July 25, 2023
Mr. Samuel Assefa, Director
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
1400 Tenth Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Mr. Assefa:
Re: Letter of Support for SAWPA’s Application for the Regional Resilience Planning and Implementation Grant Program
This letter is to convey Inland Action’s support for the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) application under the Regional Resilience Planning and Implementation Grant Program to implement a watershed resilience strategy with other stakeholders in the San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange County region. Inland Action is a non-profit, non-partisan, corporation of public-spirited leaders who have joined together to be catalysts for the economic well-being of the Inland Empire region of California since 1962. Inland Action will work collaboratively with the SAWPA partner agencies toward development of a state-of-the-art Regional Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan.
The SAWPA Regional Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan will:
- Define watershed-scale climate risks and vulnerabilities impacting water supply and water resources,
- Develop watershed-wide climate adaptation strategies,
- Articulate the potential regional benefits of planned and potential resiliency projects,
- Consistent with State priorities, connect equity outcomes for underrepresented communities with the resiliency projects, and
- Strengthen broad-based partnerships that advance shared interests across the region.
These goals have never been more important, and the infusion of funds has never been more important to address these pressing community needs. SAWPA has been strongly involved in the local discussion about community health and environmental stewardship, and Inland Action is a committed collaborator.
SAWPA has the technical expertise and commitment to successfully complete the project, and we urge you to fully fund this proposal. This grant can have a true and lasting impact on communities and is deserving of your fullest consideration.
Sincerely,
Carole Beswick, CEO