative process in Washington, D.C., the federally-chartered, non-profit NFWF is being position for authorization to make water purchases and take over the ownership of water rights destined for Walker Lake. No longer needing to use the University of Nevada System for their “services”, NFWF appears to be the next tactical player to be called in for action. This approach only requires the completion of the appropriations process and finalization of the $75.7 million earmarking contained in the bill that will be in conference committee to work out the differences between the Senate and House versions. (Wasn’t there supposed to be some “Change” we were going to get in open government and discontinuance of earmarks?)
I guess we should know better and recognize that as the Walker River Basin Acquisition Program demonstrates, as long as we have those who are presently manipulating the processes of government (legislative and bureaucratic) to accomplish their agendas – our interests for legitimate governmental actions will not be possible. The “Change” we really need involves using the ballot box in 2010 to un-elect the person responsible for this ever-evolving assault on Nevada’s irrigated agriculture.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 8/19/2009 9:25 AM 
Categories: Walker River DEIS
Tags: Walker River Basin Acquisition Nevada University of Nevada Bureau of Reclamation
Categories: Walker River DEIS
Tags: Walker River Basin Acquisition Nevada University of Nevada Bureau of Reclamation
As the circus of Walker River Water continues and all eyes are on the "shell Game" before us; I can't help but wonder what magician Reid is really up to as he and his "assistants" keep us focused on what under the moving shells on the table, and when the black curtain behind the table opens up- what surprise will be waiting for us?
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