Dear Friend:

I recently joined several of my Congressional colleagues in
writing to the President regarding the need for a significant
federal investment to raise the level of flood protection in
the Sacramento and Delta region.  I want to let you know about
our actions on this vital project.

In our letter, we asked the President to give higher priority
to addressing the Sacramento region’s flood risks by increasing
his budget request for this project.  The region faces a
persistent threat of flooding, putting the area among the
highest for risk of flooding of major urban areas in the nation.

We point out that the State of California and local partners
are making tremendous progress in providing higher flood
protection for the region, in part because of the recently
passed bond referendum which will provide $4.1 billion to pay
for non-federal flood control infrastructure costs.  However, a
major federal investment is still needed to provide both
immediate and long-term regional and state flood protection
priorities.

As we have all learned from devastating events such as
Hurricane Katrina, it is better from a health, safety and
fiscal perspective to be prepared.  You can count on me to
continue my work to secure the appropriate federal funding to
provide flood protection for the Sacramento region.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator