Gov. Brown Defends Cuts To Wetland Restoration Near Tunnels

(AP) - Gov. Jerry Brown has defended newly unveiled plans that call for scaling back the amount of habitat restoration done while twin tunnels are built around California's freshwater delta.

Brown said Thursday that the new approach accelerates the pace of the critical wildlife habitat restoration that will be undertaken and fixes the state's aging water infrastructure.

The Brown administration is overhauling its environmental plans as it pursues building the tunnels under the Sacrament-San Joaquin Delta. The revision calls for restoring 30,000 acres for wetland and wildlife habitat - down from 100,000 acres.

Brown says the previous approach spanning 50 years didn't consider the uncertainty of future climate change and was too complex to become a reality.

The twin-tunnel plan is designed to stabilize water supplies for cities and farms south of the delta. It has drawn strong opposition from delta farmers and environmentalists.