EcoNews Apr/May 2013

REndangered Species Act

Earth Day

Endangered Species ActEndangered Species ActThe

4040turns

April 20 - Earth Day Cleanups and Hoedown!

18th Annual Godwit Days | Remembering Sandra Corcoran | Native Plant Sale18th Annual Godwit Days | Remembering Sandra Corcoran | Native Plant SaleObama’s Keystone Legacy | Dr. Seuss and Climate Change | Plan Your Spring Garden

Arcata, California Vol. 43, No. 2 Apr/May 2013Over 40 Years of Environmental News

Published by the Northcoast Environmental Center Since 1971

1

Letters to the Editor

BouquetsA beauteous bouquet to Carol Whitehurst for your generous support through the years—we wish you healing thoughts.

A team-building bouquet to Keytra Meyer for being such an amazing and gracious guide through a very productive strategy session.

A wildflower bouquet in a bike cart to Emily Sinkhorn for all of the amazing energy you have put into safe transportation options for all with Green Wheels and beyond—we wish you a Happy Birthday as well!

A bouquet of music to Jim Page for gracing our ears with your music once again, and a bouquet of color to Patricia Sennott for displaying your gorgeous paintings at the show!

3 Green Fire4 Obama’s Legacy—Keystone XL5 Carbon, Climate and Dr. Suess6 18th Annual Godwit Days7 Planning Your Spring Garden 8 Attacks on CA’s Environmental Law9 Kin to the Earth: Sandra Corcoran

10 Eye on Washington11 Endangered Species Act Anniversary12 Earth Day Cleanups and Hoedown13 Humboldt Baykeeper14 Friends of the Eel River15 EPIC16 Mattole Restoration Council17 Sierra Club, North Group18 California Plant Native Society19 Redwood Region Audubon20 Eco-Mania21 Creature Feature: Aleutian Goose22 Kids’ Page: Northern Flying Squirrel

Interested in our regional environmental history? Get involved with our EcoNews Archive project! Contact us at 822-6918 or write [email protected]!

NEC Board and Sta� : Top row - Dan Ehresman, Dan Sealy, Jessica Hall, Keytra Myer. Middle row - CJ Ralph, Morgan Corviday, Chris Beresford, Larry Glass, Jennifer Kalt, Richard Kreis. Bottom row - Violet. (Not pictured: Scott Greacen, Bob Morris, Brandon Drucker, Alanna Cottrell).

Our commitment to improve land use planning will help ensure that the desires of a few will not trump the needs of the many—whether human or wild. For over fi ve months now, the NEC has been playing an active role as part of an ad hoc working group—consisting of numerous stakeholders with diverse views—in an eff ort to promote a Humboldt County General Plan Update that is less polarized and has a broad base of support. While it has been a time-consuming process, and while it has not been easy, we are happy to report that it is bringing about a more constructive dialogue that we are hopeful will have a positive impact on the direction of future land use decisions in the region.

We also renew our commitment to safe, active transportation throughout the North Coast and will continue to advocate for a multi-modal trail connecting the major population centers in the Humboldt Bay Area.

We will continue to advocate for Klamath dam removal, maintain an eye on state and federal legislation, and continue to stand with and support the many amazing organizations and individuals on the North Coast who work daily to take care of our planet and its inhabitants.

And as a way to shake off the meeting doldrums, the NEC will continue to off er music-infused events. Many thanks to former NEC-staff er and caller extraordinaire, Tara Stetz, who came out from her Yosemite home to lead a barn dance to the tunes of Striped Pig Stringband. We were also very pleased to have had Jim Page back with us in Humboldt for an evening of music and art at the Arcata Playhouse. A special shout out to the Humboldt Folklife Society and the Ink People Center for the Arts for co-sponsoring these events.

• April 20, 1-3 p.m. � e NEC will be heading out to Samoa Beach for our 2nd Tsunami Debris Monitoring Event and Beach Cleanup of 2013.

• April 20, 3-7 p.m. Right after the cleanup we will mosey down to the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center for an Olde Time Earth Day Hoedown with Friends of the Dunes, Mad River Alliance, Humboldt Baykeeper, Humboldt Surfrider, EPIC, and Ocean Conservancy.

• � roughout May we will be biking around with Green Wheels in celebration of Bike Month. Visit www.green-wheels.org for a complete schedule of events!

• May 10, 7-9 p.m. We will be back at the Arcata Playhouse for our fourth Eco-Film night, featuring a showing of “Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a land ethic for our time”. We will also be joined by naturalist author extraordinaire David Rains Wallace who will introduce the fi lm.

• May 18. If all our other events weren’t enough, we are also taking part in Hands Across the Sand on May 18th—coming to a beach near you!

Looking Ahead:� e Northcoast Environmental Center:

Our MissionTo promote understanding of the relations between people and the

biosphere and to conserve, protect and celebrate terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems of northern

California and southern Oregon.

fi re-adapted landscape that leave mature trees alive, when the fi res of today hit dense fuels on the forest fl oor it is game-over for all who are in the path—including the large trees that provide habitat structure and carbon storage.

Fortunately, there are those in the region working to change this fi re-challenged paradigm. Many thanks to all who made it out to the March 27 showing of “Catching Fire” and the great panel discussion that followed. We tip our hats to the Orleans/Somes Bar Fire Safe Council, Karuk Tribe, Mid-Klamath Watershed Council, the Hayfork Watershed Research and Training Center, and the many others who are working to restore the balance of fi re on the landscape. A huge thanks to Will Harling, Jenny Staats, Jeff Kane, Bill Tripp, Lenya Quinn-Davidson, and Michael Kauff mann for all that you do to raise awareness and ensure that these stories of ecological import get told.

As our climate becomes more unpredictable and weather extremes become more intense (compounding the many other factors aff ecting our environment) it calls for more urgent action towards a culture of stewardship that is not only about getting by in the present day, but

building a more adaptable, resilient future for those who follow. It was with this thought in mind that on a beautiful weekend in March, the NEC Board and staff gathered together to strategize about the role the NEC will play in the years ahead.

As part of our discussions on strategy, we celebrated the NEC’s long-standing history of commitment to environmental education and advocacy. We reaffi rmed our focus on sustainable communities, clean oceans and healthy rivers, forests, and family farms. One of the most important outcomes we came away with was an increased understanding of the diverse views NEC and its member organizations represent, and a renewed sense of teamwork.

We recognize climate change as both a threat and an opportunity that is connected to all of our work. We see it as imperative to end our reliance on fossil fuels by engaging in energy conservation and supporting well-planned renewable energy sources.

We will continue to play a leading role in keeping our ocean, beaches, and coastal waterways clean through the annual Coastal Cleanup Day, our new Tsunami Debris Monitoring and Beach Cleanup project, and through reinvigorating our Adopt-a-Beach program.

News From the CenterAs the blossoms begin to take

hold here on the North Coast, and we bask in the beauty of this time of year, we cannot avoid the fact that many places throughout the region are falling short of the rainfall needed for healthy watersheds and the critters that depend on them. � e lack of rainfall poses even more of a problem considering the likelihood of a long, hot summer and our region’s mismanaged, fi re-prone forests. Adding insult to injury, the federal government’s sequestration is resulting in the removal of seasonal U.S. Forest Service employees—including those who work to fi ght potentially catastrophic fi res here in the Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion.

While we at the NEC fully support returning fi re to the landscape, we recognize that it is prudent to do so with caution and intention, since state and federal forest- and fi re-management practices have left a landscape more prone to catastrophic fi re events—largely due to the substantial amount of fuels that have built up over the past century. Clearcut logging has also diminished the forest’s resilience by converting fi re-resistant ancient forests to young, even-aged stands. Contrary to the low-intensity burns of our region’s historically

NEC Board Of Directors

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

Editor/Layout: Morgan Corviday, [email protected]: [email protected]: Karen Schatz, Midge Brown Writers: Sid Dominitz, Morgan Corviday, Dan Ehresman, Sarah Marnick, Dan Sealy, Jennifer Kalt, Brandon Drucker, Scott Greacen, Hezekiah Allen, Dan Equinoss, Richard Kreis.Artist: Terry Torgerson

North Group/Redwood Chapter of the Sierra Club, Redwood Region Audubon Society, North Coast Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, Humboldt Baykeeper, Safe Alternatives for Our Forest Environment.

Every issue of EcoNews is printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks. Please, Recycle!

Member Groups

1385 8th Street - Suite 215, Arcata, CA 95521PO Box 4259, Arcata, CA 95518707- 822-6918, Fax 707-822-6980

www.yournec.org

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

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

NEC Executive Director: Dan Ehresman, [email protected]

NEWSEC NEWSNEWSNEWSEC

Environmental Protection Information Center, Friends of Del Norte, Mattole Restoration Council

A� liate Groups

Healthy Humboldt Coalition, Green WheelsNEC Sponsored Groups

Cover Photos: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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

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

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

Do you have comments, suggestions, concerns or other feedback for the NEC or EcoNews?

We want to hear

from you!Send letters to

[email protected], or PO Box 4259, Arcata 95521

Catch the NEC’s EcoNews ReportEvery Thursday, 1:30pm on KHSU - 90.5FM

Each show features interviews with experts on a variety of important environmental topics! Past shows are also archived on our website for listening online anytime! www.yournec.org/econews-report

Dan Ehresman, Executive Director

EcoNews Apr/May 2013 www.yournec.org 2

Letters to the Editor

BouquetsA beauteous bouquet to Carol Whitehurst for your generous support through the years—we wish you healing thoughts.

A team-building bouquet to Keytra Meyer for being such an amazing and gracious guide through a very productive strategy session.

A wildflower bouquet in a bike cart to Emily Sinkhorn for all of the amazing energy you have put into safe transportation options for all with Green Wheels and beyond—we wish you a Happy Birthday as well!

A bouquet of music to Jim Page for gracing our ears with your music once again, and a bouquet of color to Patricia Sennott for displaying your gorgeous paintings at the show!

3 Green Fire4 Obama’s Legacy—Keystone XL5 Carbon, Climate and Dr. Suess6 18th Annual Godwit Days7 Planning Your Spring Garden 8 Attacks on CA’s Environmental Law9 Kin to the Earth: Sandra Corcoran

10 Eye on Washington11 Endangered Species Act Anniversary12 Earth Day Cleanups and Hoedown13 Humboldt Baykeeper14 Friends of the Eel River15 EPIC16 Mattole Restoration Council17 Sierra Club, North Group18 California Plant Native Society19 Redwood Region Audubon20 Eco-Mania21 Creature Feature: Aleutian Goose22 Kids’ Page: Northern Flying Squirrel

Interested in our regional environmental history? Get involved with our EcoNews Archive project! Contact us at 822-6918 or write [email protected]!

NEC Board and Sta� : Top row - Dan Ehresman, Dan Sealy, Jessica Hall, Keytra Myer. Middle row - CJ Ralph, Morgan Corviday, Chris Beresford, Larry Glass, Jennifer Kalt, Richard Kreis. Bottom row - Violet. (Not pictured: Scott Greacen, Bob Morris, Brandon Drucker, Alanna Cottrell).

Our commitment to improve land use planning will help ensure that the desires of a few will not trump the needs of the many—whether human or wild. For over fi ve months now, the NEC has been playing an active role as part of an ad hoc working group—consisting of numerous stakeholders with diverse views—in an eff ort to promote a Humboldt County General Plan Update that is less polarized and has a broad base of support. While it has been a time-consuming process, and while it has not been easy, we are happy to report that it is bringing about a more constructive dialogue that we are hopeful will have a positive impact on the direction of future land use decisions in the region.

We also renew our commitment to safe, active transportation throughout the North Coast and will continue to advocate for a multi-modal trail connecting the major population centers in the Humboldt Bay Area.

We will continue to advocate for Klamath dam removal, maintain an eye on state and federal legislation, and continue to stand with and support the many amazing organizations and individuals on the North Coast who work daily to take care of our planet and its inhabitants.

And as a way to shake off the meeting doldrums, the NEC will continue to off er music-infused events. Many thanks to former NEC-staff er and caller extraordinaire, Tara Stetz, who came out from her Yosemite home to lead a barn dance to the tunes of Striped Pig Stringband. We were also very pleased to have had Jim Page back with us in Humboldt for an evening of music and art at the Arcata Playhouse. A special shout out to the Humboldt Folklife Society and the Ink People Center for the Arts for co-sponsoring these events.

• April 20, 1-3 p.m. � e NEC will be heading out to Samoa Beach for our 2nd Tsunami Debris Monitoring Event and Beach Cleanup of 2013.

• April 20, 3-7 p.m. Right after the cleanup we will mosey down to the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center for an Olde Time Earth Day Hoedown with Friends of the Dunes, Mad River Alliance, Humboldt Baykeeper, Humboldt Surfrider, EPIC, and Ocean Conservancy.

• � roughout May we will be biking around with Green Wheels in celebration of Bike Month. Visit www.green-wheels.org for a complete schedule of events!

• May 10, 7-9 p.m. We will be back at the Arcata Playhouse for our fourth Eco-Film night, featuring a showing of “Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a land ethic for our time”. We will also be joined by naturalist author extraordinaire David Rains Wallace who will introduce the fi lm.

• May 18. If all our other events weren’t enough, we are also taking part in Hands Across the Sand on May 18th—coming to a beach near you!

Looking Ahead:

Apr/May 2013 EcoNewswww.yournec.org3

ADS

P h o to : R a l p h B u c h er ( F l i c kr . c o m , C C )

707-498-2025 [email protected] www.mayaconrad.com

REALTOR®, EcoBroker Certified®

Looking for a Realtor who shares your environmental values?

Contact Maya today for all your real estate needs!

DRE # 01717594

David Rains Wallace has published seventeen books, and his work has appeared in many anthologies and periodicals. He received the 1984 John Burroughs Medal for Nature Writing for his third book, �e Klamath Knot: Explorations in Myth and Evolution, which also won a 1984 Cali-fornia Book Award. His most recent book is Chuckwalla Land: �e Riddle of California’s Desert (2011) received a gold medal from the Cali-fornia Book Awards.

David Rains Wallace will introduce the �lm about Aldo Leopold, who is generally considered the major American conservationist of the twentieth

century. Our ideas of wilderness preservation, biodiversity conservation, and ecological integrity essentially come from him. Leopold’s book, A Sand County Almanac, develops these ideas as well as his concept of the land ethic, which proposes extending to land and its non-human life the "right to life" traditionally reserved for human beings. Wallace has written about Leopold in Sierra magazine, the New York Times Book Review. and the Los Angeles Times Book Review.

David Rains Wallace

Sponsored in part by:

Friday, May 10th

7:00-9:30pmat the Arcata Playhouse

An Evening With

Green Fire describes the formation of Leopold’s idea, exploring how it changed one man and later permeated through all arenas of conservation. �e �lm draws on Leopold’s life and experiences to provide context and valid-ity, then explores the deep impact of his thinking on conservation projects around the world today. �rough these examples, the �lm challenges viewers to contemplate their own relationships with the land community.

Beverages and other treats will

be served

C

al i

f or n i a F o r e s t S o i l s C o unc i l

Since 1981

Admission:

$101251 9th Street

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBlue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue Blue BBBlue Blue Blue BBBlue BBlue BBBlue Blue Blue BBBlue BBlue BBBlue Blue Blue BBBlue Blue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue lue DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDolphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin Dolphin DDDolphin Dolphin Dolphin DDDolphin DDolphin DDDolphin Dolphin Dolphin DDDolphin DDolphin DDDolphin Dolphin Dolphin DDDolphin Dolphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin olphin AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAlliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliancelliance

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLet’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s et’s SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the Save the SSSave the Save the Save the SSSave the SSave the SSSave the Save the Save the SSSave the SSave the SSSave the Save the Save the SSSave the SSave the SSSave the Save the Save the SSSave the SSave the SSSave the Save the Save the SSSave the Save the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the ave the WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWhaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshalesWhalesWWWhalesWhalesWhalesWWWhalesWWhalesWWWhalesWhalesWhalesWWWhalesWWhalesWWWhalesWhalesWhalesWWWhalesWWhalesWWWhalesWhalesWhalesWWWhalesWWhalesWWWhalesWhalesWhalesWWWhalesWhaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshaleshales.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!Again!

www.bluedolphin.org Find us on Facebook!

Check out our online wildlife

gift shop!

••••••

May is National Bike Month, so gear up and roll on out for a series of community events throughout the Humboldt Bay area. Bike to Work Day is the fl agship event for Bike Month and will be celebrat-ed on May 9th in Arcata and May 16th in Eureka. As in past years, there will be noontime rallies—at the Plaza in Arcata and the Old Town Gazebo in Eureka.

Here is a sampling of some of the many upcoming events!

May 3: Humboldt Bike Film Shorts, Sewell Gallery, 423 F Street Eureka, 6-8pm, www.humbike.org

May 5: Green Wheels’ Farm Tour Social Ride, southeast corner of the Arcata Plaza, 1-3pm, 267-6874

May 9: Arcata Bike to Work Day, 7-9am energizer station at the Arcata Co-op, noon rally on the Plaza

May 16: Eureka Bike to Work Day, 7-9am energizer station at Eureka North Coast Co-op, noon rally Old Town Gazebo with

Celebrate Humboldt Bike Month

For more information and a full calendar of Humboldt Bike Month events visit www.green-wheels.org.

CorviDesign

Morgan [email protected]

www.corvidesign.netfreelance design for print and web


Keystone

P h o to : R a l p h B u c h er ( F l i c kr . c o m , C C )

707-498-2025 [email protected] www.mayaconrad.com

REALTOR®, EcoBroker Certified®

Looking for a Realtor who shares your environmental values?

Contact Maya today for all your real estate needs!

DRE # 01717594

www.bluedolphin.org Find us on Facebook!

Check out our online wildlife

gift shop!

May is National Bike Month, so gear up and roll on out for a series of community events throughout the Humboldt Bay area. Bike to Work Day is the fl agship event for Bike Month and will be celebrat-ed on May 9th in Arcata and May 16th in Eureka. As in past years, there will be noontime rallies—at the Plaza in Arcata and the Old Town Gazebo in Eureka.

Here is a sampling of some of the many upcoming events!

May 3: Humboldt Bike Film Shorts, Sewell Gallery, 423 F Street Eureka, 6-8pm, www.humbike.org

May 5: Green Wheels’ Farm Tour Social Ride, southeast corner of the Arcata Plaza, 1-3pm, 267-6874

May 9: Arcata Bike to Work Day, 7-9am energizer station at the Arcata Co-op, noon rally on the Plaza

May 16: Eureka Bike to Work Day, 7-9am energizer station at Eureka North Coast Co-op, noon rally Old Town Gazebo with

Celebrate Humboldt Bike Month

For more information and a full calendar of Humboldt Bike Month events visit www.green-wheels.org.

CorviDesign

Morgan [email protected]

www.corvidesign.netfreelance design for print and web

Keystone XL Pipeline Could De� ne Obama’s Presidency—and our Future

A protester smiles proudly while being arrested at a Keystone protest at the White House, August 2011. Photo: Dan Sealy.

Dan SealyA new era of environmental activism

and civil disobedience is attempting to tackle perhaps its greatest opponents—Big Oil and Climate Change. To many, the proposed Keystone XL pipeline is the prominent symbol of this fi ght.

In addition to protests large and small around the country, activists, public fi gures, celebrities, and everyday citizens have twice gathered for the largest protests of their kind at the White House against the Keystone XL—which would transport tar sands crude from Northern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico for refi ning and export. Twice, thousands of Americans have been arrested for taking a stand against the tyranny of oil the pipeline symbolizes, and the threat it poses for our collective futures on this planet. � e decision on whether the project will move forward—or not—rests solely on President Obama’s shoulders, and may prove to be a defi ning decision of his presidency.

To some, these events are a reminder of a generation of environmental activism spawned by the First Earth Day in 1970 with oil spills and toxic air as a backdrop. Today, catastrophic oil spills still occur, but we are also faced with changes to our climate that aff ect the entire globe.

� ere is hope that the Keystone protests will spark a national watershed of environmental activism much like the fi rst Earth Day did. Began as a “teach in” to educate Americans about environmental concerns regarding clean water, clean air, and vanishing species, Earth Day was also a day of simple action with people marching in New York City, children planting trees, and communities cleaning soiled beaches. No one could have foreseen the extent to which Earth Day would have motivated environmental activism for decades to come.

� ere is a perception, however, that Earth Day has become just another feel-good holiday, and activism considered appropriate only for extremists. Now, though, the larger message behind the Keystone protests—climate change—has brought civil

disobedience back to the people and invigorated a brand new group of environmentalists.

“� e August 2011 protest was one of the largest civil disobedience actions in history. People are fi red up on this issue”, stated Dan Kessler, spokesperson for 350.org—the world’s leading climate change organization. On February 17, 2013, more than 40,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C. to tell President Obama to move Forward on Climate, again.

Many of those participating in the White House protests worked actively for President Obama’s election—and re-election—but have become frustrated by an apparent lack of action toward climate goals.

When Kessler was asked if he thought there were signs of a lasting commitment by today’s activists to halt climate change, he replied: “Absolutely—there seems to be a long-term commitment to turning climate change around. People have a growing concern that climate change is here, and they are not going take it lying down. We lack only the political will. Voices against climate change will increase as the climate continues to change.”

Some members of Congress, state leadership, and the public want the pipeline to be approved. Senators led by Sens. John

Hoeven (R-ND) and Max Baucus (D-MT) introduced legislation in early March that would force approval of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. However, in a subsequent meeting with Republicans, Obama reminded them that the pipeline would benefi t Canada more than the United States, as the pipeline’s purpose is to deliver oil for export rather than US domestic use.

President Obama frequently invokes the importance of the conservation legacy of President Teddy Roosevelt. Climate change (and freedom from the tyranny of oil) may well be the environmental legacy of President Obama. A decision will be coming soon. It remains to be seen which side of history he will be on.

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

“Let’s be the generation that fi nally frees America from the tyranny of oil. Let’s be the generation that makes future

generations proud of what we did here.”

• The tar sands extraction processes uses vast amounts of energy and water, destroys and fragments sensitive boreal forests, causes signifi cant air and water pollution, and causes three times the global warming pollution of conventional crude production. Tar sands crude is also signifi cantly more toxic than traditional crude—the “dirtiest” of dirty oil.

• In contrast to supporters’ claims, the Keystone XL project will not lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil, but will transport Canadian oil to American refi neries for export to overseas markets.

• By draining Midwestern refi neries of cheap Canadian crude into export-oriented refi neries in the Gulf Coast, Keystone XL could actually increase the cost of gas for Americans.

Why Oppose Keystone?

- Barack Obama, the day he announced his candidency for President, February 10, 2007.


Carbon, Climate Change and Dr. Seuss?

Graph from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mauna_Loa_Carbon_Dioxide-en.svg

Richard Kreis Once upon a time, Dr. Seuss and Dr.

Seuss lived in the tiny village of La Jolla. Dr. Seuss was known to many children around the world for having written “Bartholomew and the Five Hundred Hats” and other stories, while Dr. Seuss was known to many scientists around the world for developing radio carbon dating and other scientifi c breakthroughs. Dr. Seuss complained, in a good-natured way, about always getting mail addressed to Dr. Seuss.

Dr. Seuss was a founding professor at UC San Diego and an important scientist at Scripps Institute, while Dr. Seuss was having his books made in to cartoon specials for TV. Dr. Seuss created stories that parents liked to read to their children, while Dr. Seuss was discovering everything there was to know about radioactive carbon. You probably already know a lot about Dr. Seuss, but you may not know much about Dr. Seuss. � ere are some interesting things to discover.

Dr. Seuss was interested in carbon, one of the building blocks of life. Mostly, he was interested in the carbon in carbon dioxide, an odorless, tasteless gas that makes up a tiny part of the air we breathe (0.039 percent by volume). It seems that as carbon dioxide (CO2) bounces around in the upper atmosphere, energy from the sun encourages some carbon (about 1.1 percent) to pick up an extra neutron. Added to the twelve neutrons carbon already has, it becomes a stable isotope called carbon-13 (or 13C to scientists). Some carbon (about 0.0000000001 percent, or one part per trillion) really gets sunburnt and picks up two extra neutrons. Carbon-14 (or 14C) isn’t too happy in this state and wants to throw off that extra neutron. It is an unstable isotope, which decays over time: Over 5,730 years (±40 years), about half the 14C decays. Over the next 5,730 years, half the remaining 14C is decayed, and so on until no 14C remains, after about 60,000 years. Dr. Seuss (with some help from his friends and graduate students) fi gured out how to measure these tiny amounts of 14C contained in plant material and calculate the age of a sample based on the rate of 14C radioactive decay.

As part of his research, Dr. Seuss noticed that

the amount of 14C in samples of organic materials that were growing recently was declining rapidly (right). At about the same time, Charles Keeling, an associate of Dr. Seuss at Scripps Institute, had just developed instruments to measure atmospheric CO2 very accurately. His measurements showed that the total amount of CO2 in the atmosphere was increasing every year (currently 390 ppm, up 100 ppm over the last 150 years, according to glacial ice core samples).

Scientists puzzled over the information in the “Keeling Curve” (below), showing ever greater amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere while at the same time observations made by Dr. Seuss (called the Seuss Eff ect) showed 14C was being

Jade Dragon Acupuncture

607 F. Street, Arcata jadedragonacupuncture.com

Phone: 707.822.4300 Fax: 707.822.4330

Community ClassOfferings for Spring

• HOLISTIC BUSINESS MARKETINGFRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2013 • 6:00-8:00 PM • $30Learn effective marketing and gain confidence to succeed!

• PRINCIPLES OF CHINESE MEDICINESATURDAY MAY 11, 2013 • 12:00-4:00 PM • $50Learn how our environment affects our health.

• MERIDIAN THEORY FOR BODYWORKERSSUNDAY MAY 12, 2013 • 12:00-4:00 PM • $80Enhance your understanding of meridian location and function.

• DAOIST HEALING SOUNDSWEDNESDAY MAY 15, 2013 • 6:00-8:00 PM • $30Learn healing sounds for each organ system as taught in China.

• 4 CLASS SERIES ON CHINESE HERBALISM TUESDAYS MAY 7, MAY 14, MAY 21, MAY 28 6-8:30 PM • $150This series will cover Daoist herbal uses and modern research.

Discount for those that would like to sign up for all classes!

Join Jessica Baker, LAc as she explores the foundations and

principles of Chinese Medicine.

April 17 - June 12Wed. Evenings, 7-9pm

Next to Humboldt Herbals in Eureka

Register Online or Call (707)442-8157

Dandelion Herbal CenterIntermediate Herbology with Jane Bothwell

www.dandelionherb.com [email protected]

Delve deeper into the healing power of plants

TOFU SHOP• Fresh • Locally-Made •

• Certified Organic •• Waste-Reduction Award Winner•

Look for Tofu Shop products in fine markets, delis, and restaurants.

www.TofuShop.com

A Tale of Two Seusses suppressed. � ey concluded that the source of the extra CO2 in the atmosphere must not have seen the light of day in over 60,000 years, because it contained no sunburned isotopes.

� ere are not many sources of ancient CO2. Volcanoes might be a source. Or Asteroids. It could be from mammoth burps of methane released from the frozen depths of the ocean or from melting tundra. But, there haven’t been that many volcanoes over the last couple of centuries, and no asteroid strikes or reports of belching oceans. � e burning of fossil fuels is the remaining likely culprit.

� is lead scientists to conclude “with a very high level of certainty,” according to the late climatologist Stephan Schneider, that the coal and oil burned to power our cities and industries is the source of the rising concentration of carbon dioxide that is causing the climate to warm.

Richard Kreis is a member of the NEC Board, representing the North Group of the Sierra Club.

suess?


Carbon, Climate Change and Dr. Seuss?

Graph from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mauna_Loa_Carbon_Dioxide-en.svg

Richard Kreis Once upon a time, Dr. Seuss and Dr.

Seuss lived in the tiny village of La Jolla. Dr. Seuss was known to many children around the world for having written “Bartholomew and the Five Hundred Hats” and other stories, while Dr. Seuss was known to many scientists around the world for developing radio carbon dating and other scientifi c breakthroughs. Dr. Seuss complained, in a good-natured way, about always getting mail addressed to Dr. Seuss.

Dr. Seuss was a founding professor at UC San Diego and an important scientist at Scripps Institute, while Dr. Seuss was having his books made in to cartoon specials for TV. Dr. Seuss created stories that parents liked to read to their children, while Dr. Seuss was discovering everything there was to know about radioactive carbon. You probably already know a lot about Dr. Seuss, but you may not know much about Dr. Seuss. � ere are some interesting things to discover.

Dr. Seuss was interested in carbon, one of the building blocks of life. Mostly, he was interested in the carbon in carbon dioxide, an odorless, tasteless gas that makes up a tiny part of the air we breathe (0.039 percent by volume). It seems that as carbon dioxide (CO2) bounces around in the upper atmosphere, energy from the sun encourages some carbon (about 1.1 percent) to pick up an extra neutron. Added to the twelve neutrons carbon already has, it becomes a stable isotope called carbon-13 (or 13C to scientists). Some carbon (about 0.0000000001 percent, or one part per trillion) really gets sunburnt and picks up two extra neutrons. Carbon-14 (or 14C) isn’t too happy in this state and wants to throw off that extra neutron. It is an unstable isotope, which decays over time: Over 5,730 years (±40 years), about half the 14C decays. Over the next 5,730 years, half the remaining 14C is decayed, and so on until no 14C remains, after about 60,000 years. Dr. Seuss (with some help from his friends and graduate students) fi gured out how to measure these tiny amounts of 14C contained in plant material and calculate the age of a sample based on the rate of 14C radioactive decay.

As part of his research, Dr. Seuss noticed that

the amount of 14C in samples of organic materials that were growing recently was declining rapidly (right). At about the same time, Charles Keeling, an associate of Dr. Seuss at Scripps Institute, had just developed instruments to measure atmospheric CO2 very accurately. His measurements showed that the total amount of CO2 in the atmosphere was increasing every year (currently 390 ppm, up 100 ppm over the last 150 years, according to glacial ice core samples).

Scientists puzzled over the information in the “Keeling Curve” (below), showing ever greater amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere while at the same time observations made by Dr. Seuss (called the Seuss Eff ect) showed 14C was being

Jade Dragon Acupuncture

607 F. Street, Arcata jadedragonacupuncture.com

Phone: 707.822.4300 Fax: 707.822.4330

Community ClassOfferings for Spring

• HOLISTIC BUSINESS MARKETINGFRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2013 • 6:00-8:00 PM • $30Learn effective marketing and gain confidence to succeed!

• PRINCIPLES OF CHINESE MEDICINESATURDAY MAY 11, 2013 • 12:00-4:00 PM • $50Learn how our environment affects our health.

• MERIDIAN THEORY FOR BODYWORKERSSUNDAY MAY 12, 2013 • 12:00-4:00 PM • $80Enhance your understanding of meridian location and function.

• DAOIST HEALING SOUNDSWEDNESDAY MAY 15, 2013 • 6:00-8:00 PM • $30Learn healing sounds for each organ system as taught in China.

• 4 CLASS SERIES ON CHINESE HERBALISM TUESDAYS MAY 7, MAY 14, MAY 21, MAY 28 6-8:30 PM • $150This series will cover Daoist herbal uses and modern research.

Discount for those that would like to sign up for all classes!

Join Jessica Baker, LAc as she explores the foundations and

principles of Chinese Medicine.

April 17 - June 12Wed. Evenings, 7-9pm

Next to Humboldt Herbals in Eureka

Register Online or Call (707)442-8157

Dandelion Herbal CenterIntermediate Herbology with Jane Bothwell

www.dandelionherb.com [email protected]

Delve deeper into the healing power of plants

TOFU SHOP• Fresh • Locally-Made •

• Certified Organic •• Waste-Reduction Award Winner•

Look for Tofu Shop products in fine markets, delis, and restaurants.

www.TofuShop.com

A Tale of Two Seusses suppressed. � ey concluded that the source of the extra CO2 in the atmosphere must not have seen the light of day in over 60,000 years, because it contained no sunburned isotopes.

� ere are not many sources of ancient CO2. Volcanoes might be a source. Or Asteroids. It could be from mammoth burps of methane released from the frozen depths of the ocean or from melting tundra. But, there haven’t been that many volcanoes over the last couple of centuries, and no asteroid strikes or reports of belching oceans. � e burning of fossil fuels is the remaining likely culprit.

� is lead scientists to conclude “with a very high level of certainty,” according to the late climatologist Stephan Schneider, that the coal and oil burned to power our cities and industries is the source of the rising concentration of carbon dioxide that is causing the climate to warm.

Richard Kreis is a member of the NEC Board, representing the North Group of the Sierra Club.

It’s Not Too Late to Plan Your Spring Garden

Preparing terraces for a new garden area. Photo courtesty High Tide Permaculture.

Humboldt County’s fi rst creative reuse center SCRAP Humboldt, opened their doors on April 3, and will celebrate during Arts! Arcata on Friday April 12. From 6 to 8 p.m., the public is invited to explore the exciting treasure trove of creative materials and super reuse inspiration. SCRAP is chock full of fabric, notions, yarn, paints, architectural samples and a huge variety of creative supplies—all at about one quarter of retail prices.

� e School Community Reuse Action Project (SCRAP) Director Tibora Girczyc-Blum reported, “We make unique materials available to teachers, artists, parents, crafters and everyone who loves creative projects. And the prices are so low, a family of four can get enough art supplies for an afternoon of crafting for less than $5.”

At SCRAP, being creative means being kind to the environment. SCRAP diverts usable materials from the waste stream, educates people about creative reuse and provides inexpensive art, craft and offi ce supplies to the community. � e new space on South H Street in Arcata is large enough to accept donations, off er retail of those materials, and host creative reuse focused classes and workshops. SCRAP will bring back the fabulous Re:Boutique – a unique collection of jewelry and gift items created from a minimum of 75% reused material. � e Grand Opening will feature the repurposed artwork of Karen Kintz, a Humboldt State University alumnus.

SCRAP is located at 101 South H Street, Suite D in Arcata. Regular hours begin Wednesday, April 3. Open hours will be Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

SCRAP Humboldt also can be found online at www.scraphumboldt.org or fi nd them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SCRAPHumboldt.

Creative Reuse Center Now Open!

Dan Equinoss

My grandmother’s garden just outside her kitchen was my favorite place to play when I was young. I remember the smell. It was pleasant and warm. � e sounds were a mix of buzzing and clanking and humming. I didn’t know it then, but I know it now: my grandma was ‘permy’.

Permaculture has become quite the trend in the home DIY world; however, it’s not a new phenomenon. An herb garden, for example, set in close proximity to the kitchen on the warm south side of the house with a variety of plants just makes sense. It’s permaculture in action. Permaculture is a thoughtful and intentional design process that takes some planning, but it’s not too late to design, or redesign, your spring garden!

� e design process begins with a site assessment. It’s easier than it sounds, and it ensures that the site will support the goals you establish. � e assessment should include a simple basemap that includes existing structures, sources of water, slope, shade and sun sectors (the areas and path throughout the day), and diff erentiated areas of use. (� e latter ensures that your garden isn’t placed in your kid’s favorite hole digging spot or where the dog relieves himself ). Make many copies of your completed basemap to create a multitude of design concepts. Location is everything in good garden design.

� e next step in the design process is to create a design plan. A good design plan is a very detailed step-by-step list that is focused on your goals set by your site assessment and guided by Permaculture design principles (www.permacultureprinciples.com/principles.php).

� ere is an inverse relationship between a design plan and a maintenance plan—the longer and more detailed the design plan, the simpler and less complicated the maintenance plan. Whether

it be pests, watering, weeding or the wrong variety of plants, the labors of garden maintenance can result in inadequate maintenance—the number one killer of gardens.

It’s also important to establish a timeline. Installing a garden or making major changes to an existing one doesn’t happen in a weekend. � at only leaves you exhausted come Monday, and the site neglected until you’ve fully rested your body and mind. A timeline ensures three things: 1. You don’t lose momentum, 2. You stick to the design plan, and 3. You reduce your costs.

� e last step is implementation of your design plans. For a descriptive example of the design and implementation process start to fi nish, please view the full version of this article on our website: www.yournec.org/permaculture/planning-spring-garden. Read all articles in our continuing series on permaculture at www.yournec.org/permaculture.

Dan Equinoss is owner of High Tide Permaculture.

6th & H Streets, Arcata • 826-2545Open Mon-Fri 10am-5:30pm, Sat 10am-5pm

G E T C R E A T I V E

Find great deals in our collections of

clothing and unique items


ADS

Caltrans proposes to turn the 101 Safety Corridor between Arcata and Eureka into a freeway—closing all but two of the crossings—with an overpass at Indianola Cuto� . In May, their permit application for the project will go before the Coastal Commission at a meeting in Marin County. The Coastal Commission rotates its meeting locations, and will be in Humboldt County in September. On March 21, Humboldt Baykeeper asked Caltrans to move the hearing date to September, but they refused.

We believe that this hearing should take place at a location where community members can be heard. This project has been in the works since 2001 and has been very controversial for a number of reasons. Holding this hearing over 250 miles away would eliminate most residents’ ability to participate. Postponing this hearing just a few months would allow the a� ected community to participate in a hearing in Eureka.

After 12 years, what’s four more months?

Take action! Sign Humboldt Baykeeper’s petition to Caltrans online. They will also share petition results with the Coastal Commission.

Comments Needed by April 9!

To sign the petition, visit: www.tinyurl.com/caltrans-101petition

Tell Caltrans: Move the 101 Corridor

Hearing to Eureka!

losbagels.comlosbagels.com

bagels & pastriesbagels & pastriesBaked fresh dailyBaked fresh daily

� e 1970 California Environmental Quality Act is an “environmental bill of rights” for all Californians, designed to ensure that people in every California community can understand how land use decisions will impact their communities and health, and can hold public agencies accountable to local and state environmental and land use laws.

Business interests are pushing hard in Sacramento to weaken California citizens’ ability to hold agencies and corporations accountable and prevent unnecessary harm to communities and the environment. At last count, 28 CEQA-related bills have been introduced this legislative session. � e Planning and Conservation League (PCL) is supporting 10 and opposing 11.

A wide coalition of more than 150 environmental, labor, and community groups has come together under the banner of the CEQA Works campaign to preserve and improve California’s landmark community and environmental protection laws, and prevent radical reforms that would limit public input on land use planning, threaten public health, and weaken environmental protections.

California State Senator Noreen Evans, who represents most of the North Coast in Sacramento, has stepped forward to lead the campaign in the State House, introducing two bills, SB 617 and 754, that will strengthen CEQA’s public participation,

improve environmental protections, and smooth the process of public review.

“California has a proud history of supporting the public’s right to know what developments are taking place in their communities and enacting protections to preserve their quality of life and the environment around them,” said Evans. “When private profi ts infringe on public well-being, we rely on CEQA for the ability to defend our homes and

our health.” “ S e n a t o r

E v a n s ’ p r o p o s a l s will enhance transparency and improve the integrity

of the environmental review process. � ese are the right kinds of CEQA changes for the legislature to consider,” said Sierra Club California Director Kathryn Phillips. “While it is a great relief to see Senator Steinberg and others turning away from proposals that would have essentially gutted this landmark environmental law, we do not plan to let our guard down now. Sierra Club and other leading conservation groups will continue to fi ght any radical changes to dismantle CEQA.”

You can help keep California’s environmental protection laws strong by sending a letter to your State Senator and Assembly Member urging him or her to stand up against eff orts to weaken California’s landmark environmental laws.

Visit CEQAWorks at www.ceqaworks.org for more information and to take action!

Developers Still Pushing to Weaken California’s Environmental Laws

Senator Evans Leading E� ort to Strengthen Environmental Protection


Godwit Days is a spring migration bird festival celebrating the Marbled Godwit and all birds of coastal redwoods, bays, marshes, and mudfl ats. � e Arcata Community Center serves as departure point for nearly all fi eldtrips and houses our Bird Fair. Choose from over 100 fi eld trips, lectures, workshops, and boat excursions. Pre- and post- festival trips can extend your experience from April 18-24. Advance registration is strongly recommended!

Something for Everyone

Trips range north to Del Norte, south to Shelter Cove, and inland to Willow Creek/Hoopa. Boat trips on rivers, lagoons, bays, and ocean range from 1-hour tours of Humboldt Bay, to half-day kayaking or rafting trips, to all-day ocean excursions. New for 2013: Shelter Cove, Lagoons/Davidson Road in Redwood National Park, wildlife-friendly Blue Lake organic farm, bird photography, and backyard wildlife.

Just for Kids (& Other Free Events)� e Festival off ers many free activities for

children, including:• Live birds of prey from Humboldt Wildlife Care Center• Displayed entries from the 10th Annual Student Bird Art Contest (sponsored by Friends of Arcata Marsh and Redwood Region Audubon)• Family nature craft activities Saturday 12:30- 3:30 p.m. (sponsored by FOAM)• A Bird Fair with commercial vendors and nonpro� t/government information booths.

Children are the focus of no-cost fi eld trips/workshops (preregistration required):

• Owl Pellet Dissection Workshop, Friday, 4-5 p.m.• Birding Field Trips, Sat. & Sun., 9:30-11:30 a.m.• Art Workshop, Saturday, noon-1 p.m.

18th Annual Godwit Days April 18-24 at the Arcata Community Center

SPRING MIGRATION BIRD FESTIVAL

1 8 T h A n n u a l

artw

ork

© 2

012

by P

atric

ia S

enno

tt

GODWIT DAYS

APR

IL 1

8-24

, 201

3

800-908-WING or 707-826-7050www.godwitdays.org

Arcata Community Center, Arcata, California

Keynote Speaker: Gary Langham, Audubon Chief Scientist

Printed by Times Printing Company

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

Robert Berg, D.D.S.

Godwit Days off ers free fi eld trips for ALL ages to Patricks Point, Arcata Marsh, Headwaters Forest, Humboldt Bay Refuge, Lanphere Dunes, Shay Park, South Spit, and Stone Lagoon (preregistration required).

Live Birds of PreyExperience a close

encounter with owls, hawks, and other raptors. Humboldt Wildlife Care Center will be on hand Friday (5-6:15 p.m.), Saturday (10 a.m.-5 p.m.), and Sunday (10 a.m.-3 p.m.).

Keynote & Opening Night

LecturesSaturday’s keynote

speaker, Dr. Gary Langham, is Audubon’s chief scientist. While at Audubon California, he helped develop a predictive GIS-based model that identifi es habitats and species at risk from climate change.

Free lectures on owls and California condors will follow Friday’s opening reception.

Godwit Goodies: Buy or Bid! Bid on silent auction items displayed in main

hall or purchase T-shirts featuring 2013 poster art by Patricia Sennott, baseball caps, visors, and knitted beanies.Registration & Important Information

On-site registration: Friday, April 19, 3-7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-noon.

Our website describes every fi eld trip, workshop, and lecture. Registration plans range from an $80 Value Package to a one-day $22 Basic registration (student registration half Basic rate, some events excluded). Drop in registration Saturday night to sign up for unfi lled fi eldtrips at cost of trip only.

www.godwitdays.org or (707)826-7050

Margaret GainerTwo years ago, Humboldt Waste Management

Authority (HWMA) caught many Humboldt residents by surprise when they decided to ship locally collected recyclable materials to Willits—resulting in the loss of 35 local jobs.

Following this unpopular decision, the HWMA recognized the need to establish policy guidance with active public participation, and embarked on an inclusive and thoughtful strategic planning process. HWMA established a public advisory group, Planning Advisory Committee, and new board members were appointed.

So far, the process has been successful in addressing the need for HWMA to transition from being a waste disposing (garbage) agency to a waste diversion agency.

Applying a community development approach to urban and rural integrated waste planning and management requires a signifi cant investment of staff and elected leaders' time. However, agencies that actively engage residents in their planning, decision-making, and programs—instead of pressing for the fastest and cheapest way to get things done—tend to fare better in the long run.

Zero Waste Humboldt (ZWH), with other concerned community groups and individuals, has urged HWMA to improve its transparency, to prepare its Board for informed decision-making, and to commit to a strategic planning process that involves the public. We applaud the progress and direction of this process to-date; however, there is still cause for concern.

� e recently released Preliminary Draft Plan (available for viewing on the HWMA Strategic Planning webpage) lacks a crucial implementation section. Without a blueprint for turning the strategic plans’ goals and policies into action, the plan could become just another shelf document.

ZWH publishes Action Alerts and quarterly bulletins to inform citizens of opportunities to share their views with local elected offi cials on policy proposals and actions aff ecting community waste prevention, reuse, recycling, and composting practices, and provide news about local zero waste initiatives. To subscribe, email [email protected].

Waste ManagementNeeds Participation


ADS

Kin to the Earth: Sandra CorcoranDan Ehresman

In this issue of EcoNews we wish to honor Sandra Corcoran, a long-standing community advocate and friend of the NEC. Sandra passed away on August 18, 2011. She was 73 years old.

In preparing to write this piece about a person who I am so grateful for, but who I did not personally know, I wanted to be sure to bring in stories from those who knew and loved her. It was a profound experience talking with many of Sandra’s friends and colleagues. Everyone I spoke with mentioned the breadth of Sandra’s interests and her devotion to building a better community.

Along with her interests in history, architecture, and politics, Sandra had a deep connection and devotion to the North Coast. Sandra deeply cared about open space and community planning as a means to create a better environment for all. She contributed signifi cantly to the well-being of our region and touched the lives of many. In Sandra’s own words, the perfect day would fi nd her “sitting in my garden, trees gently blowing in the wind, a cat in my lap, a dog at my feet, a book in my hand, laughter and good friends around me.”

In refl ecting on the life of her long-time friend, Liz Murguia spoke of Sandra’s many passions and gifts. Sandra was absolutely committed to the North Coast’s extraordinary landscape. Like many refugees from southern California, when Sandra moved here in the early 1970’s, she soon fell under the spell of the beauty around us. She cared about this community and believed in taking action to positively infl uence the world around her.

Sandra had political savvy and used it: from the early battles over the McKinleyville Community Plan and making sure that Central Avenue had meandering landscaped pathways; to supporting open space, parks, and trails. While she was still active, she was likely at every ribbon-cutting of another completed section of the Hammond Trail and believed the trails completed by Redwood Community Action Agency just simply made this

a better place to live. Sandra also embraced the work of the

California Conservation Corps and its mission with intensity. Liz commented on how much Sandra loved the opportunity it provided for young people and the opportunity to do some planting—she was always potting up red alders and any rampantly producing perennial in her garden to take it out to the CCC’s to plant.

Former California State Assembly member Dan Hauser voiced his gracious respect for Sandra and spoke of her being a great friend and ally for 14 years. Dan admired Sandra’s particular passion

for seniors and the poor. He applauded Sandra’s key role in the development of Eureka’s Multiple Assistance Center.

During her tenure as staff er for Hauser’s offi ce, Sandra was a key player in the fi ght to have the billboards removed along Highway 101 between Eureka and Arcata – she photographed each one, helped identify ownerships and quietly persisted over a number of years to have the most egregious removed. Dan refl ected that the billboard issue went back to his tenure on the Arcata City Council and that, with the support of the North Coast Railroad Authority, Sandra instigated the removal of over ten billboards in the railroad right-of-way. Sandra also supported eff orts to get the railroad up and running again and was passionate about cleaning up areas of chemical contamination along the neglected railroad in the Eel River canyon.

Former Arcata Mayor and NEC staff er Connie Stewart refl ected upon the signifi cant role Sandra played in her personal life and in local politics. Telling the story through laughter, Connie mused that Sandra was the fi rst person who tried to teach her how to drive. Connie voiced how much she appreciated Sandra as a mentor and that she took to calling her just to get her take on current events around the state. Sandra was so embedded in Democratic Party events that Connie still expects to fi nd her near the door greeting people as they arrive. Connie said Sandra was “always at the right place, at the right time, and always in good cheer! She was

such a loving soul and I miss her dearly every day!”Along with these gifts to the community,

and many others not spoken here, she also gave generously to the NEC—a gift for which we will be forever grateful. Sandra’s eff orts make uncompromisingly clear that each one of us can make a big diff erence in our world and this diff erence can outlive us many times over. Sandra is one of those remarkable souls who leave a legacy that lives on in projects completed in her time and, subsequently, through the work of others. She is a great spirit who will defi nitely be remembered and missed.

Commercial Printing, Design & Prepress

Bug X Press now available at bugpress.comfor simple no hassle web ordering

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

[email protected] • www.simplymacintosh.com

sales • service • solutions


Along with more high-profi le and

controversial cabinet vacancies and appointments (such as for Secretaries of State and Defense), President Obama must also tackle several key cabinet positions and agency heads that oversee conservation law and land management policy. � e nominees to head governmental agencies will be the advisors and deciders of most federal environmental issues that aff ect residents of the Northcoast through the remainder of President Obama’s term, but some appointments are being held up over issues of local interest to particular legislators.

Department of the Interior� e Department of the Interior is the lead

federal agency for conservation and federal land management in the United States. It includes agencies such U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and programs such as most of the Endangered Species Program, and surface and ocean mining. Interior manages just less than 500 million acres. REI Chief Executive Offi cer, Sally Jewell, was nominated by President Obama and recently confi rmed by the Senate to replace outgoing Sec. Salazar. Jewell’s background includes a wide range of experience—from engineering and banking related to petroleum production (she mentioned during her Senate confi rmation hearing, she has actually “fracked”), but also sits on the board for the National Parks and Conservation Association, a non-profi t friends group of the National Park Service, and has a history of supporting wilderness and traditional conservation policy.

Department of Commerce� e Department of Commerce includes

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that monitors weather and climate data, regulates the marine environment, oil spill clean-ups, tsunami debris recovery and oversees protection of marine mammals, fi sheries and endangered marine and migratory species such as sea turtles, salmon, and sturgeon. Acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank, the third during the Obama administration, announced she is stepping down. At the time of printing, no nominee had yet been announced.

Department of EnergyPresident Obama has nominated

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) physics professor Ernie Moniz to head the Energy Department. On one hand, Mr. Moniz has been a strong supporter of funding research to reduce carbon in the atmosphere to slow climate change. However, there is a level of uncertainty regarding his position on fracking and MIT research that has been funded by large oil companies that would benefi t from favorable results. As Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune stated “We would stress to Mr. Moniz that an ‘all of the above’ energy policy only means ‘more of the same,’ and we urge him to leave dangerous nuclear energy and toxic fracking behind while focusing on safe, clean energy sources like wind and solar.”

Environmental Protection AgencyGina McCarthy has been nominated to head

the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). McCarthy has an educational and administrative background in environmental public health, and is currently chief of air resources for EPA. She is known for her pragmatic views, honest talk and reliance on science and data to drive decisions, and has been a strong proponent of understanding and tackling problems of climate change. Some have speculated her nomination signals Obama’s determination to make good on his inaugural speech commitment to addressing climate change. But the Senate’s “climate-change denier in chief,” James Inhofe (R-OK), who sits on the committee that has to confi rm her, has said he cannot accept her nomination. “Anyone who is nominated by this president is not going to be acceptable to anyone in this room, including me,” he said. In addition, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) indicated he is delaying her nomination over EPA’s missed deadline for a draft environmental impact statement for fl ood projects in his home state.

EyeonWashington

Prospects are not looking good for those seeking summer employment at Redwood National Park, or any National Park. Each park must determine their own course, but Steve Prokop, the new superintendent of Redwood National Park, is required to cut $441,000 from the park budget for the remainder of the year. Lassen Volcanic National Park’s superintendent Darlene Koontz will need to fi nd a way to cut $263,000 and Superintendent Jim Milestone at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area will lose $216,000 from his budget, both of which are much smaller to begin with. An additional 1% cut is recommended by conservation-friendly Senate Appropriations. Parks, their visitors, and programs that parks use to protect vulnerable habitats and species—such as monitoring—are again getting the short end of the budget stick.

� e Department of Agriculture’s budget cuts are even deeper—a proposed 2.5% additional cut on top of the 5% required by the sequester’s automatic budget cuts. � is will not be the year to see additional staff to handle requests by the public for forest management or public input. � e House of Representatives has, however, suggested the wildland fi re management budget be retained at higher levels, for now—along with the Department of Defense.

� ese cuts are on top of prior recent budget cuts and the increased cost of just doing business, such as utility costs or fuel expenses that hit business as hard as individuals. In addition, federal employee salaries have been frozen for years now—not unlike many of our own personal salaries.

We will continue to hear calls for cutting the budget of federal conservation programs and calls for increased revenue, but let’s face it—under all the politics this is really the result of the tanking that began years ago, as we realized the housing market and loans were unsustainable, and the fact that we are stuck in an ongoing war. We need only to go back and look at sudden reductions in our incomes and investments in 2007 to see what created this budget mess. Congress, however, has the discretion to determine who takes the most cuts, and right now, enforcing environmental regulations and protecting our public lands are taking a greater share of budget cuts.Dan Sealy is the NEC’s Legislative Analyst—our eyes (and ears) in Washington, D.C.

1. Fruit Basket Upset 11. Budget Conundrum

Humboldt’s Advocate for Transportation Choices

www.green-wheels.org

In the early years of American history, our country was blessed with a great abundance of fi sh, wildlife and other creatures that both sustained our growing population, and fi lled us with a sense of wonder. Lewis and Clark reported to our young Eastern country about the diverse and abundant wildlife in the west, and nearly everyone thought it was inexhaustible. As the years rolled by, however, we found that our excesses, in both hunting and development, resulted in depletion of the vast numbers of buff alo, salmon, waterfowl, and many other species we took for granted—to the point where we began to drive species toward extinction. � e bald eagle, our national symbol, is a prime example.

In 1973 two Congressmen, Pete McCloskey (R-California) and John Dingell (D-Michigan) introduced legislation, the Endangered Species

Act (ESA), which created a multi-faceted approach to preventing American wildlife from going extinct—fi rst by identifi cation of species at risk (listing). Additionally, we must take action to recover them to self sustaining levels (recovery). Lastly, a part of the law designates land needed for survival (critical habitat)—a place they can call home. � is was the fi rst time in world history that a conscious decision to protect wildlife would be backed by a federal law. After near unanimous support in Congress, President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law.

2013 is the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. Here in California we have the second longest list of threatened and endangered species in the U.S. Our state has many success stories since 1973—the California gray whale, southern sea otter, bald eagle, California condor, least tern, peninsula desert bighorn sheep, Aleutian goose, and many others. At times, protecting our wildlife heritage can be costly and/or inconvenient, but the Endangered Species Act makes us think before we act. Could the impacts of our actions result in extinction? If the answer is yes, we have to fi nd other ways of acting.

It is considered an American value to respect and protect our outdoor heritage, and its inhabitants. Most citizens are willing to “go the extra mile” to make sure all creatures have a place

to live. Beautiful art, life saving medicines, vibrant color schemes, new visions in architecture, and hundreds of new creations have origins traceable to nature and her creatures. � e vibrant color in the hummingbird, the colorful spots in the California tiger salamander, the majestic fl ight of the bald eagle—all are part of this wonderful place we call home. America. California.

As President Nixon acknowledged when signing the Endangered Species Act into law,

“Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature lovers alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as Americans. I congratulate the 93rd Congress for taking this important step toward protecting a heritage which we hold in trust to countless future generations of

our fellow citizens. � eir lives will be richer, and America will be more beautiful in the years ahead, thanks to the measure that I have the pleasure of signing into law today.”

� is is a time to refl ect on our love for our region’s vibrant and diverse wildlife, and the open spaces they live in. We should be proud of the Endangered Species Act, and the

protections it provides, so we can pass this wildlife heritage on to our children and grandchildren. Let’s celebrate our collective wisdom for having a law that protects all Nature’s creatures, and helps to preserve a living environment that sustains us all. Happy Birthday to the Endangered Species Act!Dr. Mark Rockwell, D.C. is the California organizer and coordinator for the Endangered Species Coalition.

"Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our

country has been blessed". -Richard Nixon

Top - Bald eagle, California tiger salamander. Above - Black-footed ferret, steelhead, San Joaquin kit fox, California condor. Photos: US Fish & Wildlife Service, except steelhead by Mark Rockwell.

May 17 is Endangered Species Day!

Celebrating 40 years of A Great AmericaN Law

visit www.fws.gov/endangered/ESA40/

Celebrating 40 years of A Great AmericaN Law


Join us for

Coastal Currentsevery Wednesday at noon on KHUM, 104.3 and 104.7

Jennifer Kalt

� e Obama Administration proposes expansion of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary to Pt. Arena, and Humboldt Baykeeper and others are calling for the Sanctuary to be extended to the Oregon border. We support the expansion to Pt. Arena, but believe it should be further expanded to encompass the coastal waters of Humboldt, Mendocino, and Del Norte Counties.

National Marine Sanctuary status is all good with nothing bad—it would ban off shore oil drilling and would not change fi shing regulations. Since the 27-year Congressional moratorium on oil and gas drilling off the coast expired in 2008, our coast is vulnerable.

Our four submarine canyons—Trinity, Eel, Mendocino, and Gorda—are areas of consistent upwelling that result in extraordinarily high productivity, supporting a tremendous diversity of marine species, including endangered salmon and steelhead, sturgeon, gray whales, great white sharks, orcas, and leatherback turtles, to name a few.

California’s coastal waters are interconnected and interdependent. Marine mammals, fi shes, and seabirds migrate along the California coast and beyond. Plankton and invertebrates, upon which all marine life depends, are similarly not confi ned to small regions. And pollution in waters north of the existing sanctuaries is carried south by the prevailing surface currents.

� reats to ocean health include chronic pollution from multiple sources, sedimentation, releases of farmed salmon, and loss of coastal wetlands. Anadromous species are further impacted by dams, logging, agriculture, urbanization, and polluted runoff . A permanent ban on off shore oil drilling and exploration would eliminate one of the many threats to our oceans.

For more information, visit http://farallones.noaa.gov/manage/northern_area.html or go to our “Advocacy in Action” page at www.humboldtbaykeeper.org.

Stay tuned for the Sanctuary expansion Draft Environmental Impact Statement in Nov. 2013. To receive updates, email us at [email protected].

National Marine Sanctuary for

the North Coast

CEQA: A Local Example

Jessica Hall

� e California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is under attack. Developers, polluters, and property-rights advocates want to weaken the public’s ability to weigh in on projects that impact California’s environmental health, habitat, visual quality, and overall quality of life. Public oversight is the heart of the CEQA process—through CEQA review, government agencies publicly share their assessment of proposed projects, and open the discussion for public comment. Statewide, as well as locally, public comment plays a critical role in improving the quality of projects.

Here on Humboldt Bay, aquatic habitat is becoming cleaner thanks to CEQA. Readers probably know that the Bay is contaminated with dioxins, furans, and PCBs, all highly carcinogenic substances that bind to the Bay’s sediments. Wildlife and people are vulnerable to signifi cant health risks through the consumption of bottom feeders and plants in areas with these toxins – and anyone eating this wildlife, including shellfi sh, could also be impacted. So when the Harbor District released its Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration—part of the CEQA process—for cleaning up the former G&R Metals site along the Eureka waterfront, we were able to successfully engage through the public comment process to make sure that testing and cleanup of dioxin in Bay sediments within the property was included in the plan.

Because the known uses of the property hadn’t included the usual suspects for dioxin contamination, agencies hadn’t required dioxin sampling. We shared data from previous testing at the site that showed dioxin detections in Bay sediments there, demonstrating the potential hazard to wildlife and consumers of wildlife. � e Harbor District agreed and required mitigation measures to include this new information. You may see the cleanup in action—the G&R Metals site is located along 1st Street between F and I Streets. � e upland areas have been remediated; the Bay sediments will likely be remediated this summer. When the site is redeveloped – be it for industrial, commercial, mixed-use, or open space—it will be a healthier place for all.

It’s not always so smooth a process. � e Harbor District’s staff understands environmental

Starting in early May, Humboldt Baykeeper off ers free, natural history tours of the North Humboldt Bay most weekends through October. � ese tours provide an excellent opportunity for small groups to see seals, points of historic interest, birds and much more. � e Baykeeper, a 25-foot Boston Whaler, fi ts fi ve participants for hour-long adventures and children age two or older are welcome. Call (707) 268-8897 for reservations and information. Tours fi ll up quickly so call ahead to make your reservation.

� ank you to Humboldt Area Foundation’s Humboldt Bay Recreation Enhancement and Water Quality Fund and Archie Bernardi Memorial Fund for fi nancial support of this community boat tour program.

Explore the Bay with Humboldt Baykeeper

issues and public processes; their professional sophistication led to a straightforward process and conclusion. Business interests who frequently object to CEQA are often inadequately educated about the process and its requirements, or simply have objectives that confl ict with community goals. And this is when public input is most needed.

So when you hear that CEQA’s the problem, consider the source. What they are really saying is they want to limit your right and ability to weigh in on the projects that will aff ect your community and quality of life. And if they succeed in weakening CEQA, we’re the ones who lose.

Scott Greacen

Our last column discussed the series of maneuvers the North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA) has used to avoid trial over its failure to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). (CEQA Key to Holding Railroad Authority Accountable, Feb/Mar 2013 EcoNews). Unfortunately, NCRA’s maneuvering to escape environmental accountability does not appear to be ending anytime soon.

In July of 2011, Californians for Alternatives to Toxics (CATs) and Friends of the Eel River (FOER) brought legal challenges in California state court against the NCRA, after their Environmental Impact Report (EIR) failed to identify and mitigate the signifi cant environmental harms that could be caused by rebuilding the failed rail line on the cheap—particularly in the beautiful but unstable Eel River Canyon.

But over the last couple of months, the NCRA and their codefendant, the Northwestern Pacifi c Co. (NWP Co.), have come up with two more gambits to avoid trial in the case.

First, NWP Co. brought another ‘extraordinary appeal’ (so called because they are taken out of normal sequence). � e Court of Appeals’ summary denial of NWP Co.’s appeal suggests the higher court takes seriously the district court’s concern that the NCRA and NWP Co. have tried to play “fast and loose with the courts.” � e First District Court of Appeals wrote “(u)nder the unique circumstances of this case, the court declines to intervene,” rejecting the NWP Co.’s claim it and the NCRA are preempted from being held to their promises to comply with CEQA.

� e second move, announced in a hearing on March 21, by NCRA counsel, Ukiah attorney Chris Neary, underscores how desperate the NCRA and NWP Co. are to avoid trial. Neary announced “that on April 10, 2013, the NCRA will consider whether to rescind the approval that is challenged in this action. If the Board votes to rescind the approval, NCRA will move to dismiss this action as moot.”

Neary’s fi lings point to a March 13, 2013

letter from NWP Co. general counsel and investor Doug Bosco demanding NCRA rescind its project approval and certifi cation of the EIR, claiming “NCRA was under no legal obligation to prepare an EIR.”

Now one of the publishers of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Bosco is a Democratic Party kingmaker who helped fund Jerry Brown’s successful campaign to return to the Governor’s offi ce. A former Democratic Congressman, Bosco was defeated in 1990 by Republican Frank Riggs. NCRA Executive Director Mitch Stogner served as Bosco’s chief of staff in Washington, D.C. and in the California Assembly.

� e NCRA awarded NWP Co. a lease that could give the company control of the line for more than a century without paying a cent to the public. After the NCRA—with Bosco’s help—obtained

more than $3 million in California taxpayer funds to address the potentially signifi cant environmental impacts of rebuilding the rail line, the NCRA and NWP Co. argued the EIR cannot be reviewed by California courts.

In defending its failure to look at impacts on the Eel River and its fi sheries, the NCRA has suggested it has no plans to enter the unstable canyon. But the NCRA and NWP Co.’s repeated statements and actions show the opposite is true. Both the agency and the company remain committed to the vision of rebuilding the entire rail line from Humboldt Bay through the Eel River canyon, down through Willits and Ukiah to Windsor, the northernmost portion of the line that has been made operable to date.

Recent examples that indicate this intent are particularly telling. In February, NWP Co. President John Williams demanded the NCRA board reject a fi sh passage restoration project at Woodman Creek until CalTrout—the project’s sponsor—not only fi gures out how to restore steelhead access that the railroad blocked a century ago, but also comes up with $7-10 million for a new bridge for the NWP Co.

� e mouth of Woodman Creek is about fi ve miles north of Dos Rios in the Eel River Canyon, and is immediately downstream from one of many failed tunnels on the line. � is requested new bridge would be a bridge

to and from nowhere—unless the NCRA and NWP Co. are in fact planning to rebuild the rail line through the canyon. � e board duly refused to support the project, which may well have cost CalTrout its chance at funding—despite having been informed that this is the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s highest priority fi sh passage project in the region.

� e move to dump the EIR supports our theory that the NCRA does intend to reopen the Eel River Canyon using the cheapest methods possible. NCRA Executive Director Stogner off ered further confi rmation in an interview published March 15 in the Pacifi c Sun. “As soon as funds are available and we can make the requisite repairs, we will do so.” Scott Greacen is Executive Director of Friends of the Eel River.

� e North Coast Railroad Authority Goes RogueWill the NC� bail out entirely on environmental accountability?

The tunnel immediately south of the Woodman Creek crossing has collapsed and been partially � lled by one of many landslides exacerbated by the defunct rail line in the Eel River canyon. Photo: Scott Greacen.


Scott Greacen

Our last column discussed the series of maneuvers the North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA) has used to avoid trial over its failure to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). (CEQA Key to Holding Railroad Authority Accountable, Feb/Mar 2013 EcoNews). Unfortunately, NCRA’s maneuvering to escape environmental accountability does not appear to be ending anytime soon.

In July of 2011, Californians for Alternatives to Toxics (CATs) and Friends of the Eel River (FOER) brought legal challenges in California state court against the NCRA, after their Environmental Impact Report (EIR) failed to identify and mitigate the signifi cant environmental harms that could be caused by rebuilding the failed rail line on the cheap—particularly in the beautiful but unstable Eel River Canyon.

But over the last couple of months, the NCRA and their codefendant, the Northwestern Pacifi c Co. (NWP Co.), have come up with two more gambits to avoid trial in the case.

First, NWP Co. brought another ‘extraordinary appeal’ (so called because they are taken out of normal sequence). � e Court of Appeals’ summary denial of NWP Co.’s appeal suggests the higher court takes seriously the district court’s concern that the NCRA and NWP Co. have tried to play “fast and loose with the courts.” � e First District Court of Appeals wrote “(u)nder the unique circumstances of this case, the court declines to intervene,” rejecting the NWP Co.’s claim it and the NCRA are preempted from being held to their promises to comply with CEQA.

� e second move, announced in a hearing on March 21, by NCRA counsel, Ukiah attorney Chris Neary, underscores how desperate the NCRA and NWP Co. are to avoid trial. Neary announced “that on April 10, 2013, the NCRA will consider whether to rescind the approval that is challenged in this action. If the Board votes to rescind the approval, NCRA will move to dismiss this action as moot.”

Neary’s fi lings point to a March 13, 2013

letter from NWP Co. general counsel and investor Doug Bosco demanding NCRA rescind its project approval and certifi cation of the EIR, claiming “NCRA was under no legal obligation to prepare an EIR.”

Now one of the publishers of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Bosco is a Democratic Party kingmaker who helped fund Jerry Brown’s successful campaign to return to the Governor’s offi ce. A former Democratic Congressman, Bosco was defeated in 1990 by Republican Frank Riggs. NCRA Executive Director Mitch Stogner served as Bosco’s chief of staff in Washington, D.C. and in the California Assembly.

� e NCRA awarded NWP Co. a lease that could give the company control of the line for more than a century without paying a cent to the public. After the NCRA—with Bosco’s help—obtained

more than $3 million in California taxpayer funds to address the potentially signifi cant environmental impacts of rebuilding the rail line, the NCRA and NWP Co. argued the EIR cannot be reviewed by California courts.

In defending its failure to look at impacts on the Eel River and its fi sheries, the NCRA has suggested it has no plans to enter the unstable canyon. But the NCRA and NWP Co.’s repeated statements and actions show the opposite is true. Both the agency and the company remain committed to the vision of rebuilding the entire rail line from Humboldt Bay through the Eel River canyon, down through Willits and Ukiah to Windsor, the northernmost portion of the line that has been made operable to date.

Recent examples that indicate this intent are particularly telling. In February, NWP Co. President John Williams demanded the NCRA board reject a fi sh passage restoration project at Woodman Creek until CalTrout—the project’s sponsor—not only fi gures out how to restore steelhead access that the railroad blocked a century ago, but also comes up with $7-10 million for a new bridge for the NWP Co.

� e mouth of Woodman Creek is about fi ve miles north of Dos Rios in the Eel River Canyon, and is immediately downstream from one of many failed tunnels on the line. � is requested new bridge would be a bridge

to and from nowhere—unless the NCRA and NWP Co. are in fact planning to rebuild the rail line through the canyon. � e board duly refused to support the project, which may well have cost CalTrout its chance at funding—despite having been informed that this is the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s highest priority fi sh passage project in the region.

� e move to dump the EIR supports our theory that the NCRA does intend to reopen the Eel River Canyon using the cheapest methods possible. NCRA Executive Director Stogner off ered further confi rmation in an interview published March 15 in the Pacifi c Sun. “As soon as funds are available and we can make the requisite repairs, we will do so.” Scott Greacen is Executive Director of Friends of the Eel River.

� e North Coast Railroad Authority Goes RogueWill the NC� bail out entirely on environmental accountability?

The tunnel immediately south of the Woodman Creek crossing has collapsed and been partially � lled by one of many landslides exacerbated by the defunct rail line in the Eel River canyon. Photo: Scott Greacen.


� e objectives and purpose of the Mattole Restoration Council are the protection and restoration of natural systems in the Mattole River Watershed and their maintenance at sustainable levels of health and productivity,

especially in regards to forests, fi sheries, soil, and other native plant and animal communities. www.mattole.org 707-629-3514 [email protected]

� e Mattole watershed in Humboldt County is projected to be one of the places in the world least aff ected by the direct forces of climate change, according to current models. However, we too are experiencing shifts in patterns such as more intense storms in the winter, and a longer, drier summer season. Both are conditions that climate models predict will get worse in coming years.

� ese changes, combined with the Mattole’s inherent sensitivities, inspire questions about the sustainability of our rural communities. Intense storms on areas of unstable geology have compounded existing issues with the maintainance of our road system. Longer dry seasons and altered fuel loads are leading to skyrocketing costs for fi re suppression—particularly in and around homesteads and communities. � e loss of our access roads to larger population centers and the promise of more intense wildfi re are both real threats to rural communities. � ese threats might push us, however, to be better stewards of the land and to achieve greater sustainability on a very local level.

In much of the Mattole, the most eff ective climate adaptation strategies are stewardship projects completed by residents themselves. � ese homestead scale solutions will complement and enhance strategies being employed by local organizations described in detail in our March/April issue of Forest and River News.

� e most basic strategy local residents can pursue is to prepare for natural disasters. Road closure from intense winter rains will become more frequent and longer lasting. Residents should ensure adequate supplies are stored to survive the isolation that will result from heavy rainfall and intense fl oods.

In the Mattole—and in fact all communities—climate adaptation should include increasing local food production. Food storage strategies are good, but are invariably temporary solutions. A focus on increasing food production capacity is better for long-term adaptation. Residents can

Living on the Land in a Changing Climate

Hezekiah Allen

help achieve this goal by growing food or—equally as important—by supporting those who do by choosing local food options whenever possible.

Additionally, an emphasis on local food capacity will help to reduce the carbon footprint of living in rural communities.

Much of our local food comes from farms that depend on water. As the dry season gets longer and more intense, water will become scarcer. In some parts of the Mattole, creeks already dry out in the summer—stranding and killing fi sh and negatively impacting all water users.

In order to ensure that crops are secure and streams are healthy, it is imperative that communities focus signifi cant attention to increasing water storage. Meeting the water storage needs for a dry season will be challenging, but implementing water conservation projects can help ensure every drop is used eff ectively, as can techniques such as dry farming and applying permaculture principles.

Well-built and maintained roads (along with properly sized culverts) are more resilient to fl oods and intense rain, protect aquatic habitat and improve access. Large road projects require planning and heavy equipment, but a lot can be achieved with simple hand tools and regular

Landslide near a road in Honeydew. Photo: Mattole Restoration Council.

maintenance. Where appropriate, check dams can be used to slow run-off and—coupled with swales—help to increase groundwater infi ltration.

All landowners and residents must take responsibility for making their homes fi re safe. Fuel reduction, water storage, and safe access to and from your home are critical to survival in longer, hotter dry seasons. A century of fi re suppression and decades of clear-cut logging have led to dense forests with a very high risk of catastrophic wildfi re. A hotter and longer dry season will only exacerbate these conditions.

� inning and limbing trees around homesteads and along roads can make forests and homes less vulnerable to severe wildfi re. � e best tool to prevent catastrophic, high intensity fi res and restoring forest health is frequent, low intensity fi res.

While we can (and should!) take strides to prepare for disasters, be more self reliant, store water, maintain our infrastructure, and reduce fi re danger, ultimately we must be prepared for the unexpected. Climate change modeling is an uncertain science. � e overarching strategy for helping our communities adapt to climate change is strengthening our relationships with our friends and neighbors.

Homestead climate change adaptation strategies

Natalynne Delapp

Our second annual Spring Gala event on April 15 promises to please, with two great knee-slapping dance bands, gourmet comfort-food dinner, silent art auction, specialty cocktails, the ever-delightful Humboldt Fire Girls serving it all up, along with special guest dance performers Circus of � e Elements, and more. � e Arcata Community Center is where all the fun and magic will take place and is once again being transformed, this time taking you back to the good-ole days of the classic Americana Era.

Petunia and the Vipers is Americana roots music at its best, blending sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rock and roll and bluegrass! Sour Mash Hug Band is a modern day

Jug band with a twist, an irresistible mix of old-time, gypsy, bluegrass, jazz, Irish, and ragtime.

Doors open for the concert at 8pm, with beer, wine & specialty cocktails being served by the Humboldt Fire Girls as well as special guest dance performers.

Dinner, a New Orleans style feast, with a delicious andouille sausage & shrimp jambalaya, braised collard greens, corn bread muffi ns, organic salad, and delicious hors d’oeuvres servedfrom 6-8 p.m. Dinner tickets are $40.00 and includes dinner, a drink, and the concert.

All proceeds from the evening benefi t the Environmental Protection Information Center-EPIC. EPIC works to restore and protect ancient forests, watersheds, coastal estuaries, and endangered species in Northwest California.

Music tickets are $15 in advance for general admission, $20 at the door.

Tickets may be purchased at Wildberries Marketplace, Redway Liquor, the EPIC Offi ce (145 G Street, Arcata), and online at www.WildCalifornia.org. Or scan the Quick Read code here:

� is event is sponsored by Circus of � e Elements and the Ink People Center for the Arts.

Andrew Orahoske

As we move into spring and celebrate the blossoming of fl owers and return of vibrant life in our region, Northern Spotted Owl pairs are beginning their yearly nesting endeavors. � is year, owls have some things to be happy about as two major initiatives advance in EPIC’s Spotted Owl

Self-defense Campaign.First, the EPIC

petition to list the Northern Spotted Owl under the California Endangered Species Act that was fi led last September received a positive evaluation from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife

in February, recommending candidate listing and full status review. � e listing petition will now be heard by the California Fish and Game Commission on April 17th, and EPIC will be there to advocate on behalf of the owl.

It is now time for the State of California to recognize its duties, and based on the

overwhelming evidence, act swiftly to protect the Northern Spotted Owl.

Another major initiative in EPIC’s Spotted Owl Self-defense Campaign is reforming antiquated rules at the California Board of Forestry. On February 6, 2013, EPIC fi led a rule-making petition before the Board of Forestry to remove regulations that have resulted in harm to owls and signifi cant loss of owl habitat. Existing state regulations have allowed intensive logging of spotted owl habitat within known owl territories resulting in the abandonment and loss of hundreds of historic nesting sites. Updating state regulations to refl ect the most current scientifi c and regulatory guidance is necessary to conserve and recover owls and their habitat.

In addition, changing existing state regulations will also serve to streamline review and approval of timber harvest plans, and save valuable public resources. � anks to positive public comments and the participation of EPIC membership, on March 6 the Board voted to accept EPIC’s rulemaking petition and initiate a formal rulemaking process. Now we need the support of EPIC members and the public to ensure that the Board fi nalizes the rulemaking.

www.WildCalifornia.org

EPIC

Spotted Owl Self-Defense

Spott ens

Hoot OneContact the California

Fish and Game Commission and let them know that you support EPIC’s petition to list the Northern Spotted Owl under the California Endangered Species Act.

Scan the Quick Read code here or visit


Hoot TwoContact the Board of

Forestry and let them know that you support EPIC’s petition to remove outdated and harmful regulations that damage Northern Spotted Owl habitat.

Scan the Quick Read code here or visit


EPIC Spring Gala featuring Petunia and the Vipers

Give Two Hoots for Northern Spotted Owls

145 G Street, Suite A, Arcata, CA 95521 www.wildcalifornia.org (707) 822.7711 The Environmental Protection Information Center


� e objectives and purpose of the Mattole Restoration Council are the protection and restoration of natural systems in the Mattole River Watershed and their maintenance at sustainable levels of health and productivity,

especially in regards to forests, fi sheries, soil, and other native plant and animal communities. www.mattole.org 707-629-3514 [email protected]

� e Mattole watershed in Humboldt County is projected to be one of the places in the world least aff ected by the direct forces of climate change, according to current models. However, we too are experiencing shifts in patterns such as more intense storms in the winter, and a longer, drier summer season. Both are conditions that climate models predict will get worse in coming years.

� ese changes, combined with the Mattole’s inherent sensitivities, inspire questions about the sustainability of our rural communities. Intense storms on areas of unstable geology have compounded existing issues with the maintainance of our road system. Longer dry seasons and altered fuel loads are leading to skyrocketing costs for fi re suppression—particularly in and around homesteads and communities. � e loss of our access roads to larger population centers and the promise of more intense wildfi re are both real threats to rural communities. � ese threats might push us, however, to be better stewards of the land and to achieve greater sustainability on a very local level.

In much of the Mattole, the most eff ective climate adaptation strategies are stewardship projects completed by residents themselves. � ese homestead scale solutions will complement and enhance strategies being employed by local organizations described in detail in our March/April issue of Forest and River News.

� e most basic strategy local residents can pursue is to prepare for natural disasters. Road closure from intense winter rains will become more frequent and longer lasting. Residents should ensure adequate supplies are stored to survive the isolation that will result from heavy rainfall and intense fl oods.

In the Mattole—and in fact all communities—climate adaptation should include increasing local food production. Food storage strategies are good, but are invariably temporary solutions. A focus on increasing food production capacity is better for long-term adaptation. Residents can

Living on the Land in a Changing Climate

Hezekiah Allen

help achieve this goal by growing food or—equally as important—by supporting those who do by choosing local food options whenever possible.

Additionally, an emphasis on local food capacity will help to reduce the carbon footprint of living in rural communities.

Much of our local food comes from farms that depend on water. As the dry season gets longer and more intense, water will become scarcer. In some parts of the Mattole, creeks already dry out in the summer—stranding and killing fi sh and negatively impacting all water users.

In order to ensure that crops are secure and streams are healthy, it is imperative that communities focus signifi cant attention to increasing water storage. Meeting the water storage needs for a dry season will be challenging, but implementing water conservation projects can help ensure every drop is used eff ectively, as can techniques such as dry farming and applying permaculture principles.

Well-built and maintained roads (along with properly sized culverts) are more resilient to fl oods and intense rain, protect aquatic habitat and improve access. Large road projects require planning and heavy equipment, but a lot can be achieved with simple hand tools and regular

Landslide near a road in Honeydew. Photo: Mattole Restoration Council.

maintenance. Where appropriate, check dams can be used to slow run-off and—coupled with swales—help to increase groundwater infi ltration.

All landowners and residents must take responsibility for making their homes fi re safe. Fuel reduction, water storage, and safe access to and from your home are critical to survival in longer, hotter dry seasons. A century of fi re suppression and decades of clear-cut logging have led to dense forests with a very high risk of catastrophic wildfi re. A hotter and longer dry season will only exacerbate these conditions.

� inning and limbing trees around homesteads and along roads can make forests and homes less vulnerable to severe wildfi re. � e best tool to prevent catastrophic, high intensity fi res and restoring forest health is frequent, low intensity fi res.

While we can (and should!) take strides to prepare for disasters, be more self reliant, store water, maintain our infrastructure, and reduce fi re danger, ultimately we must be prepared for the unexpected. Climate change modeling is an uncertain science. � e overarching strategy for helping our communities adapt to climate change is strengthening our relationships with our friends and neighbors.

Homestead climate change adaptation strategies


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

Evening ProgramsSecond Wednesday evening, September through May. Refreshments at 7 p.m.; program at 7:30 p.m. at the Six Rivers Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Road, near 7th and Union, Arcata.Botanical FAQ’s: At 7:15 p.m. Pete Haggard (or another presenter) shares a brief, hands-on demonstration and discussion of a botanical topic.

HAPPENINGSPlease watch for later additions on our Web site (www.northcoastcnps.org) or sign up for e-mail announcements ([email protected])

Manila Community Center1611 Peninsula Drive, Manila

www.northcoastcnps.org • 707-826- 0259

Our 31st year!

...the North Coast celebration of wild California plants

MAY 3-4-5, 2013Fri.1-5 Sat.10-5 Sun.10-4(plant sale Sat. & Sun.10-4)

free - everyone welcomehundreds of plant species

Friday7:00 pm- Art Night

free drawing workshopwith Rick Tolley and friends, live music by “Mon Petit Chou”

Saturday11 am- Walk in the Dunes

Friends of the Dunes docent11 am-5 pm- “Ask an Expert”

to identify your wild plant sample 1 pm- Fire and Vegetation:

the Yurok perspectiveSkip and Sandra Lowry

3 pm- Conifer CountryMichael Kauffmann

Sunday 9 am- Beauty in the Dunes art walk,

Rick Tolley (12 only, details on website)11 am- Wildflowers of the Dunes walk

Laurel Goldsmith 2 pm- How to Photograph Flowers

Bill Wood 3 pm- Wild Medicinal Plants

Christa Sinadinos

...a community event coordinated by theNorth Coast Chapter of the California Native Plant Society

Wildflower ShowWildflower Show& Native Plant Sale

Andrea Pickart, Rhododendron occidentale

April 10, Wednesday. “Lichens and bryophytes— enigmatic, charismatic cryptogams.” Marie Antoine, HSU lecturer, shares fun facts to further your own discovery of lichens and bryophytes.

May 8, Wednesday. 7:30 p.m. ”Patterns of Plant Discovery in California—You Too Can Discover a New Species.” Field botanist Dr. Dean Wm.Taylor will share the thrill of discovery on his quests in all corners of California.

Field Trips and HikesNote: Unless stated otherwise, for further information and to reserve a spot, call Carol Ralph 822-2015.

April 7, Sunday. Four Creeks and � ree Fawn Lilies All Day Tour. Redwood Creek, East Fork Willow Creek, Supply Creek, and Skunk Creek. Bring lunch and water. Meet 9:00 a.m., Pacifi c Union School (3001 Janes Rd., Arcata) or arrange another place. Return mid-afternoon.

April 13, Saturday. 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon. Getting to Know the Plants on Elk River Trail in Headwaters Forest. With BLM botanist Jennifer Wheeler, study native wildfl owers, and some wild medicinal plants. From 101, exit onto Elk River Rd. After 1.5 miles take the right fork; after 4.5 more miles at the bridge take the right fork; go 1 mile more to the trailhead parking lot.

April 14, Sunday. 1:00-3:00 p.m. “Conifers on Campus.” Dr. Dennis Walker has brought conifers from all corners of the world for a remarkable collection on HSU Campus. Meet at green front doors of the dome greenhouse, between the biology and engineering buildings, east of B St. Campus weekend parking is free.

April 20 Saturday. 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Native Plants in Yards and Forest. Round-trip walk with Carol Ralph, from Community Center to Arcata Community Forest. See and discuss native plants in landscapes and redwood forest. About 3 miles on sidewalks and good paths. Free trip sponsored by California Native Plant Society at Godwit Days: Register at 826-7050, or www.godwitdays.org.

April 27, Saturday. 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 noon. Ferns in the Dunes. Study eight species of ferns with Carol Ralph. Easy walk. Bring hand lens. Meet: Pacifi c Union School, (See April 7). Carpool to site. Co-sponsored by CNPS and Friends of the Dunes. Register: 444-1397 or: [email protected]

April 28, Sunday. 1-3 p.m. Wildfl owers in a Hydesville Forest. From 101 at the south end of Fortuna take the Highway 36 exit, go about 3 miles up to Hydesville, turn left at the church onto Rohnerville Rd., go about 1 mile, turn right onto Puddin Lane at bottom of a gulch, follow signs and balloons to Shapeero. 768-3287 or 822-2015.

May 4, Saturday. Dune walk at Manila Community Center, 10 a.m.-noon and May 5, Sun. 10 a.m.-12 noon at the CNPS Spring Wildfl ower Show.

May 3, 4, and 5: CNPS SPRING WILDFLOWER SHOW AND NATIVE PLANT SALE, Manilla Community Center. Visit www.northcoastcnps.org for more details and a list of plants available for sale.

May 11, Saturday. 12:30-4:30 p.m. Stony Creek Half-Day Hike. 2-mile roundtrip hike to confl uence of Stony Creek and North Fork Smith River with Carol Ralph. Meet at 12:30 p.m. at the Ruby Van Deventer Wildfl ower Show at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds in Crescent City.

May 19, Sunday. Craig’s Creek Trail Day Hike. Moderately diffi cult trail above South Fork Smith River. Trailhead just off Highway 199 east of Cres-cent City. Bring lunch and water. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at Pacifi c Union School (see April 7th). Return late afternoon.

May 26, Sunday. 1:00-3:00 p.m. Azaleas! at the Azalea State Reserve, with Pete Haggard. Exit onto North Bank Rd. off 101 just north of the Mad Riv-er; after about one mile turn left on Azalea Dr., and shortly after that, left into the parking lot. 839-0307.

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

News and Events � om the North Coast Chapter

Get Plugged InGet Plugged InGet Plugged InGet Plugged InGet Plugged InGet Plugged In

Outings and Meetings� e regular meeting of the North Group takes place on the second Tuesday of each month at Eureka’s Adorni Center beginning at 7 p.m. Check our website for our upcoming events! Visit www.redwood.sierraclub.org/north.

Special Report: A Bad Spring for the Klamath Refuges

North Group Water Chair Felice PaceIn over two plus years since the costly

and controversial Klamath Dam and Water Deals—the KHSA and KBRA—were signed, federal agencies responsible for managing Klamath River water, salmon and wildlife refuges have implemented many aspects of the complex KBRA Water Deal which do not require Congressional approval.

First, NMFS adopted Klamath fl ows for Coho Salmon that were lower most of the year as compared to fl ows which federal courts found were insuffi cient to protect Coho under the Endangered Species Act. � is was followed by the Bureau of Reclamation’s Variable Base Flow system to manage Klamath Water. Under that management scheme, Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges have been dewatered at key times of the year and fl ows in the Klamath River have been cut even below those established by NMFS. � is February Reclamation went a step further by requiring draining of refuge marshes in order to maximize the amount of water available for delivery to private irrigators this coming summer.

Because they have split over the KBRA, neither Klamath River Basin tribes nor the environmental community has been able so far to mount legal

challenges to cuts in Klamath River fl ows or to the dewatering of Klamath Wildlife Refuges. But the latest outrage to two of the nation’s most important wildlife refuges has prompted the Sierra Club to join with a host of other organizations in a letter to California and Oregon Senators and selected members of the US House of Representatives concerning the plight of the refuges.

� e letter focuses on refuge dewatering but also condemns decisions by the US Fish & Wildlife Service to remove protection for two species of ESA endangered sucker fi sh (Kuptu and Tsuam, aka Lost River and Shortnose suckers). Removal of protection for these fi sh in the Lost River Basin is

consistent with the KBRA Water Deal which calls for lifting the ESA’s “regulatory burden” from those irrigation interests receiving subsidized irrigation water via the Bureau of Reclamation’s Klamath Irrigation Project.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden chairs a key Senate Committee; promoters of the KHSA and KBRA want Wyden to carry a bill that would mandate and fund the KHSA and KBRA. � ose concerned about the refuges hope Senator Wyden will not sponsor legislation that would further embolden the Bureau of Reclamation to dewater Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges.

To learn more about the issues aff ecting the complex of six Klamath National Wildlife Refuges and to take action in support of water for the refuges see Oregon Wild’s Klamath refuge web page at http://www.oregonwild.org/waters/klamath/refuges.

North Events and Updates ~ North Group, Redwood Chapter

North Group ReportExecutive Committee Member Ned Forsyth

At its annual planning retreat February 3rd, North Group ExCom reviewed progress on its 2012 goals, bringing most of them forward to 2013, and adding the following new goals: evaluate the Repower Humboldt energy framework, with particular attention to biomass fuels; continue eff orts to evaluate/remove billboards around Humboldt Bay; develop future North Group leadership; begin planning for the 2014 North Group 50th anniversary; sponsor

a climate change/energy symposium; co-host a summer picnic with Redwood Region Audubon Society. Your comments are welcome.

Green Diamond Resource Company recently received certifi cation from the Forest Stewardship Council for its California redwoods operations. FSC most recently revised its Principles and Criteria in March 2013. North Group Forestry Chair Andrew Orahoske is working with EPIC and national Sierra Club’s Forest Certifi cation Team to appeal FSC’s action and to seek further improvement in Green Diamond’s practices.

� e North Group needs a few good volunteers. Please make plans to attend a North Group Executive Committee meeting on the second Tuesday of each month, 6:45 p.m. at the Adorni Center in Eureka. Call Ned at 826-2417 for details.

Get out with the Sierra Club in 2013

� ere are no Sierra Club Outings scheduled during the next two months. In fact, the North group is seeking avid hikers who are willing to receive training and lead offi cial Sierra Club outings. If you would like to help people explore our beautiful North Coast, contact Bill at [email protected].

Dewatered Marsh, Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge

Map showing USFWS plans to let two ESA-listed sucker species go extinct in the Lost River Basin. Image courtesy of Resighini Rancheria.


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

Evening ProgramsSecond Wednesday evening, September through May. Refreshments at 7 p.m.; program at 7:30 p.m. at the Six Rivers Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Road, near 7th and Union, Arcata.Botanical FAQ’s: At 7:15 p.m. Pete Haggard (or another presenter) shares a brief, hands-on demonstration and discussion of a botanical topic.

HAPPENINGSHAPPENINGSHAPPENINGSPlease watch for later additions on our Web site (www.northcoastcnps.org) or sign up for e-mail announcements ([email protected])

Manila Community Center1611 Peninsula Drive, Manila

www.northcoastcnps.org • 707-826- 0259

Our 31st year!

...the North Coast celebration of wild California plants

MAY 3-4-5, 2013Fri.1-5 Sat.10-5 Sun.10-4(plant sale Sat. & Sun.10-4)

free - everyone welcomehundreds of plant species

Friday7:00 pm- Art Night

free drawing workshopwith Rick Tolley and friends, live music by “Mon Petit Chou”

Saturday11 am- Walk in the Dunes

Friends of the Dunes docent11 am-5 pm- “Ask an Expert”

to identify your wild plant sample 1 pm- Fire and Vegetation:

the Yurok perspectiveSkip and Sandra Lowry

3 pm- Conifer CountryMichael Kauffmann

Sunday 9 am- Beauty in the Dunes art walk,

Rick Tolley (12 only, details on website)11 am- Wildflowers of the Dunes walk

Laurel Goldsmith 2 pm- How to Photograph Flowers

Bill Wood 3 pm- Wild Medicinal Plants

Christa Sinadinos

...a community event coordinated by theNorth Coast Chapter of the California Native Plant Society

Wildflower ShowWildflower Show& Native Plant Sale

Andrea Pickart, Rhododendron occidentale

April 10, Wednesday. “Lichens and bryophytes— enigmatic, charismatic cryptogams.” Marie Antoine, HSU lecturer, shares fun facts to further your own discovery of lichens and bryophytes.

May 8, Wednesday. 7:30 p.m. ”Patterns of Plant Discovery in California—You Too Can Discover a New Species.” Field botanist Dr. Dean Wm.Taylor will share the thrill of discovery on his quests in all corners of California.

Field Trips and HikesNote: Unless stated otherwise, for further information and to reserve a spot, call Carol Ralph 822-2015.

April 7, Sunday. Four Creeks and � ree Fawn Lilies All Day Tour. Redwood Creek, East Fork Willow Creek, Supply Creek, and Skunk Creek. Bring lunch and water. Meet 9:00 a.m., Pacifi c Union School (3001 Janes Rd., Arcata) or arrange another place. Return mid-afternoon.

April 13, Saturday. 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon. Getting to Know the Plants on Elk River Trail in Headwaters Forest. With BLM botanist Jennifer Wheeler, study native wildfl owers, and some wild medicinal plants. From 101, exit onto Elk River Rd. After 1.5 miles take the right fork; after 4.5 more miles at the bridge take the right fork; go 1 mile more to the trailhead parking lot.

April 14, Sunday. 1:00-3:00 p.m. “Conifers on Campus.” Dr. Dennis Walker has brought conifers from all corners of the world for a remarkable collection on HSU Campus. Meet at green front doors of the dome greenhouse, between the biology and engineering buildings, east of B St. Campus weekend parking is free.

April 20 Saturday. 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Native Plants in Yards and Forest. Round-trip walk with Carol Ralph, from Community Center to Arcata Community Forest. See and discuss native plants in landscapes and redwood forest. About 3 miles on sidewalks and good paths. Free trip sponsored by California Native Plant Society at Godwit Days: Register at 826-7050, or www.godwitdays.org.

April 27, Saturday. 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 noon. Ferns in the Dunes. Study eight species of ferns with Carol Ralph. Easy walk. Bring hand lens. Meet: Pacifi c Union School, (See April 7). Carpool to site. Co-sponsored by CNPS and Friends of the Dunes. Register: 444-1397 or: [email protected]

April 28, Sunday. 1-3 p.m. Wildfl owers in a Hydesville Forest. From 101 at the south end of Fortuna take the Highway 36 exit, go about 3 miles up to Hydesville, turn left at the church onto Rohnerville Rd., go about 1 mile, turn right onto Puddin Lane at bottom of a gulch, follow signs and balloons to Shapeero. 768-3287 or 822-2015.

May 4, Saturday. Dune walk at Manila Community Center, 10 a.m.-noon and May 5, Sun. 10 a.m.-12 noon at the CNPS Spring Wildfl ower Show.

May 3, 4, and 5: CNPS SPRING WILDFLOWER SHOW AND NATIVE PLANT SALE, Manilla Community Center. Visit www.northcoastcnps.org for more details and a list of plants available for sale.

May 11, Saturday. 12:30-4:30 p.m. Stony Creek Half-Day Hike. 2-mile roundtrip hike to confl uence of Stony Creek and North Fork Smith River with Carol Ralph. Meet at 12:30 p.m. at the Ruby Van Deventer Wildfl ower Show at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds in Crescent City.

May 19, Sunday. Craig’s Creek Trail Day Hike. Moderately diffi cult trail above South Fork Smith River. Trailhead just off Highway 199 east of Cres-cent City. Bring lunch and water. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at Pacifi c Union School (see April 7th). Return late afternoon.

May 26, Sunday. 1:00-3:00 p.m. Azaleas! at the Azalea State Reserve, with Pete Haggard. Exit onto North Bank Rd. off 101 just north of the Mad Riv-er; after about one mile turn left on Azalea Dr., and shortly after that, left into the parking lot. 839-0307.

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

News and Events � om the North Coast Chapter

Outings and Meetings� e regular meeting of the North Group takes place on the second Tuesday of each month at Eureka’s Adorni Center beginning at 7 p.m. Check our website for our upcoming events! Visit www.redwood.sierraclub.org/north.

Special Report: A Bad Spring for the Klamath Refuges

North Group Water Chair Felice PaceIn over two plus years since the costly

and controversial Klamath Dam and Water Deals—the KHSA and KBRA—were signed, federal agencies responsible for managing Klamath River water, salmon and wildlife refuges have implemented many aspects of the complex KBRA Water Deal which do not require Congressional approval.

First, NMFS adopted Klamath fl ows for Coho Salmon that were lower most of the year as compared to fl ows which federal courts found were insuffi cient to protect Coho under the Endangered Species Act. � is was followed by the Bureau of Reclamation’s Variable Base Flow system to manage Klamath Water. Under that management scheme, Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges have been dewatered at key times of the year and fl ows in the Klamath River have been cut even below those established by NMFS. � is February Reclamation went a step further by requiring draining of refuge marshes in order to maximize the amount of water available for delivery to private irrigators this coming summer.

Because they have split over the KBRA, neither Klamath River Basin tribes nor the environmental community has been able so far to mount legal

challenges to cuts in Klamath River fl ows or to the dewatering of Klamath Wildlife Refuges. But the latest outrage to two of the nation’s most important wildlife refuges has prompted the Sierra Club to join with a host of other organizations in a letter to California and Oregon Senators and selected members of the US House of Representatives concerning the plight of the refuges.

� e letter focuses on refuge dewatering but also condemns decisions by the US Fish & Wildlife Service to remove protection for two species of ESA endangered sucker fi sh (Kuptu and Tsuam, aka Lost River and Shortnose suckers). Removal of protection for these fi sh in the Lost River Basin is

consistent with the KBRA Water Deal which calls for lifting the ESA’s “regulatory burden” from those irrigation interests receiving subsidized irrigation water via the Bureau of Reclamation’s Klamath Irrigation Project.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden chairs a key Senate Committee; promoters of the KHSA and KBRA want Wyden to carry a bill that would mandate and fund the KHSA and KBRA. � ose concerned about the refuges hope Senator Wyden will not sponsor legislation that would further embolden the Bureau of Reclamation to dewater Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges.

To learn more about the issues aff ecting the complex of six Klamath National Wildlife Refuges and to take action in support of water for the refuges see Oregon Wild’s Klamath refuge web page at http://www.oregonwild.org/waters/klamath/refuges.

North Events and Updates ~ North Group, Redwood Chapter

North Group ReportExecutive Committee Member Ned Forsyth At its annual planning retreat February

3rd, North Group ExCom reviewed progress on its 2012 goals, bringing most of them forward to 2013, and adding the following new goals: evaluate the Repower Humboldt energy framework, with particular attention to biomass fuels; continue eff orts to evaluate/remove billboards around Humboldt Bay; develop future North Group leadership; begin planning for the 2014 North Group 50th anniversary; sponsor

a climate change/energy symposium; co-host a summer picnic with Redwood Region Audubon Society. Your comments are welcome.

Green Diamond Resource Company recently received certifi cation from the Forest Stewardship Council for its California redwoods operations. FSC most recently revised its Principles and Criteria in March 2013. North Group Forestry Chair Andrew Orahoske is working with EPIC and national Sierra Club’s Forest Certifi cation Team to appeal FSC’s action and to seek further improvement in Green Diamond’s practices.

� e North Group needs a few good volunteers. Please make plans to attend a North Group Executive Committee meeting on the second Tuesday of each month, 6:45 p.m. at the Adorni Center in Eureka. Call Ned at 826-2417 for details.

Get out with the Sierra Club in 2013

� ere are no Sierra Club Outings scheduled during the next two months. In fact, the North group is seeking avid hikers who are willing to receive training and lead offi cial Sierra Club outings. If you would like to help people explore our beautiful North Coast, contact Bill at [email protected].

Dewatered Marsh, Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge

Map showing USFWS plans to let two ESA-listed sucker species go extinct in the Lost River Basin. Image courtesy of Resighini Rancheria.


ADS

www.rras.orgAPRIL / MAY 2013

Redwood RegionAudubon Societyandpiper SThe

S

SSSTheSTheSSTheSTheSTheSWelcome to Redwood Region Audubon Society’s “Least Sandpiper.”Its purpose is to highlight some of the articles that appear in our Sandpiper newsletter, which is now published exclusively online at www.rras.org. Publishing the Sandpiper online allows us to offer more content, more photos, and easy-to-read type! Visit our website for complete information on the items below and more!

7 Learn about the landscapes and wildlife of Ethiopia during an April 12 presentation by Jude Power and Ken Burton.

7 Join us on May 10 when HSU graduate student Dawn Blake relates the cultural signi�icance and biology of the Pileated Woodpecker in the Hoopa Valley.

7 Come celebrate four decades of the Patricks Point Native Plant Garden on June 1.

7 Increase your involvement with RRAS by volunteering at Godwit Days or by �illing vacant committee and other positions.

7 This year’s Humboldt County Science Fair had so many great bird-related projects that the judges gave three awards! Research results are summarized in this month’s issue.

7 Read about results of our 2013 chapter election.

7 Find out local highlights from February’s Great Backyard Bird Count.

7 Get the skinny on upcoming �ield trips, plus �ield notes and Jim Clark’s president column.

7 To receive updates on events and announcements of interest to RRAS members, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RedwoodRegionAudubonSociety or send an e-mail to [email protected] asking to join the RRAS listserv.

Evening Grosbeaks, Arcata © Gary Bloom�ield

Highlights of the April/May 2013 Sandpiper (posted at http://rras.org/docs/sandpiper/2013-April-May.pdf or reached by clicking on “News” from the home page and selecting “The Sandpiper” by date):

Go to www.rras.org to view these—and other—articles in their entirety.

NEW WORLD WATER

Missaiya’s

New World Water

778 18th Street, Arcata 707-822-7066

“Community not Corporations”

“We Help You Understand Nature’s Pharmacy”

• Over 400 medicinal and culinary herbs

• Organic teas

• Custom formulas

• Unique gifts

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

Healthcare for your life.

300 2nd Street, Old Town, Eureka

~ Certified Herbalists ~Effective, Natural & Economical


PODS AGAINST POISON: Carob, an evergreen tree whose pods are a substitute for chocolate, also inhibits the growth of Listeria which caused food poisoning in a dozen states and killed at least three people last year, according to the American Chemical Society.

� e increase in such Superbugs as Listeria has prompted the search for natural substances to preserve food.

FALSE CHOPPERS: Cells destined to become teeth were taken from mouse embryos by Japanese scientists and implanted into an adult mouse, near the kidneys. Two months later, the cells had developed into a molar complete with a periodontal ligament.

� e tooth was extracted and implanted into the jawbone of yet another mouse. Within 30 days, blood vessels and nerves surrounded the transplant, which functioned as if it were a native tooth. � e next big advance will come when the budding tooth cells can be cultivated outside the body.

DOWN, WAY DOWN, WITH TV: Young men who watched more than 20 hours of TV per week had just half the sperm count of those who didn’t watch any TV, according to the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Men who exercised for 15 hours a week had sperm counts that were 73 percent higher than those who stayed on the couch.

A KISS IS JUST A KISS: Not true—it’s also a way of imparting a man’s genetic code—for at least an hour.

� at’s the fi nding at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, where researchers collected saliva samples of the Y chromosome from couples kissing—and detected a man’s DNA from the woman kissed by him.

“We’ve shown this could be useful in crime investigation to pinpoint the possible perpetrator among suspects or exclude those who are innocent,” said a researcher.

GOOD GUSTS: � anks to better design, new wind farms are cheaper than building new coal or gas power stations, according to Bloomberg Finance.

In Australia, new wind farms generate electricity for between $80 and $113 per megawatt hour—a lot less than coal plants, even without the country’s new carbon tax. Better designs, including longer blades and taller turbines, have all boosted effi ciency.

According to the Global Wind Energy Council in Belgium, the amount of wind capacity installed worldwide rose 19 percent last year. Wind is seen as a safer investment than fossil fuels as countries try to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

NEW SPECIES: To those who say we’ve found everything, we say “Greater Mekong Delta.” Since 1997, a total of 1,710 new species were discovered in the region.

In just 2011, searchers in the Southeast Asia region—which includes Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, � ailand, southwestern China and Myanmar—have discovered 82 plants, 13 fi sh, 21 reptiles, 5 amphibians and 5 mammals.

NOT MUCH OF A HOOT: A European eagle-owl, the world’s most ferocious owl, has attacked two men in the center of Inverness, Scotland.

Police have warned the public to keep clear of the massive bird of prey, which has a six-foot wingspan, although bird watchers were trying to catch a glimpse of the species—rare in the United Kingdom.

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

COYOTES ARE LOYAL: Coyotes never cheat—at least in the Chicago area.

A six-year study by Ohio State found that, despite plenty of food and high population density (two conditions which drive other canine species to stray), coyotes were loyal to mates and both helped raise their pups.

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE...: Coff ee is the world’s most popular drink, involves 26 million farmers worldwide, and is the source of the planet’s favorite recreational drug—caff eine. But it also is at risk of falling victim to climate change.

Coff ee yields are already at a 35-year low, and worst-case projection is that all of the sites where beans grow well will be unsuitable by 2080.

Maybe it’s time to wake up to global warming.

BUT IS THE MONEY REAL?: Since no maple tree is native to all of Canada, designers of new money chose a “stylized” leaf to adorn currency to avoid regional bias. However, now the bills look like the Norway maple, a European native that is so invasive that some U.S. states banned it.

� e leaf shown on new bills has fi ve major lobes, not three, which is unlike any maple tree that is native to Canada.

AVOID THE RIVER: As many as 10,000 crocodiles escaped from a farm during fl oods and were washed into the Limpopo River, one of southern Africa’s biggest waterways. Luckily, thousands of the reptiles—most of them less than 80 inches long—were quickly trapped. � e fl ood gates at the Rakwena Crocodile Farm, close to the Botswana and Zimbabwe borders, were opened because it was feared that rising fl ood waters would crush the crocodiles.

www.rras.orgAPRIL / MAY 2013

Redwood RegionAudubon Societyandpiper SThe

S

SSSTheSTheSSTheSTheSTheSWelcome to Redwood Region Audubon Society’s “Least Sandpiper.”Its purpose is to highlight some of the articles that appear in our Sandpiper newsletter, which is now published exclusively online at www.rras.org. Publishing the Sandpiper online allows us to offer more content, more photos, and easy-to-read type! Visit our website for complete information on the items below and more!

7 Learn about the landscapes and wildlife of Ethiopia during an April 12 presentation by Jude Power and Ken Burton.

7 Join us on May 10 when HSU graduate student Dawn Blake relates the cultural signi�icance and biology of the Pileated Woodpecker in the Hoopa Valley.

7 Come celebrate four decades of the Patricks Point Native Plant Garden on June 1.

7 Increase your involvement with RRAS by volunteering at Godwit Days or by �illing vacant committee and other positions.

7 This year’s Humboldt County Science Fair had so many great bird-related projects that the judges gave three awards! Research results are summarized in this month’s issue.

7 Read about results of our 2013 chapter election.

7 Find out local highlights from February’s Great Backyard Bird Count.

7 Get the skinny on upcoming �ield trips, plus �ield notes and Jim Clark’s president column.

7 To receive updates on events and announcements of interest to RRAS members, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RedwoodRegionAudubonSociety or send an e-mail to [email protected] asking to join the RRAS listserv.

Evening Grosbeaks, Arcata © Gary Bloom�ield

Highlights of the April/May 2013 Sandpiper (posted at http://rras.org/docs/sandpiper/2013-April-May.pdf or reached by clicking on “News” from the home page and selecting “The Sandpiper” by date):

Go to www.rras.org to view these—and other—articles in their entirety.

NEW WORLD WATER

Missaiya’s

New World Water

778 18th Street, Arcata 707-822-7066

“Community not Corporations”

“We Help You Understand Nature’s Pharmacy”

• Over 400 medicinal and culinary herbs

• Organic teas

• Custom formulas

• Unique gifts

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

Healthcare for your life.

~ Certified Herbalists ~Effective, Natural & Economical


ADS

**CREATURE FONT requires export as jpg, then pdf in photoshop.

An Aleutian cackling goose featuring a numbered neck band for research identi� cation. Photo: © Rob Fowler.

Aleutian Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsii leucopareia

Brandon DruckerToday, the Aleutian cackling goose is common

on the North Coast, but 70 years ago it was nearly extinct. � e goose is hailed as among the Federal Endangered Species Act’s greatest success stories, along with species such as the bald eagle, American alligator, and whooping crane. Almost indistinguishable from the familiar Canada goose, the cackling goose was declared a separate species by the American Ornithologists’ Union in 2004. � ere are four separate subspecies: Richardson’s cackling goose, Taverner’s cackling goose, small cackling goose, and the Aleutian. Cackling geese tend to be about two thirds the size of their larger Canada cousins, and can also be identifi ed by their shorter necks, rounder heads, shorter bills, and more rapid “cackling” call.

� e Aleutian goose spends the warmer months feeding and breeding on the chain of Alaskan islands that are its namesake. Spread across hundreds of miles of the Bering Sea west of mainland Alaska, geese had a natural abundance of food and safety in isolation on these islands, until humans drastically altered the native ecology.

At the turn of the 18th century, Russian fur farmers and traders introduced Arctic and red foxes to several of the islands. Over time, these non-native predators took their toll and decimated goose populations until they were eff ectively extinct by 1940.

In 1962, however, 56 Aleutian cackling geese were discovered by bird researchers on Buldir Island, near the western end of the Aleutian island chain. Buldir had remained fox-free and, therefore, rich in biodiversity.

A local endangered species success storyFollowing this discovery,

researchers began an intensive breeding program with a few goslings removed from the Buldir nests. At the same time, biologists worked to remove the invasive fox species from other Aleutian islands, re-establishing a predator-free environment. Additionally, in 1967, the geese received the support of the U.S. Federal Government. � e Aleutian cackling goose was declared one of the fi rst species protected under the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, predecessor to the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

Human-reared geese were introduced to islands where foxes had been successfully removed. With persistence and perseverance, biologists managed to re-establish strong reproductive groups of geese on multiple islands. As their populations grew, so did the plants that thrive on their droppings, resulting in a rebound of the entire ecosystem. By 2001, the Aleutian cackling goose numbered in the tens of thousands, warranting removal of the species from the Endangered Species List—one of the very few animals to make a full recovery from the brink of extinction.

Today the total population of Aleutian cackling geese is well over 100,000. � e vast majority of these birds spend the months of January to March in Del Norte and Humboldt County, with some further south in the San Joaquin Valley. Recent trends indicate the geese are choosing the bottomlands and pastures of Humboldt in greater numbers than ever before. In fact, so many

geese now prefer Humboldt to Del Norte that the Aleutian Goose Festival, formerly held in Crescent City, was canceled in 2011. Large numbers of geese in the Humboldt Bay Area have inspired an annual Aleutian Goose Fly-Off event at the Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge, just south of Eureka.

Some are not appreciative of the geese, however—primarily farmers and ranchers who prefer their green pastures be utilized by cattle over birds. For this reason, shooting of geese is now allowed on designated private lands with a permit.

Today, management of Aleutian cackling geese is collaborative. � e Aleutian Goose Working Group was formed in an eff ort to discuss how best to balance the goose-related needs of farmers, ranchers, conservationists, government agencies, and concerned citizens alike. � e group emphasizes a “push-pull” management strategy in which involved parties attempt to push the geese off private lands through hazing eff orts and limited hunting programs, and pull them onto public lands by the planting of particularly tasty grasses and other forage.

� e Aleutian cackling goose is living testament to the value of the Endangered Species Act, as well as to the idea that humans have the potential to restore environmental damage with the right kind of dedicated solution.

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

REGENERATIVE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND RESEARCHCHANGE MANAGEMENT

www.greenwaypartners.net 707.822.0597

BRANT ELECTRICCalif. License #406330

COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL/INDUSTRIALNEW CONSTRUCTION/REMODELS

(707)822-3256

OldGrowthTimbers.com 707-834-5340

USED REDWOOD LUMBERNEW LOCATION! Lorelei Lane, Arcata


**CREATURE FONT requires export as jpg, then pdf in photoshop.

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

ARBOREALBACTERIADOMESTICATEDFLYING SQUIRRELFORE LIMBS

FUNGIGLIDEHIND LIMBSLICHEN

MEMBRANENOCTURNALRANGESCATTRUFFLES

Did you know that fl ying squirrels don’t really fl y, but actually glide instead? � e Northern fl ying squirrel lives in our area, but you probably have never seen one because they are nocturnal (active at night) and are mostly arboreal (live in trees).

Flying squirrels look like small squirrels, but have larger eyes well-adapted to see at night, and fur covered membranes (thin skin) that reach from their wrists to their ankles, which evolved to help them glide.

� ey glide from tree to tree anywhere from 3-55 feet above the ground. � ey do this by stretching out their fore limbs (arms) and hind limbs (legs), kind of like how kids spread their arms and legs to do a cartwheel. � e membrane acts like a parachute and lets them glide up to 164 feet! � at’s the length of 4 ½ school buses!

� ey also have a long, fur covered, fl at, oar-like tail that helps them steer. � ey can change direction when gliding by changing the angle of their tail! Flying squirrels grow up to 10-13 inches long and their tail is a little less than half that length. So, if a fl ying squirrel were 10 inches long, the body would be about 6 inches and the tail would be about 4 inches long.

� ey have babies usually once a year, sometimes twice a year in Canada, and have 2-4 babies at a time. � ey are classifi ed as a rodent, like a chipmunk.

Flying squirrels use their sense of smell to fi nd underground fungi, called truffl es, on which to feed. � eir scat (poop!) helps the forest grow by putting nutrients (food) into the soil to help plants grow. � e spores from the fungi they eat mix with the bacteria in their digestive systems and enrich the soil. Spotted owls, Canada lynx, great horned owl, American marten, and domesticated (tamed) cats are some animals that feed on northern fl ying squirrels.

� e range of northern fl ying squirrels covers most of Canada and some of the northern U.S., including our local area. Some mountain populations in the southeastern U.S. have grown smaller from habitat loss, pollution, and invasive species, and are listed as an Endangered Species.

by Sarah Marnick

Northern Flying Squirrel

See the � ying squirrel’s big eyes? Larger eyes allow nocturnal animals to see better at night. Photos: Top - Anders B. (Flickr.com CC). Above - USFWS.

the Kids’ Page :

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

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDArcata, CA

PERMIT NO. 3

Your tax-deductible membership donation will get EcoNews delivered right to your

mailbox—and help us to continue to educate and inform the public about crucial

environmental issues that a� ect this region and our entire planet!

Mail this membership form to:NEC, PO Box 4259, Arcata, 95518

or join online at www.yournec.org/donate.

$25 Student/Low income $35 Regular $50 Family $1,000 Lifetime

E-mail

Name

City

Zip

Address

State

Phone

Credit Card # Exp. Date

bring you

Tidal Wave Legacy

The tsunami that hit Japan two years ago has some survivors believing they are seeing ghosts, and they are seeking help from exorcists.

One man who escaped the waves that destroyed his home said strange things began to happen. His two children suddenly got sick, an inexplicable chill seemed to follow the family and “a couple of times when I was lying in bed, I felt something walking across me, stepping across my chest.”

So he turned to an exorcist, who explained: “There are headless ghosts, and some missing hands or legs. Others are completely cut in half.

People were killed in so many di� erent ways and they were left in limbo.”

The survivor now says life has improved since he put two Buddhist statues in a shrine and prayed.

Here at the NEC, the only thing left in limbo is our budget. We believe that a tsunami of donations will eliminate the specter of the death of our organization. You can help: consult an exorcist, pray—or put a donation in the hat.

You can even do all three, and you may avoid the headless ghosts when the wave comes ashore in our coastal community.

Thank you.

bring you

Help us continue to advocate, educate, and

BECOME A MEMBER

MAKE A DONATION

I would like to be a part of the NEC’s monthly giving program—the easiestway to provide continuous support!I pledge $__________________/month. Please bill my credit card monthly Please send me a pack of envelopes

Yes! I would like to join or renew my annual membership! Attached is my payment of:

My check is enclosed Bill my credit card: VISA / MasterCard

Yes! I would like to make a tax-deductible donation to help the important work of the NEC and support the production of EcoNews! Enclosed is my donation of: $1000 $500 $250 $100

$50 $25 Other____

Do you have a smartphone? Scan the codeto pay online!

Date post:	28-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	econews
View:	216 times
Download:	0 times

EcoNews Apr/May 2013

Documents