EcoNews Vol. 45, No. 3 - AugSep 2015 by EcoNews

Over 40 Years of Environmental News

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Arcata, California

Vol. 45, No. 4

Aug/Sep 2015

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

one planet Supporting Each other Caring for our world

Proposed Pot Ordinance Problems | Dire Sea Level Predictions | Re-Launch of Peace Boat Coastal Cleanup Day Sept. 19 | Native Plant Sale Sept. 12 | Lawsuit Against EPA Water Rules

News From the Center On July 18, one week ago today as I sit typing, my colleague and good friend called with unfathomable news. He called to say his 11-year-old son was killed in an ATV accident. My heart cracked in that instant— both for the loss of one whose sweet energy and exuberance for life touched so many and for my friends who just lost one of the most important beings in their world. As time ticked by, my eyes gradually opened to the gift that Owen left in his passing. I remembered the times with him, during his visits to the office or out and about in the world beyond, when he reminded me to play; to celebrate life and love and connection to this planet and to one another. And it impresses me to no end this gift he shared with all who knew him. Yet, with his passing, with everybody who has come out of the woodwork to lend their support

NEWS

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.

and condolences, I cannot help but think of how easy it is to take life for granted; how easy it is to become subtly or not-so-subtly disconnected from those we care Editor/Layout: Morgan Corviday morgan@yournec.org Advertising: ads@yournec.org Proofreaders: Karen Schatz and Midge Brown Authors: Sid Dominitz, Dan Ehresman, Sarah Marnick, Dan Sealy, Jennifer Kalt, Jennifer Savage, Ned Forsyth, Kimberly Baker, Ali Freedlund, Morgan Corviday, Brandon Drucker, Alicia Hamann, Nancy Stevens, Jon Queally, Sarah Westover, Arnold “Skip” Oliver, Maia Raposo Cover Photo: . The first full-frame photo taken of the Earth since 1972. Taken by NASA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory spacecraft (DSCOVR) on July 6, 2015. Artist: Terry Torgerson

NEC Staff NEC Executive Director: Dan Ehresman, dan@yournec.org EcoNews Editor: Morgan Corviday, morgan@yournec.org Coastal Programs Director: Jennifer Savage, jsavage@yournec.org Programs Assistant: Madison Peters, madison@yournec.org Membership Associate: Sydney Stewart, sydney@yournec.org

Dan Ehresman, Executive Director about and from our surroundings. I cannot help but think how our detachment perpetuates many of the difficulties in our world. This past June was the warmest on record and July, with many days like a furnace blast, is on track to pop previous records as well. In this heat wave, our region’s waterways are warming up with undue haste. Fisheries experts on the Klamath River are raising the warning of a likely fish kill given extremely high levels of a drought-loving parasite in juvenile salmon. Domestic water supplies are concerningly low throughout many parts of the state. On top of that, fire season is well underway. With change as the never-ending constant, forecasters are projecting a very wet El Nino this fall that may lend some relief to these dry times.

NEC Board Of Directors 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 Scott Greacen, Friends of the Eel River, scott@eelriver.org Bob Morris, Trinity County Representative, At-Large, bob.morris@wildblue.net Keytra Meyer, At-Large, keytra.meyer@gmail.com

Humboldt Baykeeper

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

A flipside to this rainy onslaught from the heavens—should it be as intense as anticipated—biologists predict an unraveling of North Coast watersheds that have been abused by shortsighted timber barons and are now being wrecked at the hands of those seeking fortunes in a relentless green rush. No doubt our collective indifference has contributed to the series of calamities in this region and throughout the world. Life has a way of articulating the tragedy of disconnection and despair; but it also has the uncanny knack for illuminating the wonder and spectacle that is creation, and reminding us that we all have a role to play. Even when it feels that all is lost, the world has a way of bringing us back together to explore not-too-distant peaks and immerse ourselves in sacred waters, to dig in sand and build sculptures on the beach, to eat and breath and laugh and cry together and to take comfort in each other during times of remembrance, of celebration, of renewal. So here’s to that blessed buffalo boy whose spirit carries on, and here’s to being present and supporting one another in our life together on this wild and wondrous living earth.

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

NEC Affiliate Members

Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC)

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

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

Hands in the Sand

Photo: Andrew Goff Letters to the Editor are welcomed! Letters should be 200 words or less, should be relevant to material covered in EcoNews, and must include the writer’s address and phone number. Letters may be edited and shortened for space. The NEC reserves the right to reject any submitted material for any reason (e.g. size, content, etc.). Send to editor@yournec.org.

At this year’s Friends of the Dunes’ Sand Sculpture Festival, the Northcoast Environmental Center’s Madison Peters and Sydney Stewart sculpted a tribute to life on our planet with the beautiful message: “Lend a Hand.” The sculpture was created in loving memory of those who have left us, in support of those who are grappling with the loss of their loved ones, and as a reminder to care for one another and for our wild and wondrous home. Many thanks to Madison, Sydney and Roman for your carefull sculpting!

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.

www.yournec.org/marinedebris/adoptabeach

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

Humboldt County: SAMOA BEACH

Del Norte County: POINT ST. GEORGE BEACH

SATURDAY @ 10:00 AM September 19, 2015

SUNDAY @ 11:00 AM September 20, 2015

www.yournec.org/tsunamidebris

and

Beach Cleanups

Catch the NEC’s EcoNews Report

Every Thursday, 1:30pm on KHSU - 90.5FM Rotating hosts talk with a variety of experts and guests on a range of topics Past shows are archived on our website for download or streaming

www.yournec.org/econews-report EcoNews Aug/Sep 2015

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In Memory: Walker Owen Greacen Watersheds & the Pot Ordinance Dire Sea Level Predictions Coastal Cleanup Day - Sept. 19 Shore Lines Oregonians Oppose LNG Exports Relaunch of the Golden Rule Eye on Washington Protect Scenic Rivers from Strip Mines Lawsuit Against EPA Clean Water Rules Zero Waste Humboldt Humboldt Baykeeper Friends of the Eel River EPIC Mattole Restoration Council Sierra Club, North Group California Native Plant Society Eco-Mania Creature Feature: Bobcat Kids’ Page: Tick Talk

Bouquets A bouquet of Lilium humboldtii (Humboldt lilies) to Lucille Vinyard for over 50 years of adventurous leadership to save Redwood National Park, our Northern California Wilderness Areas and inspiring generations of conservation activists. A bouquet of airwaves to Mike Dronkers, whose dedication to the environment was evident in his daily KHUM 104.7 FM radio show and manifested in seven years of “Coastal Currents,” a feature focusing on Humboldt’s ocean, beach, bay and watershed stories. We greatly appreciate Mike’s use of his stage to highlight important issues facing our community. HIs unwavering support of a better Humboldt brought true and qualitative difference to our world. A bouquet of celestial light to Pope Francis, for highlighting the crisis posed by climate change in his recent papal encyclical. While environmentalists and religious figures have not often found themselves on the same side, the Pope’s encyclical—which warns of serious consequences from climate change and strongly criticizes relentless resource exploitation—has profound potential to foster a new sense of stewardship and ecological urgency not only in the Catholic Church, but also other faiths and leadership worldwide.

In Mem�y of

Walker Owen Greacen

Our earth lost a young friend too soon when Walker Owen Greacen died on July 18 in an all-terrain vehicle accident at his grandparents’ land in remote northwestern New Mexico. Owen was the son of Greta de la Montagne—herself a lifelong activist, and the daughter and granddaughter of presidents of the Montana Wilderness Association—and Scott Greacen, director of Friends of the Eel River. Owen was deeply connected to nature, often the ﬁrst to spot some creature others missed. At nine, he carefully and clearly identiﬁed a ring-tailed cat no one else has yet seen near the place he died this summer. Owen loved to paddle, watch birds, dig sand, climb rocks, hike forests, and sail kites. May his memory live in our hearts as a reminder of humanity’s capacity for love and joy.

Sma�, Fea�ered Consolations Two baby barn swa�ows wobbling on �e wire outside my window. It’s �eir first day out of �e nest. They’ve b�n flying around after �e parent birds, a little unsteady, unfamiliar wi� �eir wings. Occasiona�y, almost by accident, catching some�ing to eat. Now �ey’re tired, want to be back in �e nest. When an older bird lands on �e wire �ey beg f� food. It flies off, leaves �em �ere. Big mou�s, pale fluff, scared and hungry. In a few days �ey’� be soaring over �e garden. Hard to te� which are �e older birds, which are �e young. It happens �at fast. In a few w�ks �ey’� a� be gone. Some wi� be back next year, some won’t. Not a� of us wi� be here to m�t �em. Life s�ms designed to �eak us open. Wi� beauty and fear, joy and grief, love, any one of its �ousand ways. To send us out into no�ing but fai� and air. Ear� is a nest of �oken she�s. - Jerry Martien

Top: Memorial circle for Owen at Moonstone Beach, July 19, 2015. Above: The Buffal-Owen, created by Team Owen for the Sand Sculpture Festival, July 25, 2015. Below: Owen at Hecata Head, Oregon, June 2015.

An account has been set up to accept donations for Owen’s family. Donations accepted at Southern Humboldt Community Credit Union 757 Redwood Drive Garberville, CA 95542 Account #17967

Protecting Watersheds Needs to be First New Study Priority in Pot Ordinance Announces Dire Sea Level Predictions

Dan Ehresman Of all the serious environmental issues we face in our region, promoting meaningful marijuana policy and action is one of the most significant local issues that we have a real chance of influencing before it gets even worse. Policy makers on the North Coast and throughout California are working to fill regulatory holes left after passage of Proposition 215 while also preparing for the anticipated legalization of recreational weed in 2016. The impacts relating to an unchecked industry that is fragmenting forests, tapping watersheds dry and expanding every year have been previously discussed in EcoNews. Current legislation will have an impact—for better or for worse—on our region’s burgeoning cannabis industry. In advance of legalization, several bills are making their way through the state legislature with the aim to put in place a functional regulatory framework for medical marijuana while supporting responsible cannabis businesses. Current frontrunners in this field are AB 243, AB 266 and SB 643. After summer recess in early August, lawmakers will have three weeks to get bills through appropriations committees and onto Governor Brown’s desk by October 11 for signature or veto. (More information on these bills is provided in the online version of this article on our website.) On the regional stage, Trinity County community members have come out in force to urge their Supervisors to enforce the County’s existing marijuana cultivation guidelines to stem the expansion of largescale grows. Meanwhile, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors continues to defer to industry group California Cannabis Voice Humboldt (CCVH) to write their own land use ordinance guiding cultivation on rural parcels larger than five acres.

CCVH Ordinance—Digging deeper

On June 30, 2015, CCVH unveiled their seventh draft cannabis cultivation land use ordinance. Despite having nearly a year and six drafts to incorporate concerns from environmental advocates and other concerned members of the public, CCVH’s leadership has instead retained core components that will perpetuate irresponsible, large-scale grows at the expense of healthy rivers, forests and communities.

The following are the NEC’s primary concerns with CCVH’s proposed ordinance:

• All grows must be held to standards that protect North Coast streams and salmon.

Unfortunately, the CCVH draft does nothing to stop water withdrawals from streams during times when fish and downstream residents need water most. Any proposal that moves forward must ensure that operations are either connected to a stable municipal water supply or have enough water storage to meet 100 percent of the dryseason irrigation needs without withdrawing from waterways during summer months when stream flows are low. Further, any ordinance needs to make clear that cultivators cannot be reliant on water trucking—an unsustainable loophole in the existing draft.

• Conversion of forestland to commercial marijuana production must stop.

CCVH’s draft gives a free pass to commercial cannabis grows on forestlands and provides a pathway for other landowners to clearcut forests— thereby fragmenting wildlife habitat—to make way for even more large-scale grows. The timber industry has done tremendous damage to our forests and watersheds for decades; clearing hillsides and building more roads will only exacerbate the problems.

• Watershed carrying capacity needs to be addressed.

CCVH’s draft does nothing to address the cumulative impacts of cultivation activities within a watershed. As a whole, existing operations— including public land trespass grows and irresponsible grows on private property—are resulting in unacceptable impacts to waterways, wildlife and downstream communities. New commercial grows should not be permitted until each watershed has been assessed and all cultivation activities are in compliance with environmental regulations. Continued on page 19

Invest in the Future Join our Monthly Giving Program For more information, call the NEC at 707-822-6918 EcoNews Aug/Sep 2015

www.yournec.org

Jon Queally

This article was originally published online at CommonDreams.org.

New research shows that consensus estimates of sea level increases may be underestimating threat; new predictions would see major coastal cities left uninhabitable by next century If a new scientific paper is proven accurate, the international target of limiting global temperatures to a 2°C rise this century will not be nearly enough to prevent catastrophic melting of ice sheets that would raise sea levels much higher and much faster than previously thought possible. According to the new study—which has not yet been peer-reviewed, but was written by former NASA scientist James Hansen and 16 other prominent climate researchers—current predictions about the catastrophic impacts of global warming, the melting of vast ice sheets, and sea level rise do not take into account the feedback loop implications of what will occur if large sections of Greenland and the Antarctic are consumed by the world’s oceans. A summarized draft of the full report was released to journalists on Monday, with the shocking warning that such glacial melting will “likely” occur this century and could cause as much as a ten foot sealevel rise in as little as fifty years. Such a prediction is much more severe than current estimates contained in reports issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)—the UN-sponsored body that represents the official global consensus of the scientific community. “If the ocean continues to accumulate heat and increase melting of marine-terminating ice shelves of Antarctica and Greenland, a point will be reached at which it is impossible to avoid large scale ice sheet disintegration with sea level rise of at least several meters,” the paper states. Separately, the researchers conclude that “continued high emissions will make multimeter sea level rise practically unavoidable and likely to occur this century. Social disruption and economic consequences of such large sea level rise could be devastating. It is not difficult to imagine that conflicts arising from forced migrations and economic collapse might make the planet ungovernable, threatening the fabric of civilization.” The Daily Beast’s Mark Hertsgaard, who attended a press call with Dr. Hansen on in July, reports that the work presented by the researchers is warning that humanity could confront “sea level rise of several meters” before the end of the century unless greenhouse gas emissions are slashed much faster than currently contemplated. Continued on page 10

Saturday, September 19 While scientists, inventors, governments and agencies try to figure out how to clean up the estimated millions of tons of garbage already in the ocean, the rest of us can help staunch the flow by participating in California’s Coastal Cleanup Day. As longtime EcoNews readers know, Coastal Cleanup Day has its humble beginnings right here in Humboldt County as a program of the NEC. Now international, the event is celebrated worldwide and is the single largest volunteer event in support of the marine environment. Last year, with your help, over 1,000 Humboldt County Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers removed over eight tons of trash and recyclables from our beaches, rivers, bay and estuaries. Coupled with efforts throughout the state and around the world, Coastal Cleanup Day makes a quantitative difference in how much trash enters our ocean. In cooperation with the California Coastal Commission, the Northcoast Environmental Center will again organize at least 40 cleanups throughout Humboldt County—a feat requiring an immense amount of staff time and community coordination. Therefore, in addition to seeking site captains and volunteers, we’re also currently seeking financial sponsorships to cover coordination costs. Contact Jennifer Savage at jsavage@ yournec.org for details on benefits to fit your budget.

How to get involved: Be a site captain! Site captains are the main points of contact for the cleanup teams at each site and work with the NEC’s Cleanup Coordinator, recruiting teammates, gathering supplies, overseeing the successful cleanup of their site and reporting cleanup data back to the NEC. Check the NEC’s website at yournec.org for a list of available beaches. Join a team! Be part of the group cleaning up your favorite beach. All you need to do is show up and pick up. Sponsor Coastal Cleanup! This is a fantastic way to support local cleanup eﬀorts and publicize your business or organization as a friend to the ocean. The NEC has a number of sponsorship packages available and all include your logo on county-wide posters and recognition at a special Ocean Night event following Coastal Cleanup Day. Spread the word! Passing info on to colleagues, friends, family, school teachers and civic minded groups. The more hands we have on deck, the more impact we can make! Stand together to put a stop to trash! If a product can’t be reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, reﬁnished, resold, recycled or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production.

After the cleanup all are welcome to stop by the NEC’s booth at the North Country Fair—and join us Sunday, September 20 for the All Species Parade!

For more details, visit www.yournec.org/coastal cleanup, email coastalcleanup@yournec.org or call us at 822-6918. www.yournec.org

Aug/Sep 2015

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Shore Lines: Coastal Programs Update Jennifer Savage, Coastal Programs Director Summertime! Hopefully you’ve had the chance to enjoy the long days with some time at the river, the beach, in the mountains or diving into a lake. It’s important to make the time to enjoy nature, in between fighting to preserve and restore it.

Marine Protected Area Enforcement Improvements

Our colleagues at the Natural Resource Defense Council have compiled a report on potential technology options for improving marine protected area enforcement has been published and can be read at http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/campa-enforcement.asp. From NRDC: “The report summarizes technology options that could help enhance enforcement of MPAs in California’s ocean waters and identifies tools that are compatible with existing resources, can help provide reliable data that will stand up in court, and have a track record of successful application with appropriate scale.” In most cases, the tools prioritized will benefit fishery management as well as MPA enforcement. Options include predictive policing, vessel monitoring systems and potential targeted use of radar and cameras to be promising tools. Recommended steps call for the California Department of Fish & Wildlife to take the following initial steps, with support from the Fish and Game Commission, Ocean Protection Council, legislative budget committees and other relevant entities: • Take prompt action to implement an electronic records management system (RMS) that is compatible with those in Oregon and Washington.

That undertaking should include an assessment of the bare minimum of data types needed for enforcement of California MPAs and fisheries regulations, identification of personnel responsible for managing the data, consideration of ways to make relevant information accessible to the public, and collaboration with the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) on program design and funding. • Investigate the feasibility of requiring violators of MPA or fisheries regulations to install and use vessel monitoring systems (VMS) for any future fishing by that operator and vessel. If that option is deemed feasible, CDFW should implement such a requirement as quickly as possible. • Determine how many vessels would need VMS in order to achieve coverage of the entire California commercial fleet. • Investigate whether suﬃcient radar units are in place to allow radar surveillance of locations where hot spots of MPA violations and related incidents have been identified. This analysis would help determine the feasibility of targeted radar surveillance in those hot spots.

Keep in Touch

Follow along on marine and coastal issues through Coastal Currents Wednesdays at noon on KHUM 104.7 FM, at the Lost Coast Outpost (www.lostcoastoutpost.com) with “Your Week in Ocean,” and on the ocean-themed episodes of The EcoNews Report—usually the last Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. on KHSU 90.5 FM. The EcoNews Report airs each Thursday with rotating hosts and covers a variety of subjects.

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Oregonians Rally Against Liquidified Natural Gas Sarah Westover LNG Organizer, Rogue Riverkeeper For more than 10 years, gas companies have been pushing plans for huge Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals on the Columbia River and Coos Bay, and Oregonians have stood firm to protect our farms, forests and rivers. Today, hundreds of Oregonians including farmers, ranchers, business owners and conservationists are working to send a clear message to Oregon’s new Governor that the time has come for Oregon to reject fracked gas export terminals. LNG is super-cooled methane gas that requires massive amounts of energy and fresh water to produce. Energy companies have been working for ten years on two proposals for large gas pipelines and LNG terminals in Oregon, and the companies now intend to use the proposed terminals to sell fracked gas to overseas markets. In May, a groundswell of opposition across Oregon inspired a statewide rally encouraging Governor Kate Brown to stand with Oregonians against proposed LNG projects. Community activists from across the state organized more than 600 people from 10 counties in Oregon and Washington to rally on the capitol steps in Salem

and march to the Department of State Lands. The Protect Our Home Rally included speeches from tribal leaders, impacted landowners and a keynote speech from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., president of Waterkeeper Alliance. “Oregon is viewed as a leader in combating climate change, yet the fossil fuel industry is pushing to make Oregon a trafficker of fracked gas to the entire world through these LNG export proposals,” said Kennedy. “Oregon should stand firm in protecting iconic salmon-bearing rivers like the Rogue and Columbia, and in the process reaffirm its goal of reducing climate pollution by rejecting LNG export terminals and pipelines.” Oregon faces two LNG export proposals— The Jordan Cove project in Southern Oregon and the Oregon LNG project near Astoria-coupled with associated proposals to construct hundreds of miles of new natural gas pipelines throughout Oregon and Washington. The Jordan Cove project would quickly become the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the entire state of Oregon. Opposition to the LNG projects has created unusual alliances, inspiring rural landowners near proposed pipelines to join forces with conservationists and climate activists. Continued on page 19

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Salem on May 26 for the Protect Our Home—No LNG Rally. Photo courtesy of Rogue Riverkeeper.

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Historic Peace Ship is Relaunched Golden Rule’s crew would also influence future generations of activists, as would their abiding respect for the humanity and dignity of those with whom they disagreed. The seas of the world have never been quite the same since. The Golden Rule fired the imagination of a generation, and was the forebear of the many peace and environmental protest boats that followed, from New Zealand’s Vega, to the Australian Pacific Peacemaker, to the Sea Shepherds and Free Gaza flotillas.

the rusty trawler Phyllis Cormack was renamed the Greenpeace and headed north toward the Alaskan This article was originally published online at Archipelago. The rest, as they say, is history. CounterPunch.org. Sadly, after the 1958 voyage, the Golden Rule Along the rugged coast of northern California’s was sold and slipped from public view. The ship Humboldt County, maritime history is being made. wound up in Humboldt Bay, California, badly June 20 marked the launch ceremony of the rebuilt neglected. She finally sank in a storm in late 2010. sailing ketch, the Golden Rule, after four years of When a group of Northern California members hard work by a restoration team led by Veterans of Veterans for Peace learned the damaged ketch for Peace. The Golden Rule is no ordinary sailboat. was nearby and might be salvageable, they leapt at In the 1950s, the U.S. military used the the chance to raise the vessel from the depths and Marshall Islands as the primary site for restore it to its former peacemaking glory. its atmospheric nuclear weapons testing. In large measure, the purpose of the As is now known, those huge nuclear rebuild of the Golden Rule is to honor detonations in the Western Pacific were the original crew. They stood firm for wreaking havoc on the environment peace and nonviolence before it became and human health. In fact, with each fashionable. Two of them, Albert Bigelow monstrous explosion, readily detectable and James Peck, later were among the clouds of radioactive fallout wafted around original 13 Freedom Riders in 1961 in the the planet, and contamination began to turn American South. up in cows’ and mothers’ milk. Increasingly, The other crew members were equally skepticism grew about government noteworthy. One led United Nations assurances that there was no danger. development programs, and another Then, in 1958, the Golden Rule arrived became a founder of Peace Brigades on the scene. The Hugh AngelmanInternational. designed 30-foot ketch was purchased The team that has rebuilt the Golden by a group of activists who set out on a Rule is honored to carry on this legacy by voyage of nonviolent protest toward the bringing the feisty little ketch back to life. Marshalls. Their plan, which was well While sponsored by Veterans for Peace, publicized, was to sail into the target zone the Golden Rule Project brings together and sacrifice both boat and crew if need be an eclectic mix of historic boat lovers, to bring a halt to the tests. environmentalists, peace and religious The Golden Rule and its crew never activists, and progressives. It’s open to made it to their destination. The Coast anyone interested in working to keep the Guard stopped the vessel in Hawaii boat sailing and promote its mission. and arrested everyone on board. The Now that the re-build is complete, the publicity surrounding the crew’s trial and Golden Rule will soon ride the waves as imprisonment helped ignite worldwide a living museum and floating classroom. public outrage against atmospheric testing. Her crews will educate future generations restored Golden Rule in Humboldt Bay, July 20, 2015. The ship set sail for San Diego That outrage turned the tide. By 1963, The on the risks of nuclear technology, the on July 23. Photo: VFP Golden Rule Project. the United States, the Soviet Union, and importance of the ocean environment, and the United Kingdom signed the Partial Nuclear The connection to Greenpeace is direct. above all, the power of peacemaking. Test Ban Treaty, which banned nuclear tests in the In 1971, Golden Rule supporter Marie Bohlen atmosphere, underwater, and outer space. No nuclear attended a meeting in Vancouver, Canada of people Arnold “Skip” Oliver is Professor Emeritus of tests took place in the Marshall Islands after 1958. concerned about nuclear weapons testing. She Political Science at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Just as importantly, the use of nonviolent direct suggested a voyage toward the U.S. nuclear test site Ohio. Visit VFPGoldenRuleProject.org for more action as a fundamental guiding principle of the in the Aleutian Islands á la the Golden Rule. Soon, information. Arnold “Skip” Oliver

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Eye on

Washington

Dan Sealy, NEC Legislative Analyst

Proposed Changes in Forest Management Would Limit Public Voice Some members of Congress are using the public’s fear and misunderstanding of fire to circumvent the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA is the foundation of our nation’s environmental laws and, most importantly, the mechanism by which federal agencies are required to inform citizens of their plans, use the best available science, and consider public input. The NEPA process takes time, but reduces the unsustainable rate of logging within our national forest that can leave our watersheds eroded and forests uninhabitable for many rare, native species. This July, however, a bill passed the full House of Representatives with a mostly partisan vote (262 vs 167) that would make it more difficult for communities or organizations to file lawsuits when an agency neglects the law. HR 2647, ironically titled the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015, gives the U.S. Forest Service sweeping powers to log up to 5,000 acres with virtually no public input, and pushes some postfire logging timelines up making them also nearly impossible to stop, even in the face of potentially significant environmental impact. Many conservationists are also very concerned that Congress is using this bill as a test for destroying our other environmental laws. In the Senate, leaders of both parties have made clear that they want to apply similar changes to other Forest Service activities. Some members of Congress have been candid—they know they cannot get rid of NEPA, the Clean Air, or the Clean Water Act, but they can destroy them incrementally. There are also several other related bills of varying degrees of “bad for conservation.” One such Senate bill is SB 132, supported by Oregon Democratic leaders. SB 132 would open the way for logging important spotted owl habitat in the “O&C Lands”—a checkerboard of private and public lands in southern Oregon managed for sustainable yeild. The effects of clear-cut logging on the private lands are clearly visible from roads and from the air. This bill would allow much of the public lands to be cut in a similar fashion in spite of the potential effects to threatened species and watershed protection. A possible compromise bill would include creation of the Wild Rogue and Devil’s Staircase wilderness areas and more than 200 miles of new wild and scenic

river designations in Oregon. These elements have been applauded by some wilderness advocates. A final Senate version is expected to get a vote later this summer or autumn. The resulting bill could pose a major concern for conservation organizations and Yosemite National Park is studying the impacts of forest fires on rare species such as spotted owl. communities located Though the study is not complete it seems to be confirming what other recent studies have shown: in or adjacent to our spotted owls do not abandon their habitat after fires—they continue to forage and use remnant trees national forests. for roosts and nesting. Photo: Dustin Garrison, National Park Service. The Northcoast 245 - 176. Many conservation organizations from Environmental Center was one of over 30 Trout Unlimited to the Sierra Club vigorously conservation organizations across the nation to opposed HR 2898 and the NEC joined in writing send a letter in opposition of HR 2647. letters opposing the bill and supporting Congressman Huffman’s bill. The Senate companion bill is Drought Politics—Western Style sponsored by Senator Barraso (R-WY) and is equally Water has driven politics in the West since troubling to Western conservationists. Senator early settlement. Unlike in the eastern US Feinstein has said she could not support HR 2898 where frequent rains fills rivers and reservoirs and has been working on her own version, which has throughout the summer, Western states rely on also raised concern. winter rain and snowmelt to fill reservoirs for use in the summer. This cycle has guided a system of Congress Gets Into the GMO Business Western water rights that goes back generations, In late July, the House Rules Committee but overdevelopment and changes in weather reviewed a bill (H.R. 1599) that was introduced patterns have stressed the water systems for the “to avoid the patchwork of state laws dealing with past several decades. biotech food labeling,” Some members on both sides Now, with climate change, politically motivated of the aisle have expressed interest in preempting over-allocation of limited water resources, and state laws aimed at labeling food that contain GMO changes in agricultural practices that prioritize nut products. Representatives Conaway (R-Texas) and crops, some people are left without water. Into this Peterson (D-Minn.) clarified that the bill does not continuing drama steps freshman Rep. Valadao, address any areas other than labeling “…such as from California’s 21st District (southern half of cultivation of crops.” the Central Valley), and others who would like to The Environmental Working Group fear this start from scratch to determine who gets water and bill could “stop state and local governments from how water will be stored and conveyed. His bill, HR regulating any process related to production of 2898, not only throws uncertainty to communities, GMO crops.” farmers and river ecosystems, but this bill could HR 1599 would create an Agriculture also increase the robbing of northern waters to feed Department certified “non GMO” program similar rapidly growing communities and unsustainable to the existing program for “organic” products. agricultural practices in the south. The Northcoast Environmental Center joined The Big Picture many other local and national conservation Why is so much bad legislation being organizations to oppose HR 2898. Our district pushed by Congress right now? Simple: the Congressman, Jared Huffman, authored competing 2016 election cycle. Currently, the Republican legislation that would support tactics to solve the Party has the majority in both chambers, West’s water problems through more sustainable meaning they occupy the chairmanships of every means such as reclamation, recycling and congressional committee and thereby determine the improved infrastructure. legislative agenda. HR 2898 passed the full House on a vote of www.yournec.org

Aug/Sep 2015

EcoNews

Help Protect Wild & Scenic Rivers from Strip Mines The southwestern corner of Oregon contains the headwaters of the premier wild rivers in the West, including the Wild and Scenic Smith and Illinois Rivers. Sparkling emerald water flows through forested canyons to the ocean, these rivers are important fish and wildlife habitat and provide clean drinking water that local communities depend on. The rivers and streams flowing though these public lands provide outstanding opportunities for boating, swimming, hiking and sport and commercial fishing. But mining companies want to excavate a series of nickel strip mines in the pristine headwaters of the Wild and Scenic Smith and Illinois Rivers in the heart of California and Oregon’s much loved Wild Rivers Coast. They also want to mine in the coastal streams of Hunter Creek and Pistol River. These devastating proposals would turn these wild and pristine watersheds into a wasteland of haul roads, ore smelters, and piles of toxic mining waste. There is a unique opportunity to temporarily protect this wild region from industrial nickel strip mining with the Southwest Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act, while Congress considers more lasting protection. The “mineral withdrawal” will protect against new mining claims and require existing claims to be tested to determine legitimacy. The withdrawal area includes botanically rich serpentine terrain in the West Fork Illinois River watershed— which hosts the highest concentration of rare plants in Oregon— and the headwaters of Hunter Creek and the North Fork Pistol

EcoNews Aug/Sep 2015

River—two cherished native salmon and steelhead streams on the Wild Rivers Coast. Effective support for this campaign will come from large numbers of US citizens who sign-on to the public comment letter to the Bureau of Land Management by the end of the comment period on September 28th, 2015.

Take action to save one of America’s most beautiful natural wonders by signing the petition asking that the Kalmiopsis Rivers and the Wild Rivers Coast remain free from toxic pollution!

Sign-on today at kalmiopsiswildrivers.org/ submit-a-public-comment

To learn more, watch the video Emerald Waters of the Klamath-Siskyou at this link: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=wM0WO9DwDbA Visit this Forest Service link for updates about public comments and meetings: www.fs.usda.gov/detail/rogue-siskiyou/ news-events/?cid=STELPRD3846224

www.yournec.org

Sea Level Rise

Continued from page 4 This roughly 10 feet of sea level rise—well beyond previous estimates—would render coastal cities such as New York, London, and Shanghai uninhabitable.

“Parts of [our coastal cities] would still be sticking above the water, but you couldn’t live there.” —Dr. James Hansen This apocalyptic scenario illustrates why the goal of limiting temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius is not the safe “guardrail” most politicians and media coverage imply it is, argue Hansen and 16 colleagues in a blockbuster study they are publishing this week in the peer-reviewed journal Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry. On the contrary, a 2C future would be “highly dangerous.” If Hansen is right—and he has been right, sooner, about the big issues in climate science longer than anyone—the implications are vast and profound. In the call with reporters, Hansen explained that time is of the essence, given the upcoming climate talks in Paris this year and the grave consequences the world faces if bold, collective action is not taken immediately. “We have a global crisis that calls for international cooperation to reduce emissions as rapidly as practical,” the paper states. Hansen said he has long believed that many of the existing models were under-estimating the potential impacts of ice sheet melting, and told the Daily Beast: “Now we have evidence to make that statement based on much more than suspicion.” Though he acknowledged the publication of the paper was unorthodox, Hansen told reporters that the research itself is “substantially more persuasive than anything previously published.” For his part, Eric Holthaus, a meteorologist who writes about weather and climate for Slate, said the “bombshell” findings are both credible and terrifying. Holthaus writes: To come to their findings, the authors used a mixture of paleoclimate records, computer models, and observations of current rates of sea level rise, but “the real world is moving somewhat faster than Continued on page 19 the model,” Hansen says.

Lawsuit Challenges Loopholes in New EPA Rule Exempting Wetlands and Streams From Clean Water Act Protections

In Bow to Industry, EPA Rule Hurts Water Quality, Human Health and Wildlife Across Country Maia Raposo, Waterkeeper Alliance

This article was originally published online at Waterkeeper.org.

Conservation groups filed a lawsuit on July 22 challenging last-minute exemptions for industries in the new “waters of the United States” rule that could open the door to more pollution of wetlands, streams and other waterways. The rule, finalized in May by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, defines which waterways can be protected against being destroyed, degraded, or polluted without a permit under the Clean Water Act. The new rule reaffirms longstanding federal protections for some types of waters, but largely as a result of industry pressure, arbitrarily exempts and removes safeguards for critically important streams, wetlands and other waterways, many of which had been protected since the 1970s. These unprecedented exemptions are contrary to clear scientific evidence demonstrating the importance of these waterways for drinking water, recreation, fisheries and wildlife. “Communities deserve the broadest protection of waters consistent with sound science,” said Marc Yaggi, executive director at Waterkeeper Alliance. “We need to advocate for the strongest rule possible so that we move forward in restoring our nation’s waters by controlling the discharge of pollutants into the smaller tributaries that feed into them.” Under the new rule, wetlands, ponds and other

small water bodies can only be protected if they are within 4,000 feet of a stream or river. However, if a wetland is just one foot over the arbitrary 4,000-foot line, it cannot be protected—even if it is vitally important in preserving downstream water quality. In their drive to placate industry interests, the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers’ failed to ensure that these types of exemptions do not jeopardize the survival of hundreds of endangered species as required by the Endangered Species Act. Endangered salmon and sturgeon on both coasts, California red-legged frogs, and bog turtles are among the many species that depend on clean, unpolluted water and will be harmed by the exemptions created by this rule. “Freshwater species in the United States are already going extinct hundreds of times faster than terrestrial species, and these loopholes will make survival even harder for them,” said Brett Hartl, endangered species policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “There’s no question that eliminating protection for thousands of wetlands waters will hurt people and wildlife for generations to come.” In another last-minute concession to industry, the agencies substantially weakened Clean Water Act protections for streams, wetlands and ponds that are adjacent to streams and rivers if those water bodies are currently used in farming, ranching or silviculture activities. Contrary to science and the requirements of the law, the final rule categorically reduced protections for tributary

streams, wetlands, streams that have been ditched or channelized, and for water bodies that are only connected to protected downstream waters by subsurface water flows. “This rule change will weaken protection for waterways on and near big agribusiness operations, likely resulting in more agricultural pollutants on our food and in our environment,” said Adam Keats, senior attorney at the Center for Food Safety. “The EPA and the Army Corps should be working to strengthen, not gut, the laws that keep industrial agricultural pollution in check.”Despite these unprecedented concessions to industry, opponents of the final rule have mounted a massive misinformation campaign claiming the agencies are expanding the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act. In reality, the EPA and the Corps have improperly relinquished jurisdiction over historically protected waters and admit that: “The scope of jurisdiction in this rule is narrower than that under the existing regulation. Fewer waters will be defined as ‘waters of the United States’ under the rule than under the existing regulations, in part because the rule puts important qualifiers on some existing categories such as tributaries.” The coalition, represented by Earthrise Law Center, Lewis & Clark Law School’s environmental litigation clinic, and Stanford Law School’s Environmental Law Clinic, includes Waterkeeper Alliance, the Center for Biological Diversity, Humboldt Baykeeper, and several other conservation organizations. ~ Certified Herbalists ~ Effective, Natural & Economical

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Aug/Sep 2015

EcoNews

The

andpiper

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015

Redwood Region Audubon Society www.rras.org 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. Aug 1: Jude Power; Aug. 9: Brad Elvert; Aug 15: Larry Karsteadt; Aug. 22: Jim Clark; Aug. 29: Chet Ogan.

Sunday, August 9: Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This is a wonderful 2- to 3-hour trip for people wanting to learn the birds of the Humboldt Bay area. It takes a leisurely pace with emphasis on enjoying the birds! Beginners are more than welcome. Meet at the Refuge Visitor Center at 9 a.m. Call Jude Power or David Fix (707822-3613) for more information. Sunday, August 9: Del Norte Shorebirding. Join Rob Fowler (707-616-9841) for a shorebirding trip to Del Norte County. This is a joint trip between RRAS and Redwood Parks association. Humboldt birders meet at 7:30 a.m. near Espresso 101 in the Valley West Shopping Center off Giuntoli Lane. Del Norte birders meet at 9 a.m. near the public restrooms off Anchor Way in Crescent City. We will focus our shorebirding efforts at Lakes Earl and Tolowa and at the Alexandre Dairy pond in the Smith River Bottoms

FIELD TRIPS

on this 5- to 6-hour trip. Bring a lunch. LIMITED TO 15 PEOPLE so pre-register for the trip with Susan Calla at susanecalla@gmail.com.

Saturday, August 15: Southern Humboldt Community Park. Jay Sooter (707-444-8001) and/or John Gafﬁn will lead this monthly walk. All ages and experience levels are encouraged to participate and revel in the beauty of the park and its avian inhabitants on this easy 2- to 3-hour walk. Binoculars are not provided, and dogs are not allowed; ﬁeld guides are usually available, but please bring your own if possible. Steady rain cancels. Meet at 8:00 a.m., parking by the kiosk near the farmhouse in the main entrance. Sunday, August 16: Eureka Waterfront. Meet at 9 a.m. at the foot of W. Del Norte St., where we will scope for birds off the public dock until everyone assembles. We will then drive to the base of the Hikshari’ Trail at Truesdale Street and bird along the trail to the Elk River Wildlife Sanctuary. Leader: Ralph Bucher (707-499-1247; thebook@reninet.com). Sunday, August 30: Trinity Alps Wilderness. An underappreciated phenomenon is the use of brushy, highcountry habitats by dispersing and migrating birds in fall. Ken Burton will lead an easy 6-mile hike through 16-year-old

August Program: Friday, Aug 14

Mountain Meadow Restoration in California

photo by Karen Pope

Many meadow habitats in the western US are degraded, and efforts are increasing to restore ecologically important montane meadow systems. Karen Pope, a research wildlife biologist with the US Forest Service’s Paciﬁc Southwest Research Station, Redwood Sciences Laboratory, will discuss techniques being used to restore degraded meadows on public lands in the Sierra Nevada. She will share results of a recent study in which wetland, vegetation, soil carbon, and channel condition variables were compared between restored and unrestored montane meadows in California. A new study at Childs Meadow near Lassen Volcanic National Park is being done to understand the beneﬁts of using beaver and beaver dam analogues to restore meadows.

burned forest and unburned meadow habitats at an elevation of about 5,000 feet. Last year this hike produced an amazing number and variety of birds, including a Williamson’s Sapsucker It’s a long drive, so the meeting time will be very early; call Ken at 707-499-1146 for speciﬁcs. Saturday, September 12: Migration in Arcata and McKinleyville. Join Rob Hewitt (707-601-8581) on a fall migration trip to hotspots in Arcata in McKinleyville to enjoy the fall shorebird and passerine migration. Locations will be determined based on what has been around and if any interesting birds are staked out. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the main parking lot at Hiller Park in McKinleyville. Bring a lunch and plan to bird for 5 to 6 hours, ending in Arcata. Sunday, September 13: Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. See August 9. Saturday, September 19: Southern Humboldt Community Park. See August 15, except that the meeting time is 8:30 a.m. Sunday, September 20: Eureka Waterfront. See August 16.

September Program: Friday, Sep 11

Problem-Solving in Wild Steller’s Jays Many avian species vary in their ability to solve novel problems. Previous research suggests this ability is behaviorally complex and improves over time, but this has rarely been described in wild subjects. Steller’s Jays often need to solve novel problems to access human food sources. Derek Harvey, a master’s student at Humboldt State University Wildlife Department, studied innovative problem-solving in a colorbanded population of Steller’s Jays in Arcata. The fascinating results of this study should enhance our understanding of the role innovation plays in individual behavior and social learning in wild populations.

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.

photo by Derek Harvey

CHAPTER LEADERS

OFFICERS President— Hal Genger …………............ 707-499-0887 Vice President ........................................................ Vacant Secretary—Adam Brown............................. 707-826-0319 Treasurer—Syn-dee Noel............................. 707-442-8862 DIRECTORS AT LARGE Ralph Bucher …........................................ 707-443-6944 Joe Ceriani …............................................ 707-476-9127 Jill Demers ……………………………… 707-667-6163 Harriet Hill………………………………. 707-267-4055 Cindy Moyer.....................................…..… 707-822-1806 Chet Ogan …............................................… 707-442-9353 Susan Penn..................................…......…. 707-443-9660 C.J. Ralph ............................................….. 707-822-2015 OTHER CHAPTER LEADERS Conservation — Jim Clark ...............…... 707-445-8311 Eductn/Scholarships — Denise Seeger ....707-444-2399 eBird Liaison — 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 Gatekeeper — Ralph Bucher......707-443-6944 Lake Earl Branch — Sue Calla................ 707-465-6191 RRAS Web Page...........................……..... www.rras.org Arcata Bird Alert .........707-822-LOON (707-822-5666)

By Hal Genger

President’s Column

Redwood Region Audubon Society relies on volunteers to keep it running. We offer one or more free public ﬁeld trips weekly, a free general public meeting monthly, and have active committees dealing with ﬁnance, membership, conservation, education, outreach, putting together this newsletter, publications, and publicity. All of these activities require volunteers! The amount of time a volunteer contributes varies with the activity. Some tasks require only a small amount of time once whereas, at the other extreme, some require hours monthly. Some volunteer positions are short term to cover for a person on vacation or are needed just once a year. Following are some volunteer positions RRAS needs help with. Membership Committee (contact Susan Penn) Help with quarterly mailings: 1 to 2 hours 4 times a year Compiling “welcome packets”: 1 to 2 hours every few months Compiling new members list for The Sandpiper: 1 to 2 hours every other month Conservation Committee (Jim Clark or Chet Ogan) Attend monthly conservation committee meeting at noon at the Golden Harvest, Arcata

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?

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 C1ZC240Z 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

Publicity (Harriet Hill) Fill in when Harriet is out of town: 6 hours about once per year (or every other year) Education (Denise Seeger) Help with education activities: 1 to 2 hours per month during school year Volunteer Committee (Susan Penn) Coordinate annual RRAS volunteer appreciation event, which happens around Halloween Any other volunteer activity you might be interested in. Arcata Marsh Saturday Field Trips (Ken Burton) Docents for the weekly Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary: 3 hours several times a year.

Keep Up-to-Date Through RRAS Listserve Be reminded about ﬁeld trips and programs and learn about upcoming meetings, public hearings, and symposia of interest to RRAS members and other concerned nature lovers. Subscribe in 1 of 2 ways: through a Web page link at http://groups.yahoo. com/group/rras or by e-mail to rras-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com. Postings should have complete information. This listserv is not for posting bird sightings.

Conservation Notes

Thinking Globally and Acting Locally for Bird Conservation

By Jim Clark

Rainforest clearing, clear cutting, and offshore mangrove swamp conversion to shrimp farming are some global problems that we contribute to solving but ﬁnd it hard to effectively participate in a hands-on way. One of the most environmentally devastating features, however, is literally in our back, and front, yards. The urbanization and suburbanization of our local landscape promote the introduction of exotic and invasive plants and the unregulated use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Hydrologically altered landscape has reduced capacity to neutralize and dilute the toxins used to control invasive weeds. If that were not enough, plants such as Pampas Grass, Algerian and English Ivy, and Himalaya Berry harbor rats, which prey on birds. The runoff from unregulated herbicide, pesticide, and fertilizer use also adversely affects water quality that in turn negatively affects birds: either directly by poisoning or by reducing the productivity of our surface waters. Our national politicians are unlikely to ever have the courage to ban combination herbicide-fertilizer products as has been done in Canada, so we need to do it ourselves. Avoid using the cosmetic chemicals. Like the problem, the solution is also in our own yards. With a little planning and imagination, attractive

and colorful landscaping can be achieved with native plants that rivals traditional landscaping that uses exotic hybrids. The benefits that accrue with a maturing birdfriendly native-planted yard are not just more birds but less pollution. Native plants are mostly resistant to insects and disease and promote beneficial insects. Maintaining a native-planted yard is mainly a matter of controlling prolific growth. Fortunately, trimming and pruning native plants follow the same rules as for exotics. Don’t forget the grass! Native grass turf and seed are available and are drought-resistant with options to mow or not mow or irrigate or not. I’m still researching local availability. Last, you don’t need to be a purist. A few noninvasive exotics can add color and fragrance and may even benefit from the presence of natives. Lost Foods Native Plant Nursery at the Redwood Acres Fairgrounds offers a wide variety of plants in a setting that demonstrates their landscaping potential. You can also get good advice from our local (North Coast) chapter of the California Native Plant Society. Go plant!

RRAS Sponsors 11th Annual Science Fair Awards “Where the Flying Things Are” by Isaac Ward, a 6th grader at McKinleyville Middle School, received a $35 first prize as the best project related to birds or their habitat at the annual Humboldt County Science Fair held in midMarch. Isaac’s research question asked where native and non-native birds were most common: in natural habitats or human-developed places. He hypothesized that exotic birds would be found more often in human-developed spots rather than in natural places. He surveyed Arcata’s Redwood Park, Prairie Creek State Park, Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the Arcata Marsh, Heartwood Drive in McKinleyville, and the Arcata Bottoms. The Bottoms had the highest number of exotic individuals (216), while only native birds were found in Redwood

Park and Prairie Creek. The highest number of individual birds was seen in the Bottoms, while the Refuge had the most species diversity. Due to the quality of the bird-related projects in 2015, the judges awarded a second prize of $15 to “Which Suet?” by Maggie Odell, a 4th grader at Freshwater School. She hypothesized that birds in her backyard would prefer the suet that contains peanuts because her research found that birds like nuts. She hung 4 flavors of suet on a tree in her backyard, rotating the location every time she weighed the remainder. After 2 trials, she discovered that birds ate the most of the Sunflower Blend both times. Maggie’s real-world application was “this information could be used throughout the world when people buy suet.”

New Members

Redwood Region Audubon Society welcomes the following new members and subscribers:

Arcata — Jess Barger, Jennie L. Barnes, Jeremy Brown, John Coonen, Jeffrey Fryer, Gabrielle Gopinath, Rick Halsing, Cody Hess, Jennifer Knight, Bonnie MacEvoy, Franklin Moitoza, Linda Rutenbeck, Madeleine Venturi, Joan Vinot Bayside — Sandrine Grandmont, Bruce Kessler Blue Lake — Griffin Robbins Family Carlotta — Virginia H. Mullan Crescent City — Kathi Allee, Tami Glenn, Karol Holley, Louise Mason, Beth & Clarke Moore, M. J. Muldoon, Dawn Phillips, Lois Stultz Eureka — Natalie Arroyo, Jennifer Barajas, Ken Bates, Jeannie Breslin, Elaine David, Lorraine Dillon, G Falxa, G Garman, Mark Hapgood, Teresa Jisna, Ardenella Kinnison, Gerald W. McGee, Joy Morrison, Jennifer Snipes, Kennan Snipes, Jeff Wissman, Leon Zlatkoff

Tropical Kingbird

Fortuna — John Carvelho, Arlene Guccione, Katherine Katz, Udoa Rieman, Thomas Torma Honeydew — Helena Orozco Hydesville — Jeff Ball, Paul Holzberger, Bill Shapeero Kneeland — Brian Connich, Linda Erickson Mad River —Judith Graves McKinleyville — Beni Bennett, Thomas Lisle, Sharon L. Seagraves, Tom Cover, Issac Lien, Issac Lien, Pamela Owens Miranda — Dale W. Neiman, Jan & Harry Vaughn Redway — Jacqueline Kelley, Charles K. Liphart, Andrew McKaye, Tom Oneil Smith River — Barbara Burke Trinidad — Marilyn Shepherd Weott — Barbara Kennedy We look forward to seeing you on field trips and at our monthly programs.

Ruff

Humboldt County Record Big Day On May 3, 2015, Gary Bloomfield, Elias Elias, Brad Elvert, David Fix, Sean McAllister, and Tristan McKee, did a Humboldt County Big Day in the wee morning hours. By the time fatigue and darkness began settling in late that evening, they had set a new record for number of birds seen in Humboldt County in one day. David has provided an inimitable account of their Humboldt County scramble that bird nerds will undoubtedly enjoy. We didn’t have space for it here, but you’ll be able to find it on the RRAS website, www.rras.org . Don’t miss it! It may inspire you to take up the challenge and top their record!

Where Is Tom Leskiw’s Essay? Tom has expressed a desire to downscale his contributions to The Sandpiper to a less-thanevery-issue basis. He would still like to contribute, perhaps every other issue. Tom and I would like to encourage others to contribute appropriate stories to the Sandpiper—Editor.

Common Yellowthroat

Registration Open for Godwit Days Fall Preview

For the 4th year, the Godwit Day Spring Migration Bird Festival is offering a Fall Preview. Join experienced leaders the weekend of September 26 and 27 on any of 10 small-group trips (maximum of 10 registrants) selected to cover the area’s best birding locations. Held at the end of the peak period for migrating birds, the Fall Preview is intended to give registrants a taste of Humboldt and Del Norte counties during this time of year with high potential for rare bird sightings. On Saturday, look for lingering migrants along the Lost Coast (Centerville to Petrolia) on an all-day trip with

Tony Kurz; spend 3/4 of a day chasing rarities reported the previous week with Brad Elvert and Lizzie Feucht; travel south to the Eel River, Ferndale, Loleta, Centerville, and Hookton Road with Rob Fowler (3/4-day trip, stopping at Eel River Brewery for lunch); search for rare birds on the North Spit, North Jetty, and mouth of Humboldt Bay with Rob Hewitt (half-day trip); or scour Humboldt Bay for shorebirds during a half-day trip (leader TBD). On Sunday, visit Del Norte’s Lake Earl, Crescent City Harbor, and Alexandre Dairy during a full-day trip with Rob Hewitt; spend 3/4 of a day chasing rarities

reported the previous week with Brad Elvert and Lizzie Feucht; scour the Blue Lake cottonwoods and fish hatchery during a half-day trip (leader TBD); scope out the Arcata Marsh and Bottoms and Shay Park with Gary Bloomfield and Samantha Bacon; or spend 3/4 of a day birding Mad River County Park, Hiller Park, and the Hammond Trail with Ken Burton. To register or get more information, visit www. godwitdays.org and click on the link in the right-hand “Special Events” column.

Field Notes

By Daryl Coldren and Sean McAllister

S U M M A RY O F N O R T H W E S T E R N C A L I F O R N I A B I R D R E P O R T S

May 1 to June 30, 2015 Field Notes is a compilation of bird-sighting reports for Del Norte, Humboldt, and Trinity Counties. Sources include the RRAS Bird Box (707-822-LOON), the online northwestern California birding and information exchange (nwcalbird@yahoogroups.com), eBird (http://ebird.org/ content/klamathsiskiyou), and reports submitted directly to the compiler. Reports may be submitted to any of the sources mentioned above or to Daryl Coldren: (916) 3848089; QuiAvisPetit@aol.com. AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; HO = Hold Over; HSU = Humboldt State University; MOb = Many Observers; RC = Repositioning Cruise; SP = State Park Greater White-fronted Goose: 12, Lake Tolowa, 1 May (LB); 1, Loleta Bottoms, 30 May (OH); 2, AMP, 24-29 Jun (MOb) • Snow Goose: 1, Loleta Bottoms, 30 May (OH) • Laysan Albatross: 1, Offshore Humboldt Co, 2 May (KO); 2, Offshore Humboldt Co-RC, 21 May (PLe) • Murphy’s Petrel: 15-25, Offshore Del Norte Co-RC, 7-14 May (PLe); 30+, Offshore Humboldt Co-RC, 7-21 May (PLe) • Hawaiian Petrel: 5, Offshore Humboldt CoRC, 7 May (PLe); 1, Offshore Del Norte Co-RC, 13 May (PLe) • Cook’s Petrel: 1, Offshore Del Norte Co-RC, 13 May (PLe) • Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel: 6, Offshore Humboldt Co-HSU Pelagic, 15 May (RF, SM, MC, MOb) • Leach’s Storm-Petrel: 2, Luffenholtz Beach County Park, 9 May (EE, MOb [RRAS field trip]); 1, Crescent City Harbor, 18 May (LB) • Scripp’s Murrelet: 4, Offshore Del Norte Co-RC, 7 May (PLe); 1, Offshore Humboldt Co-RC, 21 May (PLe) • Tufted Puffin: 4, Castle Rock, 20 May (RN) • American White Pelican: 1, Lake Earl, 3 May (LB) • Swainson’s Hawk: 1, Friday Ridge Road, 3 May (TK, DC, RF, CR) • Sandhill Crane: 2, Cock Robin Island, 20 May (EF, DO, ML, DK-B) • American Golden-Plover: 1, Lake Tolowa, 21-26 May (LB); 1, Arcata Bay, 27-30 Jun (TM, MOb) • Pacific Golden-Plover: 1, Lake Tolowa, 14 May (TK, CR); 1, Lake Tolowa, 25-26 May (LB) •

Hudsonian Godwit, Clam Beach, HUM, © Tony Kurz

Hudsonian Godwit: 1 adult male in alternate plumage, Clam Beach, 25-26 May (MC, SM, DO, DK-B, MOb)

Chestnut-sided Warbler, Arcata,HUM, © Rob Fowler

• Red Knot: 1-37, Clam Beach, 3-29 May (MOb); 1, Arcata Bay, 27 Jun (TM) • Wilson’s Phalarope: 1-2, Alexandre Dairy, 20-21 May (LB, RN); 1-26, AMP, 28-30 Jun (MOb) • Laughing Gull: 1 (possible), King Salmon, 19 May (KB) • Franklin’s Gull: 1, Humboldt Bay North Jetty, 25 May (AL); 1, AMP-Oxidation Ponds, 29 Jun (TM, EF, DO, ML, DK-B, MC) • Thayer’s Gull: 1, Ferndale Bottoms, 3 May (RF, TK, DC, CR) • Forster’s Tern: 1-5, Clam Beach, 1 May (CO); 1, Centerville Beach, 29 May (DO) • Long-eared Owl: 1, Butler Valley, 3 May (SM, EE, GB, TM, BE, DF); 1, Humboldt Redwoods SP, 22 May (TK, CR) Yellow-billed Cuckoo: 1 (1st Del Norte Co record), Smith River Bottoms, 3-4 Jun (TK, CR, AB, MOb) • White-winged Dove: 1, Smith River Bottoms, 26 May (LB) • Common Nighthawk: 1-3, Horse Mountain, 6-26 Jun (GB, RF, ML, EF); 1, Pecwan Creek, 15 Jun (EE); 1, AMP, 24 Jun (EE) • Common Poorwill: 1, Prairie Creek SP, 18 May (DF, SM); 1, Orleans G-O Rd, 28 May (SM) • Black Swift: 1, Mad River Gardens, 16 May (SB); 1-2, AMP, 16-21 May (BE, DK-B, ML, SB) • White-throated Swift: an increasing number of reports suggests an increase in breeding numbers and locations in the region, including several bridges in the Garberville area and the Mad River near Blue Lake (MOb); high of 11, Southern Humboldt Community Park, 20 May (JS) • Costa’s Hummingbird: 1 male, Blue Lake, 18 May (PL) • Broad-billed Hummingbird: 1 (apparent female), Low Divide Rd, 27 Jun (CR, AB) • Calliope Hummingbird: 1, Orleans, 3 May (RF, TK, DC, CR); 1, Blue Lake, 13 May (PL); 1, Big Hill, 26 May (TK) • Prairie Falcon: 1, Alexandre Dairy, 7 May (LB) • Least Flycatcher: 1, Ft Dick, 2-9 Jun (LB, AB) • Willow Flycatcher: many reports of 1-2 birds, 15 May-24 Jun (MOb) • Eastern Phoebe: 1, Crescent City Airport, 1 Jun (LB) • Eastern Kingbird: 1, Point St George, 9 Jun (AB, SL) • Tropical Kingbird: 1 (HO since January), Ferndale Bottoms, 3 May (BE, SM, TM, DF, GB, EE) • Red-eyed Vireo: 1, Orick, 5-29 Jun (GL, LL, KB, CO); 1, Cooper Gulch, 10 Jun (TL); 1, Klamath Glen, 14 Jun (LB) • Plumbeous Vireo: 1, Klamath Glen, 14 Jun (LB) • Rock Wren: 1, Lake Tolowa (unusual location), 1-3 May (LB); 1, Orick (unusual location), 9 May (KB); 2, Dyerville Loop Rd-“Rock Wren Rocks,” 19 May (CO) • Mountain Bluebird: 1-4, Doctor Rock trail, Del Norte Co, 22-29 May (LB) • Sage Thrasher: 1, south Clam Beach, 21 May (DO); 1, Point St George, 9 Jun (SL, AB) • Northern Mockingbird: 1, Horse Mountain, 29 May (BB); 1, AMP, 31 May (CD) • Lapland Longspur:

1, Lake Tolowa, 22 May (LB) • Northern Parula: 1-2, Orick, 1-24 Jun (GL, LL, MOb); 1, Humboldt Bay Bird Observatory, 7-29 Jun (NM, MOb) • Black-and-white Warbler: 1, Enderts Beach Rd, 14 Jun (AB); 1, Klamath Glen, 14 Jun (LB) • Magnolia Warbler: 1, Table Bluff, 8 Jun (TL); 1, Humboldt Bay Bird Observatory, 18-30 Jun (NM, MOb) • Chestnut-sided Warbler: 1, Klamath Glen, 13 Jun (LB); 1, AMP, 16-21 Jun (RF, MOb) • Palm Warbler: 1, Mad River Slough WA, 1 May (RF) • Clay-colored Sparrow: 1, Arcata Bottoms, 1 May (RF) • Brewer’s Sparrow: 1, Orleans, 3 May (TK, DC, RF, CR) • Vesper Sparrow: 1, Smith River Bottoms, 1 May (LB); 1, Enderts Beach Rd, 18 May (AB) • Rose-breasted Grosbeak: 1 male, McKinleyville, 21 May (KS); 1, Humboldt Hill, 11 Jun (CW) • Great-tailed Grackle: 1, Big Rock River Access, 12 May (CD, GF); 1, Alexandre Dairy, 18-21 May (LB); 1, Trinidad, 3-4 Jun (RF, MOb); 1, Shelter Cove, 16-30 Jun (fide TL) • Hooded Oriole: 1-2, Arcata, 4 May-27 Jun (EF).

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Smith River Bottom, DN, © Tony Kurz

Thanks to everyone who submitted sightings! Special thanks go to Rob Fowler and Elizabeth Feucht for their help compiling reports. Samantha Bacon, Alan Barron, Gary Bloomfield, Bob Brown, Lucas Brug, Ken Burton, Daryl Coldren, Mark Colwell, Cèdric Duhalde, Elias Elias, Brad Elvert, Elizabeth Feucht, David Fix, Rob Fowler, Gary Friedrichsen, Sarah Graham, Owen Head, Deven Kammerichs-Berke, Tony Kurz, Alexandra Lamb, Matt Lau, Paul Lehman (PLe), Tom Leskiw, Gary Lester, Lauren Lester, Sky Lloyd, Paul Lohse, Sean McAllister, Tristan McKee, Natalie McNear, Richard Norton, Chet Ogan, Kurt Ongman, David Orluck, Casey Ryan, Keith Slauson, Jay Sooter, Carol West.

Zero Waste Crew Needs YOU to Help Reduce Waste at the North Country Fair! Nancy Stevens On Saturday and Sunday, September 19-20, 2015, the annual North Country Fair will once again take place on the Arcata Plaza. We invite you to join the Zero Waste team and be a part of the fair’s waste reduction crew! Last year, the Fair’s board, the Same Old People, Inc., became the first festival in Humboldt County to adopt a zero waste policy. This policy is the first essential step for a long-term commitment to work toward zero waste. In addition to vendor commitment, it takes a huge team of trained volunteers to successfully reduce and recycle the waste. Working with Zero Waste Humboldt, the Fair will have trained volunteers taking shifts at each of the 6 stations on the Plaza during the 2-days to help the public to deposit materials for “Compost,” “Recycling,” or “Landfill.” There will also be a 7th station where trained volunteers will weigh and sort recyclables. The North Country Fair and Zero Waste Humboldt are pleased that its large crew of volunteers have ranged from age 14 to 75, and included people from many backgrounds. The Fair’s zero waste crew includes family members, housemates, co-workers, HSU classes, Arcata High School Green Club, and sports teams.

Volunteers have enjoyed scheduling shifts with family and friends. The one-hour zero waste training is required for volunteers and will be offered on Sunday, Sept. 13th at 10 a.m. on the plaza or Wednesday, Sept. 16th at 5:30 p.m. This year, we are excited to add Cub Scout pack 95 of Arcata to our volunteer crew. With adult supervision, these cub scouts will be learning about Zero Waste and will be the first youth group to participate in the All Species Parade as Zero Waste Zebras. Last year, the North Country Fair banned the sale of single use plastic water bottles during the event and provided three water coolers for fairgoers to fill their own refillable bottles. “We plan to have even more convenient water coolers this year. Please bring a refillable water container,” Stevens said. One of the other key elements in the North Country Fair zero waste program has been attention to the details of measurement and monitoring. “It takes more work, but the outcome is that we really know how much and what type of waste the Fair generates and how much we are actually reducing each year,” states Zero Waste coordinator Nancy Stevens. Fairgoers have really taken notice and have responded very positively to the Zero Waste Humboldt volunteers. It’s been a fun way to enjoy the music, food and crafts, AND work for a good cause at the same time! We encourage you, your family, and your co-workers to join the zero waste crew by contacting zwhvolunteers@gmail.com.

the Same Old People present the

North Country Fair

FRE

and Harvest Festival North Country Fair 10am-6pm on the Arcata Plaza All Species Saturday Sept. Parade 19 & Sunday Sept. 20 • Bring your own refillable cup! • Ride your bike to the Fair!

Humboldt Stores Want Bag Information

This May, Jud Ellinwood of Zero Waste Humboldt and Humboldt State School of Business Intern Tim Combley reported to the Board of Supervisors on a survey they conducted of store owners and operators in the unincorporated areas of Humboldt County covered by the California’s Single-use Plastic Carry-out Bag Law (SB270). Even though 138 local governments in California have already adopted a ban on single-use plastic carryout bags, implementation of SB270 has been suspended until the outcome of a state November 2016 ballot measure. The study included 28 interviews of local store owners and managers of all the types of stores covered by SB270 to assess their familiarity with the law and what they need to know to prepare for compliance. 100% of the store owners and managers surveyed expressed a need for information from the County. Survey results provide clear evidence that in order for local stores to voluntarily stop providing single-use plastic carryout bags, or to comply with SB270, or to comply with a County ordinance should the Board of Supervisors pass it, they need information. To read the report and its conclusions, go to www.zerowastehumboldt.org/advocacy.

Forest Carbon Offsets Available for Purchase Offset your carbon footprint! Makes a great local gift! $10/metric ton

• Samba Parade on Saturday!

Purchase local forest carbon offsets from the Arcata Community Forest to offset greenhouse gasses. Every metric ton purchased offsets carbon dioxide gasses equivalent to a round-trip flight between SFO and JFK airports.

• All Species Parade on Sunday! • Over 100 craft and food vendors! • Dozens of local bands and entertainers!

www.northcountryfair.org EcoNews Aug/Sep 2015

Happy, helpful ZWH volunteers at the 2014 North Country Fair.

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Please contact the Environmental Services Department (707) 822-8184 Eservices@cityofarcata.org www.cityofarcata.org/departments/environmental-services/city-forests

Monitoring Program (for more info, including weekly sampling results, visit http://humboldtgov. org/1696/Water-Quality-Test-Results). Levels higher than allowed for swimming were found in 80% of the samples from the surf zone on Clam Beach near the mouth of Strawberry Creek. Again, the sources of this water pollution are unknown, but Baykeeper is coordinating with the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board to identify the sources so we can work toward effective solutions. Humboldt Bay is not considered polluted by bacteria during dry weather, but each major rainstorm flushes polluted runoff into the bay from tributaries, closing commercial oyster beds according to public health regulations. Finding solutions to bacteria pollution will protect the commercial oyster industry as well as people who harvest wild clams and mussels. Clean water must also be restored to ensure that local waterways are safe for swimming, surfing, wading, and other water-based recreation. Although the sources of bacteria remain unknown, Humboldt Baykeeper has received funding to identify the sources through molecular analysis of water samples. Thanks to Coast Seafoods, the Humboldt Area Foundation, Environment Now, Moonstone Beach Surf Camp, and hundreds of individual supporters, we are developing sampling plans for pilot studies in Little River and Janes Creek. We hope to begin sampling later this summer. Once sources are identified, solutions can be developed to restore clean water to ensure that our local waterways are fishable, drinkable, and swimmable.

Swim Guide App! Waterkeeper Swim Guide is a mobile phone app that delivers the latest beach water quality information right to your smartphone. The Swim Guide shows current and historic status of the most popular beaches so you can determine if the water is safe for swimming. For more information and to download the app, visit

www.theswimguide.org.

On June 26, the U.S. EPA made its final determination that Little River, Widow White Creek, Jolly Giant Creek, Campbell Creek, Lower Elk River, and Martin Slough are impaired by bacteria, namely E. coli, a species of fecal coliform that lives in the guts of warm-blooded animals. The U.S. EPA’s approval of the 303(d) listing finalizes the August 2014 recommendation by the North Regional and State Water Quality Control Board, which was based on Humboldt Baykeeper’s Citizen Water Monitoring data collected between 2005 and 2010. Of California’s more than 200,000 river miles, over 40,000 are not meeting at least one water quality goal, and still need clean-up plans. Many clean-up plans are years behind schedule, including a plan to address dioxin contamination in Humboldt Bay. Now that state and federal agencies charged with protecting and restoring water quality have formally recognized the bacteria pollution that has troubled Humboldt Bay’s oyster industry for years, clean-up plans will be prioritized. The U.S. EPA also upheld the listing of several Humboldt County beaches as impaired by bacteria: Clam Beach at the mouth of the Mad River and at Strawberry Creek, as well as Luffenholz, Moonstone, Trinidad State Beach, and Old Home Beach, which is also known as Indian Beach. This list includes all beaches monitored by the County, leaving the public to wonder how many other local beaches are similarly polluted. On June 16, Clam Beach was given the dubious distinction of being the third most polluted beach in California in the annual Beach Report Card compiled by Heal the Bay, a non-profit in Santa Monica. This is Clam Beach’s second year in a row on the “Beach Bummer” list due to unacceptably high levels of fecal bacteria detected by Humboldt County’s Ocean

For more Humboldt Bay news and info, visit www. humboldtbaykeeper.org, like us on Facebook, sign up for action alerts by emailing us at alerts@ humboldtbaykeeper.org, and tune in every 3rd Thursday at 1:30 for the EcoNews Report on KHSU - 90.5 FM!

Impaired Waters Designation Finalized by EPA

.th

eswimguid

Explore Humboldt Bay/ Explora la Bahía Interested in exploring Humboldt Bay while paddling a kayak or from the deck of a motor boat? Baykeeper has partnered with the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center and the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District to offer tours covering a variety of topics on Humboldt Bay. Thanks to a grant from the California Coastal Conservancy, our staff and docents lead tours in Spanish and English. Boat tours are for ages 8 and older. Space is limited and reservations are required. Upcoming motor boat tours with the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District are scheduled for 9:30 to 11 a.m. on these dates:

Saturday, August 15 Saturday, September 26 Saturday, October 10

Call 707-825-1020, or email tours@humboldtbaykeeper.org for more info or to reserve your Bay Tour. Se habla español.

What can you do to help prevent water pollution? • Clean up pet feces • Have your septic system inspected • Clean up trash that attracts birds and other wildlife • Fence livestock out of streams and away from streamside areas • Make sure nothing but rain goes down the storm drains. • Become a member of Humboldt Baykeeper • Donate to our Water Quality Program

On July 25, Humboldt Baykeeper hosted our first kayak tour of Elk River in conjunction with the HSU Aquatic Center with funding from the California Coastal Conservancy. For info on upcoming tours, visit humboldtbaykeeper.org or email us at tours@ humboldtbaykeeper.org.

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Aug/Sep 2015

EcoNews

Friends

of the Eel River

Drought, Data and Water Conservation Workshops Alicia Hamann As everyone in our region should be aware by now, far less water is flowing in the Eel River than is healthy for the ecosystem or sustainable for our livelihoods. A variety of different methods are used to measure how much water is flowing through our watershed. Several stations in the Eel River watershed measure the flow and stage, or height, of the river. These stations are managed by a range of

agencies including PG&E, United States Geological Service and the California Department of Water Resources, and are located on the mainstem, south fork, and middle fork. Data collected at these stations is made available to the public through the California Department of Water Resources’ California Data Exchange Center (www.cdec. water.ca.gov). You can see below how little water is running through our immense watershed in graphs obtained from the California Data Exchange

Center. The graphs represent the rate of flow, measured in cubic feet per second (cfs) beginning May 25 and ending July 24. The downward trend on these graphs is severe, each station measuring less than 20cfs by the end of July. For comparison, the average rate of flow between 2001 - 2012 for July 24 at the Fort Seward station is 115cfs. While it seems awfully late to just start now, it is important to conserve water however we can and to keep excess sediment out of our rivers and streams. The Salmonid Restoration Federation is hosting two upcoming opportunities on the North Coast to learn about registering water rights and reducing sediment impact. First the North Coast Water Rights Workshop on Tuesday, August 11 from 6 - 8:30pm at the Willits Community Center, where topics will include riparian and appropriative rights, DFW permit 1600, calculating water use and more. This workshop is hosted in partnership with the Mendocino Resource Conservation District and Trout Unlimited. Then, Wednesday, September 16 is the Sediment and Erosion Control Workshop at the Piercy Community Center from 9am - 5pm. This workshop, hosted with Pacific Watershed Associates, will cover identifying and evaluating sediment sources, creating erosion control methods, and more.

These graphs represent the rate of flow, measured in cubic feet per second (cfs) beginning May 25 and ending July 24, on the Mainstem, South Fork and Middle Fork Eel Rivers. Graphs obtained from Department of Water Resources’ Data Exchange Center. Map formatted from USGS’s Streamer mapping service.

EcoNews Aug/Sep 2015

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To register or learn more about either workshop, visit www.calsalmon.org.

The Environmental Protection Information Center

ep c

Wildlife Advocates Attend Hearings to Ban Bobcat Trapping bullet holes or other marks, trappers often strangle, stomp or bludgeon them to death. California should lead the nation and outlaw this cruel and harmful practice. The Fish and Game Commission will be accepting public testimony on this matter at their May 5th hearing in Fortuna, and bobcats need you to speak up for them! The last time wildlife supporters banded together and attended a Fish and Game Commission hearing in Fortuna, we helped sway the Commission to protect gray wolves in California and with your help, we can do this again for the bobcats! Visit wildcalifornia.org to sign our action alert and learn how you can get involved. Last year we rallied for the wolves, this year join us to speak up for the bobcats!

Amber Shelton

Bobcats are still trapped throughout California, and their pelts are sold in the international fur trade market. Recent spikes in demand from countries like Russia and China have increased prices for bobcat pelts, resulting in a boom in bobcat trapping throughout the State of California. On October 11, 2013, the Governor approved the Bobcat Protection Act of 2013 (AB1213), which directs the California Fish and Game Commission to increase bobcat protections, and now the Commission is considering two options for bobcat trapping restrictions: Option 1 proposes a partial closure of the state to bobcat trapping by establishing closure Bobcat kittens in a tree. Photo: Summer M. Tribble. boundaries around protected areas; and Option 2, which EPIC supports, would implement This baseline number is deeply troublesome. Over a complete ban on commercial trapping of bobcats thirty years ago, in 1982, a court found that the throughout California. science behind the 1970’s population estimate The Commission is slated to make a decision was too flawed to qualify as the basis for a bobcat August 3rd, 6-8 p.m.—Teach-In & poster making to adopt new bobcat trapping regulations at management program. Yet, no additional surveys night at the Arcata Community Center crafts their August 5th hearing, which will be held at 8 have been conducted since. room, 321 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. a.m. at the River Lodge at 1800 Riverwalk Drive Bobcats are shy creatures that do not in Fortuna California. EPIC will join bobcat threaten public safety, and while no one knows August 5th, 7:30 a.m.—Rally & Hearing at the advocates from around the state to rally for the what the current bobcat populations are, there Fish and Game Commission Hearing at the River protection of bobcats at 7:30 a.m. before the is anecdotal evidence that trapping has greatly hearing. Two days before the hearing, on Monday, diminished localized bobcat populations, throwing Lodge at 1800 Riverwalk Drive in Fortuna. August 3rd from 6-8 p.m., EPIC and our allies will ecosystems off kilter. In fact, the state legislature recognized host a teach-in and poster making session in the that bobcats are important apex Arts & Crafts Room at the Arcata Community predators that play a significant Center at 321 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. role in maintaining a healthy The trapping industry has openly opposed the ecosystem, reducing rodent state wide ban, and will likely send a spokesperson populations and preying on to speak at the August 5th hearing in favor of populations of many animals that bobcat trapping. This is why it is important for are considered “nuisance” animals bobcat allies to make a presence and show the Fish such as raccoons, opossums and and Game Commission that the overwhelming skunks. Bobcat trapping hurts majority of people are in favor of a statewide ban. more than bobcats; it hurts our The law on the books allows bobcat trapping forests and fragile ecosystems. season to take place between November 24 and In addition to protecting January 31, and anyone possessing an easy-tobobcats for ecological reasons, obtain trappers’ license can trap as many bobcats there is a moral obligation to end as desired until a statewide total of 14,400 bobcats the cruel and inhumane methods are killed for the season. The nearly unrestricted Wildlife advocates successfully rallied for gray wolves at a Fortuna Fish and Game of killing bobcats. Because their statewide cap is based on out of date population Commission Hearing, where the Commission granted protections for gray wolves pelts are worth more without under the California Endangered Species Act! Photo: EPIC. estimates from the 1970’s of 72,000 individuals.

ACTION DATES:

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Aug/Sep 2015

EcoNews

Community Hub Maintains a Cool(er) Center Ali Freedlund MRC Program Director: Working Lands and Human Communities

nurtured the community with pizzas fresh out of a cob oven; however, large tree branches were looming. Older trees had produced many slender offspring, creating a dense thicket. A professional tree climber and fuels reduction crew was needed to help keep the MVCC the safe, creative haven it had become. The MRC proposed the Mattole Valley Community Center Fuels Reduction Project for a Title 3 federal grant administered through the

See the video here: https://youtu.be/p9IbJg9YnSE. MRC has been successful in implementing fuel reduction projects both large and small for Even more than the family dinner the past decade. It helped in the development of table, a community center can be a place of the Lower Mattole Fire Safe Council (LMFSC) renewal, celebration, education, nourishment, and continues to provide capacity for project boundary-setting, storytelling, memorializing and development. LMFSC developed its Community bonding—all essential to the social fabric of our lives. Wildfire Protection Plan in 2002 and the The Mattole Valley Community Center (MVCC) Lower Mattole Fire Atlas in 2004. Building on in Petrolia, California, is a social keystone for the the planning effort by identifying and whole Mattole River Valley and prioritizing projects, MRC its hill communities. implemented a handful of Founded in 1975, MVCC has fuels reduction projects been a hub for classes, events through the CA Fire Safe and community projects. When Council, with funding from the 1992 earthquake struck, the the USDA along with Countybuilding served as the Emergency administered federal funds. Services center where FEMA set The Petrolia Fire Department up an intake office. The Center and the Honeydew Volunteer raises funds for local schools and Fire Company are integrated the Lost Coast Camp through into the processes, plans, and its thrice-yearly Cabaret. A projects of the Fire Safe Council. Farmer’s Market takes place Both fire service communities, year round every Sunday. The with help from LMFSC and MVCC hosts public meetings— MRC, have had Firewise for fundraisers or projects, Community status since 2010. to address a local issue, or to Forming a Fire Safe Council, provide a public forum regarding having a completed plan, an atlas proposed changes at the county and Firewise status truly helps in or state level that may affect securing project funds. the community. It is a venue To get those crew boots for all kinds of classes and geton the ground, or in this case, togethers that range from Chi up in the trees, we encourage Gong to ping-pong. The MVCC communities everywhere to has also sheltered the Mattole not only start or maintain Restoration Council (MRC) a community center, but to since its founding in 1983. start or maintain a Fire Safe Video crew capturing fuels reduction work at the Mattole Valley Community Center. Photo: Ali Freedlund. Last fall, MRC applied for Council and become a federallyfunding to reduce dangerous fuels from resident listed Firewise Community. Most grants require Humboldt County Fire Safe Council (HCFSC). Eucalyptus tree around the MVCC property. matching labor in the form of volunteers or other The project proposed that MVCC and the Eucalyptus stands are notoriously volatile— kinds of matching funds. Sometimes it can seem Mattole Valley Resource Center (MVRC) would producing extremely hot fires. Their pungent like a lot of preparation and paperwork, but when make a matching contribution of volunteer labor leaves and shredding bark can quickly spread it coalesces into a community-sponsored project and equipment. fire to nearby areas by releasing flaming embers. it is a beautiful way to reconnect to the hub and The project was approved and implemented The flammable oils of the trees themselves can spark everyone involved to reduce any fuels in February 2015. A tree climber and a chipper explode in a fire. buildup they might have on their own property. crew were hired, and at least ten volunteers Several trees were identified by the MVCC Just after this project, we got more calls to rent labored for several days to implement the project. board as a hazard. In particular, the public our chipper than ever before. Larger pieces of Eucalyptus were cut into skateboard ramp was overhung with heavy Even on the North Coast, weather predictions firewood and given to low-income seniors. branches that regularly plunked Eucalyptus forecast longer, drier summers, providing ever MRC was able to hire a local youth team buttons on the ramp—and sometimes the skaters. more reason to reduce fuels, conserve water, stay to shoot a cool video of the experience. For a few years the MVCC and a cook or two have cool and maintain your Center.

EcoNews Aug/Sep 2015

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NORTH GROUP REDWOOD CHAPTER Forest and Fisheries Restoration Funding from Wood Product Sales

watershed-scale cumulative impacts analysis, opinions from the public and from independent scientists should be considered independently from the “Effectiveness Monitoring Committee”—a holdover from the original structure within the existing Board of Forestry staff. AB 1492 calls for the creation of “Ecological Performance Measures,” which would in concept be more independent of economic or political concerns since the costs of regulation and restoration are borne by the lumberbuying public, not just the permittees or the General Fund. Policies are still being developed by and for various working groups this fiscal year and next, according to a Preliminary Executive Summary on CNRA’s website. As I, a layman, look out over these (mostly) green landscapes today, in the latest year of our latest drought, I can see that an uninformed skeptic might inquire, “Why does the forest need restoration? It’s recovering by itself.” But forest restoration must include watershed-wide and species-inclusive restoration. Impacts on watercourses and fisheries are mostly unseen—the deranged hydrology, the debris and disturbance that present-day hands on the land are painstakingly remediating. It’s a right livelihood, and a growing one. Over the past forty years fluvial geomorphologists have studied how our region’s magnificent rivers have changed as a result of industrial logging practices and restoration efforts. The result is that today workers are using big machines to enhance instream habitat, creating conditions that salmon need to thrive. Today’s successful in-stream restoration projects include placement of “large

Ned Forsyth Forty isn’t old, some say, if you’re a tree. Forty years it’s been since I first set foot in Redwood Country, my adopted home. Forty years of seeing countless log trucks with forty-to-eighty-yearold trees on their way to industry and commerce. And forty years since our watershed restoration movement started to hit its stride with real accomplishments on the ground, overcoming logging excesses of the 1950s and 1960s and beyond, attracting strong and meaningful support from the community and from elected officials. This summer, I hear voices in the woods— vireos, tanagers, scolding jays, groaning firs, and yarder whistles—in Forest Glen, Summit Valley, Lacks Creek with its forty-foot-tall second growth. From Sacramento, there are echoes from an evocative number: AB 1492. This law, officially the “Timber Regulation and Forest Restoration Fund Program,” made major revisions to the original Forest Practices Act of 1973, enacted during the first Jerry Brown administration. Funded by a new one-percent tax on retail sales of wood products, the revised program is administered jointly by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and CalEPA, coordinated by a newly created CNRA Assistant Secretary for Forest Resources Management position. A total of $4 million in new grant funding over the next two years has been allocated for “forest restoration projects to benefit listed salmonids.” Annual staffing expenditures have risen to over $22 million. A series of budget reductions have left California Department of Fish and Wildlife at less than one-third of that amount for Timber Harvest Plan review—a level that is no longer a “functional equivalent” of judicial review, according to comments filed by CNPS, EPIC, Forests Forever, Center for Biological Diversity and many others. Concerns linger among conservation advocates that Russian Lake, May 30, 2015. Photo: Ned Forsyth.

woody debris,” i.e. whole trees and logs, using helicopters and track-driven excavators, to create critical habitat for juvenile and mature salmonids. The implementation of AB 1492 coincides with historic drought, with its recurring hazards of fish mortality and disease. It will take scientific research, documentation and just plain hard work in the watersheds to sustain our wild creatures, and, ultimately, to sustain ourselves. This is a good time to contribute to the current discussion, or to find out how to make a living in this exciting field of fisheries/forests restoration for our salmonids. They need us! Do add your voice, and get out in the woods. And let’s wish the 1973 California Forest Practices Act, however imperfect, a belated Happy Fortieth.

Events The North Group offers the following hikes in September. All our hikes are open to the public. Contact hike leaders for more information: Sunday, August 2—North Group Sierra Club Redwood National Park Skunk Cabbage Trail Hike. Bring water and lunch. No dogs. Moderate difficulty, 7.5 miles round trip, less than 1000 feet elevation change. Carpools: Meet 9 a.m. Ray’s (Valley West) Shopping Center, 10 a.m. trailhead, clearly marked left turn 1 mile north of Orick. Leader Ned, nedforsyth48@gmail.com, 707-8253652 message phone. Sunday, August 23—North Group Sierra Club Redwood National Park Emerald Ridge Loop Hike. A gentle descent through lush forest to Redwood Creek, then we head downstream to the Tall Trees area. Back on shady trail, we’ll hike Tall Trees Loop, and ascend back to our trailhead. Bring water, lunch, sunscreen, and footwear suited for trails, loose gravel, and water. No dogs. Moderate difficulty, 5 miles, less than 1000 ft. elevation. Carpools 9 a.m. Valley West (Ray’s) Parking Area. Meet 9:45 a.m. Kuchel Visitor Center (Hwy. 101, one mile south of Orick) leader Melinda 707-668-4275. Saturday, September 12—North Group Sierra Club Mad River Buttes 6 Rivers National Forest Hike. Come explore this beautiful potential wilderness area. Sturdy boots a must. Bring lunch and plenty of water. No dogs. Moderate difficulty, 8 miles round trip, less than 1000 feet elevation change. Carpools: Meet 9 a.m. Ray’s (Valley West) Shopping Center. Leader Ned, nedforsyth48@ gmail.com, 707-825-3652 message phone.

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Aug/Sep 2015

EcoNews

NORTHCOAST CHAPTER Sign up for e-mail announcements:

Northcoast_CNPS-subscribe@yahoogroups.com For more details and later additions, visit:

WWW.NORTHCOASTCNPS.ORG

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.

Field Trips & Plant Walks

August 9, Sunday. Pine Ridge Prairies Day Hike. Prairies and the oak woodlands mixed with them are two of our shrinking habitats, as lack of fires and reduced grazing allow conifers to grow, shading out a diverse mix of grasses and herbs, as well as the oaks. Many of our favorite sun-loving wildflowers thrive in these open habitats. A few may still be blooming when we explore the prairies of Pine Ridge, making use of new trails created by the BLM, Redwood Coast Mountain Bike Association, and the Humboldt Trails Council on this ridge in the BLM’s Lacks Creek Management Area (north off Bair Rd., between Redwood Creek and Hoopa). We will hike about 4 miles. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at Pacific Union School. Dress for mountain weather all day (3,600 ft. can be hotter or colder than on the coast). Bring lunch and water. Return late afternoon. RSVP to Carol at 822-2015. September 26, Saturday. Insect-aided Botany: learning about plants by studying galls. Like flowers, different species of insect galls on plants appear in different seasons. With naturalist John DeMartini we will find new galls that were not there in June in the Titlow Hill Rd. and Horse Mountain area in Six Rivers National Forest (off Highway 299). Oaks, silktassel, manzanitas, and tobacco brush are likely gall hosts, but we will look at anything botanically interesting among the diverse shrubs and trees in this nearby mountain area, including any late-blooming flowers. Be prepared for walking off-trail at various roadside stops and for changeable, mountain weather (cold or hot). Bring lunch and plenty of water, and if you have one, a hand lens. Meet at Pacific Union School at 9:30 a.m. to carpool. Return by 5 p.m. (or sooner, driver’s choice). RSVP to 822-2015. September 13, Sunday. Elk River Spit Day Hike. Where there’s water, there will be plants still green, maybe even blooming. Elk River Spit has salt water, fresh water, and sand, so we’re sure to find something interesting. We will walk about 3 miles, mostly on firm sand, including crossing the river on a train trestle. Bring lunch and water; be prepared to be outside all day. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at Pacific Union School to carpool, or at 9:45 at the Park & Ride at Herrick Ave. exit at the south end of Eureka. Return mid- to late-afternoon. RSVP to Carol at 822-2015.

EcoNews Aug/Sep 2015

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

September 9, Wednesday. 7:30 p.m. “Tropical Fungi: New Insights from the Guiana Shield and Congo Basin.” Dr. Terry Henkel, mycologist at Humboldt State University, will review his work in both Guyana (South America) and the Congo (Africa) exploring the world’s largest areas of intact tropical forests to document new species of fungi and

study their ecological relationships with green plants. His work surprised ecologists by finding on both continents that fungal diversity approached that of species-rich temperate forests. The discovery of forests dominated by pea family and dipterocarp family trees stimulated research into their ecology and mycology. Ectomycorrhizal relationships between fungi and trees emerged as important ecological forces. On this virtual tour of tropical forests, Dr. Henkel will give us an appreciation of what we can’t see under our feet as we appreciate the majesty and beauty of forests above our heads.

Native Plant Sale Saturday, Sept. 12 10:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. Alert!!

New location at our nursery! 2182 Old Arcata Rd., Bayside (Jacoby Creek Land Trust’s Kokte Ranch)

Our knowledgeable, friendly volunteers will be available to help you. PLUS: Every half hour, starting at noon, for 10 minutes a different expert will show and tell about his or her favorite plants available at our sale. Come see our great variety! We have many hundreds of volunteer-raised plants and plants from our partners Samara Restoration Nursery, Lost Foods Nursery, and Brant Landscaping.

For your drought tolerant garden, native plants are the way to go. For your backyard edible and medicinal garden, native plants are important additions. For butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds we offer monkeyflowers, penstemons, sages, buckwheats, phacelias, California fuchsia, beeplant, columbine, and more. For birds and their insect food we have shrubs, many of them berry-producers, to create a hedgerow, screen, or thicket. For shade we have wild ginger, inside-out flower, sugar scoop, miterwort, piggy-back plant, boykinia, and ferns. For form and year-round interest we have six species of grasses, both tall and short. For groundcover we have beach strawberry, silverweed, and modesty. So many plants; so little space in your yard! For more information check our website (www. northcoastcnps.org) or contact us at 822-2015 or 8267257 or theralphs@humboldt1.com or eabern@aol.com.

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Sea Level Rise

Pot Ordinance

LNG Export

...City—and every other coastal city on the planet—may only have a few more decades of habitability left. That dire prediction, in Hansen’s view, requires “emergency cooperation among nations.”

• The use of pesticides and herbicides must be prohibited.

“As a proud conservative Oregonian, I oppose the pipelines for LNG exports because it would destroy valuable farmland and forestland,” said rancher Bill Gow of Douglas County, Oregon. “There’s no way these companies are going to put a big scar through the middle of my ranch.” Like Gow, hundreds of Oregon and Washington families may have their land condemned to install a pipeline to export gas to overseas markets. The statewide No LNG Exports coalition is calling on Oregon decision-makers to use the state’s power to protect Oregon from LNG projects while supporting clean energy, healthy rivers and forests, private property rights, safe communities and a stable climate. Don West, Manager of the Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria and owner of the Astoria Crest Motel, plans to call on Gov. Brown to take a firm stand against LNG exports. “The future of our community and our business—a future that creates jobs by drawing people to iconic, salmon-bearing rivers like the Columbia—depends on the State of Oregon rejecting LNG exports,” West states. “I’m inspired to be one of many voices from all walks of life joining this common call for Gov. Brown and state leaders to protect our home.” “The Jordan Cove LNG terminal poses an unacceptable safety risk to our community,” said North Bend resident Jody McCaffree. “We are also concerned about the impacts this project would have to existing jobs in the timber, fishing, crabbing, clamming, oyster, tourism and recreation industries in Coos Bay area.” Both LNG project proposals require permit approval from a litany of federal and state agencies before moving forward. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is expected to issue its final permitting decision on the project by January. Oregonians are asking Governor Kate Brown to use her power to challenge FERC’s likely approval of the project as Governor Kulongoski did in 2008. “We are looking to our Governor to protect the interests of Oregonians and make our state a leader in addressing climate change by steering Oregon away from exporting climate-changing fossil fuels like LNG” says No LNG Exports campaign organizer Sarah Westover. “Money invested in green energy provides 17 times as many jobs as the same amount invested in fossil fuels. Our country should be moving toward sustainable renewables, not taking a step backwards with new fossil fuel export infrastructure.” For more information and updates on the progress of Oregon’s No LNG Exports’ campaign, please visit www.nolngexports.org.

Continued from page 10

Given the state of uncertainty and the high risk, humanity better get its collective foot off the accelerator. In response to the paper, climate scientist Michael Oppenheimer of Princeton University affirmed: “If we cook the planet long enough at about two degrees warming, there is likely to be a staggering amount of sea level rise. Key questions are when would greenhouse-gas emissions lock in this sea level rise and how fast would it happen? The latter point is critical to understanding whether and how we would be able to deal with such a threat.” The new research, Oppenheimer added, “takes a stab at answering the ‘how soon?’ question but we remain largely in the dark. Given the state of uncertainty and the high risk, humanity better get its collective foot off the accelerator.” And as the Daily Beast’s Hertsgaard notes, Hansen’s track record on making climate predictions should command respect from people around the world. The larger question, however, is whether humanity has the capacity to act. “The climate challenge has long amounted to a race between the imperatives of science and the contingencies of politics,” Hertsgaard concludes. “With Hansen’s paper, the science has gotten harsher, even as the Nature Climate Change study affirms that humanity can still choose life, if it will. The question now is how the politics will respond— now, at Paris in December, and beyond.”

Continued from page 4

Continued from page 7

CCVH’s draft allows for use and onsite storage of pesticides. Current practices allow growers to determine what pesticides are used—a health risk for wildlife and humans alike. Pesticide use should be explicitly prohibited.

• A sustainable revenue source is needed to ensure adequate enforcement.

CCVH’s land use ordinance suggests an unrealistic fee structure that would fall far short of the sum needed to run the program itself, much less to support the enforcement that will be needed to get a handle on the environmental damage from existing water diversions and sedimentation from unregulated roads and clearings.

• Support sustainable, small-scale cannabis cultivators and take a ﬁrm stand against irresponsible grows that are doing harm.

CCVH’s draft allows an unlimited number of permitted grows over 10,000 square feet. The draft also allows existing grows up to 10,000 sq ft canopy size (potentially over two acres of cultivated area) to continue with no environmental impact review. Due to the high market value of marijuana, allowing operations of this size and larger would effectively be a green light for mega-grows on over 14,000 parcels throughout the county. Our watersheds are already under severe strain from past logging practices and ongoing extreme drought. If there is to be a future for our region’s salmon—and a truly sustainable cannabis industry—irresponsible grows must be reined in.

Field Guide to Manzanitas: California, North America, & Mexico

n Made ildt o b Hum

Explore the “rock stars” of woody shrub diveristy in California

Available Now from independent bookstores and

BackcountryPress.com

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

Aug/Sep 2015

EcoNews

Eco-Mania

TOO HOT: Italian farmers are installing air conditioners in cowshed and pigsties to cool off animals dealing with 100-plus temperatures, the hottest July in more than a decade. Cows produced 50 million liters less milk in the ﬁrst 15 days of the month and chicken laid up to 10 percent fewer eggs.

A merry melange: salient or silly.

INDIGESTION: A 12-foot-long snake’s big meal was also its last. After the huge African rock python died, South African park rangers opened its stomach and found a 30-pound porcupine. Its needle-sharp quills apparently punctured the snake’s digestive tract and led to its death. Pythons are some of the world’s largest snakes and kill their prey—some as big as antelopes—by constriction.

SQUIRREL WANTED: That’s the mock headline that police in a Detroit suburb are using to ﬁnd the thieves who stole a truckload of snack nuts worth about $128,000. Police had hoped that the power of social media and a picture of a squirrel in a wanted poster would help crack the case. But despite a share of more than 400 times on Facebook, it did not garner any credible leads.

CAUTION: FLYING EGGS: That’s the warning sign in Swaton, England, site of the annual World Egg Throwing Championship, which has a 700-year-old history. The two-man teams start at 11 yards from each other and try to throw the eggs without breaking the shell. They move further apart until only one team completes a catch without cracking the shell. The game originated around 1325 when an abbot in the Lincolnshire village, the only person who had chickens, encouraged church attendance by giving alms of one egg—even when the river ﬂooded, when he was said to have thrown the eggs over to them. HEADS MISSING IN SACRAMENTO: Police are puzzled over a series of gruesome packages containing dead goats, chickens, lambs ﬁsh, rats and even a tortoise. In most of at least a dozen instances of mutilated animals, they are headless, blood-free and found near train tracks. EcoNews Aug/Sep 2015

NOT TESTY OVER TURKEY TESTICLES: A suburban Chicago pub owner and turkey testicle eat-off founder is not upset over a nearby community’s plan to hold its own celebration featuring the unusual dish. P.R. Westberg said his only criticism of the competing celebration is lack of originality. They use the same name, Turkey Testicle Festival, and schedule it for the same date and time on the day before Thanksgiving. Westberg’s attracts more than 4,000 people—and both will raise money for charity. www.yournec.org

HEROIC RODENTS: An elite rat known as Pit needed only 11 minutes before he detected a deadly mine in a Cambodian field, compared to the five days it would have taken humans and mine detectors to discover. He is rewarded by his two handlers with a banana. Pit is part of a team of 12 rats trained since they were four weeks old in Dahomey and sent by a Belgian non-profit to help clear mines and unexploded shells that have killed 20,000 Cambodians since 1979.

HARM-ADILLO: Larry McElroy, a 54-year-old man in Georgia, accidentally shot his mother-in-law after his bullet bounced off an an armadillo. He ﬁred his pistol at the animal but his bullet ricocheted off its armor, hit a fence, went through her trailer and landed in her back. She was expected to make a complete recovery. PIG GETS FEMINIST AWARD: Miss Piggy, the beloved Muppet star of movies and television, received a feminist award for contributions to society. Along with a retrospective of her career, she had a conversation with long-time women’s rights campaigner Gloria Steinem in which she said she was “thrilled but not surprised” to share the honor to fellow legends and role models.

Bobcat

Lynx rufus

A bobcat photographed in Montana, clearly showing the distinctive bobbed tail . Photo: Linda Tanner, Flickr.com CC.

Brandon Drucker The bobcat is a featured creature rarely seen, yet present throughout much of North America. Roughly twice the size of your housecat, the bobcat is known for its elusive nature and beautiful coat of dense, dappled fur. Coloration varies from buff gray to red brown, darkening along the spine, and lightening to white along the underbelly. Melanistic black cats are also occasionally reported. The species’ uniquely “bobbed” tail distinguishes it from most other felines, but is actually a shared characteristic among all members of the Lynx genus, along with tufted ears, facial ruffs, and relatively long legs. The bobcat’s greatest strength is its adaptability. Arid desert, deciduous and coniferous forest, subtropical swamp, snowy mountain, and,

increasingly, the urban edge are all habitat for this species. Sightings have been confirmed across nearly all contiguous U.S. states, northern Mexico, and southern Canada. Lynx species prefer a solitary lifestyle, wandering large home territories that vary in size depending on the animal’s sex, time of year, and abundance of prey. Bobcats prefer to feed on rabbits and hares, but will also take rodents, squirrels, insects, birds, and even deer when necessary—no small feat for an average 15 (female) to 21 (male) lb. cat. Hunting occurs primarily at night, dusk, or dawn. Particularly large kills may be partially buried for later consumption. Mother bobcats give birth to litters of 1-6 kittens in early spring. Kittens will remain with their mother until they mature between 8 and

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11 months of age. A bobcat’s life expectancy is between 10 and 15 years in the wild, and over 20 in captivity. The bobcat has three close cousins: the (1) Canada lynx, (2) Eurasian lynx, and (3) Iberian lynx. The larger, Canada lynx overlaps in distribution with the bobcat along the US-Canada border. However, the lynx is scarcer in this area, and tends to prefer the cool northern stretch of forest and tundra in Alaska and Canada where it lives closely tied to its main prey, the snowshoe hare. The Eurasian lynx is the largest of the four species, and inhabits the forests of Europe and Siberia. The Iberian lynx, native to the Iberian Peninsula, is considered to be the most endangered feline in the world by many conservationists. The last few hundred cats are confined to two isolated populations in southern Spain. Bobcats were historically hunted in great numbers throughout the Midwest and Eastern US for their spotted coats. Today, hunting is more closely regulated and the majority of bobcat populations are considered rebounded and stable. Still, this species is threatened, like so many others, by continued habitat loss and fragmentation, which reduces gene flow and makes the animals vulnerable to disease and inbreeding. The California Fish and Game Commission is considering the adoption of new rules to regulate bobcat trapping at a meeting in Fortuna on August 5, so if you’d like to weigh in the time is right meow.

Aug/Sep 2015

EcoNews

the Kids’ Page:

Tic k Talk

Did you know that ticks have eight legs and are

closely related to spiders? There are about 900 tick species split into two families based on the hardness of their bodies (700 hard-bodied vs. 200 soft-bodied). Ticks go through a metamorphosis that has three stages. Emerging from eggs as larvae, ticks grow into nymphs, and then finally transform into adults. They need to eat in order to develop into the next life stage. Ticks are ectoparasites, meaning they live on the outside skin of their host where they feed on blood. There are several diseases transmitted to humans by ticks. The best known is Lyme disease. It’s important to check your body and hair for ticks after playing in the woods or tall grass. Since ticks can’t fly, they crawl up vegetation and wait to grab onto a host animal like a dog, cow, bird, or human. Tucking in your pant legs and wearing long sleeves helps to protect from tick bites. If you happen to find a tick on you, don’t get scared. Have an adult firmly pinch the tick with tweezers close to your skin and pull it out. Keep the tick in a little jar of rubbing alcohol just in case you need to go to the doctor where they can identify the species. A fever, rash, or red ring around a tick bite is a sign to see your doctor. Ticks are hard to squish. If you find one on your shirt or pants simply flush it down the toilet or place in rubbing alcohol. by Sarah Marnick

Word Search T N E M P O L E V E D E S F H

T Y G E T V W B F R I I E O Q

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F G E F A N J Y Y O E F G C I

BITE BLOOD DEVELOPMENT DISEASE

S Y O E U N J M H B T N H T U

E X N O Z A J P L N I T T A V

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METAMORPHOSIS NO ANTENNAE TICK TWEEZERS

Above right: Ixodes scapularis, the common deer tick. Left: A closeup of the mouthparts of a deer tick. Both photos: Macroscopic Solutions, Flickr.com CC.

EcoNews Aug/Sep 2015

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Corpulent Canines One out of every four dogs in the world’s biggest dog show is overweight. According to analysts at Britain’s Crufts show, 26 percent were fat while none were underweight. Show dogs are assumed to be perfect specimens of their breed, but pugs were 80 percent fat, Basset hounds 68 percent and Labradors 63 percent. Obesity causes significant health problems in dogs, such as arthritis and diabetes. Here at the NEC, we have no show dogs. Staff doesn’t suffer from obesity, and we like to think that they are perfect examples of their breed. But they still need your help. So offer them some time or send in a donation—or both. They’re busy barking at environmental ripoffs and sniffing out potential risks. So give them a pat or two: memberships are as low as $25 a year—and you’ll get a subscription to this fine paper as well. Thank you.