Wildlife

By Beth Gunston
California League of Conservation Voters

A few months ago I set a new personal goal: get into nature at least once a week. It really didn’t matter what I ended up doing as long as it took me outdoors – hike, trail run, rock climb, wildlife watch, camp, picnic, paddle, soak, swim, sunbathe, backpack, photograph wildflowers...You get the idea.

And what a grand idea it was! Not only have I enjoyed doing all of those activities, but I’ve also gotten to explore Californian parks that I previously knew little about, if at all.

My guess is that you have a story similar to mine – a love for California’s vast and varied open spaces and all that they have to offer. After all, it’s hard to live in such a beautiful state and not get out and enjoy its natural features in one form or another.

And now, here's the bad news: many of these treasured open spaces may not be accessible much longer.

By Dan Bacher

The Delta Stewardship Council staff on May 14 released the final draft Delta Plan, drawing a response from Delta advocates that “the fix is in” to build a peripheral canal or tunnel.

Council Executive Officer Joe Grindstaff touted the plan, submitted to the seven-member Council for review, comment and adoption, as "a common sense approach to achieving the coequal goals of restoring the Delta ecosystem and providing a reliable water supply for California.”

“We expect the Council to make revisions, and make a final decision after an appropriate environmental review,” he claimed.

By Dan Bacher

Governor Jerry Brown announced on Thursday the appointment of Felicia Marcus and Steven Moore to the State Water Resources Control Board and the reappointment of Charles Hoppin as the Board's Chair.

Felicia Marcus, 56, of Emeryville, has been western director at the Natural Resources Defense Council since 2008 and was executive vice president and chief operating officer at the Trust for Public Land from 2001 to 2008. She served as the administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9 from 1993 to 2001.

Marcus was a commissioner on the City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works from 1989 to 1993 and served as president of the Board from 1991 to 1993. She has been a member of the Delta Stewardship Council since 2010.

This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $128,109. Marcus is a Democrat.

By Dan Bacher

California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird announced Friday that the release of a controversial state-federal plan to build a peripheral canal or tunnel will be delayed.

In a May 3 letter to David Hayes, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, Laird said the state "will not be ready" to release public review drafts of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) and its environmental impact report/statement at the end of June, as originally expected.

Laird did not directly explain the reason for the delay, but said, "The fish and wildlife agencies are currently reviewing and responding to a substantially improved scientific analysis of habitat restoration, water flows, and other ecological measures to achieve regulatory standards of the federal Endangered Species Act and Natural Community Conservation Planning Act. As a result, we anticipate that we will soon be able to announce some significant adjustments in the overall program that will reflect our commitment to using the best science."

By Dan Bacher

In a major win for Delta advocates, the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee on April 24 voted 10 to 2 to approve legislation requiring an independent cost-benefit analysis before committing the public to pay tens of billions of dollars to build a peripheral canal or tunnel to divert more Delta water.

A coalition of consumer, environmental and fishing groups and Delta cities and counties backed the legislation, AB 2421 (B. Berryhill), while agribusiness groups, the California Chamber of Commerce and southern California water agencies opposed the bill.

Assembly Members Jared Huffman (D), Bill Berryhill (R), Bob Blumenfield (D), Nora Campos (D), Paul Fong (D), Beth Gaines (R), Das Williams (D), Roger Hernández (D), Ben Hueso (D) and Mariko Yamada (D) voted yes, while Ricardo Lara (D) and Linda Halderman (R) voted no. Brian W. Jones (R) didn't vote.

By Annie Notthoff
Natural Resources Defense Council

This past Oceans Day, as conservationists, fishermen, scientists and beachgoers gathered in Sacramento on Monday on behalf of our coasts and marine life, we have special reason to celebrate California’s leadership in coastal and ocean protection. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the California Coastal Program which has protected our Golden State’s 1,100 miles of beautiful, winding coastline for four decades and for generations to come.

Anyone who has wiggled their toes in the sugar-soft sand of California’s beaches or listened in awe to the waves crashing against our sheer cliffs knows what a special place the California coast is. But with an exploding population and increasing demands on our oceans and coastline, it’s thanks to the bold, determined leadership of the California Coastal Commission that we continue to enjoy the beauty and resources of our coast and ocean.

By Dan Bacher

After rejecting the controversial Keystone XL pipeline proposal in January, President Barack Obama on Thursday announced his plan to fast- track the construction of the pipeline's southern end at a speech in Cushing, Oklahoma.

As Native American activists protested the pipeline on the motorcade route miles from the President’s pro-oil event, Obama explained that the TransCanada company has applied to build a new pipeline to "speed more oil" from Cushing to state-of-the-art refineries down on the Gulf Coast.

By Dan Bacher

In a major effort to restore coho salmon to the Shasta River, the Klamath Riverkeeper (KRK) is planning to sue the operator of a dam and reservoir on the major Klamath River tributary.

On March 12, the group filed a 60-day Notice of Intent to Sue the Montague Water Conservation District (MWCD) for ongoing operation of Dwinnell Dam and associated diversions in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The Notice provides an opportunity for the District to propose measures to settle the claims before initiating a judicial proceeding, according to KRK Executive Director Erica Terence.

By Dan Bacher

The House of Representatives, dominated by big government/corporate welfare Republicans, passed one of the worst job-killing bills in U.S. history, HR 1837, the “San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act,” on February 29.

The House voted 246-175 to approve a water grab by powerful corporate agribusiness interests in California’s San Joaquin Valley and reverse decades of laws that protect fish, wildlife and water supplies. The bill will lead to the loss of thousands of jobs in the recreational and commercial fishing industries in the Delta, coastal communities and the Central Valley, adding more economic devastation to communities already ravaged by the Wall Street-engineered economic collapse.

By Dan Bacher

The House Natural Resources Committee on Thursday approved H.R. 1837, a bill that would eliminate environmental protections for the Delta and Central Valley rivers, secure more water for corporate agribusiness on the San Joaquin Valley's west side and upend water rights in California.  

Congressional Republicans and agribusiness interests celebrated the Committee's passage of the legislation as a "historic North-South compromise that will protect all users," while Northern California Congressional Democrats, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and Delta advocates slammed the bill as a "job killer" and "water grab."