Agency charged with Protecting Steelhead says they will not give permit for dam

        In their letter dated May 24, 2001, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) says: "We have informed Cal-Am  and the Carmel River Joint HCP (Habitat Conservation Plan) Committee that a new 24,000 (AF) onstream dam is likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the South-Central California Coast steelhead ESU (Evolutionarily Significant Unit)... We do not believe that the impacts of such a project can be minimized or mitigated, and therefore a new 24,000 AF onstream dam will not meet the criteria specified in the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and applicable regulations for the issuance of either an incidental take statement under section 7 of the ESA or an incidental take permit under section 10 of the ESA." Rules called 4(d) rules which went into affect last September prohibit the "taking' (harming or killing a threatened or endangered species).

        NMFS also added that instead of spending additional money to study the new dam proposal, Cal-Am and the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District should spend their time and resources on alternatives to the dam, which are being reviewed under a process called "Plan B".

Click here for full text of the letter.

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