econews vol. 43, no. 5 - oct/nov 2013

RRights

Earth Day

Around the world, Nature is starting to get a seat at the table

Community Bike Kitchen | Bye-Bye Billboards | Marijuana Impacts | Wildland CivicsCommunity Bike Kitchen | Bye-Bye Billboards | Marijuana Impacts | Wildland CivicsCoastal Cleanup Wrapup | 101 Corridor - NEC Responds | Susan Bower | Community Firefighting

Arcata, California Vol. 43, No. 5 Oct/Nov 2013Over 40 Years of Environmental News

of

Ecuador, Bolivia, New Zealand... North Coast?

RRRRRR Published by the Northcoast Environmental Center Since 1971

1

we do have much to be thankful for in our neck of the woods.

On August 22, in answer to a lawsuit fi led by Central Valley irrigators to block any further release of water from Trinity River reservoirs, a federal court judge ruled that fi sh do, in fact, need water. After weighing substantial evidence from fi sheries experts, the court ruled in favor of supplementing fl ows to benefi t Klamath River salmon at risk of dying due to extremely low water levels and subsequent high temperatures. � anks to this ruling, enough water was released to avert another catastrophe on the Klamath.

Now, rain has returned to the region with a gusto that has salmon swimming by the thousands up our coastal rivers. With the rains upon us, we are hopeful that record returns of fi sh now making their way upstream to spawn will lead to even healthier returns in the future. Of course a crucial component of long-lasting success will depend on continued eff orts towards dam removal and river restoration to ensure conditions conducive to salmonid survival and recovery.

Another benefi t of these early rains is that fi res that were raging a matter of weeks ago are now mostly contained. After fi re will

News From the CenterThese days it feels like it’s

important to celebrate even partial victories given all the bad news in the halls of our so-called government. After a spate of crappy legislation in California, the tea party has decided to take hostages on the national stage in its battle for their political idiocracy. Unfortunately, the hostages are the rest of us.

At the time of this writing, “unessential” federal services have shut down. Locally, Redwood National Park is shuttered, beaches are cordoned off, and Headwaters Reserve has a “No Trespassing” sign on the locked gate. The U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to name a few, are all closed for all but services that protect “life and property”. There are a great number of people who are faced with the possible need to file for unemployment depending on how long this shutdown lasts. Meanwhile GOP extremists in Congress who are responsible for the shutdown are still getting paid.

It seems like a poignant time to join together in the refrain, “� is is an outrage—we will stand for no more!”

Political charades notwithstanding,

Board Of Directors

EcoNews is the o� cial bi-monthly publication of the Northcoast Environmental Center (NEC), a non-pro� t organization. Third class postage paid in Arcata. ISSN No. 0885-7237. EcoNews is mailed to our members and distributed free throughout the Northern California and Southern Oregon bioregion. The subscription rate is $35 per year.

Editor/Layout: Morgan Corviday, [email protected]: [email protected]: Karen Schatz andMidge Brown Writers: Sid Dominitz, Dan Ehresman, Sarah Marnick, Dan Sealy, Jennifer Kalt, Jessica Hall, Brandon Drucker, Scott Greacen, Maggie Gainer, Gary Graham Hughes, Linda Sheehan, Todd Rowe, Rose Kelly, Hugh McGee

1385 8th Street - Suite 226, Arcata, CA 95521PO Box 4259, Arcata, CA 95518

707- 822-6918, Fax 707-822-6980www.yournec.org

The ideas and views expressed in EcoNews are not necessarily

those of the NEC.

Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment- Larry Glass, President, [email protected], Trinity County Rep.- Bob Morris, Vice-President, [email protected] At-Large - Chris Jenican Beresford, Treasurer, [email protected] Native Plant Society-Jennifer Kalt, Secretary, [email protected] Humboldt Baykeeper-Jessica Hall, [email protected] Region Audubon Society-CJ Ralph, [email protected] Club, North Group Richard Kreis, [email protected] of the Eel River- Scott Greacen, [email protected] - Dan Sealy, [email protected]

Cover Photo: The Whanganui River in New Zealand, protected with legal rights in 2012. Photo: Jason Pratt, Flickr CC.Artist: Terry Torgerson

Dan Ehresman, Executive Director

NEC StaffNEC Executive Director: Dan Ehresman, [email protected] EcoNews Editor/Web Manager: Morgan Corviday, [email protected]� ce Assistant: Brandon Drucker, [email protected]� ce Assistant: Alanna Cottrell, [email protected]

Humboldt Baykeeperwww.humboldtbaykeeper.org707-268-0664

Sierra Club,North Group, Redwood Chapterwww.redwood.sierraclub.org/north/

California Native Plant SocietyNorth Coast Chapterwww.northcoastcnps.org

Redwood Region Audubon Societywww.rras.org, [email protected]

Friends of the Eel Riverwww.eelriver.org, [email protected]

Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment (SAFE)www.safealt.org

Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC)www.wildcalifornia.org, [email protected]

Friends of Del Nortewww.fodn.org

Mattole Restoration Councilwww.mattole.org, [email protected](707) 629-3514

Zero Waste [email protected]

NEC Member Groups

NEC Affiliate Members

Leave a North Coast LegacyGive a gift that will endure beyond your lifetime. Leave a lasting legacy by naming the Northcoast Environmental Center as a benefi ciary of your will, trust, or other estate plans.

Your bequest will help us advocate for and educate about the North Coast and the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion for future generations.

To learn more, call us at 707-822-6918. The NEC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profi t organization, EIN 23-7122386.

Adopt-a-BeachBe a part of our growing team

of site captains and volunteers! Visit our website for more information

and a list of available sites.

www.yournec.org/marinedebris/adoptabeach

be renewal—and hopefully the catastrophic burns such as the Rim Fire in Yosemite will reinforce the importance of managing forest ecosystems for fi re resilience.

In other good news, despite many losses in terms of environmental legislation, we have one victory to report on from the state legislature: California is one step closer to doing away with toxic lead ammunition. A.B. 711 has passed both houses and awaits Governor Brown’s signature within the next few weeks. If signed into law, it will be a milestone for species protection and we will be even that much closer to realizing the return of condors to the North Coast.

Please take a moment to let the governor know this is an important move to prevent unnecessary harm to wildlife and humans throughout the state.

To email comments, visit: www.govnews.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php

Mailing address: Governor Jerry Brownc/o State Capitol, Suite 1173Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: (916) 445-2841 Fax: (916) 558-3160

we do have much to be thankful for in our neck of the woods.

On August 22, in answer to a lawsuit fi led by Central Valley irrigators to block any further release of water from Trinity River reservoirs, a federal court judge ruled that fi sh do, in fact, need water. After weighing substantial evidence from fi sheries experts, the court ruled in favor of supplementing fl ows to benefi t Klamath River salmon at risk of dying due to extremely low water levels and subsequent high temperatures. � anks to this ruling, enough water was released to avert another catastrophe on the Klamath.

Now, rain has returned to the region with a gusto that has salmon swimming by the thousands up our coastal rivers. With the rains upon us, we are hopeful that record returns of fi sh now making their way upstream to spawn will lead to even healthier returns in the future. Of course a crucial component of long-lasting success will depend on continued eff orts towards dam removal and river restoration to ensure conditions conducive to salmonid survival and recovery.

Another benefi t of these early rains is that fi res that were raging a matter of weeks ago are now mostly contained. After fi re will

News From the CenterThese days it feels like it’s

important to celebrate even partial victories given all the bad news in the halls of our so-called government. After a spate of crappy legislation in California, the tea party has decided to take hostages on the national stage in its battle for their political idiocracy. Unfortunately, the hostages are the rest of us.

At the time of this writing, “unessential” federal services have shut down. Locally, Redwood National Park is shuttered, beaches are cordoned off, and Headwaters Reserve has a “No Trespassing” sign on the locked gate. The U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to name a few, are all closed for all but services that protect “life and property”. There are a great number of people who are faced with the possible need to file for unemployment depending on how long this shutdown lasts. Meanwhile GOP extremists in Congress who are responsible for the shutdown are still getting paid.

It seems like a poignant time to join together in the refrain, “� is is an outrage—we will stand for no more!”

Political charades notwithstanding,

Board Of Directors

EcoNews is the o� cial bi-monthly publication of the Northcoast Environmental Center (NEC), a non-pro� t organization. Third class postage paid in Arcata. ISSN No. 0885-7237. EcoNews is mailed to our members and distributed free throughout the Northern California and Southern Oregon bioregion. The subscription rate is $35 per year.

Editor/Layout: Morgan Corviday, [email protected]: [email protected]: Karen Schatz andMidge Brown Writers: Sid Dominitz, Dan Ehresman, Sarah Marnick, Dan Sealy, Jennifer Kalt, Jessica Hall, Brandon Drucker, Scott Greacen, Maggie Gainer, Gary Graham Hughes, Linda Sheehan, Todd Rowe, Rose Kelly, Hugh McGee

1385 8th Street - Suite 226, Arcata, CA 95521PO Box 4259, Arcata, CA 95518

707- 822-6918, Fax 707-822-6980www.yournec.org

The ideas and views expressed in EcoNews are not necessarily

those of the NEC.

Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment- Larry Glass, President, [email protected], Trinity County Rep.- Bob Morris, Vice-President, [email protected] At-Large - Chris Jenican Beresford, Treasurer, [email protected] Native Plant Society-Jennifer Kalt, Secretary, [email protected] Humboldt Baykeeper-Jessica Hall, [email protected] Region Audubon Society-CJ Ralph, [email protected] Club, North Group Richard Kreis, [email protected] of the Eel River- Scott Greacen, [email protected] - Dan Sealy, [email protected]

Cover Photo: The Whanganui River in New Zealand, protected with legal rights in 2012. Photo: Jason Pratt, Flickr CC.Artist: Terry Torgerson

Dan Ehresman, Executive Director

NEC StaffNEC Executive Director: Dan Ehresman, [email protected] EcoNews Editor/Web Manager: Morgan Corviday, [email protected]� ce Assistant: Brandon Drucker, [email protected]� ce Assistant: Alanna Cottrell, [email protected]

Humboldt Baykeeperwww.humboldtbaykeeper.org707-268-0664

Sierra Club,North Group, Redwood Chapterwww.redwood.sierraclub.org/north/

California Native Plant SocietyNorth Coast Chapterwww.northcoastcnps.org

Redwood Region Audubon Societywww.rras.org, [email protected]

Friends of the Eel Riverwww.eelriver.org, [email protected]

Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment (SAFE)www.safealt.org

Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC)www.wildcalifornia.org, [email protected]

Friends of Del Nortewww.fodn.org

Mattole Restoration Councilwww.mattole.org, [email protected](707) 629-3514

Zero Waste [email protected]

NEC Member Groups

NEC Affiliate Members

Leave a North Coast LegacyGive a gift that will endure beyond your lifetime. Leave a lasting legacy by naming the Northcoast Environmental Center as a benefi ciary of your will, trust, or other estate plans.

Your bequest will help us advocate for and educate about the North Coast and the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion for future generations.

To learn more, call us at 707-822-6918. The NEC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profi t organization, EIN 23-7122386.

Adopt-a-BeachBe a part of our growing team

of site captains and volunteers! Visit our website for more information

and a list of available sites.

www.yournec.org/marinedebris/adoptabeach

be renewal—and hopefully the catastrophic burns such as the Rim Fire in Yosemite will reinforce the importance of managing forest ecosystems for fi re resilience.

In other good news, despite many losses in terms of environmental legislation, we have one victory to report on from the state legislature: California is one step closer to doing away with toxic lead ammunition. A.B. 711 has passed both houses and awaits Governor Brown’s signature within the next few weeks. If signed into law, it will be a milestone for species protection and we will be even that much closer to realizing the return of condors to the North Coast.

Please take a moment to let the governor know this is an important move to prevent unnecessary harm to wildlife and humans throughout the state.

To email comments, visit: www.govnews.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php

Mailing address: Governor Jerry Brownc/o State Capitol, Suite 1173Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: (916) 445-2841 Fax: (916) 558-3160

Alan & Barbara WilkinsonAlan & Jean JackmanAlan JusticeAlan LaurentAlexandra StillmanAlicia AdrianAndrew Araneo & Roz KellerAndy LaneAngel FranklinAnita & Tim Gilbride-ReadAnn AndersonAnn GreenwaterAnne HubbardAnne MasonAnonymousArchie & Sue MossmanArlene BroylesArnold WhitridgeAshley BarnhartAudrey MillerBarbara J KennedyBarbara KellyBernadette Webster & Jack GlickBernie & Sandy LevyBeth & Clarke MooreBetsy HarrellBetty & Ellen BriggsBettye EtterBeverly Bran & Dale CondonBill & June ThompsonBill BirminghamBob HughesBob PeckBruce & Pam KesslerByrd LochtieCafe Mokka & Finnish Country

Sauna & TubsCarol & CJ RalphCarol Falkenthal & Dennis RaelCarol ScherCarol WhitehurstCathy TaylorChapala CafeCharles DespresCharles HarveyCharles MintonCharlie ButterworthChip Sharpe & Celestine ArmentaChris & Richard BeresfordChristina Hu� Christopher MatthewsChuck DreselClark A. FentonCli� ord AndersonCorinne FrugoniCraig KnoxCynthia NoelDamian CentanniDaniel & Cindy Torgersen PlatterDaniel & Claire GrunbaumDaniel WassenaarDarus Kayn TrutenaDaryl & Phyllis ChinnDavid Baraconi & Joanne ParkhurstDavid BaxterDavid BeardDavid HumesDavid Kiel & Amey MillerDavid LedgerDavid She’om RoseDavid Thomas & Karyn Lee-ThomasDeborah FilipelliDennis RaelDenny DorsettDiana Jacobs and Rick ElefantDiane & Barry Welch

Letters to the Editor

3 101 Corridor4 29th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day5 Kin to the Earth: Susan Bower6 Fire� ghting in Klamath Canyons7 Rights of Nature Movement8 Frack if I Know...9 Community Bike Kitchen

10 Planning for Sea Level Rise11 Eye on Washington12 Zero Waste at North Country Fair13 Humboldt Baykeeper14 Friends of the Eel River15 EPIC16 Mattole Restoration Council17 Sierra Club, North Group18 Redwood Region Audubon18 California Plant Native Society20 Eco-Mania21 Creature Feature: San Joaquin kit fox 22 Kids’ Page: Spittlebugs

Here at the NEC, the past two months have been incredibly busy with Coastal Commission hearings, General Plan Update meetings, Coastal Cleanup Day, and the All Species Parade at the North Country Fair. We’ve seen success on all levels. In the following pages we will delve into more of the details. We could not have done any of this without the support and involvement of so many devoted community members. From all of us here at the NEC, thank you! We would like to recognize here the following individuals and businesses whose generous contributions so far this year support conservation eff orts within our bioregion.

Diane BrownDiane RyersonDianne RosserDick ScheinmanDon AllanDon and Trudi WalkerDonald & Melinda GroomDonna KnightDr. John G. HewstonDwight MillerEdge Gerring & Melanie KasekEllen TaylorEmily SinkhornErich SchimpsErin KellyEve & Ron BroughtonFrances & Francis FergusonFrancis TaylorFred & Marilyn WadsworthGary FalxaGary GarciaGary HughesGeorge & Margaret StrongGerald & Barbara MeralGil & Mediha SalibaGilly & Je� BlackGloria PurcellGordon Pfe� erGreg & Kay GibsonGreg & Linda RoseGreg ChapmanGreg JensenGregory & Rene NestyGregory T. Mellon, DDSGuy & Cindy KuttnerGwen BalussHal & Wendy HardenHanna SturtzHarriet HassHarry Lowther and Ursula BredowHart Welsh, Jr.Heinrich and Peggy KaestleHelen MulliganHezekiah AllenHoward Freiman & Barbara RichHoward WilliamsHumboldt State University LibraryIda SchellhousIlene Mandelbaum & Steve BaragerJa� a Dugan WahlbergJames & Joan BouldenJames & Linda SorterJames BensonJames ElliottJames H. Diego & Shirley ReynoldsJames McIntoshJames StephensonJan & Bob MountjoyJane & Richard WilsonJane BothwellJane RigganJane WoodwardJanet DickeyJanice AndersenJanice MurayamaJanis SchleunesJanis TaylorJay BonestellJean McCordJeanne PendergastJe� & Tracy BoyerJe� & Zina HogueJe� RussellJe� rey BueJennifer KaltJennifer Waters

Jim & Dee KeyserJim & Donna ClarkJim TomichJoanne & Robert FornesJoe Bob & Lily HitchcockJoe JamesJoe, Linda & Bodie YontsJohn & Darsty McAlinnJohn & Dona BlakelyJohn & Marsha MaxwellJohn & Martha WestgateJohn LongshoreJohn MertesJohn McAllinJohn NicklasJohn Porter & Eda BachrachJohn & Nancy BridenbaughJohn Sacklin & Mary HektnerJohn YoakleyJon & Cynthia ForsythJoshua AsarianJude PowerJudith HinmanJulie & Lonnie HaynesJustin SmithKaren & David HammerKaren & Gordon SchatzKaren E. Isa and Richard KreisKaren Shepherd & BradleyThompsonKaren SpencerKarin EngstromKarolyn MerzKatherine A. & Michael G. ClarkKathleen BoivinKathleen CarterKathy LaforgeKathy WeberKatie & Jason WheelerKenneth ChiltonKent H. PryorKevin CostKeytra MeyerKim WollterKit DavenportKurt LauerKurt StegenLarry GlassLaura Ann RainsLee & Chris HouseLeroy E. FrenchLi ConleyLibby MaynardLilyan HaighLinda Doerfl ingerLinda WoodwardLinnea MandellLisa BuschoLois DrobishLorrie BottLouis Blumberg & Ellen FriedmanLouise & Anthony AndreoliLouise HayesLucille KibbeeLucille VinyardLynn C. BernerLynn DugginsLynn Inouye & Mark LangnerLynn RyanManette & Philip GerstleMarcia MillerMarcia RautenstrauchMargaret & Mark Sha� erMargaret & Steve ColeMargaret BrownMargaret Nulsen & Chris FrolkingMargaret RamseyMarian L. PerryMarie Kelleher-RoyMarilyn Foote & John ChristiansonMario & Marilyn ZelayaMark & Melinda BaileyMark & Valorie LovelaceMark AndreMark G EllisMark NorthcrossMarla JoyMartha HirschMartin R. HaaseMartin SwettMary & Evan WilburMary Alice & Burton HoyleMary BrunetteMary C. MelvinMary Ella AndersonMary Flowers & Jonathan WeberMary Jo KennyMary Jo Weisgerber & Roberta WeltyMary SchroederMarybeth Howell

Maureen Davison & Marc R. WilliamsMelinda WilsonMerle FrielMerodie MullisMichael CurranMichael M. Perensovich Jr.Michael RizzaMichele & Doug KamprathMichele Olsen & Roland LambersonMillie BruckerMilton HollowayMs. Linda M. BarkerMs. Lydia GarveyMs. Pam MendelsohnNancy LewisNancy MarieNeal & Maile FeuermanNorman & Jean DycheP. NEC GreenbergPam Kau� oldPat BittonPatricia DanielsPatricia-Anne & George WinterSunPaul & Margaret AbelsPaul & Marjorie Co� manPaul D. Castro & Beverly G. WalserPerry & Barbara TaylorPeter GalvinRalph & Nona KrausRalph & Tecla PierottiRandy Carrico & Deborah DukesRay SolbauRaymond & Mary RiceRenay Radniecki & Bill BowmanRex FrankelRichard & Catherine ChristoRichard Ballew & Iris RuizRichard Duning & Nancy CorrellRichard HansisRichard Max BlairRita CaroleRobert & Laura ChapmanRobert & Tomika SollenRobert A. RutemoellerRobert Ducate & FamilyRobert GouldRobert McLaughlin &Theresa RumjahnRobert SteeckRobin HamlinRoger TuanRon & Arleen SmithRon & Melanie KuhnelRon JohnsonRonald & Donna ThompsonRyan HensonSallie GroverSandra J Hill Revocable TrustSandy Bar RanchSarah Lauderdale & Curt CooperShawn GouldSidney DominitzSorrel & Dorothy KleinStacy BeckerStan & Patricia LarsonStanley HinoStephanie KleinSteve & Suzanna BowserSteve GompertzSteve HamiltonSteven EvansStudebaker HawkSue BrittingSusan & Bob OrnelasSusan HaaseSuzanne & Neal CrothersSuzanne & Rusty BurkeTania BrunellTara RootTed & Jo TrichiloTeresa KosmacTerry A. & Kimberley SchulzTerry RaymerThomas & Roberta PrebleThomas Phillips & Melissa MartelTina & Scott Stenborg-DaviesTom & Sue LeskiwTom and Katy AllenTom Cockle & Carol LawrenceVirginia BurnsVirginia PlambeckVirginia SloanW.G. & Cyanne McElhinneyWard Estelle IIIWarren & Gisela RosengrenWesley & Barbara RootWilliam & Benjamin & Elizabeth EtgenWilliam WeidermanWolfgang Oesterreich

Thank You!

to our 2013 Coastal Cleanup Day Sponsors: California Coastal Commission, Humboldt Waste Management Authority, PG&E, City of Eureka, Recology, Les Schwab Tire Center, North Coast Journal, Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, Los Bagels, GHD, Humboldt Baykeeper, North Group Sierra Club, Friends of the Dunes, North Coast Co-op, Wildberries, Arcata Eye, Greenway Partners, City of Arcata, Danco, Lost Coast Communications, KHSU, Visual Concepts, Humboldt Sanitation, Arcata Garbage Company, Pierson Building Center, and the County of Humboldt.

Many Thanks

Oct/Nov 2013 EcoNewswww.yournec.org3

ADS

Dan Ehresman, Executive Director of the Northcoast Environmental CenterJessica Hall, Executive Director of

Humboldt Baykeeper

On September 12, 2013, the California Coastal Commission voted 9-1 to conditionally approve Caltrans’ Eureka-Arcata 101 Corridor project that will include an interchange constructed at Indianola Cutoff , a half-signal at Airport Boulevard, and closure of the remaining medians along the corridor.

At the hearing, representatives from Humboldt Baykeeper and the Northcoast Environmental Center argued that Caltrans did not adequately explore whether the interchange is indeed the safest, least damaging alternative, especially considering that the likely increase in speed as a result of the project has not been assessed. � e Coastal Commission, along with the majority of the public who spoke at the hearing, disagreed with our opinion that Caltrans needed to look more thoroughly at possible alternatives. � e Commission decided that enough analysis had been done and voted to approve the interchange as consistent with the Coastal Act.

While we are disappointed that the Commission approved the project without a more thorough exploration of less expensive, less damaging alternatives, we are extremely pleased that several requirements were added that will address concerns that have been raised for many years.

In the months leading up to the hearing, many people with disparate viewpoints all came to one point of agreement: the Bay Trail must be part of the project. Regardless of how the Corridor is made safer for vehicles, most agree that it is absolutely critical to provide a safe route for bicyclists and pedestrians between the region’s two largest cities. � anks to the Coastal Commission, the Coastal Trail must be part of the project when Caltrans applies for Coastal Development Permits. Knowing that we are one huge step closer to seeing the Bay Trail built makes approval of the interchange far less objectionable from our perspective.

NEC, Baykeeper Respond to101 Corridor Decision

For years, the NEC, Baykeeper, Sierra Club, and others have also pressed for removal of billboards that have cluttered this scenic coastline. We are very pleased that the Coastal Commission agreed with our call for removal of all billboards along the 101 Corridor to mitigate for scenic impacts of a 25-foot high, ½-mile long interchange parallel to Humboldt Bay’s beautiful shoreline. We look forward to working with Caltrans to remove them once and for all. For more on billboards, see page 13.

At our urging, the Commission also required that Caltrans further assess potential wetland mitigation sites to ascertain whether there may indeed be more appropriate sites to off set the roughly 10 acres of wetlands that will be fi lled.

Last but not least, we applaud the Coastal Commission’s requirement that Caltrans address sea level rise in the design of the project. � e interchange alone will cost over $25 million, and with the 101 Corridor already at risk from fl ooding and storm damage, it is critical that we plan projects that will not waste public investment while protecting what little wetlands remain.

We know that there will be critics, but we feel the Commission’s decision is one that strikes a balance. Hopefully the respectful tone taken by people on all sides of this issue at the hearing will continue as we work toward a safer roadway, a Humboldt Bay Trail connecting Arcata and Eureka, the removal of billboards that block scenic views of Humboldt Bay, and corridor planning that takes into account sea level rise.

On behalf of the NEC and Humboldt Baykeeper, we would like to thank the many people whose eff orts led to what we feel is a reasonably balanced outcome: the many transportation and trail advocates, the various municipalities and County representatives, business owners, and other outspoken members of the public. A special thanks to Larry Glass, Ralph Faust, Coastal Commission staff , and others who took a principled stance in the face of opposition and helped to hold the line in order to reach a decision we can celebrate, at least in part, as a victory.

2013 Site Captains:Kim Tays & Stan BinnieMatt Porter - KokatatSid DominitzGeo� Praust - Trinidad Union SchoolCarol Mone Tina & Scott DaviesJosh & Glenda Nikolauson - Cub Scouts Pack 180Brooke PetersTerry & Kimberly SchulzChris Goodwin - Humboldt Swim ClubRachel MontgomeryEmily Davenport - GHD Ted HalsteadStacey DeMarcos - Lambda Theta Alpha SororityFawn Scheer - Greenway Partners

George Ziminsky - Friends of Arcata Marsh Brenda Harper - North Coast Co-OpDave Feral - Mad River Alliance John SullivanStacy Becker - HSU Day of CaringJohn St. Marie - Friends of the DunesMichelle Leonard & Bryan Little - Redwood MontessoriDale Unea - Samoa Volunteer Fire DepartmentGeorgianna Wood - Explore North Coast Wade Kriletech - Humboldt Bay Aquatic CenterBilly Gartman – US Coast GuardJennifer Savage - Humboldt SurfriderAnnalise Von Borstel - Lost Coast Rotaract Todd Rowe - Northcoast Environmental CenterLucia Boyer - Eureka High School

Gretchen Ziegler & Amanda Austin - Sequoia Park Zoo Don Wilkes - Eureka Public MarinaJessica Hall - Humboldt BaykeeperJohn Shelter - New Directions Heather Brown - East High School, FortunaKatelyn MerritDavid Haller - Freshwater Elementary SchoolMark Wheetley - Arcata City CouncilBruce SlocumDave Erickson - The Wildlands ConservancyScott Greacen - Friends of the Eel RiverLynn McCullough - Ferndale Elementary Audrey MillerPam Halstead - Fortuna Union High SchoolWilliam Bell

To everyone who helped make this Coastal Cleanup such a success, from all of us at the Northcoast Environmental Center, thanks you so much from the bottom of

our hearts! Your commitment, many of you year after year, is truly inspiring.

MailboxMailboxLetter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

WANTED: Persistent Advocates for Water Carrying Capacity Studies

� anks to Scott Greacen and EcoNews for publishing an extremely rare glimpse into the broader problems of water diversion, depletion, and pollution in our impaired rivers, streams and aquifers. (EcoNews Aug/Sept 2013). Without regular reminders, most citizens are uninformed and unaware of the necessity and eff ectiveness of regulations that are applicable in Humboldt County, beyond today’s laser-focus on Marijuana.

� e centralization of wealth and power in every community has sustained the outdated Lockean notion of the unfettered right to appropriate and accumulate nature’s bounty made possible by money. � is remains a deeply embedded theme in the U.S. despite the loss of prolifi c old growth, wetlands, salmon runs, water dependent bio-diversity, and now the water itself. Each loss, unimaginable less than one human lifetime ago, represents the cumulative impact of incremental, careless behavior and lost opportunities to adapt to nature’s limitations by codifying low-impact, low-tech solutions based upon science.

Our water sources do not distinguish between phosphates, fertilizers, pesticides, petrochemicals, turbidity and depletion from marijuana, or from potato farms, subdivisions, roads, vineyards, trout farms, orchards, man-made ponds, Olympic pools, commercial gardens or free-range livestock. Fundamental water carrying-capacity studies are essential in avoiding the cumulative impacts of water extraction, pollution, and habitat loss that are becoming worldwide disasters. Independent, scientifi c analysis should be a prerequisite to permitting all future developments in our headwaters; however, this will require extensive and persistent public education that explains how water belongs to everyone, including posterity and all species.

As population density increases, most citizens understand and adapt to necessary regulations. We cannot ride our horse and buggy downtown anymore, we abandoned burn barrels, dumping motor oil and shooting guns in the backyard, fi lling wetlands is largely prohibited, and we must acquire permits to take seaweed from the ocean or mushrooms from the forest, among many other things. Regulations remind most smokers and pet owners that their freedoms end where others’ begin, however, we have yet to convince local representatives, and their contributors, that our water, air, bay and infrastructure belong to everyone, not just those capable of drilling the deepest wells, emitting the most toxins, or creating the most sprawl, in eff ect, making rural and urban life more profi table and less livable.Sincerely, George Clark, Eureka, CA

EcoNews Oct/Nov 2013 www.yournec.org 4

On Saturday, September 21, Humboldt County residents turned out by the hundreds, despite the rain, to lend their hands in support of clean beaches and waterways for Coastal Cleanup Day. Over 600 volunteers scoured shorelines and inland locations, picking up trash at over 40 sites throughout the County, gathering over four tons of garbage during the morning’s three-hour event.

� is is the 34th year of the Northcoast Environmental Center’s coastal cleanup program and we are proud to be working as part of the California Coastal Commission’s 29th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day. � e Coastal Commission’s preliminary results report that more than 51,500 volunteers collected over 47,000 pounds at over 850 sites throughout the state! California’s event is part of the International Coastal Cleanup organized by Ocean Conservancy—making our eff orts part of one of the biggest days of caring celebrated worldwide.

Coastal Cleanup Day is an inspirational day of action that brings our community together to celebrate and protect our rivers and coast. It is the hard work of so many amazing volunteers and the support from agencies, organizations, and businesses that really make this such a successful local event. We are immensely grateful for the devoted volunteers who regularly take part in Coastal Cleanup as well as those who perform cleanups throughout the year.

� is year’s cleanup saw volunteers of all ages—from hundreds of elementary and high school students, to volunteers who have been involved since the NEC’s fi rst cleanup over three decades ago. People took to the beaches up and down Humboldt’s coastline, from Shelter Cove to Redwood Creek to inland reaches of the Eel and Mad Rivers.

� e NEC would like to extend our gratitude to ALL our cleanup volunteers, and site captains—some of whom come back to help year after year! See the list of our awesome 2013 site captains on the previous page, and our sponsors on page 2. We couldn’t do it without you! � ank you!

Data from past cleanups tell us that around 80 percent of the debris on our beaches and shorelines originates from land-based sources, traveling through storm drains, creeks, or rivers to the beaches and ocean. � is year, however, coastal volunteers were on the lookout for debris from a new source: items that may have been washed into the Pacifi c due to the March 2011 tsunami in Japan. Volunteers at many sites carried a data card, designed by the Coastal Commission with help from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, to track potential tsunami debris.

� e NEC and other organizations throughout California have been on the lookout for any debris that may have come from the tsunami, but at least to date, most of the debris on our beaches is still coming from the usual sources. In the eight tsumani debris monitoring cleanups held in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, less than a dozen items considered “suspected” tsunami debris were found, demonstrating that, so far, debris from the Japan tsunami is just a small drop in the bucket compared to all the trash and recycling we clean up each year.

� e NEC’s next tsunami debris monitoring and beach cleanup events in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties will be in November. If you are interested in volunteering, or would like more information, call our offi ce at 707-822-6918 or email [email protected] to get involved!

Hundreds of North Coast Volunteers Work to Make Trash Extinct� on

29th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day

Above, the Humboldt Baykeeper crew poses after cleaning near the Del Norte Street pier in Eureka. Below left, students with the Fortuna Creeks Program, organized by Pam Halstead, clean trash from Rohner Creek in Fortuna.

For more information visit: www.yournec.org/coastalcleanup

For those who were unable to make it out for Coastal Cleanup Day or for those who cannot get enough beach cleanups, we have recently revamped our year-round Adopt-A-Beach program. We provide bags, gloves, and other supplies–and you can participate on your own time. After completing three cleanups, you will be recognized by the NEC as well as the California Coastal Commission.

Our next county-wide day of action will be in April for the next Earth Day Cleanup. And we hope that everyone joins us next September for the 30th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day, and the 35th year of the NEC’s Coastal Cleanup campaign.

A huge thank you to Sid Dominitz, founder of the NEC’s 34 year-old coastal cleanup campaign who joined us again this year as site captain at College Cove – marking nearly 3.5 decades of coastal cleanup action (Sid also held the post as long-time EcoNews editor and is currently a much-celebrated contributor). Our many hats are o� as well to NEC sta� er Brandon Drucker who was fundamental in helping to organize this year’s County-wide cleanup e� orts and is the go-to person for those interested in volunteering at future cleanups. Thanks Brandon and Sid!


Left, the Whanganui River, granted rights in New Zealand in 2012.Photo: Wikimedia Commons. Above, Got Rights display at a Rights of Nature Meeting, Philo, CA. Photo by James Lee.

Linda Sheehan, Earth Law Center

Despite achieving some notable successes, our current environmental laws have been unable to prevent increasingly grave ecological challenges such as accelerating climate change, depleted waterways, disappearing species, and vanishing natural habitats.

� e reason for their limited eff ectiveness is that they inherently accept the premise that nature is simply fodder to feed the myth of infi nite economic growth on a fi nite planet—a commodity that can

be limitlessly manipulated to our ends. We cannot succeed on our current path viewing nature from such a misguided and disconnected perspective.

In engaging with nature as our opponent, we and our fl awed world-view of “nature as servant” are in fact our own opponents. We must evolve our awareness, character and actions to the fact of our shared citizenship with the natural world, rather than continue to fi ght it head-on in a doomed battle for dominance.

Respecting our shared citizenship with nature means nothing less than acknowledging in our laws the inherent rights of ecosystems and species to exist, thrive and evolve. We assume that we have fundamental human rights, not because a government leader gave them to us, but because we were born and live on this planet. How can we not also recognize the same logic as it applies to nature? Our recognition of the rights of nature should be the foundation of our eff orts to create community with the natural world.

Without this clear grounding in nature’s rights, our eff orts to improve the Earth’s condition will fl ounder. “Sustainable development” and “green economy” initiatives are popular, for example, but are problematic in that they are the

A “Rights of Nature” Movement Is Advancing Worldwideprogrammatic result of building off a “nature as servant” foundation. � e nouns “development” and “economy” demonstrate the true focus of these initiatives—nature’s protection is merely tangential. Why not instead embrace a new focus, and claim a vision of “sustainable communities”—or better yet, “thriving communities,” where “communities” includes both humans and the natural world?

Around the world, people—from national governments to small towns—have begun to build this foundation of community with nature, by passing laws specifi cally recognizing the rights of nature to exist, thrive and evolve. Ecuador recognized these rights in its Constitution in 2008, stating that nature “has the right to exist, persist, maintain itself and regenerate.” Under the Constitution, “[a]ny person” may “demand the observance of the rights of the natural environment before public bodies,” including the rights of nature to be “completely restored.”

Bolivia has passed two sets of laws on the “Rights of Mother Earth,” and hosted the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth in April 2010. � is conference, attended by over 35,000 people from 140 countries, resulted in the “Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth.” � e Declaration states, among other things, that the Earth’s species and natural systems have a right to life and to exist. � is document was presented to the United Nations and was been the subject of further UN discussion in April of this year. Other countries are increasingly taking up this model, including New Zealand, which recognized the legal rights of the Whanganui River and its tributaries a year ago.

Here in the United States, roughly three dozen communities have taken up this particular cause, with more joining in.

Respecting our shared citizenship

with nature means nothing less

than acknowledging in our laws the

inherent rights of ecosystems and

species to exist, thrive and evolve

Continued on page 19


Left, the Whanganui River, granted rights in New Zealand in 2012.Photo: Wikimedia Commons. Above, Earth Rights display at a Rights of Nature Meeting, Philo, CA. Photo by James Lee.

Linda Sheehan, Earth Law Center

Despite achieving some notable successes, our current environmental laws have been unable to prevent increasingly grave ecological challenges such as accelerating climate change, depleted waterways, disappearing species, and vanishing natural habitats.

� e reason for their limited eff ectiveness is that they inherently accept the premise that nature is simply fodder to feed the myth of infi nite economic growth on a fi nite planet—a commodity that can

be limitlessly manipulated to our ends. We cannot succeed on our current path viewing nature from such a misguided and disconnected perspective.

In engaging with nature as our opponent, we and our fl awed world-view of “nature as servant” are in fact our own opponents. We must evolve our awareness, character and actions to the fact of our shared citizenship with the natural world, rather than continue to fi ght it head-on in a doomed battle for dominance.

Respecting our shared citizenship with nature means nothing less than acknowledging in our laws the inherent rights of ecosystems and species to exist, thrive and evolve. We assume that we have fundamental human rights, not because a government leader gave them to us, but because we were born and live on this planet. How can we not also recognize the same logic as it applies to nature? Our recognition of the rights of nature should be the foundation of our eff orts to create community with the natural world.

Without this clear grounding in nature’s rights, our eff orts to improve the Earth’s condition will fl ounder. “Sustainable development” and “green economy” initiatives are popular, for example, but are problematic in that they are the

A “Rights of Nature” Movement Is Advancing Worldwideprogrammatic result of building off a “nature as servant” foundation. � e nouns “development” and “economy” demonstrate the true focus of these initiatives—nature’s protection is merely tangential. Why not instead embrace a new focus, and claim a vision of “sustainable communities”—or better yet, “thriving communities,” where “communities” includes both humans and the natural world?

Around the world, people—from national governments to small towns—have begun to build this foundation of community with nature, by passing laws specifi cally recognizing the rights of nature to exist, thrive and evolve. Ecuador recognized these rights in its Constitution in 2008, stating that nature “has the right to exist, persist, maintain itself and regenerate.” Under the Constitution, “[a]ny person” may “demand the observance of the rights of the natural environment before public bodies,” including the rights of nature to be “completely restored.”

Bolivia has passed two sets of laws on the “Rights of Mother Earth,” and hosted the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth in April 2010. � is conference, attended by over 35,000 people from 140 countries, resulted in the “Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth.” � e Declaration states, among other things, that the Earth’s species and natural systems have a right to life and to exist. � is document was presented to the United Nations and was been the subject of further UN discussion in April of this year. Other countries are increasingly taking up this model, including New Zealand, which recognized the legal rights of the Whanganui River and its tributaries a year ago.

Here in the United States, roughly three dozen communities have taken up this particular cause, with more joining in.

Respecting our shared citizenship

with nature means nothing less

than acknowledging in our laws the

inherent rights of ecosystems and

species to exist, thrive and evolve

Continued on page 19

Frack if I Know... Todd Rowe

Despite losing support from most environmental groups, a controversial bill regulating hydraulic fracturing in California was signed into law by Governor Brown on September 20th.

Hydraulic Fracturing, also called fracking, is the process by which water, sand, and hundreds of chemicals are injected deep into the ground at high pressures to fracture the rock and release the gas and oil trapped within.

SB-4, sponsored by Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills), will require companies to obtain permits before acidization (the use of hydrofl uoric acid and other chemicals to dissolve shale rock) and fracking. � e bill also requires the notifi cation of neighbors, public disclosure of some of the chemicals used, and groundwater and air quality monitoring.

Until now, California had no rules governing fracking, despite the process being used more than 1,000 times in the last three years. � e Associated Press recently reported that regulators have quietly approved off shore hydraulic fracturing at least 12 times since the late 1990s, a revelation that surprised the Coastal Commission and prompted an August announcement of its intention to investigate the practice.

While Brown and Pavley celebrate the bill as a

momentous step in regulating hydraulic fracturing, environmental groups are concerned that not only is the bill too weak, but that it may actually pave the way for a vast expansion in fracking statewide. � e stakes are high as companies eyeball the Monterey shale formation, which reportedly may hold more than 15 billion barrels of crude oil.

In a statement, Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) president Catherine Reheis-Boyd said, “we now have an environmental platform on which California can look toward the opportunity to responsibly develop the enormous potential energy resource contained in the Monterey Shale formation.” WSPA is currently the most powerful corporate lobbying group in California, and stopped actively lobbying against SB-4 in the closing weeks of negotiations, leading many to speculate about the deals cut over the inclusion of controversial last minute amendments that caused previously supportive environmental groups to abandon their support of the bill.

“It was the governor’s offi ce that was insisting that those amendments go in in the fi rst place,” said Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California. “As environmental groups and others were negotiating to get those amendments changed…� e governor’s offi ce was refusing to change them.” Continued on page 19

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Explore the Historic Landscape of Humboldt County

When the fi rst Euro-American ships arrived off Humboldt Bay in the spring of 1850, those onboard witnessed a spectacle that we can only dream about. According to the National Park Service, cultural landscapes are documents, composed of natural and human made features and spaces that convey the land ethic and social values of a particular peoples, or groups of peoples, over time. � rough the lens of their culture, these fi rst Euro-American settlers saw the land before them as natural or untouched “wilderness” that could be transformed into a “productive” resource. � ey certainly did not understand that they were viewing a managed landscape and that the Wiyot people who resided here were the land managers.

� is month we begin a new series to explore the cultural landscapes of the Northcoast from a historical perspective in order to understand the long term impacts of how we occupy the land—and how the land has shaped our lives. Among the places we will re-visit over the next year are early logging operations, the post-WWII logging boom, reclamation projects on Humboldt Bay, early fi sheries, the establishment of agriculture, and indigenous land management practices. Find the full introduction online at www.yournec.org/econews/historicland.

“I must now tell you that the land is so beautiful and the soil so rich that I was almost fascinated with the scene...In addition to the good qualities of the land, the waters produce clams in abundance as well as � sh; and geese, ducks, snipe, plover, etc. are about as numerous as wild pigeons at Erie in the spring. The wood is not less productive than the water and droves of elk and deer, with a goodly number of bears are always to be found….” Captain Douglas Ottinger, on board the Laura Virginia, in Humboldt Bay, April 1850.

Pumpjacks on Lost Hills Oil Field in California on Route 46 at sunset. Photo: Arne Hückelheim, Wikimedia Commons.


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Kin to the Earth: Susan BowerChildhood camping trips helped launch Susan

Bower’s lifelong love aff air with nature. She early on decided to fi nd a way to live in forested mountains year round, rather than work in urban offi ces most of the year to earn a few weeks in more natural places. In 1973, with her husband Joseph Bower, Susan moved to rugged land defi ned by wildlands later designated the Trinity Alps, Yolla Bolly and Chanchelulla Wildernesses, thanks in no small part to their eff orts.

� ere, Susan and Joseph built their homestead where they grew much of their plant-based diet, beverages, medicines and spots of fl owered beauty. � is and their shared concerns for the environment proved strong glues in their relationship.

Susan’s activism began protesting the Vietnam war. � e experience proved invaluable when citizens learned Agent Orange, left over from the war, was being used by forest land managers in Trinity County. Local residents successfully halted forest herbicide spraying by public land managers (but unfortunately not use on industrial timberland).

Susan was instrumental in founding, and continues to help nurture, the organization that grew out of these eff orts: Trinity County’s Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment (SAFE). She also helped establish and lead the California Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (CCAP) which challenged the largest user of pesticides in the state: Caltrans. � is campaign dramatically reduced the amount of herbicides applied to our roadsides.

� ese eff orts and successes helped convince Susan that working with integrity for the civic health and well being—even against Goliaths—is worthwhile. She found that education and relationship building can be powerful tools—even when one’s specifi c goals are not realized. Currently she is part of the self selecting Trinity Collaborative, wherein residents of varying viewpoints are meeting with public land managers seeking solutions to local forest problems.

In all this, Susan looks for the presence of Spirit, and had long wondered why most of the faith groups did not seem to recognize the fi rst job God gave humankind was to steward creation and its creatures. “If we profess love for God,” she says, “shouldn’t we at least respect what the Creator made and declared good?”

Ecology was formed. Susan joined its working board of directors, which helped educate and energize people across denominations on behalf of creation.

� is association led to Susan joining the Christian Environmental Council as the forest point person and helped lead the CEC’s eff orts to have the Roadless Area Conservation Rule made law. She also worked with indigenous peoples, including local leader Chris Peters of the Seventh Generation Fund, on this and other issues.

One job Susan especially enjoyed was working as faith liaison and educator for the Pacifi c Coast Forest Water Alliance (including over 30 national, state, and regional environmental groups), helping the leaders of these organizations understand creation care thinking and to create a directory of faith groups working on stewardship.

Building gratifying relationships with many of the wild animals living on and around their homestead is a joy to Susan and Joseph. � is closeness and sense of kinship with wildlife has contributed to Susan’s commitment to plant diet advocacy. She also advocates against genetic engineering in agriculture and helps lead “No to GMO” campaigns.

Regardless of where on the spectrum of spiritual and religious affi liation one might be, Susan believes most all environmentalists acknowledge and in some manner follow the principles of the Golden Rule. “Doing good to others” Susan maintains, “includes not destroying—and even helping—protect the basic life support systems that we all depend upon.

A breakthrough for Susan came in the early 80’s when the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warned leaders of the world’s major religions that the environment was in dire straits because people did not value the environment. As “values” are understood to be prominent focal points of religion, UNEP requested religious leadership engage in environmental stewardship. As a result, the North American Coalition for Christianity and

Photo: Neil Harvey

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Herbal Classes & Travel Adventures with

Jane Bothwell and Visiting Teachers

Dandelion Herbal Center


The Butler � re approaches the Terence residence, September 2013. Photo: Sue Terence.

For the people of the Middle Klamath, forest fi res are largely accepted as a fact of life in the steep mountain canyons. � is fi re season, residents routinely joked with fi refi ghters from as far away as Florida that they were guaranteed multiple trips to the Klamath if they stayed in their line of work long enough. Some of them had already been to the Klamath area three or four times before on fi re suppression eff orts, while other younger fi refi ghters were logging hours on their fi rst of many forays into this rugged country. One division supervisor pointed out that because fi re is such a regular visitor here, fi re suppression forces arriving on the scene usually need only look for old bulldozer lines on ridges left over from the last time a fi re swept through there and set to work re-opening them.

Despite how accustomed our communities are to wildfi res, these were diff erent than those we’d come to expect. In Orleans, up the mainstem Salmon River near Butler, Forks of Salmon and Sawyers Bar, fi res started with a suspicious lack of lightning—the typical culprit for fi res this late in the season. While those in command operated under a directive to put out arson fi res as soon as possible, yellowshirts on the ground took a refreshing approach to the fi res in our neighborhood, allowing them to creep around, cleaning up the forest fl oor.

� ough it was not the time of year any of us would have chosen to do a prescribed burn, we were as delighted as the fi refi ghters to see the cool underburning happening in many places on

Fire� ghting in Klamath Canyons is a Community E� ort

the Butler fi re. Even in much of the Nordheimer Creek watershed upriver from our house, where logging slash left by Croman and other timber operators decades ago posed a major catastrophic fi re risk, high humidities kept the fi re at relatively low intensities overall. (Ironically, Croman, having profi ted off timber export from our watershed in the 70’s and 80’s—making the areas vastly more hazardous during fi res—now profi ted off fi re suppression by operating helicopters dipping in the river near Butler during this year’s fi re).

But in our neighborhood, what made this fi re experience most notably diff erent than prior fi res was our level of preparedness going in, thanks to fuel

Live in this landscape long enough, and you figure the fire is eventually coming to your house.

This was the year that it came to ours.

reduction projects throughout the year aided by the Orleans

Somes Bar Fire Safe Council, the Mid Klamath Watershed Council and

the Salmon River Restoration Council, such as mowing, chipping and piling in our “wildland-urban interface.” In addition, the impromptu citizen brigades that emerged to help friends and neighbors protect their homes in case of radical wind shifts were moving beyond words.

People mobilized with gas cans, pumps, hoses, sprinklers, storage tanks and radios to defend river residences against the blazes. � ese volunteer citizens cannot be thanked enough. At our property, home to eight land partners, locals arrived and fi t fl awlessly into a system we designed on the fl y to account for the locations of all 40+ volunteers on our fl at at all times. We were able to give offi cials a head count whenever they asked for one.

� e announcement that we planned to have dozens of civilians on the ground as the fi re approached had

elicited skepticism from the fi refi ghting agencies camped in our yard. But by the end of the week, fi re offi cials too were checking in and out on the clipboard with our gatekeeper at the bottom of the driveway. Only then did it dawn on me that we had turned a corner in fi re response. Someday, the fi re may get here without the fi re-industrial complex on the scene. � is experience was trial-by-fi re training for that day.

In the mean time, we’ll keep feeding the yellowshirts coff ee, bread and lessons in why burning from the bottom of a slope is not a good idea. A little accountability with a lot of mutual respect goes a long way, it seems.

Erica Terence

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a bike kitchen. � e group wanted to focus on education and sharing of community knowledge, and found a great partnership with the Westside Community Improvement Association which has been restoring the old Jeff erson School into a new, bustling, community center.

� e Community Bike Kitchen is powered by volunteers and community support. A core steering committee, dedicated mechanics and shop managers keep the wheels spinning, though we are always looking for interested folks to join the team! � e Humboldt State University police department, local bike shops and dozens of individuals and community groups have donated used bicycles, parts and tools to help launch and sustain the bike kitchen. � is support has helped the bike kitchen to be fully equipped to assist with any bicycle repair and off er a range of well-functioning, used bicycles for the community.

In addition to tremendous community support and donations, the Community Bike Kitchen recently was fortunate to receive a grant from the John Anderson Brown & Dorothy Eileen Brown Memorial Fund, and Julie Willows Memorial Fund— both funds of the Humboldt Area Foundation. � is

grant will enable the bike kitchen to start monthly topic-specifi c workshops and to purchase bicycle work stands and tools to better meet members’ repair needs.

Swing by the bike kitchen to learn new skills, fi nd a bike for yourself, make some repairs, or just to check out the space. We are located at 1000 B Street in Eureka in the Jeff erson Community Center, and open hours are Tuesday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information visit the bike kitchen on Facebook, Community Bike Kitchen at Jeff erson School, or contact Emily at 707-269-2061.

Community Bike Kitchen Opens in Eureka

“We Help You Understand Nature’s Pharmacy”

• Over 400 medicinal and culinary herbs

• Organic teas

• Custom formulas

• Unique gifts

300 2nd Street, Old Town, Eureka(707) 442-3541 • www.humboldtherbals.com

Healthcare for your life.

300 2nd Street, Old Town, Eureka

~ Certified Herbalists ~Effective, Natural & Economical

Emily Sinkhorn

Do you need more r e l i a b l e transportation? Do you have

an old bike languishing in your

garage? A new community space has opened in Eureka dedicated to sharing knowledge of how to repair and maintain bicycles and increasing transportation security for residents in Eureka and beyond.

� e Community Bike Kitchen provides community members access to tools, work space, knowledgeable mechanics, used bikes and bike parts—all through a small donation or by volunteering time in the bike kitchen. Since opening June 1 of this year, the Community Bike Kitchen has been a hub of learning and activity for all ages—youth to seniors. In addition, the Earn-a-Bike program has enabled dozens of youth and adults alike the opportunity to volunteer in the bike kitchen learning new skills while working towards a new set of wheels.

� e opportunity for a bike kitchen stemmed from the recognition of many transportation challenges in west Eureka and growing community interest in creating a safe, welcoming space to share bicycle knowledge and recycle used bikes back into the hands and feet of the community. A passionate group of community members and staff from Redwood Community Action Agency came together in early 2013 to explore opportunities for creating and sustaining


a bike kitchen. � e group wanted to focus on education and sharing of community knowledge, and found a great partnership with the Westside Community Improvement Association which has been restoring the old Jeff erson School into a new, bustling, community center.

� e Community Bike Kitchen is powered by volunteers and community support. A core steering committee, dedicated mechanics and shop managers keep the wheels spinning, though we are always looking for interested folks to join the team! � e Humboldt State University police department, local bike shops and dozens of individuals and community groups have donated used bicycles, parts and tools to help launch and sustain the bike kitchen. � is support has helped the bike kitchen to be fully equipped to assist with any bicycle repair and off er a range of well-functioning, used bicycles for the community.

In addition to tremendous community support and donations, the Community Bike Kitchen recently was fortunate to receive a grant from the John Anderson Brown & Dorothy Eileen Brown Memorial Fund, and Julie Willows Memorial Fund— both funds of the Humboldt Area Foundation. � is

grant will enable the bike kitchen to start monthly topic-specifi c workshops and to purchase bicycle work stands and tools to better meet members’ repair needs.

Swing by the bike kitchen to learn new skills, fi nd a bike for yourself, make some repairs, or just to check out the space. We are located at 1000 B Street in Eureka in the Jeff erson Community Center, and open hours are Tuesday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information visit the bike kitchen on Facebook, Community Bike Kitchen at Jeff erson School, or contact Emily at 707-269-2061.

Community Bike Kitchen Opens in Eureka

“We Help You Understand Nature’s Pharmacy”

• Over 400 medicinal and culinary herbs

• Organic teas

• Custom formulas

• Unique gifts

300 2nd Street, Old Town, Eureka(707) 442-3541 • www.humboldtherbals.com

Healthcare for your life.

~ Certified Herbalists ~Effective, Natural & Economical

Emily Sinkhorn

Do you need more r e l i a b l e transportation? Do you have

an old bike languishing in your

garage? A new community space has opened in Eureka dedicated to sharing knowledge of how to repair and maintain bicycles and increasing transportation security for residents in Eureka and beyond.

� e Community Bike Kitchen provides community members access to tools, work space, knowledgeable mechanics, used bikes and bike parts—all through a small donation or by volunteering time in the bike kitchen. Since opening June 1 of this year, the Community Bike Kitchen has been a hub of learning and activity for all ages—youth to seniors. In addition, the Earn-a-Bike program has enabled dozens of youth and adults alike the opportunity to volunteer in the bike kitchen learning new skills while working towards a new set of wheels.

� e opportunity for a bike kitchen stemmed from the recognition of many transportation challenges in west Eureka and growing community interest in creating a safe, welcoming space to share bicycle knowledge and recycle used bikes back into the hands and feet of the community. A passionate group of community members and staff from Redwood Community Action Agency came together in early 2013 to explore opportunities for creating and sustaining

Planning for Sea Level Rise

Rose Kelly is a senior at HSU in Natural Resources. � is article is part of her internship with the Northcoast Environmental Center. Rose has also volunteered on other NEC projects and is a member of the HSU crew team.

Rose KellyAs sea level rise pushes both sea water and

tidal habitats onto human spaces, climate change becomes less about science and more about how we choose to react. In the area surrounding Humboldt Bay, a wildlife refuge, transportation corridor, businesses, agricultural land, and several sewage treatment plants are all threatened by inundation. Nationally, there are still people who question if climate change is actually happening, but locally the question is “what are we going to do about it”?

When planning for sea level rise, it is fi rst important to understand the physical environment in question. Lidar is one tool that can be used to map elevation and create highly accurate, 3D models of land underwater topography. A fusion of laser and radar technologies, lidar sends a pulse of energy at the ground from aircraft or ships, and measures the returns—accurate within centimeters.

Once this data is collected, models of sea level rise can be placed on the map to understand how diff ering scenarios interact with the landmass. In earthquake-prone areas such as the North Coast, models should also include seismic data. � e Humboldt Bay area is subsiding at about the same rate as sea level is rising, resulting in sea level rise that is double the state average. And though this area is part of the Cascadia subduction zone, major earthquakes can also result in uplift in some areas, increasing the complexity of analysis. � ese models, while not necessarily exact predictions of the future, can dramatically illustrate and identify areas most at risk to eff ective sea level rise.

Tidal wetlands serve as a buff er between the land and sea; protecting dry land and human settlements while providing important wildlife habitat. However,

these areas have already been impacted and altered by centuries of human development. A shoreline inventory of Humboldt Bay by Aldaron Laird revealed that 75% of the shoreline of Humboldt Bay is artifi cial.

As salt marshes were diked off over time, the gradual transition from land to sea was turned into an abrupt edge of levees. � e majority of this artifi cial shoreline has not been maintained due to cost and environmental impact, and is beginning to crumble and overtop in numerous places—presenting additional risk to adjacent land from rising waters.

Landowners and the public must ponder the future of these lands—whether agricultural, urban, or wild. � ese lands represent signifi cant value for local communities and to save them from the predicted rise in sea level will cost a great deal of money. If you want to help shape the future of the coast, attend public meetings to stay informed and voice your concerns, and comment on environmental assessment documents.

Invest in the FutureJoin our Monthly Giving ProgramFor more information, call the NEC at 707-822-6918For more information, call the NEC at 707-822-6918

Larry Goldberg, Transition HumboldtFor the fi rst time, the two complimentary

movements of Permaculture and Transition Towns are merging conferences and uniting to off er a joint regional convergence: the Building Resilient Communities Conference.

� e conference brings together hundreds of visionary change-makers for an exciting two and a half days of education and inspiration. From climate change to resource depletion to urban decay and violence, the conference attendees will explore and experience solutions to some of the most critical issues of the 21st Century to catalyze grassroots community organizing eff orts and propel the resilient community movement to the next level of public awareness.

� e conference features several world-renowned keynote speakers and extraordinary change-makers building resilience in diverse communities. � ere will also be more than 20 educational workshops.

� e event will present a rare opportunity for some of Northern California’s most exemplary community organizers to gather for social networking from a multitude of communities ranging from Santa Cruz to Humboldt. A bioregional meet-up will occur at the event to link regional groups together to share information and begin a dialog within each region.

Permaculture and Transition Towns are some of the most promising approaches to sustainability. � e Transition Movement is a key approach to putting permaculture into practice and is now in 500+ communities worldwide—including 35 US states, and 43 countries in 13 languages. More information and registration is available at: www.transitiontopermaculture.org

October 11-13, 2013Sustainable Living Institute

Hopland, CA “In the leaking ship that we’ve made of our

planet, the Transition movement is like a fl otilla of life rafts. And they’ve come not to pull us off the earth, but to help us patch it and make it right.”

Bill McKibben, author and founder 350.org


Margaret Gainer� e Zero Waste Humboldt (ZWH) crew

enjoyed the two-day 2013 North Country Fair, but we were there on a serious mission. In the 40 years since the Fair began, the introduction of many plastics and single-use food and beverage containers has resulted in more wasteful events.

ZWH wants to demonstrate how large outdoor events can be held without contributing to environmental damage. In Arcata, this is an issue of community pride. Sharing our conviction, the North Country Fair invited us to take responsibility for waste management and reduction at this year’s Fair.

Two important lessons have become evident. First, 100% participation of the vendors, by serving food and beverages in reusable/washable, or paper and compostable plastic containers, is necessary to eff ectively and effi ciently reduce waste. Only two vendors at this years’ Fair did not participate, but their non-compostible plastic containers found comtaminating the recycling and compost bins throughout the weekend, requiring sorting and removal by hand.

Second, no amount of signs, fl ags, or special containers can replace the value of a trained crew to serve as public educators and diligent container monitors. Our crew of 50 volunteers and 4 staff were trained to identify the diff erent material types and to be able to spot the bad copycat versions of compostable and recyclable materials. Our training session emphasized positive communications with the public.

Feedback from Fair attendees was overwhelmingly positive. With bright vests and fl ags, volunteers received many words of appreciation and encouragement. We had a family of 3 generations volunteer together. Housemates, friends, and a large team of co-workers from Servas International volunteered. Students from Arcata High School, Northcoast Preparatory Academy, and HSU students volunteered.

Our waste management operaters set up all the stations, and kept discarded materials moving from vendors’ compost containers and the discard stations on the Plaza to the designated dumpsters.

We discouraged the use of single-use water bottles at the Fair by serving a tap water alternative If

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Cheery volunteers in bright yellow vests helped Fair attendees sort their waste at one of the many waste stations around the Plaza.

ZWH Helps the North Country Fair Reduce Wasteof chilled local drinking water from water coolers at our ZWH booth, where people could refi ll their own cup or bottle, or borrow one of our stainless steel or durable/reusable plastic cups. � e Retired Senior Volunteer Program booth also served free water in compostable paper cups.

When more water coolers and hydration stations are conveniently available at the Fair, there will be no need for water in plastic, single use bottles. While waste prevention strategies are more diffi cult to measure, when fully-implemented, these systemic changes are the most eff ective at reducing waste.

For an authentic Zero Waste event, careful monitoring and tracking weights of waste generated is essential to set realistic annual goals for incrementally reducing waste over time. � e goal is not just to divert waste from the landfi ll, but to generate less waste in the fi rst place. New systems, new Fair Board policies, and new habits will help the North Country Fair progress each year toward its Zero goal.

� is year, 17% of the Fair’s waste was recycled, 41% went to a large composting facility, and 42% went to a landfi ll. Not bad, but lots of room for improvement. We are preparing a report and short instructional video based on our work this year.

Many thanks to all the generous folks who lent us various materials and tools needed for the weekend, and those who gave their time. Also a heartfelt thank you to the Same Old People and Fair staff for involving Zero Waste Humboldt and their commitment to zero waste.

For more information and photos, and a complete � ank You list, visit this article online: www.yournec.org/econews/zwh/octnov13.

Humboldt’s Advocate for Transportation Choices

www.green-wheels.org

What Would Gifford Pinchot Do?In 1905, Giff ord Pinchot became the

fi rst chief of the US National Forest Service as we know it. He was not always beloved by preservationists, like John Muir, but he brought science to long-term management of our national forests and ended the short-sighted supply/demand practices that were destroying them. � is year the US House of Representatives decided to return to short-sighted management by passing HR 1526, the oddly titled: “Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act.”

� e bill drastically increases the amount of logging (including clear-cutting) with amounts not determined by sustain-yield and scientifi c forest practices, but by political edict. Common fears are employed to encourage support, such as forest fi res and insect damaged trees as a drivers. Worse, the bill limits public engagement in environmental review (“streamlining”).

� e “healthy community” portion of the bill’s title relates to the reauthorization of earmarking logging revenue to supplement funding of nearby rural schools. Funding schools is popular on all sides, but this bill reduces the legacy of Giff ord Pinchot’s work by lining the pockets of local governments rather than providing for Pichot’s “greater good”.

Rep. DeFazio, a Democrat who represents our neighbors just north over the Oregon border, admits the bill has lots of fl aws. DeFazio, however, thinks the benefi ts to his constituency of saving some old growth forests, and adding some wilderness and wild river protections, outweigh those concerns.

� e Northcoast Environmental Center joined with 25 other conservation organizations in sending a letter to the House opposing this bill. � e bill passed with only 17 Democrats following DeFazio’s lead. All CA Republicans voted in favor of the bill while all CA Democrats voted in opposition (including our own representative, Jared Huff man). Now it will be up to the US Senate to deal with the bill. We hope CA Senators Feinstein and Boxer will help stop this bad bill, but also carve out one that would extend economic supplement to schools near our national forests.

EyeonWashington

The 5 Year Keystone Pipeline KvetchKvetch = verb \’kvech, ‘kfech\ : to complain often or constantly

� e House of Representatives decided to throw a 5th “anniversary party” (disguised as a hearing) to complain about the delays surrounding a White House decision on whether to approve or deny the permit to construct the Keystone XL Tar Sands pipeline. � e pipeline would bring the dirtiest, most toxic, and most polluting oil bitumen to Gulf Coast refi neries—from which most of the refi ned oil will then be shipped to foreign markets—while endangering rivers, wetlands and groundwater along its approximately 3,800 mile long corridor.

� e hearing was wrong from the start. As the White House pointed out, the TransCanada Corp. had actually submitted this permit only one year ago—so this should have been a one year kvetch at most. � e rest—”jobs” and “energy independence” arguments—are just the same old smokescreen talking points. (Studies say most jobs would be temporary or nonexistent for local communities along the pipeline route.) Talking points such as these are polished by oil industry lobbyists and fed to Congressional representatives.

Rep. Johnson from Ohio (who, according to 350.org, had recently received a quarter of a million dollars in donations from the oil industry) provided one of the more lively—though embarrassing—moments in the current Congress. He decided it was not enough to stick to the same old kvetching talking points, instead choosing to personally attack a witness. His victim: Ms. Jane Kleeb, one of only two witnesses opposing the pipeline and creator and head of Bold Nebraska, a group of activists opposing the seizure of their lands and threats to clean water.

He harassed her by insisting she could only answer “yes” or “no” to complex questions instead

of off ering nuanced answers. She politely refused, and reminded him that as a US Citizen, she paid his salary. � is only made Rep. Johnson even more angry. Rep. Johnson then insinuated that her organization was not real, and asked about her husband’s green energy business in Nebraska. Ms. Kleeb pointed out that it was odd that none of the witnesses who support the pipeline were asked about their spouses’ work, and if there were questions for her husband, the committee should call

her husband rather than badgering her. � e line of questioning was obviously

a planned scare tactic to keep pipeline opponents from testifying, but Ms. Kleeb refused to be bullied. After Rep. Johnson left the room following his line of “questioning”, a female Rep. from Upstate NY apologized and expressed outrage at the display of badgering. It would seem Ms. Kleeb was vindicated.

� ere was no bill or vote related to the hearing, just complaining and an unexpected chance to highlight the courage and work of activist Jane Kleeb. You can check out Ms. Kleeb and Bold Nebraska at www.boldnebraska.org.

We Applaud the PLANT ActCongressman Huff man joined with

neighboring congressman LaMalfa to try to bring some attention to the legitimate problems of illegal logging, road-building, sediment run-off and toxins that mark illegal pot grows on our public lands. Without getting into the pro/anti marijuana debate, the Act sends a message that engaging in these practices that destroy forests and wildlife habitat, and sap the water from our fi sheries and aquatic ecosystems cannot be ignored or condoned. Environmental destruction of our public lands and toxic chemicals left behind from these illegal commercial activities cost all of us to clean up. We also hope congress will look at means to dissuade these illegal activities before they begin, but Congressman Huff man is shining an offi cial light on an important topic.

Dan Sealy is the NEC’s Legislative Analyst in D.C.

212 J Street Eureka, CA 95501 707-445-0784

Robert Berg, D.D.S. ...working with clients to improve the social, economic and environmental performance of their organizations and projects.

REGENERATIVE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND RESEARCHCHANGE MANAGEMENT

www.greenwaypartners.net 707.822.0597

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FIELD TRIPS

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andpiper SOCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013

Redwood Region Audubon Society

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October ProgramFriday, October 11TH

Every Saturday: Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. These are our famous rain-or-shine, docent-led fi eld trips at the Marsh. Bring your binocular(s) and have a great morning birding! Meet in the parking lot at the end of South I Street (Klopp Lake) in Arcata at 8:30 a.m. Trips end around 11 a.m. October leaders: 5th: Cindy Moyer; 12th: Chet Ogan; 19th: Ken Burton; 26th: Samantha Bacon.

Saturday, October 12: eBird Site Survey–Shay Park. Join Rob Fowler (707-616-9841) as we survey the extent of Shay Park in Arcata for 1 to 3 hours and count every species present. For more info on the eBird Site Survey, visit this link at ebird.org: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/about/eBird_Site_Survey. Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Shay Park parking lot that is located at the eastern end of Foster Avenue. Waterproof shoes are recommended as we typically walk through a grassy fi eld off-trail.

Sunday, October 13: Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This is a wonderful 2- to 3-hour trip for people wanting to learn the birds of the Humboldt Bay area. It takes a leisurely pace with emphasis on enjoying the birds! Beginners are more than welcome. Meet at the Refuge Visitor Center at 9:00 a.m. Call Jude Power or David Fix (707-822-3613) for more information.

Sunday, October 20: Southern Humboldt Community Park. Jay Sooter (707-444-8001) and/or John Gaffi n will lead this monthly walk. All ages and experience levels are encouraged to participate and revel in the beauty of the park and its avian inhabitants on this easy 2- to 3-hour walk.

Binoculars are not provided, and dogs are not allowed; fi eld guides are usually available, but please provide your own if possible. Steady rain cancels. Meet at 9:00 a.m., parking by the kiosk near the farmhouse at the main entrance. Sunday, October 20: Eureka Waterfront. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at the foot of W. Del Norte St., where we will scope birds off the public dock here until everyone assembles. We will then drive to the base of the Hikshari’ Trail at Truesdale Street and bird along the trail to the Elk River Wildlife Area. Leader: Ralph Bucher (707- 499-1247; [email protected]).

Saturday, October 26: Arcata Bottoms. Meet leader Ken Burton (707-499-1146) at the Foster Ave. entrance to Shay Park at 8:30 a.m. We’ll spend an hour or so in the park, then head out farther into the Arcata Bottoms in search of early winter raptors and waterfowl, migrant sparrows and blackbirds, and other open-country species. This will be a half-day trip.

Sunday, November 10: Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. See October 13. Sunday, November 17: Southern Humboldt Community Park. See October 20.

Saturday, November 16: eBird Site Survey–Shay Park. See October 12. Sunday, November 17: Eureka Waterfront. See October 20.

November ProgramFriday, November 8TH

Programs start at 7:30 p.m. at the Humboldt County Offi ce of Educationnear the Burre Center at Myrtle and West in Eureka.

Bring a mug to enjoy shade-grown coffee, and come fragrance free.

Chasing the Devil Antarctic Adventure!Local biologist Adam Brown has spent the past 3 years in the Caribbean looking for the Black-capped Petrel. Known throughout the Caribbean as the Diablotin, the petrel is one of the rarest seabirds in the world. Until 2011, no nests of the species had ever been located. As part of an expedition led by Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC; www.epicislands.org) and partnering with conservation groups in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Adam and his crew helped locate and describe the fi rst Black-capped Petrel colonies ever recorded. Come listen to Adam describe the conservation effort, hear about their recent successes, and learn more about this rare and elusive seabird.

In September and October 2013, a small group of intrepid explorers embarked on a journey into the Antarctic wilderness and the unknown. United by a sense of adventure and a shared love of the far South, they undertook an odyssey to witness one of the most iconic Antarctic moments: Emperor Penguin families uniting after the long winter as sunlight returns to the pack ice. The team plans to land on the Antarctic Peninsula and to travel overland to reach the northernmost colony, at Snow Hill Island. Within weeks of his return (assuming he survives!), Ted Cheeseman of Cheeseman Ecology Safaris will share his adventures on this expedition with us, along with information about the fascinating life history of this, the largest penguin species.

RRASVolunteer Appreciation Event

Oct 25If you are among the 50-plus people who have volunteered for RRAS in the past 12 months, you should have received an e-mail invitation to our Third Annual Volunteer Appreciation Event. It will be held at the Humboldt Area Foundation on Indianola Cutoff from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday, October 25. Eligible volunteers include RRAS board members, fi eld trip leaders, Sandpiper contributors, and helpers at special events (e.g., Wildlife Camp, Godwit Days). Signifi cant others are welcome.

Because the event is so near Halloween, we hope attendees will get in the spirit and dress up. Sue Leskiw will again bring her vast collection of fun hats and wigs, if you want to borrow a look for the evening. Invitees are reminded to RSVP to Sue at [email protected] or 442-5444 by Monday, October 21, with their choice of beverage and number attending (even if zero), so we can plan the food and libations. Also let us know if you can arrive early to help set up.

Redwood Region Audubon Society welcomes the following new members and subscribers:ARCATA – Bernadette Cheyne, Kris N. Haedrich, Susan Lashbrook, Pamela Mendelsohn, Lee E. Mitchell Brown, Beverly Prosser, William D. Thomas, Kerry S. Varkevisser, Gianpaolo Venturi, Tyler WhitesideBAYSIDE – Andrea Armin, Bryan Hawes, Susan HuntressCRESCENT CITY – Lawrence A. Davis, Suzanne Dyer, Timothy Nelson, Mary E. Rameika, Sharon Plack, Windy Rinn, Phyllis WardlawEUREKA – Terry Baker, James W. Cernohlavek, Renee Cloney, Elaine Crawford, Janet Foos, Arlene Ghera, Michael Giusti, Lee A. Gossard, Glenda Hesseltine, Shawna D. Heyer. Allan Katz, Gerald W. Loffelbein, Laurey Morris, Angus Stewart, N. A. Taylor, John Thomas, Tom Torma, Michael Tout, Anna Wooten, L. WrightFERNDALE – Susan LacyFORTUNA – Linda M. BellGARBERVILLE – Greg GratzelKNEELAND – Kenneth Cook, Kevin Cost, Betsy WatsonMCKINLEYVILLE – Sondra Mixon, Chris Sottak, Kaye L. WestcottPETROLIA – G. HuntREDWAY – Taun Moondy, Rebecca NelsonRIO DELL – Muriel SpencerSMITH RIVER – Blanch GiblinTRINIDAD – Magdeline PereiraWe look forward to seeing you on field trips and at our monthly programs.

New Members

CHAPTER LEADERSOFFICERS

President— Jim Clark ….........................… 707-445-8311Vice President — Chet Ogan …..............… 707-442-9353Secretary—Adam Brown............................. 707-826-0319Treasurer—Syn-dee Noel............................. 707-442-8862

DIRECTORS AT LARGERalph Bucher …........................................ 707-443-6944Joe Ceriani …............................................ 707-476-9127Jill Demers ……………………………… 707-667-6163Hal Genger ………………..............…….. 707-443-7147Harriet Hill………………………………. 707-267-4055Lew Norton.....................................……… 707-445-1791Susan Penn..................................…......…. 707-443-9660 C.J. Ralph ............................................….. 707-822-2015

OTHER CHAPTER LEADERSConservation — Chet Ogan ...............….. 707-442-9353Education/Scholarships — VacanteBird Liaison — Rob Fowler …………... 707-839-3493Field Notes — Daryl Coldren...........…..... 916-384-8089Field Trips— Rob Fowler ……….......….. 707-839-3493Finance: Syn-dee Noel ...............................707-442-8862 Historian — John Hewston ...................... 707-822-5288Membership — Lew & Judie Norton....... 707-445-1791NEC Representative — C.J. Ralph.......... 707-822-2015Nominating – Jim Clark …....................... 707-445-8311Programs — Ken Burton ..........................707-499-1146Publications — C.J. Ralph..................….. 707-822-2015Publicity — Harriet Hill............................ 707-267-4055

Sandpiper (Editor):Jan Andersen …....… 707-616-3888Sandpiper (Layout): Gary Bloomfield ......707-822-0210Volunteer Coordinator — Susan Penn.…707-443-9660Website Gatekeeper—SueLeskiw…….....707-442-5444Lake Earl Branch — Sue Calla................ 707-465-6191RRAS Web Page...........................……..... www.rras.orgArcata Bird Alert .........707-822-LOON (707-822-5666)

The Sandpiper is published six times each year by Redwood Region Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 1054, Eureka, CA 95502.

By Chet Ogan

I attended the September 12, 2013, California Coastal Commission (CCC) meeting held in Eureka ad have some favorable results to report. Early on the agenda, a PowerPoint presentation by Aldaron Laird on his Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Project showed that the railroad prism and Highway 101 corridor are vulnerable to flooding, which could cause major disruption of our infrastructure. The CCC took note of this finding. Expect to hear more about this as an Audubon conservation issue in the future as the CCC will be adapting its policies to account for Mother Nature.

In Del Norte County, the Federal Aviation Agency has required McNamara Field airport to expand runway length, which will require adding or improving 1,500 feet of runway, resulting in a wetland and dune take of 16.9 acres. Mitigation will consist of buying more tax-defaulted lots and decommissioning roads in Pacific Shores, and making improvements in Tolowa Dunes State Park. RRAS, Friends of Del Norte, and the northwest

California chapters of the California Native Plant Society and Sierra Club supported this. The CCC voted to approve this proposal. For more details see http://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2013/9/Th9b-9-2013.pdf

I have spent 8 years attending meetings of the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCOAG) Citizen Action Committee concerning the Highway 101 Eureka-to-Arcata Safety Corridor as an at-large representative for the conservation community. I drove this corridor almost daily for 30 years between home in Eureka and work in Arcata, so I was interested in this issue. We met with business owners along this corridor who would be most impacted by any highway changes. As with many highway issues, Audubon has viewed similar projects first with public safety in mind and second with concern for the environmental effects of the project and its proper mitigation. Representing RRAS, I have also attended meetings and met with public officials concerning a bay trail along the Highway 101 corridor. Although the final decision to close 4 intersections will affect several businesses, the overpass at Indianola Road will be safer than the existing “highway scramble.” Highway and bicycle/pedestrian paths will be provided with sea-level rise considerations.

CONSERVATION NOTES : Some Favorable Closures

By Jim Clark

By Jim Clark

I ended my last column with an emphasis on considering the International Ecotourism Society’s criteria for outbound birding, pointing out that all birding is local to someone. In this issue, let’s take a closer look at local and inbound birding habitat conservation, preservation, and enhancement.

Our chapter territory owes its excellent birding habitat to its natural attributes for birds, lots of recreational and science/research birders as a resident population, and inbound migrant birders. Many of our resident birders are known to migrate but usually return.

Our excellent birding habitat, however, is being threatened in several ways in our chapter territory:

• Cultivation of marijuana (Cannabis sativa) on an industrial scale is killing aquatic life by drying up streams, killing wildlife with pesticides, and causing erosion and deforestation. • Failure of the California Coastal Commission to work effectively with local jurisdictions has resulted in significant degradation of birding habitat due to illegal camping by what is known as “the homeless population.”• The proliferation of invasive non-native plants has not only taken over important native plant populations used by birds, many, such as ivy and pampas grass, provide breeding habitat for rats that prey on birds and are a potential public health nuisance.

We know of these circumstances mostly through observation and investigation using the biological and earth sciences. The social, political, and economic sciences and education, however, are required to actually solve these problems.

The good news is that the Humboldt Institute for Interdisciplinary Marijuana Research (HIIMR) at Humboldt State University has been formed.

An example of bad news is a recent forum that was sponsored by a local businessman to address an alleged “takeover by the homeless” by choosing which programs designed to help them should be eliminated—a divisive and counterproductive approach rather than one based on evidence. Such biased methods tend to polarize people on important issues rather than solve problems. There is a clear need to take a scientific approach to this problem. A better approach might be to form an “Institute for Interdisciplinary Homeless Research” to provide real facts for real solutions.

The invasive non-native plant problem is being addressed to some extent by the County Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Land Management, but some of these plants continue to be sold for landscaping purposes. Some success has been achieved on public lands with volunteer removal campaigns of Scotch broom, the various ivies, pampas grass, and Cotoneaster, but information on good native landscaping alternatives to these weeds is not widespread. More education is needed here.

The trinity of the Audubon way is to use science, education, and law to achieve our goals. While this approach includes the types of methods required, it is essential that we use as much of each method that we can. Limiting science to ornithology, education to classrooms, or law to promoting legislation is not enough. As in nature, we must embrace diversity in our actions to be an effective force for a better environment and birding habitat.

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN: Threats to Humboldt Bird Populations

The Chinese Zodiac designates each year as sign of an animal, such as Tiger or Monkey. We birders sometimes employ a similar naming scheme, with the main difference being that the year—or season—can be named only after it has passed. For example, Palm Warblers are considered an expected fall migrant in Humboldt County. However, they’ve never been as numerous as they were during the fabled fall and winter of 1993-94, when nearly 100 individuals were tallied. For those of us who birded Humboldt that autumn, the memory is an indelible one. During a drive southward to Petrolia, it seemed as though every fence line, mini-orchard, or ranch house yard boasted one or more birds. Underscoring the ubiquity of Palm Warblers that autumn, Rob Hewitt recorded a fi rst record for vagrant warbler-impoverished Trinity County. Many of these birds lingered to be recorded on local CBCs, with 46 and 27 recorded on the Centerville and Arcata counts, respectively.

Factors that lead to designations such as “Year of the Palm Warbler” are many and varied. A species’ production—or lack thereof—on its breeding grounds, predation, weather, migration mortality, and intensity of observer coverage during the migration all affect the fi nal tally. Weather generally is regarded as the most crucial variable. Did fog or storms concentrate migrants at patches of vegetation, or did north winds and clear nights conspire to swiftly usher birds southward, beyond our grasp? Such vagaries that may or may not occur during “migration windows” nearly guarantee that each season will be unique, that we’ll never step twice into the same river of migrants.

Fall 1998 was Year of the Blackpoll Warbler, with 24 noted in Humboldt vs. only 2 this fall as of September 21. My vote for fall 2012 was easy: Year of the Philadelphia Vireo, because 8 birds were spotted. Prior to last fall, there were only 29 records for Humboldt and Del Norte, with records stretching back to 1967.

The spring migration pulse also carries the potential for a memorable event. May 1998 certainly was deserving of its status as Bristle-thighed Curlew Month. Alan Barron reported one on May 14 at the Battery Point lighthouse in Crescent City. This bird—the fi rst ever confi rmed sighting in California—was considered by experts to be one of 15 to 25 that made it to the West Coast that spring.

Unless something amazing happens in the next several weeks, quantity-wise, it seems appropriate to dub fall 2013 as Season of the Northern Waterthrush, as 9 have been seen in Humboldt as of September 21. Of course, quality can trump quantity, modifying how we choose to remember fall 2013. There’s still plenty of fall migration ahead of us. Finding even a single Blue-footed Booby, Golden-winged Warbler—or a chaseable Broad-winged Hawk—would likely have enough heft to tip the naming scales.

Dr. Stan Harris has kept meticulous records of bird observations in northwestern California for more than four decades. This column wouldn’t have been possible without his making these records available to me. Many thanks, Doc!

Tom Leskiw

Never the Same Autumn Twice“You cannot step twice into the same river,

for other waters are continually fl owing in.” --Heraclitus, Greek philosopher, 500 B.C.

Coming in December: Christmas Bird Counts

Redwood Region Audubon Society (RRAS) is sponsoring 5 local Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) between December 14, 2013, and January 5, 2014. The counts are part of the 114th count that involves over 50,000 observers–most of them amateurs–throughout the U.S. and the world. Mark your calendar for one or more of these CBCs:

Arcata–Saturday, Dec. 14, Daryl Coldren (916-384-8089; [email protected]). The count circle is centered on Arcata, stretching north to McKinleyville south of Murray Road, west to Samoa and Manila, east to Bayside up to the Baywood Golf Course, and south including Freshwater and to Eureka along the waterfront to Bayshore Mall.

Del Norte–Sunday, Dec. 15, Alan Barron (707-465-8904; fl ockfi [email protected]) or Gary Lester (707-839-3373; [email protected]). The count circle includes Crescent City, Smith River, Fort Dick, Lake Earl, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park/Redwood National Park, and the western portion of the Smith River National Recreation Area.

Willow Creek–Saturday, (possibly Dec. 21), Gary Lester (see above). The count circle, centered on Willow Creek, includes Horse Mountain, portions of the South Fork & Main Stem of the Trinity River, the small community of Salyer, and the southern Hoopa Valley. If you plan to do this county, check with Gary about the date.

Centerville–Sunday, Dec. 29, Gary Lester (see above). The count circle is centered on Loleta, divided into geographic sectors of (1) Fields Landing, King Salmon, College of the Redwoods; (2) Table Bluff; (3) Loleta; (4) Fortuna; (5) Ferndale; (6) Centerville Road; (7) Port Kenyon Road; (8) Grizzly Bluff Road; (9) South Spit; (10) Centerville Beach; (11) Elk River Valley; (12) Humboldt Hill; and (13) Salt River.

Tall Trees–Date still to be determined, Ken Burton (707-499-1146; [email protected]). The third year for this count circle between Big Lagoon and Orick.See the next issue of The Sandpiper for further details on how to participate. RRAS will sponsor a potluck dinner on December 13 to “kick off” the CBC season.

Get Involved!RRAS is continually in need of volunteers, either for sporadic one-time tasks such as a mailing party or volunteering at the Godwit Days spring festival or for monthly needs such as a Hospitality person to be in charge of providing brewed coffee and other goodies to the once-a-month member meetings. In all cases, training will be provided as well as, when appropriate, a budget for supplies. To become a volunteer for RRAS, please contact Susan Penn (707-443-9660).

Follow RRAS on Facebook!www.facebook.com/

RedwoodRegionAudubonSociety

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Field NotesSUMMARY OF NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA BIRD REPORTS

By Daryl Coldren

Tennessee Warbler, © Brad Elvert

Cited Observers: Samantha Bacon, Alan Barron, Lucas Brug, Ken Burton, Barbara Carlson, Daryl Coldren, Mark Colwell, Phil Chaon, Mathew Delgado, Colin Dillingham, Jim Edwards, Brad Elvert, David Fix, Rob Fowler, Ian Gledhill, Derek Harvey, Ken Irwin, Tony Kurz, Matt Lau, Paul Lehman, Tom Leskiw, Gary Lester, Lauren Lester, Jim Lomax, Brett Lovelace, Mark Magneson, Sean McAllister, Kurt Ongman, Casey Ryan, Sam Scott, Keith Slauson, Dave Spangenburg, Robert Sutherland, Dennis Vroman, Matt Wachs, Erika Wilson, George Ziminsky.

Thanks to all who have submitted reports. Remember to call the Bird Box as fall heats up.

July 15 to August 31, 2013

Field Notes is a compilation of bird-sighting reports for Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, and western Siskiyou counties. Sources include the RRAS Bird Box (707-822-LOON), the online northwestern California birding and information exchange ([email protected]), eBird (http://ebird.org/content/klamathsiskiyou), and reports submitted directly to the compiler. Reports may be submitted to any of the sources mentioned above or to Daryl Coldren: (916) 384-8089; [email protected].

FOS = first of season; HBNWR = Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge; HSU Pelagic = Humboldt State University pelagic trip to Eel River Canyon; MOb = many observers.

Humboldt County

Hooded Merganser: 1-2, Arcata Marsh, 10-25 Aug (IG, EW, TL, BE) • Murphy’s Petrel: 1, Repositioning Cruise, 10 Jul (PL) • “Dark-rumped” Petrel: 1, Repositioning Cruise, 10 Jul (PLe); 2, Repositioning Cruise, 18 Jul (PL) • Black-footed Albatross: ~60, HSU Pelagic, 31 Aug (RF, SM, MC, MOb) • Hawaiian Petrel: 4: Repositioning Cruise, 18 Jul (PL) • Flesh-footed Shearwater: 1, HSU Pelagic, 31 Aug (RF, SM, MC, MOb) • Buller’s Shearwater: 50 (FOS), Offshore Humboldt, 31 Aug (SM) • Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel: 1-2; HSU Pelagic, 31 Aug (RF, SM, MC, MOb) • Northern Goshawk: 1-3, Horse/Grouse Mountain, 20-25 Jul (MC, MD, KO, BE); South Fork Mountain, 18 Aug (MM) • Pacific Golden-Plover: 1, Ocean Ranch, 16-18 Jul (BE, MD, ML); 1, Centerville (Russ Ranch) Wetlands, 17 Aug (BE); 1, Mad River Slough—Lanphere

Rd., 23 Aug (ML, DH) • Golden-Plover sp: 1, Ocean Ranch, 21 Jul (RF) • Ruddy Turnstone: 30, Ocean Ranch, 21 Jul (RF) • Red Knot: 2-5, Jacoby Creek Mouth, 28 Jul-29 Aug (DF, BE); 8, Arcata Marsh, 28 Jul (SB); 4, Ocean Ranch, 30 Aug (BE) • Sanderling: 1 (rare in N Humboldt bay), Jacoby Creek mouth, 31 Jul (DF) • Baird’s Sandpiper: 1 (FOS), Clam Beach, 2 Aug (GL, LL) • Buff-breasted Sandpiper: 1, Arcata Bottoms-V St. Loop, 22-28 Aug (KI, RF, TK, MOb) • Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1 adult, Ocean Ranch, 13-24 Jul (DC, TK, KB, MOb); 1 ad., Mad River Estuary, 17 Jul (RF); 1 juv., Jacoby Creek Mouth, 30 Jul (DF); 1-3 juv., Arcata Bottoms-V St. Loop, 23-27 Aug (KB, RF, MOb); 1, Arcata Marsh-Klopp Lake, 24 Aug (RF, KB, MOb) • Pectoral Sandpiper: 1 ad. (FOS), Ocean Ranch, 18 Jul (ML) • Dunlin: 1 ad. (FOS, exceedingly early), Arcata Marsh, 6 Jul (KB); 1 ad., Ocean Ranch, 15-17 Jul (KO, CR, MD) • Wilson’s Phalarope: 16

(seasonal high count), Ocean Ranch, 16 Jul (KB); 1-2, Arcata Oxidation Ponds, 27-31 Jul (BE, RF); 3, Ocean Ranch, 4 Aug (TK, TL); 1, Arcata Bottoms-V St. Loop, 27 Aug (PC) • Ancient Murrelet: 1 HSU Pelagic, 31 Aug (fide RF, MOb) • Tufted Puffin: 1, HSU Pelagic, 31 Aug (fide RF, MOb) • Scripps’s Murrelet: 1, Repositioning Cruise-50 km W of Punta Gorda, 30 Jul (PL, BC) • South Polar Skua: 1, Repositioning Cruise, 30 Jul (PL, BC); 3, HSU Pelagic, 31 Aug (RF, MOb) •Long-tailed Jaeger: ~60, HSU Pelagic, 31 Aug (fide RF, MOb) • Yellow-billed Cuckoo: 1-2, Ferndale Bottoms-Salt River, 8-18 Jul (SS, BL, SM, MOb) • Flammulated Owl: 1-2, Groves Prairie, 25-26 Aug (MD) • Bank Swallow (new colony): ~45 birds, s. bank of Eel River opposite Cock Robin Island, 13 Jul (TL) • Canyon Wren: 1, Low-Water Bridge, S. Fork of Trinity River (Humboldt/Trinity counties line), 11 Jul (RF) • Yellow-headed Blackbird: 1, Beech Creek-Patrick’s Point, 18 Jul (JE) • Great-tailed Grackle: 1 juv., Arcata Bottoms-Moxon Dairy, 19 Jul (DC) • Hooded Oriole: 2-4/family group, Arcata-Shay Park, 18-27 Jul (RF, MOb) • Merlin (columbarius): 1 (FOS

and early) dark male, Arcata Marsh, 4 Aug (DF); 1 ad. fem., McKinleyville residence, 17 Aug (RF) • Lark Sparrow: 1, Arcata Marsh, 25 Aug (BE) • Bell’s Sparrow (recently split from Sage Sparrow): 1, Horse/Grouse Mountain Rd, 31 Jul-8 Aug (RF, KO, DC, MOb) • Indigo Bunting: 1, Arcata Marsh, 1 Aug (GZ).

DEL NORTE COUNTY

Long-tailed Duck: 1 fem., Crescent City Harbor, 5-6 Aug (AB, DV, CD) • Murphy's Petrel: 4, Repositioning Cruise, 18 Jul (PL) • “Dark-rumped” Petrel: 1, Repositioning Cruise, 18 Jul (PL) • Cook’s Petrel: 1, Repositioning Cruise, 18 Jul (PL) • Wilson’s Phalarope: 3 juv., Alexandre Dairy, 26 Jul (LB) • South Polar Skua: 1, Repositioning Cruise, Jul 30 (PL, BC) • Tufted Puffin: 10, Castle Rock, 28 Jul (AB) • Eastern Phoebe: 1, Pacific Shores, 23 Jul (CR) • Mountain Bluebird: 2 ad., 2 juv., Chimney Rock area, 8-15 Jul (LB); 3-6, Doctor Rock Trail, 26 Jul-12 Aug (LB) • Buff-breasted Sandpiper: 1, Alexandre Dairy, 19-25 Aug (LB) • Semipalmated Sandpiper: 2, Alexandre Dairy, 6 Aug (TK, DS); 2, Alexandre Dairy, 22 Jul (LB).

Long-eared Owl, 5 Sep, Airport Patch, n. spit HUM, © B Elvert

Bell’s Sparrow, 1 Aug 2013, © K Ongman


Margaret Gainer� e Zero Waste Humboldt (ZWH) crew

enjoyed the two-day 2013 North Country Fair, but we were there on a serious mission. In the 40 years since the Fair began, the introduction of many plastics and single-use food and beverage containers has resulted in more wasteful events.

ZWH wants to demonstrate how large outdoor events can be held without contributing to environmental damage. In Arcata, this is an issue of community pride. Sharing our conviction, the North Country Fair invited us to take responsibility for waste management and reduction at this year’s Fair.

Two important lessons have become evident. First, 100% participation of the vendors, by serving food and beverages in reusable/washable, or paper and compostable plastic containers, is necessary to eff ectively and effi ciently reduce waste. Only two vendors at this years’ Fair did not participate, but their non-compostible plastic containers found comtaminating the recycling and compost bins throughout the weekend, requiring sorting and removal by hand.

Second, no amount of signs, fl ags, or special containers can replace the value of a trained crew to serve as public educators and diligent container monitors. Our crew of 50 volunteers and 4 staff were trained to identify the diff erent material types and to be able to spot the bad copycat versions of compostable and recyclable materials. Our training session emphasized positive communications with the public.

Feedback from Fair attendees was overwhelmingly positive. With bright vests and fl ags, volunteers received many words of appreciation and encouragement. We had a family of 3 generations volunteer together. Housemates, friends, and a large team of co-workers from Servas International volunteered. Students from Arcata High School, Northcoast Preparatory Academy, and HSU students volunteered.

Our waste management operaters set up all the stations, and kept discarded materials moving from vendors’ compost containers and the discard stations on the Plaza to the designated dumpsters.

We discouraged the use of single-use water bottles at the Fair by serving a tap water alternative If

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Cheery volunteers in bright yellow vests helped Fair attendees sort their waste at one of the many waste stations around the Plaza.

ZWH Helps the North Country Fair Reduce Wasteof chilled local drinking water from water coolers at our ZWH booth, where people could refi ll their own cup or bottle, or borrow one of our stainless steel or durable/reusable plastic cups. � e Retired Senior Volunteer Program booth also served free water in compostable paper cups.

When more water coolers and hydration stations are conveniently available at the Fair, there will be no need for water in plastic, single use bottles. While waste prevention strategies are more diffi cult to measure, when fully-implemented, these systemic changes are the most eff ective at reducing waste.

For an authentic Zero Waste event, careful monitoring and tracking weights of waste generated is essential to set realistic annual goals for incrementally reducing waste over time. � e goal is not just to divert waste from the landfi ll, but to generate less waste in the fi rst place. New systems, new Fair Board policies, and new habits will help the North Country Fair progress each year toward its Zero goal.

� is year, 17% of the Fair’s waste was recycled, 41% went to a large composting facility, and 42% went to a landfi ll. Not bad, but lots of room for improvement. We are preparing a report and short instructional video based on our work this year.

Many thanks to all the generous folks who lent us various materials and tools needed for the weekend, and those who gave their time. Also a heartfelt thank you to the Same Old People and Fair staff for involving Zero Waste Humboldt and their commitment to zero waste.

For more information and photos, and a complete � ank You list, visit this article online: www.yournec.org/econews/zwh/octnov13.

Humboldt’s Advocate for Transportation Choices

www.green-wheels.org

What Would Gifford Pinchot Do?In 1905, Giff ord Pinchot became the

fi rst chief of the US National Forest Service as we know it. He was not always beloved by preservationists, like John Muir, but he brought science to long-term management of our national forests and ended the short-sighted supply/demand practices that were destroying them. � is year the US House of Representatives decided to return to short-sighted management by passing HR 1526, the oddly titled: “Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act.”

� e bill drastically increases the amount of logging (including clear-cutting) with amounts not determined by sustain-yield and scientifi c forest practices, but by political edict. Common fears are employed to encourage support, such as forest fi res and insect damaged trees as a drivers. Worse, the bill limits public engagement in environmental review (“streamlining”).

� e “healthy community” portion of the bill’s title relates to the reauthorization of earmarking logging revenue to supplement funding of nearby rural schools. Funding schools is popular on all sides, but this bill reduces the legacy of Giff ord Pinchot’s work by lining the pockets of local governments rather than providing for Pichot’s “greater good”.

Rep. DeFazio, a Democrat who represents our neighbors just north over the Oregon border, admits the bill has lots of fl aws. DeFazio, however, thinks the benefi ts to his constituency of saving some old growth forests, and adding some wilderness and wild river protections, outweigh those concerns.

� e Northcoast Environmental Center joined with 25 other conservation organizations in sending a letter to the House opposing this bill. � e bill passed with only 17 Democrats following DeFazio’s lead. All CA Republicans voted in favor of the bill while all CA Democrats voted in opposition (including our own representative, Jared Huff man). Now it will be up to the US Senate to deal with the bill. We hope CA Senators Feinstein and Boxer will help stop this bad bill, but also carve out one that would extend economic supplement to schools near our national forests.

EyeonWashington

The 5 Year Keystone Pipeline KvetchKvetch = verb \’kvech, ‘kfech\ : to complain often or constantly

� e House of Representatives decided to throw a 5th “anniversary party” (disguised as a hearing) to complain about the delays surrounding a White House decision on whether to approve or deny the permit to construct the Keystone XL Tar Sands pipeline. � e pipeline would bring the dirtiest, most toxic, and most polluting oil bitumen to Gulf Coast refi neries—from which most of the refi ned oil will then be shipped to foreign markets—while endangering rivers, wetlands and groundwater along its approximately 3,800 mile long corridor.

� e hearing was wrong from the start. As the White House pointed out, the TransCanada Corp. had actually submitted this permit only one year ago—so this should have been a one year kvetch at most. � e rest—”jobs” and “energy independence” arguments—are just the same old smokescreen talking points. (Studies say most jobs would be temporary or nonexistent for local communities along the pipeline route.) Talking points such as these are polished by oil industry lobbyists and fed to Congressional representatives.

Rep. Johnson from Ohio (who, according to 350.org, had recently received a quarter of a million dollars in donations from the oil industry) provided one of the more lively—though embarrassing—moments in the current Congress. He decided it was not enough to stick to the same old kvetching talking points, instead choosing to personally attack a witness. His victim: Ms. Jane Kleeb, one of only two witnesses opposing the pipeline and creator and head of Bold Nebraska, a group of activists opposing the seizure of their lands and threats to clean water.

He harassed her by insisting she could only answer “yes” or “no” to complex questions instead

of off ering nuanced answers. She politely refused, and reminded him that as a US Citizen, she paid his salary. � is only made Rep. Johnson even more angry. Rep. Johnson then insinuated that her organization was not real, and asked about her husband’s green energy business in Nebraska. Ms. Kleeb pointed out that it was odd that none of the witnesses who support the pipeline were asked about their spouses’ work, and if there were questions for her husband, the committee should call

her husband rather than badgering her. � e line of questioning was obviously

a planned scare tactic to keep pipeline opponents from testifying, but Ms. Kleeb refused to be bullied. After Rep. Johnson left the room following his line of “questioning”, a female Rep. from Upstate NY apologized and expressed outrage at the display of badgering. It would seem Ms. Kleeb was vindicated.

� ere was no bill or vote related to the hearing, just complaining and an unexpected chance to highlight the courage and work of activist Jane Kleeb. You can check out Ms. Kleeb and Bold Nebraska at www.boldnebraska.org.

We Applaud the PLANT ActCongressman Huff man joined with

neighboring congressman LaMalfa to try to bring some attention to the legitimate problems of illegal logging, road-building, sediment run-off and toxins that mark illegal pot grows on our public lands. Without getting into the pro/anti marijuana debate, the Act sends a message that engaging in these practices that destroy forests and wildlife habitat, and sap the water from our fi sheries and aquatic ecosystems cannot be ignored or condoned. Environmental destruction of our public lands and toxic chemicals left behind from these illegal commercial activities cost all of us to clean up. We also hope congress will look at means to dissuade these illegal activities before they begin, but Congressman Huff man is shining an offi cial light on an important topic.

Dan Sealy is the NEC’s Legislative Analyst in D.C.

212 J Street Eureka, CA 95501 707-445-0784

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Billboard locations around the northern portion of Humboldt Bay.

Join us for

Coastal Currentsevery Wednesday at noon on KHUM, 104.3 and 104.7

Jessica Hall

One of the big gains at the Sept. 12 Coastal Commission hearing in Eureka was the requirement that Caltrans will remove billboards on Highway 101 between Arcata and Eureka (see “NEC, Baykeeper Respond to 101 Corridor Decision” on page 3). � is visual blight mars our appreciation of the Bay’s scenic beauty, and the Commissioners agreed that this is a fair mitigation for the visual impact of a 25-foot high, half-mile long interchange at Indianola Cutoff . Many of these billboards will also need to be removed to make way for the Coastal Trail, which was also added as a condition of the Caltrans project.

Billboards were an issue I was introduced to on my fi rst day at Humboldt Baykeeper – we were part of a group researching the ownership and permit status of billboards. Many of the billboards date back to the 1960s, predating the Coastal Act. � is meant that although they would likely not be allowed under current regulations, they were “grandfathered” in. Most of these billboards are owned by diff erent entities than the land they stand on. (Billboards advertising the business whose land they are on are called “on-site” billboards, and are regulated diff erently than these “off -

site” billboards.) Billboards along highways are regulated through the Outdoor Advertising Act (ODA), which Caltrans administers. A billboard owner obtains—and maintains—a permit with Caltrans, and pays both the landowner and Caltrans fees in exchange for the right to advertise along the highway.

Along Humboldt Bay, many of the billboards are on public lands, including land managed by the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, City of Arcata, North Coast Rail Authority, and the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District. Several are on Caltrans property. Most public agencies have refused payment as a way of asserting that they do not give permission for billboards to be on their property. Caltrans has continued to renew Outdoor Advertising Act permits, despite landowners’ objections.

With the Coastal Commission caveat that billboard removal will be “as feasible,” we will need to support—and possibly push— Caltrans in their effort to remove billboards. Here are a couple of ways we can all help:

• When a billboard blows down in severe weather, document and report it to Humboldt Baykeeper and to the local jurisdiction (City of Arcata, Humboldt County, City of Eureka). A

downed billboard may require permits to be re-built. Caltrans has the option at that juncture whether or not to issue an ODA permit for that new billboard.

• As ODA permits expire, we need to ensure that they are not renewed. Watchdogging the status of permits is an important task. Caltrans maintains an inventory online, at www.dot.ca.gov/oda/updates.htm. Scroll to the bottom of the page for “ODA Inventory”.

And while it is tempting—and frequently joked —that unnamed rogues should sneak out at night with chainsaws to do the job quick and cheap, please don’t engage in illegal and potentially risky behavior. � at is, unless you work for one of the public agencies that actually has the right to remove billboards that they don’t consent to from their property—in which case, have at it! We’ll be cheering from the peanut gallery.

Coastal Commission to Caltrans: If Interchange Goes Up, the

Billboards Must Come Down

� e Long Road to Marijuana RegulationScott Greacen

Since the height of the timber wars in the 1990’s, no environmental issue in this part of the world has caused such concern, or such support for measures to reduce the impacts of an industry as the Green Rush.

Since the 1996 passage of Proposition 215 gave marijuana growers a shield against prosecution, the dramatic expansion of marijuana cultivation across Northwestern California, including much of the 3700 square mile Eel River watershed, has entailed signifi cant impacts to our landscapes and fi sheries. Water diversions, sediment from roads and clearings, and use of poisons have grown from appalling examples of a few jerks’ monumental disregard for nature to systemic problems that seem to be popping up everywhere we look.

While these impacts are almost impossible to pin down with hard numbers, they add up to real trouble for watersheds that as recently as the last couple of falls saw really heartening salmon runs. Far from theoretical, the reality is that they are driving species like coho salmon in the South Fork Eel River, already listed as a threatened species under both the state and federal Endangered Species Acts, closer to the brink of extinction.

� ere’s certainly no realistic possibility of the marijuana industry going away, even if the County wanted it to. No government will ever be able to shut down a set of practices so pervasive, with such a history of thriving in these rugged mountains under decades of intense law enforcement pressure. And California has realized that. Not only have citizens passed Prop 215; the state has substantially defunded in recent years its part of what used to be the Campaign Against Marijuana Production.

But in the gray area between Prop 215 and federal criminalization, marijuana cultivation has a huge economic and environmental footprint, where health and safety standards, fair labor practices, and environmental sideboards that every other business is bound to respect seemingly can’t be made to apply.

So we are left with the need to regulate the marijuana industry. As a society, we need regulation to protect our public trust resources—clean water, fl owing streams, and the healthy fi sheries that depend on both. As a community, we need regulation to ensure we respect the rights of people who meet reasonable standards and don’t anger

their neighbors. Consumers and patients need regulation to know the product they’re buying isn’t tainted with pesticides or stained with r e p r e h e n s i b l e g r o w i n g practices. To our knowledge, there’s no practicable way to do that without a chain of custody and the transparency that requires.

We need regulation to provide clear, b r i g h t - l i n e measures by which law enforcement can readily size up whether a given operation is or is not playing by the rules. We need regulation to make sure the marijuana industry pays its own way, with fees and fi nes proportional to potential harms and adequate to the need for vastly increased enforcement actions to keep black market producers from continuing to wreck destruction on sensitive environments.

� e questions raised by the impacts of marijuana cultivation are in some ways even more complicated than fi ghts over timber regulation were. We don’t, for example, have a federal ban on logging to complicate state and local eff orts to defi ne workable ways of regulating logging practices. And while the timber industry certainly resisted every eff ort to reduce its impacts on water quality and habitat by tightening regulations, there was never any real dispute about the legitimacy of the industry or the necessity of regulation by the government to protect public trust values like watersheds and wildlife.

For marijuana cultivation, in the world of legislation at least, we are still some distance from that kind of clarity. It bears highlighting that while Washington and Colorado have moved to legalize the non-medical possession and use of marijuana, both states did so via ballot initiatives, notthrough the legislatures.

It is telling that the California Assembly and

Friends of the Eel River

of the Eel RiverFriends

its Democratic majority refused to pass a bill providing a robust framework for at least medical marijuana regulation only a few weeks after US Attorney General Eric Holder announced new Department of Justice policy on marijuana. Under the latest so-called Cole memo, US Attorneys are directed to avoid marijuana prosecutions where there is a regulatory system in place that will keep pot away from kids, out of interstate commerce, and out of the hands of criminal organizations, among other specifi c measures. Of course, California does not yet have such a system; it will be at least another year before the legislature is likely to be able to act to create one.

Until then, both the burden of action and the opportunity to defi ne the parameters of a functional system of marijuana regulation rest squarely in the laps of the counties where the impacts are being felt the most. If Humboldt County steps up to the plate with a system that sets reasonable limits on grow sizes, requires growers to store water and forgo the use of harmful or untested substances like pesticides, and ensures consent to reasonable inspections, that program would be likely to be taken up by the assembly and plugged into a bill that reinforces dispensary regulations to meet the new federal standards.

� e time is long past to debate the validity of environmental concerns regarding marijuana cultivation, or to continue passing the buck.

A failing road at a grow site, right above one of the best areas of � sh habitat in the Mattole watershed, poised to dump sediment and its associated nutrient load into the waterway, thereby clogging the creek and impeding � sh passage. Photo: Leonard B Job, BLM.

A� er two good falls, a disastrous summer for � sh.


� e Long Road to Marijuana RegulationScott Greacen

Since the height of the timber wars in the 1990’s, no environmental issue in this part of the world has caused such concern, or such support for measures to reduce the impacts of an industry as the Green Rush.

Since the 1996 passage of Proposition 215 gave marijuana growers a shield against prosecution, the dramatic expansion of marijuana cultivation across Northwestern California, including much of the 3700 square mile Eel River watershed, has entailed signifi cant impacts to our landscapes and fi sheries. Water diversions, sediment from roads and clearings, and use of poisons have grown from appalling examples of a few jerks’ monumental disregard for nature to systemic problems that seem to be popping up everywhere we look.

While these impacts are almost impossible to pin down with hard numbers, they add up to real trouble for watersheds that as recently as the last couple of falls saw really heartening salmon runs. Far from theoretical, the reality is that they are driving species like coho salmon in the South Fork Eel River, already listed as a threatened species under both the state and federal Endangered Species Acts, closer to the brink of extinction.

� ere’s certainly no realistic possibility of the marijuana industry going away, even if the County wanted it to. No government will ever be able to shut down a set of practices so pervasive, with such a history of thriving in these rugged mountains under decades of intense law enforcement pressure. And California has realized that. Not only have citizens passed Prop 215; the state has substantially defunded in recent years its part of what used to be the Campaign Against Marijuana Production.

But in the gray area between Prop 215 and federal criminalization, marijuana cultivation has a huge economic and environmental footprint, where health and safety standards, fair labor practices, and environmental sideboards that every other business is bound to respect seemingly can’t be made to apply.

So we are left with the need to regulate the marijuana industry. As a society, we need regulation to protect our public trust resources—clean water, fl owing streams, and the healthy fi sheries that depend on both. As a community, we need regulation to ensure we respect the rights of people who meet reasonable standards and don’t anger

their neighbors. Consumers and patients need regulation to know the product they’re buying isn’t tainted with pesticides or stained with r e p r e h e n s i b l e g r o w i n g practices. To our knowledge, there’s no practicable way to do that without a chain of custody and the transparency that requires.

We need regulation to provide clear, b r i g h t - l i n e measures by which law enforcement can readily size up whether a given operation is or is not playing by the rules. We need regulation to make sure the marijuana industry pays its own way, with fees and fi nes proportional to potential harms and adequate to the need for vastly increased enforcement actions to keep black market producers from continuing to wreck destruction on sensitive environments.

� e questions raised by the impacts of marijuana cultivation are in some ways even more complicated than fi ghts over timber regulation were. We don’t, for example, have a federal ban on logging to complicate state and local eff orts to defi ne workable ways of regulating logging practices. And while the timber industry certainly resisted every eff ort to reduce its impacts on water quality and habitat by tightening regulations, there was never any real dispute about the legitimacy of the industry or the necessity of regulation by the government to protect public trust values like watersheds and wildlife.

For marijuana cultivation, in the world of legislation at least, we are still some distance from that kind of clarity. It bears highlighting that while Washington and Colorado have moved to legalize the non-medical possession and use of marijuana, both states did so via ballot initiatives, notthrough the legislatures.

It is telling that the California Assembly and

Friends of the Eel River

of the Eel RiverFriends

its Democratic majority refused to pass a bill providing a robust framework for at least medical marijuana regulation only a few weeks after US Attorney General Eric Holder announced new Department of Justice policy on marijuana. Under the latest so-called Cole memo, US Attorneys are directed to avoid marijuana prosecutions where there is a regulatory system in place that will keep pot away from kids, out of interstate commerce, and out of the hands of criminal organizations, among other specifi c measures. Of course, California does not yet have such a system; it will be at least another year before the legislature is likely to be able to act to create one.

Until then, both the burden of action and the opportunity to defi ne the parameters of a functional system of marijuana regulation rest squarely in the laps of the counties where the impacts are being felt the most. If Humboldt County steps up to the plate with a system that sets reasonable limits on grow sizes, requires growers to store water and forgo the use of harmful or untested substances like pesticides, and ensures consent to reasonable inspections, that program would be likely to be taken up by the assembly and plugged into a bill that reinforces dispensary regulations to meet the new federal standards.

� e time is long past to debate the validity of environmental concerns regarding marijuana cultivation, or to continue passing the buck.

A failing road at a grow site, right above one of the best areas of � sh habitat in the Mattole watershed, poised to dump sediment and its associated nutrient load into the waterway, thereby clogging the creek and impeding � sh passage. Photo: Leonard B Job, BLM.

A� er two good falls, a disastrous summer for � sh.


Riparian areas provide vital habitat for plant, animal, and insect communities and act as a natural fi lter that enhances many aspects of aquatic habitat. For the past 10 years the MRC’s Riparian Ecosystem Restoration Program (RER) has made a strong eff ort to assess and treat impaired riparian areas along Mattole tributaries and the mainstem Mattole River. We have systematically assessed and treated over 50% of the tributaries to the Mattole, from the headwaters of the Mattole to the ocean. As the checklist of completed tributaries fi lls, we take a step back and briefl y examine what we have accomplished, what our current priorities are, and the future of local riparian restoration.

� e RER program has come a long way over the past 10 years. My fi rst day of planting in the Mattole consisted of loading up a bag of 2-year-old Douglas fi r bare roots and lunch for the day, walking up the creek to look for places to plant, and nestling trees in the ground under the brisk winter rains. Anyone who has planted trees knows that although these days are long, exhausting and wet, they are some of the most beautiful and memorable moments of one’s life.

For years the most common technique for riparian revegetation in the Mattole was exactly that: opportunistically planting redwood and Douglas fi r trees the mainstep of the Mattole and its tributaries. � is type of treatment was very eff ective in getting trees established in some tributaries, but it did not always address the problems on sites that had small bank failures or sites where planting diff erent species of trees, shrubs, and grasses would have been more appropriate.

Over the past six years, we have improved our technique and developed site-specifi c prescriptions that include multiple riparian treatments. Sites are prioritized based on a number of ecological criteria. We apply multiple revegetation treatments such as broadcast seeding of 10 species, plug and large container planting of 20 species (grown in our own native plant nursery), and erosion control and bank stabilization treatments using willow fences and fascines. Some slides and bank stabilization

10 Years of Riparian Ecosystem Restoration in the Ma� oleHugh McGee, RER Program Director sites are mulched with native grass straw

after project completion. Although we are not currently planting the

large quantities of trees we did in the 2000’s, planting fewer trees on more specifi cally

more recent site-specifi c treatments, a lot has been accomplished in the last decade. A few accomplishments include: planting 300,000 trees and 30,000 shrubs and grasses on 40 Mattole tributaries and along the mainstem Mattole

River; distributing over 400 lbs. of riparian seed on 15 acres of riparian slides; installing 1800 ft. of willow fence on four tributaries; and thinning six acres of overstocked riparian

forest to promote old growth forest conditions. � is work could not have been completed without our devoted crews that include tree planters, landowners, volunteers, and interns.

After many years of work along Mattole tributaries and the upper and middle Mattole, we now focus on the lower river that is in severe need of riparian and instream restoration. Treatment of these sites is not as easy as carrying a loaded tree bag and hoedad out to a creek. Many of these sites are riparian deserts with little to no soil or organic material to work with. Planting plugs and container plants on many of these sites would most likely be a waste of time. So how do we begin to restore riparian fl oodplains along the lower river?

A collaborative eff ort between Mattole Salmon Group, MRC, BLM, and other agencies will begin this long process. � is team is working together to identify and treat fl oodplain restoration sites along the lower fi ve miles of the Mattole. Willow and cottonwood baffl e installation using an excavator, in coordination with large wood installation projects in the lower river, will allow for un-vegetated gravel bars to begin building soil and organic material. � is will assist natural regeneration, which combined with riparian planting will contribute to improved riparian conditions in the future.

As enjoyable as it is to sit along a creek and feel the sun pouring down, we look forward to a day when we can gaze

skyward from Mattole tributaries in the refreshing deep shade of healthy riparian forests and with abundant, cool, clear waters burbling underfoot in the heat of summertime.

To learn more about our projects, or to make a donation to support us,

please visit www.mattole.org.

targeted sites is a more eff ective treatment for most tributaries we are now working in. We also now grow almost all of our plant material at the MRC Native Plant Nursery from seed collected from sites with similar characteristics as our restoration sites.

Whether it was opportunistic planting completed during the program’s earlier years or

RER crew installing a willow fence on Granny Creek’. Photo credit: Hugh McGee

Anyone who has planted trees knows that although these days are long, exhausting and wet, they are some of the most beautiful and memorable moments of one’s life.

Gary Graham Hughes

A recurring theme in all of the work that the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) develops to advance protections for the web of life in Northwest California, is the concept of environmental democracy. Whether it be advocating for an increased inclusion of stewardship land ethics in natural resource based economic sectors in our bioregion, challenging state agencies to do adequate review of the major infrastructure projects that are proposed in sensitive landscapes, or leveraging the online activism of our supporters to secure conservation oriented management regimes on our public lands, EPIC strives to be a conduit for meaningful public participation by our community on the issues that can have an impact on our rural lives. Environmental democracy is one way to describe the involvement of the citizenry in these crucial processes around natural resource exploitation on the North Coast—our team at EPIC also refers to our authentic grassroots activism as an expression of “Wildlands Civics.”

� e idea of Wildlands Civics is captured in the mission statement of EPIC. Ancient forests, watersheds, native species; these elements of the biosphere are all included in our mission. EPIC has a far-reaching objective to protect natural and human communities on the North Coast of California. To understand how the concept of Wildlands Civics infl uences the development of EPIC advocacy strategies it can help to look further at the mission of EPIC: EPIC uses an integrated, science-based approach, combining public education, citizen advocacy, and strategic litigation.

Breaking these elements down further illuminates how the active participation of EPIC and our base of supporters in a multitude of public decision-making processes is, in its purest form, a practice of civics with the overarching intent of protecting the wildlands that provide habitat for wildlife and essential environmental services for human kind—hence, Wildlands Civics.

Public EducationAny eff ort to mobilize and galvanize the

public to engage on a particular issue requires a concentrated eff ort at Public Education. As an example, the Public Lands Program at EPIC has a long-term conservation advocacy vision of Returning a Natural Cycle of Fire to Our Landscapes. Clearly, the best contemporary science shows that

fi re plays an essential role in the maintenance of a healthy forested landscape, yet there are major impediments to achieving a reestablishment of natural patterns of wild fi re disturbance regimes across Northwest California. As our organization engaged with land managers and stakeholders on this issue, we knew immediately that informing California residents about the benefi ts of wildfi re would take some degree of Public Education to ensure that our goals regarding fi re would be understood, and to get people involved in a proactive manner with the issue. � e evolution in the policy discourse around wildfi re is resulting in an increased understanding by the public that fi re is as natural, though less frequent, than rain in our diverse North Coast forests. � is is an encouraging sign that our public education eff orts at EPIC are contributing in a positive way to a broad movement of diverse stakeholders that aspires to change the way our society perceives our relationship to the land and the natural processes that provide for ecological resilience and the maintenance of biodiversity.

Citizen AdvocacyEPIC was formed in 1977, and technology

has changed a great deal since the founding of the organization. � is change in technology has spurned an increase in the ability of public interest advocacy organizations like EPIC to provide a means to gain standing in a public process, and to provide comments to address shortcomings and inadequacies in project design and environmental review. A substantial amount of EPIC’s practice of Wildlands Civics is built around proven methodologies of forest watch and agency monitoring, in which systematic attention is paid to the process by which projects are announced and how documentation concerning economic activities is presented to the public. Wildlands Civics is in this way predicated on the tactics of an environmental watchdog group, and the mobilization of a concerned constituency of local, state, and national residents who stand behind our organization’s policy positions provides EPIC the leverage to be an eff ective guardian of your wild backyard.

The Environmental Protection Information Center

Another important aspect of Citizen Advocacy is that some of the most severe threats to landscape integrity in our bioregion, such as egregious cannabis agriculture operations, are still outside of the purview of regulating agencies. By getting the public involved on complex and unorthodox issues we can create a vocabulary that describes the standards of sustainability that our landscapes require of us, and through Citizen Advocacy EPIC can participate in the community drive to fi nd workable solutions to complex challenges.

Strategic LitigationEven as global alarm bells are ringing with an

increasing urgency, many environmentally harmful projects and economically unsustainable natural resource exploitation schemes are approved by government agencies across our region. In some instances, well thought out and strategic litigation is necessary to protect public trust resources and the rights of the citizenry to have infl uence over how our tax dollars are spent. A citizens organization only has the right to litigate after having established standing through early participation in a decision making process. Public interest litigation is an action of last recourse, when the concerns of the public have been disregarded after a long process, and is enshrined in our laws as a justifi ed exercise of our democratic rights. EPIC has a well-earned reputation for cutting edge and strategic litigation that can shape the content of public policy for decades to come. Our organizations successful actions before the courts in order to protect our communities and rare environments is an authentic expression of EPIC’s eff ective mission and expertise in Wildlands Civics.

� e Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) works to protect and restore ancient forests, watersheds, coastal estuaries, and native species in Northern California. EPIC uses an integrated,

science-based approach, combining public education, citizen advocacy, and strategic litigation.

Caltrans Hwy 197/199 Project: Federal lawsuit fi led, Sept. 23, 2013, to protect the Wild and Scenic Smith River.Richardson Grove State Park: New comment period open until October 21, 2013 on Caltrans “supplement” to the Final Environmental Assessment. Federal Injunction remains in affect.

UPDATES!

wildcalifornia.org

Wildlands Civics as an Expression of the EPIC Mission


Riparian areas provide vital habitat for plant, animal, and insect communities and act as a natural fi lter that enhances many aspects of aquatic habitat. For the past 10 years the MRC’s Riparian Ecosystem Restoration Program (RER) has made a strong eff ort to assess and treat impaired riparian areas along Mattole tributaries and the mainstem Mattole River. We have systematically assessed and treated over 50% of the tributaries to the Mattole, from the headwaters of the Mattole to the ocean. As the checklist of completed tributaries fi lls, we take a step back and briefl y examine what we have accomplished, what our current priorities are, and the future of local riparian restoration.

� e RER program has come a long way over the past 10 years. My fi rst day of planting in the Mattole consisted of loading up a bag of 2-year-old Douglas fi r bare roots and lunch for the day, walking up the creek to look for places to plant, and nestling trees in the ground under the brisk winter rains. Anyone who has planted trees knows that although these days are long, exhausting and wet, they are some of the most beautiful and memorable moments of one’s life.

For years the most common technique for riparian revegetation in the Mattole was exactly that: opportunistically planting redwood and Douglas fi r trees the mainstep of the Mattole and its tributaries. � is type of treatment was very eff ective in getting trees established in some tributaries, but it did not always address the problems on sites that had small bank failures or sites where planting diff erent species of trees, shrubs, and grasses would have been more appropriate.

Over the past six years, we have improved our technique and developed site-specifi c prescriptions that include multiple riparian treatments. Sites are prioritized based on a number of ecological criteria. We apply multiple revegetation treatments such as broadcast seeding of 10 species, plug and large container planting of 20 species (grown in our own native plant nursery), and erosion control and bank stabilization treatments using willow fences and fascines. Some slides and bank stabilization

10 Years of Riparian Ecosystem Restoration in the Ma� oleHugh McGee, RER Program Director sites are mulched with native grass straw

after project completion. Although we are not currently planting the

large quantities of trees we did in the 2000’s, planting fewer trees on more specifi cally

more recent site-specifi c treatments, a lot has been accomplished in the last decade. A few accomplishments include: planting 300,000 trees and 30,000 shrubs and grasses on 40 Mattole tributaries and along the mainstem Mattole

River; distributing over 400 lbs. of riparian seed on 15 acres of riparian slides; installing 1800 ft. of willow fence on four tributaries; and thinning six acres of overstocked riparian

forest to promote old growth forest conditions. � is work could not have been completed without our devoted crews that include tree planters, landowners, volunteers, and interns.

After many years of work along Mattole tributaries and the upper and middle Mattole, we now focus on the lower river that is in severe need of riparian and instream restoration. Treatment of these sites is not as easy as carrying a loaded tree bag and hoedad out to a creek. Many of these sites are riparian deserts with little to no soil or organic material to work with. Planting plugs and container plants on many of these sites would most likely be a waste of time. So how do we begin to restore riparian fl oodplains along the lower river?

A collaborative eff ort between Mattole Salmon Group, MRC, BLM, and other agencies will begin this long process. � is team is working together to identify and treat fl oodplain restoration sites along the lower fi ve miles of the Mattole. Willow and cottonwood baffl e installation using an excavator, in coordination with large wood installation projects in the lower river, will allow for un-vegetated gravel bars to begin building soil and organic material. � is will assist natural regeneration, which combined with riparian planting will contribute to improved riparian conditions in the future.

As enjoyable as it is to sit along a creek and feel the sun pouring down, we look forward to a day when we can gaze

skyward from Mattole tributaries in the refreshing deep shade of healthy riparian forests and with abundant, cool, clear waters burbling underfoot in the heat of summertime.

To learn more about our projects, or to make a donation to support us,

please visit www.mattole.org.

targeted sites is a more eff ective treatment for most tributaries we are now working in. We also now grow almost all of our plant material at the MRC Native Plant Nursery from seed collected from sites with similar characteristics as our restoration sites.

Whether it was opportunistic planting completed during the program’s earlier years or

RER crew installing a willow fence on Granny Creek’. Photo credit: Hugh McGee

Anyone who has planted trees knows that although these days are long, exhausting and wet, they are some of the most beautiful and memorable moments of one’s life.


NORTH GROUPREDWOOD CHAPTER

Election Time� is month Sierra Club members from Del

Norte and Humboldt Counties begin the process of electing three new members to join those already serving on the North Group’s Executive Committee. � e Executive Committee not only organizes meetings, outings and other events, it is also responsible for determining North Group positions on environmental issues.

When an issue only impacts Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, the North Group Executive Committee is free to determine positions on its own. However, if an issue impacts the entire Redwood Chapter (which includes the North Group and fi ve other groups), and other chapters and states, the North Group must jointly determine issue positions with other aff ected chapters and with National Sierra Club. National Sierra Club makes the fi nal decision on issues of broad scope but usually consensus is achieved. National Sierra Club is overseen by a board of directors elected by all Sierra Club members.

� e Sierra Club is the only major US environmental organization run democratically from top to bottom. While other national environmental groups have boards of directors and may have members, the members do not elect the boards of directors; instead, the boards themselves select individuals to fi ll vacancies.

Because the Sierra Club operates democratically, it is possible for the members to change Club policy from the bottom up. Some years ago, for example, a group of members wanted to change Sierra Club policy on national forest logging. Organizing as the John Muir Sierrans, rank and fi le members organized and elected candidates to the National Sierra Club Board of Directors. � at led to the Sierra Club National Board voting to oppose all commercial logging on the People’s forests. Opposition to commercial logging on national forests remains the Sierra Club’s position to this day.

Sierra Club members living in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties who may want to serve on the North Group Executive Committee are encouraged to contact Diane Beck, chairperson of the nominating committee, at [email protected] or 707-445-2690. An “Ex Com” member serves a two-year term, beginning in January. Diane can explain in more detail what is involved in serving on the North Group’s Executive Committee. If you are not a member but live in Humboldt or Del Norte County you can join the North Group and National Sierra Club at the same time by visiting the North Group web page at www.redwood.sierraclub.org/north/.

Camper Essays� is summer, due to the generosity of our

members, the North Group’s Environmental Education Fund was able to support three local children to attend overnight camps operated by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry at the Wolf Creek Environmental Center in Redwood National and State Parks. Campers were required to submit an essay about their experiences. Here are excerpts from those essays:

• “I learned that banana slugs moved all over and they produce slime and poop out dirt like worms do”. • “We dissected a squid and I found out they have no backbone, breathe from their gills, and can grow up to 46 feet long”. • “My favorite gory game was ‘Venomous Frogs’ in which the frogs stick out their tongue at you and you die - dramatically”. • “We caught salamanders in nets but couldn’t pull them out of the creek or touch them, because the oil on our skin would burn them”. • “Some people licked the venom on the underside of a banana slug.”

Klamath Refuges Need a Champion in Congress

Located in the Upper Klamath River Basin just south of the Oregon border, Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges are part of a complex of eight refuges which provide habitat for major populations (433 species) of resident and migratory wildlife. In addition, each year the Klamath Refuges “serve as a migratory stopover for about three-quarters of the Pacifi c Flyway waterfowl, with peak fall concentrations of over 1 million birds” (source: Wikipedia). Large fl ocks of wintering ducks and geese are the primary food source for up to a thousand wintering Bald Eagles.

For decades, however, the federal government has allowed even the permanent marshes located on Lower Klamath Refuges to be drained when demand for Klamath River water has exceeded supply. In a drought year like this one, most marshes on Lower Klamath and nearby refuges are bone dry. Miles of cracked mud lie surrounded by green agricultural fi elds, creating a surreal contrast.

Crowded onto the few remaining marshes, waterfowl and other birds are dying in large numbers from avian botulism—and not for the fi rst time. While it is typical for a small number of weaker birds to succumb to the disease each year, under these over-crowded conditions the situation quickly becomes an epidemic.

� e North Group is currently discussing the need for a congressional champion to look out for the welfare of these marshes and the welfare of

the entire Pacifi c Flyway of which they are an integral part. � is refuge champion would most appropriately be a member of California’s congressional delegation. Senator Boxer and Senator Feinstein are candidate champions; so is the Northcoast’s congressman, Jared Huff man , who recently published a guest opinion on Klamath Water issues in the Times-Standard.

Any citizen is free to call on their Members of Congress to champion the Klamath Refuges, and the North Group encourages you to do so. For information on contacting your representatives, visit www.contactingthecongress.org.Banana slug crawling over leaves. Photo: bgreenlee, Flickr CC.


Beginners and experts, non-members and members are all welcome at our programs and on our outings. Almost all of our events are free. All of our events are made possible by volunteer eff ort.

Evening ProgramsSecond Wednesday evening, September through May. Refreshments at 7 p.m.; program at 7:30 p.m. at the Six Rivers Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Road, near 7th and Union, Arcata.

Botanical FAQ’s: At 7:15 p.m. Pete Haggard (or another presenter) shares a brief, hands-on demonstration and discussion of a botanical topic.

October 9. Wednesday. 7:30 p.m. “Conifers of the Pacifi c Slope.” Join local author, educator, and explorer Michael Kauff mann on a photographic journey along the Pacifi c Slope—from Baja California to British Columbia. Michael’s newest book, Conifers of the Pacifi c Slope, will be available for purchase.

November 13, Wednesday. 7:30 p.m. “Glacier’s Last Stand: a Flora of a Trinity Alps Sky Island” Join local ecologists Justin Garwood, Michael van

Hattem, and Ken Lindke on their annual journey to map a glacier’s blue ice and document its plant diversity. With taxonomic guidance from local botanists Tony LaBanca and Gordon Leppig, they strive to compare it to past work to update what is known about the botanical treasures from the last vestiges of a much colder time in the Klamath Mountains.

December 11, Wednesday. 7:30 p.m. Native Plant Show and Tell. An informal evening for anyone to share photos, artifacts, readings, or food relating to native plants and their habitats. Call 407-7686 to reserve a spot in the queue.

Field Trips and Plant WalksNote: Unless stated otherwise, for further information and to let the leader know if you might or will attend, please call Carol Ralph 707-822-2015.

October 13, Sunday. Gold Bluff Beach Wetlands Day Hike. In Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, we will tramp around in this habitat fi nding marsh plants, dune plants, and coastal prairie plants, probably covering about 2 miles. We might have time to go up Fern Canyon as well. Dress for the

weather; bring lunch and water. Meet at 9 a.m. at Pacifi c Union School (3001 Janes Rd., Arcata) or arrange another place. Return about 5 p.m. Please tell Carol you are coming, in case plans change (822-2015; [email protected]).

November 2, Saturday. Russ Park Day Hike. With Michael Kauff mann’s book, Conifer Country, in hand we will explore Hike #2 in the beautiful, mature, coastal forest behind Ferndale. We should fi nd 5 species of native conifers plus lingering or evergreen favorites of the lush understory. � e trail is hilly, about 3 miles. Bring lunch and water; dress for the weather. Meet at 9 a.m. at Pacifi c Union School (3001 Janes Rd., Arcata), 9:30 a.m. at Kohl’s end of Bayshore Mall parking lot, or 10:00 a.m. at the parking area on Bluff St. in Ferndale. (Turn left off Main onto Ocean, go 1/2 mile.) Return by dark. It’s good to tell Carol you are coming, 822-2015.

For more details and later additions, visit:

WWW.NORTHCOASTCNPS.ORG

Sign up for e-mail announcements: [email protected]

ORTHCOAST HAPTER

NC

Donna Wildearth

This plant of shaded riparian habitats is intriguing in all its stages—foliage, � ower, and fruit. It has bold, outsized compound leaves that give it an almost tropical appearance. In � ower its familial relationship to Ivy is apparent, as both plants display spherical clusters of small white � owers. The fruit is a small round dark purple berry, which contrasts nicely with the fading green leaves and the pink-tinged remains of the � owering stalks. Though it grows from 3’ to 9’ tall it is not a woody plant; it dies back to the ground each winter.

The plant has several common names: western aralia, California spikenard, and elk clover. (Do elk actually eat it? Perhaps it’s just called that because it’s so big?) Elk clover is a picturesque name but, like some other common plant names, it is misleading—the plant is not a clover or in the clover family. It belongs to the Araliaceae family, which includes plants with medicinal qualities such as ginseng and sarsaparilla and plants that are grown

A� LIA CALIFORNICA - ELK CLOVERas ornamentals such as ivy (Hedera) and Fatsia (evergreen Asian shrubs).

In our area I’ve spotted Aralia californica in the mountains near Willow Creek, including East Fork Campground o� Hwy. 299, and in several places along Avenue of the Giants. It has been documented in almost every California county except in the far northeastern corner and in the San Joaquin Valley and eastern Sierras. Researching the UC Jepson Consortium of California Herbaria, I was surprised to � nd records in San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego Counties.

This is one of those plants that deserve to be better known and grown in gardens with a suitable environment. Some other natives that would make appropriate companions: goat’s beard (Aruncus dioicus), umbrella plant (Darmera peltata), and a number of ferns. If you have a moist, shaded spot, it would be rewarding to observe this unique riparian plant in your own yard.

Donna Wildearth is a teacher and the owner of Garden Visions Landscape Design in Eureka. She is passionate about native plants. Photo: Donna Wildearth.

NORTH GROUPREDWOOD CHAPTER

Election Time� is month Sierra Club members from Del

Norte and Humboldt Counties begin the process of electing three new members to join those already serving on the North Group’s Executive Committee. � e Executive Committee not only organizes meetings, outings and other events, it is also responsible for determining North Group positions on environmental issues.

When an issue only impacts Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, the North Group Executive Committee is free to determine positions on its own. However, if an issue impacts the entire Redwood Chapter (which includes the North Group and fi ve other groups), and other chapters and states, the North Group must jointly determine issue positions with other aff ected chapters and with National Sierra Club. National Sierra Club makes the fi nal decision on issues of broad scope but usually consensus is achieved. National Sierra Club is overseen by a board of directors elected by all Sierra Club members.

� e Sierra Club is the only major US environmental organization run democratically from top to bottom. While other national environmental groups have boards of directors and may have members, the members do not elect the boards of directors; instead, the boards themselves select individuals to fi ll vacancies.

Because the Sierra Club operates democratically, it is possible for the members to change Club policy from the bottom up. Some years ago, for example, a group of members wanted to change Sierra Club policy on national forest logging. Organizing as the John Muir Sierrans, rank and fi le members organized and elected candidates to the National Sierra Club Board of Directors. � at led to the Sierra Club National Board voting to oppose all commercial logging on the People’s forests. Opposition to commercial logging on national forests remains the Sierra Club’s position to this day.

Sierra Club members living in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties who may want to serve on the North Group Executive Committee are encouraged to contact Diane Beck, chairperson of the nominating committee, at [email protected] or 707-445-2690. An “Ex Com” member serves a two-year term, beginning in January. Diane can explain in more detail what is involved in serving on the North Group’s Executive Committee. If you are not a member but live in Humboldt or Del Norte County you can join the North Group and National Sierra Club at the same time by visiting the North Group web page at www.redwood.sierraclub.org/north/.

Camper Essays� is summer, due to the generosity of our

members, the North Group’s Environmental Education Fund was able to support three local children to attend overnight camps operated by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry at the Wolf Creek Environmental Center in Redwood National and State Parks. Campers were required to submit an essay about their experiences. Here are excerpts from those essays:

• “I learned that banana slugs moved all over and they produce slime and poop out dirt like worms do”. • “We dissected a squid and I found out they have no backbone, breathe from their gills, and can grow up to 46 feet long”. • “My favorite gory game was ‘Venomous Frogs’ in which the frogs stick out their tongue at you and you die - dramatically”. • “We caught salamanders in nets but couldn’t pull them out of the creek or touch them, because the oil on our skin would burn them”. • “Some people licked the venom on the underside of a banana slug.”

Klamath Refuges Need a Champion in Congress

Located in the Upper Klamath River Basin just south of the Oregon border, Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges are part of a complex of eight refuges which provide habitat for major populations (433 species) of resident and migratory wildlife. In addition, each year the Klamath Refuges “serve as a migratory stopover for about three-quarters of the Pacifi c Flyway waterfowl, with peak fall concentrations of over 1 million birds” (source: Wikipedia). Large fl ocks of wintering ducks and geese are the primary food source for up to a thousand wintering Bald Eagles.

For decades, however, the federal government has allowed even the permanent marshes located on Lower Klamath Refuges to be drained when demand for Klamath River water has exceeded supply. In a drought year like this one, most marshes on Lower Klamath and nearby refuges are bone dry. Miles of cracked mud lie surrounded by green agricultural fi elds, creating a surreal contrast.

Crowded onto the few remaining marshes, waterfowl and other birds are dying in large numbers from avian botulism—and not for the fi rst time. While it is typical for a small number of weaker birds to succumb to the disease each year, under these over-crowded conditions the situation quickly becomes an epidemic.

� e North Group is currently discussing the need for a congressional champion to look out for the welfare of these marshes and the welfare of

the entire Pacifi c Flyway of which they are an integral part. � is refuge champion would most appropriately be a member of California’s congressional delegation. Senator Boxer and Senator Feinstein are candidate champions; so is the Northcoast’s congressman, Jared Huff man , who recently published a guest opinion on Klamath Water issues in the Times-Standard.

Any citizen is free to call on their Members of Congress to champion the Klamath Refuges, and the North Group encourages you to do so. For information on contacting your representatives, visit www.contactingthecongress.org.Banana slug crawling over leaves. Photo: bgreenlee, Flickr CC.


FrackingContinued � om page 6

� ese amendments included a clause that gives the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) authority to approve a fracking project if it believes the potential impacts have already been investigated by a statewide environmental review, in lieu of an individual environmental impact report. Governor Brown also raised eyebrows with a signing statement, hinting that thoroughness may be sacrifi ced in the interest of expediting the permitting process: “I am also directing the Department of Conservation when implementing the bill to develop an effi cient permitting program for well stimulation activities that groups permits together based on factors such as known geologic conditions and environmental impacts, while providing for more particularized review in other situations where necessary.”

David Pettit, senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, worries that the bill fundamentally threatens the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), that it “allows a government bureaucrat to waive CEQA with unfettered discretion,” adding, “it’s a free pass from CEQA for every fracking project in California forever.”

Among the groups opposed to SB-4 were the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Working Group, the CaliforniaLeague of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club California, Clean Water Action, Food and Water Watch, Center for Biological Diversity, Physicians for Social Responsibility, CREDO, and MoveOn.org.

A University of Southern California/Los Angeles Times poll in June found that 58 percent of California voters favor a moratorium on fracking.

Rights of NatureContinued � om page 5

� reatened by unwanted, destructive activities such as mining and hydrofracking, these communities have passed local laws recognizing the rights of local natural systems to exist and thrive, and rejecting the rights of corporations who would conduct unwanted, harmful activities over the voice of the local community.

Other U.S. communities are moving proactively to protect their current well-being. For example, in April of this year, Santa Monica became the first California municipality to recognize the rights of nature in law. Their Sustainability Rights Ordinance states that “natural communities and ecosystems possess fundamental and inalienable rights to exist and flourish,” and provides citizens with enforcement authority to protect these rights. The new law adds that “corporate entities . . . do not enjoy special privileges or powers under the law that subordinate the community’s rights to their private interests.” Across the country, towns in Vermont began a growing movement this winter to pass resolutions calling for a state Constitutional amendment to recognize the rights of nature.

One way to spread such a movement in California and address an area of critical need is to advance the rights of waterways to fl ow, and fi sh to swim. While people have rights to divert water, waterways and fi sh hold no legal, enforceable rights to the water they need. Recognizing these rights in state law, with priority for waterways’ water rights, will protect the well-being of the larger community, both human and nature, which depends for its survival on clean, fl owing water.

Since the Northcoast Environmental Center was founded in April 1971, we have published EcoNews, our bioregional environmental newsletter featuring articles on environmental news throughout Northern California and Southwest Oregon. EcoNews is also a signi� cant source for important national and international environmental news and legislation. Unfortunately, only issues from recent years are available digitally, and for many of the older paper issues we only have one copy.

In order to preserve the rich and unique history recorded in these pages over the last 42 years, the NEC has begun the EcoNews Archive Project. This project will provide an accessible archive for the general public as well as for o� ce sta� . No such comprehensive archive exists for environmental issues on the North Coast. The � rst step, currently underway, involves cataloging articles into a spreadsheet that will eventually lead to a searchable database. It has already proved to be a valuable resource for us to perform research on historical and ongoing issues and programs. The next step will be to scan and digitize our complete catalog of issues for an online archive.

We are asking for support from our readers and members in order to complete this substantial undertaking. Volunteers are needed as well as monetary contributions for equipment and sta� . Call or write the NEC at 707-822-6918, or write [email protected] for more information!

Support the EcoNews Archive Project!


BETTER THAN CORN: “Energy cane” is among a new generation of crops that could yield up to fi ve times more ethanol per acre than corn.

� e new, high-fi ber variety of sugarcane now being grown in California’s Imperial Valley provides raw material for biobased fuels, but also has potential for supplying inexpensive and abundant raw materials in hundreds of everyday products, ranging from smartphones and televisions to clothing, carpeting and batteries. Plus, they can substitute for oil and natural gas.

EDEN, RESTORED: Amid bombings on the streets of Baghdad, the “Garden of Eden” has been saved by Iraq’s Council of Ministers, who created the country’s fi rst national park.

� e park aims to restore the Mesopotamian marshes which Saddam Hussein ordered drained and diverted. � is cut off the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and obliterated the largest wetland ecosystem in the Middle East.

But the dikes were broken and water was returned to the marshes, and every species survived, including all 278 kinds of birds, thus showing how resilient Mother Nature can be.

OIL LEAKS (WHAT’S NEW?): Out-of-control oil leaks have already spurted thousands of barrels of toxic hydrocarbons into western Canada’s environment since May, the result of a tar sand project that was certifi ed safe by government regulators. � e spill may fuel opposition to the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil from this and similar sites.

RAPTOR REHAB: A hospital in Abu Dhabi is devoted entirely to falcons, with more than 7,000 feathered patients a year. It has an X-ray unit, two endoscopy rooms, a small surgery and 11 intensive-care units.

PACHYDERM PACT: � e Masai people of Kenya, through a deal with the International Fund for Animal Welfare, have granted a safe travel zone for elephants.

Along with the safe pathway for elephants traveling to Tanzania, the Kenyan government has stepped up severe fi nes for poachers, who have killed close to an elephant a day this year.

BOUNTIES ON DRONES: � e Colorado town of Deer Trail is considering a tongue-in-cheek ordinance that would allow residents to purchase a $25 hunting license to shoot down “unmanned aerial vehicles.”

� e one-square-mile town of 600 would pay $100 to anyone who can produce the fuselage and tail of a downed drone. Hunters could legally shoot down a drone fl ying under 1,000 feet with a 12-gauge or smaller shotgun.

If the town trustees don’t vote to adopt the ordinance, it will go before voters in a special election. � e campaign slogan: “If you don’t want your drone to go down, don’t fl y it in town.”

A DIFFERENT TOOTH FAIRY: A team of scientists in China has grown teeth using stem cells from human urine.

� e cells from the urine were collected and implanted in mice. After three weeks, the bundle of cells “contained dental pulp, dentin, enamel space and enamel organ,” researchers said.

Eco-ManiaA merry melange: salient or silly. Eco-ManiaEco-Mania

BIRD INNOCENT: Turkish authorities detained a bird on suspicion it was spying for Israel, but freed it after X-rays showed it was not embedded with surveillance equipment.

� e kestrel aroused suspicion because of a metal ring on its foot carrying what was thought to be Hebrew words, but an X-ray showed no microchips or bugging devices.

GOODBYE TO FISHERIES: � e plant’s owner fi nally admitted that radioactive water is still leaking, and possibly can’t be stopped, more than two years after the tsunami that devastated the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan.

Japan’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority says plans to stop the leak are unlikely to work as groundwater is entering the damaged reactor, picking up radioactive elements like cesium, and seeping out to sea. Japan has set strict limits on cesium in seafood and will extend the ban on selling locally caught fi sh.

FLOWER OF ROTTING FLESH: With a name like corpse fl ower, you know the Amorphophallus titanum isn’t going to be smelling like a rose. But visitors to the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., fl ocked to catch a whiff of its signature stink.

While the odor is overwhelming to humans, to dung beetles and fl ies it smells like somewhere to lay their eggs.

FRACK YOU: Want to understand what fracking is all about? Go to Liverpool’s “Fracking Futures,” an art installation that gives visitors a chance to think about this controversial gas-extraction technique. � e method of taking gas from deep shale deposits by fracturing them—using a high-pressure mix of water, sand and chemicals—is simulated: a pounding rhythmic bass, a drill rotating down through rubble and methane fl ares that hit you with a dry wall of heat.

FrackingContinued � om page 6

� ese amendments included a clause that gives the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) authority to approve a fracking project if it believes the potential impacts have already been investigated by a statewide environmental review, in lieu of an individual environmental impact report. Governor Brown also raised eyebrows with a signing statement, hinting that thoroughness may be sacrifi ced in the interest of expediting the permitting process: “I am also directing the Department of Conservation when implementing the bill to develop an effi cient permitting program for well stimulation activities that groups permits together based on factors such as known geologic conditions and environmental impacts, while providing for more particularized review in other situations where necessary.”

David Pettit, senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, worries that the bill fundamentally threatens the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), that it “allows a government bureaucrat to waive CEQA with unfettered discretion,” adding, “it’s a free pass from CEQA for every fracking project in California forever.”

Among the groups opposed to SB-4 were the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Working Group, the CaliforniaLeague of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club California, Clean Water Action, Food and Water Watch, Center for Biological Diversity, Physicians for Social Responsibility, CREDO, and MoveOn.org.

A University of Southern California/Los Angeles Times poll in June found that 58 percent of California voters favor a moratorium on fracking.

Rights of NatureContinued � om page 5

� reatened by unwanted, destructive activities such as mining and hydrofracking, these communities have passed local laws recognizing the rights of local natural systems to exist and thrive, and rejecting the rights of corporations who would conduct unwanted, harmful activities over the voice of the local community.

Other U.S. communities are moving proactively to protect their current well-being. For example, in April of this year, Santa Monica became the first California municipality to recognize the rights of nature in law. Their Sustainability Rights Ordinance states that “natural communities and ecosystems possess fundamental and inalienable rights to exist and flourish,” and provides citizens with enforcement authority to protect these rights. The new law adds that “corporate entities . . . do not enjoy special privileges or powers under the law that subordinate the community’s rights to their private interests.” Across the country, towns in Vermont began a growing movement this winter to pass resolutions calling for a state Constitutional amendment to recognize the rights of nature.

One way to spread such a movement in California and address an area of critical need is to advance the rights of waterways to fl ow, and fi sh to swim. While people have rights to divert water, waterways and fi sh hold no legal, enforceable rights to the water they need. Recognizing these rights in state law, with priority for waterways’ water rights, will protect the well-being of the larger community, both human and nature, which depends for its survival on clean, fl owing water.

Since the Northcoast Environmental Center was founded in April 1971, we have published EcoNews, our bioregional environmental newsletter featuring articles on environmental news throughout Northern California and Southwest Oregon. EcoNews is also a signi� cant source for important national and international environmental news and legislation. Unfortunately, only issues from recent years are available digitally, and for many of the older paper issues we only have one copy.

In order to preserve the rich and unique history recorded in these pages over the last 42 years, the NEC has begun the EcoNews Archive Project. This project will provide an accessible archive for the general public as well as for o� ce sta� . No such comprehensive archive exists for environmental issues on the North Coast. The � rst step, currently underway, involves cataloging articles into a spreadsheet that will eventually lead to a searchable database. It has already proved to be a valuable resource for us to perform research on historical and ongoing issues and programs. The next step will be to scan and digitize our complete catalog of issues for an online archive.

We are asking for support from our readers and members in order to complete this substantial undertaking. Volunteers are needed as well as monetary contributions for equipment and sta� . Call or write the NEC at 707-822-6918, or write [email protected] for more information!

Support the EcoNews Archive Project!


ADS

and fragmented due to human encroachment. California’s Central Valley is the ideal home for kit foxes, but also ideal for agriculture, which has led to the development of vast farmlands, vineyards, orchards, cities, roads, and sprawl.

� e San Joaquin kit fox was fi rst listed as an endangered species in 1967 under the Endangered Species Preservation Act, the precursor to the current Endangered Species Act. � e fox is listed also under the California Endangered Species Act.

In 1998, the kit fox was further protected as part of a recovery plan developed by US Fish & Wildlife service, however the species still faces many serious threats to this day. In addition to habitat loss, rodenticides have been identifi ed as a major concern. Kit foxes are both directly poisoned by rodenticide, and indirectly killed after repeated ingestion of poisoned animals.

In recent times, the prolifi c red fox and coyote have moved into the range of the kit fox, posing yet another threat, as they often overpower and kill their smaller cousin. Moving forward, the San Joaquin kit fox will need to overcome a range of obstacles. We can help protect these endEARing creatures by banning toxics, protecting their habitat, and raising awareness about their plight.

Above, a San Joaquin kit fox mother touches noses with one of her young. Top right, a family of kit foxes. Photos : USFWS.

San Juaquin Kit FoxSan Joaquin Kit FoxVulpes macrotis mutica

Brandon Drucker� em ears! � e endangered San Joaquin kit fox

boasts some impressive auditory equipment—ears relatively large compared to the rest of their body, set close together prominently atop a yellow-grey head and long pointed face with a charismatic grin.

Fur color varies by individual and by season, but is generally a buff yellow-gray in summer and silvery-gray in winter. Male foxes average

about 32 inches in length, 12 inches at the shoulder, and fi ve pounds in weight. Female foxes are just a bit slighter. � e species is the smallest canid native to North America. Besides its magnifi cent ears, the kit fox stands out for its relatively long legs, slim body, and bushy black-tipped tail.

40th Anniverary of the Endangered Species Act Series - Featuring Endangered Species of California

Apple computers • Mac software & accessories • Apple authorized serviceInternet set-up • Network services

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sales • service • solutions

Mediterranean food truck and catering service.

Locally owned, locally sourced, locally loved!707-326-9803

Sexual maturity is reached around 1 year of age, and pups are born from February to March. � ey remain with their parents until 4-5 months after learning to hunt on their own. Wild kit foxes typically do not live beyond 7 years of age.

Foxes are mainly nocturnal, preferring to hunt when the weather is coolest, and seeking shelter in their dens during daytime highs. A single individual’s territory may range from 1-12 square miles. Standard prey for the fox includes rabbits, kangaroo rats, mice, squirrels, birds, lizards, and insects.

� e Central Valley’s native grassland is the fox’s preferred habitat, known as “California Prairie.” Loose soil is an extremely important component of this area, and is essential to building quality den sites used for shelter and in rearing young. Unfortunately, similar to many other endangered species, much of the fox’s former habitat has been lost

Donateit feels goodwww.yournec.org/donate

6th & H Streets Arcata • 826-2545

Open Mon-Fri 10am-5:30pm

Sat 10am-5pm

G o o d b o o k s , p l u s . . .See our collections of

quality used clothing and household items

G J P Z I F H T Z N E H V D B M U Y I R U N M O S G G I S S L N B O N A C I E S A V F R D K E T E L E T T B G L H B Y O C H R P L C B X E M F Z W L H Y N P A E T E B A D U N K S P M V N T B M T A X S O X B C M H B O D P D W I H X M W O B Y P R E D A T O R P Z A T Z Y N P T C E S N I M W S C K M S Y Y O V D D U Y N E O Y Y E Z K J U S S T Y L U Q N D H P X Q G C Q A B M C O V Q E A Y A I U P B P Q U V R Z N Y X E U R E R U T A R E P M E T J U M P

ABDOMENCAMOUFLAGEFROTHYINSECT

JUMPMEADOWNYMPHPINEPLANT

PREDATORPROTECTIONSAPSPITTLEBUGTEMPERATURE

Did you know that the “spit” you sometimes see on plants is made by an insect, appropriately named the spittlebug? � e y o u n g spittlebug, called a nymph, makes the spittle. It has glands that make a special fl uid, that when mixed with water and air from their abdomen, forms a frothy spit-like substance. � e frothy mixture surrounds the young nymph and protects it from predators and harsh temperatures.

� e adult spittlebug lays eggs on plants in the fall. � e eggs remain on the plant until the following spring/summer when they then hatch. � e young green-yellow nymphs use their piercing mouthparts to suck juices and sap from the plant on which they’re born. � is is when they surround themselves in the spittle. After the nymph becomes an adult, they no longer produce the frothy protection. � eir dull color acts like camoufl age to help protect them from predators. � ey can also fl y and jump very far—that’s why they are also called frogjumper bugs. Adult spittlebugs can jump up to 100 times their length. � at would be like an adult jumping to the top of a 55-60-story building! Not bad for

by Sarah Marnick

Spittlebugs Do!

Above right, a meadow spittlebug rests on a leaf. Photo: wolfpix, Flickr CC. Below, a spittlebug nymph surrounded by bubbles. Photo: Goshzilla - Dann, Flickr CC.

an insect that’s only a quarter of an inch long!� ere are over 850 species of spittlebug in the world, and

about 20 species live in the United States. � e most common species we would see are the meadow spittlebug, and the western pine spittlebug. Next time you see some spittle on a plant, gently wipe it away to see the little nymph.

the Kids’ Page :

Word Search

Do Bugs Spit?(sort of)


and fragmented due to human encroachment. California’s Central Valley is the ideal home for kit foxes, but also ideal for agriculture, which has led to the development of vast farmlands, vineyards, orchards, cities, roads, and sprawl.

� e San Joaquin kit fox was fi rst listed as an endangered species in 1967 under the Endangered Species Preservation Act, the precursor to the current Endangered Species Act. � e fox is listed also under the California Endangered Species Act.

In 1998, the kit fox was further protected as part of a recovery plan developed by US Fish & Wildlife service, however the species still faces many serious threats to this day. In addition to habitat loss, rodenticides have been identifi ed as a major concern. Kit foxes are both directly poisoned by rodenticide, and indirectly killed after repeated ingestion of poisoned animals.

In recent times, the prolifi c red fox and coyote have moved into the range of the kit fox, posing yet another threat, as they often overpower and kill their smaller cousin. Moving forward, the San Joaquin kit fox will need to overcome a range of obstacles. We can help protect these endEARing creatures by banning toxics, protecting their habitat, and raising awareness about their plight.

Above, a San Joaquin kit fox mother touches noses with one of her young. Top right, a family of kit foxes. Photos : USFWS.

San Juaquin Kit FoxSan Joaquin Kit FoxVulpes macrotis mutica

Brandon Drucker� em ears! � e endangered San Joaquin kit fox

boasts some impressive auditory equipment—ears relatively large compared to the rest of their body, set close together prominently atop a yellow-grey head and long pointed face with a charismatic grin.

Fur color varies by individual and by season, but is generally a buff yellow-gray in summer and silvery-gray in winter. Male foxes average

about 32 inches in length, 12 inches at the shoulder, and fi ve pounds in weight. Female foxes are just a bit slighter. � e species is the smallest canid native to North America. Besides its magnifi cent ears, the kit fox stands out for its relatively long legs, slim body, and bushy black-tipped tail.

40th Anniverary of the Endangered Species Act Series - Featuring Endangered Species of California

Apple computers • Mac software & accessories • Apple authorized serviceInternet set-up • Network services

[email protected] • www.simplymacintosh.com

sales • service • solutions

Mediterranean food truck and catering service.

Locally owned, locally sourced, locally loved!707-326-9803

Sexual maturity is reached around 1 year of age, and pups are born from February to March. � ey remain with their parents until 4-5 months after learning to hunt on their own. Wild kit foxes typically do not live beyond 7 years of age.

Foxes are mainly nocturnal, preferring to hunt when the weather is coolest, and seeking shelter in their dens during daytime highs. A single individual’s territory may range from 1-12 square miles. Standard prey for the fox includes rabbits, kangaroo rats, mice, squirrels, birds, lizards, and insects.

� e Central Valley’s native grassland is the fox’s preferred habitat, known as “California Prairie.” Loose soil is an extremely important component of this area, and is essential to building quality den sites used for shelter and in rearing young. Unfortunately, similar to many other endangered species, much of the fox’s former habitat has been lost

Donateit feels goodwww.yournec.org/donate

6th & H Streets Arcata • 826-2545

Open Mon-Fri 10am-5:30pm

Sat 10am-5pm

G o o d b o o k s , p l u s . . .See our collections of

quality used clothing and household items

G J P Z I F H T Z N E H V D B M U Y I R U N M O S G G I S S L N B O N A C I E S A V F R D K E T E L E T T B G L H B Y O C H R P L C B X E M F Z W L H Y N P A E T E B A D U N K S P M V N T B M T A X S O X B C M H B O D P D W I H X M W O B Y P R E D A T O R P Z A T Z Y N P T C E S N I M W S C K M S Y Y O V D D U Y N E O Y Y E Z K J U S S T Y L U Q N D H P X Q G C Q A B M C O V Q E A Y A I U P B P Q U V R Z N Y X E U R E R U T A R E P M E T J U M P

ABDOMENCAMOUFLAGEFROTHYINSECT

JUMPMEADOWNYMPHPINEPLANT

PREDATORPROTECTIONSAPSPITTLEBUGTEMPERATURE

Did you know that the “spit” you sometimes see on plants is made by an insect, appropriately named the spittlebug? � e y o u n g spittlebug, called a nymph, makes the spittle. It has glands that make a special fl uid, that when mixed with water and air from their abdomen, forms a frothy spit-like substance. � e frothy mixture surrounds the young nymph and protects it from predators and harsh temperatures.

� e adult spittlebug lays eggs on plants in the fall. � e eggs remain on the plant until the following spring/summer when they then hatch. � e young green-yellow nymphs use their piercing mouthparts to suck juices and sap from the plant on which they’re born. � is is when they surround themselves in the spittle. After the nymph becomes an adult, they no longer produce the frothy protection. � eir dull color acts like camoufl age to help protect them from predators. � ey can also fl y and jump very far—that’s why they are also called frogjumper bugs. Adult spittlebugs can jump up to 100 times their length. � at would be like an adult jumping to the top of a 55-60-story building! Not bad for

by Sarah Marnick

Spittlebugs Do!

Above right, a meadow spittlebug rests on a leaf. Photo: wolfpix, Flickr CC. Below, a spittlebug nymph surrounded by bubbles. Photo: Goshzilla - Dann, Flickr CC.

an insect that’s only a quarter of an inch long!� ere are over 850 species of spittlebug in the world, and

about 20 species live in the United States. � e most common species we would see are the meadow spittlebug, and the western pine spittlebug. Next time you see some spittle on a plant, gently wipe it away to see the little nymph.

Spittlebugs Do!Spittlebugs Do!Spittlebugs Do!Spittlebugs Do!the Kids’ Page :

Word Search

Do Bugs Spit?(sort of)

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bring you

The secret to extremely long life is eating skunk and fox meat and a wild grain rich in protein and amino acids called cananhua.

So says a Bolivian Indian, Carmelo Flores Laura, who at 123 years is believed to be the oldest person who ever lived.

The man resides at 13,000 feet near Lake Titicaca in a dirt � oor hut, doesn’t need a cane or glasses, takes long walks every day and avoids sugar and pasta. “We only ate what we found in the wild,” he says.

Here at the NEC, no one has come close to age 123 yet, probably because they do eat pasta and don’t eat skunk meat. So they have to hurry to get things done before their demise--such as preventing water thefts for agribusiness down south, halting o� shore fracking or tearing down four dams.

The sta� and volunteers have been striving to do the right thing for the North Coast bioregion for more than 40 years. While not 125, it is still pretty long. But they need the help of the reading public—that’s YOU—who are implored in this spot every issue to give their time or money (or both).

As you contribute, give a thought to Carmelo Flores Laura, who still lives two miles from the nearest road and says “I’ve never been lazy.”

bring you

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Would You Like Skunk With That?Would You Like Skunk With That?

Every Thursday, 1:30pm on KHSU - 90.5FMJoin us each Thursday for our half-hour radio show, the EcoNews Report!

Each show features interviews with experts on a variety of important environmental topics! EcoNews Report hosts include representatives from the NEC, Humboldt Baykeeper, Friends of the Eel

River, EPIC, and more. Past shows are also archived on our website for listening online anytime! www.yournec.org/content/econews-report

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econews vol. 43, no. 5 - oct/nov 2013

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