The Fresno Bee from Fresno, California • B5

WEDNESDAY B5 THE FRESNO BEE THE FRESNO BEE SOUTH 5 Printed 21:58 Logical Page is THE FRESNO The bill seeks to the board by: Stipulating that the board include an engineer, a hydrogeol- ogist, a lood-control and an attorney with water expe- rience. Increasing total member- ship from seven to nine, with two members appointed by the Legislature. The governor-ap- pointed members would require Senate confirmation. Increasing board pay from $100 per meeting to about $36,000 a year. Adding conf lict-of-interest rules.

Making it independent of the state Department of Water Resources. The board, which would be re- named the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, would also be charged with submitting a re- port on the status of the lood- control system by Dec. 31, 2008. The bill passed on a 23-11 vote. Voting no were Valley represen- tatives Sen.

Chuck Poochigian, R-Fresno; Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield; and Sen. Jeff Den- ham, R-Merced. The current board has come under fire for allegedly skirting the public-meetings law at a recent meeting. As reported by the Sacramen- to Bee, the board at its April 21 meeting took a vote that made way for development on top of levees on an island in the Sacra- mento-San Joaquin River Delta near Lathrop.

The board, according to the re- port, voted to allow an area be- tween two levees to be filled in, creating a upon which homes could be built. The board also approved an describ- ing where structures could be built in relation to the levee pro- file, even though the item was not on the meeting agenda, ac- cording to the Sacramento Bee report. did everything that you would expect a development- run board to do, said Flo- rez, who has asked Attorney General Bill Lockyer to investi- gate the matter. Board president Ben Carter disagrees. believe this board is biased toward he said in an interview Tuesday.

board is biased toward public The board plans to rehear the Lathrop matter at its June 16 meeting. SB 1796 must still be approved by the Assembly and signed by Schwarzenegger. The governor has yet to take a position, accord- ing to his office. The bill is opposed by the Cali- fornia Building Industry Associ- ation, which believes that it would strip land-use authority from local governments. The bill expand the powers of the board and allow part-time appointed individuals with no land-use expertise or local government ties to make important land-use the association said in its opposi- tion argument published in Sen- ate analysis of the bill.

The reporter can be reached at or (916) 326-5541. Continued from Page B1 Best Tours 237-9410 2609 McKinley 93703 Reno Turn Every $39 Reno Silver Legacy $69 Reno Silver Legacy Disneyland $118 San Francisco $39 Laughlin Flamingo $89 Reno Circus Circus $85 Yosemite $49 Morro Bay $39 Hearst Castle Stanford Mall Laughlin Flamingo $89 Price Is Right $55 Sacramento River Cruise $69 Reno Silver Legacy Giants v. $75 Reagan Library $95 Universal Studio $109 Laughlin Flamingo $89 Laughlin Flamingo $89 Reno Silver Legacy $69 Reno Silver Legacy By Michael Doyle Bee Washington Bureau WASHINGTON Yosemite Nation- al Park officials now know the and of luring private donors. The include taking money from liquor and tobacco companies and rewarding donors with big billboards. The spelled out in new agency rules include dispatching Yosemite Su- perintendent Mike Tollefsen to woo po- tential contributors, so long as he explicitly put his hand out.

stand up and say, give Yosemite spokes- man Scott Gediman said Tuesday, we feel appropriate to tell donors what the money is going Yosemite benefits from private con- tributions more than almost any other park. With big contributions from the likes of Chevron, the Yosemite Fund raised more than $11 million for resto- ration of the Lower Yosemite Falls area. One of the few organizations of its kind larger than the Yosemite Fund is the San Francisco-based Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, which has contributed more than $80 million since 1981. The more modest Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Foun- dation has contributed about $500,000 to the two parks in the past two de- cades. Depending on how contributions are counted, between $75 million and $100 million in private funds and donations annually supplement the National Park budget.

Following in- tense scrutiny by Yosemite aficionados and members of the public, the Bush administration earlier this month is- sued new rules governing this private fundraising. After fielding some 1,000 public com- ments over the past year, park service officials retained most of the conserva- tive rules protecting parks from overt commercial exploitation. pulled back from a number of the more controversial John Piltzecker, director of the Nation- al Park Partnership Pro- gram, said Tuesday. time was not right for a number of those For instance, the park service initial- ly proposed that individual and corpo- rate donors be recognized through prominent plaques, benches and embed- ded stones. Specific rooms within park buildings could also have been named for donors; for instance, the Chevron Room inside a Yosemite facility.

The final rules dropped those ideas. It is still possible, though, for donors to receive recognition. A Yosemite Fund behind the Yosemite Valley Visitors Center now honors a variety of major donors. The public outcry persuaded park service officials to retreat on several fronts. Officials, for instance, initially sug- gested that park service regional direc- tors and, in certain circumstances, su- perintendents be permitted to directly solicit funds.

Retired park rangers urged retention of the fundraising ban, while the National Parks and Conserva- tion Association warned about superin- tendents being evaluated on their fu- ture fundraising prowess. Park service officials decided to re- tain the direct fundraising ban, while clarifying that superintendents can support the solicitation efforts of pri- vate partners. That means, for in- stance, that Tollefsen and his deputies can still attend the annual meetings of the Yosemite John Muir Heri- tage Society, in which major donors are recognized. Likewise, the park service initially proposed dropping rules that ban con- tributions from alcohol and tobacco companies, as well as by park conces- sion companies. That proposal also died; partly over the image problems, and partly over fears of ethical con- licts.

While continuing to block in-park commercial advertising, the new rules do permit corporate logos and name scripts when used as of a short, discrete, unobtrusive credit line at the end of the The private nonprofit groups that support parks had their own concerns about the proposed new rules, includ- ing fears the government would be con- ducting of poten- tial donors. The final rules offer assur- ances that no background checks are entailed, but requires that donations of $1 million or more be approved by the National Park Service director and for less-experienced park the threshold for park service approval may be lower. The reporter can be reached at or (202) 383-0006. In other action Tuesday was a busy day in the Legislature, with the Assembly alone passing 137 bills. Bills introduced this session must be passed by their house of origin the Senate or Assembly by Friday.

Bills passed Tuesday include: AB 2174, by Assembly Member Mike Villines, R-Clovis. It would require a person cited for DUI to appear in court for sentencing. Current law allows defendants to send an attorney in their place. these individuals need to be reminded that their actions endanger the safety and well-being of others. Villines said in a statement.

The bill still needs Senate approval. SB 1252, by Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter. It would allow air districts to collect additional fines for violations of state pollution dust rules. Florez has said his intent is to get farm and business groups to pressure the federal government to leave current penalties in place.

The federal penalties are threatened by an Environmental Protection Agency proposal to drop federal monitoring for dust and soot, referred to as PM-10, in communities with fewer than 100,000 people. If the EPA keeps the status quo, Florez has said he would drop his legislation. The bill still needs Assembly approval. Flood: Critics say board is too developer-friendly By Charles McCarthy The Fresno Bee MADERA Incumbent Frank Bigelow of faces two challengers Tues- day in his bid for a third term representing District 1 on the Madera County Board of Su- pervisors. The district includes foot- hill cattle ranges around Big- home and open farm fields north of the San Joaquin River from Friant to Firebaugh.

The population is concentrated in unincorporat- ed rural communities such as Madera Ranchos. Future planned growth areas such as Rio Mesa are also District 1 concerns. Bigelow, 51, saw this campaign as rather quiet until some mail arrived re- cently reigniting a county- wide debate over a proposed new casino that even in District 1. The mailer, produced by the Chukchansi Economic Devel- opment Authority, was sent to District 1 voters. It names only Bigelow, not his two chal- lengers Tuesday.

The Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians operates the Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino near Coarsegold in Supervisorial District 5. The mailer attacks Big- support for a proposal by the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians to build a casi- no on some 305 acres beside Highway 99 just north of the city of Madera. A casino at that location could snarl traf- fic, increase air pollution and pave over farmland, the mail- er says. a result, the Las Vegas gambling corporation Station Casinos and the North Fork Rancheria are one step closer to building their off-reserva- tion casino in Madera Coun- the Chukchansi mailer warns. in politi- cal life, people get the luxury of taking pot shots at Bigelow said about the Chukchansi mailer.

Sacramento lawyer John Peebles answered questions about the Chukchansi mailer for the tribe. He said that in addition to District 1, the Chukchansi group has mailed liers to voters in Supervisori- al District 5. is an issue of impor- tance to the residents of Mad- era County, and they intend to engage the candidates in a dis- cussion of the Peebles said about the mailer. North Fork Mono tribal chairwoman Elaine Bethel- Fink said e-mails have been sent to all Board of Supervi- sors members and candidates. support every one of Bethel-Fink said.

Bigelow lists water, growth and transportation as his big concerns in District 1. Ground- water recharging is important, he said. Bigelow contributes his views on water in Board of Supervisors discussions about recharging ground water under planned urban developments such as Rio Mesa. The Madera Irrigation Dis- underground water bank is planned on open District 1 acre- age southwest of the city of Mad- era. can do better at water stor- age as a he said.

The two-term supervisor owns and operates a cattle ranching business and has been involved with the Ponderosa Telephone Company for 33 years. Madera County depends on continued work with organizations and indi- viduals throughout California to bring benefits home, Bigelow said. As a county supervisor, he has been actively involved with the California State Association of Counties. ballot statement notes that he believes in both pri- vate property rights and a bal- anced economy to maintain the rich agricultural heri- tage. Retired law enforcement offic- er Hal Grant of Madera Ranchos is making his second try to rep- resent District 1 on the Madera County Board of Supervisors.

Grant, 64, is again using a road- side campaigning tactic that got him noticed but not elected by Madera County voters in 2002. With American lag and Hal signs, the can- didate spends hours standing at the roadside near the intersec- tion of Highway 41 and Avenue 12. He will talk to those who pull over and stop. But in traffic, safer to honk a horn or wave. Grant counts these as signs of support.

have a big Grant said. Grant sees water and the con- troversy over a commercial quarry in the nearby foothills as issues for District 1 concern. Retired just two years from 38 years of law enforcement work, Grant considers public safety a concern. People want more sheriff deputies and more fire protec- tion, but they want it without raising taxes, Grant said. Santos Guillermo Medrano is a 48-year-old correctional offic- er at Central Califor nia Facility in Chowchil- la.

He lives in the Parkwood resi- dential subdivision just outside the Madera city limits. A Madera County resident since 1960, Medrano is from a migrant farmworker family. Their car broke down in Mad- era County, and where the family stayed, he said. Medrano has formed a cam- paign committee to represent other areas of District 1, includ- ing Madera Ranchos. Water and roads are top issues, but he in- cludes public safety and respon- sible growth among his cam- paign concerns.

got a lot of tattered roads in our Medrano said. Medrano mentioned Avenue 9 between Hospital Central California and High- way 99. been in the plans since 1990, but it still been repaired, he said. The reporter can be reached at or (559) 675-6804. Call Now Window Door Replacement Carpentry Electrical Plumbing Painting Ceramic Tile Drywall General Jobs Kitchen Bath Remodeling Lic.

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quick. easy. 13 67 12 believe this board is biased toward developers. This board is biased toward public Ben Carter, Reclamation Board president Madera Co. candidates lay out concerns Park rules ban billboards, welcome Friends of the National Parks Donations ORGANIZATION 1999 2000 2001 Denali Foundation $410,843 $1,002,706 Friends of Acadia $350,188 $485,887 $630,901 Friends of Great Smokey Mountains $745,221 $972,213 $778,005 Friends of the National Parks at Gettysburg $272,088 $921,263 $646,152 Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park $246,022 $247,777 $246,266 Grand Canyon National Park Foundation $902,756 $225,658 $206,666 Rocky Mountain National Park Association $617,632 $2,579,573 $267,429 Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation $3,405,344 $4,240,431 $8,194,628 Yellowstone Park Foundation $531,407 $436,858 $1,477,818 Yosemite Fund $1,905,335 $1,758,548 $2,269,801 Source: Government Accountability Office, July 2003, www.gao.gov/new.items/d03585.pdf Available for Immediate Delivery At Fulton Belmont 13 45 51 www.playriverside.com Demo Day featuring: Ping, Friday, June 2nd, 3-7 pm King Cobra, Sunday, June 4th, 10 am-2 pm Summer Camps for kids are back! All ages from 4 to 17 years old Call now, space is limited.

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