On Friday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins filed a notice to intervene in the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project proceedings currently being considered by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced.
“If this plan goes through as proposed, it will devastate hundreds of family farms and wipe out more than a century of agricultural tradition in Potter Valley,” Secretary Rollins was quoted as saying in the release. “Water is the lifeblood of farming. Without it, crops fail, businesses close, and rural communities crumble. For generations, farmers here have put this water to good, productive use. This plan would put countless USDA investments at risk and leave families even more vulnerable to drought and wildfire. This is why I’m intervening in the FERC proceedings and urging them to reject the pending application.”
Rollins also points out that: “According to the last census of agriculture, the counties of Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Humboldt, and Main have a combined total of over $1.4 billion in sales of agricultural products. That is well over $4.2 billion in broader economic activity due to agriculture, if assuming a regionally typical multiplier of $3 to $1. If the decommissioning is approved, hundreds of legacy farms and this area’s rich agricultural heritage will be lost.”
“The proposed dam removal and cessation of project operations will effectively cut off access to the lifeblood agricultural producers need to feed the country and world: water,” the USDA writes in comments submitted to FERC regarding the proposed decommissioning. “It will endanger a vast number of USDA-supported activities in the region. It is also apparent that it would leave families vulnerable to more droughts and wildfire. For over a hundred years, legacy farmers in Potter Valley have put this water to beneficial use after first using it to generate electricity. This has been a symbiotic relationship among farmers, power generators, and the environment.”
In the USDA’s comments submitted Friday (the deadline for such comments had been extended until 2 p.m. Dec. 19), the department “respectfully requests that the Commission reject PG&E’s application to surrender its FERC license for the Potter Valley Project dam; surrender will negatively and irreversibly impact local farmers, ranchers, agricultural producers, and local communities. Surrender will also adversely impact many of USDA’s mission areas: the U.S. Forest Service, the Risk Management Agency, the Farm Service Agency, Rural Development, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.”
The USDA comments outline further mitigation requests including:
Firefighting Mitigation: Post-Removal of Lake Pillsbury PG&E must provide defined mitigation measures for firefighting following the removal of Lake Pillsbury. The surrender application’s analysis of dam removal impacts on fire mitigation and suppression is inadequate; a complete and defensible analysis is required. Land Management Plans: Develop a plan to restore the exposed lakebed, as much as practicable, to its pre-reservoir condition. This should include areas affected by removal of the dam and any recreation sites and incorporate the appropriate native plant species. Develop a plan to ensure invasive or noxious weeds do not impact the newly exposed lake bottom, areas disturbed by the removal of the dam and the removal of recreation sites and neighboring agricultural land and grazing allotments. Recreation Mitigation is needed for the loss of water-oriented recreational opportunities provided by the current reservoir. Mitigation measures are needed for this loss and should include both water- and land-based recreation opportunities and be accessible to all members of the public.In its conclusion, the USDA states that “It is abundantly clear that PG&E’s application fails to consider appropriately the elimination of water supply to local communities without viable alternatives; the negative impact that removal will have on downstream communities and agricultural producers; and the diminished capacity for wildland firefighting in one of the most fire-prone regions of the country. Unless and until PG&E addresses the aforementioned issues included in these comments, the department respectfully requests that the Commission reject PG&E’s application to surrender its FERC license for Potter Valley Project dam because of the profoundly negative and irreversible impact on local farmers, ranchers, agricultural producers, communities, and USDA equities.”
The department adds that “Secretary Rollins’ comments urge FERC to reject PG&E’s application unless significant deficiencies are addressed. Her notice of intervention guarantees USDA’s ability to actively participate in the proceedings, protect its programs, and advocate for the farmers and communities who depend on the project’s reliable water flows.”
Phone calls to PG&E and Rep. Jared Huffman’s office requesting comment were not immediately returned Friday afternoon.
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