Letter to Assembly Member Hancock
Salmonid Restoration Federation June 17, 2004 Dear Assembly Member Hancock, I am writing on behalf of Salmonid Restoration Federation to voice our support of AB 2690. Thank you for sponsoring this important bill pertaining to volunteer workers. SRF also urges you to consider amnesty for restoration “public works” projects so contractors are not required to pay back prevailing wages on completed restoration projects. Salmonid Restoration Federation (SRF) is a non-profit organization that promotes restoration and stewardship of California’s native salmon, steelhead and trout populations and their habitat. SRF provides educational trainings and advocates for habitat protection to preserve, restore and enhance recovery of self-sustaining populations of native salmonids. We believe that restoration practitioners deserve a prevailing wage that is established by the restoration community and that volunteerism is a vital component of citizen based habitat improvement on a watershed level. SRF is deeply concerned that the restoration community will be liable for back wages under the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) ruling (Labor Code § 1720, et seq). This would effectively cripple California’s valiant efforts to restore salmonid habitat and recover the species. The restoration season will begin shortly and there has not been clear direction form the state granting agencies if restoration contractors will need to pay back wages. Many restoration projects take many years to complete and were not budgeted and approved for prevailing wage rates. This has created a conundrum for those in the restoration field who do not know if they should pay back wages and risk not being able to complete their projects because they have run out of funds. SRF believes that the best solution is amnesty for restoration projects and that groups will not be required to pay prevailing wage until after this restoration season is completed. SRF also thinks that if restoration field is required to pay prevailing wage than there should be additional California restoration dollars so that complying with the DIR ruling will not hinder the restoration field and the recovery of salmon and steelhead populations. Please make sure that volunteerism is preserved in the language of AB 2690 and that the Legislature adopt an amnesty policy to protect restoration efforts and the recovery of fisheries in California. Sincerely, Dana Stolzman Cc: The Honorable Loni Hancock
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