Auburn Project Area Announcement
Auburn, California

February 21, 2012

I remember when we met here in Auburn in April of 2010 under imminent threat of closure, all the “experts” said that the only way to keep the Auburn Project Area lands open would be with massive federal earmarks.

I am pleased to note that today’s announcement is the result not of federal earmarks, but rather of re-ordering federal priorities and re-instituting the “beneficiary pays” principle – both of which have been policy objectives of the sub-committee on Water and Power during the 112th Congress.

 Indeed, when the Bureau claimed there wasn’t any money to keep these lands open, we took a line-item look at their budget and discovered that they had plenty of money for low-flow toilet grants, rock gardens and research on the sex life of salamanders. I am pleased that the Bureau has re-ordered its priorities to place public access to the public lands at a higher level of importance.

 Part of the financial support for this agreement comes from the beneficiaries of these lands, assuring that those who specifically benefit from these facilities pay their fair share of the cost.

 Although the State Parks Department calls this the “Auburn State Recreation Area,” it retains its official designation as the “Auburn Project Lands,” in recognition of its ultimate and congressionally authorized use as Auburn Lake.

 In the last few years, this region has suffered skyrocketing water and electricity prices and the Sacramento delta continues to live under the threat of a Katrina-sized flood disaster.  It is inevitable that these growing needs will ultimately result in construction of the Auburn Dam and Auburn Lake. 

It’s not just the 2.3 million acre feet of desperately needed water storage, 800 megawatts of the cleanest and cheapest electricity on the planet and 400-year flood protection for Sacramento this will provide.  It also means the birth of Auburn Lake as one of the premier recreational gems in California, offering far more recreational activities, amenities and commerce than available today and assuring that we will never again have to scramble for funding when the next round of budget cuts begins. 

 Until that day, however, today’s announcement assures that the public will retain access to its lands and that the facilities here can remain open.  And that is reason enough to celebrate.