We agree with this commentary. And while the author focuses on regional partnerships, it is local cooperation that is the first building block in making these regional efforts possible.
As with many things, local partnerships in the form of the voluntary agreements were stalled during the pandemic. And while health challenges remain, it’s time to move forward and secure California’s water future.
Exciting things have been happening at the local level. Farmers have teamed with scientists and conservationists to experiment with flooding fields in winter, building recharge ponds on their farms, restoring and expanding floodplains and other measures that help secure our water supply.
And it is the voluntary agreements that would pull all of these projects together into more uniform policies, give them a structure and allow us to then form regional partnerships as the author intends.
Partnerships and the voluntary agreements
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In summary
Voluntary agreements help pull projects together into more uniform policies and allow us to then form regional partnerships.
By Mike Wade, Sacramento
Mike Wade is the executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition.
Re “Water partnerships between cities and farms would help prepare for a changing climate”; Commentary, Jan. 20, 2021
We agree with this commentary. And while the author focuses on regional partnerships, it is local cooperation that is the first building block in making these regional efforts possible.
As with many things, local partnerships in the form of the voluntary agreements were stalled during the pandemic. And while health challenges remain, it’s time to move forward and secure California’s water future.
Exciting things have been happening at the local level. Farmers have teamed with scientists and conservationists to experiment with flooding fields in winter, building recharge ponds on their farms, restoring and expanding floodplains and other measures that help secure our water supply.
And it is the voluntary agreements that would pull all of these projects together into more uniform policies, give them a structure and allow us to then form regional partnerships as the author intends.
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