Creston group denied water advisory seat

June 30, 2014

Creston Welcome Sign-RBy DANIEL BLACKBURN

An influential Creston community organization has been excluded from a county advisory group whose eventual findings will help shape the future of the hotly-contested Paso Robles water basin.

The Creston Advisory Board last week asked for a seat on the panel, the Paso Robles Groundwater Resources Advisory Committee (PRGRAC), but the effort was spurned, said CAB chair Sheila Lyons.

The advisory committee was formed by San Luis Obispo County supervisors and is an extension of an earlier “blue ribbon” group. It has several objectives, according to its mission statement, including contributing to “development of an enhanced Basin Groundwater Management Plan” and “formation of a new water district.”

Supervisors had previously denied CAB a place on the advisory panel, telling Lyons to take the matter directly to the current PRGRAC membership — 26 strong — for a decision. But after CAB proposed that Dale Tozzi be empaneled to represent the rural group, with Maria Lorca as her alternate, the request was voted down, 14-7.

“We were told we could come to their meetings and speak during public comment session,” Lyons said.

She noted that “CAB is one of the two largest community action committees over the Paso Robles basin, the only one whose residents are one hundred percent dependent on their own private wells. It represent owners of 80,000 acres and several thousand residents.

Lyons said that her group “should have representation due to the extent to which our residents will be affected by the recommendations made by this committee. CAB residents have a direct stake in the outcome.”

The water basin has been the subject of years-long discussions as its contents are plumbed ever deeper to satisfy accelerating growth of agriculture, primarily wine grapes. A body comprised primarily of vintners and large landowners has been pushing an effort to form a water district to manage the basin.

That endeavor has culminated in a hotly-contested legislative proposal carried by Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian (R-San Luis Obispo), AB 2543, which has been amended by the California Senate from its original form and now heads for ratification in the lower house. If the bill is to pass, it must do so by Aug. 31, the current session deadline.

Amendments to that bill include removing the landownership requirement for the three at-large seats; requiring that the petition and formation vote be based on one landowner, one vote; and ensure the San Luis Obispo Local Agency Formation Commission ( LAFCo) has the ability to review powers and authorities granted by existing state law.


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This county was founded off of dry-farming practices only; no agricultural irrigation; I’m a 5th generation native and versed poly-face farmer. Industrialization and globalization are not sustainable in such a finite environment, and it’s equilibrium requires a symbiotic give and take of the distribution of elements and matter. We have intuition, we know what will occur if symbiosis stops. Come on, google has a peer reviewed scientific journal search engine to “Enlighten Us”. This is the same latitude as the Mediterranean; pre desert. Theres one way to live here. “Small dry arid living”. Runoff ponds, Wells for drinking, healthy soil. Roof rain collectors, Shoot, Joseph and Mary had a rain tank for bathing in holy water. and the poor Chumash, every river and creek had a name, all was one and all was God and holy, at least they have a casino to serve as ironic justice; the poor animals, the poor poor sacred land i claim as a place i love and it allows me to live, And the grocery stores; can’t use them, its a sin to support extorted labor; the shame people wear blindly; seen by few. This is a planet of Love, of God, shoot, statistically; 75% of humans react to suffering with empathy and sympathy, by design. Greed ends, and if you read your peer reviewed journals pertaining economics, this finite imperialist fascist system known as global capitalism is finite, as is the earth life, the sun, OH wait, the galaxy with a black hole in the center allowing this life to flourish, but taking back as it may. Its the gyroscope. Hawking says a retraction will occur, no matter how much “water you save”, it will come to an end as it was given life to live. Let us not forget our men of Love; Siddhartha; Krishna; Christ, who gave whatever they had to those who had less, and would die for love; in the face of an atrocity. The Chumash didn’t “own” land, and its so very small to think like that. No land to own in a revolution, war, or a love society, you are the land, the land is you. It feeds you, you must feed, nourish, and love and understand it. We don’t own anything, Mamma Black hole owns us all, and the Birth Mother who “Big Banged Birthed Us.” Bad is bad, Right is right the force is light or dark, one leads to happiness, the other to despair. And pity the fool. Dry Farm or bust, stop atrocities its your duty as a love being. And mine. God Bless. And were mad because we love, sad because we love, lonely because we love, dance because we love, cry because we love. But satan, symbolically, exists and walks among the love beings, but he is small; and in this solar system, shall remain small, i claim it. Namaste. I love you Calcoastnews readers, no matter how much hate you choose to let your life be wasted in. You can change, because, you hate because you love, and i know its in you, otherwise you’d be sociopaths or psychopaths, they love what they do, not out of hate, out of a sad genetic design. Hope you all can love yourselves and others as you were intended to by design, right? We did achieve “enlightenment” a long as time ago too.


If you have ever pitted neighbor versus neighbor in a water war- you might be Rez Neck…


If you have enough money to make another ton of money, no mater who wins the war you created- you ARE a Rez Neck…


If you get to run around calling yourself a big time Democratic supporter, liberal and environmentalist, all the while ruining the environment, screwing over the small farmers and farm workers and amassing a mountain of wealth, you are a Rez Neck.


The game has become so rigged that big money wins every hand these days. The 1% will keep it up until the 99% finally gets enough! We will all be paying to fill jugs at water vending plants. Those who are really broke won’t have eye water to cry about it.


The large and important Creston group is hoping to be heard in a county where the Chair of the BOS routinely and arrogantly cuts off comment in complete dereliction of duty under the Brown Act?


Good luck with your hopes. I support you, but reason and representation are NOT hallmarks of the leaders of many of our SLO county political subdivisions.


Hey Lamecommenter,

Where do you get your information? I’ve attended almost every Paso Robles Groundwater Basin Steering Committee (The Blue Ribbon Committee) meeting since June, 2011 and never once seen Chair Werner cut off anyone.


Ms. Lorca and Ms Lyons have always had their well thought out and appropos comments heard in full. Several times their written comments have been entered in the minutes. Chair Werner allowed any audience member to comment on any agenda item as it was being discussed, not just at the public comment times.


As for allowing them on the new committee, there is no question that the CAB should be on it. 26 bodies on it now show that it is just political window dressing. All the hard work was done by Blue Ribbon Committee. Now the new District or the SLCOFCD (aka the BOS) need to do something based on their recommendations.


So please reply with dates that support your erroneous accusation.


I took LameCommenter’s remarks to refer to the County BOS not the PRGBS committee, and Mr. Gibson actions of cutting off the public are well documented.


LOL!, Ole Bob just blasted off a long response there without actually reading the post he was responding to.


It could happen to any of us, I just figured Bob has a friend on the PRGBS and was already worked up over something and then reading the post got his feathers ruffled. He was more courteous than some on this site.