EcoNews Vol. 46, No. 2 - Apr/May 2016 by EcoNews

45 Years of Environmental News

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Arcata, California

Vol. 46, No. 2

April/May 2016

 Published by the Northcoast Environmental Center Since 1971

the big picture changes are accelerating faster than anticipated Will we act in time to save our home?

Earth Day April 22 and Every Day New Protections for Smith River | LNG Project Denied | Community Energy Option The Reagan Redwood | Coastal Commission Director Fired | Activist Berta Caseras Murdered

News From the Center Larry Glass NEC Board President Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet at the NEC office with a very industrious group of citizens that call themselves the “No Ivy League,” a small local volunteer group that has been pulling ivy out of Patrick’s Point and Trinidad Beach State Parks for years. The problem has gone way beyond the efforts of a few people to control the exponential spread of this

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1385 8th Street - Suite 226, Arcata, CA 95521 PO Box 4259, Arcata, CA 95518 707- 822-6918, Fax 707-822-6980 www.yournec.org EcoNews is the official bi-monthly publication of the Northcoast Environmental Center (NEC), a non-profit 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.

The ideas and views expressed in EcoNews are not necessarily those of the NEC.

highly invasive plant. The next time you walk anywhere in a rural area of the North Coast, take a good look at the vegetation. The chances are you will see a plentiful amount of English ivy. In some places, that may be all that you see. English ivy is becoming an increasing threat to the biodiversity of the North Coast. This evergreen vine grows in sun and shade, smothers ground vegetation and climbs high into trees, forming dense sun-blocking mats of vegetation

that can topple the trees during storms. Our California State Parks, which should be in the forefront of protecting our region’s b i o d i v e r s i t y, have been strangely lax in doing so. Parts of Patrick’s Point State Park and Trinidad State Beach look like the background for a creepy sci-fi movie, because so much of the landscape is an ivy monoculture. The Park bureaucracy insists it doesn’t have the money to fix the problem, but it has been slow to seek grants, and its cumbersome application process discourages people from becoming volunteers. If we want to continue to see wildflowers and native conifers in the not-too-distant future, we need to take some active steps. Remove ivy from your yard and trees. Participate in weekly and monthly ivy pulls. Encourage local environmental

Editor/Layout: Morgan Corviday morgan@yournec.org

NEC Board Of Directors

EcoNews Intern: Rebekah Staub

President - Larry Glass, Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment, larryglass71@gmail.com Vice-President - Dan Sealy, At-Large, rangerdans@msn.com Secretary - Jennifer Kalt, Humboldt Baykeeper, jkalt@humboldtbaykeeper.org Treasurer - Chris Jenican Beresford, AtLarge, thegang7@pacbell.net Gary Falxa, Calfornia Native Plant Society, gfalxa@suddenlink.net CJ Ralph, Redwood Region Audubon Society, cjralph@humboldt1.com Richard Kreis, Sierra Club, North Group. rgkreis@gmail.com Alicia Hamann, Friends of the Eel River, alicia@eelriver.org Tom Wheeler, Environmental Protection Information Center, tom@wildcalifornia.org Bob Morris, Trinity County Representative, At-Large, bob.morris@wildblue.net

Advertising: ads@yournec.org Proofreaders: Karen Schatz, Midge Brown, Kris Diamond. Authors: Larry Glass, Dan Sealy, Jennifer Kalt, Sarah Marnick, Dr. Loon, Delia BenseKang, Margaret Gainer, Tom Wheeler, Felice Pace, Anne Maher, Madison Peters, Jerry Martien, Rebekah Staub, Cynthia Elkins, Robyn Janssen, Lauren McCauley Cover Photo: The California Current System. Photo: NASA/Goddard/SuominNPP/VIIRS. See page 10 for more information.

NEC Staff

EcoNews Editor: Morgan Corviday, morgan@yournec.org Office Manager: Sydney Stewart, sydney@yournec.org MPA Outreach Coordinator Delia Bense-Kang, delia@yournec.org Coastal Cleanup Coordinator: Madison Peters, madison@yournec.org Office Associate: Anne Maher, anne@yournec.org

Humboldt Baykeeper

Fiscally sponsored by the NEC Director: Jennifer Kalt, jkalt@humboldtbaykeeper.org Bay Explorations Staff: Jasmin Segura, jasmin@humboldtbaykeeper.org

organizations to support efforts to get ivy listed as a noxious weed. Put pressure on nurseries to stop selling ivy. Plead with our California State Parks, and other city, county and state governments, to control the spread of ivy in our parks and open spaces. Tell your friends. The NEC encourages you to learn more or to join in with the “No Ivy League”, contact Kim Tays at kimkat067@gmail.com.

NEC Member Groups Humboldt Baykeeper

www.humboldtbaykeeper.org 707-268-0664

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

California Native Plant Society North Coast Chapter www.northcoastcnps.org

Redwood Region Audubon Society www.rras.org, rras@rras.org

Friends of the Eel River www.eelriver.org, foer@eelriver.org 707-822-3342

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

Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC)

www.wildcalifornia.org, epic@wildcalifornia.org 707-822-7711

NEC Affiliate Members Friends of Del Norte www.fodn.org

Mattole Restoration Council

www.mattole.org, mrc@mattole.org (707) 629-3514

Zero Waste Humboldt

www.zerowastehumboldt.org contact@zerowastehumboldt.org

Our new Office Manager is on the job, welcome Sydney Stewart!

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The Northcoast Environmental Center welcomes Sydney Stewart in her new role at the NEC as Office Manager. Sydney grew up in Eldorado Hills east of Sacramento and came to Humboldt to attend HSU. She received her degree in Environmental Management and Protection with an emphasis on planning in 2014. She loves to backpack, especially in the Trinity Alps, where she had a great trip on Stewart’s Fork Trail to Emerald and Sapphire Lakes. She recently returned from Southern Patagonia where she completed a ten day backpacking trip while visiting areas of Chile. Sydney has assisted in the NEC office for over a year now where she enjoys the legacy of the NEC and its members. The fact that NEC has helped save wilderness areas and parks inspires her. She looks forward to assisting people with questions about membership, receiving EcoNews, EcoNews Reports and helping with follow-up questions people may have about articles, issues or contacting staff and board members.

Write a Letter to the Editor! Letters should be 300 words or less, be relevant to EcoNews readers and 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, writing style, etc.).

Send letters to editor@yournec.org.

Smith River ONWR Protections Jordan Cove LNG Project Denied Reagan’s Memorial Tree Kin to the Earth: Berta Cáceres Sea Level Rise Will Occur in Decades Moneyball and Redwoods Community Renewable Energy Option Coastal Commission Director Fired Reasons to Remove Dams in Drought Adopt-A-Beach Godwit Days Eye on Washington Zero Waste Humboldt Humboldt Baykeeper EPIC Sierra Club, North Group California Native Plant Society Creature Feature: Porcupines Kids’ Page: Anemones

 Leave a North Coast Legacy Give a gift that will endure beyond your lifetime. Leave a lasting legacy by naming the Northcoast Environmental Center as a beneﬁciary of your will, trust, or other estate plans.

Your bequest will help us advocate for and educate about the North Coast and the KlamathSiskiyou bioregion for future generations. To learn more, call us at 707-822-6918. The NEC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-proﬁt organization, EIN 23-7122386.

Catch the NEC’s EcoNews Report

Every Thursday, 1:30pm on KHSU - 90.5FM Tune in for a half hour of environmental interviews and discussion on a variety of topics on the EcoNews Report! Featuring rotating cast of NEC and Member Group representatives. Past shows are archived on our website for download or streaming

www.yournec.org/econews-report EcoNews Apr/May 2016

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To Anita Gilbride-Read,, who comes in twice monthly to make sure our invoices, timecards and bills get paid. It might seem like a thankless job, but we appreciate all you do Anita! Thank you!

To Dr. Steve Martin, Chair of the HSU Dept. of Environmental Science and Management who was chosen for the 2015 Excellence in Wilderness Stewardship Research Award for his research to protect wilderness and improve our wilderness experience. To Dr. Charles Lester, former Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission, who was unjustly fired on February 10 in a 7-5 vote by the Coastal Commission (see page 8). Dr. Lester’s accomplishments since 2011 include tremendous advances in protecting public access to the coast, which is too often illegally blocked by wealthy landowners; the first comprehensive policy guiding coastal development in preparation for sea level rise; and grants to cities and counties to update local coastal plans, many of which are decades overdue. These accomplishments will continue to protect our coast for future generations—if we continue to tenaciously watchdog what has been widely recognized as the worst Coastal Commission in many years.

Highest Protection Slated for the Spectacular Smith River

Regional Water Board Proposes “Outstanding” Designation

Jordan Cove LNG Energy Project

Denied

Robyn Janssen, Clean Water Campaigner Rogue Riverkeeper In a stunning move, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) DENIED the Pacific Connector Pipeline and Jordan Cove Export Terminal proposed for southern Oregon!

The Impacts

Cynthia Elkins, Center for Biological Diversity Protections for the iconic Smith River are set to take a huge leap forward under a proposal to designate it as an “outstanding national resource water,” an action that would mark the first for any California river and bring the strongest protections afforded under the Clean Water Act. The historical move comes at the urging of the Center for Biological Diversity, and it not only enacts meaningful protections for the beloved Smith, but it is also jumpstarting the long overdue process of designating other deserving North Coast watersheds. In a nutshell, the level of protection given to a waterbody depends on which of three categories it is placed in, with “outstanding national resource waters,” or ONRWs, receiving the highest Tier 3 protections. Absolutely no water quality degradation is allowed in ONRWs, with a limited exception for short-term or temporary impacts. These strong safeguards are reserved for the nation’s highest quality waters, as well as those that offer “exceptional recreational or ecological significance,” including “waters of National and State parks and wildlife refuges.” The provisions for ONRWs are found in the antidegradation policy of the Clean Water Act, which requires states to adopt policies that are

Crystal clear underwater photo in the North Fork Smith River. Photo: © Thomas Dunklin.

at least as protective as the federal version. State antidegradation policies are the primary means to protect and restore our nation’s waters, and many states established specific processes for citizens to nominate ONRWs to help ensure the intent of the Clean Water Act is met. Conversely, California has no such process in place and unsurprisingly, there are just two ONRWs recognized in the entire state today: Lake Tahoe and Mono Lake. This stands in contrast to smaller states that have a higher number of ONRWs—such as Virginia, where parts of 30 watersheds are currently designated; or New Mexico, where all lakes, perennial streams, and wetlands in federal Wilderness areas were designated in 2010. However, many California waterbodies qualify as ONRWs, with the Smith River being a prime case-in-point. Flowing emerald-green all year, the Smith is the last major river in California that remains undammed from its headwaters to the Pacific, and it provides residents in much of Del Norte County with some of the cleanest drinking water in the nation. It is renowned for its salmon runs, whitewater, and rich cultural history, and it flows through extraordinary public lands, including the Smith... Continued on page 10

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The Jordan Cove Energy Project is a proposal to ship fracked gas from the Rockies through southern Oregon and the Rogue Basin via a 232-mile long pipeline to an export terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon. The pipeline would have crossed 400 waterways, including the Rogue, impacted nearly 650 private property owners, and clear-cut a 95-foot wide swath through forests on public and private land on its way to the coast. Once the gas reached the Pacific, it would have been liquefied in a massive facility, proposed to be built in a tsunami zone on a sand spit, and put on ships bound for Asia. Due to methane leaks from the fracking fields, transport, and liquefaction plus the burning of natural gas at the power plant, this project would have become the largest climate polluter for the state of Oregon.

What Happened?

In a decision issued Friday March 11, FERC concluded that there were insufficient public benefits to support the project, an argument that Rogue Riverkeeper and our allies have been making for years. In particular, in order to use eminent domain to seize private property, the corporations proposing the project needed to prove that the pipeline was in the public’s best interest. The significance of FERC’s conclusion that exporting gas was not in the public’s best interest cannot be overstated: this is one of only a few energy projects FERC has ever denied.

Some History

Rogue Riverkeeper has been one of the lead groups involved with this issue since it began back in 2006 as an import proposal. Our concerns focused on the impacts the project would have had on rivers, streams and fish in the Rogue Basin. In 2014, we partnered with local climate action group Rogue Climate and together hired a campaign organizer and developed the Stand Up for Oregon; No LNG, No Pipeline Campaign. Thanks to amazing grassroots organizing efforts, and the mostly volunteer driven campaign, the movement shifted from a 12-year old localized issue into a statewide-recognized campaign proving... Continued on page 6

Apr/May 2016

EcoNews

Reagan’s Memorial Tree:

Dan Sealy As drivers traveling north on 101 in Arcata reach the 14th Street exit to Humboldt State University, they pass a lone redwood tree among some pines between the off-ramp and the freeway. Nothing today hints at the symbolic dedication of the “Ronald Reagan Memorial Grove” 40 years ago. The mock ceremony on May 30, 1976, was in response to a well-known misquote attributed to Ronald Reagan who was campaigning to be the Republican presidential nominee: “If you’ve seen one redwood; you’ve seen them all.” Speaking to a wood products association in 1966, Reagan had actually said, “I think, too, that we’ve got to recognize that where the preservation of a natural resource like the redwoods is concerned, that there is a common sense limit. I mean, if you’ve looked at a hundred thousand acres or so of trees—you know, a tree is a tree, how many more do you need to look at?” At the time residents and visitors to northern California were

A Living Time Capsule of the 1970s

dismayed to see barren muddy hillsides and rivers choked with debris where primeval redwood forests had stood. It was easy to imagine Reagan saying the short version, so it stuck. The 1970s bore the results of political and social turmoil for California and America in the 1960s. The nation had endured the casualties of the Vietnam War for over a decade and was disillusioned witnessing a President resign in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Students had protested the war on campuses across the country. HSU went on a student strike while Reagan was governor, joining campuses across the nation to voice opposition to the Vietnam War. May 15, 1969 became known as “Bloody Thursday” when Gov. Reagan called out the California Highway Patrol to forcefully stop a campus protest in Berkeley. One student was killed and several wounded.

Gov. Reagan’s response to campus protests across the state, including HSU: “If it takes a bloodbath, let’s get it over with.” The 26th Amendment of the US Constitution lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 years of age was signed into law in 1971. This happened largely in response to the injustice of young people being drafted and sent to Vietnam while not being able to vote for the politicians who sent them. For the first time, HSU students were able to register and vote in Humboldt County. The traditional conservative-leaning Arcata City Council members were now opposed by progressive candidates linked to Humboldt State University. California’s Transportation Division (Caltrans) had a plan to bulldoze a six- to eight-lane freeway plus frontage roads. Continued on page 20

Scott Baird & David Kalb pose with the Ronald Reagan Memorial Redwood Grove sign, May 30, 1976. Photo: Courtesy of Scott Baird.

EcoNews Apr/May 2016

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Kin to the Earth: by Jennifer Kalt On March 2, Berta Cáceres, a Honduran human rights and environmental activist who led the struggle to protect the Gualcarque River from a proposed dam, was assassinated after years of death threats and intimidation. These threats had escalated in recent weeks since construction of the dam had restarted. Security forces detained more than one hundred people who took part in a peaceful protest on February 20. In October, Cáceres spoke at the World Indigenous Summit on Environment and Rivers, held in Sarawak. “Ten members of our organization have been murdered; four of them for defending the Gualcarque River,” she said. Several Klamath River activists joined Berta at the WISER Summit where they traveled together to indigenous blockades against the proposed Baram Dam, which would displace 20,000 indigenous people living in more than 26 villages in Sarawak. Sammy Gensaw, a Yurok fisherman and activist who has gone around the world fighting dams and displacement of natives with the local group, Nature Rights Council, said, “Berta showed us what true devotion to rivers and their people means. She made a lasting impression on me that I and many others will apply locally. I am heartbroken by the assassination of my friend and hero but am doubly committed to continuing her fight for justice here and worldwide.” Berta Cáceres, 44, was murdered in her home in La Esperanza, Honduras at around midnight on March 2, less than a year after she was awarded the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize—a prestigious award recognizing grassroots environmental activists from around the world. In her acceptance speech, *COPINH is the Berta said, “giving our lives in Consejo Cívico de various ways for the protection Organizaciones Populares e of rivers is giving our lives for the Indígenas de well-being of humanity and of Honduras (the this planet. COPINH,* walking National Council alongside people struggling for of Popular and their emancipation, validates Indigenous Organizations this commitment to protecting of Honduras), our waters, the river, our shared the organization resources and nature in general as Berta founded. well as our rights as a people. Let us wake up! Let us wake up, humankind! We’re out of time. We must shake our conscience free of the rapacious capitalism, racism, and patriarchy that will only assure our self-destruction.” She was a long-time leader of her indigenous community’s opposition to the Aqua Zarca dam project that would destroy their ancestral homes and livelihoods. She fearlessly dedicated her life

Berta Cáceres

Respected Honduran activist and Goldman Environmental Prize recipient, murdered.

to protecting this river of ancestral and spiritual importance to the Lenca people of Río Blanco, Honduras. She is the fourth activist from Río Blanco to be killed since 2013. Growing up during the violence that swept through Central America in the 1980s, Berta learned the value of standing up for disenfranchised people from her mother, a midwife and social activist who took in refugees from El Salvador. In 1993, she co-founded COPINH to defend the indigenous Lenca people’s internationally recognized rights.

After a military coup in 2009, the Honduran government awarded concessions for 47 dams to power hundreds of new mining projects in just one law, without consulting the indigenous and campesino communities that rely on the rivers for food and water. The concession to build the Agua Zarca dam on the Gualcarque River near Río Blanco was sold to the Honduran company DESA (Dessarollos Energeticos SA). The Chineseowned Sinohydro Corporation, the world’s largest hydropower construction company, was contracted to build the dam. Berta and other COPINH organizers filed complaints with the Honduran government and Continued on page 9 organized peaceful...

Berta Cáceres takes a moment to remember friends and colleagues who have been killed in the struggle against the Agua Zarca Dam. Amont them is Tomas Garcia, a community leader from Rio Blanco, who was shot and killed during a peaceful protest at the dam office. Others have been attacked with machetes, discredited, detained and tortured. Photo: Goldman Environmental Prize.

Adopt-a-Beach

Be a part of our growing team of site captains and volunteers! Visit our website for more information and a list of available sites.

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Apr/May 2016

EcoNews

Climate Bombshell: Dangerous Sea Level Rise Will Occur in Decades, Not Centuries

LNG

Continued from page 3 ...that people power versus corporate money can prevail! The groundswell of opposition to the project led to massive turnouts at hearings for permitting processes, thrusting the proposal into the public spotlight as one of the most controversial export projects in the country.

What's Next?

We ignore James Hansen at our peril.

— Michael Mann

Taking into consideration “rapid, large, human-made climate forcing,” the study predicts a much more accelerated rate of sea level rise of several meters, beyond that which humanity is capable of adapting to. Photo: Christopher Michel, flickr.com CC.

Lauren McCauley, CommonDreams.org Dr. James Hansen, the former NASA scientist who is widely credited with being one of the first to raise concerns about human-caused global warming, is a co-author of a new report predicting that the world will undergo devastating sea level rise within mere decades—not centuries, as previously thought. The report, published this March in the openaccess journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, paints an even bleaker picture of the planet’s future, positing that continued high fossil fuel emissions will “increase powerful storms” and drive sealevel rise of “several meters over a timescale of 50 to 150 years.” Hansen, who now serves as the director of the Climate Science Awareness and Solutions program at Columbia University Earth Institute, published the findings along with an international team of 18 researchers and academics. As the abstract states, the predictions “differ fundamentally from existing climate change

assessments.” For example, the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2013 predicted three feet of sea level rise by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated.

“We’re in danger of handing young people a situation that’s out of their control.” - Dr. James Hansen A draft version of Hansen’s paper released last year provoked wide debate among climate scientists. Nonetheless, Michael Mann, a renowned climate scientist with the University of Pennsylvania, who is among those questioning some of the report’s “extraordinary” claims, told the New York Times, “I think we ignore James Hansen at our peril.” The peer-edited report examines growing ice melt from Antarctica and Greenland and studies how that melting has historically amplified “feedbacks that... Continued on page 19

In part, FERC’s decision rests on faltering international markets for gas that show no sign of recovering. While this decision is the first nail in the coffin to bury this project, there are a few more nails needed to seal it shut. The company will likely appeal the decision and may attempt to sue to allow implementation of the project. Advocacy will still be needed in responding to state permits and certifications the project is seeking and we will continue to put pressure on the agencies reviewing these. Recognizing that this company has invested tens of millions of dollars into this project, they may not know when to quit and we will continue to remain alert, engaged and ready. There are many people deserving of credit for this victory. We are so grateful for all of the volunteers who wrote letters, attended hearings, made phone calls, donated money, made signs, and simply cared about the future of southern Oregon and the Rogue Basin. Thank you to all who Stood Up for Oregon and Said No LNG, No Pipeline. This fight is not quite over but it is time to celebrate! Go to www.nolngexports.org or contact our campaign organizer, Apple, to stay involved at apple@nolngexports.org.

Hiking Humboldt Volume 1 55 Day Hikes in Northwest California by Kenneth Burton

Japan Tsunami Marine Debris Call or email the NEC to register in advance, or for more information: marinedebris@yournec.org or 707-822-6918.

Monitoring EcoNews Apr/May 2016

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BackcountryPress.com

Moneyball Coming Soon to Humboldt: Local Renewable Energy Option and Redwoods

Dr. Loon If you’ve read Moneyball or seen the movie, you’re familiar with the fable of Billy Beane, general manager of the low-budget Oakland A’s. Over the years Beane recruited young talent and rehabilitated older players to come up with championship seasons on a fraction of the budget of wealthier teams. Unfortunately, when his lowcost players become free agents, the A’s lose him to a wealthier franchise. Moneyball tells how Beane meets a math whiz who shows him another way to appraise a player’s worth. Catcher Scott Hatteberg was an undervalued asset because he’d injured his throwing arm, plus he wasn’t a great hitter. But statistics revealed that he got on base a high percentage of the time. Beane acquired him at a bargain price, put him on first base, and Hatteberg helped the A’s win some crucial games. So how is it, decades later, the A’s ended last season at the bottom of the American League? The answer again is money. Their current troubles began in 2005 when they were bought by John Fisher, one of three sons of Don and Doris Fisher, who built a small garment business into the multibillion dollar Gap brand by marketing foreignmade apparel to American youth. John Fisher was more interested in making money, and began moving the family’s investments into things he considered more stable than fashion. But he and his partner in the A’s, developer Lew Woolf, upset Billy Beane’s conservative strategies by skimming off too much of the profits for their other enterprises, like a $100 million stadium for their San Jose soccer team. An online petition by A’s fans began circulating after last year’s disastrous season, calling on Fisher to sell the team or make the necessary investment in players. This story concerns the North Coast, not only its die-hard A’s fans, because John Fisher also invested in other discounted and distressed properties: redwood forests. He bought about a quarter million acres of logged L-P land, rechristened it Mendocino Redwood, then in 2007 picked up 210,000 acres that had been ravaged by another financial genius, Charles Hurwitz. He re-branded again as Humboldt Redwood Company (HRC). Under the leadership of Sandy Dean, his fellow director at Sansome Partners, the new lumber companies had tentacles deep into San Francisco finance and Sacramento politics. Dean had the wisdom to hire Mike Jani, a Santa Cruz forester and advocate of sustainability, to manage their redwood empire. Jani is the Billy Continued on page 20 Beane of logging.

Rebekah Staub Almost ten years ago, the city of Arcata began discussing an alternative energy option for its residents: Community Choice Aggregation (CCA). Due to the efforts of local governments and community support, Humboldt County could implement a long-awaited CCA as soon as next year. Matthew Marshall, executive director of Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA), said the fundamental nature of CCA is local control of the generation component of electricity service—which generally comprises about half of a consumer’s energy bill. Under CCA, a local

“[With CCA] you have local control of where your local electricity is coming from.” —Matthew Marshall

government or group takes on the responsibility for the power generation, while PG&E continues to deliver the electricity through its transmission and distribution system and provide meter reading, billing, maintenance, and outage response services. According to Marshall, RCEA’s goal is to launch a locally-based CCA in early 2017. A key element leading up to CCA was the RePower Humboldt initiative, a Strategic Plan begun in 2009 that guided the integration of renewable energy into Humboldt County.

“That project laid the groundwork for saying, ‘This is something that is technically and economically feasible,’ ” Marshall said. The conversation picked up speed after Marin County launched their CCA in 2010. This March, RCEA proposed to award The Energy Authority (TEA—a non-profit consulting group based in Seattle), as the CCA technical advisory group, which forecasts and projects the feasibility on rates. Now, Marshall said, it is up to local counties and cities to move their ordinances forward, allowing RCEA to launch the program and determine appropriate rates. “There haven’t been any major obstacles or issues that have come up,” Marshall said. “It’s looking that it’s going to be quite viable.” Humboldt County spends almost $150 million per year on electricity. CCA would provide overall rates that are lower or competitive with those offered by PG&E for similar power supply products. According to RCEA’s website, the established California CCAs have managed to achieve rates 2-7 percent below PG&E while providing significantly higher percentages of renewable energy. Marin County was the first of four counties in California to implement CCA. Sonoma was second, in 2014, and San Francisco is anticipated to launch their CCA program in the next few months. Once enacted, residents have the choice to opt-out of the CCA and stick with their current energy provider. Continued on page 20

Share Your Memories of

Lucille Vinyard and Susie Van Kirk As reported in the Feb/Mar issue of EcoNews, two local conservation giants have passed: Lucille Vinyard and Susie Van Kirk. We at NEC understand that no one person or group could cover all the important, passionate work Lucille and Susie did for our community and for our earth. We know many of our friends and readers have stories to share about these two women and we invite you to share those with us. If you would like to share some stories, please email them to NEC Board Vice-President Dan Sealy at fomuir@gmail.com. The more concise your memories and tributes are, the more likely we can make everything available on the NEC website. We will be archiving the submitted tributes for future reference and research online.

Thank you ~ the NEC Board www.yournec.org

Apr/May 2016

EcoNews

Livid Over Lester: Coastal Commission Dam Removal is Important, Fires Director Under Public Protest

Even in Drought

Delia Bense-Kang, NEC MPA Outreach Coordinator I grew up in a place where I could surf only in the company of seals and great white sharks, where my friends and I ran free through sand dunes and life guards only existed at the pool. I grew up in Humboldt County, one of the last true wild stretches of California’s coast. While not all of the California coast is as rural, the majority is still preserved and open to the public today—thanks to the hard work of the Coastal Commission and the Coastal Act. Until now that is. Early this January, the news broke that the California Coastal Commission (CCC) planned to vote on whether or not to fire the Commission’s Executive Director, Dr. Charles Lester. The motion was immediately flagged as an attempted power grab by big development to limit public access, and cued a storm of overwhelming support for Lester. On February 10, 2016, in the face of all reason, the Commission fired Dr. Charles Lester in a five to seven vote behind closed doors. I stood with thousands of other Lester supporters who traveled near and far to be at the hearing in Morro Bay that day, and watched in horror as his head was placed on the chopping block. Although the outcome of the hearing was less than satisfactory, the day itself was not a loss. As a millennial new to the political environmental arena, being at the hearing was one of the most inspiring and defining moments of my life. A parade of presidents and executive directors of environmental organizations paid their tributes to Dr. Lester, including Surfing Attorneys Association

EcoNews Apr/May 2016

Founder Mark Massara, Humboldt County’s own Third District Supervisor Mark Lovelace, and California Policy Manager for Surfrider, Jennifer Savage. Support by the general public was also nothing short of inspiring. Lester advocates camped out from nine in the morning to nine at night, giving heart-felt one-minute testimonies and silently raising signs painted with “save our coast” or “More Lester.” The testimony that resonated most with me came from an unlikely source. A teenage “surfer dude” dressed in board shorts and a skate cap waited patiently all day to simply say “I support Dr. Lester because he’s the man.” If this young man has the drive and courage to speak up for what he believes is right, certainly we can all do something. In the wake of this historic day, the March 9 Coastal Commission meeting in Santa Monica was again the center of protest and citizen demand. Representatives of social justice and environmental organizations and members of the public stood together and rallied to demand transparency. Citizens attempted to voice their concern and frustration over the firing during public comment, but were cut off by Chair Steve Kinsey when he thought a speaker was accusing the Commission of betraying public trust. In response, Commissioner Wendy Mitchell felt compelled to defend herself, making a lengthy and rather inappropriate explanation for her decision, which only added fuel to the fire. At a press conference, representatives from The City Project, Azul, Sierra Club, Sacred Places Institute for Indigenous Peoples, Center for Continued on page 19 Biological Diversity...

www.yournec.org

Madison Peters Dams have been going up in California since the 1850s, to store water for use by homes, farms and businesses, but these days dams are viewed from a different light. Natural history writer and environmental journalist Chris Clarke recently published an article on the KCET website (www.kcet.org) about five important reasons California should still be working toward removing dams from our waterways, despite the ongoing drought.

1 Safety

Clarke cites a few instances in which dam failures have led to tragedy. The major factor in regard to the safety of dams is that with many dams, seismic activity was not taken into account when they were built. With California being especially seismically active, many issues and concerns have arisen over the years. “We [Californians] did build a whole lot of dams, large and small, in earthquake hazard zones. And even if a quake never damages those dams, watersheds in seismically active California carry a lot of eroded sediment,” Clarke states. The sediment builds up over time and impedes dam operations while simultaneously speeding up the erosion process of the actual dam. All things must fall at some point and dams are reaching their due dates.

2 Dams are bad for fish

Surprise, it’s true. Humboldt residents know this well, having experienced numerous fish kills, including the largest salmon kill in the history of the west on the Klamath River in 2002. Over 70,000 salmon perished in the shallow, warm water downstream from the Klamath dams. Salmon and other fish populations have been dwindling since the... Continued on page 19

Berta Caceres

Continued from page 11 ...protests, but were met with intimidation “She was a fearless environmental through smear hero. She understood the risks that campaigns, came with her work, but continued arrests, and death threats. The to lead her community with amazing attacks and threats strength and conviction.” —John only strengthened Goldman, President of the Goldman her resolve. Río Environmental Foundation. Blanco residents set up a roadblock to defend their land. In 2013, Tomás García was shot dead by a Honduran military officer at a peaceful protest. In response, over Of the eight victims whose cases were publicly 500 Lenca people rose against Sinohydro, which reported in 2015, six were from indigenous groups. ended its bid to build the Agua Zarca dam, and In April 2015, a Global Witness press release the World Bank withdrew its financial backing of stated that “the case of Berta Cáceres is emblematic the project, citing concerns over human rights of the systematic targeting of environmental violations. Another active member of COPINH, defenders in Honduras. Since 2013, three of Moisés Durón Sánchez, was murdered in May her colleagues have been killed for resisting the 2015 after receiving numerous death threats Agua Zarca hydro-dam on the Gualcarque River, for his role defending his community’s rights which threatens to cut off a vital water source for to their land. hundreds of indigenous Lenca people. Fabricated The London-based non-profit organization criminal charges have been filed against her, and Global Witness tracks environmental and human two of her children have left Honduras out of rights abuses with a focus on those driven by the concerns for their safety.” exploitation of natural resources and corruption in “She was a fearless environmental hero. the global political and economic system. Global She understood the risks that came with her Witness figures released on March 4 show that at work, but continued to lead her community least 109 people were killed in Honduras between with amazing strength and conviction,” said 2010 and 2015 for taking a stand against destructive John Goldman, President of the Goldman dam, mining, logging and agriculture projects. Environmental Foundation.

Take Action for Justice Over 50 international organizations are demanding an independent international investigation into the circumstances around Berta Cáceres’death, guaranteed protection for her family and colleagues, and urgent action to protect Gustavo Castro Soto, a Mexican activist who witnessed her assassination, and to ensure his safe passage back to Mexico.

To take action: 1) Join OxFam International’s online petition calling for an end to the Aqua Zarca dam project at https://act.oxfam.org/ international/end-the-violence. 2) Join Amnesty International’s campaign to free Gustavo Castro Soto, the sole witness to the murder of Berta Cáceres, by visiting http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/ take-action-now/honduras-allow-gustavocastro-soto-to-return-to-mexico-ua-5016.

In 2015, when Berta Cáceres won the Goldman Environmental Prize, journalist Melissa Cardoza said, “They can attack her. They can even kill her, as they have tried. But her life transcends this moment in time.” Her family issued a statement saying, “We ask the international community and human rights organizations around the world to put pressure on their leaders to bring about justice. Her murder is an act of cowardice that will only amplify Bertita’s message to bring about change in Honduras and make this a better, more humane world.”

Oregon Passes Historic Energy Bill

Morgan Corviday On the heels of last year’s Climate Deal in Paris last year, Oregon has become the first state in the U.S. to pass legislation to phase out coal power generation. In March’s bipartisan vote, the Oregon Legislature not only commited to eliminating coal use, but also to supplying half the state’s power needs from renewable energy sources by 2040. By eliminating the need for coal, the bill also results in the elimination of dirty coal trains in the state, instead attracting more wind and solar energy investment. Based on current standards, Oregon’s energy will be among the cleanest in the country. Another result is that the increasing number of electric powered vehicles on the roads will

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also be powered by renewable energy instead of coal power plants. The bill includes a measure to increase the number of charging stations in the state. The process of crafting the bill was also unique—the product of consensus between regional and national environmental groups, the state’s two largest electric companies, and the state’s utility consumer advocate. The result is a long-term energy strategy supported by environmentalists that doesn’t leave consumers on the hook for aging, outdated energy infrastructure. Energy providers benefit by being able to plan and invest appropriately for a stable energy supply. While President Obama’s Clean Energy Plan remains stalled in the Supreme Court, Oregon’s actions show that progress can—and must— continue at the state level. The climate can’t wait.

Apr/May 2016

EcoNews

From our Cover: The California Current System

Photo: NASA/Goddard/Suomin-NPP/VIIRS

Smith River

Nature doesn’t have a voice. You do.

Continued from page 3 ...River Recreation Area, Redwood State Park, and Tolowa Dunes State Park. Groups have urged the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (the Board) to designate ONRWs multiple times over the last two decades, and it was identified as a priority in four of the five last triennial reviews of the Board’s water quality plan. The issue finally gained traction in the last review, after the Center again made the case that it should be elevated to a top priority and many others echoed the call, including the Smith River Rancheria and Karuk Tribe. Public comment “convincingly indicated” the Board should move ONRW designations to a high priority, “with the Smith River as the first.” The Board also agreed that the Salmon River, Clear Creek, and Dillon Creek in the Klamath Basin are ONRW candidates, and there are strong arguments to be made for others, including Humboldt Bay, the Elk River, and the Eel River. Meanwhile, it is important to continue advocating for the Smith’s ONRW designation, which should be finalized sometime in the next year, and to make sure it translates into real action for the watershed. Del Norte supervisors are already delaying the process, getting the Board to postpone the initial “scoping” meeting in March. And while the designation brings the highest level of protection, it is no silver-bullet on its own, and will require vigilant citizen oversight to see that it bears the full protection the law requires and the Smith deserves.

EcoNews Apr/May 2016

This February 8, 2016 composite image from NASA’s OceanColor Web reveals the complex distribution of phytoplankton in one of Earth’s eastern boundary upwelling systems—the California Current. Recent work suggests that our warming climate may be increasing the intensity of upwelling in such regions with possible repercussions for the species that comprise those ecosystems. NASA’s OceanColor Web is supported by the Ocean Biology Processing Group (OBPG) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Their responsibilities include the collection, processing, calibration, validation, archiving and distribution of ocean-related products from a large number of operational, satellite-based remote-sensing missions providing ocean color, sea surface temperature and sea surface salinity data to the international research community since 1996. May strong science continue to help us understand our world, broaden our perspectives, shape our long-term visions, and help us change our behavior so that we can reduce the negative human impacts on our planetary ecosystems.

In order to vote in California election primaries this June, make sure you are registered and registered correctly by

May 23 Register to vote online at

www.registertovote.ca.gov

Reflection of trees in a pool in rock on the Smith River. Photo: Martin Swett.

To receive notices and/or support the Smith ONRW, contact Alydda Mangelsdorf at the Regional Water Board: (707) 576-6735 or alydda. mangelsdorf@waterboards.ca.gov. www.yournec.org

VOTE 10

Have you Listened to the EcoNews Report Lately?

Moonstone Beach was Adopted!

Last month’s Adopt-A-Beach of the month— Moonstone Beach—was almost instantly snached up by a group of environmentally concious HSU students from various majors. The students are concerned by the amount of trash littering our beaches and entering our oceans. Naming themselves the Ocean Squad, they have already held three cleanups since adopting Moonstone Beach. The students invite others to join their Facebook page to find out about upcoming cleanup dates and join their efforts to keep Moonstone Beach clean!

Every Thursday at 1:30 p.m., KHSU (90.5 FM, khsu.org) airs the NEC’s weekly half-hour EcoNews Report radio show. Each show features a rotating roster of hosts interviewing interesting guests and experts on a variety of environmental topics. Past shows are archived on our website at yournec.org/econews-report for listening anytime. The last five years of EcoNews Reports are available on our website (four shows per month, 12 months per year—that’s nearly 450 shows online!). Check them out! Here’s a selection of some of the interesting and informative EcoNews Reports from 2016:

Camel Rock/ Houda Point Beach. Photo: Delia Bense-Kang.

AAB of the Month

Ocean Squad after their first Moonstone Beach cleanup. Photo: Random person at the beach—Thank you!

Upcoming AAB Events

Surfrider Humboldt Recently adopted Agate Beach and will be holding their first cleanup on Sunday, April 10 at 9 a.m. The cleanup is a part of a Camp and Clean event they are hosting at Patrick’s Point State Park with Pac Out Green Team, Saturday, April 9. The event is free but they ask you to RSVP ahead of time to their Facebook page and bring a dish for the potluck dinner at 6 p.m. Saturday.

April is here and with that comes Earth Day! Earth Day is a great day to celebrate our planet and raise environmental awareness— perfect for holding a beach cleanup or two! April’s AdoptA-Beach of the Month is Houda Point Beach in Trinidad, also known as Camel Rock (due to a seastack shaped like camel humps). Houda Point is a popular surf and climbing spot for many in Humboldt County, and with human traffic, trash consequently follows closely behind. Help keep our beaches beautiful and pristine for all of our favorite beach activities. Adopt Houda Point/ Camel Rock Beach, or one of our many other beaches available for adoption, today!

For more information about Adopt-A-Beach, visit www.yournec.org/adoptabeach or contact us at 822-6918 or adoptabeach@yournec.org.

March 24, 2016—Humboldt Baykeeper Director Jennifer Kalt interviews Sergio Moncada, the Waterkeeper Alliance Regional Coordinator for Latin America, about the assassination of Berta Cáceres and other indigenous Honduran activists protecting their communities, rivers, and way of life from dam projects. March 10, 2016—Guest Host Pete Nichols, National Director of Waterkeeper Alliance, talks with Sara Aminzadeh (Executive Director of California Coastkeeper) and Joseph Darville (President of Waterkeepers Bahamas) about the Paris Climate Conference and resulting climate deal. March 3, 2016—Scott Greacen, of Friends of the Eel River, interviews HSU professor Dan Barton about the militant occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon earlier this year, and what protected areas like Malheur mean to us. February 11, 2016—Ken Burton interviews Dr. Geoffrey Hill about the fascinating study of bird coloration. January 28, 2016—Delia Bense-Kang talks with Helen Jacard and Chuck Dewitt about the historic Golden Rule project and Veterans for Peace. January 14, 2016—Jennifer Kalt talks with Larry Glass, Natalynne DeLapp, and Tom Wheeler about the proposed commercial medical marijuana cultivation ordinance. January 7, 2016—Scott Greacen talks with Craig Tucker, Natural Resources Policy Advocate for the Karuk Tribe, about the implications of the demise of the KBRA (Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement), the current occupation at the Malheur refuge, and the passing of local conservation

Listen online at yournec.org/ econews-report

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Apr/May 2016

EcoNews

The

andpiper APRIL / MAY 2016

Redwood Region Audubon Society www.rras.org FIELD TRIPS

For carpooling to some of our more far-reaching trips, plan to donate gas money to drivers. A rule of thumb is $5 per ½-hour driving time to field trip destination. Saturday-Sunday, April 2-3: Lassen County Overnight Field Trip featuring a Greater Sage-Grouse Lek. Elias Elias will guide a group of birders around the sagebrush flats and conifer forests of Lassen county 5 hours east of Humboldt. We will look for ducks and geese in the agricultural fields and wildlife areas of the Honey Lake Valley on Saturday morning. Early afternoon will find us in the conifer forests (Cassin’s Finches and Lewis’s Woodpeckers) around Janesville. We will end the day in the juniper woodlands (the soon-to-be-split Whitebreasted Nuthatch, Townsend’s Solitaire) in Jack’s Valley north of Susanville. On Sunday, we will meet before first

light at the sage grouse lek. This lek will likely be the highlight of the trip. Prepare to be entertained by upwards of 10 Greater Sage-Grouse as they dance and strut and pick and choose. Follow this link for some background: https://youtu.be/cLnbiTkj1TQ. We will then bird around Susanville and Eagle Lake before disbanding about 2 p.m. for the drive home.

Sunday, April 10: Patrick’s Point State Park. Gary Lester ([707] 839-3373) will lead a 3-hour walk through the forests and along the bluffs of this beautiful local park in search of land- and seabirds. Wear sturdy shoes. Meet at the Park entrance at 9:00 a.m.; free parking is available along Patrick’s Point Drive, but please mind the posted signage.

Please book your own room in Susanville for Friday and Saturday nights. Camping is available at the Fleming Unit, which is where Elias will stay unless the weather is absolutely miserable. Plan on eating in the ﬁeld for all meals except for Saturday night dinner and Sunday postlek breakfast. Contact Elias Elias by e-mail or phone at call7076338833@gmail.com for details on meeting times and places.

Saturday, April 16: Southern Humboldt Community Park. Jay Sooter ([707] 444-8001) and/or John Gafﬁn will lead this monthly walk. Kyle Keegan will co-lead and will focus on bird sounds. 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; ﬁeld guides are usually available, but please bring your own if possible. Steady rain cancels. Meet at 9 a.m., parking at the Tooby Park parking lot which is about 100 yards past the entrance to the park.

Sunday, April 10: 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. For more information, call Jude Power or David Fix ([707] 822-3613).

A P R I L P RO G R A M : F R I DAY, A P R 8

Barred Owl Management to Conserve Spotted Owls in Northern California Northern Spotted Owls face what is characterized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an “extremely pressing and complex threat” posed by Barred Owls. Despite decades’ worth of conservation efforts to preserve forest habitat for Northern Spotted Owls, their populations are still in decline, and a recent report (among many others) suggests that the primary cause is likely competition with Barred Owls. Managing this problem will be an incredibly large undertaking. Ryan Baumbusch, a graduate student at Humboldt State University in Wildlife, along with colleagues has created a mathematical modeling program that can help evaluate alternative Ryan Banding Owl - photo by Ryan Baumbusch strategies for managing Barred Owls. He will present some of the ﬁndings of this research regarding the inﬂuence of the size and distribution of management areas on the overall success of the effort.

Continued on page 3

M AY P RO G R A M : F R I DAY, M AY 1 3

Bat Migration from the Humboldt Redwoods to North America Bats have evolved 2 primary overwintering strategies, hibernation and migration. Although hibernation in bats is relatively well-studied, our understanding of migration is rudimentary because it has been difﬁcult to generate enough reliable observations of these nocturnal animals to surmise patterns. In recent years, technological advances have opened doors to acquiring new knowledge about Hoary Bat - photo by Ted Weller seasonal movements, ecology, and connectivity for migratory bats. Coupled with our discovery that redwood forests of Humboldt County are important stopover and wintering sites for migratory tree bats, we have an ideal situation to advance understanding of migration in bats. Ted Weller, a Wildlife Ecologist at Redwood Sciences Laboratory, will discuss the process of making such determinations and describe the plethora of tools used to help make sense of the migratory ecology of these bats. His talk will highlight the challenges of studying these cryptic animals and the exhilaration of making new discoveries about their migratory movements and ecology.

Programs start 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.

Every Saturday: Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. These are our famous rain-or-shine docent-led ﬁeld 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. Apr. 2: Joe Ceriani; Apr. 9: Jim Clark; Apr. 16: Carol Wilson; Apr. 23: Samantha Bacon; Apr. 30: Larry Karsteadt.

CHAPTER LEADERS

OFFICERS President— Hal Genger …………............ 707-499-0887 Vice President— Jim Clark …………….. 707-445-8311 Secretary Pro Tem — Ken Burton............ 707-400-1146 Treasurer—Syn-dee Noel............................. 707-442-8862 DIRECTORS AT LARGE Ralph Bucher …........................................ 707-443-6944 Jill Demers ……………………………… 707-667-6163 Harriet Hill………………………………. 707-267-4055 Chet Ogan …............................................… 707-442-9353 Susan Penn..................................…......…. 707-443-9660 C.J. Ralph ............................................….. 707-822-2015 Denise Seeger ............................................. 707-444-2399

OTHER CHAPTER LEADERS Conservation — Jim Clark ...............…... 707-445-8311 Eductn/Scholarships — Denise Seeger ....707-444-2399 eBird Liaison — Rob Fowler …………... 707-839-3493 Facebook — Cindy Moyer……………… 707-822-1886 — Rob Fowler ………………. 707-839-3493 Field Notes — Daryl Coldren...........…..... 916-384-8089 Field Trips— Rob Fowler ……….......….. 707-839-3493 Finance— Syn-dee Noel .............................707-442-8862 Historian — John Hewston ...................... 707-822-5288 Membership — Susan Penn.…..................707-443-9660 NEC Representative — C.J. Ralph.......... 707-822-2015 Nominating – Jim Clark …....................... 707-445-8311 Programs — Jared Wolfe...........................262-443-6866 Publications — C.J. Ralph..................….. 707-822-2015 Publicity — Harriet Hill............................ 707-267-4055 Sandpiper (Editor)—Jan Andersen ….… 707-616-3888 Sandpiper (Layout)— Gary Bloomfield ...707-362-1226 Volunteer Coordinator — Susan Penn.....707-443-9660 Website — Susan Penn...............................707-443-9660 Lake Earl Branch — Sue Calla................. 707-465-6191 RRAS Web Page...........................……..... www.rras.org Arcata Bird Alert .........707-822-LOON (707-822-5666)

President’s Column

By Hal Genger Welcome to spring and longer days to watch birds! At our annual banquet, we completed several important tasks. First, we installed our new board members. Jim Clark is the new Vice President and Denise Seeger is a new board member. I am the returning President (for one more year) while Ralph Bucher, Jill Demers, Chet Ogan, and CJ Ralph will continue on as board members for another term. Thank you all for your time and energy working on items important for humans and birds!

Second, Dr. Geoffrey Hill gave a great presentation on the color of birds and how those colors are important to health and mate selection. Third, RRAS received money for donated items to help defray the costs of running the organization. Fourth, Jill Demers received the Volunteer of the Year award for the many additional tasks she does for

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

Chapter Membership Application

Yes, 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 address below. My check for $20 is enclosed. (Introductory offer)

NAME_______________________________ ADDRESS___________________________ CITY ______________________________ STATE____________ZIP______________ email ______________________________ Local Chapter Code: C24 Please 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

RRAS is always in need of more volunteers. We desperately need someone to take over the secretarial duties at the monthly board meetings. We also need someone to help Harriet Hill with publicity. Harriet is doing a wonderful job but may occasionally leave the area, and we need someone to be able to fill in for her. As mentioned in the last issue, we are still looking for someone to take over as the editor of The Sandpiper. Please let me (or any board member) know if you are interested in volunteering. Your service would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

RRAS and Godwit Days Need Your Help Godwit Café: Volunteers are needed to staff the Godwit Café in 1- to 2-hour shifts between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 16 and 17. The café offers breakfast snacks, coffee, tea, and sodas, and delicious homemade soup for lunch. This is a fundraiser for RRAS and a fun place to meet people, hang out, and watch the comings and goings of participants. To sign up for a shift or 2, contact Volunteer Coordinator Susan Penn at susanpenn60@gmail.com or (707) 443-9660.

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

Thinking of Joining the National Audubon Society?

our community. Thanks, Jill! Finally, we got to greet old friends and make new ones! Thank you all for attending and helping make the banquet an enjoyable experience for all of us!

Marbled Godwit © Brandice Guerra

21st Annual Godwit Days, April 15-17 Godwit Days is excited to have as its keynote speaker David Allen Sibley. Sibley is the author and illustrator of the fastest-selling bird book in history: over 1.5 million copies sold since its release in 2000, with a second edition published in 2014. Many consider The Sibley Guide to Birds to be the gold standard for North American field identification in that it can be used by professionals and amateurs alike and equate Sibley’s paintings with those of revered artist-naturalists John James Audubon and Roger Tory Peterson. His lecture, entitled “The Psychology of Bird Identification,” will explore how our brains both help and hinder our efforts at avian ID. It will be held Saturday, April 16 at 7 p.m. All Basic Festival registrations include a keynote ticket, while the cost is just $10 for nonregistrants. Sixteen new trips were recently added, so even if you are already registered, visit the website to peruse these additional choices. The Arcata Community Center serves as the departure hub for most trips and houses an art show and Bird Fair. Pre- and post-festival trips can extend your experience from April 13 to 19. Website: www.godwitdays.org; phone (707) 826-7050.

Student Bird Art: For the 13th year, RRAS and Friends of the Arcata Marsh are cosponsoring a student bird art contest. Over $500 will be awarded to Humboldt County K-12 students during a Saturday, April 16, ceremony. All entries are posted in the Community Center throughout Godwit Days, with copies of cash winners shown at the Marsh Interpretive Center in May. If you would like to help post the 980 (a new record!) colorful works of bird art at the Community Center on Friday, April 15, starting at 1 p.m., please contact Sue Leskiw at sueleskiw1@ gmail.com or (707) 442-5444.

RRAS Website Updated Check out our updated website (www.rras.org). You’ll find it’s easier to use and has much updated information about Redwood Region Audubon Society chapter leaders and upcoming programs and field trips. Thank you, Cindy Moyer and Susan Penn, for all your hard work.

by C.J. Ralph

The Very Special Cottonwoods of the Mad River

Where would you say is the most special habitat for birds in the near-coastal areas of Humboldt County? Over the years, when training bird censusers, where do we go that is close to town to see and hear lots of birds? A short way inland is a ribbon of habitat: through the peaceful and sunny hamlet of Blue Lake and on upstream of the Mad River to the fish hatchery. As the Mad River makes its way from far inland toward its salty destination, it drags along behind it habitat from inland along a narrow band of fertile riverside flora of cottonwoods and other riparian trees and shrubs. Here the delightful songs and sights of inland riparian and deciduous habitat favoring birds come the nearest to the coast and can easily be found in some abundance. This concentration of birds makes it one of the most visited birding sites throughout the year

FIELD TRIPS (cont.) Saturday, April 30: Alderpoint. Enjoy the birds, plant life, and reptiles of the Eel River canyon on this full-day trip along Alderpoint Road and south of the town of Alderpoint. We will bird select locations along Alderpoint Road ﬁrst and then walk the Alderpoint railroad tracks to Cain Rock Trestle to have lunch and look for Rufous-crowned Sparrows. In 2012 there was a washout along the railroad tracks, and it still takes a bit of work to cross it. Other species like Oak Titmouse, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and similar birds of dry habitats in southeast Humboldt County can be expected, along with justarrived summer residents. Diogenes’ lantern, interior live-oak, and birch-leaf mountain-mahogany will be seen as well. Take sun protection, layered clothing, and a small pack for carrying lunch and water. Meet in the Ray’s Food Place parking lot in Garberville at 8:30 a.m. We should return to the Humboldt Bay area late-afternoon (~5 p.m.) For more information, contact Tony Kurz ([559] 333-0893; tonyk_71220@hotmail. com). Sunday, May 8: Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. See April 10. Saturday, May 14: Kneeland/Showers Pass. This will be a vehicle-based exploration of the upland prairies and forests of central Humboldt County. Potential “good” birds include Golden Eagle, Sooty Grouse, Ruffed Grouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Kingbird, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Rock Wren, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Lark Sparrow. We’ll caravan from Freshwater Corners to Bridgeville and return via Highway 36. Plan on being out all day with no services or restrooms. We’ll be carpooling in as few vehicles as possible, so please plan on either transporting passengers or leaving your car behind. Meet leader Ken Burton ([707] 499-1146) on Freshwater Road and Myrtle Avenue at 7:30 a.m.

and a great favorite of Godwit Day trips. Throughout the spring, summer, and autumn, it is likely the best place to see inland birds such as the Purple Martin, California Towhee, Lazuli Bunting, Western Tanager, Western Scrub-jay, and Willow Flycatcher. Aside from this abundance of inland birds are reliably found river birds such as Common Mergansers, eagles, the odd dipper, Spotted Sandpiper, and if you’re lucky, the hunky White-throated Swift and the exquisite Green Heron. Most of the land along the Mad River is private; only a few spots of legal public access are available for enjoying the diverse birds. Those are 2 small parks at water pumping stations: a short mile or 2 along the river bank and near the Blue Lake bridge, and (after a gap) at the state’s fish hatchery. Over the years, other Saturday, May 21: Southern Humboldt Community Park. See April 16. The co-leader this month will be Tom Leskiw. Meet time is 8:30 am. Sunday, May 22: Eureka Waterfront. See April 17. Sunday, May 22: Seabirds at Elk Head. We will search the rocky shoreline for shorebirds (oystercatchers, turnstones, tattlers) and the offshore rocks for nesting seabirds (murres, cormorants, pufﬁns). We also will attempt to identify the land-birds and ﬂowering plants encountered along the trail to the bluffs. Take spotting scopes if you have them. Meet Gary Lester ([707] 8393373; garys.lester@gmail.com) at the Elk Head parking lot in Trinidad at 8:30 a.m.

Wanted: Sandpiper Editor Newsletter details: Redwood Region Audubon Society publishes bimonthly (6 issues a year) this newsletter to announce chapter events, monthly programs, Christmas Bird Counts, and other events relevant to current and prospective members and the public at large.

Purpose: Educational and social: lists outings for birders and ways to share experiences with fellow birders. Also provides outdoor adventure opportunities. Monthly programs are educational and entertaining. Editor’s task: Notify contributors of publication dates, and gather articles when they’re received. Light editing may be needed. Notify layout editor when all articles are ready for layout. Proof �inal drafts. Little or no writing required. Time required: 3-4 hours every other month.

Quali�ications: Good English grammar, ability to meet deadlines.

uses have competed with each other for this special corridor of diversity: agriculture, gravel extraction for our county roads, off-road vehicle use, and fishing. The largest remnant patch is just over the bridge from Blue Lake, a triangular area of perhaps a half mile on a side. Our birds, and bird watching in general, would greatly benefit from increased access and protection for more of this important habitat over about 5 miles of the river. A special task force of RRAS has been formed within its Conservation Committee to explore means to provide such protection and enhancement. If you’d like to be a part of this, please contact Jim Clark at (707) 445-8311 or Chet Ogan at (707) 442-9353.

New Members RRAS welcomes the following new members and subscribers: Arcata – Farugie Arrio, Debra Hartridge, Alicia Heitzman, Susan Heustis, Linda Mahoney, Archie Mossman, Gregory Pfotenhauer, Virginia Plambeck, Penelope Schwartz, James Sorter, Alexandra Stillman Bayside – Diana Dusheck, John Montague, Thomas Wairns Blue Lake – Susan Barnstein Crescent City – Rosemarie D. Af�lick, Karen & Mark Davis, Heather B. Hutchinson, Louise Norris, Philip Schafer, Kenneth Sullens, Mary Jean Watson Eureka – Judith Alexander, Elaine Barnhart, Jyl Hewston, Barbara Hitchko, Ana Jordan, Jo McCutchan, Pam Mohrmann, Richard Moses, Stephanie Moug, Dr. & Mrs. Denver Nelson, Susan O’Connor, Julie Olsen, Andrea Patt, Anne Pierson, Jonathan Weber, H. Lynn Wright, Kevin Yokoyama Ferndale – Dennis Larsen Fortuna – Dorothy Jennings, C. J. Kasper, Akino Komazaki, Christopher Menzel Garberville – Kathleen Sweet Kneeland – Kristina Hall McKinleyville – Linda Chaffee, John Crater, John Crocker, Richard A. Duning, Mara Galvez, Naomi Hunt, Ange Lobue, Mary Pieratt, Pat Reeves, Deanne Rieder, Rachel Veal, Resi B. Watson Miranda – Peter Amazing Petrolia – Angelina Mulkey Redcrest – Sherry Machado Redway – Laura Frame Salyer – Patricia Rosicky Trinidad – Cynthia Lueck Willow Creek – Arloa Kupilik

We look forward to seeing you on �ield trips and at our monthly programs.

Field Notes were not available at publication. Our apologies--The Editors

By Gary Bloomﬁeld

Humboldt’s Great Gray Visitor

Word broke early in the evening on January 20, 2016 that Humboldt County was being graced by the presence of its second documented Great Gray Owl. The ﬁrst bird remarkably occurred at the exact same location, Elk Prairie at Prairie Creek State Park, 34 years ago, almost to the day. Sadly, she met an unfortunate end within a week when she was struck by a vehicle on the road through the park which, at the time, was a stretch of Highway 101. She now resides in the Humboldt State University Wildlife Museum. © Gary Bloomﬁeld

2nd Annual Tim McKay Birdathon April 30 to May 8

Once again the Northcoast Environmental Center (NEC) and RRAS present the Annual Tim McKay Birdathon, a fundraiser for both organizations. The late Tim McKay for whom the birdathon is named was the first executive director of the NEC, a position he held from 1976 until 2006. For those of you who did not have the privilege of knowing Tim, see my article in the 2015 April-May issue of The Sandpiper. The following is quoted from that article: “Being a birder, Tim knew of the Point Reyes Bird Observatory [now Ocean Blue] and was impressed by their Birdathon in 1977. He was taken with the idea of helping not only the NEC but also the local Audubon chapter raise much-needed and hard-to-find funding. . . . The term “Birdathon” was first used in 1976 by Bird Studies Canada to describe a fundraising event in which participants solicit pledges from individuals, families, and businesses for the bird species seen during a prescribed time period and in a predetermined area.” Donors sign up to pay a set amount ($25? $50? $100?) or a dime or quarter or more per species, making it more fun for the birdathon team. It does not require a team or even much travel. One birdathon-er used a bicycle and stayed right around the bay to do his count. One can also pick a spot in your yard and dedicate an hour or 2 ticking off birds at your feeder. The main purpose is to get family, friends, or local businesses to donate, have fun throughout the process, and appreciate the work that is being done for the community by these 2 outstanding organizations. Please go to yournec.org/Birdathon for sign-up sheets and a list of prizes for the 3 individuals or teams that raise the most funds this coming May. Good birding to all!

By Gary Friedrichsen

This bird was comfortable (and/or hungry) enough to successfully hunt while being joyfully observed by its many respectful admirers over the next several weeks, having still been seen into March.

“This still is from a video clip* I was able to get of the owl hunting in the Elk Prairie.” - Gary Bloomfield * https://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomfieldstudio/24539807156/ “Birders at the GGOW Incident”, © Rob Fowler

... and Another Exciting Winter Owl! “...Snowy Owls are reportedly being seen already well south of their normal range. In invasion years on the Paciﬁc Coast, these birds typically show up on the outer coast at beaches and dunes, so keep an eye out this winter for the big white ﬁgures.” - Sean McAllister (November,2015)

Ash-throated Flycatcher © Gary Bloomﬁeld

Snowy Owl © Brad Elvert

Sean McAllister’s prediction came to pass when Brad Elvert and his dog Calle discovered a young male Snowy Owl on the South Spit of Humboldt Bay on February 18, 2016. He quickly got word out and many members of the Humboldt birding community were able to see this beauty before it ghosted away.

21st Annual Godwit Days

April 15-17 at the Arcata Community Center

Something for Everyone

Trips range north to Del Norte County, south to Petrolia, and inland to Willow Creek. New offerings are Ferndale Bottoms & Salt River; Arcata Ridge Trail & Aldergrove Pond; Hikshari’ Trail & Eureka Channel; McDaniel Slough & Arcata Bottoms; Garberville & Rock Wren Rock; McKinleyville’s Hammond Trail; Trinidad Head & Lighthouse; Salmon Smolts & Little River; and a free dragonfly workshop.

EcoNews Apr/May 2016

April 13-19 2016 Keynote Speaker: Renowned Artist & Author

David Sibley

Arcata Community Center Arcata, Humboldt County California

Art Displays

Arcata Artisans will have an art show and sale. For the 13th year, Redwood Region 707-826-7050 or 800-908-WIN G Audubon and Friends of Arcata Marsh Printed by Times Printing Company are cosponsoring a student bird art contest. Over $500 Registration & Important will be awarded to Humboldt County K-12 Information students during an April 16 ceremony. On-site registration hours: April 15, 3-7 p.m.; Saturday, April 16, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Sunday, April 17, Godwit Goodies 9 a.m.-noon. Visit www.godwitdays.org for event Silent Auction goodies will be on display in descriptions and to register. Advance registration the main hall during the weekend event. To donate is strongly recommended as trips fill fast! items for the auction, call 707-826-7050. Come register in person to purchase 2016 Godwit Days 707-826-7050 T-shirts featuring a design by HSU assistant art www.godwitdays.org professor Brandice Guerra.

w w w. g o d w i t d a y s . o r g

nds o f t

The Festival offers many free activities for children, including up-close viewing of live birds of prey from the Humboldt Wildlife Care Center, displays of all entries in the Student Bird Art Contest, drop-in family nature crafts, and a Bird Fair with vendors and info booths. Two field trips and two workshops are just for kids: owl pellet dissection, bird drawing, and two Marsh birding trips. Godwit Days also offers free trips for all ages to Hikshari’ Trail/Eureka Channel; Ma-le’l Dunes/Humboldt Coastal Nature Center, Patrick’s Point State Park, Trinidad Head; Arcata Marsh,

Annual

SPRING MIGRATION BIRD FESTIVAL

After the free opening reception, the third annual Humboldt County Bird of the Year award will be presented, followed by lectures by Arcata Elementary School’s principal and students about their garden habitat for birds; HSU wildlife professor Jeff Black on Steller’s jays; and Klamath Bird Observatory board president/author/ photographer Harry Fuller on great grey owls in California and Oregon.

Just for Kids (& Other Free Events)

Free Friday Night Lectures

Godwit Days is excited to have David Allen Sibley as the Keynote Speaker. Sibley is the author and illustrator of the fastest-selling bird book in history, used by professionals and amateurs alike. Many consider The Sibley Guide to Birds to be the go-to gold standard for North American field identification and equate Sibley’s paintings with those of revered artist-naturalists John James Audubon and Roger Tory Peterson. Sibley’s lecture, entitled “The Psychology of Bird Identification,” will explore how our brains both help and hinder our efforts at avian ID on Saturday, April 16 at 7 p.m. All Basic Festival registrations include a keynote ticket. A ticket is just $10 for non-registrants.

21st

Keynote Speaker: David Allen Sibley

Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Lanphere Dunes, Arcata Community Forest (native plant walk), and Stone Lagoon. All require preregistration.

Godwit Days celebrates the marbled godwit and all birds of Redwood Coast forests, bays, marshes, and mudflats. The Arcata Community Center serves as the departure hub for most trips and houses an art show and Bird Fair. Choose from 90 field trips, lectures, workshops, and boat excursions. Pre- and post-festival trips can extend your experience from April 13 to 19. Many trips have already been filled, with new ones being added. For the most current information, visit www.godwitdays.org.

ata Ma

www.yournec.org

Humboldt Lodging Alliance, Arcata

Eye on

Washington Dan Sealy, NEC Legislative Analyst

Washington Doldrums Might be a Good Thing The Presidential election cycle is sucking most of the air out of the national political room. In addition, every single seat in the US House of Representatives is up for re-election and 34 of the 100 US Senate seats are up for grabs in 2016. Senator Boxer announced last year that after 23 years in Congress, she will not seek re-election. Her Senate seat is highly sought after. As a result of both the Presidential elections and so many members of congress working on re-election there is a lot of arm waving and posturing to satisfy constituents back home, but expectations are low for passage of many bills. Here are some possible exceptions:

Huffman & ANWR (Alaska National Wildlife Refuge)

The House didn’t pass an amendment authored by Rep. Huffman to permanently protect ANWR’s Coastal Plain as wilderness, but Huffman was able to get nine Republicans to vote for the bill, which in a committee overshadowed by Rep. Young (RAK) is not an easy task. Young, who hails from California and is a Chico State University graduate, has represented Alaska in Congress since 1973 and has been consistently aggressive about opening up ANWR for oil and gas drilling. Rep. Huffman has stated he will continue to fight for protection of ANWR and has posted a petition you can sign here: www.jaredhuffman. ngpvanhost.com/form/-8407527211593758720.

Water & Drought Senator Feinstein (D-CA) introduced the newest retread of her earlier drought/water bill. This version is S.5533 the “California Long-Term Provisions for Water Supply and Short-Term Provisions for Emergency Drought Relief Act’’. The bill incorporates some of the technological and conservation fixes for California’s drought that Rep. Huffman (D-CA) introduced last year—such as increased water recycling and research and development to diminish environmental impacts of desalinization (a program studied here at HSU). However, S.2533 also pushes for infrastructure measures such as raising the dam height on Shasta Dam and moving forward with the construction of new dams. The bill also circumvents some biological opinion procedures for endangered salmon and delta smelt. Feinstein’s bill in its current form does not have Huffman’s support. The NEC added its name to a sign-on letter in February to stop the bill. Rep. Garamendi (D-CA) has announced he not only supports Feinstein’s bill, but will soon introduce a companion bill in the US House.

and Rep. Chaffetz (R-UT) have set up an elaborate, informative website, but it does not clearly explain how much of the 18 million acres would no longer be administered by the federal government for all the people of the US.

Congratulations to HSU Natural Resources major, John Cortenbach for completion of his Environmental Policy internship with the Northcoast Environmental Center. John followed Congressional drought and western water policy with his internship. For more information regarding the policy internship, contact Dan Sealy rangerdans@msn.com .

Public Land Grab

Rep. Bishop (R-UT), chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, is circulating a “discussion draft” of a bill that would begin to give lands managed by federal agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service and US Fish & Wildlife Service, to states to manage or develop. This legislation is not expected to pass but Bishop has introduced bills to toward this goal since 2011. Rep. Bishop has stated clearly the only reason he has included over 2 million acres of wilderness and about 300 miles of wild and scenic river designations in his bill is to reach a compromise with vocal environmental opposition. Reactions to the bill have been mixed, and it is uncertain if the recent Malheur National wildlife refuge/Bundy dust-up has helped or hurt Bishop’s efforts. Bishop

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Apr/May 2016

EcoNews

The Plastic Bag Fight Isn’t Over Margaret Gainer California’s environmental activists can’t afford to lose the statewide Plastic Bag Ban. This was one of Mark Murray’s main messages to the audience on March 4 at the Humboldt State University College Creek Great Hall. Murray, executive director of Californians Against Waste (CAW), returned to his alma mater as a featured speaker in Zero Waste Humboldt’s 2015-16 Zero Waste Solutions Series. Murray discussed CAW’s advocacy work over the years, the importance of graduating students to enter the field of environmental advocacy, and emphasized that the environmental community cannot afford passage of the referendum on California’s November ballot. Defeating this attempt to repeal the statewide bag ban law will send a clear signal that Californians want the outof-control proliferation of wasteful plastics to stop. Out-of-state plastic companies have already spent $3.2 million to qualify a referendum for the ballot to overturn California’s plastic bag ban law, passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor in 2014. Plastic companies are expected to spend an additional $50 million more on paid advertisements and public relations. Their likely strategy will be to confuse California voters, but the facts about plastic bags are clear.

• 13-19 billion plastic bags are discarded in California every year. • 3-5 percent of plastic bags are actually recycled into a new product. • 140+ California cities and counties have already banned plastic bags. • $208 million is the annual revenue plastic companies make in California selling single-use plastic bags. • $34 to $107 million in taxpayer dollars are spent cleaning up plastic bags from storm drains and streets every year in California. Locally, ZWH has estimated that this expense is significant. To stay informed and learn how you can help, sign up for updates at www.cawrecycles.org/ plastic-bag-ban-action-page. To mobilize on this issue locally, email contact@zerowastehumboldt.

Out-of-state plastic companies have spent $3.2 million to qualify for a referendum for the ballot to overturn California’s plastic bag ban law. Photo: Day Donaldson, flickr.com CC.

HOW TO REDUCE WASTE AT LARGE OUTDOOR EVENTS Friday, April 8, 2016, 6-7:30p.m. at Humboldt Area Foundation, 363 Indianola Rd., Bayside, CA. Pedersen is an environmentalist, journalist, teacher Humboldt County’s large outdoor festivals and and a Senior Representative for The Walt Disney fairs are attracting thousands of visitors from around Company Corporate Citizenship—Environment & the country. With the 2016 season just around Conservation Department team. She helped develop the corner, Zero Waste Humboldt is presenting a the Zero Waste Certification Scorecard for the US workshop to help event organizers adopt new Zero Waste Business Council and is co-author of a strategies for waste reduction. bestselling book “Backyard Composting.” Featured speaker and HSU alum Marialyce This is the last event in the 2015-2016 Zero Waste Pedersen will present how local government, event Solutions Series, supported by Stillman Associates and producers, vendors, and attendees can adopt Zero North Coast Cooperatives. A $10 donation is requested Waste strategies. This workshop is designed for at the door to support Zero Waste Humboldt’s services. organizers of Humboldt’s parades, rodeos, fairs, To RSVP, email contact@zerowastehumboldt.org. festivals, sports and school events.

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EcoNews Apr/May 2016

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Good News and Bad News About New Dioxin Data Jennifer Kalt, Director Since Baykeeper’s 2006 success in getting Humboldt Bay designated as impaired by dioxin, sampling for this long-lasting contaminant has become common for dredging, restoration, and development projects. New data has been collected through various projects and studies around the bay, but with the state’s restoration plan (the “TMDL”) scheduled for 2019, there remains a need for additional sampling to identify the extent of dioxin contamination, particularly in areas that may be continuing to pollute Humboldt Bay.

New Data Reveals Hotspot Near Arcata Marsh

A recent study of the potential to use dredge spoils as fill for wetland restoration found widely varying levels of dioxin. Three proposed restoration sites were examined: two near College of the Redwoods in South Humboldt Bay, and one near the Arcata Marsh. The two southern sites had very low levels of dioxins (0.21-0.62 parts per trillion). These samples represent background levels in areas with no history of penta use, but near enough to have been impacted (see sidebar). A previous study found even smaller amounts of

dioxin in the far southern part of the bay, which is furthest from any known penta use (0.025 parts per trillion at Hookton Slough). Disturbingly, the site near the Arcata Marsh was found to have the highest levels of dioxin ever documented in Humboldt Bay sediments to date (38 parts per trillion). This newly-identified hotspot has nearly four times the contamination found at Sierra Pacific Industries’ mill in Manila, which was the subject of a lawsuit by the Ecological Rights Foundation in 2002 that resulted in a cleanup to stop the ongoing discharge of penta and dioxins into Humboldt Bay. The source of dioxin in bay sediments near the Arcata Marsh is not yet known, but several former lumber mills along Butcher’s Slough and Jolly Giant Creek are likely candidates, including the former Little Lake Industries mill on South I Street. The City of Arcata’s Redevelopment Agency purchased the property in 2001, and dioxin was detected in two soil samples in 2004. The City is currently planning further sampling to identify the extent of contamination, which will inform plans for the cleanup that will be necessary before any re-use of the property. A portion of the 12-acre site has been proposed as a dog park by a group of Arcata residents known as the Arcata Dog Park Committee, and the City is investigating the site’s potential for mitigating wetland impacts related to the Bay Trail project.

Dioxin Cleanup Success

For more info on Baykeeper’s Toxics Initiative, visit www.humboldtbaykeeper.org

In 2008, Humboldt Baykeeper, Ecological Rights Foundation, and Californians for Alternatives to Toxics settled a lawsuit against Simpson Timber Company requiring the cleanup of a dioxin-contaminated tidal wetland channel adjacent to Humboldt Bay and Eureka’s Del Norte Street Pier, the only public fishing pier on the Bay (see “Cleanup Returns Salt Marsh to Eureka Waterfront,” EcoNews Feb/Mar 2015). In accordance with the settlement, the contaminated sediment was excavated, the wetland channel restored with native salt marsh plants, and monitoring wells installed to track residual contamination. Monitoring results from April and December 2015 show that the cleanup and restoration work were successful as surface runoff from the site is no longer contaminated, and tides now flow in and out of the restored wetland channel. www.yournec.org

What are Dioxins and Why are they in Humboldt Bay? Dioxins are extremely toxic, very long-lasting compounds that can cause reproductive damage and cancer. These compounds bind to sediments, slowly moving through the Bay on tides. Dioxins in Humboldt Bay bioaccumulate in fish and shellfish, becoming more concentrated as they move up the food chain, potentially harming humans and wildlife alike. In the Humboldt Bay area, dioxin hotspots remain from lumber mills that used the wood preservative pentachlorophenol (“penta”) from the 1950s through the 1980s, when it was banned except for use on power poles. Primary sources are the dip tanks and surrounding areas where lumber was treated and stored, as well as areas where used wood treatment chemicals were disposed of illegally. Secondary sources are “teepee burners” where treated wood waste was burned.

Earth Day Paddle Cleanup

with Humboldt Baykeeper and the Wiyot Tribe Humboldt Bay lovers, we beseech you! Lend us your time, adventurous spirit and uncompromising commitment to healthy watersheds. Earth Day is fast approaching and along with the Wiyot Tribe, Humboldt Baykeeper will be hosting an Indian Island kayak paddle and cleanup. Meet at the Aquatic Center, get outfitted with wet suits, safety vests and kayaks (or bring your own), paddle out with trained guides, pick up garbage, load it on a boat, paddle back, feel all warm and fuzzy and maybe a little wet. If this floats your boat, contact Jasmin Segura at jasmin@humboldtbaykeeper.org to sign up, or call us at 825-1020.

Saturday, April 23

Free. Ages 12+ welcome. 10:30 am-2 pm Apr/May 2016

EcoNews

The Environmental Protection Information Center

ep c

Massive Westside Timber Sale Approved Tom Wheeler The Klamath National Forest is going forward with a massive post-fire logging effort, totaling 6,770 acres of clearcuts— around 5,570 net acres of “salvage” and another 1,200 acres of “roadside hazard” abatement. The Forest Service is practically giving timber away. Early logging units are being advertised for $6 to $10 per thousand board feet, practically the lowest amount EPIC has ever encountered. As a common sense metric, a fully loaded logging truck pulling out of the Klamath National Forest might cost a timber company less than $20!

Severe Wildlife Impacts Expected

damage is shocking. The USFWS recently added up the total effects of the project: up to 103 owls may be “taken” from the project—an amount totaling two percent of the total owl population left on Earth.

EPIC and Allies File Litigation The impacts to wildlife are not only unconscionable, they are also illegal. On March 3, 2016, EPIC and allies filed suit in federal court. EPIC’s lawsuit aims to challenge the illegal project features and arbitrary decisions that have plagued the Westside Project. Filing a lawsuit is always the last step and one that is not taken lightly. EPIC and allies have worked tirelessly for over a year to provide the Klamath National Forest with scientific rationale to reform the project. Grider and Walker Creeks outside of Seiad Valley proposed for clearcuts. Over 13,000 people from across the country Photo: Kimberly Baker. wrote to the Klamath National Forest to express their concern. Like coho salmon, the northern spotted owl is The Westside Project area is within Karuk not doing well—the most recent study estimates Ancestral Territory. The Tribe provided the agency that the owl is declining four percent a year and with the Karuk Alternative—far more protective the rate of decline is increasing. One of the main of fisheries, water quality, and communities at causes of the owl’s decline is loss of habitat. risk of wildfire, and with only 33 percent of the The Westside Project would remove thousands logging that the US Forest Service proposed. of acres of owl habitat. The project would further The Tribe’s alternative considers a long-term fire delay the development of future habitat by strategy to be healthy for the environment and removing the “legacy” structures that contribute to safe for local residents. The Forest Service did not the complexity of regenerating forests. All told, the analyze the Karuk Alternative because the environmental review process was rushed under the pretense of a “public emergency.”

From wild salmon to endangered owls, the Westside Project would harm some of the region’s most beloved creatures. Coho salmon are hanging on by a thread. The Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast coho are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act as the species is close to extinction. In listing the coho, the National Marine Fisheries Service highlighted sediment pollution as one of the major culprits. Sediment pollution, among other things, has contributed to the decline of salmon by smothering eggs and preventing emergence, interfering with the fish’s ability to hunt, and reducing prey availability. The number one vector of sediment pollution is logging and logging related infrastructure, such as roads and landings. The Westside Project would further degrade the Klamath River and its clear cold tributaries, impacting coho and its habitat. The project runs along the Wild and Scenic Klamath, Scott and North Fork Salmon Rivers. Many fish-bearing tributaries would be inundated with sediment pollution, particularly from 2,000 acres of clearcuts proposed on steep and unstable slopes. Roadwork and the construction of 75 new logging landings will expose bare dirt and create new sources of sediment. Logging would greatly increase the already high risk of landslides, disturb soils, and hinder the natural regeneration that Russian Wilderness, 2014 Whites Fire area on the Wild and Scenic North Fork Salmon River. Photo: Kimberly Baker. is already occurring.

EcoNews Apr/May 2016

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Another Way Forward

Six Rivers National Forest has shown that there is another way forward. Following the fires of summer 2015, Six Rivers National Forest has partnered with stakeholders to develop a project that would create fuel breaks in the recent wildfire footprint. Unlike Westside, this strategy focuses on main roads and would not cut living trees, open old roads or build new ones. For example, Six Rivers National Forest is leading by considering what is best for our forests, fish, water, wildlife and communities. For more info visit www.wildcalifornia. org

NORTH GROUP REDWOOD CHAPTER Lily Bulb Farms Threaten Life on the Smith River Felice Pace, North Group Water Chair The Smith River Plain, a strip of gently sloping land along the north bank of the Smith River extending northward to Brookings, Oregon, is where 95% of US Easter lily bulbs are grown. The climate of the North Coast combines the high precipitation and mild temperatures that are just right for lily bulb culture. However, because growing bulbs is challenging, more pesticides per acre are used on the Smith River Plain to keep nematodes and other soil plant pests away than anywhere else in California. According to the Siskiyou Land Conservancy, about 300,000 pounds of toxic pesticides are either injected into the soil or sprayed from the air on the 1,000 acres of lily fields that drain directly to the Smith River estuary each year. Among the pesticides used regularly on the Plain since lily farming began in 1941 are soil fumigants, some of which have been subsequently banned because of their dire health impacts.

Groundwater Contamination and Chemical Exposure

Concerns about contamination of drinking water wells on the Plain surfaced in the 1960s. A 1970 report and a suspected cancer cluster led to development of the Smith River Community Water System, which draws water from a well distant and upstream from the lily bulb fields and its regular testing results reveal no pesticide contamination. In addition to residences that are not connected to the system, there are concerns that agricultural workers, the students and staff at the Smith River Elementary School and even those driving by on Route 101 may be exposed to toxic pesticides which local residents observe are often sprayed on windy days.

Estuary Contamination

In 2013 the North Coast Water Quality Control Board began testing surface water and stream sediments on the Plain and found chemical contaminants and pesticides that are toxic to aquatic life, including copper. Testing repeated in 2015 included groundwater wells, again finding a suite of chemicals. Two of the seven wells tested also had 1,2-Dichloropropane, a pesticide used until it was banned in 1983. It was this chemical in drinking water wells that led to development of the Smith River Community Water System.

The levels of 1,2-Dichloropropane found are considered acceptable by the US EPA and the State of California. Contamination was also below levels found when the wells were last tested in 2002. Groundwater samples from three of seven wells tested did not meet acceptable limits for nitrate in drinking water. According to the Water Board, those wells are used for irrigation, not drinking water.

CWA Permit Development

The North Coast Water Board is developing a Clean Water Act permit for lily bulb farming on the Smith River Plain. The North Group’s water chair is participating in the process. The North Group wants a permit that will protect residents and the environment, including the Smith River estuary—a critical component of the best salmon and steelhead habitat remaining in California. In our view, safe lily bulb growing on Smith River Plain requires much wider nospray buffers on residences, public buildings and schools, and on streams and other water bodies. It also requires a robust monitoring program that includes not only regular testing of surface and groundwater but also reporting of dates on which pesticide applications take place and monitoring of wind speed and precipitation on those application dates. Monitoring and reporting the wind speed on days when toxic chemicals are sprayed aerially is particularly important, because most are not intended to be sprayed when wind speed exceeds 10 miles per hour. However, the Smith River Plain regularly experiences high and gusty winds.

You Can Help

You can help by contacting North Coast Water Board executive officer Matt St. John (matt.st.john@ waterboards.ca.gov; 707-570-3762), or attend the North Coast Water Board meeting at Eureka City Hall Council Chambers, April 7, beginning at 8:30 a.m. During the public forum section of the meeting, tell Mr. St. John and the North Coast Water Board that we need wind monitoring and wide no-spray buffers on residences, the school, streams and the Smith River Estuary in order to protect workers, school kids and staff, those who live on the plain, Smith River salmon and steelhead and the environment from toxic contamination. For more information, check in with the Siskiyou Land Conservancy at siskiyouland.org. www.yournec.org

Events

One need not be a Sierra Club member to participate in these outings. Please join us! Sunday, April 24—North Group Smith River NRAJedediah Smith State Park Hike. From the trailhead off South Fork Rd., we climb past a succession of botanical communities and stunning views. Nearing 2,000’, the trail levels and gradually descends through broken prairies to enter old growth redwoods as we near Howland Hill Rd., where our shuttle cars await. Bring food, water, hiking boots. No dogs. Moderate difficulty, ten miles, less than 2,000 ft. elevation change. Meet 9:30 AM Hiouchi Ranger Station. (Hwy 199 opposite Jed. Smith Campground entrance) By reservation only. Contact leader Melinda at mgroomster@gmail.com or 668-4275 for more information. Saturday, May 14—North Group Patrick’s Point State Park Ivy Pull and Rim Trail Hike. Join Northcoast CNPS, other volunteers and State Parks staff for a morning ivy pull, then lunch and an afternoon Rim Trail hike. Check at the entrance station for the day’s location. Work starts at 9 a.m. No admission fee for ivy volunteers. Bring your work clothes and sturdy shoes and your favorite tools and gloves, or use those provided. Bring your lunch, and dress for the weather. No dogs. Moderate difficulty, approx. four mile walk, less than 1,000 ft. elevation change. Carpools 8:15 at Ray’s Valley West. Leader Ned, nedforsyth48@gmail. com, (707) 825-3652. For more information contact ivy volunteer Mitch at mitchel_williams@hotmail.com, or Michelle at 677-3109 or michelle.forys@parks.ca.gov. Sunday, May 22—Prairie Creek State Park Miners Ridge Loop West. Starting from Miners Ridge Trailhead off Beach Road, we gradually ascend through lush coastal rain forest into hillside redwoods. In 2 miles, we meet the Clintonia Trail, connecting to James Irvine and Fern Canyon. A mile south on the Coastal Trail closes the loop. Carry lunch and liquids. Prepare for wet woods, sun, wind. No dogs. Moderate difficulty, seven miles, less than 1,000 ft. elevation change. Carpools 9 AM Ray’s Valley West. Meet 9:45 AM Elk Meadow day use parking area (off Davison Road). Contact leader Melinda at mgroomster@gmail.com or 668-4275 for more info. Serious rain or winds cancel.

Join Us!

The North Group’s Executive Committee meets on the second Tuesday of each month on the first floor 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 first or early on the agenda.

Apr/May 2016

EcoNews

NORTHCOAST CHAPTER 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 effort.

Evening Programs Second Wednesday evening, September through May. Refreshments at 7 p.m.; program at 7:30 p.m. at the Six Rivers Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Road, near 7th and Union, Arcata. April 13, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Continued Adventures Hiking and Botanizing in the Austrian and Italian Alps. A local chemistry professor and aspiring botanist, Kjirsten Wayman spent the last year living in Austria and northern Italy, hiking the European Alps to explore the diversity of flora that lives there. This photographic botanical exploration will highlight a selection of the interesting flora and spectacular landscapes of the Austrian and Italian Alps. May 11, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Plant Exploring in the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. Explorer, writer, and educator Michael Kauffmann will lead us on a journey into the Transverse Ranges of southern California to explore his discoveries, from one of the world’s largest oaks to the most isolated grove of Sierra junipers in the world. A photographic journey from mountain tops to river canyons across one of the nation’s newest national monuments.

Field Trips & Plant Walks

April 2, Saturday. Burnt Ranch and Grays Falls Day Trip. It’s fawn lily time at Burnt Ranch Campground! East along Highway 299 we also should ﬁnd other spring blooms like Indian Warrior and Checker Lily. We’ll look for the minute, rare Howell’s Montia and explore the varied habitats at Grays Falls Picnic Area. Return late afternoon. For directions and info call Carol at 822-2015. April 16, Saturday, 12:30-3:30 p.m. Native Plants in Yards and Forest. Join Carol Ralph, Pete Haggard, and Anna Bernard for a round-trip walk from the Community Center to Arcata’s Community Forest to see native plants in private landscapes and redwood forest. Sponsored by CNPS and Godwit Days. Call 8267050 or visit godwitdays.org to register for this free trip.

Native Plant Week April 16 - 24

A week dedicated to the appreciation, education and conservation of California’s fabulous native ﬂora. Brought to you by the California Native Plant Society, protecting California’s native ﬂora since 1965. For details of these events go to

www.northcoastcnps.org

Wildflower Art Opening Wildflowers will be presented in diverse media and styles by more than 15 artists during April at the Upstairs Gallery in Umpqua Bank. Art will be on display the entire month. Live music and wine available at the opening during Arts Arcata, Friday April 8, 6-9 p.m. the Umpqua Gallery (upstairs),1063 G St, Arcata.

April 17, Sunday, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Street-side Native Plant Garden. Visit a one-year-old and a recently planted “street-side” native garden at the corner of Alliance and Spear in Arcata. Learn with Anna Bernard how native plants are low maintenance, drought tolerant, and add beauty and variety to a city corner. 826-7247. April 19, Tuesday. 4:00-5:00 p.m. Native Plants in an Urban Garden in Arcata. See native plants and the wildlife they harbor in the Arcata Community Center Native Plant & Wildlife Garden, a project of the North Coast Chapter of CNPS. Naturalist, gardener, and author Pete Haggard will be guiding. Call for info: 839-0307. April 23, Saturday 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Ferns by the Dunes. Learn fern facts and meet eight species of ferns with Carol Ralph in the riparian edge of the Lanphere Dunes. Co-sponsored by Friends of the Dunes. Please reserve your space by calling 444-1397. April 23, Saturday 2 -4 p.m. Plants along the Bay: Hikshari Trail Plant Walk Join us on the Hikshari Trail to learn about native and non-native plants. Blue-eyed Grass and the rare Humboldt Bay Owl’sclover will hopefully be blooming. Hikshari Volunteer Trail Steward Coordinator, Wanda Naylor, will point out non-natives, natives

and why we care. Children welcome with accompanying adult. For info call 502-5793. April 24, Sunday, 1 - 3 p.m. Wildflowers in a Hydesville Forest A dappled, deciduous forest along a sparkling stream, sprinkled with springtime gems like trillium, fairybells, bleeding heart, and Solomon’s plume are only a few treats on show by hosts Bill and Linda Shapeero in Hydesville. Shady, grand fir forests and sunny, pasture edges offer other habitats alive with flowers and fresh, green herbaceous plants and shrubs, almost all native. Paths are gentle but slightly rough; the ground may be damp. For directions and info, call Bill 768-3287 or Carol 822-2015 May 7, Saturday. Rare Plant Treasure Hunt for Seaside Bittercress Cardamine Angulata in the Redwood Forests of Redwood National and State Parks. For details contact Greg O’Connell at gregoconnell7@gmail.com or 599-4887. May 14, Saturday, Patrick’s Point State Park Ivy Bash and Hike 9 a.m.-12 noon we will pull English ivy with the State Park’s monthly work day, more info: mitchel_williams@hotmail.com. Noon to about 3:00 we will eat our picnic lunches and hike some of the beautiful trails, more info: 822-2015, theralphs@humboldt1. com. Dress for the weather; bring water, lunch, work gloves (optional), and clippers. Meet at 8:30 at Pacific Union School (3001 Janes Rd., Arcata) or at 9 a.m. at the park. Find directions at the entrance station. Free entrance for volunteers. May 14, Saturday, Wildflower Walk out of Orleans Exact destination to be decided. Meet at the Panamnik Building in Orleans at 10 a.m. Contact Tanya Chapple for details, tanya@ mkwc.org. Co-sponsored by Mid-Klamath Watershed Council. May 15, Sunday. Schatz Demonstration Tree Farm Field Trip This HSU facility near Maple Creek offers a chance to explore low elevation mountains between the coast and Six Rivers National Forest. We will walk with the resident caretaker along a three mile, out-and-back route where she has seen 40 species of flowers blooming (not all native). She will point out the forest management projects in progress. We will be in forest shade, woodland dapple, and meadow sun, including a creek. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at Pacific Union School or arrange another place. Dress for the weather; wear sturdy walking shoes; bring lunch and water. Return late afternoon. It helps to know you are coming: Carol 822-2015.

Spring Wildflower Show & Plant Sale

Show: April 29 (1-5 p.m.)

Apr 30 (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) May 13 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.)

Sale: April 30 & May 1

(10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.)

• hundreds of native plants for sale • trees, shrubs, perennials • bulbs, succulents, ferns, grasses • for sun or shade, wet or dry • experienced gardeners to help choose • reference books to consult • grown by our volunteers and by Samara Restoration Nursery, Lost Foods Nursery, Beresford Bulbs, and Chris Brant Nursery • cash, check, or credit card • bring a box to carry home your plants

• hundreds of wildﬂowers from seashore to mountains, labeled and displayed by family • interactive phenology project table • wild plant identiﬁcation--bring it or a photo • guided walks in the dunes (11a.m. - 1 p.m.) • displays of edible native plants, wild medicinal plants, invasive plants, live insects, and dune plants. You can help! 707-826-7247 or eabern@aol.com. • art (drawing and painting) workshop Friday evening 7 p.m. We need people to transport potted plants, move plants, label plants, advise customers, tally • plant books and posters for sale purchases, take money, and clean up! Most tasks require no botanical knowledge. You can help! 707-822-2015 or theralphs@humbodlt1.com Manila Community Center - 1611 Peninsula Drive, Manila We need people to collect flowers near and far, identify them, arrange them, set up Free Admission, wheelchair accessible tables, work shifts at tables, bring refreshments for volunteers, lead school groups, and clean up! Most tasks require2016 no botanical knowledge. www.yournec.org EcoNews Apr/May

Find updates and details at www.northcoastcnps.org18

Dams

Continued from page 8 ...1940s and 50s at an alarmingly increasing rate. In addition to dams physically obstructing their natural spawning cycle by blocking migration, dams disrupt not just the natural flow of the water but also sediments moving downstream. “Salmon need gravel beds to spawn in,” says John McManus; “dams disrupt the natural flow of that gravel, meaning that they degrade spawning habitat downstream as well as upstream.”

3 Dams can make us more vulnerable to sea level rise.

Again, it’s about the sediment—it’s pretty important for replenishing our coastal buffers between land and sea. When the movement of sediment downstream is interrupted by dams, it is no longer being deposited on our coastal shores and estuaries—effectively resulting in increased coastal erosion and susceptibility to sea level rise. “With less sand on our beaches, our coasts are more vulnerable to damage from rising seas...there are places where...lighter soil particles settle out on land...and end up helping provide a buffer for floods and rising oceans.” Collecting all that sediment behind dams isn’t helping anything.

4 Removing dams makes solid financial sense

“No dams? no maintenance.” Maintenance costs and bringing the dams up to code often is more expensive than dam removal.

5 There are better ways to supply water

“Dam removal in dry years seems counterintuitive. Why take down dams—and by extension, the reservoirs behind them— when California’s going thirstier than ever?” asks Clarke. Exposed water storage, such as that stored behind dams, is actually problematic.

The large surface area created by reservoirs (behind dams) is a major source of water loss through evaporation. The cost of building more dams to hold more water as compared to the cost of water recycling is about the same, so we should ask ourselves— why not recycle our water instead? There are studies that conclude that we could actually get rid of a few of the smaller dams in California with little negative impact on our water supply. The biggest and best alternative way of saving water is to just use less of it in the first place. It’s time to reevaluate our priorities regarding water conservation and dam removal. Visit this article on the NEC website for a link to Chris Clarke’s original piece online.

Sea Level Rise

Continued from page 6 ...increase subsurface ocean warming and ice shelf melting.” Taking into consideration “rapid, large, human-made climate forcing,” the study predicts a much more accelerated rate of sea level rise of several meters, beyond that which humanity is capable of adapting to. These staggering claims come as climate scientists continue to reel from the frightening speed at which the Earth is warming. In March the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), also issued a report warning that climate change is occurring at an “alarming rate” and that world leaders must act to curb greenhouse gases now, “before we pass the point of no return.” In a video released alongside the new report, Hansen, who left his position at NASA in 2013 so that he could fully commit himself to fighting climate change, says that the paper explores the consequences of continued greenhouse gas emissions. These include “superstorms stronger than any seen in modern times,” sea level rise that will erase “all coastal cities,” and, finally, “how soon we will pass points of no return.”

Originally published on CreativeDreams.org, March 22, 2016 under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.

R I V E R

Coastal Commission Continued from page 8

...and People Organized for Westside Renewal asked commissioners for their inclusion in the hiring process of a new executive director. The commission has not hired a new executive director, but appointed longtime, well-respected Deputy Director Jack Ainsworth as interim executive director. The hiring process could take around six months. So what do we do now? We continue to keep a close eye on the Coastal Commission, and do our jobs as true stewards of the coast. One simple way to help is to inform yourself and others about what is going on by reading and sharing news. Remember that you have a voice. Write to Governor Brown and tell him how you are disappointed in the decision of the commissioners and concerned about the future of the coast. Visit actcoastal.org—a great resource with updates and links to other news sources.

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Apr/May 2016

EcoNews

Moneyball

Continued from page 7 But like a down-market ball club, a cut-over forest requires investment—culverts and road repair and restoration, but also recovery time. John Fisher has claimed to provide this, boasting to San Francisco Magazine, “Because we are a family, and because we’re local, we could allow the trees to grow over a longer period of time.” But that’s baloney. The Fishers are a business, they are hardly local, and there were serious flaws in the company’s business plan. The forests were more depleted than originally estimated, home building declined following the mortgage collapse, and the benefits of FSC certification, Home Depot distribution, carbon-trading, lighter regulation for “sustainable foresters” like the Fishers—the Gap also makes “sustainable apparel”—failed to make up the difference. There’d be no time for the trees to grow after all. The poster child of impaired watersheds, Upper Elk River is only ten percent of Humboldt Redwood’s acreage, but it holds forty percent of the company’s working timber. Their proposed rotation period for Elk River, in a plan now before our Regional Water Quality Board, will take out all their merchantable trees in fifty years. Upper Elk River residents have asked the board to suspend HRC’s logging in the watershed, pending longpromised restoration and relief from silt and flooding, but their petition has not met with any more success than A’s fans have seen. The Water Quality Board has failed to come up with a recovery plan for Elk River that does not include continued logging because John Fisher’s short-sighted business methods have overruled their staff ’s environmental planning. Staff members are afraid for their jobs, and afraid of litigation. HRC has sued the board because its executive officer refused to sign off on a 600-acre logging plan in those “sensitive” tributaries. The Fisher family is known for its philanthropy. The oldest brother, Robert, is on the board of directors of the Natural Resource Defense Council, and co-chairs Governor Brown’s Strategic Growth Council, which advocates carbon sequestration. But the Fishers helped put the governor in office, his wife is a former Gap executive, and the governor appoints the members of the Water Quality Board. Maybe that explains why Brother John, worth an estimated two and a half billion, can’t afford to stop logging Elk River. Dr Loon is the author of The Price of a Life: Shell, Gold, Carbon Notes and Weed. Four Kinds of Money in the Humboldt Bay / Six Rivers Region, to be published locally this spring.

NCRWQ Board will consider Elk River’s new water quality regulations on Wednesday, April 7, at 8:30 pm in Eureka’s City Council Chambers.

EcoNews Apr/May 2016

CCA

Continued from page 7

A handful of wood chips, to illustrate a type of biomass fuel. Photo: Oregon Department of Forestry, CC.

Because customers’ utility costs are lowered by participating in the CCA, Marshall said less than 10 percent of folks opted out in Sonoma. “It’s just giving people the option for a locally controlled power choice or sticking with PG&E and business as usual,” Marshall said. “It really is leaving final the decision to customers. There isn’t really a significant downside from the customer standpoint.” Humboldt’s current energy provider, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), covers over 42 percent of California. Unlike an investor-owned utility, the decision making process of a local authority can be more transparent and accessible to the public. Marshall said the RCEA Board of Directors unanimously agreed on using local biomass plants as potential contracted energy sources. There are three biomass plants in the county, located in Eel River, Fairhaven and Blue Lake. In 2013, biomass and a small hydroelectric plant at Ruth Lake produced 40 percent of Humboldt County’s power. The plants provide additional benefits to the community such as utilizing waste from the local timber industry and burning fuels from products that were removed from the Forest Service in order to reduce wildlife hazards in surrounding areas. “We’re not just looking at trying to reduce rates,” Marshall said. “But really focusing on how can we start out and then move towards using as much local renewable energy as we can.”

Reagan Tree

Continued from page 4 Some residents feared the freeway would create a physical rift between the community and campus while also wiping out at least 200 much-needed homes in its path. Alex Stillman (then Fairless), the first female mayor of Arcata, led a more progressive City Council to narrowly pass Resolution 723-70 in 1973, supporting citizen efforts to “Stop at 4” demanding a limit of four lanes. Enter the HSU Associated Students, particularly its Student Legislative Council (SLC). Rudi Becking, an outspoken professor of Natural Resources Management, had won one of the progressive City Council seats. Becking knew the freeway’s blueprints and pointed out that there was no need to cut down a large redwood at the offramp to 14th Street. The SLC saw an opportunity to point out both the perilous state of the redwood ecosystems and the farcical proposition of former Gov. Reagan running for President in 1976. Current Arcata resident Sean Kearns, then an SLC member, recalled “We passed a student resolution to dedicate the tree. We invited Nancy Reagan to speak at the dedication regarding ‘Mr. Reagan’s attitude toward conservation.’ She didn’t show up even though she was ‘stumping’ for her husband’s Presidential campaign at HSU a few days later.” Sean smiled saying that for him, the dedication represented more of a spoof of Reagan than a wider political statement. “We wanted a wooden carved sign in state parks, but instead we had this large sign with calligraphy saying “Ronald Reagan Memorial Redwood Grove.” It was in fact, only one tree, not a grove of many trees, but as the dedication sign read: “A tree is a tree. How many do you need to look at? Seen one you’ve seen them all.” The students marched from campus to the freeway construction site with the sign; tied a red, white and blue ribbon around the tree; read some prepared statements and unveiled the dedication sign. Stillman recalls meeting about 50 people at the muddy construction zone and then cutting the ribbon, symbolically recognizing the memorial grove. A ring of small sprouts circle the tree base today. The tree’s top looks bare, perhaps due to recent drought or the poor ecological conditions of a freeway exit, or both. The lone redwood bears witness to a time of political change in Arcata and reminds us that a tree is not just “a tree.”

Carol Ann Conners 707-725-3400 654 Main Street, Fortuna carol@pattersonconners.com CA License #0E79262

www.yournec.org

The North American Porcupine Anne Maher

Many long term residents of Humboldt County have been asking themselves the same question: Where did all the porcupines go? This question revolves around the North American Porcupine, an animal that lives from northern Mexico to Canada. Once spotted throughout Humboldt County, it is now limited to a few locations. The porcupine can’t be missed when spotted— it can grow from two to three feet and weigh up to 30 pounds. And, of course, its back is covered with upward of 30,000 quills, each tipped with microscopic barbs. These barbs are designed to lodge into attackers and move deeper into muscle tissues over time, sometimes leading to the death of the predator. The quills allow the herbivorous porcupine to resist predation despite its sluggish, lumbering movements. They even prevent the porcupine from slipping off of trees when climbing. The porcupine can make a home in tundra, forest, and a variety of climates and elevations. While on the east coast they spend most of their time in trees, in the Pacific Northwest they live the majority of their life on the ground. Depending on what region they are in, porcupines may change the nature in which they feed themselves. Porcupines living in Massachusetts, for example, rarely feed on tree bark, while tree bark is essentially all the Texas species eat.

Porcupines can live up to 18 years but are limited by the health of their teeth; being worn down from consuming trees makes eating more difficult with age. Overall it is a special and unique creature that is recognizable across North America. However, porcupines are no longer a common sight in Humboldt County. Tim Bean, a professor at Humboldt State University began to research and found that there are still small groupings of them

Erethizon dorsatum near Bear River Ridge and Tolowa Dunes State Park. It remains unknown why they are absent from Humboldt County. Some hypothesize that porcupines were never native to this area, simply arriving with the growing timber industry to eat fresh bark. Perhaps due to the decrease in clear-cutting and increase in forest management, they have moved to new areas. Others say predation is driving them out as fisher populations begin to return, or that cannabis trespass grows and the rodenticides growers use are harming porcupine populations. While less common in our region today, porcupines are not considered threatened. Go looking for a porcupine in Tolowa Dunes State Park and see if you can spot one of these antisocial critters. If you are so lucky, be sure to record it at porcufinder.com, a website Bean has created through his Northern California Porcupine Project to track the north coast porcupine to determine why they mysterious disappeared from California.

Above, a female porcupine named Maude climbs a tree at Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Photo: Janice Sveda, Flickr.com, CC.

from our back door...

ic integrity orgatonyour basket The North Coast Co-op is the only Certified Organic Retailer on the North Coast! Our knowledgeable employees handle all certified organic products in accordance with federal regulations from the delivery truck to your basket.

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Apr/May 2016

EcoNews

THE K IDS’ PAGE Did you know that sea anemones are carnivorous (meat eating) animals? They live in the ocean, have no bones (invertebrate), look like a flower, but eat other animals! You have probably seen them in tide pools along our North Coast. You can touch them gently and they stick to your fingers. There are about 1,000 species of sea anemones. Some are small, only about a half inch across, but the biggest anemones can reach six feet tall! One of our most common sea anemones on the North Coast, and one of the biggest in the world, is the giant green anemone. It can grow up to three feet across!

A sea anemone in a tide pool at Shelter Cove in Humboldt County. Photo: Kate McCarthy, Flickr.com, CC.

Sea anemones are shaped like a tube. The bottom of the tube is called a foot, and the top of the tube-shaped body has tentacles around it. In the middle of the ring of tentacles is the mouth. The sea anemone is related to the jellyfish, and like the jellyfish, have nematocysts (stingers) in its tentacles. The sea anemone uses these tentacles to catch prey like fish, zooplankton, mussels, crabs, or worms. Only a few animals eat anemones. Clownfish, along with some other types of underwater critters, have adapted to be immune to the sea anemone’s sting. They actually benefit from one another.

Wo rd S e a rc h

Most sea anemones are sessile, meaning that like barnacles, they stay in one spot. Most anemones attach to rocks or coral and don’t go anywhere, only eating prey that swims into the grasp of their tentacles, which sting the prey and pull into their mouth. A few species can move slowly, like a snail. The few species that live in deep water are free floating, meaning they float upside-down with their tentacles under their body and catch prey that swim into their grasp. by Sarah Marnick EcoNews Apr/May 2016

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Q R M O N E V Z E V A F A E M

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