People have been going nuts about Nancy Pelosi’s mouse protection provision in the recently passed stimulus package. At first, I thought this was just another example of government waste and local politicians using the systems to aggrandize themselves within the local political arena. Then I saw a talk by Cheryl Davis of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

The SFPUC administers the water supply that feeds San Francisco and neighboring areas. The task of bringing water from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir to the Bay Area is no small feat. Much of the transit lines are undergoing seismic retrofits to better secure the San Francisco water supply. A water interruption due to an earthquake could cost up to 28.7 Billion dollars, not to mention the panic that would overtake the city. The Hetch Hechy water, which comes mostly from the Sierra snow pack, makes its way via tubes that traverse both private and public lands. After the water arrives to the bay area, it is stored in the reservoirs West of the 280 Freeway until it makes its way to the city. These reservoirs and open spaces contain not only precious watersheds, but also many endangered species including the much-maligned Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse.

I agree that protecting a mouse does not provide “stimulus”, but by recognizing that everything in the environment is connected and by protecting the weak species, we may be protecting ourselves. It is possible that once we go down the road of runaway budgets there is no turning back, but it is certain that once a species is gone, there is no getting it back.