Here is an email orwarded from the Puget Sound Anglers
State Board about RFA in California.


NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 21, 2004

RECREATIONAL FISHING ALLIANCE SPEAKS OUT ON DIABLO CANYON POWER STATION
MITIGATION PLAN

CONTACT:
JIM MARTIN, RFA-NORCAL MEDIA CHAIR, (707) 964-8326
RANDY FRY: RFA WEST COAST DIRECTOR (916) 606-8610


PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC FUNDING MARINE PROTECTED AREAS?

At a May 14th Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Regional Water Control Board,
members of the public commented on the Staff's bizarre proposal to
"mitigate" for the impact of 2.7 billion gallons of ocean water per day
circulating through the cooling system of Diablo Canyon nuclear power
station.

The Board's staff wanted PG&E to contribute to the creation of no-fishing
zones (marine protected areas) and conservation easements that would limit
public access to the coast. In other words, the commercial and recreational
fishing sectors would be kicked off areas of the ocean to counteract the
damage done by the cooling pumps at Diablo Canyon.

Randy Fry, West Coast Regional Director of the Recreational Fishing
Alliance, likened this proposal to "having PG&E mitigate for a hydroelectric
plant on the Feather River by closing trout fishing downstream."

Speaking at the meeting on behalf of the Recreational Fishing Alliance, Eric
Endersby told the Board that the staff's proposal could be boiled down to:
"Diablo Canyon kills fish, therefor we should keep fishermen from fishing to
make up for it."

Endersby explained to the Water Board, "This approach expounded by your
staff report is so misguided that the only answer to its reasoning can be
found in who is behind it.  Well, that answer is the Resources Legacy
Foundation (RLFF), whose funding comes primarily from the Packard
Foundation.  And Packard has a definite and self-proclaimed agenda of
establishing a string or marine protected areas (MPAs) along the California
coast, especially here in Central California.  Because your Staff have been
working so closely with RLFF, and that today's Staff report concludes that
MPAs and conservation easements are the only logical mitigation measures,
this report smacks of an answer looking for a question, and is cause for
closer examination."

Contrary to the staff's conclusions, Endersby pointed out, "in the
mitigation for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), Southern
California Edison is partaking in wetlands restoration, artificial reef
building, and a fish hatchery program.  There is a suite of options that has
a 'positive nexus' here on the Central Coast with real benefit and no cost
to innocent bystanders such as fishermen, and the general public that stand
to lose access to public lands in the name of conservation easements."

The Department of Fish & Game has provided numerous comments and testimony
regarding mitigation of the power plant.  They are on record that MPAs are
not an adequate and/or appropriate mitigation measure for the impacts.

The Recreational Fishing Alliance favors the construction of artificial
reefs, white sea bass hatcheries, and funding improved sewer systems in the
region as appropriate mitigations for the Diablo Canyon cooling pumps.

The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) is a national, grassroots political
action organization representing individual sport fishermen and the sport
fishing industry. The RFA Mission is to safeguard the rights of saltwater
anglers, protect marine, boat and tackle industry jobs and ensure the
long-term sustainability of U.S. saltwater fisheries. For more information,
call 1-888-JOIN-RFA or visit http://www.joinrfa.org.