Category: Environment

Fracking on CA public lands

Now: Speak out against fracking on public lands in California today!

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Bakersfield, Calif. – The Trump Administration today (actually 8/8/18) launched a 30-day public comment period on the environmental and public health impacts of hydraulic fracking in central California. The move is the first step in a process that will decide whether to allow the controversial oil extraction technique across 1.6 million acres of federal public land and mineral rights in Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Kern, and neighboring counties.

Last Week’s announcement – published in the Federal Register – was prompted by a 2015 lawsuit filed by Los Padres ForestWatch and the Center for Biological Diversity, represented by Earthjustice. The lawsuit alleged that the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) failed to consider the impacts of fracking as part of the BLM’s update of its Resource Management Plan for federal lands within the jurisdiction of the agency’s Bakersfield Field Office.

The groups prevailed in 2016 when a judge concluded that BLM failed to adequately analyze the impacts of fracking across vast swaths of public land in the region. The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, based in Los Angeles, ordered the agency to evaluate those impacts in a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. In a settlement agreement with ForestWatch and the Center, the BLM agreed to not issue any new leases for oil drilling in the region until the supplemental report is complete.

You can find the rest of this article at: https://lpfw.org/trump-administration-begins-process-to-reopen-1-6-million-acres-in-california-to-oil-drilling-and-fracking/

The BLM’s comment deadline closes on September 7, 2018. To submit comments, visit LPFW.org/fracking. You can also send your comments directly to the BLM.

Tourist Tuesday – Easter Island limits visitors

It’s a five-hour flight to Chile’s Easter Island (Rapa Nui) from the nation’s capital of Santiago.
Mysterious, hard-to-get-to and isolated, the volcanic island in Polynesia automatically makes it a dream destination for intrepid travelers who long to get off the beaten path.
The island is famous around the world for its iconic moai — enormous paleolithic structures in the shape of human heads. Rapa Nui National Park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1995.
Related content

New theory paints more sophisticated picture of ancient Easter Island

But now, the island is one of many destinations around the world trying to balance popularity with preservation.
A new initiative both limiting the number of people who can visit the island as well as length of stay for said visitors has changed the accessibility factor further.
to read the rest of this article see:

Photo Sunday, 8/5/18

Photo by Ken Ekelund.

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Dudleya. If you know the location, please do not reveal. As many of you know, these have been subject to poaching up and down the CA and OR coast by visitors who then ship thousands overseas for profit. Take photos, not plants.

STRs public meeting

From the CVA:

A Short-Term Rental Ordinance for Carmel Valley
with no Limitation on Location, Number, or Type?
Next Wednesday the Planning Commission will conduct a public workshop on short-term rentals (STRs) and receive a report on the consistency of the draft ordinance with local area plans. We urge you to attend.
The workshop will be held on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at 10:30 AM, in the Monterey County Board of Supervisors Chambers, County Government Center, 168 West Alisal Street in Salinas.
A survey by the firm Host Compliance, conducted at the request of CVA, determined that there are more than 140 advertised STRs in areas zoned residential in Carmel Valley. Over 80% of these are “whole homes,” generally investor-owned houses without a permanent resident, “managed” by off-site property management companies.
This category has been demonstrated to cause a loss of affordable housing and the disruption of neighborhoods. Many jurisdictions have enacted severe limits on STRs. Carmel and Monterey have banned them, Pacific Grove has limited their number (and may, through the initiative process, ban them completely), and cities such as San Francisco have limited them to “home stays,” where a resident owner must be present.
The ordinance proposed by county officials, although it does create a licensing procedure, does nothing to limit the number and type of STRs in our valley.
CVA has proposed what we believe is a reasonable compromise, limiting STRs to “home stays,” with the resident owner present. We have also made clear to the county that we expect any rules to conform to the Carmel Valley Master Plan, which limits the number of visitor accommodations in the area. We need your help to protect our valley! Plan to attend the workshop, or if you are unable, write or email the planners at:
RMAcomments@co.monterey.ca.us
 
Be sure to include your name and physical address.
Points you might consider including:
  • Unhosted STRs are essentially hotels in areas zoned residential. They violate the peace and quiet we expect when we purchase or rent a home.
  • Investor owned STRs have been proven to limit the availability of affordable housing.
  • Master Plan limitations on visitor serving units must be honored.
Read the notice from the county.
Read CVA’s April 20 letter to the county stating our position.

Car Week Public Meeting with Mary Adams on 7/11/18

How come car “week” is 9 days long? Extra days for set up and clean up? Inquiring minds want to know!
Dear Friends,
The upcoming Car Week (August 18 -26) will bring many visitors and activities to Monterey County. As locals, we balance the positive impacts and excitement with the intermittent frustrations caused by a major international event coming to town.
With the majority of activity set to occur in the Fifth District, I thought it appropriate to host a focused community meeting to help you prepare. In addition to outlining the economic impact to our county, our Car Week Community Meeting will:
  • Overview the comprehensive calendar of planned events;
  • Highlight events permitted by the County of Monterey;
  • Demo Monterey County Connect – your tool for reporting issues and requesting services; and
  • Enable you to ask questions and share your concerns.
Please join me on July 11, 2018 from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. for an informative presentation and lively discussion. We will convene in the Laguan Seca Pavilion, located at 1021 Monterey-Salinas Highway. Representatives from the various organizations involved in readying our community for Car Week will be in attendance.
Best,
Mary.
Mary L. Adams
Supervisor
Monterey County Board of Supervisors
District 5
 Monterey County Courthouse
Supervisor Mary Adams | 1200 Aguajito Rd., Ste. 1, Monterey , CA 93940 831-647-7755
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STR public workshop, 7/11 at 10:30 am

Notice of Public Workshop Monterey County Planning Commission
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the County of Monterey, State of California will conduct a public workshop as described below.
• Conduct a public workshop to receive a report on Advisory Committee outreach and preliminary consistency of the draft short-term rental ordinance with local area plans; and
• CEQA review to be conducted based on final draft ordinances.
The workshop will be held on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at the hour of 10:30 a.m., in the Monterey County Board of Supervisors Chambers, County Government Center, 168 West Alisal Street, Salinas, California, at which time and place any and all interested persons may appear and be heard thereon.
IF YOU CHALLENGE THIS MATTER IN COURT, YOU MAY BE LIMITED TO RAISING ONLY THOSE ISSUES YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE RAISED AT THE PUBLIC HEARING DESCRIBED IN THIS PUBLIC NOTICE OR IN WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE DELIVERED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT OR BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
TO SUBMIT COMMENTS:
We welcome your comments on this matter. The Agency accepts comments via e-mail or facsimile but requests that you follow these instructions to ensure that the Agency has received your comments.
To submit your comments by e-mail, please send a complete document including all attachments to: RMAcomments@co.monterey.ca.us. An e-mailed document should contain the name of the person or entity submitting the comments and contact information such as phone number, mailing address and/or e-mail address and include any and all attachments referenced in the e-mail. To ensure a complete and accurate record, we request that you also provide a follow-up hard copy to the name and address listed below. If you do not wish to send a follow- up hard copy, then please send a second e-mail requesting confirmation of receipt of comments with enough information to confirm that the entire document was received. If you do not receive e-mail confirmation of receipt of comments, then please submit a hard copy of your comments to ensure inclusion in the record or contact the Agency to ensure the Agency has received your comments.
Facsimile (fax) copies will be accepted with a cover page describing the extent (e.g. number of pages) being transmitted. A faxed document must contain a signature and all attachments referenced therein. Faxed documents should be sent to the contact noted below at (831) 757-9516. To ensure a complete and accurate record, we request that you also provide a follow-up hard copy to the name and address listed below. If you do not wish to send a follow-up hard copy, then please contact the Agency to confirm that the entire document was received.
You may submit your comments in hard copy to the name and address below.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kate Battiato, Management Analyst III
Monterey County Resource Management Agency
1441 Schilling Place, 2nd Floor South, Salinas CA, 93901 (831) 759-6560, battiatok@co.monterey.ca.us

Park Management as the USFS steward on the South Coast of Big Sur

While the lack of bathrooms on the entire Big Sur Coast is a huge problem, Park Management, who manages several of them, has locked them up, and is no longer providing access, creating a huge health issue as well as a disgusting experience.

Xasauan Today https://xasauantoday.com/ covered this issue just a few days ago. Today, Gail D and Lisa G sent me these three photos of conditions at Mill Creek, one of 3 public bathrooms on the South Coast outside of the campgrounds. The fourth photo is of Willow Creek, and looks to be the same location in Xasauan Today’s shot. Sand Dollar Beach has had its gates closed and locked, so I cannot get in to check the bathrooms there.

Gail D has contacted Jeff Benson, recreation officer of the Monterey District, but not received a reply. Anni Agren has contacted Tim Short, District Ranger of the Monterey District, but he is out of town until next week. I have sent these photo on to Tim Short as well as to Merv George, who is the Acting Supervisor of the Los Padres National Forest and have sent both these four photos.

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Succulent Poachers plead guilty in Humbolt, 6/13/18

California Fish and Wildlife News

 Link to CDFW News
Succulent Plant Poachers Convicted in Humboldt County

Posted: 12 Jun 2018 03:04 PM PDT

Three defendants in a succulent plant poaching case out of Humboldt County have each pled guilty to two felonies and other misdemeanor charges, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office announced. Felony convictions included conspiracy and false filings with the government, and misdemeanor convictions included removal of plant material from public lands and commercial sales of plants removed from public lands.

The succulent plants at the center of the investigation are called Dudleyas. They grow in unique niches close to the coastline, typically on cliffsides immediately adjacent to the water. The poachers had a network of buyers in Korea and China, where Dudleya are valued as a trendy houseplant.

Removal of Dudleya, or any vegetation in sensitive habitat, can result in environmental degradation of habitat and a destabilization of bluffs and cliffs on the coastline. Some Dudleya species are rare or at risk of extinction.

Wildlife officers worked extensively with allied law enforcement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Postal Service inspectors to track down and collect evidence of poaching the succulent plants for sale overseas. During the investigation, wildlife officers witnessed the three removing plants from coastal bluffs in the Humboldt Lagoons State Park. On April 4, officers found the trio in possession of 2,300 Dudleya plants and more than $10,200 in cash.

All three defendants were foreign nationals. Liu Fengxia, 37, of China, and Tae-Hun Kim, 52, and Tae-Hyun Kim, 46, both from Korea, were handed a sentence of three years and eight months in state prison and a $10,000 fine each. Judge John T. Feeney suspended the prison sentences with the conditions that the defendants are prohibited from entering the United States without prior authorization of the federal government and state courts, and prohibited from entering any local, state or national park.

In addition to the fines, the defendants will also forfeit the $10,200 to CDFW as restitution. These funds will be used specifically for the conservation of Dudleya on public lands in Humboldt County.

“Together with prosecuting Deputy District Attorney Adrian Kamada and the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office, we hope this conviction and sentencing will send a message to those who may consider poaching California’s precious natural resources to sell overseas for personal profit,” said David Bess, CDFW Deputy Director and Chief of Law Enforcement.

The case developed from a tip from a member of the public who saw something amiss. Anyone who believes they are witness to unlawful poaching or pollution activity is encouraged to call CalTIP, CDFW’s confidential secret witness program, at (888) 334-2258 or send a text with the tip411 app. Both methods allow the public to provide wildlife officers with factual information to assist with investigations. Callers may remain anonymous, if desired, and a reward can result from successful capture and prosecution.

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