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<p class=MsoNormal><strong><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Valley congressmen tapped for key posts </span></font></b></strong><font
size=4><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><strong><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Representatives will give region stronger voice on
local issues.</span></font></b></strong><font size=4><span style='font-size:
13.5pt'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><strong><b><font
size=4 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Fresno</span></font></b></strong></st1:place></st1:City><strong><b><font
size=4 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'> Bee -
1/27/05</span></font></b></strong><font size=4><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><strong><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>By Michael Doyle, staff writer</span></font></b></strong><font
size=4><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:13.5pt'>WASHINGTON</span></font></st1:place></st1:State><font
size=4><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> </span></font><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>—</span></font><font size=4><span
style='font-size:13.5pt'> The San Joaquin Valley is gaining a stronger voice on
some of the region's signature issues, thanks to some new congressional
leadership positions. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Yosemite</span></font></st1:PlaceName><font
size=4><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">National Park</st1:PlaceType></span></font></st1:place><font
size=4><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> and other public lands now will be
overseen by Visalia Republican Devin Nunes, as he takes over his first House
subcommittee chairmanship. Mariposa Republican George Radanovich, meanwhile,
will have his hands on the tap of Western water policies, as chairman of the
House water and power panel.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>"It
really consolidates my efforts for infrastructure in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>," Radanovich said in an
interview Wednesday. "In some ways, I can really target my efforts for
water in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>."
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>With Tracy
Republican Richard Pombo still chairing the full House Resources Committee, the
new moves mean <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">San Joaquin</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> representatives
dominate congressional resource policy-making slots.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>It also
marks an unusual concentration of authority for one region. "It's great
for <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>,"
Radanovich said. "Any way we can benefit the Valley, we'll do it."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>When
Californians want to build new dams</span></font><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>—</span></font><font size=4><span
style='font-size:13.5pt'> or stop them</span></font><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>—</span></font><font size=4><span
style='font-size:13.5pt'> they will now have to go through Radanovich's office.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>The
conservative lawmaker, who has been critical of measures such as the Endangered
Species Act, also will be overseeing a $389million <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State> water bill passed last year. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>This
Cal-Fed money is not guaranteed and must be negotiated each year; how the law
is put into practice also will bear close watching.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>"This
chairmanship was tailor-made for George," Pombo said.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>In order
to take the water and power job, Radanovich had to give up the parks
subcommittee he has chaired for several years.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>That's
fine with Nunes, though, because the musical chairs means the sophomore
lawmaker will get his own shot at running the parks panel.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>His
congressional district includes Sequoia and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Kings</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Canyon</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
national parks, as well as other big chunks of federal land.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>"I
believe we need to look closely at the budgets of the National Park Service and
Bureau of Land Management," Nunes said. "There is a need to address
maintenance backlogs in our public lands as well as the implementation of the
Healthy Forests Initiative, among others."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Nunes
added that he also wants to focus his attention on "oil, gas and renewable
energy development on public lands, including resources available in the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Like most
other Western Republicans</span></font><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>—</span></font><font size=4><span
style='font-size:13.5pt'> and unlike most Democrats and Eastern Republican
moderates</span></font><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:Tahoma'>—</span></font><font size=4><span style='font-size:
13.5pt'> Nunes backs drilling in a portion of the sprawling Arctic refuge.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Radanovich
and Nunes share many of the same political beliefs, particularly on perennially
controversial Western resource issues. The liberal League of Conservation
Voters gave both men a 5 out of 100 on votes scored in 2003, while the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce scored both men near the top in its own vote rankings.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><em><i><font size=3 color=gray
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Byron
Leydecker</span></font></i></em></st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Chair, Friends of <st1:place w:st="on">Trinity
River</st1:place></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Consultant, California Trout, Inc.</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>PO Box</span></font></i></em></st1:Street><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'> 2327</span></font></i></em></st1:address><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>Mill Valley</span></font></i></em></st1:City><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'>, <st1:State w:st="on">CA</st1:State>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">94942-2327</st1:PostalCode></span></font></i></em></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810 ph</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 519 4810 ce</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 9562 fx</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net">bwl3@comcast.net</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org"><em><i><font
face="Times New Roman"><span style='text-decoration:none'>bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</span></font></i></em></a><em><i><font
face="Times New Roman"> (secondary)</font></i></em><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://www.fotr.org">http://www.fotr.org</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic'><a href="http://www.caltrout.org">http://www.caltrout.org</a></span><o:p></o:p></font></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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