36-746: Westlands Water District is a water district in central California , a local-government entity formed in 1952, that holds long-term contracts for water supplied by the Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project . It is the largest agricultural water district in the United States by irrigable acres and provides water primarily to farms in an area of approximately 614,000 acres (2,400 km) in Fresno County and Kings County in
72-679: A Grand Junction Republican . In 1998 he became an associate with Brownstein Hyatt and Farber , a Denver law and lobbying firm. Bernhardt worked for the Department of the Interior during George W. Bush 's presidency. Early in his career with the DOI, he was deputy chief of staff and counselor to then- secretary of the interior Gale Norton . He also served early on at the DOI as director of congressional and legislative affairs. Later he
108-602: A water district . In 1961, the State of California signed a contract with the federal government for federal construction of the San Luis Unit of the CVP, including a drain, followed by its construction over 6 years and operation since 1968. The government had agreed to build a drain as well, well aware that the irrigation in parts of Westlands would saturate the root zone. Due to environmental concerns and budget constraints only
144-659: A Senate confirmation process. On August 4, 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act was signed into law by President Donald Trump. Bernhardt announced that August 4 would be designated "Great American Outdoors Day" and that each year on that day entrance to national parks would be free. Bernhardt relocated the headquarters of the Bureau of Land Management from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction , Colorado , on August 11, 2020. Bernhardt on August 17, 2020, announced plans for an oil and gas leasing program in
180-540: A client during his legal career. In August 2020, the Interior Department's inspector general released a report concluding that the agency had withheld sensitive public documents related to Bernhardt prior to his Senate confirmation and that this action did not violate any legal or ethical standards. On January 2, 2019, Bernhardt became acting secretary of the interior, replacing Ryan Zinke . On February 4, 2019, Trump nominated Bernhardt to be Secretary of
216-629: A lawyer at Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Schreck, after November 2016 Bernhardt was briefly in charge of the Interior Department transition team for President Donald Trump . In that role, he was in charge of overseeing staffing in the Department of the Interior along with Devin Nunes . Until resigning by early 2017, he was on the board of the Center for Environmental Science Accuracy and Reliability. On April 28, 2017, Trump nominated Bernhardt to be
252-426: Is a special district given the task of supplying water and sewer needs to a community. This term is commonly used in the United States. This article about geography terminology is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . David L. Bernhardt David Longly Bernhardt (born August 17, 1969) is an American lawyer who served as the 53rd United States Secretary of the Interior from 2019 to 2021 in
288-680: Is responsible for developing a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) and Projects and Management Actions to achieve sustainability by 2040. Westlands Water District serves as the GSA for the Westside Subbasin. The Westside Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (Westside GSP) was officially approved by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) on August 7, 2023. The GSP was submitted by
324-574: The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge , clearing the way for drilling in the remote Alaskan area. On August 20, 2020, Bernhardt designated the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot for inclusion in the National Park Service's African American Civil Rights Network. It is the 30th site to achieve such a designation, which includes sites associated with the civil rights movement in the United States, such as
360-568: The House Natural Resources Committee approved the settlement, but rejected an amendment that would have "barred former Westlands officials or lobbyists — meaning Bernhardt — from working on the drainage issue for five years." Through Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Bernhardt also represented Westlands Water District in "a lawsuit that sought to undo court-imposed protections for endangered salmon in
396-685: The National Park Service to use park entrance fees for maintenance in keeping parks open during the government shutdown . The GAO report concluded that the Interior Department moved funds between accounts without authorization from Congress in violation of the Antideficiency Act and federal appropriations law. The Interior Department rejected the GAO's conclusion that any laws were violated, and maintained that
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#1732780817466432-821: The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ." In February 2020, 75 project customers, including the Westlands, received permanent federal water contracts for the Central Valley Project. Up until 2006 the Westlands Water District had spent less than $ 100,000 annually on lobbying. In 2006 it increased to $ 208,000, to pay two firms, and $ 266,000 in 2009 to pay three lobbying groups. In 2012 lobbying expenses further increased to $ 370,000, to pay three groups, and in 2013 to $ 600,000 for 5 lobbying groups and their 9 lobbyists. Until
468-748: The San Joaquin Valley of central California . Its headquarters are in Fresno . Farms in Westlands make up less than one-tenth of the 6.9 million acres of farmland in California. It has been the focal point for many controversial water issues in California because of its size. Roughly 700 farmers own land, many of them are large (25,000 acres) but many also small. Farmers in Westlands produce more than $ 2 billion in food and fiber crops annually – generating more than $ 4.7 billion in farm-related economic activity each year, supporting over 35,000 jobs in
504-586: The administration of Donald Trump . He previously was a shareholder at the Colorado law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck , where he was an oil and energy industry lobbyist and natural resources attorney. He began working for the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) in 2001, and served as the department's solicitor from 2006 to 2009 and deputy secretary from 2017 to 2019. President Donald Trump nominated Bernhardt to be
540-587: The deputy secretary of the interior in April 2017. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 24, 2017, and sworn into office on August 1. He became acting secretary of the interior on January 2, 2019, following Ryan Zinke 's resignation. Bernhardt was nominated to officially become Secretary of the Interior in February 2019 and was confirmed on April 11, 2019. Bernhardt grew up in Rifle, Colorado . His father
576-512: The 'Westside Landowners Association' formed to help finance studies of developing an alternative water supply for the west side. They contracted with the Bureau of Reclamation, to determine if surface water from the Central Valley Project (CVP) through an off-stream site at San Luis could reach west side lands. In 1952, owners of 400,000 acres of west side land successfully petitioned the Fresno County Board of Supervisors to form
612-538: The Colorado-based law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck filed a lawsuit for Westlands that "sought to force the feds to make good on a commitment to build a multibillion-dollar system to dispose of the poisoned water" resulting from toxic irrigation in the Westlands district. Later, through the 2017 bill HR 1769, Westlands agreed to drop the lawsuit in exchange for forgiven debt and long-term access to water from Central Valley Project facilities. In April 2017,
648-676: The Interior. He was confirmed by the Senate on April 11, 2019, by a vote of 56 to 41. In May 2019, the House Oversight Committee investigated whether Bernhardt was complying with record-keeping laws. In September 2019, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report finding that Bernhardt, then acting secretary, had twice violated federal law when in January 2019 he directed
684-818: The Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail in Alabama and the Pullman National Monument in Chicago. On September 11, 2020, Bernhardt introduced Trump at the Flight 93 Memorial . After leaving the Department of the Interior, Bernhardt rejoined his former law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Shreck as a senior counsel. He also joined the advisory board of Advancing American Freedom, a political advocacy group founded by Mike Pence . Bernhardt
720-496: The Senate confirmed Bernhardt's nomination by a vote of 53–43. He was then sworn into office on August 1, 2017. During Bernhardt's tenure as deputy secretary and acting secretary the Department of the Interior substantially increased fossil fuel sales on public land and embarked on a program of deregulation. In 2019, Politico reported that heads of the oil industry lobbying group Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) celebrated their ties to Bernhardt, who had IPAA as
756-600: The U.S. Senate. He served as Solicitor from 2006 to January, 2009. In 2009, he rejoined the Colorado-based law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck . He became a shareholder in the firm and chairman of the firm's natural resources law practice. Bernhardt's clients included Westlands Water District, Halliburton , Cobalt International Energy , Samson Resources, and the Independent Petroleum Association of America . Through Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Berhardt represented entities such as
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#1732780817466792-748: The University of Northern Colorado, he applied for and received an internship at the Supreme Court of the United States . He graduated with honors from the George Washington University Law School in 1994. He was admitted to the Colorado Bar Association later that year. Bernhardt began his career as a lawyer in Colorado. In the 1990s, he worked for U.S. Representative Scott McInnis ,
828-759: The Westlands Water District, in conforming to requirements of the SGMA. DWR had initially issued an incomplete determination on the plan in January 2022. Groundwater recharge is a process that moves water from the surface into an underlying aquifer and is a critical tool to hedge against future droughts and help improve groundwater levels. In addition to implementing district-wide recharge projects, Westlands offers three groundwater recharge programs to help landowners recharge on their property. Project types include percolation basins, flood irrigation, sublateral recharge and dry well injection. Groundwater recharge efforts help meet SGMA obligations while allowing farmers to save water for
864-463: The deputy secretary of the interior. The role made Bernhardt the "top deputy to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and COO of the federal lands and energy agency". The appointment was praised by Zinke, Republican members of Congress, and former-interior secretary Dirk Kempthorne , as well as Outdoor Recreation Industry Roundtable, Ducks Unlimited , and the Boone and Crocket Club . His nomination
900-553: The directive was an "appropriate and lawful use of Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act funds." Bernhardt was chosen as the designated survivor during Trump's 2020 State of the Union Address . In May 2020, two activist groups sued over Bernhardt's ongoing interim appointments of William Perry Pendley to run the Bureau of Land Management and David Vela to lead the National Park Service , appointments that bypassed
936-433: The drained water, violating environmental laws . The soil in the upslope regions of the district contains "extraordinarily elevated concentrations of selenium, boron, chromium, molybdenum, and extremely high concentrations of various salts that disrupt the normal ionic balance of the aquatic system." The California drought, beginning in 1987, led to reductions in surface water delivery. In 2011, lawyer David L. Bernhardt and
972-534: The end of 2016, David L. Bernhardt was both an attorney and lobbyist for Westlands. However, in November 2016 he delisted himself as a lobbyist, to avoid "running afoul of the new president's ban on lobbyists joining his administration ." By April 2017, Bernhardt remained on a $ 20,000-a-month retainer with Westlands. 36°46′47″N 119°46′52″W / 36.7797°N 119.781°W / 36.7797; -119.781 Water district A water district
1008-408: The end of 2016, Bernhardt remained an attorney and lobbyist for the Westlands Water District. In November 2016, he de-listed himself as a lobbyist in order to comply with the new president's ban on lobbyists joining his administration. After withdrawing his formal registration as a lobbyist, Bernhardt became a consultant to the Westlands Water District for a $ 20,000 per month retainer. While remaining
1044-524: The first part of the San Luis Drain was completed. The half-completed drain created Kesterson Wildlife Refuge . Congress passed the 'Reclamation Reform Act of 1982', which increased allowable irrigated land to 960 acres (3.9 km) and struck the requirement that west side landowners remain near their lands. In 1985 the drain had to be closed by court order due to high levels of heavy metals, such as selenium, boron, chromium, molybdenum and salts in
1080-418: The following year. The Westlands Solar Park operate some 700 MW of solar panels on degraded soil. The Reclamation Act of 1902 required that farmers live on their land, because Westlands had many absent landowners at the time of federal contracting, and that they only receive water for 160 acres. From 1915 until the mid forties water from deep wells irrigated the land and lowered the water table. In 1942,
1116-520: The law and be honest with the science" at the Interior Department but also said the president's views, rather than the recommendations of climate scientists, would guide the Interior Department's policies whenever possible. Ethics issues were raised by Senators such as Maria Cantwell , with Bernhardt replying he took ethics very seriously. He said that unless he received authorization to do so, he would not involve himself substantially in any particular matter involving his former clients. On July 24, 2017,
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1152-633: The proposed Rosemont Copper open pit mine in Arizona . In 2011, Bernhardt filed a lawsuit for the Westlands Water District that "sought to force the feds to make good on a commitment to build a multibillion-dollar system to dispose of the poisoned water" resulting from toxic irrigation in the Westlands district. He was previously a member of the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries , and chairman of its Finance, Audit, & Compliance Committee. He resigned prior to January 2017. Until
1188-613: The regional economy. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown in 2014 to regulate groundwater pumping. It is designed to protect California’s groundwater resources and, once fully implemented, will fundamentally change the way Californians use and manage groundwater in the state. In practice, the amount of groundwater available to pump will be capped to prevent undesirable results in California’s aquifers. SGMA requires local agencies to form Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs). The GSA
1224-549: Was a county extension agent and his mother was in the real estate business. Bernhardt was active in Colorado politics from the age of sixteen, when he made his case to the Rifle City Council not to levy taxes on arcade games at a teen center he was starting in his hometown. He left high school early, earning his GED , then his bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Colorado in 1990. While at
1260-539: Was confirmed and served as the solicitor at the DOI. He was also the United States commissioner to the International Boundary Commission , U.S. and Canada . President George W. Bush nominated Bernhardt to serve as Solicitor of the Department of the Interior in November 2005, subject to Senate confirmation. He was the DOI deputy solicitor at the time. Bernhardt was sworn into office in November 2006, after being unanimously confirmed by
1296-518: Was strongly opposed by conservationists , fishing groups, and California Democrats, who cited his history of representing and lobbying on behalf of oil companies and agricultural interests as well as conflict-of-interest concerns arising from his firm's work on regulation issues with the DOI. At his confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in mid-May 2017, Bernhardt testified that he would "apply
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