U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar told a packed room at Fresno State that he will take several important steps to being relief to the parched western areas of the Central Valley. Salazar said he plans to appoint Deputy Interior Secretary David J. Hayes to head up an effort to find solutions to the drought and environmental restrictions that have choked off water supplies. He also wants to use $160 million in federal funds to build new infrastructure to bring water to the area.
Hundreds showed up for a town hall meeting on the Fresno State campus. Farmers and farm laborers told Salazar of the hardships that have been created by the lack of water. But, environmentalists also addressed the meeting, saying that hurting the state's fish supplies would create just as much hardship in other parts of the state.