econews vol. 45, no. 6 - dec 2015/jan 2016

Arcata, California

Climate Change marches on

Vol. 45, No. 6 Dec 2015/Jan 2016Over 40 Years of Environmental News

Climate Conference | Beach Beautification Project Origins | Remembering Wendell WoodsThe Return of Dr. Loon | Few Limits on Pot Rules | Restoring Headwaters

NEWSEC NEWSNEWSNEWSECPublished by the Northcoast Environmental Center Since 1971

1

Editor/Layout: Morgan [email protected]

Advertising: [email protected]: Karen Schatz and Midge Brown

Authors: Dan Sealy, Jennifer Kalt, Sarah Marnick, Joe Abbott, Dave LaFever, Dr. Loon, Delia Bense-Kang, Ali Freedlund, Margaret Gainer, Tom Wheeler, Felice Pace, Nat Parry, Adam Spencer, Anne Maher, Jared Zystro, Sandra Jerabek

Cover Photo: People’s Climate March in Arcata, November 29, 2015. Photo: Sho Drake.

News From the CenterTo our Members and Supporters,

After six very productive years, the Northcoast Environmental Center is wishing Dan Ehresman the very best as he moves to the next chapter of his career. � e Board accepted Dan’s resignation in November but we know he will continue to engage in conservation and community-building in the North Coast.

At the same time, the Board will continue the important work of educating the public on important issues and fi ghting to save our environment. We look forward to engaging our members and community in the work to increase wilderness and outdoor recreation, conserve our marine environment, protect endangered species, move to sustainable energy and strengthen the best management of our national forests, rivers, parks and preserves. Fruitful conservation work requires an informed and motivated public and we look forward to accomplishing that work with your help.From the Executive Committee of the NEC Board of Directors:Larry Glass, PresidentDan Sealy, Vice PresidentChris Beresford, TreasurerJen Kalt, Secretary

NEC 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.

1385 8th Street - Suite 226, Arcata, CA 95521

PO Box 4259, Arcata, CA 95518707- 822-6918, Fax 707-822-6980

www.yournec.org

The ideas and views expressed in EcoNews are not necessarily

those of the NEC.

President - Larry Glass, Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment, [email protected] - Dan Sealy, At-Large, [email protected] - Jennifer Kalt, Humboldt Baykeeper, [email protected] - Chris Jenican Beresford, At-Large, [email protected] Falxa, Calfornia Native Plant Society, [email protected] CJ Ralph, Redwood Region Audubon Society, [email protected] Kreis, Sierra Club, North Group. [email protected] Greacen, Friends of the Eel River, [email protected] Wheeler, Environmental Protection Information Center, [email protected] Morris, Trinity County Representative, At-Large, [email protected]

NEWSEC NEWSNEWSNEWSEC

NEC StaffEcoNews Editor:Morgan Corviday, [email protected]

MPA Outreach CoordinatorDelia Bense-Kang, [email protected]

Coastal Cleanup Coordinator: Madison Peters, [email protected]

Membership Associate: Sydney Stewart, [email protected]

O� ce Associate: Anne Maher, [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

Be a part of our growing team of site captains and volunteers!

Visit our website for more information and a list of available sites.

Humboldt BaykeeperFiscally sponsored by the NEC

Director: Jennifer Kalt, [email protected] Bay Explorations Sta� : Jasmin Segura, [email protected]

Message � om Dan EhresmanIt is with mixed emotions that I

have decided to leave my position at the Northcoast Environmental Center. My last day with the Center was � ursday, November 12.

Although I am excited about embarking on the next chapter of my life, there is a lot that I will miss. It has been immensely rewarding to work as part of an organization with a rich history that continues to fi ll an important role in our region. I am extremely grateful to the many people who have provided such strong support during my time here and I am very proud of the progress we have made together over the last several years! I am also proud of the staff that will continue on at the NEC and I trust the commitment from the Board to carry the organization forward.

I take pride in our many accomplishments throughout the six years that I’ve been with the NEC: we’ve been a critical voice on land use issues on the North Coast (from the never-ending GPU to the crazy, complex beast that is weed), we are on the way to having our entire 44+ years of EcoNews digitized so that members of the public will be able to explore the rich eco-history of

our region, we maintained a strong environmental education program that engaged hundreds of kids in caring for our biosphere, we’ve continued to get the word out on i m p o r t a n t environmental news through E c o N e w s and EcoNews Report, we’ve provided jobs and learning o p p o r t u n i t i e s for many students through our internship and work study programs, we’ve been instrumental in helping to keep our beaches and waterways clean through Coastal Cleanup and Adopt-a-Beach, and we’ve had some pretty great parties and parades with friends old and new.

While my paid position with the NEC may be coming to a close, I plan to stay in this region and I will continue to engage on critical conservation and community-based issues. We have a lot of work ahead and I am

grateful to live in

an area where folks care immensely. � ank you all again for your help along the way!Sincerely,Dan EhresmanP.S. For those who wish to stay in touch, please make sure you have my personal email address: [email protected].

EcoNews Oct/Nov 2015 www.yournec.org 2

In This Issue3 Few Limits on Marijuana Rules4 The Story Begins: Dr. Loon Returns4 Restoring Headwaters Forest5 Arcata People’s Climate March67

Climate Conference NegotiationsBeach Beautification Project

7 Smith River Mining Withdrawals9 Eye on Washington

11 Kin to the Earth: Wendell Wood13 Variety Testing for Better Crops13 Humboldt Baykeeper1415

Friends of the Eel RiverEPIC

16 Mattole Restoration Council17 Sierra Club, North Group18 California Native Plant Society19 Zero Waste Humboldt21 Creature Feature: The Opah22 Kids’ Page: Jellyfish

Catch the NEC’s EcoNews ReportEvery Thursday, 1:30pm on KHSU - 90.5FMRotating hosts talk with a variety of experts and guests on a range of topics

Past shows are archived on our website for download or streaming

www.yournec.org/econews-report

MailboxMailboxLetters to the Editor

A bouquet of azalea blossoms for outgoing

board member, Keytra Meyer in thanks for all her work for the NEC, especially for leading us in strategic planning and organizational improvements.

To out-going Executive Director, Dan Ehresman, for the six years

he dedicated to the work of the Northcoast Environmental Center. Dan successfully raised the NEC’s

profile during his tenure, as well as providing guidance for student

interns, staff, and volunteers. Thank you, Dan, for all the energy you put into the NEC these

past six years!

To the “Beachcomber Ladies”—owners Melissa, Alice, and Jackie—in Trinidad and Bayside, for 13 years of

saying “No” to single-serve take out cups.

Letters to the Editor are welcomed!

Letters should be 200 words or less, should be relevant to material covered in EcoNews, and must include the writer’s address and phone number.

Letters may be edited and shortened for space. The NEC reserves the right to reject any submitted material for any reason (e.g. size, content, etc.).

Send to [email protected].

Joe Abbo� ’s full piece about the Beach Beauti� cation Project is reprinted on page 7. � ank you, Joe, for sharing your memories of this important part of NEC history with us!

Editor:Nancy Bailey is misremembering

Smokey Bear’s message from her childhood. Back then, it was actually, “Remember... only YOU can prevent forest fi res” (italics mine). It wasn’t until 2001 that “forest fi res” was replaced by “wildfi res.” I noticed the change and assumed it refl ected a maturation of our attitude towards fi re, in recognition of the importance of fi re in maintaining healthy ecosystems and the acceptance at least of controlled fi re. I even was fi nally beginning to gain some respect for Smokey and his “handlers.” Imagine my dismay when, in the course of background research for this letter, I learned that the real motivation behind the change in wording was to stamp out fi re in all ecosystems, not just forests, following the catastrophic 2000 fi re season. Fire suppression has had disastrous consequences in grasslands, too. Maybe, as Ms. Bailey suggests, offi cial attitudes have shifted more recently, but Smokey’s message hasn’t.

One of the reasons Smokey Bear and his message were created in the fi rst place was that, during World War II, we didn’t have the resources to fi ght forest fi res, so the government came up with the Smokey Bear ad campaign to stop fi res at their source. The Japanese tried to capitalize on the situation by igniting forest fi res in the western U.S. using fi re balloons launched into the jet stream. The eff ort failed, perhaps because there wasn’t much fuel buildup back then; imagine what it might accomplish today! I fi nd it truly ironic that Smokey and his message caused far more damage than the Japanese could have in their wildest dreams. Ken Burton

Dear NEC,I had the great honor

to be an Eco-News intern under Sid in the late 90s and early 00s. He was a tough editor and under his mentorship I became a

better writer.My favorite time of the month

was “paste up” when everyone was involved with the EcoNews would come in for a 5-6 hour session of putting the paper together. I took a guilty pleasure in pouring over the content trying to fi nd a spelling error or other mistake. It would mean that Sid had missed something and he’d have to go on the computer and reprint the whole thing!

Paste up could be tedious and grueling and everyone asked Sid why he wouldn’t switch to a computer based layout like every other publication in the country. He never really said why but I think it was in part the collaboration and bonding that took place when everyone had to work together to put that fi nal paper together before deadline.

I have great memories of those days and of Sid. I learned a lot from him!

Sincerely, Andrew Freeman

Editor:I wrote a piece that appeared in

EcoNews’ last issue for Sid Dominitz. The “obituary” was not meant to be a history so much as requiem for Sid. It was edited, which is fi ne. I was just a little miff ed at the statement that I “wrote the grant” and Sid and Tim started the Adopt-a Beach program.

Tim and Sid believed the Beach Beautifi cation Project (BBC) could function after the grant ended without a steward so we came up with the Adopt-a-Beach idea. I was skeptical we would succeed without a steward, a paid one. We all worked to get volunteers and I believe Sid was the fi rst, taking on College Cove. From the beginning of the project I worked at fi nding volunteers until I left for Wisconsin, and in the grant

application we had a system to use volunteers—and we did. The only thing that is diff erent is the name: Beach Beautifi cation Project vs Adopt-a-Beach.

Sorry to be picky here; it’s just that I came up with the idea, Ann and I grant-funded it, and I worked it for around one and one-half years, the last year as crew leader. Tim and Sid were great guys and deserve more credit than I ever will as stewards of environmental policies and for their work at the NEC. But as I wrote in the attachment, I hatched this baby and watched and parented its fl edgling year and a half. My contribution was neither secondary nor insignifi cant, and Ann and I are proud of it.

Incidentally, two things: the name of the project, BBC, was Tim’s contribution to the grant. Also NEC won the C league Arcata city softball that year and Tim had the trophy in NEC’s window. I played on the team that year but also played A and B leagues in Eureka. The NEC trophy meant most to us. I’m not certain but Wesley Chesboro (sp?) may also have played with us.

I don’t care about a retraction but read the attachment, please, to get a picture and forgive the pickiness here. Keep up the good work at NEC.

Joe Abbott

A bouquet of azalea

Bouquets

Oct/Nov 2015 EcoNewswww.yournec.org3

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County Farm Bureau, Buckeye Conservancy, and many environmental organizations and individuals who recognize the need to bring this industry into compliance with state and local regulations designed to protect the environment and public safety.

However, after seven public hearings on the ordinance, it has become clear that the majority of Humboldt County Planning Commissioners want to open the doors for expansion of the Green Rush. While we appreciate the Planning Commission’s recommendations for limits on water trucking and a one-year window for permit applications, many other votes will result in very few limitations on the industry, including:

Continued on page 9

Jennifer Kalt, NEC Board SecretaryOn October 9, Governor Jerry Brown signed

into law three bills—SB643, AB266, and AB243— that form a long-overdue statewide framework to regulate commercial medical marijuana cultivation and distribution. � e framework creates a process by which counties and cities can issue local permits to create regulations more restrictive than the state’s—or they can ban cultivation entirely. � e deadline for adopting local rules governing permits is March 1, although Assemblymember Jim Wood plans to change that date as soon as possible. Despite the proposed change, Humboldt County is rushing to put a cultivation ordinance in place as fast as it can to meet that March 1 deadline.

As reported in the Oct/Nov issue of EcoNews, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted on September 15 to take the lead on developing a cultivation ordinance for parcels over five acres, a process that was spearheaded by industry lobbyists late last year.

On October 30, Humboldt County staff released its draft ordinance for review by public and the Planning Commission, which will submit its recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for another series of public hearings. General support for the draft ordinance was expressed in letters from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Humboldt

Commercial Marijuana Cultivation Rules Set Few Limits

Photo: Colleen Elliott, flickr.com CC

Commercial outdoor marijuana cultivation area in square feet and permit types by parcel size as recommended by the County Planning Commission on Nov. 18:

Parcel Size Ministerial Permits Special Permits Conditional Use Permits <1 acre Up to 100 sq. ft. - >100 sq. ft.<5 acres Up to 200 sq. ft. - >200 sq. ft. 5-10 acres Up to 3,000 sq. ft. - >3,000 sq. ft.10-30 acres Up to 5,000 sq. ft. 5,001-10,000 sq. ft. >10,000 sq. ft.30-320 acres Up to 10,000 sq. ft. 10,001-20,000 sq. ft. >20,000 sq. ft.321+ acres Up to 20,000 sq. ft. - >20,000 sq. ft.

Ministerial Permit: requires compliance with a set of general standards.Special Permit: requires site-specific assessment; public hearing not required.Conditional Use Permit: requires site-specific assessment; public hearing required.

• No limit on the number of new grows that would be permitted;

• No limit on the number of permits overall;• No limits on the number of permits per

parcel;• No limits on indoor cultivation relying on

diesel and gas generators;• No limit on the amount of Timber

Production Zone (TPZ) or agricultural land that can be converted to marijuana cultivation;

• Large increases in the size of cultivation areas proposed in the draft ordinance (see above).

Back-to-the-landers representing HUMMAP, the Humboldt Mendocino Marijuana Advocacy Project, have argued eloquently for sun-grown, organic grow sites under 3,000 square feet to ensure the quality and competitiveness of the “Humboldt brand,” but the Planning Commission voted against including such a concept, stating it’s better left to the County Agricultural Commissioner and third-party certification.

As we go to print, County staff is incorporating the Planning Commission recommendations into the draft ordinance for the Planning Commission’s final review on December 1. Staff will also need to revise the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND), the environmental analysis which claims that all impacts to water quality, protected species such as coho and Chinook...


offense was bringing to the rural counties of northern California an alternative set of values. And a plant that appeared to represent those values: Marijuana. Mary Jane. Pot. Boo. Muggles. Weed. It was like their flag. Then it was like their money. That’s when law enforcement got serious.

The “war on drugs” had been used for decades to keep certain segments of the population in their place. The fact that these newcomers were mostly young white people, children of the middle class—some of them were even from here—didn’t seem to trouble the authorities. The methods were the same: guns, imprisonment, fines, and the usual forms of harassment—depriving you, if not of your life and liberty, of your driver’s license, your car, your livelihood, your home if you have one, your vote, even the custody of your children. The Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) was only the most notorious of these efforts, and the most overtly military in its costumes and methods. But the soldiers of the pulp economy also arrived as social workers and building inspectors, sometimes in the uniforms of BLM, USFS, or in the plain clothes of more sinister government agencies. The battles were over housing and permits, land use and forests—and always about the cultivation, sale, and use of marijuana—but the war itself was about values.

Instead of weakening it, this assault made the weed economy stronger. Forced to defend itself, it found ways to define itself through resistance. Not all of its actions were successful or wise. The new people struggled to dissociate themselves from the carbon dollar, but they’d grown up on the pulp fictions of pulp culture and sometimes embraced things as consumers. They believed technology would redeem them, shopped the Whole Earth Catalog, bought anything with the word “organic” on it, like children in a new green supermarket.

But the weed economy was also kindred to the shell exchange, and... Continued on page 8

Dr. LoonMy story begins several decades ago, with a

question: How shall we live? The institutions that were supposed to help with the answers—family, school, community—had failed a generation. They were told: Duck and cover. Cut your hair, get a job. Step forward when your number’s called. So they left all that, and came up with the best answers they could, often in remote places like Humboldt County. Then they had a hundred more questions, foremost among them: What are we going to use for money? No one imagined that the answer might be a plant.

Four economies have regulated human affairs in this region, represented by shells, gold dollars, carbon notes, and now weed. Each has a story to tell. Each has a lesson for an uncertain future. Because now, in addition to resource depletion and rural depression—the failure of carbon economics—we face the prospect of even greater uncertainty in everything from the climate to global finance. And now, with that greater urgency, we have to ask again, How shall we live? Our answer, including what we use for money, will have to see us through the changes that lie ahead.

They arrived in the late 60’s and early 70’s. They were ridiculed and feared, called long-hairs, hippies, freaks, environmentalists. Their principal

The Story Begins

Dave LaFever, BLM EcologistHiking along a former logging road, long

ago decommissioned and regenerating in young trees and shrubs, I trudge my way up to the ridge dividing Salmon Creek and the Little South Fork Elk River. A young, dense forest surrounds me as I stand on a hot, open road in the late heat of summer. Sweat forms on my brow as I approach the core of the Headwaters old-growth, protected close to sixteen years ago thanks to the many activists who so dearly love this place. I leave the sun-filled and hot second-growth behind and enter an entirely different world – dark and quiet, cool and serene, the old-growth that provides solace to all who enter. The sweat on my brow begins to cool.

The Headwaters Forest Reserve, like many of our North Coast parks and protected areas, is a tale of two forests. Majestic and towering old-growth, decadent and dripping with mosses and lichen, contrasts sharply with surrounding second-growth stands, uniform and very dense. Our management reflects this dichotomy as well: we conserve the habitat-rich old-growth, home to iconic species of the Pacific Northwest, and work to restore the formerly-logged areas in the direction of the old-growth that we love so deeply.

At the time Headwaters was established in 1999, 60% of the area had been logged. In some areas, forests were only beginning to regrow from clear-cut harvests of the 1980s and 1990s. Inheriting unnatural second-growth forests dominated by Douglas-fir, the BLM began restoration thinning in 2004. The goals of restoration were to accelerate forest development towards old-growth conditions and restore a more natural species mix to these areas (cutting Douglas-fir and leaving behind redwood and other, less common species). From 2004 to 2013, we thinned 1,600 acres...

A Tale of Two Forests:

Restoring Forests on the North Coast

Continued on page 10

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

Dr. Loon returns after a fi ve-year break. � is is the fi rst of several excerpts from � e Price of a Life: Shells, Gold, Carbon

Notes and Weed in the Humboldt Bay / Six Rivers Region.


Adam SpencerSmith River Alliance

Ever since fresh intentions to strip mine the headwaters of the North Fork Smith River and other Wild and Scenic streams were made public in late 2012, there has been a tremendous amount of support to protect the marquee streams of the Wild Rivers Coast. This year, 2015, has proven to be the year to harvest those seeds of support.

In late June, the Obama Administration (via the Bureau of Land Management) issued a two-year ban on future mining claims across 100,000-acres of southwest Oregon that have been targeted for nickel, cobalt, chromium and other valuable metals.

The existing mining claims that kick-started opposition efforts are held by Red Flat Nickel Corporation near Baldface Creek, a major tributary of the North Fork Smith and in the Red Flat area of Hunter Creek and Pistol River east of Gold Beach. These claims will remain in place but would have to go through a rigorous validation process including proving the deposits’ profitability before moving forward.

The two-year ban—known as segregation—is intended to maintain the status quo while BLM completes environmental analysis for a five-year mineral withdrawal from the targeted areas. The five-year withdrawal is also meant to maintain the status quo while Congress considers legislation for a permanent withdrawal of the threatened areas.

Mineral withdrawals are one mechanism of protecting public land from mining projects that would otherwise be approved or advanced under the 1872 Mining Law, an antiquated law that allows companies, including foreign-owned corporations like Red Flat, to pay zero royalty dollars to the taxpayer—despite taking millions of dollars worth of minerals from the public commons and leaving a legacy of devastating pollution. The law also does not include any environmental provisions or requirements for mine reclamation or cleanup.

November 29, 2015Over 2000 cities around the world marched this weekend to send

a unified message to our world leaders that the people of the Earth demand strong climate action policy. The World Climate Summit—called COP21—is taking currently place in Paris. This is a large gathering of political leaders and business persons who will be determining a plan of action to combat global climate change. Many of us are aware of runaway climate—a so called “tipping point” whereby humans will no longer have any control of decelerating carbon emissions —but few can grasp the global and social implications of such a catastrophe. Arguably, COP21 offers the last chance at combatting climate change on the level needed and with the swiftness necessary to save us from reaching that tipping point.

On Sunday, November 29th, Humboldt activists and community members joined the Global People’s Climate Movement and marched the streets of Arcata from HSU LIbrary Circle to the Arcata Plaza. The march was organized by volunteer activists, and it aimed to form strong community ties. Humboldt Community Rights, Transition Humboldt, Citizen’s Climate Lobby, Climate Crisis HSU, Sustainability Coalition HSU, and several community members came to share their projects and ideas; this open dialogue allowed the community to align their goals with one another. Those involved plan to communicate further about combatting climate change locally and constructing a self-resilient community.

Continued on next page

The U.S. EPA has documented that hardrock mining which includes strip mining is one of the largest sources of

toxic pollution in the USA.

Humboldt Took to the StreetsMarching for the Climate

Two-year Ban on Mining Wild Smith

Carol Ann Conners707-725-3400

654 Main Street, [email protected]

CA License #0E79262

CorviDesignwww.corvidesign.netfreelance design for print and web

Photos: Sho Drake.


Adam SpencerSmith River Alliance

Ever since fresh intentions to strip mine the headwaters of the North Fork Smith River and other Wild and Scenic streams were made public in late 2012, there has been a tremendous amount of support to protect the marquee streams of the Wild Rivers Coast. This year, 2015, has proven to be the year to harvest those seeds of support.

In late June, the Obama Administration (via the Bureau of Land Management) issued a two-year ban on future mining claims across 100,000-acres of southwest Oregon that have been targeted for nickel, cobalt, chromium and other valuable metals.

The existing mining claims that kick-started opposition efforts are held by Red Flat Nickel Corporation near Baldface Creek, a major tributary of the North Fork Smith and in the Red Flat area of Hunter Creek and Pistol River east of Gold Beach. These claims will remain in place but would have to go through a rigorous validation process including proving the deposits’ profitability before moving forward.

The two-year ban—known as segregation—is intended to maintain the status quo while BLM completes environmental analysis for a five-year mineral withdrawal from the targeted areas. The five-year withdrawal is also meant to maintain the status quo while Congress considers legislation for a permanent withdrawal of the threatened areas.

Mineral withdrawals are one mechanism of protecting public land from mining projects that would otherwise be approved or advanced under the 1872 Mining Law, an antiquated law that allows companies, including foreign-owned corporations like Red Flat, to pay zero royalty dollars to the taxpayer—despite taking millions of dollars worth of minerals from the public commons and leaving a legacy of devastating pollution. The law also does not include any environmental provisions or requirements for mine reclamation or cleanup.

November 29, 2015Over 2000 cities around the world marched this weekend to send

a unified message to our world leaders that the people of the Earth demand strong climate action policy. The World Climate Summit—called COP21—is taking currently place in Paris. This is a large gathering of political leaders and business persons who will be determining a plan of action to combat global climate change. Many of us are aware of runaway climate—a so called “tipping point” whereby humans will no longer have any control of decelerating carbon emissions —but few can grasp the global and social implications of such a catastrophe. Arguably, COP21 offers the last chance at combatting climate change on the level needed and with the swiftness necessary to save us from reaching that tipping point.

On Sunday, November 29th, Humboldt activists and community members joined the Global People’s Climate Movement and marched the streets of Arcata from HSU LIbrary Circle to the Arcata Plaza. The march was organized by volunteer activists, and it aimed to form strong community ties. Humboldt Community Rights, Transition Humboldt, Citizen’s Climate Lobby, Climate Crisis HSU, Sustainability Coalition HSU, and several community members came to share their projects and ideas; this open dialogue allowed the community to align their goals with one another. Those involved plan to communicate further about combatting climate change locally and constructing a self-resilient community.


The U.S. EPA has documented that hardrock mining which includes strip mining is one of the largest sources of

toxic pollution in the USA.

Humboldt Took to the StreetsMarching for the Climate

Two-year Ban on Mining Wild Smith

Carol Ann Conners707-725-3400

654 Main Street, [email protected]

CA License #0E79262

CorviDesignwww.corvidesign.netfreelance design for print and web

Photos: Sho Drake.

Nat ParryThis article was originally publishd online at

CommonDreams.org, reprinted under Creative Commons license.

Hurricane Patricia, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, as viewed from the International Space Station. Photo: Scott Kelly/NASA)

A permanent withdrawal could come through legislation. � e Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act of 2015 was introduced earlier this year by Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and by Congressmen Jared Huff man and Peter DeFazio.

Senator Mike McGuire introduced a Senate Joint Resolution (SJR-3) urging Congress and the President to permanently safeguard the unprotected portions of the North Fork Smith River in Oregon, in June successfully passing both the senate and assembly.

� e Smith River watershed in California was withdrawn from mineral entry in 1990 with the creation of the Smith River National Recreation Area, which came on the heels of a nickel mining eff ort mine near the small hamlet of Gasquet on the Middle Fork Smith River.

“� ere’s nothing like a strip mine to galvanize support,” said Grant Werschkull of the Smith River Alliance. And in the case of the Smith River and these spectacular streams of the Wild Rivers Coast —there is a national constituency willing to work for protection.”

BLM received an amazing 36,000 comments in favor of the proposed mineral withdrawal.During public comment meetings in Gold Beach and Grants Pass this September, more than two hundred wild river supporters attended each meeting and spoke against the mining projects.

� e California Department of Fish and Wildlife sent Michael vanHattem to the Grants Pass public meeting to explain the agency’s opposition to any strip mining in the Smith River watershed, calling it one of two “irreplaceable” watersheds in California in respect to salmonid population resiliency and biodiversity. His remarks inspired a resounding ovation from the crowd.

In Del Norte, there has been unanimous opposition to the strip mining proposals and support for the mineral withdrawal. � e Board of Supervisors unanimously opposed Red Flat’s application to use surface water for test drilling in the North Fork Smith watershed, saying that the project would cause “signifi cant adverse environmental impacts” in the watershed possibly impacting the major drinking water source for county residents.

“It is with this in mind the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors adamantly opposes this application or any application that would result in future strip mining in the Smith River watershed,” the Board’s July 2014 letter states.

� e Board of Supervisors, the Crescent City Council, the Gasquet and Big Rock Community Service Districts, Redwood National Park, and the Crescent City-Del Norte Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Bureau all submitted letters in support of the proposed mineral withdrawal in September.

Visit smithriveralliance.org for more information.

With more than 40,000 negotiators from 196 governments descending on Paris this week to negotiate a comprehensive accord to tackle climate change, it is hard to imagine that they could possibly reach an agreement that will satisfy everybody.

� e interests that each country brings to the table are so complex and diverse – especially when it comes to the touchy subjects of climate reparations and ensuring eff ective enforcement mechanisms for any sort of “binding” deal on how to actually reduce carbon emissions to safe levels – it is inconceivable that everyone (or anyone) will feel content at the end of these marathon negotiations in two weeks.

� is is likely why the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, a Costa Rican diplomat named Christiana Figueres, has for months been lowering expectations for the outcome of the summit. While the goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) has long been deemed necessary to avoid the most serious eff ects of climate change – a future of drowned cities, desertifying croplands, and collapsing ecosystems – Figueres acknowledges that the negotiations, based on the declared “intended nationally determined contributions”(INDCs) of each country at the table, will probably not result in reaching that 2-degree goal.

“I’ve already warned people in the press,” she said this summer. “If anyone comes to Paris and has a eureka moment—‘Oh, my God, the INDCs do not take us to two degrees!’—I will chop the head off whoever publishes that. Because I’ve been saying this for a year and a half.” As Politico explains it, rather than reaching 2-degree goal, “What would be a success for Figueres, the UN and many of the countries taking part is setting in motion a process starting in 2020 that ups greenhouse gas cuts over time. Figueres calls it ‘the start of a long journey.’”

"� e 40,000 negotiators engaging in two weeks of discussions and horse-trading in the French capital are not really negotiating with each other, but with Mother Nature."

While it is true that taking the fi rst step of this “long journey” is obviously necessary—and long overdue—in order to begin the process of mitigating climate change, and in that sense it is worth maintaining some optimism and positive thinking, what is less clear is whether nature will be as patient and understanding.

What the international community seems to be forgetting is that the environment is governed by natural laws and if the science is correct regarding global warming, we cannot continue to postpone meaningful action on tackling climate change. Indeed, it is clear that the eff ects of climate change are already taking hold in major ways and are only expected to get worse, with large parts of the planet potentially rendered uninhabitable, according to the world’s leading climate scientists.

Smith MiningContinued � om previous page


International Community Attempts to Negotiate with

Nature in Paris


ADS

Jon AbbottThe following was sent to us in part as an ode to Sid

Dominitz for the Oct/Nov issue of EcoNews, published here in the interest of providing a more detailed history

of the origins of what has now become the Adopt-a-Beach and Coastal Cleanup Day programs, and a glimpse of early

environmentalism on the North Coast.

Continued on page 7 Continued on page 10

Jared ZystroIn the fall of 2014 local farmer John LaBoyteux

and I had sent commercial bakers samples of ten diff erent wheat varieties we had grown. � e results were in. Some of the varieties made bread that was too fl at, or too pale. However, a few stood out, including ‘Canus’, an old Canadian wheat with hard, red seeds, and tall enough to compete with weeds. Unfortunately, it was also susceptible to becoming infected with strip rust, a problematic disease for wheat in our damp climate. � e search for the perfect variety would c o n t i n u e with new trials.

Finding the right varieties is critical for success in Humboldt , e sp e c ia l ly for crops not typically grown here, like wheat and quinoa. But why bother with trials? Don’t seed companies and universities already research and report the best varieties? While agriculture is a major part of our local economy, it is a miscrocosm compared to the state or the country. Our climate is unlike many of the major agricultural regions. � erefore, neither seed companies or universities are likely to have results relevant to us.

To address this issue, Organic Seed Alliance (OSA), a non-profi t focused on ensuring farmers have access to the seeds they need, partnering with local farmers to fi nd the best varieties for our area. In addition to wheat, we’ve been testing quinoa, silage corn, sweet corn, and other crops.

Quinoa is a crop that has become more and more important in Humboldt County. A relative of beets and spinach, quinoa produces edible seeds with high levels of protein. It requires cool summers to produce good yields, and unlike almost anywhere else in the U.S., the coast of Humboldt County has summers that are cool enough to successfully produce quinoa.

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To explain my part in the Adopt-a-Beach Program, believed to be the genesis of the largest single day volunteer effort in the United States, it’s necessary to understand that I am of Humboldt County. Although born and raised in Eureka, I’ve lived these past 35 years elsewhere, from Seattle to Madison, Wisconsin, and back to California--Salinas, then Alaska, back to Davis, Santa Cruz, and these past 25 years in Chico. Yet if asked where’s home, I say Humboldt County.

I hunted, fished, and played ball, worked in two lumber mills, the Public Guardian’s Office, Humboldt State University Foundation, and the Public Health Department. I also worked in the hills, Panther Gap to be specific, in the early days of the green trade.

The Beach Beautification Project: How Adopt-a-Beach Began

Those were merely jobs to me; another place, the Northcoast Environmental Center, germinated a seed planted long before and changed my perception of my place in the world.

In part it began in biology class circa 1968, when a College of the Redwoods instructor mentioned the word “environmentalism,” explaining it would be a significant scientific field in the future and would increase awareness of natural systems and human influence on them. Although not a particularly astute student I nevertheless made note, and shortly after had occasion to mull the concept of human influence on wild places, albeit in a seemingly trifling manner.

At seventeen years old with no place to get drunk, four friends and I parked on a dirt road beyond Cutten. As usual, we threw our beer empty bottles on the roadside, sometimes breaking them, sometimes not. The rest of the garbage went the same way. Then an older close friend decided he’d seen enough to “kick the ass of the next guy who littered.” The thought startled me; I wasn’t particularly worried about the ass-kicking but it

was the notion—the first time a peer was concerned with litter. And he was (is) a friend whose words are worthy of consideration. But really, who cared if you threw your shit around?

That I remember that moment indicates the idea had some impact on me. Little by little, I became aware of litter. The stuff was, in those days, everywhere, and until then I’d hardly noticed. These days it’s difficult to imagine oblivion when confronted by the crap people leave lying about. It disgusts most of us. When one visits places in other countries (the Yucatan Peninsula comes to mind) one is overwhelmed by the volume of litter, but in the ‘60s, despite national “litterbug” campaigns, to a teenager the stuff seemed a...

Testing Yields Crops Suited for

North Coast


Dr. LoonContinued � om page 4

Spring Release for Marine Protected Area Videos

...shell exchange, and recognized it as the ancestor of its own valuations. It honored the great cycles, the seasons, and it worked and prayed for the return of the salmon. It said that wealth comes from the Earth, and that we belong to it, not the other way around. Resistance required that they act on these beliefs, by practicing reciprocity, by sharing, and by caring for people and places. Besides creating new social forms, this “alternative” community developed effective technologies for low-impact living, for resisting further damage to forests and rivers, and for restoring what was left. The newly developing social and environmental ethic represented a way of giving back, and of fighting back, protecting what remained. It was a rural culture based on life, on growing things—not just marijuana.

The weed economy was here before anybody thought to grow it for money. At the end of the seventies and into the eighties, as law enforcement escalated the economic lifestyle wars into a full-scale assault, their efforts instead drove up prices, created a brand, and opened a market that made it possible for the weed economy to more firmly establish itself. Weed money financed a resistance that ended the helicopter and gun show, and reduced at least a fraction of the prohibition industry’s power and arrogance. Beyond resistance, through legal battles and direct action, the weed economy also waged a counter-offensive against the forces that were heedlessly turning trees into money and rivers into mud.

The marijuana wars and the forest wars were just different fronts in a struggle that was essentially cultural and economic. Now that the crusade against marijuana is winding down, it may be that the more serious threat to the weed economy—the real war—is just beginning.

� e Price of a Life (pdf) can be downloaded from www.yournec.org/priceofalife

� e book will be printed locally, funded by fi fty $50 pledges which will get you a signed copy and make several more copies available at cost through local bookstores, clinics, and grow shops. Address questions, comments, pledges to [email protected].

Delia Bense-KangThe Humboldt Marine Protected Area

Collaborative is creating a series of short, interview-based videos that will tell unique stories of our relationship with the North Coast’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and the ocean.

� e video will be shot and produced under the direction of fi lmmaker and Humboldt State University (HSU) Professor of Film, David Scheerer. Using a combination of HSU student fi lmmakers and paid crew, the collaborative will shoot original footage in a variety of locations to focus on telling short stories that explore students’ perceptions of what makes a healthy ocean and the roles marine protected areas play. Interviews will include local fi shermen, tribal elders, researchers and community members involved in the creation and management of MPAs.

� e actual production of the video is also an excellent outreach tool. On October 27, for example, a group of Trinidad students and families took a fi eld trip to the natural playground of Houda Point (Camel Rock) to

fi lm footage for the fi lm series.� e negative low tide at the time provided an

opportunity to enter caves otherwise underwater and climb rocks that would normally be off shore. � e kids were enchanted by everything from tiny sea snails to surfers, or as one girl referred to them, “seal people.”

� e videos are tentatively scheduled to be released late Spring of 2016.

Dan Sealy On November 5, President Obama finally

denied TransCanada’s permit for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline from Canada across the U.S. to the Gulf Coast, on grounds that to combat climate change we needed to “keep some fossil fuels in the ground rather than burn them.”

But does denial of one pipeline matter? Climate change is a complex, long-term environmental issue with no simple fi nish line. However, Keystone represented a line in the sand that environmentalists, tribes and landowners along the proposed path drew to stop the carbon road of no return. Leave this dirtiest of oil in the ground.

Climate change as an environmental concern and Keystone XL in particular has in recent years sparked the same sorts of rallies and passion as did the first Earth Day in 1970. Just as Earth Day protests spawned the creation of new community

Keystone Denied but the Fight’s Not Overorganizations like the Northcoast Environmental Center, the collaborative voices against Keystone have done the same—with thousands of people getting arrested for taking a stand. The threat of this pipeline spawned new groups to work in their communities to divest from non-sustainable fuels and to boost alternative energy sources. This is why it matters.

Today the public is much better educated about those alternatives. People are engaging in intellectual efforts and research to make them even stronger. The struggle to deny Keystone has brought new energy to conservation organizations fighting the pipeline such as Bill McKibben’s 350.org, Tarsands Action and others in the U.S. and Canada. Now is the time to celebrate; thank those who have been bold leaders and then gather our new friends and get back into the fight. It’s not over yet.

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ADS

As the new Speaker of the House, Representative Ryan from Wisconsin takes up the gavel in the U.S. House and takes charge of the legislative agenda. Congress’ remaining work to determine agency budgets (appropriations) is converging with the usual drama of using legislation to drive the national conversation relating to issues for the elections next year rather than to enact policies and laws.

That convergence is leading to the usual backroom deals with a threat of bad environmental riders and little time for conservation organizations to speak up. Here is what is going on right now:

Using Public Money from Oil and Gas Leases to Protect Public Lands and Water

Though gas leases on public lands including the off-shore wells are of great concern within the conservation community, the emerging environmental movement was able to extract some minimal benefits from a brilliant program. The 1965 Land & Water Conservation fund (LWCF) provided more than $16.7 billion to acquire new federal recreation lands and was granted to State and local governments. However, as of this writing, the program was allowed to expire by Congress.

The program uses money collected from gas and oil leases to fund projects identified by the public and government to increase recreation and protection for our public lands and waters. Whether you are a hiker, biker, surfer, soccer player or angler, you probably have benefited

directly from this program. Many of the communities receiving grants are in urban centers and areas of economic hardship.

Administered by the National Park Service, the program has been a boon across the country —and to our region in particular. Since the program began, just under $13 million funded projects ranging from the purchase of additional lands for state parks, to boat ramps

and fishing ramps in local communities. Statewide, California has received

$287,719,583 to fund 1,542 projects approved by local, state and federal agencies. The Forest Legacy Program (FLP) is an example of conservation achieved through the LWCF. A local example is the Eel River Conservation Area which received money to acquire conservation easements on private forest lands with willing landowners.

Here is the breakdown by county:

HUMBOLDT: $7,223,882.46 for 31 projectsDEL NORTE: $4,474,365.45 for 9 projectsTRINITY: $29,540.90 for one projectMENDOCINO: $1,040,520.48 for 10 projects This program is in limbo right now because

of a debate that goes back to the Sagebrush Rebellion-era of President Reagan and Interior Secretary, James Watt: states vs. federal government. Though almost every county in the nation has received grant money, there has been a shift from using the money to purchase lands for federal uses like National Parks, to projects identified by states.

Representative Bishop of Utah, the leader in re-writing the legislation, has indicated he supports reauthorization but only if it shifts more funds to states to use. Bishop has also supported legislation to return federal public lands—such as Bureau of Land Management or Forest Service lands—to states or private use.

Hopefully Congress will resolve their philosophical differences soon so the funds can be used for the need to provide for outdoor recreation.

OrdinanceContinued � om page 3

Dan Sealy, NEC Legislative Analyst


EyeonWashington

...salmon, fisher, and southern torrent salamander, traffic, noise, etc. will be mitigated to “less than significant.” However, what mitigations will remain after the Planning Commission review is unclear until their recommendations are finalized on December 3.

With an estimated 19,000 parcels eligible for cultivation, and very few limits on expansion of new and existing grows, the environmental review has been cast into question. It remains to be seen how this ordinance will put the brakes on an industry that has taken advantage of the region’s infamous lack of enforcement.

Impacts from illegal water diversion, irresponsible grading, and clearing of forests for grow sites have expanded exponentially in recent years. Salmon streams are particularly hard hit from the combined impacts of drought, decades of harmful logging practices, and unchecked marijuana operations. The cumulative effects from all of these impacts threaten our once-great salmon runs, which are teetering on the brink of extinction. Allowing unlimited new grows without meaningful limits would be unconscionable.

The Board of Supervisors will need to make major changes for the ordinance and its MND to withstand the inevitable legal challenges. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to voice your views on the need to protect salmon streams, wildlife habitat, timberland, and farmland while providing reasonable paths to legitimacy as the end of marijuana prohibition looms on the horizon.

Sign up for NEC action alerts at www.yournec.org

For more info, visit www.ca-humboldtcounty.civicplus.com/2124/Medical-Marijuana-Land-

Use-Ordinance

Japan Tsunami Marine Debris

Monitoring and Beach Cleanups

Call or email the NEC to register in advance, or for more information: [email protected] or 707-822-6918.

Japan Tsunami Marine DebrisJapan Tsunami Marine DebrisHumboldt County:SAMOA BEACH

SATURDAY @ 10:00 AMJanuary 2, 2015

Del Norte County:POINT ST. GEORGE BEACH

SUNDAY @ 10:00 AMJanuary 3, 2015

www.yournec.org/tsunamidebris

HeadwatersContinued � om 4

...or approximately 21 percent of the Headwaters Forest Reserve.

In 2014, we began a second round of thinning with an added goal of introducing more spatial complexity to mimic conditions found in old-growth forests within Headwaters. We created a mosaic of tree density across second-growth stands by building off recent restoration work completed in Redwood National and State Parks, and research completed in partnership with Humboldt State University published in 2013 (“Modeling Young Stand Development towards the Old-growth Reference Condition in Evergreen Mixed-Conifer Stands at Headwaters Forest Reserve, California”). � is study helped us understand the conditions in old-growth stands and allowed us to model trajectories towards old-growth under various restoration scenarios.

Old-growth redwood forests are structurally diverse, with a range of tree sizes, reiterated tree

trunks, high tree and stand biomass, and complex canopies. Headwaters old-growth is characterized by a mixture of redwood (50-70 percent of overstory trees) and Douglas-fi r trees (30-47 percent) with a density of 70-80 trees per acre. Unthinned second-growth stands, on the other hand, are dominated by Douglas-fi r (60-80 percent) with a density over 1,000 trees per acre.

Forest modeling showed that a single thinning scenario, while signifi cantly reducing the density of trees (from 1,200 to 250 trees per acre) and restoring a more natural mix of redwood and Douglas-fi r trees, was not suffi cient to restore the old-growth reference condition in a 300-year timeframe. A scenario of two rounds of thinning was needed to further reduce stand density (to fewer than 250 trees per acre), promote and sustain growth among overstory trees, allow for snag recruitment, and to create a multi-layered, uneven-aged, complex forest. � e scenario of two rounds of thinning set the second-growth on a more direct trajectory towards the old-growth reference condition, which illustrates the need for multiple rounds of thinning when restoring our north coast forests.

Standing among these ancient trees, a thousand years old perhaps, I am humbled by how long it takes to restore these forests. As I take one last look up into the stratosphere of the canopy before heading back into the glaring light of the second-growth, I wonder at the role of restoration in creating the beauty that I see before me. I think about the long time that it will take for our forest to be what it once was and I think about the surprising results of our study: that if we do nothing, our young second-growth forests will take a very long time to develop the majesty of our old-growth forests, if ever. I wonder how long species like the northern spotted owl and the marbled murrelet have to wait for forests to be restored.

I am struck by a fi nal thought before I descend down the old logging road, “Do we wait and see or do we try, try to help make the world whole again?”

� e BLM is now amending its Headwaters Resource Management Plan to allow the agency to continue restoring the Headwaters Forest Reserve.

For more information, visit:www.blm.gov/5hmd

� is is important because recent increases in international demand for quinoa have resulted in increaded exports, prices and shortages in the mountainous regions of South America where it is traditionally grown.

Blake Richard of Wild Rose Farm has been growing an increasing amount of quinoa for the past decade,improving the genetics of his own ‘Rainbow’ quinoa through seed-saving. He approached OSA last year to help him develop new varieties, and testing continues, as well as increasing seed to make the best new varieties more widely available.

Silage corn is an important local crop despite being just a small part of the dairy cow diet. Local production has some challenges. In addition to there being few varieties that are able to mature in cool coastal Humboldt County, the major corn breeding companies have for the past decade or more focused on varieties released with genetically engineered (GE) traits. OSA has been conducting silage corn trials in 2014 and 2015 with local farmers Paul Guintoli and Andy Titus to provide coastal dairy farmers with better information about silage corn variety choices.

OSA is also working with local vegetable farmers. � is year, OSA partnered with the College of the Redwoods and farmer John LaBoyetaux to conduct trials of 143 kinds of sweet corn. In 2012 and 2013, OSA worked with local farmer Eddie Tanner to conduct trials of green beans, cucumbers, carrots, and broccoli. One of the standout green beans was an old variety that hadn’t been sold commercially for decades. It yielded incredibly well, had the best fl avor, and resisted the molds that aff ected some beans in our cool damp climate. Local seed producer Bill Reynolds began producing seed of this green bean. He rechristened it ‘OSU Blues’ and it is now being sold nationally.

Finding and developing the best varieties for our area is a key part of strengthening our local agricultural systems, and everyone can play a part. Complete trial results are available from www.seedalliance.org. If you are interested in conducting your own trials, download our guide to conducting variety trials. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Crop TestingContinued � om page 7


HeadwatersContinued � om 4

...or approximately 21 percent of the Headwaters Forest Reserve.

In 2014, we began a second round of thinning with an added goal of introducing more spatial complexity to mimic conditions found in old-growth forests within Headwaters. We created a mosaic of tree density across second-growth stands by building off recent restoration work completed in Redwood National and State Parks, and research completed in partnership with Humboldt State University published in 2013 (“Modeling Young Stand Development towards the Old-growth Reference Condition in Evergreen Mixed-Conifer Stands at Headwaters Forest Reserve, California”). � is study helped us understand the conditions in old-growth stands and allowed us to model trajectories towards old-growth under various restoration scenarios.

Old-growth redwood forests are structurally diverse, with a range of tree sizes, reiterated tree

trunks, high tree and stand biomass, and complex canopies. Headwaters old-growth is characterized by a mixture of redwood (50-70 percent of overstory trees) and Douglas-fi r trees (30-47 percent) with a density of 70-80 trees per acre. Unthinned second-growth stands, on the other hand, are dominated by Douglas-fi r (60-80 percent) with a density over 1,000 trees per acre.

Forest modeling showed that a single thinning scenario, while signifi cantly reducing the density of trees (from 1,200 to 250 trees per acre) and restoring a more natural mix of redwood and Douglas-fi r trees, was not suffi cient to restore the old-growth reference condition in a 300-year timeframe. A scenario of two rounds of thinning was needed to further reduce stand density (to fewer than 250 trees per acre), promote and sustain growth among overstory trees, allow for snag recruitment, and to create a multi-layered, uneven-aged, complex forest. � e scenario of two rounds of thinning set the second-growth on a more direct trajectory towards the old-growth reference condition, which illustrates the need for multiple rounds of thinning when restoring our north coast forests.

Standing among these ancient trees, a thousand years old perhaps, I am humbled by how long it takes to restore these forests. As I take one last look up into the stratosphere of the canopy before heading back into the glaring light of the second-growth, I wonder at the role of restoration in creating the beauty that I see before me. I think about the long time that it will take for our forest to be what it once was and I think about the surprising results of our study: that if we do nothing, our young second-growth forests will take a very long time to develop the majesty of our old-growth forests, if ever. I wonder how long species like the northern spotted owl and the marbled murrelet have to wait for forests to be restored.

I am struck by a fi nal thought before I descend down the old logging road, “Do we wait and see or do we try, try to help make the world whole again?”

� e BLM is now amending its Headwaters Resource Management Plan to allow the agency to continue restoring the Headwaters Forest Reserve.

For more information, visit:www.blm.gov/5hmd

� is is important because recent increases in international demand for quinoa have resulted in increaded exports, prices and shortages in the mountainous regions of South America where it is traditionally grown.

Blake Richard of Wild Rose Farm has been growing an increasing amount of quinoa for the past decade,improving the genetics of his own ‘Rainbow’ quinoa through seed-saving. He approached OSA last year to help him develop new varieties, and testing continues, as well as increasing seed to make the best new varieties more widely available.

Silage corn is an important local crop despite being just a small part of the dairy cow diet. Local production has some challenges. In addition to there being few varieties that are able to mature in cool coastal Humboldt County, the major corn breeding companies have for the past decade or more focused on varieties released with genetically engineered (GE) traits. OSA has been conducting silage corn trials in 2014 and 2015 with local farmers Paul Guintoli and Andy Titus to provide coastal dairy farmers with better information about silage corn variety choices.

OSA is also working with local vegetable farmers. � is year, OSA partnered with the College of the Redwoods and farmer John LaBoyetaux to conduct trials of 143 kinds of sweet corn. In 2012 and 2013, OSA worked with local farmer Eddie Tanner to conduct trials of green beans, cucumbers, carrots, and broccoli. One of the standout green beans was an old variety that hadn’t been sold commercially for decades. It yielded incredibly well, had the best fl avor, and resisted the molds that aff ected some beans in our cool damp climate. Local seed producer Bill Reynolds began producing seed of this green bean. He rechristened it ‘OSU Blues’ and it is now being sold nationally.

Finding and developing the best varieties for our area is a key part of strengthening our local agricultural systems, and everyone can play a part. Complete trial results are available from www.seedalliance.org. If you are interested in conducting your own trials, download our guide to conducting variety trials. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Crop TestingContinued � om page 7


We lost our dear friend Wendell Wood last August, a true champion for the wild. At age 66, he appeared overfl owing with health and enthusiasm until his last moment, which was hiking in old growth redwoods. He was doing what he loved most. Without a whisper of warning, he was gone.

Starting the Northcoast Environmental Center

Wendell Wood was a dedicated environmental advocate, committed naturalist, and gifted teacher. Though most known for his decades with Oregon Wild, Wendell helped to form or support dozens of conservation groups in Oregon and California —co-founding Northcoast Environmental Center (NEC), Friends of Del Norte, and more recently Tolowa Dunes Stewards.

Wendell helped organize and staff the NEC while he was a student at HSU, considering these activities with the NEC as the beginning of his active involvement with saving the planet. With the Friends of Del Norte, Wendell was a very early advocate (in 1973) for the protection of Blue Creek, a tributary to the Klamath River which to this day provides one of its only cold water refuges and nearly pristine spawning grounds for salmon.

Every Person Can Make a Huge Di� erence

After HSU, Wendell began one of the most eff ective conservation careers in Oregon history. It is possible that he saved more old growth forests and established more wilderness areas, than any other single person in that state.

Wendell and his wife Kathy moved to Oregon in 1976 after he accepted a job as a high school biology teacher. However Wendell soon succumbed to the pull of activism. He joined the board and staff of the Oregon Wilderness Coalition in 1981 (which became Oregon Natural Resources Council, or ONRC, and is now Oregon Wild). During the 1980s, clear-cutting public forests was advancing at such a rapid pace that author William L. Sullivan reported hiking on trails, shown on his then recently purchased U.S. Forest Service map, that had suddenly disappeared without a trace under “an impenetrable mess of slash and stumps.” (Stranded, Sullivan was forced to spend the night camping on a new gravel logging road.)

As early as 1981 Wendell began the campaign of systematically appealing illegal timber harvest plans on federal lands throughout Oregon, thus igniting what later were called the “Spotted Owl Wars.” Wendell at one point fi led over 100 appeals

Kin to the Earth: Wendell Woodby Sandra Jerabek

with thanks to Oregon Wild, Crater Lake Oral History Project, Tolowa Dunes Stewards, and Kathy Wood

in a single day. His group got kicked out of their free University of Oregon offi ce space as they became “too controversial.”

In 1991 Wendell published the 318 page “A Walking Guide to Oregon’s Ancient Forests,” which he and his wife produced as they spent every weekend for two years locating the best remaining old growth stands —many of them still unprotected and in peril. Too many cases, as he wrote in the book, are “still a race against time.”

Eventually Wendell’s group and others won Endangered Species Act listing for the Northern spotted owl. Appeals brought federal timber sales to a halt, forcing President Clinton to convene stakeholders in 1993 and craft the Northwest Forest Plan in 1994, which sharply reduced logging on federal lands in the Pacifi c Northwest and northern California.

“I feel like there will always be somebody else out there who will be willing to negotiate, [that] they’ll be willing to give things up,” Wendell explained later as part of a Crater Lake oral history project. “What I think is harder is to say ‘no.’ ONRC has been asked why we are so confrontational, [and] the answer is ‘I don’t wish to be confrontational, I just don’t know anybody else that is willing to do it.’”

Upon relocating to Klamath Falls in 1993, Wendell took up the cause of the region’s forgotten, water-starved and farmed National Wildlife Refuges and endangered endemic fi sh species – playing a central role in ESA listings for the short-nosed and Lost River suckers.

Time and again in Wendell’s career at Oregon Wild he would voluntarily forego paychecks to ensure there were resources to hire other staff to carry out yet more conservation work. Some of these young people have gone on to do great things.

Wendell’s “Retirement” to Del Norte CountyAbout 15 years ago, Wendell “retired” to

Del Norte. He told me that he did so because our county and northernmost Humboldt are among the “last best wild places.” He became

well known as a captivating trip leader willing to freely share his deep knowledge of the landscape and its species. Leading birding trips from his cabin adjacent to Klamath Marsh as well as mushroom and wildflower identification hikes across Oregon and northern California. Wendell’s love for the natural world was a gift he passed on to many thousands.

Oregon State University professor Dr. Paul Hammond has described our Lake Earl dunes as “one of the richest hotspots for biodiversity of both plants and animals found along the West Coast of the United States.” Wendell however was the one who quietly set about fully documenting this lushness of species: identifying and photographing nearly 500 vascular plant and 400 mushroom/fungi species, and 395 marine invertebrate species.

Wendell also won a ban on ATVs and dirt bikes, and worked with EPIC to end cattle grazing, in Tolowa Dunes State Park, while getting volunteers to remove miles of old barbed wire cattle fencing. Where these former ranching day remnants tangled hazardously, Roosevelt elk now graze.

Indeed it is his wife Kathy Wood who equally deserves our undying gratitude for supporting their family, and giving all of us the gift of Wendell Wood.

We will miss you and remember you Wendell—forever. And we are grateful for the countless places that you stood up for.

Wendell Woods on a Tolowa Dunes Biodiversity Hike, 2012.

FIELD TRIPS

www.rras.org

andpiper SDECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Redwood Region Audubon Society

The SRedwood Region Audubon Society

TheThe

January Program: Friday, Jan 8December Program: Friday, Dec 11

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. Dec. 5: Joe Ceriani; Dec. 12: Larry Karsteadt; Dec. 19: Tristan McKee; Dec. 26: Ken Burton.

Saturday, December 12: Riverside Ranch/Salt River Restoration Project. Visit this exciting, newly restored but still-developing wetland that is otherwise only accessible by boat at this time. We will meet at the Ferndale Fairgrounds at 8 a.m. and carpool from there, returning by noon. Dress warmly and be prepared to walk a few miles on an easy gravel road. Please register in advance for this trip, because the number of participants may be restricted. The focus will be on waterfowl, shorebirds, and winter raptors. Call Sean McAllister at (707) 496-8790 for more information and to register.

Sunday, December 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 a.m. Call Jude Power or David Fix (707-822-3613) for more information.

Saturday, December 19: 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 bring your own if possible. Steady rain cancels. Meet at 9:30 a.m., parking in Tooby Park, about 100 ft from the main entrance to the SHCP.

Sunday, December 20: Eureka Waterfront. Meet at 9 a.m. at the foot of W. Del Norte St., where we will scope for birds off the public dock 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 Sanctuary. Leader: Ralph Bucher (707-499-1247; [email protected]).

Saturday, January 9: Winter Rarities. We will start in Arcata and end in the Ferndale area, concentrating on looking for rarities that were found on the Arcata and

Centerville CBCs while also enjoying all the species we could expect to see along the way. Most years we see around 90 to 100 species total and even sometimes fi nd our own rarity! Rob Fowler (707-839-3493; [email protected]) will lead. We will meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Arcata Marsh G Street parking lot. Bring a lunch and expect to end around 4 p. m. Dress warm; heavy rain cancels.

Sunday, January 10: Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. See December 13.

Saturday, January 16: Southern Humboldt Community Park. See December 19 (same meeting time).

Sunday, January 17: Eureka Waterfront. See December 20.

RRAS’s Annual Banquet and Art Auctionwill be held February 27, 2016, at the Six Rivers Masonic Lodge in Arcata. Geoff Hill will be guest speaker. This is a popular and fun event, and you don’t want to miss it. Look for details in the next issue of The Sandpiper.

RRAS’s Annual Banquet and Art Auction

In preparation for one of our biggest and most adventurous annual birding events, local birder/biologist Sean McAllister will share some of the history and past highlights of our 5 local CBCs. He will also review some of the identifi cation challenges that may be encountered during the counts. This will be a good opportunity to meet the coordinators and sign up to participate in your favorite counts. The potluck (optional) starts at 6:30 p.m. Bring a dish to share; RRAS will provide drinks, plates, and utensils. Program starts at 7:30 p.m. at the SIX RIVERS MASONIC LODGE, 251 Bayside Road, Arcata.

Christmas Bird Count Primer& Potluck

New Guinea is renowned for a dizzying diversity of endemic birds. From the mesmerizing breeding displays of the birds of paradise to the stunning stature of cassowaries, the birds of New Guinea have long fascinated bird watchers and scientists alike. David Price, a renowned herpetologist and bird watcher who has described several new taxa from New Guinea, will rely on his decades of experience living and studying in New Guinea to give us an exciting account of that country’s birds. The program starts at 7:30 p.m. at EUREKA HIGH SCHOOL LECTURE HALL at the corner of Humboldt and K Streets. Bring a mug to enjoy shade-grown coffee, and please come fragrance-free.

The Fantastic Birdsof New Guinea

© D

avid

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CHAPTER LEADERSOFFICERS

President— Hal Genger …………............ 707-499-0887Vice President ........................................................ VacantSecretary—Adam Brown............................. 707-826-0319Treasurer—Syn-dee Noel............................. 707-442-8862

DIRECTORS AT LARGERalph Bucher …........................................ 707-443-6944Joe Ceriani …............................................ 707-476-9127Jill Demers ……………………………… 707-667-6163Harriet Hill………………………………. 707-267-4055Cindy Moyer.....................................…..… 707-822-1806Chet Ogan …............................................… 707-442-9353 Susan Penn..................................…......…. 707-443-9660 C.J. Ralph ............................................….. 707-822-2015

OTHER CHAPTER LEADERSConservation — Jim Clark ...............…... 707-445-8311Eductn/Scholarships — Denise Seeger ....707-444-2399eBird 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 — Susan Penn.…..................707-443-9660NEC Representative — C.J. Ralph.......... 707-822-2015Nominating – Jim Clark …....................... 707-445-8311Programs — Jared Wolfe...........................262-443-6866Publications — C.J. Ralph..................….. 707-822-2015Publicity — Harriet Hill............................ 707-267-4055Sandpiper (Editor)—Jan Andersen ….… 707-616-3888Sandpiper (Layout)— Gary Bloomfield ...707-362-1226Volunteer Coordinator — Susan Penn.…707-443-9660Website Gatekeeper — Ralph Bucher......707-443-6944Lake 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.

Thinking of Joining the National Audubon Society?

If so, please use the coupon below. By sending in your membership on this form, rather than replying to solicita-tions from National Audubon, $20 is sent directly to RRAS. This is how NAS rewards local chapters for recruitingnational members. (Otherwise, the RRAS dues share per new member is only a couple of dollars.) Thank you.

Chapter Membership ApplicationYes, I’d like to join.Please enroll me as a member of the National Audubon Society and of my local chapter. Please send AUDUBON magazine and my membership card to the ad-dress below.My check for $20 is enclosed. (Introductory offer)NAME_______________________________ADDRESS___________________________ CITY ______________________________STATE____________ZIP______________email ______________________________Local Chapter Code: C24 C1ZC240ZPlease make checks to the National Audubon Society.

Send this application and your check to: National Audubon Society P.O. Box 422250 Palm Coast, FL 32142-2250

--------------LOCAL CHAPTER------------- REDWOOD REGION AUDUBON SOCIETY

P.O. BOX 1054,EUREKA, CA 95502

By Hal Genger President’s Column

Be Careful What We Ask for But When We Get It, Insist on Enforcement of Its Meaning

By Jim Clark

The other night at a political social event, in a brief conversation with Patrick Higgins, Division 5 Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation & Conservation District (District) Commissioner, I heard about the difficulties he had when it was proposed that the Woodley Island Gerald O. Hansen Wildlife Area (GOHWA) be opened to public access. It appears that both wildlife and invasive non-native vegetation have flourished since the preserve was established, so evaluation will be required before actual physical work can be approved. A similar situation occurred on Parcel 4, behind the Bayshore Mall, back when the homeless encampments could be counted on one hand. The City of Eureka requested permission from the California Coastal Commission (CCC) to prune native vegetation and remove some non-native vegetation. Permission was denied on the basis that trimming native vegetation would have a negative effect on the natural characteristics of this coastal area. The result was that vegetation continued to provide seclusion for illegal camping, which likely resulted in far greater damage to the “natural characteristics” of the parcel than if vegetation had been controlled to discourage such camping. Most of us would agree that passage of the California Coastal Act (CCA) and creation of the CCC was a good thing. Likewise, we would probably agree that the CCC has sometimes been too wishy-washy or too rigid and short-sighted in its interpretation of the CCA. These are the

risks that come with all regulations. It is our duty as citizens, more so as members of a conservation organization, to do what we can to hold the CCC to make decisions that are consistent with the intent of the CCA, not just the words. This applies to all agencies at all levels that are responsible for enforcing environmental regulations. Meanwhile back at Woodley Island’s GOHWA, we have an opportunity for public wildlife viewing in a unique environment, provided it is done properly. Management of the GOHWA is the responsibility of the District and is part of the mitigation for development of the island. The CCC is correct in requiring compliance with the terms of the original agreement, but it is up to us to see that the original intent is carried out. How do we do that? We volunteer! What do we need to do? Look up original agreements, identify and count birds, attend meetings, meet with and write to elected representatives, comment on environmental documents, and more. Among the members of RRAS are many of us who have expertise in the disciplines required for environmental review and comment, even discounting those who might have a conflict of interest. This expertise is not limited to biologic science but includes political and social science, geography, accounting, writing skills, and the art of dealing with bureaucracy. We have the makings of a darn good environmental consulting organization within our ranks, no resume required. It’s sometimes hard work but often fun; the pay stinks, but the rewards are great. The RRAS Conservation Committee wants YOU!

Beginning December 10, 2015, the Conservation Committee will meet on the second Thursday of the month at noon at the Golden Harvest Restaurant in Arcata. This change of the meeting day from the second Wednesday was the result of request and a poll. Thursday won, but it was a tie between Arcata and Eureka, so the location will remain the same for the time-being.

Conservation Committee Meeting Day Change

Welcome to the issue of The Sandpiper that ends one year and begins the next! Here are some of the results of our yearly board retreat. Ken Burton and Cindy Moyer joined Rob Fowler on the Field Trips Committee to more equitably distribute Rob’s responsibilities. Thank you, Rob, for all your work, and thank you, Ken and Cindy, for joining the committee. They will maintain the recurring trips, add special trips, and maintain a list of long-distance destinations, diversity being the goal. Please let them know if you have any suggestions or would like to lead a trip. Those of you who attended our general meetings at Eureka High School got to see part of the incredible bird collection housed at the school. RRAS is involved with creating docent activities with the collection, updating the name tags, and helping with preservation. We are working in conjunction with Tamar Danufsky, the wildlife bird curator at Humboldt State University, and are applying for grant monies to improve the cabinets and keep the specimens in good shape. We want to do something significant for bird habitat. This is an important concept in our local urban and rural regions. RRAS has divided its interest in this arena into 2 categories: site-specific regions and general stewardship. Our focus is on 3 site-specific locations. One is Parcel 4 behind the Eureka Mall, which is on hold while the City of Eureka resolves the homeless situation and removes the concrete structures. The second is the Bayland property just east of Highway 101 between Old Arcata Road and Bayside Cutoff. RRAS is currently forming a working relationship with Arcata Rotary and the City of Arcata to make some of this property more bird friendly and accessible to the public. Third, we are

also interested in protecting the cottonwoods along the Mad River near Blue Lake and are forming a group of interested parties to develop a long-term plan. RRAS is also interested in other possible land acquisitions to improve bird habitat. Please let us know if you have any ideas. RRAS plans to promote general stewardship by scheduling a general meeting on bird-friendly yards and organizing garden tours of bird-friendly yards. We are also collecting information on techniques to develop bird-friendly yards and cat-free areas or entire yards. When completed, these will be available for local schools and the general public at RRAS functions. Happy New Year everyone!

Please join us for the 9th consecutive season of winter raptor counts in Loleta and Ferndale! Once a month, we run a standardized 27-mile route and count all vultures, raptors, and shrikes observed within a 1-km-wide transect. Surveys typically run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. No experience or expertise is necessary. For more information, call Ken Burton at 707-499-1146.

Winter Raptor Surveys

KeepUp-to-Date

Through RRAS

ListserveBe reminded about fi eld trips and programs and learn about upcoming meetings, public hearings, and symposia of interest to RRAS members and other concerned nature lovers. Subscribe in 1 of 2 ways: through a Web page link at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rras or by e-mail to [email protected] . Postings should have complete information. This listserv is not for posting bird sightings.

RRAS welcomes the following new member and subscriber:Hydesville – Kate Rowe

We look forward to seeing you on fi eld trips and at our monthly programs.

New MembersThe Christmas Bird Counts

ARCATA – Saturday, December 19. 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, south including Freshwater, and to Eureka (including Myrtletown and Cutten) along the waterfront to include Hikshari` Trail. Contact: Daryl Coldren (916-384-8089; [email protected]).

DEL NORTE – Sunday, December 20. 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. Contact: Alan Barron (707-465-8904; fl ockfi [email protected]) or Gary Lester (707-839-3373; [email protected]).

WILLOW CREEK – date to be determined (weather permitting). The count circle, centered on Willow Creek, includes Horse Mountain, portions of the South Fork and Main Stem of the Trinity River, the small community of Salyer, and the southern Hoopa Valley. Contact: Gary Lester (707-839-3373;

[email protected]).

CENTERVILLE BEACH TO KING SALMON – Sunday, January 3, 2016. 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. Contact: Sean McAllister (707-496-8790; [email protected]).

TALL TREES – Tuesday, January 5, 2016. The count circle extends from Big Lagoon to Orick and Lyons Ranch. Contact: Ken Burton (707-499-1146; [email protected]).

Once again, RRAS is sponsoring 5 local Christmas Bird Counts between December 19 and January 5. This is the 116th count, involving over 50,000 observers throughout the U.S. and the world, and is not only fun but also a classic example of citizen science. The data gathered have been used over the years by researchers and other interested parties to track winter bird populations in a consistent way.

To help counters prepare for identifying the birds they see,RRAS is sponsoring a brush-up session and potluck dinner on Friday, December 18. Look for the

announcement under December Program.

Northern Shrike, Arcata Bottom, HUM,

© Jared Hughey

Ways you can participate:

• Give counters access to your property. • Keep a list of birds that you see in your yard on that day (be a “feeder watcher”). • Join a team to cover a territory near your home. (New birders are paired with veterans, so you don’t have to be an expert.)

All are welcome! Call the contacts listed below to participate at any level. If you don’t have a team, you will be assigned where needed and according to your skill level.

Field NotesSUMMARY OF NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA BIRD REPORTS

By Sean McAllister

September 1 to October 31, 2015Field Notes is a compilation of select bird reports and news from the field, covering Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity, western Siskiyou, and northern Mendocino counties. Reports are acquired from eBird (ebird.org), the “North Western California Bird Box” (707-822- LOON), nwcalbird list server ([email protected]), and those emailed directly to me ([email protected]). For more details, these sources can be accessed directly. Note: Not all reports presented here have been vetted. What a Fall! September and October this year captured the heart of fall migration–and the hearts of ardent birders. It has been one of those outstanding falls, made possible by the combination of a stream of rarities (and megararities!) and by the staunch efforts of a vibrant birding community. Owing to the sheer number of noteworthy birds observed this period, we can’t present all of the details on this page. Go to rras.org for more detailed observations.

MCAS = Mendocino Coast Audubon Society; MOb = Many Observers; ROC = rare on the coast

Showcase

Emperor Goose: 1, with 2 Greater White-fronted Geese, Smith River bottoms, 6-9 Oct (GA, MObs), the 1st regional record in 10 years • Arctic Loon: 1, Humboldt Bay entrance, 25-27 Sep (TM, SM, CO), likely the same bird that was reported last period on north Humboldt Bay near Samoa Bridge, would be only the 2nd confirmed record for the region; 1 (same?), Big Lagoon, 29 Sep-25 Oct (TM) • Great Shearwater: 1, MCAS Fort Bragg pelagic trip, 18 Oct (RF, TE, MOb), found only in Atlantic waters; participants were stunned and elated to see this species in a mixed raft of shearwaters about 12 mi offshore of Fort Bragg in Northern Mendocino county, 1st regional record and one of <20 for the state • Black-vented Shearwater: 1, 4 Oct, was seen from the North Jetty during a well-attended daylong BBQ/birding event; 6 Oct, a report came from the Mendocino coast of up to 100 per-minute flying north just offshore, 7 Oct, offshore between Humboldt and Del Norte counties, thousands streamed by. This species, which breeds off the coast of Baja, is rarely seen north of Sonoma County. With such big numbers, we can hope to spot it on our local Christmas Bird Counts • Brown Booby: 1, North Jetty, 16 Oct (TM, SB, BE, CD); 1, MCAS Fort Bragg pelagic trip, 18 Oct (MOb). Booby reports were already

on the rise before this El Niño year. Now it is reasonable to have during a sea watch or pelagic trip • Swainson’s Hawk: 1, Table Bluff, 1 Sep (TL); 1, Bear River Ridge, 26 Sep (RH) • Chimney Swift: 1, Arcata, 29-30 Sep (EE, MOb). One was seen entering and exiting a chimney with Vaux’s Swifts. It takes skill and focus to separate Chimney Swift from the very similar Vaux’s: Elias helped a group of other birders see the subtle differences in size, shape, and flight behavior. This might well have been the same bird that was observed elsewhere in Arcata back in July by TM. • Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: 1, Arcata bottoms, 29 Oct (KI, MOb) seen for a couple hours, Humboldt’s 10th record, bird made a delightful showing as it joined 2 Tropical Kingbirds in the Arcata Bottoms before being chased off by a kestrel. • Wood Thrush: 1, Sunnybrae, 28-31 Oct (EC, MOb), the 2nd regional record, found by EC from the porch of his apartment! The only other record, in 1984, was also in Sunnybrae • Cerulean Warbler: 1, Samoa, 10-12 Oct (TM, BE), generally considered the holy grail of warblers and certainly the subject of many birder fantasies, anxiety would give way to satisfaction when a horde of birders from here and there got to enjoy the region’s 3rd Cerulean during its 3-day stay • Prothonotary Warbler: 1, Arcata, 4 Oct (GB); 1, Arcata, 16 Oct (fide EE), although it didn’t stick around for others to enjoy, this bird showed up at GB’s feeder! • Worm-eating Warbler: 1, Cooper Gulch, 20-30 Oct (TM, MOb), only the 3rd regional record in the last 20 years, these warblers are notorious skulkers of low, dense vegetation; this one was decidedly more cooperative than the last one that spent the winter at Shay Park a few years ago • Dickcissel: 1, Alexandre Dairy, 6 -7 Oct (JS); 1, Arcata bottoms, 6-9 Oct (EE, CR).

First of Season Greater White-fronted Goose (first flock): 13 Sep (KB, EE, CO, BB) • Sooty Fox Sparrow: 4 Sep (WD) • Swamp Sparrow: 5 Oct (EF) • White-throated Sparrow: 2 Oct (CWe)

StragglersOlive-sided Flycatcher: 22 Sep (BE) • Swainson’s Thrush: 29 Oct (MOb)

Other NotesThe Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk has returned to the Bayside Cutoff area for the 13th year! • Ferruginous Hawk: One reportedly has returned for its 21st year! McKinleyville, 17 Sep (GL, LL) • 24 warbler species were observed during the period.

Let It Snow! As this goes to the editors, 3 Snow Buntings have been observed in the region (details in the next issue), including 1 in the company of Snowy Plovers at Clam Beach! There have been a few reports of Snow Goose.

Thanks to all who submitted their reports–keep them coming!

Roger Adamson, Glenn Anderson, Sandra Andersen, Don Bemont, Samantha Bacon, Alan Barron, Dave Bengston, Gary Bloomfield, Bob Brown, Heather Brown, Lucas Brug, Ken Burton, Greg Chapman, Eric Culbertson, Cedric Duhalde, Walter Duffy, Todd Easterla, Elias Elias, Brad Elvert, Gary Falxa, Elizabeth Feucht, David Fix, Rob Fowler, John Gaffin, Stan Harris, Karen Havlena, Rob Hewitt, Jared Hughey, Ken Irwin, Thomas Kallmeyer (TKa), Deven Kammerichs-Berke, Bob Keiffer, Gail Kenney, Trevor Kumec, Tony Kurz (TKz), Alexandra Lamb, Matt Lau, Tom Leskiw, Gary Lester, Lauren Lester, Ron LeValley, Paul Lohse, Annie Meyer, Curtis Marantz, Sean McAllister, Tristan McKee, Moe Morrissette, Richard Norton, Chet Ogan, Nora Papian, Donald Pendleton, Linda Pittman, Tom Quetchenbach, Alexandra Robinson, Paul Roush, Casey Ryan, Greg Schrott, Paul Senyszyn, Keith Slauson, John Sterling, Steve Stump, Don Sutherland, Linda Terrill, Scott Terrill, Dorothy Tobkin, Carol West, Liz West, Carol Wilson (CWi), Nora Winge.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Arcata Bottom, HUM, © Matt Lau

Great Shearwater, Off Fort Bragg, MEN, © Sean McAllister

Wood Thrush, Arcata, HUM, © Gary Bloomfield

Cerulean Warbler, Samoa, HUM, © Rob Fowler


Beach CleanupsContinued � om page 7


Congress may vote as soon as next week on H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015, which includes an alarming amendment with potential to limit the authorities of states, tribes, and natural resource agencies. � e amendment, from Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Jerry McNerney, also provides a pathway for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to bypass important environmental laws including the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act.

In a statement to the press, Sierra Club Legislative Director Melinda Pierce said: “What started off as a productive bipartisan collaboration has imploded as the allies of fossil fuel corporations have hijacked energy legislation in the House. (H.R. 8) is a polluter grab bag giveaway” disguised as energy legislation. � is reckless bill pushes dirty fuels, increases dangerous carbon pollution and fattens the wallets of oil and coal CEOs,” Pierce said.

Nuclear Waste Piling UpCalifornia had more bad news regarding

nuclear waste disposal and storage. Residents near the decommissioned San Onofre nuclear power plant were upset when the California Coastal Commission unanimously voted to leave over three million tons of radioactive waste from the power plant in dry concrete storage vaults near

Eye on WashingtonContinued � om page 9

the Pacifi c Ocean. � e Commission’s own report warned that “the proposed” storage … “could be required beyond 2051, possibly for many decades.” And the storage site “would eventually be exposed to coastal fl ooding and erosion hazards beyond its design capacity. “ Some residents attending the hearing were shouting at the commissioners as it approved Southern California Edison’s permit and residents are planning litigation to stop what they consider a permanent radioactive storage “dump” on the beach.

Climate Change in a Single ImageLyell Glacier, the largest glacier in Yosemite

National Park, was visited by John Muir in 1872. He was the fi rst to understand the ice was, in fact, a glacier and used the glacier to describe to naysayers how the iconic valley and landscape had been created by glaciers. But that glacier has shrunk by 90% since Muir’s discovery and could be entirely gone in fi ve years says park geologist, Greg Stock, in a report.

On a geological expedition in 1883, Israel Russell took the top photo (of the two photos below) of the Lyell Glacier, when its total volume was measured at 1.2 million square meters. � e second photo was taken in 2015 by Keenan Takahashi from the same spot. In that span, the glacier had receded from 1.2 million square meters to 270,426 square meters, losing 90 percent of its volume and 80 percent of its surface area.

Forest Carbon Offsets Available for PurchaseO�set your carbon footprint!Makes a great local gi�!Purchase local forest carbon offsets from the Arcata Community Forest to offset greenhouse gasses. Every metric ton purchased offsets carbon dioxide gasses equivalent to a round-trip flight between SFO and JFK airports.

Please contact theEnvironmental Services Department(707) 822-8184 [email protected]

www.cityofarcata.org/departments/environmental-services/city-forests

$10/metric ton

...natural part of the landscape. It was essentially so ubiquitous as to be a natural and eventual component of human presence.

Ignorance aside, I did stop throwing around beer bottles and most other trash, though as a teen I smoked and littered a box-worth of Marlboro fi lters every day. Cigarette fi lters weren’t considered litter yet.

With time came inevitable wisdom, possibly, and I began to loathe the garbage and environmental degradation I was seeing. In-your-face piles of broken bottles and garbage left at beach accesses. Old appliances. Mattresses. Probably, individually, people were tossing less litter than in previous decades, but Humboldt County’s beauty attracted a population infl ux that increased litter—becoming an impediment to enjoyment. Humboldt County, my home, ws getting ruined.

At that point I was living in a friend’s house at Manila (which is where the rich people would live if it were any place other than Humboldt County), and dodging broken bottles and trash in my bare feet as I ran four or fi ve miles on the beach every morning before work. I began a slow burn. My girlfriend and I began carrying away beach litter we encountered, and it felt good to make an eff ort, though a small one. I became obsessed, like the boy in John Updike’s “A&P.” It’s fatal when you take a moral stand because it’s impossible to retreat from it.

By 1977, I’d decided to propose a grant to clean Humboldt’s beaches. Now the idea seems absurd to think of fi nding funding to clean beaches, but sometimes youthful enthusiasm prevails. My girlfriend, now wife, Dr. Ann Morrissey, had experience as a grant writer, laying out the fi nancial component of the grant for what can be considered a shoestring budget. Working together, we fi nished the application in one evening: I composing, she budgeting. � e Beach Beautifi cation Project proposal was conjured on a ‘50s-era manual Tower President typewriter with a worn-out ribbon. Still have it and haven’t used it since.

I had approached Northercoast Environmental Center director Tim McKay with the concept of a grant-funded beach cleaning project. Tim was skeptical about success but said the Center would sponsor the project if I could find funding.


Highway 101 along the shore of Humboldt Bay near a breach in the 100-year old railroad dike south of Arcata. Photo by Nancy Stephenson, October 28, 2015.

Jennifer Kalt, DirectorHumboldt Baykeeper continues to spearhead

the annual King Tides Photo Initiative, in which volunteers photo-document the highest tides of the year around Humboldt Bay. King Tides are extreme high tide events that occur when the sun and moon’s gravitational forces magnify one

Humboldt Bay King Tides Photo Initiative 2015-16

Northeastern Eureka and Highway 101 with a half-meter of sea level rise, which is currently predicted for the year 2050. Map courtesy of Jeff Anderson, Northern Hydrology & Engineering.

Jeff Anderson of Northern Hydrology & Engineering recently developed a series of inundation maps for the Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment Project. The maps show areas vulnerable to existing and future sea levels that are currently protected from inundation due to the natural shoreline, dikes or berms, and railroad or road grades.

Five scenarios were assessed: existing conditions and increments of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2 meters of sea level rise above Year 2000. Inundation maps were produced for each scenario for mean higher high water (MHHW), mean monthly

Sea Level Rise Inundation Mapping Project – Humboldt Bay

another. King Tides tend to be more dramatic in the winter, especially when storms cause increased wind and waves along the coast. These high water events allow us to envision how flooding from rising sea level will increasingly impact our beaches, shoreline, neighborhoods, and low-lying infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer pipelines, electric and gas transmission lines, and sewage treatment plants.

On December 24, one of the highest tides of 2015-16 is predicted at

the North Spit tide gage at 11:03 a.m. (times vary depending on location by as much as one hour). The tide is predicted to reach 8.1 feet, although actual high tide could be higher depending on rainfall, atmospheric pressure, and wind. On October 28, the actual high tide was 8.85 feet—nearly one foot higher than predicted due to

overnight precipitation and low atmospheric pressure.

These images will help document flooding, erosion, and dike breaches that we are likely to face with increasing frequency as sea level continues to rise. The photos also help scientists and planners gain insight into how rising sea levels will impact coastal areas in the future. The King Tides Photo Initiative is a great opportunity for Citizen Scientists to contribute to a long-term dataset, while helping inform residents and decision makers about the need to plan for the impending changes to our natural and built environments. To volunteer to help us document this year’s King Tide, or to submit your photos, email us at [email protected].

For photo tips and to view the Humboldt Bay King Tides Photo Initiative album of past events, visit www.flickr.com/groups/humboldtbaykingtides/. For more information about King Tides and sea level rise, visit our website at www.humboldtbaykeeper.org (go to the Sea Level Rise page on the upper left). For more info on shoreline vulnerability, inundation maps, and related issues, visit the Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Project website at www.humboldtbay.org.

maximum water (MMMW), mean annual maximum water (MAMW), and 10-year and 100-year flood events.

The maps are available online as downloadable kmz files which can be opened in Google Earth, and as shapefiles which can be imported into GIS software. For more info or to download the maps, visit www.humboldtbay.org/humboldt-bay-sea-level-rise-adaptation-planning-project.


operations that have been rapidly increasing in number and size for years.

The lesson I take here is that we need to build a regulatory system for marijuana that’s strong enough to secure, for example, the level of watershed protections required to allow coho

Scott Greacen, Executive Director Under a tight March 2016 timeline set by new

California laws regulating medical marijuana, Humboldt County is scrambling at last to write locally appropriate rules for commercial cannabis cultivation. Among the most significant problems the new rules must address is protecting watersheds already overloaded by rapidly increasing pot-related impacts.

Industry group California Cannabis Voice - Humboldt (CCVH) is arguing that we have to set loose rules to entice growers to participate in a legal industry. But loose rules won’t restrain people who are only in it for the money and are causing real harms. Loose rules won’t protect our watersheds and communities. And loose rules won’t satisfy our environmental laws, which refl ect our society’s reasonable expectation that we will not needlessly wreck our rivers, nor drive native fi sh extinct.

Recent exposure of global environmental crises related to the automobile (Volkswagen’s “clean” diesel engines) and oil (Exxon’s climate change denial) industries illustrate a principle famously expressed by Upton Sinclair, that “it is difficult to get a man to understand a thing, when his salary depends on his not understanding it”. Here in Humboldt, our own slice of global environmental crisis is the extinction, now underway, of species that have evolved over millions of years in the places we now call home. Coho salmon are just one of the most spectacular examples of the region’s living wealth whose future now hangs in the balance. Having hung on through overfishing, unregulated logging and draining of the estuary, coho in critical tributaries of the South Fork Eel like Sprowel Creek and Redwood Creek now face extirpation from a deadly combination of water diversions and increased erosion. Humans are taking too much water out of the creeks and pushing too much dirt around. The vast majority of the worst impacts are obviously tied to “medical” marijuana

Friends of the Eel River

of the Eel RiverFriends

to recover in their former habitat. If we do not, we are just inviting people who we know cannot bring themselves even to acknowledge their own impacts, who face powerful incentives to ignore laws and rules, and who are immersed in a culture rife with rationalizations, to play their own version of VW’s diesel game: getting permits without actually changing the practices that are wrecking our watersheds. If we build a system of marijuana regulation that makes cheating easy, or even possible, we’ll get cheating. If we build a system that doesn’t include strong enforcement tools, we can be assured many will continue to flaunt even the simplest rules.

This is why we must not merely “discourage” water trucking, but ban it. This is why we shouldn’t allow legal growers to use illegal, dangerous pesticides. This is why we need to set a realistic cap on the number of grows the county

will permit, restrict them to sizes that can be easily regulated, and ensure they are not done in unsuitable locations. This is why we should institute truly consequential fines for unpermitted commercial grows to immediately discourage any more cut and run grows.

We have an historic chance at last to effectively address these festering problems. But we must choose to act. We have to demand that our decision-makers don’t just defer to those with the most to gain. We would not let Exxon or Volkswagen write the rules they will follow. Nor do we allow the timber industry or the wine industry to declare they won’t follow watershed-protection rules because they’re too tough. If we did, we’d have very few rules indeed, and even fewer salmon.

A final note: Because the county has to pass an ordinance quickly, there’s only time to do a Mitigated Negative Declaration, a brief environmental analysis appropriate where no potentially significant environmental impacts can be expected to

occur as a result of the proposed program. If the ordinance does successfully prevent the significant impacts clearly associated with the industry today, that course is consistent with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. But if the new rules are too weak, their enforcement mechanisms too uncertain, to truly prevent those impacts, CEQA requires more detailed analysis, effective mitigation, consideration of alternative policies and, among otherwise equal alternatives, choice of the most environmentally protective. For our part, Friends of the Eel River will not shirk our duty to seek effective protection for our watersheds and fish.

� is article has been edited for length.

Read the complete article here:h� p://ow.ly/VmMnE

Let’s Not Allow the Marijuana Industry to Write Its Own Rules


The Environmental Protection Information Center ep cep c

For more info visit wildcalifornia.orgFor more info visit wildcalifornia.orgFor more info visit wildcalifornia.orgFor more info visit wildcalifornia.orgFor more info visit wildcalifornia.orgFor more info visit wildcalifornia.org

Tom WheelerPrivate landowners, in

particular Fruit Growers Supply Company, recently cut thousands of acres of northern spotted owl habitat, likely killing or harming the protected owl in violation of both federal and state law. And they got away with it. Here’s the story of how a timber company likely violated the law and how no one caught it.

Spotted owls utilize post-fi re landscapes, including those that burn at high-severity—that is the conclusion of numerous recent scientifi c papers. High-severity areas, those marked by signifi cant numbers of dead or dying trees, provide excellent foraging grounds for spotted owls. � e surge of dead wood and new shrub growth forms ideal habitat for wood rats, deer mice, and other spotted owl prey. � e standing dead trees, or snags, provide branches for owls to roost while scanning for dinner. And because fi res generally burn in a mixed severity pattern, with high-intensity burns close to areas that fi re barely touched, there are often nearby trees for the owls to roost. � is is informally known as the “bedroom/kitchen” model of habitat usage.

� is fi nding, that spotted owls utilize post-fi re forests, is somewhat new. It also runs counter to generalized statements about spotted owl habitat, which has generally been associated with complex mature forests. � e Forest Practice Act was certainly written before this was well recognized.

While most logging in California is accomplished through a Timber Harvest Plan (THP), substantial logging can evade the environmental review provided by a THP. Under an “emergency notice,” a timberland owner can clearcut an unlimited number of acres by declaring an “emergency”—a broad loophole, which includes almost all conditions that render a tree “damaged, dead or dying.”

In 2014, the Beaver Fire burned some 32,496 acres, including 13,400 acres of private timberlands in Siskiyou County, much of which is owned by Fruit Growers. Based on the available information, between 2014 and 2015, Fruit Growers fi led 32 emergency notices with CAL FIRE totaling 8,644 acres. Other nearby landowners similarly fi led emergency notices totaling 1,166 acres.

From surveys conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, we know that individual owls were harmed in violation of federal law by Fruit Growers. After the fi res but before most logging had begun, a curious male northern spotted owl, identifi ed as KL0283, responded to the hoot of an owl surveyor; he had survived the fi re and was living amongst the dead trees. KL0283 was proof that spotted owls utilize post-fi re forests.

Sadly, the Forest Service reports later surveys attempting to locate KL0283 after logging failed to yield any positive survey results. � e Forest Service notes that logging reduced the owl’s habitat far below minimum acceptable levels, and given the lack of nearby habitat, it was unlikely that he had moved to somewhere better. KL0283 is likely dead, killed by the impacts of logging.

On a facial level, Fruit Growers followed the law—they fi led emergency notices telling CAL FIRE that they were planning on logging and logged pursuant to those notices. However, upon investigation, it appears that Fruit Growers harmed northern spotted owls in violation of both federal and state law. How was Fruit Growers able to log spotted owl habitat without detection for so long? Turns out, it was pretty easy.

First, it is unclear whether Fruit Growers knew it was violating the law. In each emergency

notice, it wrote, “Due to the severity and intensity of stand replacing fi re, [the] area can no longer be considered Suitable NSO Habitat.” As explained above, this is a common misunderstanding. By regarding all burned forest as non-habitat, it provided Fruit Growers an easy way to avoid having to evaluate and state the potential impacts to spotted owls.

Second, CAL FIRE dropped the ball. It is CAL FIRE’s job to evaluate emergency notices and reject any notice which may cause more than a minimal environmental impact. CAL FIRE obviously failed at this.

� ird, it is unclear whether anyone else was paying attention. It does not appear that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviews emergency notices—

the Department only recently was able to hire suffi cient staff to even review ordinary THPs, let alone emergency notices. � e U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency charged under federal law with the protection of the owl, does not review California timber harvest implementation. EPIC, I freely admit, failed to put the pieces together until too late.

But never again. EPIC is on a mission, spurred by the likely death of KL0283, to reform post-fi re logging on private land in California. For more on the environmental impacts of post-fi re logging, please visit wildcalifornia.org.

Controlled burn on private land, adjacent to Klamath National Forest. Photo by Nat Pennington

notice, it wrote, “Due to the

Exposed: Post-� re Logging Harms Endangered Owl

Deforested landscape, post logging, within the Panther Project, on Klamath National Forest. Fire doesn’t destroy forests, logging does. Photo by Kimberly Baker.

Spotted Owl Self-Defense

EPIC

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www.WildCalifornia.org

Working Toward Ridge Resiliencycrown fire that is often catastrophic, resulting not only in high tree mortality, but also potentially the loss of homes and structures.

The Lower Mattole Fire Safe Council, sponsored by the Mattole Restoration Council, began its second ridgeline fuels reduction and prairie reclamation project on private lands in

2014—the Mill Creek Road and Ridge Fuel Break Project. This ridgeline was identified for treatment based on historic photo analysis.

On the ridgetops are intact native bunch grasses that will be enhanced by the treatments. The site was once open grassland, but has been steadily encroached by brush and young Douglas-fir. Also, the nearby residential community and landowners were supportive and showed enthusiasm for the project.

Since August 2014, local crews consisting of sawyers, swampers and pile burners worked various stints pushing back the treeline to open up more prairie where appropriate, limbing up older established trees and reducing fuels along road segments for safe

evacuation for a total of 55 acres. Disposing of the resulting biomass is another

challenge. At least a dozen truckloads of firewood were taken to people in the community last year and more will be delivered this winter. Some fuels were chipped on site. But the majority was piled for a later burn with either the landowner’s backhoe or our new skidsteer. Some were burned last winter, and the rest will be burned this coming season with help from the Petrolia Volunteer Fire Department. Many thanks to all who have supported this project and to those who steward the land in ways that reduce fuels while promoting diversity and resiliency for all of us.

line so they can safely backburn to hold the spread of wildfi re. When a ridgeline is identifi ed for this purpose and is covered in vegetation, CAL FIRE will employ one or more dozers prior to sending in fire personnel. A dozer, in an emergency, can open up a ridgeline fast, but it also can cause ecological impacts.

Four years of extreme drought conditions results in trees that are stressed from lack of water. Younger trees, in particular, are vigorous consumers of water. Pushing back the treeline and reclaiming more prairie area along ridges can offer more water to older trees, thereby helping them survive drought and fire. The older a living conifer is, the more naturally resistant to wildfire it becomes due to its thicker bark and higher canopy. Younger Douglas-fir trees, however, are highly flammable, often torching completely. When in close proximity, these fl aming youngsters could ignite the forest canopy, becoming a crown fire. The addition of wind can cause a running

There is something soulfully expansive about open vistas. More importantly, however, are the multitude of life-enhancing benefits open ridges offer: navigation direction (trails), fire suppression access, and habitat for a suite of native plants and animals.

Our watersheds were historically adapted to periodic fire, whether via lightning strikes or indigenous burning. For decades, Smokey the Bear’s caution against fire has resulted in signifi cantly increased fuel loads in our forests as well as a loss of open prairie. Reclaiming open ridgelines is an important strategy for building resilience on the land from the impacts of fire and drought, while providing access for firefighting crews.

There are several ridgelines in the Mattole watershed that were historically clear of vegetation that could benefit from fuels reduction and prairie reclamation treatments. Treatments include removal of encroached brush and trees, disconnecting the forest edge from the grassland by reducing the brush layer, thinning the density of trees, and removing the bottom branches of remaining older trees. Reducing “ladder fuels” has been shown to reduce the spread and intensity of wildfire.

Once mechanically treated, a forest edge is a good location to begin a controlled or prescribed burn that creeps along the forest floor. These low-intensity intentional fires are the best treatment to build a forest’s resilience to the impacts from wildfire, while simultaneously helping to nurture and maintain biological diversity.

Ridgelines are a preferred location to contain a fi re: fi refi ghters often scorch the area with a black

Ali Freedlund

Mill Creek ridgeline as an open prairie in 1942 (left), and heavily encroached by brush and young forest in 2014 (right). Photos courtesy of Mattole Restoration Council.


Working Toward Ridge Resiliencycrown fire that is often catastrophic, resulting not only in high tree mortality, but also potentially the loss of homes and structures.

The Lower Mattole Fire Safe Council, sponsored by the Mattole Restoration Council, began its second ridgeline fuels reduction and prairie reclamation project on private lands in

2014—the Mill Creek Road and Ridge Fuel Break Project. This ridgeline was identified for treatment based on historic photo analysis.

On the ridgetops are intact native bunch grasses that will be enhanced by the treatments. The site was once open grassland, but has been steadily encroached by brush and young Douglas-fir. Also, the nearby residential community and landowners were supportive and showed enthusiasm for the project.

Since August 2014, local crews consisting of sawyers, swampers and pile burners worked various stints pushing back the treeline to open up more prairie where appropriate, limbing up older established trees and reducing fuels along road segments for safe

evacuation for a total of 55 acres. Disposing of the resulting biomass is another

challenge. At least a dozen truckloads of firewood were taken to people in the community last year and more will be delivered this winter. Some fuels were chipped on site. But the majority was piled for a later burn with either the landowner’s backhoe or our new skidsteer. Some were burned last winter, and the rest will be burned this coming season with help from the Petrolia Volunteer Fire Department. Many thanks to all who have supported this project and to those who steward the land in ways that reduce fuels while promoting diversity and resiliency for all of us.

line so they can safely backburn to hold the spread of wildfi re. When a ridgeline is identifi ed for this purpose and is covered in vegetation, CAL FIRE will employ one or more dozers prior to sending in fire personnel. A dozer, in an emergency, can open up a ridgeline fast, but it also can cause ecological impacts.

Four years of extreme drought conditions results in trees that are stressed from lack of water. Younger trees, in particular, are vigorous consumers of water. Pushing back the treeline and reclaiming more prairie area along ridges can offer more water to older trees, thereby helping them survive drought and fire. The older a living conifer is, the more naturally resistant to wildfire it becomes due to its thicker bark and higher canopy. Younger Douglas-fir trees, however, are highly flammable, often torching completely. When in close proximity, these fl aming youngsters could ignite the forest canopy, becoming a crown fire. The addition of wind can cause a running

There is something soulfully expansive about open vistas. More importantly, however, are the multitude of life-enhancing benefits open ridges offer: navigation direction (trails), fire suppression access, and habitat for a suite of native plants and animals.

Our watersheds were historically adapted to periodic fire, whether via lightning strikes or indigenous burning. For decades, Smokey the Bear’s caution against fire has resulted in signifi cantly increased fuel loads in our forests as well as a loss of open prairie. Reclaiming open ridgelines is an important strategy for building resilience on the land from the impacts of fire and drought, while providing access for firefighting crews.

There are several ridgelines in the Mattole watershed that were historically clear of vegetation that could benefit from fuels reduction and prairie reclamation treatments. Treatments include removal of encroached brush and trees, disconnecting the forest edge from the grassland by reducing the brush layer, thinning the density of trees, and removing the bottom branches of remaining older trees. Reducing “ladder fuels” has been shown to reduce the spread and intensity of wildfire.

Once mechanically treated, a forest edge is a good location to begin a controlled or prescribed burn that creeps along the forest floor. These low-intensity intentional fires are the best treatment to build a forest’s resilience to the impacts from wildfire, while simultaneously helping to nurture and maintain biological diversity.

Ridgelines are a preferred location to contain a fi re: fi refi ghters often scorch the area with a black

Ali Freedlund

Mill Creek ridgeline as an open prairie in 1942 (left), and heavily encroached by brush and young forest in 2014 (right). Photos courtesy of Mattole Restoration Council.


Seeking Camper Project Seeking Camper Project Seeking Camper Project CoordinatorCoordinatorCoordinator

NORTH GROUPREDWOOD CHAPTER

Join Us!The North Group’s Executive Committee meets on the second Tuesday of each month in the fi rst fl oor conference room at the Adorni Center on the waterfront in Eureka. The meeting, which covers regular business and conservation issues, begins at 6:45 PM. Members and non-members with environmental concerns are encouraged to attend. When a new person comes to us with an environmental issue or concern, we often place them fi rst or early on the agenda.

This large landslide is within a fi refi ghter-ignited burnout in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. The natural wildfi re never got here but the burnout’s landslide delivered a large amount of sediment to New River, one of our best remaining salmon streams.

EventsOne need not be a Sierra Club member to

participate in these outings. Please join us!

Saturday, December 5—North Group Sierra Club Arcata Community Forest-Redwood Park Hike. Join us for a cool, and perhaps dry, walk in the woods. No dogs. Bring water and lunch. Se habla poco Espanol. Meet 9 a.m. at Arcata Safeway parking lot, or Redwood Park Fourteenth Street parking area 9:15 a.m. Easy hike, fi ve miles, less than 1,000 feet elevation change. Leader: Ned, [email protected], 825-3652.

Saturday, January 2—North Group Sierra Club Ma-le’l Dunes Hike. Get away from it all, close to the town of Manila on Humboldt Bay. Expansive sand dunes, lush coastal forest, tidelands, the beach. No dogs. Bring water and lunch. Carpools by prior arrangement, or BLM trailhead off SR 255 and Young Lane at 9 a.m. Easy hike, fi ve miles, less than 1,000 feet elevation change. Leader: Ned, [email protected], 825-3652.

Essential reading: What is really going on with western wild� res and

how can humans adapt?Book Review by Felice Pace

North Group Ex Comm Member, NG Water Chair, Redwood Chapter Grazing Chair

� ere’s a new book out that westerners who

value wildlife and wildlands will want to read. � e Ecological Importance of Mixed-Severity Fires: Nature’s Phoenix marshals science from around the West and around the globe to challenge what one of the authors calls the fi re suppression paradigm. Heavily promoted by the Forest Service and fi refi ghting establishment, the fi re suppression paradigm holds that fi re suppression has been eff ective across the American West, therefore, we

can not allow fi res to burn naturally in any forests or brushlands and must aggressively “manage” vegetation, including “thinning” public forests to protect them from unnaturally intense and destructive fi res.

� e fi re suppression paradigm makes sense on its face and many westerners, the vast majority of media and some environmental groups have bought into it completely. But, as Nature’s Phoenix points out in detail, science does not support the paradigm. In fact, most relevant studies fi nd that western fi res are not getting larger or more intense. Mixed-severity fi res, including occasional large areas of high intensity fi re, are not only natural but an essential part of western habitats. Most vegetation in the West evolved with fi re and certain plants and animals require intense burns or a diverse fi re mosaic that includes all burn intensities.

In Northwest California some locals have long known that large fi res do not conform to Forest Service one-size-fi ts-all simplifi cations. Since 1987, activists with the Klamath Forest Alliance (KFA) have walked and studied most large fi res that burned in the region. Time and again KFA activists documented the ineff ectiveness of fi re suppression in backcountry as well as the unnecessary watershed damage fi refi ghting often causes. KFA’s fi re reports, the latest of which are available on the organization’s web page (klamathforestalliance.org) document the waste and folly of attempting to control large fi res in rugged western landscapes, particularly in backcountry.

While most of Nature’s Phoenix focuses on science, editors Dominick DellaSala and Chad Hanson do not hesitate to highlight the policy implications the science suggests. � e book’s fi nal section makes the case against post-fi re logging and suggests that astronomically escalating fi re suppression costs can be substantially reduced by improved community protection coupled with ecological fi re use, that is, allowing natural wildfi res to burn when communities and essential infrastructure are not threatened.

� ose who want to learn about the “ecological and biodiversity benefi ts” of everything from megafi res to low-intensity underburns, and from chaparral fi res to fi res in old forests will want to read � e Ecological Importance of Mixed-Severity Fires: Nature’s Phoenix. Along the way you will also get an analysis of the social and political dimensions of western wildfi res.


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 e� ort.

ORTHCOAST HAPTER

NC

Above: Shoppers and volunteers study the variety of shrubs and meadow plants for sale at the fall plant sale at our nursery, against a backdrop of wetland plants at the Jacoby Creek Land Trust’s Kokte Ranch in Bayside. Photo by Gura Lashlee.

Sign up for e-mail announcements: [email protected] For more details and later additions, visit: WWW.NORTHCOASTCNPS.ORG

Field Trips & Plant Walks� e North Coast CNPS chapter does not have any December or January fi eld trips planned, but encourages the community to venture out during the winter months. Northern California provides an opportunity to observe new green life sprout as other green life is going dormant. Also, watch for walks sponsored by other organizations like Friends of the Arcata Marsh, Friends of the Dunes, Redwood Region Audubon Society, Sierra Club, etc. See you in the February!

Evening Programs At the Six Rivers Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Rd., near 7th and Union, Arcata. Refreshments at 7:00 p.m.; program at 7:30 p.m.

December 10, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Native Plant Show and Tell. Join us for an informal evening sharing stories, photos, artifacts, readings, or food relating to native plants and their habitats. If you would like to share something, contact Michael at [email protected] or 707-407-7686.January 13, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Demystifying manzanitas (Arctostaphylos): Understanding the dynamics of California’s iconic, shrubby ‘rock star’. Dr. Michael Vaseyis, director of the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, will talk about his long-term passion for manzanitas (Arctostaphylos) and the backstory behind the creation of his book, “A Field Guide to Manzanitas,” which he coauthored with Michael Kauffmann. Using beautiful and informative figures, range maps, profiles of each 104 taxa, and images by free-lance photographer Jeff Bisbee, this book is intended for anyone with an interest in this fascinating genus. Mike will share his deep knowledge of how and why Arctostaphylos has become such a quintessential “rock star” of the California flora. The North Coast CNPS chapter helped finance this book and copies will be available for sale.

Fall Plant Sale

Below: CNPSers settle for lunch where sand dune meets salt marsh, studying Eureka from a new perspective. On this fi eld trip (September 13) we saw both salt marsh and dune plants, including a good population of the rare Pink Sand Verbena and a very late fl ower of the rare Point Reyes Bird’s-beak. We also saw a great tide of invasive plants, including European beachgrass, Jubata (Pampas) grass, Dense-fl owered cordgrass, ice plant, and sea fi g—bad news for the diverse salt marsh and dune plants we found. An active population of Black-tailed jackrabbits, although native, could be a challenge for both native and non-native plants here. Photo: Carol Ralph.

Elk River Field Trip


19

support of the Footprint Foundation, Zero Waste Humboldt has created a scholarship fund for Humboldt professionals and business facilities to achieve Zero Waste certification.

Space will be limited for the Zero Waste Certification presentations. A $10 donation is requested at the door. To inquire about the Scholarship Fund for Zero Waste certification and to RSVP, email [email protected].

Contact Zero Waste Humboldt [email protected]

Margaret GainerZero Waste Humboldt will host Cheri

Chastain from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico and Josh Prigge of Fetzer Vineyards in Hopland on Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. to tell their inspiring stories of how they guided their companies toward achieving Zero Waste certification. This second event in the 2015-16 Zero Waste Solutions Series is sponsored by Lost Coast Brewing Company and Coast Central Credit Union. Event supporters, Monument Mountain Vineyards and Jonathan McCrone and Elizabeth Hans McCrone, are encouraging Humboldt’s breweries, wineries, and food and beverage businesses to attend these motivational presentations at the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center on Waterfront Drive in Eureka.

ZWH has invited featured speakers, Chastain and Prigge, to share with Humboldt County businesses what they need to know about the Zero Waste Scorecard and the process for achieving platinum, gold, and silver Zero Waste certification status.

In addition to the national publicity their companies’ received for their Zero Waste accomplishment, Chastain and Prigge will discuss the benefits to their companies in sales, cost savings, employee morale, and early compliance

Featured speakers Josh Prigge of Fetzer Vineyards in Hopland, and Cheri Chastain from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico.

with the new California Climate Change laws.ZWH and other grassroots organizations

dedicated to waste reduction have become concerned that the Zero Waste standards and methodology will soon turn to green marketing mush. Without adherence to Zero Waste standards, attention to metrics and measurement, and emphasis on waste prevention, the “Zero Waste” label is being inappropriately used.

To clarify Zero Waste standards for businesses, the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council (USZWBC) created the first third-party Zero Waste Business Certification program for facilities that meet the Zero Waste International Alliance Zero Waste Principles. The USZWBC certification program is more comprehensive than landfill diversion recycling and focuses on the upstream policies and practices that successfully prevent waste in an organization. With the

Zero Waste Certi� cation Comes to Humboldt

2015-2016 ZWH Zero Waste Solutions SeriesZWH presents a series of fi ve evening events emphasizing solutions, featuring expert speakers and short videos on the following topics of importance to Redwood Coast local

governments, businesses and the general public:How Your Business Can Achieve Zero Waste CertificationThursday, January 21, 20166:00 – 8:00 p.m. at HSU Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, Eureka Presenters: Cheri Chastain, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.Josh Prigge, Fetzer VineyardsClearing Up the Confusion about Plastics and Single Use PackagingThursday, February 25, 20166:00 – 7:30 p.m., HSU Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, Eureka Presenter: Julie Layshock, Ph.D., Humboldt State University Chemistry Dept. LecturerZero Waste Legislation—Recent and PendingFriday, March 4, 2016 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at HSU College Creek Great HallPresenter: Mark Murray, Executive Director of Californians Against WasteHow to Reduce Waste at Fairs and FestivalsFriday, April 8, 20166:00 – 7:30 p.m., Humboldt Area Foundation, Bayside Presenter: Marialyce Pedersen, Senior Representative for Walt Disney Company’s Corporate Citizenship, Environment & Conservation Team

HELP WITH • QUICKBOOKS • XERO • PAYROLL

Solutions for Small BusinessLocated in the Greenway Building

8th and N in ArcataCall for an appointment 707-267-8759

www.katherinealmy.com


Beach CleanupsContinued � om page 12

ClimateContinued � om page 6

� e plan was to have a three person crew scour the entirety of Humboldt County’s accessible beaches. I wrote the grant with the intention of community outreach locating beach cleaning volunteers among juvenile off enders, schools, civic groups, and whomever we could convince. At the time there was no plan for the Adopt-a-Beach project to continue past grant funding, two years.

Director McKay was surprised when the grant was accepted for $29,000, but I knew we would be successful. Judy (cannot recall her last name) would be crew leader while Sid Dominitz (recently deceased) and I were crew. We “rented” my ‘53 Chevy truck for mileage and fi lled it with gunny sacks.

There was little planning other than to “do it.”

Arriving at Dominitz’ Trinidad house that first morning, I honked the horn several times and Sid, coffee cup in hand, casually wandered out the door. Annoyed with the honking, he asked, “What is this, high school?” That set the tone for mornings we cleaned north of Arcata and stopped to pick up Sid. Seemed like he was always having a smoke or sitting on the john when we got there. He had perfect timing.

Also comes to mind the morning when our crew had grown by several guys and Sid came outside with boxing gloves. Asked if anyone wanted to spar. I was game and went at it with Sid. He cleaned my clock. Seems Sid had Golden Glove experience as a youth in New York City. Pretty funny though I was furious at the time.Working side by side, I wound up loving the guy. His New York humor was cynical and infectious; he was clever and quick-witted company on even bitter cold and rainy mornings.

In time our crew grew by a few more CETA workers. Unfortunately for them, the new guys rode in the back of my truck (under my homemade hippie canopy without windows). Winter was miserable back there and the way home smelled of garbage.

We had occasional juvenile offenders working short-term and were supplemented by two work-release crew from San Quentin prison. One asked me my angle for working so hard without pay equal to the effort, not understanding why we would clean up just because it was right. We also worked with several schools, girl and boy scouts, and groups beyond my recall. A girl scout council sent me a certificate for Environmentalist of the Year—an honor remains dear to me.

The crew started at Prairie Creek and worked south each day at every accessible Humboldt County beach, to Shelter Cove. One lucky day: I found twenty bucks, a pair of newer tennis shoes my size, and a fishing pole along the sanded logs.

Of course most of what we recovered was plastic, glass, and tires. And as mentioned, diapers.

Lots of disposable dirty diapers, particularly along the Clam Beach frontal road. We wondered what kind of scumbag leaves his child’s messy diapers to spoil the beach experience for others.

At the end of every day we sorted, recycling what we could at the Arcata Recycling Center, recorded our tally of total weight and recyclables (over 25% for the year and a half I worked at NEC) and odd finds. The bulk went to the dump. I still possess the Czech fisherman’s hat I wore for weeks. We did a weekly dead bird count for the Point Reyes Bird Observatory as part of the effort and a dead marine mammal count for the Marine Mammal Center. We found and photographed a dead western grebe with its neck in a plastic six-pack band. Nice shot for the Econews front page.

Fridays we did presentations for schools and civic clubs to solicit volunteers for beach cleaning events. I opened the presentations with background and discoveries, but Sid shined at convincing groups to take up arms against littered beaches. We discovered even stridently conservative groups opposed to gratuitous government spending shared our enthusiasm for clean shores, especially when they learned how fugal our eff orts.

We had taken over 21 tons of waste material and garbage (and accursed abandoned tires—toted over sand for several miles off Humboldt County beaches, all lugged on our backs to our parked truck. I never could ignore a beached tire though my erstwhile crew occasionally did). We were aware dirty beaches attracted more filth, and clean beaches stayed that way considerably longer. We knew the beaches would quickly revert to pre-cleanup messes.

About this time I was leaving the crew to heading east with my girlfriend. With a half-year left before the grant would expire, Tim and Sid came up with the Adopt-a-Beach concept to keep the cleanup going. I was initially skeptical, but we commenced outreach while I was still working with the crew. I believe Sid volunteered to take on College Cove. Shortly after, I was gone.

Sid took over as crew leader and gamely the remaining crew loaded trash bags into the trunk of his old Plymouth, a vehicle roughly as dependable as my Chevy pickup. He and Tim worked their magic which, as mentioned, became an NEC legacy: the largest single-day volunteer effort in the United States and probably the world.

Ann and I are proud to have written the original grant and I’m proud to have worked it. I cared a great deal for Tim and Sid and I have enormous admiration for both. Our love for Humboldt County is unabated, of course, and my appreciation for the Northcoast Environmental Center is undiminished. It’s encouraging to see how far a bit of youthful idealism can go toward making the world a little better.

Yet, an uninhabitable planet is what we should expect if participants in Paris fail to reach an ambitious and binding agreement this month that puts science and nature ahead of politics and profits. In this sense, the 40,000 negotiators engaging in two weeks of discussions and horse-trading in the French capital are not really negotiating with each other, but with Mother Nature. And the fact is, there is no reason to think that Mother Nature is willing or able to wait for humanity to start drastically reducing its carbon output.

As one analyst explains it, however, “emissions reductions are barely on the table at all” in Paris, with the talks essentially “rigged to ensure an agreement is reached regardless of how little action countries plan to take.” Because each submission for the reduction of carbon output is at the discretion of individual countries, “there is no objective standard it must meet or emissions reduction it must achieve.”

The “Climate Action Tracker,” a scientific assessment service that tracks countries’ emission commitments, offers an independent assessment estimating that the current national submissions, if fully implemented, could bring warming down to 2.7 degrees by the end of the century. While this marks substantial progress from previous years, it is still only one third to half way to reaching the 2-degree benchmark that has been deemed necessary to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

In other words, it’s as if a heavy smoker has been advised by his doctor to give up cigarettes but instead of quitting he simply makes a vague commitment to cut down a bit. This might seem like an improvement in the mind of the smoker, but the ultimate outcome remains the same: severe health problems and an early death.

Of course, the 2-degree threshold that we are set to surpass under current emission targets will just usher in the “worst eff ects” of climate change—but consider how many eff ects we are already experiencing, having just broken the one-degree threshold earlier this year. As a UN report recently documented, “Weather-related disasters are becoming increasingly frequent, due largely to a sustained rise in the numbers of fl oods and storms.”

Examining the past two decades of data, the landmark report “The Human Cost of Weather-Related Disasters 1995-2015” found that flooding accounted for 47 percent of all weather-related disasters, affecting 2.3 billion people. Storms killed more than 242,000 people in the 20-year time period, with the vast majority of these deaths (89%) occurring in lower-income countries. Heatwaves and extreme cold were also particularly deadly, with high-income countries reporting that 76% of weather-related disaster deaths were due to extreme temperatures, mainly heatwaves.

support of the Footprint Foundation, Zero Waste Humboldt has created a scholarship fund for Humboldt professionals and business facilities to achieve Zero Waste certification.

Space will be limited for the Zero Waste Certification presentations. A $10 donation is requested at the door. To inquire about the Scholarship Fund for Zero Waste certification and to RSVP, email [email protected].

Contact Zero Waste Humboldt [email protected]

Margaret GainerZero Waste Humboldt will host Cheri

Chastain from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico and Josh Prigge of Fetzer Vineyards in Hopland on Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. to tell their inspiring stories of how they guided their companies toward achieving Zero Waste certification. This second event in the 2015-16 Zero Waste Solutions Series is sponsored by Lost Coast Brewing Company and Coast Central Credit Union. Event supporters, Monument Mountain Vineyards and Jonathan McCrone and Elizabeth Hans McCrone, are encouraging Humboldt’s breweries, wineries, and food and beverage businesses to attend these motivational presentations at the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center on Waterfront Drive in Eureka.

ZWH has invited featured speakers, Chastain and Prigge, to share with Humboldt County businesses what they need to know about the Zero Waste Scorecard and the process for achieving platinum, gold, and silver Zero Waste certification status.

In addition to the national publicity their companies’ received for their Zero Waste accomplishment, Chastain and Prigge will discuss the benefits to their companies in sales, cost savings, employee morale, and early compliance

Featured speakers Josh Prigge of Fetzer Vineyards in Hopland, and Cheri Chastain from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico.

with the new California Climate Change laws.ZWH and other grassroots organizations

dedicated to waste reduction have become concerned that the Zero Waste standards and methodology will soon turn to green marketing mush. Without adherence to Zero Waste standards, attention to metrics and measurement, and emphasis on waste prevention, the “Zero Waste” label is being inappropriately used.

To clarify Zero Waste standards for businesses, the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council (USZWBC) created the first third-party Zero Waste Business Certification program for facilities that meet the Zero Waste International Alliance Zero Waste Principles. The USZWBC certification program is more comprehensive than landfill diversion recycling and focuses on the upstream policies and practices that successfully prevent waste in an organization. With the

Zero Waste Certi� cation Comes to Humboldt

2015-2016 ZWH Zero Waste Solutions SeriesZWH presents a series of fi ve evening events emphasizing solutions, featuring expert speakers and short videos on the following topics of importance to Redwood Coast local

governments, businesses and the general public:How Your Business Can Achieve Zero Waste CertificationThursday, January 21, 20166:00 – 8:00 p.m. at HSU Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, Eureka Presenters: Cheri Chastain, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.Josh Prigge, Fetzer VineyardsClearing Up the Confusion about Plastics and Single Use PackagingThursday, February 25, 20166:00 – 7:30 p.m., HSU Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, Eureka Presenter: Julie Layshock, Ph.D., Humboldt State University Chemistry Dept. LecturerZero Waste Legislation—Recent and PendingFriday, March 4, 2016 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at HSU College Creek Great HallPresenter: Mark Murray, Executive Director of Californians Against WasteHow to Reduce Waste at Fairs and FestivalsFriday, April 8, 20166:00 – 7:30 p.m., Humboldt Area Foundation, Bayside Presenter: Marialyce Pedersen, Senior Representative for Walt Disney Company’s Corporate Citizenship, Environment & Conservation Team

HELP WITH • QUICKBOOKS • XERO • PAYROLL

Solutions for Small BusinessLocated in the Greenway Building

8th and N in ArcataCall for an appointment 707-267-8759

www.katherinealmy.com


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Did you know that jellyfi sh move by squirting water out of their mouth? Did you know they use the same mouth (their anus) to get rid of waste? Jellyfi sh aren’t really fi sh at all. Fish are vertebrates (have a backbone), while jellyfi sh are invertebrates (do not have a backbone).

Jellyfi sh are a type of plankton. Sometimes they’re called jellys. Jellyfi sh are among some of the oldest living organisms on the planet, having been around for about 700 million years. They can be found living in every ocean from the very deep waters to the surface. You can fi nd them washed up at the beach or in some freshwater lakes and ponds all around the world.

There are over 1,000 species of jellyfi sh. The most common types are: box, comb, and medusa, with an umbrella-like body and tentacles fl owing underneath the umbrella-like body. They can have tentacles up to 100 feet long! Their bodies are made up of 98% water and have no brain or heart.

Jellyfi sh feed on small invertebrates, fi sh, crabs, mollusks, diatoms, fi sh eggs, and some are even vegetarians. The vegetarian jellys fl oat on their backs and grow algae on their bellies and that’s what they eat.

When new jellyfi sh are born they come out several at a time and become very small polyps. They stick to rocks and look like very small sea anemones. They remain polyps for many months, up to years, and then they become ephyrae (small jellyfi sh). These little ephyrae look like little jellyfi sh umbrellas stacked on top of each other, like a skyscraper. Each adult jellyfi sh has a 3-6 month lifespan.

Many things eat jellyfi sh, such as sea turtles and even humans. The jellyfi sh’s main defenses are called nematocysts. This is what’s responsible for the jellyfi sh sting you may have heard about. It feels like a burn, and can cause blisters. They are able to sting after they’re dead. If you are stung, vinegar, coke, urine, or just water splashed on the “bite” can help. Don’t rub the area because that could make more of the nematocysts to erupt. by Sarah Marnick

Above: A Medusa jellyfi sh. Photo: Sherwood 411, Flickr.com CC. Left, Jellyfi sh in the aquarium in Valencia, Spain. Photo: Stuart Chalmers, Flickr.com CC.

Jel lyf ish

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five degrees above the water it swims in. To accomplish this unique talent, the Opah

propels itself forward with its pectoral fins to produce body-warming heat. The heat is kept within its body by its specialty gills, which have an arrangement of blood vessels unlike any other fish to retain warmth through “counter-current heat exchange.” This distinguishes it from other predators in deep, cool waters, who tend to swim slowly and ambush prey. Whole-body endothermy allows the Opah to migrate long distances, swim quickly, see better, and bea fast hunter.

Unique appearance and taste has made the Opah increasingly popular in the fishing world for both trophies and food. Often caught unintentionally by commercial or recreational fisherman, NOAA research fisherman have reported catching more Opah in recent years, possibly due to changes in current conditions or a population increase. The exact population of the Opah is unknown.

Despite its mystery, the Opah has continued to amaze its observers. Nicholas Wegner, biologist for NOAA and lead researcher behind the paper published on the Opah, stating, “Nature has a way of surprising us with clever strategies where you least expect them.”

Anne Maher

When envisioning the ocean’s ferocious fish predators, what often would come to mind is a sleek, fast body. The Opah does not match this description. Often called the Moonfish for its notably circular shape and vibrant color, this fish is a predator throughout the open ocean, though one wouldn’t guess it by looking at this large and humorous ocean dweller.

Weighing over 100 pounds and reaching over six and a half feet in length, this striking fish preys in cold, deep waters of the mesopelagic ocean, typically from 150 to 1,300 feet. Though it is known as a mysterious, solitary animal, very little is known of its behavior, habits and biology. Squid and krill make up their general diet, and large sharks are their primary predator, aside from humans.

The Opah has most recently become well known for research done this year by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, revealing that this creature is the only fish capable of whole-body endothermy; it retains heat to keep its body temperature above the temperature of its environment. In other words, it’s the only warm blooded fish in the world. While some fish have developed the ability to keep certain parts of the body warm, the Opah is the first to achieve entire body regulation at around

Southwest Fisheries Science Center biologist Nick Wegner holds captured opah. Photo: NOAA Fisheries West Coast, Flickr.com, CC..

Lampris gu� atusThe Opah

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D C S V G M Q H E C W R B O AE I K Y S A S J S M B D H D EA K A A M K S U L L O M S I BG P T T E M M C D B O T I N EL O X E O X E T I G V Y F E OA A V M N M T T T E Z A Y M ZI N V E R T E B R A T E L A VA E I D X T A T U I Y W L T AL M B U D D E C E K C W E O HK O V S F B O X L A P A J C ID N J A R Q I I R E R P L Y BR E T A W H S E R F G Y S S IK S T P L A N K T O N V H T IQ E A D I N C X B T K M V P E

P O L Y P S E J B E E N H N E

ALGEAANEMONESCNIDIADIATOM

EPHYRAEFRESHWATERINVERTEBRATEJELLYFISH

MEDUSAMOLLUSKNEMATOCYSTPLANKTON

Did you know that jellyfi sh move by squirting water out of their mouth? Did you know they use the same mouth (their anus) to get rid of waste? Jellyfi sh aren’t really fi sh at all. Fish are vertebrates (have a backbone), while jellyfi sh are invertebrates (do not have a backbone).

Jellyfi sh are a type of plankton. Sometimes they’re called jellys. Jellyfi sh are among some of the oldest living organisms on the planet, having been around for about 700 million years. They can be found living in every ocean from the very deep waters to the surface. You can fi nd them washed up at the beach or in some freshwater lakes and ponds all around the world.

There are over 1,000 species of jellyfi sh. The most common types are: box, comb, and medusa, with an umbrella-like body and tentacles fl owing underneath the umbrella-like body. They can have tentacles up to 100 feet long! Their bodies are made up of 98% water and have no brain or heart.

Jellyfi sh feed on small invertebrates, fi sh, crabs, mollusks, diatoms, fi sh eggs, and some are even vegetarians. The vegetarian jellys fl oat on their backs and grow algae on their bellies and that’s what they eat.

When new jellyfi sh are born they come out several at a time and become very small polyps. They stick to rocks and look like very small sea anemones. They remain polyps for many months, up to years, and then they become ephyrae (small jellyfi sh). These little ephyrae look like little jellyfi sh umbrellas stacked on top of each other, like a skyscraper. Each adult jellyfi sh has a 3-6 month lifespan.

Many things eat jellyfi sh, such as sea turtles and even humans. The jellyfi sh’s main defenses are called nematocysts. This is what’s responsible for the jellyfi sh sting you may have heard about. It feels like a burn, and can cause blisters. They are able to sting after they’re dead. If you are stung, vinegar, coke, urine, or just water splashed on the “bite” can help. Don’t rub the area because that could make more of the nematocysts to erupt. by Sarah Marnick

Above: A Medusa jellyfi sh. Photo: Sherwood 411, Flickr.com CC. Left, Jellyfi sh in the aquarium in Valencia, Spain. Photo: Stuart Chalmers, Flickr.com CC.

Jel lyf ish

POLYPSSYMMETRICALTENTACLEVERTEBRATE

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Northcoast Environmental Center1385 8th St. Suite 215, P.O. Box 4259 Arcata, CA 95521

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDArcata, CA

PERMIT NO. 3

Northwest California is without question one of the most beautiful and biologically unique places on earth. From the fog-shrouded redwood forests of Humboldt County to the sunny oak woodlands and grasslands of Mendocino, and from the soaring peaks of the Trinity Alps Wilderness to the turquoise waters of the Wild & Scenic Smith River in Del Norte, our region is home to some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes.

Visitors from around the globe come to fi sh the mountain streams, run the river rapids, hike the backcountry trails and fi nd solitude in primeval redwood groves, all while staying overnight in our hotels, eating in our restaurants, and shopping at our local stores, which all benefi t our local economy. Our mountains and rivers are also home to thousands of diff erent plant and animal species, making this region among the most biologically diverse areas on the planet.

We now have a remarkable opportunity to expand the protection and restoration of our incredible public lands and the recreation opportunities available on them.

Please join us to ensure that the unique landscapes and natural treasures we cherish are passed on to future generations.

Write Congressman Huff man a Letter

Please do your part to protect our public lands by writing a letter to Congressman Jared Huff man to encourage him to introduce legislation that protects, restores and promotes responsible recreation on our public lands in Northwest California.

Visit www.mountainsandrivers.org for instructions and more

information. Important Note: We want to be sure Congressman Huff man sees your letter! As you’ll see in the instructions on the website, instead of mailing your letter to DC, email your letter to us so we can add it to all of the other support letters we’ve collected for this project. We will give them to our Congressman all at once to show him the support he has in the region.

Thank you!

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econews vol. 45, no. 6 - dec 2015/jan 2016

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