Governor Brown Issues Executive Order on Water Amid Brief Respite from Drought

Statement by David Festa, senior vice president of ecosystems at Environmental Defense Fund

(SAN FRANCISCO – May 9, 2016) California Governor Jerry Brown today issued an executive order aimed at bolstering the state’s water conservation plans as drought persists. The order establishes new actions – from eliminating water waste to improving agricultural water use efficiency – that will help achieve the priorities in the Governor’s Water Action Plan.

Last week, Environmental Defense Fund released a set of policy recommendations for reforming California’s water market.

The following is a statement by David Festa, EDF senior vice president of the Ecosystems Program:

“The Governor’s Executive Order is a good use of the brief respite we’re getting from the drought in some parts of the state.

“The state as a whole needs to move from temporary and ad hoc measures to a longer-term strategy that can ensure that California’s people and environment will continue to thrive in the face of a changing climate. We need better data, modern management plans and an emphasis on bottom-up approaches to eliminating waste in order to achieve a sustainable water future for California.”

With more than 3 million members, Environmental Defense Fund creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships to turn solutions into action. edf.org

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