WESTCAS Western Coalition of Arid States

Policy

The WESTCAS Policy Committee has the responsibility for developing and recommending policies to the Board of Directors in two separate areas, i.e. policy for the operation and management of the organization and policy regarding the broad subject of water supply. The committee is made up of interested WESTCAS members, who network and communicate throughout the year regarding the development of policy recommendations that are presented and discussed during periodic conference calls and in Committee Workshops at WESTCAS conferences. All policy recommendations developed by the committee are proposed to the Board of Directors for adoption. Organizational policy recommendations may address such areas as: annual membership dues, conference fees, by-laws, contractual services, etc. While policy recommendations regarding water supply are developed to advocate adequate water supply for water uses in the arid West. Ensuring adequate quantity of water supply for all beneficial uses of water in the arid West touches upon all aspects of water resource development and use, including: water development, storage, conveyance, conservation, security, reclamation, recycling, reuse, desalinization, environmental flow, and other aspects relevant to water supply. The Policy Committee works in close harmony with the WESTCAS Legislative, Regulatory, and Associates Committees to perfect policy recommendations regarding water supply.

Legislative

The Legislative Budget Committee was established as an alternate method of influencing Congressional action. WESTCAS intended that it's primary efforts be focused on ensuring federal regulations were fair in their treatment of the arid states. The method of achieving that fairness was to influence the language of the legislative reauthorization of the CWA, SDWA, and ESA, which would form the basis for regulatory action. WESTCAS leaders, however, realized that another avenue available was to influence the legislative budgets and appropriations for the federal departments that conduct business under, or enforce the regulations of, the CWA, SDWA, and ESA. Hence, the Legislative Budget Committee was created to compliment the work of the WESTCAS Task Forces that were specifically focused on language for the reauthorization of those Acts.

Regulatory

Over the years WESTCAS' Regulatory Committee has been very successful in getting results. They have been the leader on many issues resulting in other organizations joining with WESTCAS and supporting WESTCAS efforts. They have led the way on water quality standards, storm water, drinking water, water transfers, and other regulatory issues that disproportionately affect arid areas.

The Regulatory Committee: (1) produces comments on proposed Federal and State regulations (2) produces comments on Federal and State implementing guidance (3) prepares issue papers on topics of concern to WESTCAS (4) assists in preparing positions for Amicus Briefs or Appeals regarding regulations or litigation with impacts on regulatory interpretation (5) presents educational programs on regulatory issues for the membership.

How are these work products produced? When interest is expressed by the membership on one of the above items a task force is formed of interested parties. The project is then defined, a work plan is prepared, and a work product is produced. This work product is vetted to the committee membership and when acceptable presented to the WESTCAS Board for action.

Although the Regulatory Committee has produced many work products as a result of membership driven initiatives as described above, the Committee also develops work products as a result of requests from the Board of Directors.

Outreach

The Western Coalition of Arid States (WESTCAS) Outreach Committee is generally responsible for membership support activities including retention and recruiting of members, distribution of information regarding issues of importance to members and activities associated with the organization. The Outreach Committee is responsible for preparation of the Newsletter and developing other outreach mechanisms such as the WESTCAS Brochure. Members of the Outreach Committee include the Vice President, who serves as chair, at least one other member of the Board of Directors, state coordinators and volunteers from the membership.

Associates

The Associates Committee is composed of consultants, lawyers and researchers with principle areas of practice in water, wastewater and water resources. A primary objective of the Associates Committee is to promote research and application of technology in solving problems facing WESTCAS members. This includes providing presentations and information on emerging and applied technologies at WESTCAS meetings, giving testimony to support research, and providing data for WESTCAS initiatives. The Associates Committee also provides financial support for various WESTCAS activities. The strength of the Associates contribution to WESTCAS comes from the variety and number of projects Associate members are involved with throughout the Arid West.

Finance

A Finance Committee composed of the Treasurer and at least one other member of the Board of Directors shall be appointed by the President. It shall be the duty of this committee to prepare a budget for the fiscal year and to submit it to the Board of Directors for adoption at the annual meeting. The Finance Committee may from time to time submit amendments to the budget for the current fiscal year, which may be adopted by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Audit

An Auditing Committee of three members shall be appointed by the President, whose duty it shall be to audit the Treasurer’s accounts at the close of the fiscal year and to report to the general membership at a Regular Meeting.

Committee Chairs***