Senator Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, announced on Thursday that he will serve on the Delta Protection Commission, a state and federally designated agency whose mission is to safeguard and enhance the Delta’s environment, economy, and rich cultural history.
“The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the largest and most important estuary on the West Coast. I’m determined to help safeguard this incredible natural habitat for the people and ecosystems that thrive here and depend on its good health,” said McNerney, whose Senate District 5 includes the heart of the Delta.
“The Delta region produces billions in annual economic activity, supplies food for people around the globe, and provides water to two-thirds of the state. Protecting and enhancing the Delta is essential for California’s environment and economy.” — said Jerry McNerney
The Delta includes 738,000 acres and is where the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers converge in a series of waterways and sloughs that ultimately flow into San Francisco Bay. The Delta is also home to more than 500,000 residents and numerous historic and vibrant small communities.
The Delta is also an extremely diverse yet fragile natural habitat that supports more than 55 fish species and over 750 plant and wildlife species.
California’s Delta Protection Act of 1992 established the Delta Protection Commission. In 2019, Congress designated the Delta Protection Commission to coordinate the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area, the first and only NHA in California. That Congressional action was co-sponsored by then-Rep. Jerry McNerney.
Sen. Jerry McNerney is chair of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee and his 5th Senate District includes all of San Joaquin County and Alameda County’s Tri-Valley.
About
Jerry McNerney was first elected to Congress in 2006 to serve portions of San Joaquin, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara Counties. He retired from Congress in 2023 after serving for 16 years. He served on the Veterans Affairs Committee, the Committee on Science, Space and Technology, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
During his time in Congress authoring the Traumatic Brain Injury Law, provided innumerable individual veteran benefits, and fought relentlessly for the new CBOC veterans’ health facility near French Camp now serving the region’s veterans.
In Congress, McNerney became the congressional expert on energy, water and tech issues including chairing the Artificial Intelligence Caucus, the Congressional Grid Innovation Caucus, and the WiFi Caucus. He authored the AI in Government Act.
Senator McNerney served in Congress for 16 years.
McNerney holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics. Prior to serving in Congress, he spent 20+ years as an engineer and consultant in the energy and clean energy industry, helping develop cutting-edge wind technologies and wind turbines.
McNerney and his wife, Mary, have been married since 1977. His oldest son, Michael, served as an officer in the US Air Force and is now a serial entrepreneur in cyber security living in the Bay Area with his wife and two children. McNerney’s daughter, Margaret, is a Ph.D. neuroscientist working at the Palo Alto VA and teaching at Stanford. His son, Greg, is a Ph.D. biophysicist and now works at Intel Corporation in Beaverton, OR.