Just one month after pledging his support for the Salton Sea, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s announcement that he is resigning from the department raises questions whether the sense of momentum his visit gave locals will continue, or whether it will fizzle out, leaving local agencies to struggle alone with an increasingly precarious sea.
It may be too early to tell how Salazar’s imminent departure will impact local efforts to restore the Salton Sea, but some feel that it is vital to act quickly.
“This is a setback,” conceded Imperial County Supervisor John Renison, but we have to strike when the iron is hot. And, it couldn’t have been hotter when they were out here.”
Salazar made a high-profile visit to the Salton Sea in December, where he pledged the Obama administration’s support in restoration of the Salton Sea, and invited the Salton Sea Authority to Washington to discuss restoration of the sea.
Although Salazar is not the first politician to speak publicly about restoring the Salton Sea, his visit allowed locals a measure of optimism that something about the Salton Sea may finally be done. It also galvanized the Salton Sea Authority, which decided to invite representatives of federal agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation — which is under the purview of the Department of the Interior — to represent their agencies on the Salton Sea Authority.
Department of the Interior Spokesman Blake Androff confirmed that Salazar’s invitation to the Salton Sea Authority still holds, and that the Department of the Interior is still committed to the Salton Sea.
“Assistant Secretary Anne Castle has led, and will continue to lead the department’s efforts to improve conditions at the Salton Sea,” he wrote in an email. “The department remains committed to supporting the various federal, state and local authorities in efforts to mitigate adverse impacts on this area.”
Salazar’s resignation does not change the Salton Sea Authority’s approach with the Department of the Interior, said Roger Shintaku, executive director of the Salton Sea Authority.
“We’re scheduling meetings with Anne Castle,” he said. “We will meet with whomever we can meet with and carry the same message, and remind the Department of the Interior as well as (Sen.) Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) of the words that were spoken.”
Officials from Boxer’s office noted that Salazar was representing the Obama administration on his visit to the Salton Sea, and that they expect that interest and focus to continue.
“Secretary Salazar helped to bring much-needed attention to the Salton Sea during his visit with other top federal officials last year,” Boxer said in an email. “I fully expect the administration to remain focused on addressing this issue, and I look forward to discussing ways to restore the sea with the new interior secretary.”
Assemblyman V. Manuel Perez, D-Coachella, introduced an Assembly bill on Monday to ensure that local stakeholders continue to have a voice in decision making on the Salton Sea, and he, too, said he expects Department of the Interior staff to continue the work on the Salton Sea that Salazar tasked them with.
Whether the Salton Sea is restored may hinge on more fundamental issues than who is secretary of the Interior: those are money and politics.
In an interview with the Imperial Valley Press, U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, said he understood the environmental and health dangers of doing nothing about the Salton Sea, but that political reality may preclude assistance from the federal government.
“We’re heading into a time where the federal government says it has no money,” he said, noting that funding for the Salton Sea and other critical initiatives may get pushed aside in Washington’s toxic political climate.
“When you’re making cuts like that, it creates no opportunity to fund these other projects — border infrastructure, Salton Sea environmental mitigation — all these things get wiped out when you have a recalcitrant party saying, ‘No more; we’re going to shut the government down.’”
Ultimately, a multi-faceted approach towards restoration may be best.
“With Sen. Boxer’s leadership and the commitment of leaders at every level of government, we are coming together as a community to work with the administration, businesses and local stakeholders to meet this crisis head on,” said Assemblyman Raul Ruiz.
Staff Writer Antoine Abou-Diwan can be reached at 760-337-3454 or aabou-diwan@ivpressonline.com
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