In January 2018, The Sierra Fund’s Board of Directors formally endorsed two water bonds. Proposition 68, the Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act was passed by voters in the June 2018 primary election. Now, it’s time to pass the second water bond, Proposition 3, the Water Supply and Water Quality Act of 2018.
Proposition 3 will appear on the November 2018 ballot and would invest $8.9 billion in California’s water infrastructure, including watershed restoration, safe drinking water, infrastructure repair, fish and wildlife habitat conservation and groundwater management. The water bond includes substantial dedicated funding for the Sierra, including $250 million to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) to improve watershed resiliency and to reduce the threat of wildfire.
This water bond provides more funding for forest resiliency and wildfire recovery than any previous measure and clearly draws the connection between forest health and wildfire affects on Sierra watersheds. In addition to forest management, $750 million is earmarked for strengthening rural drinking water and wastewater systems. These benefits to rural communities and to the state are clear to a wide range of environmental, farm, water agency and business organizations who endorse Proposition 3.
