EcoNews Jun/Jul 2012

Arcata, California Vol. 42, No. 3

Published by the Northcoast Environmental Center Since 1971

June/July 2012

Goldman Prize 2012 | Railroad Analysis Review | 101 Corridor Update | Conifer Country Return to Emerald Creek | Waterfront Drive Plans | Coal Trains to China

Over 40 Years of Environmental News

The

EnergyFuture

of

With High Demand and High Stakes,Can we meet the Challenge Responsibly?

Published by the Northcoast Environmental Center Since 1971Published by the Northcoast Environmental Center Since 1971Published by the Northcoast Environmental Center Since 1971

� e Road to Clean Energy....................3 Taking a look at the future of energy in Humboldt. Waterfront Drive Plans Withdrawn...4 An activist revists a recovering landscape. Coal Trains on the Wrong Track........4 Is increasing coal transport going backward? Returning to Emerald Creek...............5 An activist revists a recovering landscape. Kin to the Earth.....................................7 Goldman Prize 2012 winners.Legislative Watch..................................8 Lame ducks, guns, and an election year, oh my!Humboldt Baykeeper...........................9 Marine Life moments from protection.Friends of the Eel River......................10 Railroad agency must face state analysis review.Sierra Club North Group News.........11 News and conservation updates.

Sandpiper........................................insert Newsletter of Redwood Region Audubon.CA Native Plant Society........................12 News and event Happenings. Conifer Country.....................................12 New book explores conifers in the Klamath RegionEPIC.....................................................13 Spotted owl, Humboldt marten and Green Diamond.Green Wheels......................................14 Bicyclists Accident Report Card, 101 Corridor.Blast from the Past............................15 Park is for Healing - May 1982EcoMania.............................................16 Melange of Salient Sillies. Creature Feature.................................17 Trillium ovatum, Trillium.Kids’ Page............................................18 Discover the Freshwater Ecosystem.

We Want You!We’re looking for a few good interns!

If you’ll be around this summer, and can

commit to 5+ hours per week, we’d like to

talk to you!

[email protected]

Opportunities include: EcoNews

production and archiving,

volunteer coordination,

outreach, o�ce assistance, and more!

Full articles of 300-600 words may be submitted, preferably by email.

Please pitch your idea to the editor prior to submitting a draft. Include your phone number and

email with all submissions, to [email protected]

Article submissions welcome!

9th Street Cleanup in Final Stage!

� e NEC is pleased to announce that the clean-up of our 9th Street property has entered the fi nal monitoring stage of the process.

� e 9th Street building, purchased in 1982, was the NEC’s home of operations and a hub of activity—housing the Center’s offi ces, gift shop, EcoNews production and an extensive community resource library—until it burned to the ground in a devastating fi re in 2001.

� e building had previously been occupied by a dry cleaning business. During excavations following the fi re, the soil was discovered to have been contaminated by Perchloroethylene (PCE or PERC)—a toxic chemical linked to cancer and neurological damage—commonly used in the dry cleaning industry, which had leaked into the ground during operations there. Even though the contaminant levels were relatively low, the NEC chose to pursue a thorough cleanup of the property to eliminate any risk of the chemical reaching Arcata’s groundwater.

In March of this year, after a series of sampling assessments to accurately determine the levels and range of contamination, the contaminated soil was fi nally removed and hauled away to a certifi ed toxic waste facility, and clean soil added to the property. In mid-April, potassium permanganate, an oxidant remediation agent, was injected into the soil to neutralize any remaining chemicals.

Permanent sampling wells were also installed to monitor the remediation process. For the next 18-24 months, quarterly samples will be taken and lab tested, after which, if all goes well, the NEC will be given a Clean Closure letter from the Northcoast Regional Water Quality Control Board indicating no further action required.

� e NEC would like to again thank Greenway Partners for their excellent work on this project, and extend thanks to all the other local subcontractors who have assisted with the cleanup as well.

� is process was made possible by a $200,000 Brownfi eld Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. � e grant requires that we raise an additional $40,000 in matching funds. To date, we have raised a substantial amount towards our goal, but more is needed to ensure we can complete this project successfully! We would greatly appreciate earmarked donations to help us complete this process. THANK YOU!

EcoNews is e x p a n d i n g to include web-only articles! In addition to the content available in the print EcoNews, look for more articles to appear on our website

in the coming months. Visit our website today to check out

what else is new!

� is issue’s web articles, available only online:• Coho Recovery Update• Restore Hetch Hetchy • Soils and Hugelkultur• Fukushima Reactor Update and more!

EcoNews

EcoNews

Laying out an issue of EcoNews is a bit like playing Tetris. It’s a puzzle—a trial and error game of placing content here or there to see what � ts. And while I’ve no doubt that I have it much easier with digital tools than EcoNews editors did in the good ole days (cuttting and pasting bits of paper together—literally!), it’s nonetheless an interesting challenge every time!

Likewise, rounding up writers for each issue can be a roll of the dice. EcoNews is volunteer supported—we do not have a sta of paid writers as many papers do. Our authors give thier time to share important environmental news with you!

You too can be a piece of the puzzle and contribute to EcoNews! If there’s a topic of interest you would like to see covered, please let us know. If you fancy yourself a good writer, even better! Or, if you have thoughts or comments on a previous article or topic you’d like to share, write a letter to the editor! If you cannot donate your time, consider sending an earmarked donation for EcoNews production.

Getting environmental news out to you—our valued members and readers—is not really a game, of course. We take it seriously, because the environment isn’t something to play around with. We’ve all been dealt a hand at this table.

Are you game? Let’s roll! ~the Editor

members for voting against the ill-advised project. With the project fi nally squashed, we can all look forward to the possibility of a multi-use waterfront trail that will promote safe enjoyment of these unique bird and plant habitats and bay views. We will continue to support the City’s eff orts to move forward on planning for the Eureka Waterfront Trail which will eventually connect the entire waterfront from the Eureka Slough Bridge to the Elk River Wildlife Area. (See page 4.)

On another trail-related note, the ever-stubborn Caltrans withdrew their contested 101 corridor resurfacing and overpass proposal just as they were about to enter into a hearing at the California Coastal Commission (See page 14.) While it may be overly optimistic, we are hopeful that the agency has fi nally realized it is in their best interest, as well as that of the general public, for them to put forward a revised project that includes a Class I bike path, separated from the fast-moving cars and trucks of Highway 101, while eliminating the ill-conceived overpass at Indianola Cutoff . We will continue to keep you informed as this develops.

We are also celebrating the seemingly-endless General Plan Update moving forward—the Humboldt County Planning

Commission fi nally completed their review of the GPU on May 17! It is now up to all of us to make sure that the Board of Supervisors rolls up their sleeves and fi nalizes the long-awaited General Plan Update, which will bring a number of much needed improvements in environmental protection for both urban and rural watersheds. (See page 6.)

In other news, Alanna Cottrell, our ever-faithful work-study offi ce assistant has left us for the summer. She has promised to return next semester, but in the meantime we’d like to off er our heartfelt gratitude for all of her great work. We also wish to thank our other work-study student, Allison Toomey, for the time she has put in over the years. We wish her well in her future pursuits. Given these summertime transitions, we have a few internship opportunities…

Do you want to lend your passion to a long-standing organization committed to wilderness conservation, sustainable communities, and ecological restoration? From our historic EcoNews archive project and database management, to graphic design and general offi ce support—there are plenty of tasks to choose from. If you are interested in fi nding out more about these off erings, please visit our website:

www.yournec.org

News From the CenterAs summer approaches, we take

stock of all the progress that has been made over the past few months. Along with many other creatures nesting this spring, the NEC is getting settled into our new home.

We feel very fortunate for the opportunity to spend the afternoon with all of you who came out to our Earth Day offi ce-warming party and mixer. It was great to celebrate with our members and supporters who continue to help tend the nest with volunteer time, fi nancial contributions, and energy. Your assistance is invaluable towards hatching new projects, nurturing those in their infancy, as well as tending to those which are more mature and in need of a little (or a lot of ) attention.

We also had a great time with many of you who participated in the various activities through Godwit Days and Bike Month!

� e NEC is happy to report that the City of Eureka fi nally voted to deny the proposed Waterfront Drive Extension project, which would have punched a road through sensitive coastal wetlands that were purchased for conservation purposes in 1985. � e NEC and many of our partner organizations spoke out against this proposal, as we have for the past decade. With a 3/2 split vote, we wish to thank three of the council-

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, Jennifer Kalt, Sarah Marnick, Dan Sealy, Scott Greacen, Dan Equinoss, Greg King, Kathy Schrenk.Artist: Terry Torgerson

NEC’s Mission To 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.

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.

NEC Programs Manager: Dan Ehresman, [email protected]

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 - Beth Werner,[email protected] Redwood Region Audubon Society - CJ Ralph, [email protected] Club North Group, - Richard Kries, [email protected] - Tom PrebleAt-Large - Scott Greacen

Environmental Protection Information Center, Friends of Del Norte.

A� liate Groups

Healthy Humboldt Coalition, Green WheelsNEC Sponsored Groups

Cover Collage: Creative Commons liscenced photos from § ickr.com

� e Northcoast Environmental Center is gearing up for the 28th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 15th!

Coastal Cleanup, originally a local project of the NEC, was adopted by the Coastal Commission and became a statewide program in 1985. Now, Coastal Cleanup Day is the state’s largest volunteer event, a day when Californians come out to their local beach, creek or river to pick up litter and keep our communities clean. Last year over 70,000 volunteers collected over 1,000,000 pounds of trash and recycling from beaches and rivers throughout the state. Over the past three years, in Humboldt County alone, thousands of community members have done their part to remove over 10,000 pounds of trash from our local waterways and beaches.

You can help the NEC reach this goal and keep our beaches and waterways pollution-free. � e best way to help is by signing up to clean a beach, river, slough, or any other waterway near you. You can also organize a team with your friends, family, students or club!

An exciting addition to this year’s Cleanup is expanded the opportunities for those in the boating community to take part in the Cleanup from on the water!

Another way to support this amazing eff ort is by making a donation and becoming a sponsor of the event. We encourage business owners and other sponsors to also participate by forming their own cleanup team!

Coastal Cleanup Day wouldn’t be such a success without YOUR help. To volunteer or to sign up as a sponsor call the NEC at 822-6918 or e-mail [email protected].

This year we hope to sign up 1,000 volunteers!

Mark Your Calendars for Coastal Cleanup 2012!

sponsor call the NEC at 822-6918 or e-mail [email protected].

EcoNews June/July 2012 www.yournec.org 2

� e Road to Clean Energy....................3 Taking a look at the future of energy in Humboldt. Waterfront Drive Plans Withdrawn...4 An activist revists a recovering landscape. Coal Trains on the Wrong Track........4 Is increasing coal transport going backward? Returning to Emerald Creek...............5 An activist revists a recovering landscape. Kin to the Earth.....................................7 Goldman Prize 2012 winners.Legislative Watch..................................8 Lame ducks, guns, and an election year, oh my!Humboldt Baykeeper...........................9 Marine Life moments from protection.Friends of the Eel River......................10 Railroad agency must face state analysis review.Sierra Club North Group News.........11 News and conservation updates.

Sandpiper........................................insert Newsletter of Redwood Region Audubon.CA Native Plant Society........................12 News and event Happenings. Conifer Country.....................................12 New book explores conifers in the Klamath RegionEPIC.....................................................13 Spotted owl, Humboldt marten and Green Diamond.Green Wheels......................................14 Bicyclists Accident Report Card, 101 Corridor.Blast from the Past............................15 Park is for Healing - May 1982EcoMania.............................................16 Melange of Salient Sillies. Creature Feature.................................17 Trillium ovatum, Trillium.Kids’ Page............................................18 Discover the Freshwater Ecosystem.

We Want You!We’re looking for a few good interns!

If you’ll be around this summer, and can

commit to 5+ hours per week, we’d like to

talk to you!

[email protected]

Opportunities include: EcoNews

production and archiving,

volunteer coordination,

outreach, o�ce assistance, and more!

Full articles of 300-600 words may be submitted, preferably by email.

Please pitch your idea to the editor prior to submitting a draft. Include your phone number and

email with all submissions, to [email protected]

Article submissions welcome!

9th Street Cleanup in Final Stage!

� e NEC is pleased to announce that the clean-up of our 9th Street property has entered the fi nal monitoring stage of the process.

� e 9th Street building, purchased in 1982, was the NEC’s home of operations and a hub of activity—housing the Center’s offi ces, gift shop, EcoNews production and an extensive community resource library—until it burned to the ground in a devastating fi re in 2001.

� e building had previously been occupied by a dry cleaning business. During excavations following the fi re, the soil was discovered to have been contaminated by Perchloroethylene (PCE or PERC)—a toxic chemical linked to cancer and neurological damage—commonly used in the dry cleaning industry, which had leaked into the ground during operations there. Even though the contaminant levels were relatively low, the NEC chose to pursue a thorough cleanup of the property to eliminate any risk of the chemical reaching Arcata’s groundwater.

In March of this year, after a series of sampling assessments to accurately determine the levels and range of contamination, the contaminated soil was fi nally removed and hauled away to a certifi ed toxic waste facility, and clean soil added to the property. In mid-April, potassium permanganate, an oxidant remediation agent, was injected into the soil to neutralize any remaining chemicals.

Permanent sampling wells were also installed to monitor the remediation process. For the next 18-24 months, quarterly samples will be taken and lab tested, after which, if all goes well, the NEC will be given a Clean Closure letter from the Northcoast Regional Water Quality Control Board indicating no further action required.

� e NEC would like to again thank Greenway Partners for their excellent work on this project, and extend thanks to all the other local subcontractors who have assisted with the cleanup as well.

� is process was made possible by a $200,000 Brownfi eld Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. � e grant requires that we raise an additional $40,000 in matching funds. To date, we have raised a substantial amount towards our goal, but more is needed to ensure we can complete this project successfully! We would greatly appreciate earmarked donations to help us complete this process. THANK YOU!

EcoNews is e x p a n d i n g to include web-only articles! In addition to the content available in the print EcoNews, look for more articles to appear on our website

in the coming months. Visit our website today to check out

what else is new!

� is issue’s web articles, available only online:• Coho Recovery Update• Restore Hetch Hetchy • Soils and Hugelkultur• Fukushima Reactor Update and more!

EcoNews

EcoNews

Laying out an issue of EcoNews is a bit like playing Tetris. It’s a puzzle—a trial and error game of placing content here or there to see what � ts. And while I’ve no doubt that I have it much easier with digital tools than EcoNews editors did in the good ole days (cuttting and pasting bits of paper together—literally!), it’s nonetheless an interesting challenge every time!

Likewise, rounding up writers for each issue can be a roll of the dice. EcoNews is volunteer supported—we do not have a sta of paid writers as many papers do. Our authors give thier time to share important environmental news with you!

You too can be a piece of the puzzle and contribute to EcoNews! If there’s a topic of interest you would like to see covered, please let us know. If you fancy yourself a good writer, even better! Or, if you have thoughts or comments on a previous article or topic you’d like to share, write a letter to the editor! If you cannot donate your time, consider sending an earmarked donation for EcoNews production.

Getting environmental news out to you—our valued members and readers—is not really a game, of course. We take it seriously, because the environment isn’t something to play around with. We’ve all been dealt a hand at this table.

Are you game? Let’s roll! ~the Editor

June/July 2012 EcoNewswww.yournec.org3

Dan Ehresman

Here on the North Coast, there is a time-honored tradition of standing up to corporate greed and fi ghting back against those who threaten the ecological balance of this region. It should come as no surprise, then, that oil giant Shell’s proposal to develop a 25 turbine, 50 MW wind-power facility on Bear River Ridge has been met with much skepticism.

Perched above the town of Ferndale and the Eel River valley, Bear River Ridge is a pastoral landscape that is home to many sensitive species. It is also one of the few locations on the North Coast rated highly for wind farm development. For many residents, it is diffi cult to conceive of the possible melding of this heritage landscape with the massive and modern totems that are proposed to be constructed to meet our 21st century demands for energy.

Of course we are not the fi rst to be confronted with such realities. � roughout the nation, wind and solar projects are being constructed at a scale that dwarfs anything existing or proposed in Humboldt County. Numerous states have seen their agricultural lands become occupied with thousands of towering turbines. At present, Iowa and Texas are in the running for fi rst place for wind development in the nation—deriving around 20% of their energy from the wind. In California, thousands of acres of public lands are being covered with vast solar arrays. � ese projects are part of a necessary move towards reducing dependence on foreign oil and, ideally, to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Along with a push towards renewables, the U.S. is also rushing to increase development of domestic fossil fuel sources in the pursuit of energy independence from foreign oil. Natural gas development is on the rise as well as increased calls for oil production, coal mining, and even nuclear energy.

� e upsurge in hydraulic fracturing, a.k.a. fracking, for natural gas in bedrock has poisoned groundwater supplies in several states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York—yet the industry is still not held accountable. � roughout the eastern U.S., mountaintops are being razed for coal, resulting in the fi lling of river valleys, the pollution of waterways with toxic mine tailings, and the degradation of Appalachian culture. Oil development poses extreme risks to both terrestrial and marine environments, with consequences

that remain for years—as we’ve seen with serious disasters around the world, and last year in the Gulf of Mexico with the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Sensitive areas, both on land and off shore, continue to be opened up for oil drilling and new construction of major pipelines such as the proposed Keystone XL, which would carry the most toxic and polluting oil source on the planet—tar sands—from Canada to the Gulf for export. Fossil fuel development also brings severe social and health-related consequences around the world, such as seemingly endless war in the Middle East as well as polluted villages, corporate-funded death squads, and displaced residents in Central America.

Along with the direct local impacts related to our reliance on fossil fuels, the global threat of climate change must also be considered. In Humboldt County, with a relatively small

population compared to more highly populated areas, we too contribute to global warming—emissions from electricity production and transportation spew over 1.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases each year. Over half of these emissions are the result of petroleum usage to meet Humboldt County’s transportation needs.

Beyond fossil fuels, some in the US are seeking to expand nuclear power. In the shadow of the Fukushima catastrophe (which is still unfolding and the true cost of which will not be known for years to come) and continued risks of meltdown, groundwater contamination, radiation leaks, and no long-term solution for nuclear waste, two new

On the Road To a Clean Energy Future?reactors—the fi rst new U.S. nuclear plants in 30 years—were recently approved in Georgia.

� ere is no doubt that we need to embark on the path towards a renewable energy future. However, we must ensure that we are doing so responsibly

and are not undermining the ecological values we are seeking to protect. As far as the proposed Bear River Ridge wind farm is concerned, one thing is quite clear: there is an incredible need for more information and more conversation in order to come up with a vision for an energy future that the majority of residents can support. All options will need to be considered—from energy c o n s e r v a t i o n measures in the home, to better land use planning that reduces our dependence on the automobile, to

appropriate design and siting of wind turbines, solar arrays, and run-of-the-river micro-hydro. Ultimately, however, we will have to ask how much more we’d be willing to pay for power, and what ecological impacts are worth the cost.

� e NEC is researching various aspects of the Shell wind project—expect coverage of this topic in future issues of EcoNews. Dan Ehresman is the NEC’s Programs Manager.

When I � nd myself behind the wheel, I often � nd myself singing silently along with Johnny Cash, “…I’m burning diesel, burning dinosaur bones.” It strikes me as profound that for each gallon of gasoline used, approximately 98 tons of ancient plants and animals are burned (according to a 2003 study from the University of Utah). Considering that millions of years and countless lifeforms went into production of this black gold, and given that our global petroleum consumption per day is equivalent to all of the plant matter that grows worldwide in a year, it is a wonder that we humans,—who consistently claim reverence for life—don’t make more informed decisions regarding the use of the planet’s dwindling resources and invest more concerted e ort toward developing a true and enduring conservation ethic.

Wind energy turbines in a valley near Spanish Fork, Utah. Photo: Morgan Corviday.

Power plant smokestacks. Photo: cylon359, Flickr Creative Commons.


Larry GlassOn April 17, after more than a decade of

vigilance, the environmental community fi nally convinced the City of Eureka to withdraw its plans for the Waterfront Drive Extension project. � e City Council voted 3 to 2 to stop throwing good money after bad. To date, the City claims it has spent $385,000 of state public transportation funds on studies for the Environmental Impact Report for the doomed project, though many observers believe that fi gure to be much higher since it does not include City staff time over the last decade.

� e proposed Waterfront Drive Extension from Del Norte Street to Truesdale—with a second phase slated to plow through the City’s Elk River Wildlife Sanctuary all the way to Herrick Avenue, creating a way to bypass South Broadway—was doomed from the beginning. � e California Coastal Commission warned the city that building a road through wetlands and other environmentally sensitive habitat areas is clearly at odds with the California Coastal Act and could never be approved under state law.

In 2005, Peter Douglas, the late Executive Director of the Coastal Commission, wrote a letter to the City describing how the planned project failed to meet Coastal Act requirements, asking that the City cease spending limited public resources pursuing it. � e Sierra Club’s North Group Redwood Chapter, Redwood Region Audubon Society, EPIC, and NEC were all active on this issue from the fi rst announcement of it more than 10 years ago. � ere were numerous public meetings over the years at which the environmental community expressed strong objections to punching a road through some of the last remaining coastal wetlands in Eureka—wetlands that had been purchased in 1985 for conservation purposes with state Coastal Conservancy funding.

At the City Council’s May 15 meeting, City staff recommended that a Class 1 bike path (a dedicated path to be used exclusively for bike and pedestrian traffi c) be built as a viable alternative for safe bike travel and for providing safe public access to the waterfront, including the area adjacent to the Bayshore Mall, known as Parcel 4. Beth Werner of Humboldt Baykeeper and Larry Glass of the NEC strongly supported the staff recommendations to

reallocate the funding for the trail, noting that a bike trail from C Street to Truesdale was one of the original projects proposed for this pot of money back in 1997.

� e proposed trail would complete a major segment of the City’s Waterfront Trail, which the City Council made a top priority in their 2011 Strategic Visioning. Recently, the City has made signifi cant headway on completing the Waterfront Trail. In January, the City received Coastal Commission approval for the Hiksari Trail segment along Humboldt Bay from Truesdale to the Herrick Avenue Park and Ride. And on May 10, the Coastal Commission approved the fi nal permit for the cleanup of the PCB-contaminated former G&R Metals site on the Eureka waterfront, which has been a barrier for connecting the Waterfront

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Shorebirds at the Eureka Marsh. Photo: Jennifer Kalt.

Trail segment between the Adorni Center and First Street on the north end of Old Town.

Once completed, the Eureka Waterfront Trail will become part of the California Coastal Trail system, which will one day extend from the Oregon border to Mexico, providing non-motorized public access to California’s coastline.

� ough no fi nal action could be taken at the meeting due to a problem with public noticing, the Council is expected to revisit the issue at its June 5 meeting. Check our website for updates!

www.yournec.org

Larry Glass is President of the NEC Board of Directors.

Waterfront Drive Plans Withdrawn

Jennifer KaltEven as coal-fi red power plants are being

phased out in Oregon and Washington, there are an unprecedented number of current proposals to export coal to Asia through Pacifi c Northwest ports.

In April, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber requested that the federal government do an extensive environmental review of proposals to export nearly 150 million tons of coal per year from Montana’s and Wyoming’s Powder River Basin, more than doubling coal exports from the U.S. � e governor, many residents, and public interest organizations throughout Oregon, have raised signifi cant concerns about increased diesel and coal dust pollution from the trains themselves, as well as increased pollution of air and water across the Pacifi c Northwest due to mercury and other pollutants drifting back from Asian countries burning coal.

Coal dust, which contains arsenic, lead, and mercury, is known to contribute to asthma, emphysema, and decreased mental capacity in children. It also poisons our lakes and rivers, rendering fi sh and shellfi sh unsafe to eat due to mercury contamination.

China’s and India’s poorly regulated coal power plants emit enormous amounts of pollution that travel with air currents across the Pacifi c to harm human health, pollute air and water in the U.S., in addition to exacerbating climate change.

Studies have found that 84% of mercury deposited in the Columbia River Basin is due to atmospheric deposition from global sources, with 18% of mercury at one Oregon site traced to Asia. Along with impacts to air and water quality, imperiled fi sh species, and human health, increased coal burning in Asia could impact the U.S. economy, resulting in stricter emissions standards for American businesses.

� ere are also concerns that the coal supply will lock Asia into a coal-dependent future that will increase greenhouse gas emissions, further impacting coastal communities, fi sheries, and shellfi sh in the Pacifi c Northwest through sea level rise and ocean acidifi cation. Inland regions could face increasing drought, wildfi re, and forest pests and diseases. Opponents question how massive export of U.S. coal to Asia will further our goals of lowering carbon emissions and decreasing dependence on fossil fuels.

Major infrastructure investments at six ports in Oregon and Washington would require more than 60 coal trains a day. � e U.S. EPA has said that the fi rst such proposal at the Port of Morrow itself “has the potential to signifi cantly impact human health and the environment.” If one such port has the potential to be so damaging, it’s not a stretch to imagine how damaging six coal-export sites could be.

For more information on how you can help stop the

coal trains, visit h� p://www.powerpastcoal.org/

Coal Trains on the Wrong Track


Dan SealyLast summer, I became very anxious at the

thought of returning to a very special place I hadn’t seen in decades. In the 1970’s I witnessed the devastation of clear-cut logging inching toward Redwood Creek in Redwood National Park. I watched the crystal clear waters of Emerald Creek above Tall Trees Grove turn grey-brown—choked with silt and mud. Now, forty years later, friends were inviting me to go back to Emerald Creek. Could I?

When I arrived in Humboldt County in 1970, the American nightmare of Vietnam was coming to an end and the fi rst Earth Day was transforming conservation politics. I joined a grassroots organization, the Emerald Creek Committee (ECC), which met at the Northcoast Environmental Center. We were inspired by local activists, artists, teachers, and Native Americans, and wanted Congress to protect the Tall Trees Grove and the larger redwood ecosystem.

As I pondered my return trip I commiserated with my friend and fellow “Creek Freak” Christie Fairchild. “Will you come backpacking with us?” “No.” she said, “I can’t go back. It was too sad.”

It was a tough time. Many of us had beenthreatened or physically harmed for our convictions. I was proud of the work we had done and love backpacking the Northcoast, but Christie was right: it had also been very sad.

Other friends and former ECC members, Sungnome Madrone (who now owns a watershed management company), and John Amodio (former NEC Director, now living in Sacramento) encouraged me to go with them and see it for myself.

� e morning fog lifted as John and I headed down Dolason Prairie. I looked across the valley and was stunned by the transformation I saw. Where there had been barren square timber cuts I now saw green hillsides full of trees. Wow! I had feared the unstable slopes would be forever sliding downhill but hard work by conservationists and

the National Park Service had resurrected an early successional forest. Follow-up management could assure Redwood Creek would be managed for fi sh and a thriving redwood ecosystem.

Part of the trail we were hiking had formerly been a logging road. ECC members had used this same road to trespass across Arcata Redwood Co. lands to quickly access park lands and document

the destruction to the forest—watching logging encroach into the Emerald Creek watershed fi rsthand. Dislodged gravel and logging debris began to choke streams as destabilized slopes slid down into the Redwood Creek killing fi sh and amphibians.

It was probably this very road where, forty years ago, I was caught trespassing (and recognized by name as an activist), but escaped into the park. It was on that hike I saw some of the worst destruction at a beautiful waterfall on Emerald Creek.

ECC members frequently camped near this spiritual waterfall when documenting logging aff ects to fi sheries and forests upstream. Now, four decades later, it was liberating to know that this valley and thousands of acres were saved, and that it was worth the fi ght. I felt the peace of generations

Helping Buyers and Sellers make “Green” Decisions about Humboldt County Real Estate.

655 F Street, Arcata, CAwww.arcataproperty.com

Karen Orsolics, Broker/Owner707-834-1818

CALL TO LEARN MORE TODAY!

Athing Wellness CenterChiropractic, Massage and Acupuncture

James Athing, Doctor of ChiropracticSoft Tissue Specialist

Work, Auto & Sports Injuries735 12th Street, Arcata (707)822-7419 www.athingchiropractic.com

John Amodio surveys Dolason Prairie, July 11, 2011. Photo: Dan Sealy.

An Activist’s Return to Emerald Creek

Continued on next page

Out of the woods. Stumbles a lost human. Another. � ey call a meeting. � ey have a plan. Back, they say. To the woods. Stabilize stream banks. Plant trees. Sing water songs. Make tree music. � ey hear a voice. Listen, it says.

� e water and tree people, naiad and dryad, are forever calling the watershed to order. Convening a hearing. Calling for salmon. � e meeting can’t begin without salmon. Sing for rain, someone says. � ey sing and it rains and sure enough the salmon arrive. First one, then a pair, then more, till there is a quorum. Now things can get started.

A bear gets up and wants to know if there are any changes to the agenda. A mountain lion moves to approve. It’s unanimous. � ere is only one item: the fate of the earth. Everybody gets a voice. Someone wants to throw out the humans, but they get to stay. Humans can sing. Humans can dream.

Let the meeting go on.


Green Diamond Resource Company—formerly Simpson Timber Company—has applied for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certi� cation for its California holdings, which encompass more than 400,000 acres in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties.

A public meeting will be held to allow interested parties to provide comments and discuss with the auditors. The public meeting will be held Monday, June 11, 7 – 8:30 p.m. at the Bayside Grange Hall, 2297 Jacoby Creek Rd. in Bayside.

FSC certi� ed wood products are sourced from forests managed to the highest environmental, social, and economic standards. To qualify for certi� cation, timber companies must protect old growth, limit clearcutting, and restrict conversion of natural forests to plantations or non-forest uses. These

standards would be a signi� cant improvement for forestlands managed by Green Diamond, and would bene� t both the local environment and the economy.

The Company’s California forest management operations will be evaluated against the FSC’s U.S. Forest Management Standard, Vol. 1.0, which is available at http://fscus.org/standards_criteria/forest_management.php.

The evaluation process includes several steps, beginning with public noti� cation and solicitation of comments on the certi� cation applicant, followed by � eld assessment of representative � eld sites and operations, stakeholder consultation, evaluation and peer review by 2 independent natural resource professionals. Finally, a public summary of the certi� cation report is released, if certi� cation is awarded.

Green Diamond Applies for Forest Stewardship Council Certi� cation

If you would like to comment on Green Diamond’s application for Forest Stewardship Council certi cation, send comments to Dr. Sheila Steinberg, Social

Scientist and Auditor, Scienti c Certi cation Systems, Inc. 2000 Powell Street, Suite 600, Emeryville, CA 94608 or send an email to [email protected].

Dan EhresmanOn May 17, the Humboldt County Planning

Commission took their fi nal vote on the General Plan Update and its associated Draft Environmental Impact Report. � e Commission voted unanimously to move their recommendations forward to the Board of Supervisors. � is milestone was marked by a robust round of applause from a very diverse array of stakeholders including representatives from Healthy Humboldt, HELP, Humboldt Association of Realtors, Northcoast Environmental Center, as well as SoHum and NoHum residents.

� e public comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Report, having been extended for another 30 days, will end on June 15. Beginning on June 12, our County Supervisors will begin their deliberations on this ever-important Update. It is currently expected that they will be meeting two days a week for six weeks.

Even though there is a vocal majority of residents who support updating our General Plan to safeguard Humboldt’s forests and farms, rivers and salmon, there are still certain special interest groups trying to stop the Update altogether. In the coming months, your support will be even more crucial to make sure our County Supervisors adopt a General Plan that will benefi t the communities of Humboldt County – human and wild, rural and urban. Stay up-to-date with Facebook updates from Healthy Humboldt or visit our website at:

www.healthyhumboldt.org.

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of elders—including conservationists—who risked so much. It took my breath away.

� e new trail had been carefully designed to weave in and out of open stands, recovering forest and large trees. An ECC member had laid out the trail route for the Park Service and the trail laid lightly on the land—repairing road damage in places, and avoiding known sacred sites.

We met Sungnome at the bridge over the creek—a bridge that didn’t exist forty years ago—and saw a sign emblazened by the name given it by a bunch of young activists: Emerald Creek. Amazing!

� e Redwood National and State Parks work to protect more than nine state or federally rare species. � e parks provide over 200 miles of public hiking trails where you can hike with your family without fear of confl ict with hunting. � e park manages wilderness while working actively with

communities to increase appropriate economic activities. It is a delicate balancing act that recognizes that if you don’t put conservation above enjoyment, there will be less for future generations to enjoy.

No resource management agency is perfect, but thanks to environmental laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act of 1968, all Americans are able to voice their concerns regarding parks plans for restoration or activities—rights we did not have when the lands were privately owned!

� e positive results of community eff orts were in the green forests and clear water I saw on my return trip to Emerald Creek. Even when I’m home thousands of miles away, I have a sense that we were able to right a wrong and with careful management, future generations will see the beauty we have been able to see. Dan Sealy recently retired from a long career in the National Park Service and lives in Washington, D.C.

Continued � om previous page

General Plan Update Gets Final

ReviewDan Sealy

Last summer, I became very anxious at the thought of returning to a very special place I hadn’t seen in decades. In the 1970’s I witnessed the devastation of clear-cut logging inching toward Redwood Creek in Redwood National Park. I watched the crystal clear waters of Emerald Creek above Tall Trees Grove turn grey-brown—choked with silt and mud. Now, forty years later, friends were inviting me to go back to Emerald Creek. Could I?

When I arrived in Humboldt County in 1970, the American nightmare of Vietnam was coming to an end and the fi rst Earth Day was transforming conservation politics. I joined a grassroots organization, the Emerald Creek Committee (ECC), which met at the Northcoast Environmental Center. We were inspired by local activists, artists, teachers, and Native Americans, and wanted Congress to protect the Tall Trees Grove and the larger redwood ecosystem.

As I pondered my return trip I commiserated with my friend and fellow “Creek Freak” Christie Fairchild. “Will you come backpacking with us?” “No.” she said, “I can’t go back. It was too sad.”

It was a tough time. Many of us had beenthreatened or physically harmed for our convictions. I was proud of the work we had done and love backpacking the Northcoast, but Christie was right: it had also been very sad.

Other friends and former ECC members, Sungnome Madrone (who now owns a watershed management company), and John Amodio (former NEC Director, now living in Sacramento) encouraged me to go with them and see it for myself.

� e morning fog lifted as John and I headed down Dolason Prairie. I looked across the valley and was stunned by the transformation I saw. Where there had been barren square timber cuts I now saw green hillsides full of trees. Wow! I had feared the unstable slopes would be forever sliding downhill but hard work by conservationists and

the National Park Service had resurrected an early successional forest. Follow-up management could assure Redwood Creek would be managed for fi sh and a thriving redwood ecosystem.

Part of the trail we were hiking had formerly been a logging road. ECC members had used this same road to trespass across Arcata Redwood Co. lands to quickly access park lands and document

the destruction to the forest—watching logging encroach into the Emerald Creek watershed fi rsthand. Dislodged gravel and logging debris began to choke streams as destabilized slopes slid down into the Redwood Creek killing fi sh and amphibians.

It was probably this very road where, forty years ago, I was caught trespassing (and recognized by name as an activist), but escaped into the park. It was on that hike I saw some of the worst destruction at a beautiful waterfall on Emerald Creek.

ECC members frequently camped near this spiritual waterfall when documenting logging aff ects to fi sheries and forests upstream. Now, four decades later, it was liberating to know that this valley and thousands of acres were saved, and that it was worth the fi ght. I felt the peace of generations

Helping Buyers and Sellers make “Green” Decisions about Humboldt County Real Estate.

655 F Street, Arcata, CAwww.arcataproperty.com

Karen Orsolics, Broker/Owner707-834-1818

CALL TO LEARN MORE TODAY!

Athing Wellness CenterChiropractic, Massage and Acupuncture

James Athing, Doctor of ChiropracticSoft Tissue Specialist

Work, Auto & Sports Injuries735 12th Street, Arcata (707)822-7419 www.athingchiropractic.com

John Amodio surveys Dolason Prairie, July 11, 2011. Photo: Dan Sealy.

An Activist’s Return to Emerald Creek

Continued on next page

Out of the woods. Stumbles a lost human. Another. � ey call a meeting. � ey have a plan. Back, they say. To the woods. Stabilize stream banks. Plant trees. Sing water songs. Make tree music. � ey hear a voice. Listen, it says.

� e water and tree people, naiad and dryad, are forever calling the watershed to order. Convening a hearing. Calling for salmon. � e meeting can’t begin without salmon. Sing for rain, someone says. � ey sing and it rains and sure enough the salmon arrive. First one, then a pair, then more, till there is a quorum. Now things can get started.

A bear gets up and wants to know if there are any changes to the agenda. A mountain lion moves to approve. It’s unanimous. � ere is only one item: the fate of the earth. Everybody gets a voice. Someone wants to throw out the humans, but they get to stay. Humans can sing. Humans can dream.

Let the meeting go on.


An American woman who plans to stop Shell Oil from leasing the Arctic’s waters, a Russian woman fi ghting a road bisecting Moscow’s protected forest and an Argentine mother whose infant son’s death galvanized opposition to indiscriminate pesticide spraying are three winners of the2012 Goldman Prize.

� ey are joined by three other regional winners of the world’s largest prize for grassroots environmentalists: a Catholic priest leading a movement against a large-scale nickel mine on a Philippine island, a Kenyan woman who risked her life to halt a dam and a Chinese man who has created an online database of factories violatingenvironmental practices.

Each of the six represent an inhabited continental region—North America, South and Central America, Islands and Island Nations, Europe, Africa and Asia—and each winner is awarded $150,000.

This year’s winners are:

EVGENIA CHIRIKOVA, RussiaChallenging rampant political corruption,

Evgenia Chirikova is mobilizing her fellow Russian citizens to demand the rerouting of a highway that would bisect Khimki Forest, Moscow’s “green lungs.” Chirikova won a signifi cant victory when she and her colleagues convinced major fi nancial backers of the highway to withdraw their funding, citing environmental, social and fi nancial concerns.

GOLDMAN PRIZE 2012

MA JUN, ChinaMa Jun organizes the monitoring and

enforcement data from the Chinese government so it is available to the public through online air and water pollution maps—showing Chinese citizens which factories are violating environmental regulations in their country—and works with corporations to clean up their practices.

IKAL ANGELEI, KenyaIkal Angelei is risking her life to fi ght the

construction of the massive Gibe 3 Dam that would block access to water for indigenous communities around a lake they depend on. Angelei founded the group Friends of Lake Turkana, brought together the

voices of Lake Turkana’s divided and marginalized communities and took their voices to local members of parliament and various ministries.

SOFIA GATICA, ArgentinaA mother whose infant died as a result of

pesticide poisoning, Sofía Gatica is organizing local women to stop indiscriminate spraying of toxic agrochemicals in neighboring soy fi elds. � eir advocacy has had resounding eff ects, and they are now pushing for a nationwide ban on glyphosate.

EDWIN GARIGUEZ, PhilippinesA Catholic priest, Father Edwin Gariguez

is leading a grassroots movement against a large-scale nickel mine to protect Mindoro Island’s biodiversity and its indigenous people, co-founding a broad coalition uniting

thousands of indigenous peoples, farmers and local political leaders.

CAROLINE CANNON, USACaroline Cannon is bringing the voice and

perspective of her small Inupiat community in Point Hope, Alaska, to the battle to keep Arctic waters safe from off shore oil and gas drilling. She and her environmental partners are currently galvanizing public opposition towards plans to drill exploration wells in the Chukchi Sea.

For more information about this year’s winners, and the hard issues they are tackling around the world, read our full article online! Visit www.yournec.org!

(Clockwise from left) Evgenia Chirikova, Ma Jun, Ikal Angelei, So� a Gatica, Caroline Cannon, and Edwin Gariguez.

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In this election year, we can expect a lot of posturing but very little action to promote conservation of our dwindling natural resources in the coming months. � e lame duck Congress will try to barricade any legislation it feels will fare better after the elections.

Environmental policies are under constant attack—especially in the House of Representatives. � ese attacks are not blatant or in forms the public could easily respond to, but rather are hidden in subtle “divide and conquer” strategies and de-funding budget proposals. � e “jobs vs. wilderness” mantra, for example, is ever-present (in spite of data indicating local jobs can be enhanced by wilderness protection).

Guns Trump ConservationAn example is the so-called “Sportsmen’s

Heritage Act” (HR 4089.)Opponents say this bill would eff ectually

dismantle the 1964 Wilderness Act. If passed, it would:

•Destroy eff orts to limit or ban lead ammunition and fi shing tackle in disregard of scientifi c studies showing lead ammo is killing eagles, condors and other species.•Allow off-road vehicles in roadless wilderness areas.•Allow hunting on all federal lands including National Parks—leaving few places for families to hike and camp safely during hunting seasons.

Despite opposition, proponants have fl ooded Washington, D.C. media with expensive advertisements urging members of Congress to support hunting rights over all other recreation interests.

� e pro-hunting HR 4089 passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the fate of the bill will soon be decided by the Democratically controlled Senate—but big lobbying money is pushing for passage. It is not too late to let your elected representatives know you oppose this bill!

Endangered LiesUsing faulty math and the excuse of the

day—“jobs”—Rep. Hasting (R-WA), Chairman of the House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee, hosted a meeting declaring war on the Endangered Species Act (ESA), promising a year of hearings. Rep. Hastings’ cadre bases their opinion on the idea that the ESA is a failure since only 1% of the listed species have recovered and been taken off the list.

Meanwhile, at a separate meeting hosted by Rep. Markey (D-MA) in support of the ESA, the fallacy of Rep. Hasting’s opinion was pointed out—it is like a doctor telling you to take an antibiotic for a week to treat an infection, and then someone asking you a day later if you are well. � e argument fails to recognize that approved recovery plans for most listed species established timelines that are still many years down the road—a lack of immediate success does not indicate failure. In addition, the science of species ecology and biology has improved since many of the recovery plans were written. In some cases, the metrics should change to refl ect new information, and potentially longer recovery times.

� e Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) recently published a report, “On Time, On Target,” spotlighing scientists whose recent studies show that the ESA does, in fact, work. CBD reports that of 10 species expected to recover by 2011, nine were down-listed to a less-protected status while many others “are on track to meet recovery goals set by federal scientists.”

Some conservationists argue that the fact that species have not recovered in shorter time frames is a result of our lack of vigorous protection; this is no time to weaken the act to benefi t the “topic of the time”- the economy. If we can’t aff ord to keep species from becoming extinct, that says a lot about our weak economic system—and how faulty our priorities. Dan Sealy is the NEC’s Legislative Analyst—our eyes and ears in Washington, D.C.

Good NewsPermit Denied for Flaming Gorge Pipeline

Klamath Gold-Mining Permits Against Law

New Milestone for California Condor

� e Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently closed the door on another attempt to permit the Flaming Gorge Pipeline. Earthjustice states, “� is project—and any similar, large-scale transbasin diversions—is the worst way to meet water challenges.”

Down to as few as 23 birds in the early 1980s, the endangered California Condor has reached a new milestone of over 400 birds in existence. An April count found 226 of the enormous vultures fl ying free over California, Arizona and Baja, Mexico. An additional 179 live in zoos and four breeding centers.

A federal appeals court recently ruled that the U.S. Forest Service violated federal endangered-species protections by approving gold mining along Northern California’s Klamath River without fi rst consulting wildlife agencies. California has a temporary moratorium on suction-dredge mining in place. � e new ruling applies to other mining as well.

Saudi Arabia’s New Solar Energy ProgramSaudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer,

announced plans to launch an ambitious solar energy program capable of generating 41,000 megawatts of power over the next two decades to support one-third of electricity production by 2032. “We want to run a sustainable solar energy sector that will become a driver for domestic energy for years to come.”

Legislative Watch Gridlock and

the Lame Duck

Hawaii First State to Ban Plastic BagsHawaii became the fi rst state in the nation

where every city and unincorporated area is covered by a plastic bag ban. � is was not accomplished by the state legislature, but instead by all four County Councils—a great example of local activists and decision makers addressing the serious issue of plastic pollution.


OUTINGS & MEETINGS

� e regular meeting of the North Group takes place on the second Tuesday of each month at Eureka’s Adorni Center beginning 7 p.m.. � e June 12 meeting will be preceded by a special presentation, pizza and refreshments beginning at 6 p.m. Science Fair Award recipient Paloma Herrara-� omas (7th grade) will share her winning project (more on her project below). � e following outings are off ered to members and the general public during June and July:Saturday, June 9: Friendship Ridge, Prairie Creek State Park Hike. Enjoy old growth, ocean views, a waterfall and possible elk sightings on this 8-mile, moderate diffi culty loop. � e route starts at Fern Canyon Trailhead and proceeds along Friendship Ridge, closing with a short section on James Irvine Trail. Expect a few steep and soggy stretches. Bring food and water; wear hiking footwear and layered clothing. No dogs. Rain cancels the event. A carpools leaves from Arcata’s Safeway Parking Lot at 9 a.m. or meet at the Fern Canyon Parking Area (Hwy 101 north, exit Davison Road, follow the signs) at 10:30 a.m. Contact trip leader Melinda at 707-668-4275 or [email protected] Saturday, June 23: Trillium Falls Trail, Redwood National Park. Bring your kids and walk this easy, 2.8-mile loop winding through redwood groves and past the trail’s namesake waterfall. If we’re lucky we’ll see elk. Wear sturdy shoes; bring liquids and lunch. No strollers. A Carpool departs 9 a.m.

from Arcata’s Safeway parking lot or meet at the trailhead at 10 a.m. (Hwy 101 north, exit Davison Road, follow signs). Contact trip leader Allison at 707-268-8767.Saturday, July 14: Ma-le’l Dunes, Ledik Trail to Du’k Loop Trail. Come with kids on this easy 1.5-mile walk and experience one of the most pristine dune communities in the Pacifi c Northwest. We’ll see a coastal forest, sand dunes and the beach. Wear sturdy shoes; bring liquids and lunch. No strollers. Meet 10 a.m. at Ma-le’l Dunes South parking area: Take Samoa Blvd (Hwy 255), turn onto Young Lane, follow signs and park near the restroom. Contact leader Allison at 707-268-8767.

SCIENCE PROJECT RECEIVES REWARD

For the sixth time, the North Group sponsored an award at the annual Humboldt County Science Fair held in mid-March. � e $50 prize for best project dealing with environmental issues went to “Land Use and Stream Health,” a project by Paloma Herrera-� omas, a 7th-grade student at Jacoby Creek School.

Paloma set out to measure water-quality indicators in three watersheds; Brown Creek (located in Prairie Creek State Park), Jacoby and Janes creeks in Arcata. After interviewing environmental professionals, she gathered data on nitrogen levels, pH, dissolved metals, and bacterial growth on a light-rain day, a sunny day, and during a heavy rainstorm. Brown Creek data showed the lowest pollution level. Jacoby Creek, draining the largest area with intensive agricultural practices, showed the highest pollutant levels

and the largest increase in pollution during rain events. Janes Creek had high levels of nitrogen and high pH, likely related to livestock grazing and stormwater runoff .

Paloma will present her project on June 12 at the Adorni Center in Eureka beginning at 6 p.m. � e public is invited to attend this free North Group event; pizza and refreshments will be served. Paloma’s presentation will be followed by the regular meeting of the North Group’s Executive Committee.

ROAD THROUGH EUREKA MARSH DEAD

A Eureka road extension opposed by the North Group for more than 10 years was fi nally killed by the Eureka City Council on April 17. � e Waterfront Drive Extension (WDE) was proposed to be built through wetlands that Eureka purchased with Coastal Conservancy grants. Touted as congestion relief for Highway 101, the 9,000-foot, 2-lane road would have required fi lling part of the PALCO (a.k.a. Eureka) Marsh complex that the City has been managing for wildlife habitat.

California Coastal Commission staff advised Eureka years ago to stop spending time and money on the project which could not be permitted because it would cause unacceptable impacts to Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas (ESHAs) and wetlands.

City staff fi nally admitted that the proposal had a “likely fatal fl aw” that would bar Coastal Commission approval. Staff is now working to reprogram WDE funds to construct a trail along the Eureka Waterfront.

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

Robert Berg, D.D.S.

North Events and Updates ~ North Group, Redwood Chapter


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

EVENING 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 some other presenter shares a brief, hands-on demonstration and discussion of some botanical topic.

September 12, Wednesday 7:30 p.m. Dr. James P. Smith shares stories about California’s early botanists. Botanical book recirculation night starting at 7:00 p.m.

October 10, Wednesday 7:30 p.m. “Floral Jewels Among All that Rock at Lassen National Park” Ken Stumpf

November 14, Wednesday 7:30 p.m. Cheri Sanville and Bianca Hayashi will be talking about discoveries and fun with local Fawn Lilies (Erythronium).

December 12, Wednesday 7:30 p.m. Native Plant Show & Tell. An informal evening for anyone to share photos, artifacts, readings, or food relating to native plants and their habitats.

June 17, Sunday. Umbellifer Quest, Arcata to Cold Spring. How many members of the carrot family will we find along the way to Cold Spring and exploring the meadow there? This will be our focus for a trip from coastal plain to mountain fir forest on Titlow Hill Rd. off Highway 299 in Six Rivers National Forest. Besides roadside stops we will explore the meadow and informal trail (about 3 miles) at Cold Spring. We will surely see many non-umbelliferous flowers as well. Bring lunch and water; dress in layers for changeable mountain weather at 4,000 feet. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at Pacific Union School (3001 Janes Rd., Arcata) or arrange another place. Return late afternoon. Information: Carol Ralph 822-2015

July 27-30. Friday eve.-Sunday. Sanger Lake Field Trip. Snuggled on the west side of the Siskiyou Mountains crest, Sanger Lake will be our base for a day hike to Young Valley (Saturday) and other exploration of fir forest, rock outcrops, and wet meadows of these beautiful mountains. Primitive camping is at the lake, accessible by unpaved Forest Service road (Knopki Rd.) off of Highway 199. Lodging is available at Patrick Creek, roughly an hour away. For more details and to say you are coming, call Carol 822-2015.

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

When Michael Kauff mann fi rst began to explore the Klamath Mountains 10 years ago, he immediately knew he was seeing a place that was vastly diff erent from others in the West. � e landscape was subtle compared to other mountain ranges but the plant life was complex and diverse. In fact, northwest California and southwest Oregon is the most botanically diverse region in western North America.

Kauff mann’s new book, Conifer Country, is an innovative natural history and hiking guide that uses conifers as a lens to explore the astounding plant diversity in the Klamath Mountains of northwestern California and southwestern Oregon. Conifers are one of the oldest lineages of plants remaining on the planet. Per unit area, the Klamath Mountains hold more species of conifers than any other temperate region on Earth.

Along with describing the region’s conifer species with color plates, the book takes adventurous souls to 29 hiking destinations—each with maps and downloadable route descriptions. Michael has created an

Conifer Country: Natural History of the Conifers of the Klamath Mountain Regionaccessible guide by writing for the amateur to expert botanists and hikers alike—the perfect companion for this summer’s adventures.

Featured hikes range from a gentle 2.8 mile hike in Ferndale’s Russ Park (5 conifers) to the 410-mile Bigfoot Trail through 6 wilderness areas and 1 national park (32 conifers). Kauff mann spent 22 days in the summer of 2009 ground-truthing the route, documenting conifers, and photographing wildfl owers.

An educator specializing in science, math, and natural history, Kauff mann is also an avid wilderness trekker. His irrepressible enthusiasm for the natural world shines as he describes geologic history and evolutionary events that formed the unique beauty and wonder of the Klamath Mountains over the millennia.

Conifer Country is available locally around Humboldt Bay at the HSU Natural History Museum, Rookery Books, Northtown Books, Eureka Books, and Booklegger. It is also available in Crescent City at State of Jeff erson Books or online through Backcountrypress.com.

HAPPENINGS ~ News and Events om the North Coast Chapter


Beth Werner� e Marine Life Protection Act process

has been fi lled with acronyms, multi-level decision makers, fi ghts, fear and compromise, but the madness is nearing an end. � e Fish and Game Commission met in Eureka on June 6 to fi nalize our marine protected areas based on public comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report. [Editor’s note: As the meeting occurred after our print deadline, we were unable to include details in this report].

� e North Coast submitted a single unifi ed proposal—based on collaboration between local fi sherman, tribal governments, environmentalists and ocean enthusiasts—that Baykeeper continues to support. As the Marine Life Protection Act adoption hearing approaches we want to focus on the goal of the Act: to protect biodiversity off California’s coast.

� ere are several distinct habitat types found in the North Coast bioregion that exemplify California’s rich coastal biodiversity, including—but not limited to—sandy bottom, rocky reef, off shore rocks, and kelp and eel grass beds. � e iconic species living off the North Coast live, breed, mate and grow in these habitats and the MLPA provides a platform to protect these unique coastal niches.

Sandy BottomTwo of the very important species call the

sandy bottom terrain home; Dungeness Crab and the California Halibut. Dungeness crab are an important iconic north coast creature and vastly important to the economy. California Halibut, fl at fi shes that bury themselves under the sand, are also very important to the ecosystem and fi shermen.

Rocky ReefRocky reefs are vitally important for a diverse

species of fi sh because they provide both shelter and food. One iconic species living in the rocky reefs off the North Coast is Lingcod. Lingcod can grow up to 5 feet in length, are solitary and unique due to their large heads, mouths and teeth.

Offshore Rocks� e North Coast has many large off shore

rocks along the coast - more than other regions in California. � ese large off shore rocks are breeding grounds, nurseries and shelter for many marine mammals including the Steller Sea Lion (a listed species on the Endangered Species Act) as well as migratory birds such as the Tufted Puffi n.

Kelp and Eel Grass BedsKelp beds are less frequent off the coast of Del

Norte and Humboldt than Mendocino County. � e kelp beds in Mendocino provide habitat and food for many creatures including Red Abalone. Eel Grass beds can be found in Humboldt Bay, and are nursery grounds for many fi sh that travel between the Bay and the ocean such as steelhead, Coho, and Chinook salmon.

To fi nd more information about the MLPA and the fi nal marine protected areas off the North Coast go to http://www.humboldtbaykeeper.org/marine-life-protection-act.html or call 707-268-8897.

Beth Werner is Executive Director of Humboldt Baykeeper.

Jennifer Kalt

Since our Citizen Water Monitoring Program began in 2005, we have consistently found high levels of fecal coliform in many local streams. Fecal coliform are bacteria that originate in feces of warm-blooded animals, including livestock, wildlife, pets, and humans.

Testing this February found fecal coliform levels exceeded water quality standards at 64% of the sites tested, compared with 85% during First Flush 2009, and 42% during dry weather monitoring in September 2009. � ese results suggest that fecal coliform levels are correlated with rainfall, which fl ushes polluted runoff into local creeks. � is type of water pollution can make people sick who come into contact with it and requires closure of commercial shellfi sh beds after rainstorms to prevent exposure through ingesting contaminated oysters and clams.

Nationwide, approximately 50% of water pollution is caused by stormwater runoff . Runoff from parking lots, roads, and roofs, faulty septic or sewage systems, agricultural and residential pesticides and fertilizers, and industrial sources all contribute to stormwater pollution. Sediment from logging, roads, construction, and landslides is also a major source of polluted runoff .

Protecting vegetation along creeks and wetlands, improving maintenance of sewer pipelines and septic systems, and keeping livestock out of streams can all help reduce fecal coliform levels and will protect Humboldt Bay’s water quality.

To get involved in the Citizen Water Quality Monitoring Program, call Humboldt Baykeeper at 268-8897 or visit our

website at http://humboldtbaykeeper.org.

For more information on preventing stormwater pollution, visit http://www.humboldtstormwater.org.

Jennifer Kalt is Humboldt Baykeeper’s Policy Director.

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Fecal Coliform Found in Local Streams

Mendocino coastline—South Cape Mendocino State Marine Reserve and protected o shore rocks Sugarloaf Island and Steamboat Rock. Photo: Todd Kraemer.


Scott GreacenEnvironmental plaintiff s claimed a victory in

May when a federal court rejected the North Coast Railroad Authority’s attempt to keep a California state court from reviewing the NCRA’s July 2011 Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

Friends of the Eel River (FOER) and Californians for Alternatives to Toxics (CATs) challenged the EIR in state court, arguing (among other things) that the NCRA is impermissibly “segmenting” analysis of the overall rail line reconstruction project by breaking it into a series of small pieces. Instead of analyzing the potential environmental eff ects of rebuilding the old Northwestern Pacifi c Railroad (NWP Co.) line through the Eel River Canyon, as the NCRA claimed it would do, they instead analyzed just the southern end of the rail line—the section from Willits south, which the NCRA calls its Russian River Division.

� e NCRA (and their private contractor, the NWP Co.) claimed that the environmental impacts of railroads are entirely a federal matter, the state had no jurisdiction, and thus the NCRA can’t be required

to comply with CEQA. � e federal magistrate did not agree and sent the case straight back to state court.

� e EIR was funded by California taxpayers and explicitly conditioned on compliance with the state’s cornerstone environmental impacts law, CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act). � e ruling means that the NCRA will have to defend its CEQA document before a state judge. We are reasonably confi dent that the NCRA’s version of the law will again be rejected.

� e NCRA was set up by the California legislature to take over the failing rail line to prevent its being legally abandoned by its previous owners. � e

After years of refusing to use an annual allocation of Eel River water from the Potter Valley Project dams, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced May 16 that the agencies had directed PG&E, the dam operator, to release the 2500 acre-feet of water in a pulse shaped to mimic the fl ow eff ects of a warm spring rainstorm during the dark of the moon.

Fisheries biologists say those conditions should help signal to juvenile chinook and steelhead in the reach of the mainstem Eel between the Potter Valley Project dams that it’s time to migrate downstream. � ose fi sh include the off spring of the record 2436

Scott Greacen is Executive Director of Friends of the Eel River.

agency secretly contracted a highly controversial lease with NWP Co. to reopen the entire line from Humboldt Bay to the national rail system in the San

Francisco area, probably to haul gravel and rock.

From the fi rst train that ever ran through the Eel Canyon, the line was plagued by landslides. When it ran, the line was the most expensive stretch of rail to maintain in the continental U.S.

� ere are grave concerns about eff orts to rebuild the defunct rail line through the Eel River Canyon. � e legacies of blocked watersheds, toxic hotspots, and debris and sediment dumped into the river by the railroad would carry into the indefi nite future without adequately addressing the instabilities that caused the line to fail in the fi rst place.

� e NCRA has been unable to put forward a viable business plan that would support the tremendous expense of rebuilding a viable and resilient rail line through the Eel Canyon.

In fact, more than a decade after signing a consent decree with a handful of state agencies admitting to serious violations of environmental law throughout the canyon, the agency has yet to even lay out a plan to begin to address the problems of cleanup in the canyon.

A meaningful CEQA review would require public agencies to take a careful look at the potential impact of their proposed actions and adopt feasible mitigation measures—which is what the NCRA & NWP want to avoid.

Chinook that climbed the fi sh ladder into the Van Arsdale reservoir above the Cape Horn dam last fall.

However, the NMFS now admits there’s reason to be concerned that the Chinook and steelhead juveniles could be harmed not only by predatory pikeminnow from the Lake Pillsbury reservoir above Scott Dam, but also by the cold water released from the dam as part of the Potter Valley Project operations, stating that, “Past monitoring has indicated that cooler water temperature releases from Scott Dam can delay the migration of juvenile Chinook salmon from the 12 mile reach, potentially decreasing their success to migrate to the lower river, estuary and ocean.”

No Federal Shield for Railroad

Dam Releases Harmful to Fish? Eroding bank under railroad track along the Eel River Canyon. Photo: Scott Greacen.

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Rob DiPerna

As the snow melts in the Trinity wildcountry and winter turns to spring, the Northern Spotted Owl breeding season is well underway. Owls are seeking their mates and nest sites to bring the next generation of young into the world.

However, the advent of spring also brings with it the sounds of bulldozers and chainsaws as the Billionaire Timber Baron Red Emmerson and his agent of forest destruction, Sierra Pacifi c Industries (SPI), fi re up their machinery. � is spring and summer, unless we have your support to stop them, SPI will once again conduct its lawless and rapacious clearcutting of spotted owl habitat within known territories of California’s Northern Spotted Owl.

� e threat is real and growing. � is year Sierra Pacifi c could operate on as many as 20 approved Timber Harvest Plans (THPs) that propose spotted owl habitat removal within specifi c known spotted

owl territories. Of these harvest plans, 12 are in Trinity County, and three are in Humboldt. As a result of these damaging logging plans, Sierra Pacifi c could potentially remove over 4,100 acres of spotted owl habitat from within known owl territories.

EPIC intends to put an end to SPI’s systematic liquidation of spotted owl habitat through a citizen’s lawsuit. In February, 2012, EPIC fi led a 60-day Notice of Intent to fi le a lawsuit against SPI under Section 9 of the Federal Endangered Species Act over harm to spotted owl due to SPI’s signifi cant habitat destruction. However, SPI failed to respond to this notice, and has defi nitely continued

Spo� ed owl self-defense:Taking the ght to SPIits assault on California’s Northern Spotted Owl. EPIC intends to fi le suit against Sierra Pacifi c in Federal Court in an eff ort to enjoin the companies’

damaging activities, and bring this criminal actor into compliance with Federal law.

Taking Sierra Pacifi c to task over its harm to spotted owls will not be easy, and EPIC cannot go it alone. EPIC needs your support to help bring this billionaire timber baron and his rapacious company to justice. You can help by becoming a member, donating to our Northern Spotted Owl Self-defense fund, and asking your friends and colleagues to

do the same. Now is a critical moment where your donations

could make a signifi cant diff erence in our battle to protect the owl from

SPI’s summer plans for forest destruction.

Rob DiPerna

For the last two and a half years, EPIC has advocated for listing the Humboldt marten under the Federal Endangered

Species Act. EPIC, along with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), fi led a listing petition to protect this rare and allusive forest carnivore in late 2010. In January 2012 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that the marten “may warrant” ESA protection, but failed to make a listing determination within the 12-month required period. Subsequently, in April, EPIC and CBD fi led a 60-day Notice of Intent to Sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failure to act on the listing petition in a timely manner.

Meanwhile, Green Diamond Resource Company, whose 400,000 acres of privately held forestlands are nearly all within the historic range of the Humboldt marten, is seeking certifi cation as “sustainable” under the Forest Stewardship Council’s process. � e irony here is that Green

Diamond’s intensive “even-aged” (industry speak for clearcutting) management regime runs completely contrary to the biological needs of the marten. At this time, Green Diamond does not have an approved conservation plan for Humboldt marten. Instead, Green Diamond’s rapacious and short-sighted management regime continues to compromise vital habitat for this rare forest carnivore, one of

the most threatened small mammals on the planet. EPIC needs your support to bring ESA

protection to the Humboldt marten, and the marten needs community members to let FSC know about their concerns about Green Diamond. Come to a FSC public comment meeting planned for 7 PM June 11 at the Bayside Grange, just outside of Arcata. See you there!

Humboldt Marten seeks ESA protection; Green Diamond seeks FSC certi cation

could potentially remove over 4,100 acres of spotted owl habitat from within known owl territories.

EPIC intends to put an end to SPI’s systematic liquidation

Act over harm to spotted owl due to SPI’s signifi cant habitat destruction. However, SPI failed to respond to this notice, and has defi nitely continued


harm to spotted owls will not be easy, and EPIC cannot go it alone. EPIC needs your support to help bring

moment where your donations could make a signifi cant diff erence

in our battle to protect the owl from SPI’s summer plans for forest destruction.

The Humboldt Martin population is estimated at less than 100!

TThhrreeaattaataa eenneedd

Name________________________ Date __________Email_________________________________________Address_____________________________________Phone (________)________________________

One time Donation of $________________or

a Recurring Donation $_______ per month

I want to support by check I want to support by credit card: Visa Mastercard

Card #____________________________________________Exp. Date______________ Security Code____________ Signature_____________________________

The best way to stay informed and help protect northwest California is to become a member of EPIC. Basic membership is $35 a year for an individual or $50 for a household. To send a check or credit card information by mail, please fill out this form and mail it to: EPIC, P.O. Box 543 Redway, CA 95560

Make Your Voice Heard! What Do You Think of Green Diamond’s Clearcutting?

Come to the Forest Stewardship Council public comment meeting 7pm, Monday, June 11 at The Bayside Grange Hall

2297 Jacoby Creek Rd. Bayside, CA

145 G Street, Suite A, Arcata, CA 95521 www.wildcalifornia.org (707) 822.7711

Northern Spotted Owl Self-Defense

The Environmental Protection Information Center


101 Corridor Hearing DelayedAfter withdrawing from the May agenda of

the California Coastal Commission, Caltrans will likely resubmit the Eureka-Arcata 101 Corridor Improvement Project to the Commission for review at a hearing in September in Eureka. At the hearing, the project will be reviewed for consistency with the California Coastal Act.

Green Wheels and others have noted that the project as proposed actually diminishes coastal access to Humboldt Bay, does not meet the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians for safety and is detrimental to connectivity to adjacent communities. We see a missed opportunity to better serve the needs of local residents, protect coastal resources and enhance coastal access along the diverse coastline of Humboldt Bay.

Local Coastal Commission staff from the North Coast District have voiced concerns about this project regarding the lack of adequate coastal access and safe accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians along this vital link between Humboldt County’s two largest population centers. North Coast District staff have reiterated that the Caltrans’ project does not analyze an adequate

range of alternatives, including an alternative with a separated non-motorized pathway. Other comments have included a lack of full consideration of sea level rise impacts, coastal viewshed issues with the proposed overpass and potential service/development expansion along the Corridor.

Sustainable transportation advocates still have the opportunity for their voice to be heard for safe access for bicyclists and pedestrians. Stay tuned to Green Wheels and Econews for 101 project updates and ways to participate.

Chris Butner

What do these cards look like? � ey are small enough to fi t in your wallet,

or pocket. � e front of the card identifi es the card as “the bicyclist’s accident report. As well, the front can show a sponsorship spot if a business, or non-profi t wants to advertise to show that they support the bicycle community.

� e front also refers to www.bikesafe.CA.com which is a new network being formed for each state. � e back of the card shows a few basic laws that must be followed to help keep users safe. Displayed are a few vehicle codes along with some basic visual aide pictures. � e center of the card is basically a form to record information such as license plate number, witness information, driver info (name, phone, insurance info, etc), time of incident, and location. � e bottom of the card off ers referral assistance you may need to pursue a bike law specialist.

What do I do with the card?� e idea is simple. You carry the card around

with you as you bike. Ideally you will never have

to use the card. If you are in an incident it is likely you will be fl ustered, and forget to do certain things. � e card will remind you what information to gather.

Who produced this card originally?Josh Zisson produced the cards in Boston

originally. He has completed a California version as

well as for other states. He is an avid bicyclist himself, and he is attempting to bring riders together nationwide into a network to help make the roads safer. Josh is in the early stages of building bikesafenation.com. It consists of 3 elements of accident card distribution, each state having a bikesafe web site, and a bike law specialist referral system. Communities across the nation will have to help support the network in order for it to be eff ective. Check out www.bikesafeca.com.

How can I get a hold of these cards in Humboldt County?

Check to see if any of the bike shops in Eureka or Arcata have any in stock. Also inquire at the front counter of the North Coast

Environmental center in Arcata. Cards will be dis tributed to other locations as also. � ese cards are free currently, and supply is limited.

If you have any questions for Chris, I can be reached at [email protected], or Josh Zisson of bike safe nation at [email protected].

Pocket sized Bicyle Accident Report Card

� e Bicyclist’s Accident Report Card

Members receive 10% off bike accessories at Revolution Bikes and Adventure’s Edge in Arcata. Your membership contribution is tax

deductable.

Make checks payable to Green Wheels

and mail toGreen Wheels c/o NEC

791 8th Street, P.O. Box 4259 Arcata, CA 95518

Or join online at: www.green-wheels.org

Thanks!

SUPPORT green wheels

NameAddress

Email

Membership Level:$15 Low-Income$25 Individual$50 Family

$100 Business$500 SponserOther: $ _____

Eureka Bike to Work Day, 2012.

Rob DiPerna

As the snow melts in the Trinity wildcountry and winter turns to spring, the Northern Spotted Owl breeding season is well underway. Owls are seeking their mates and nest sites to bring the next generation of young into the world.

However, the advent of spring also brings with it the sounds of bulldozers and chainsaws as the Billionaire Timber Baron Red Emmerson and his agent of forest destruction, Sierra Pacifi c Industries (SPI), fi re up their machinery. � is spring and summer, unless we have your support to stop them, SPI will once again conduct its lawless and rapacious clearcutting of spotted owl habitat within known territories of California’s Northern Spotted Owl.

� e threat is real and growing. � is year Sierra Pacifi c could operate on as many as 20 approved Timber Harvest Plans (THPs) that propose spotted owl habitat removal within specifi c known spotted

owl territories. Of these harvest plans, 12 are in Trinity County, and three are in Humboldt. As a result of these damaging logging plans, Sierra Pacifi c could potentially remove over 4,100 acres of spotted owl habitat from within known owl territories.

EPIC intends to put an end to SPI’s systematic liquidation of spotted owl habitat through a citizen’s lawsuit. In February, 2012, EPIC fi led a 60-day Notice of Intent to fi le a lawsuit against SPI under Section 9 of the Federal Endangered Species Act over harm to spotted owl due to SPI’s signifi cant habitat destruction. However, SPI failed to respond to this notice, and has defi nitely continued

Spo� ed owl self-defense:Taking the ght to SPIits assault on California’s Northern Spotted Owl. EPIC intends to fi le suit against Sierra Pacifi c in Federal Court in an eff ort to enjoin the companies’


Taking Sierra Pacifi c to task over its harm to spotted owls will not be easy, and EPIC cannot go it alone. EPIC needs your support to help bring this billionaire timber baron and his rapacious company to justice. You can help by becoming a member, donating to our Northern Spotted Owl Self-defense fund, and asking your friends and colleagues to

do the same. Now is a critical moment where your donations

could make a signifi cant diff erence in our battle to protect the owl from

SPI’s summer plans for forest destruction.

Rob DiPerna

For the last two and a half years, EPIC has advocated for listing the Humboldt marten under the Federal Endangered

Species Act. EPIC, along with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), fi led a listing petition to protect this rare and allusive forest carnivore in late 2010. In January 2012 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that the marten “may warrant” ESA protection, but failed to make a listing determination within the 12-month required period. Subsequently, in April, EPIC and CBD fi led a 60-day Notice of Intent to Sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failure to act on the listing petition in a timely manner.

Meanwhile, Green Diamond Resource Company, whose 400,000 acres of privately held forestlands are nearly all within the historic range of the Humboldt marten, is seeking certifi cation as “sustainable” under the Forest Stewardship Council’s process. � e irony here is that Green

Diamond’s intensive “even-aged” (industry speak for clearcutting) management regime runs completely contrary to the biological needs of the marten. At this time, Green Diamond does not have an approved conservation plan for Humboldt marten. Instead, Green Diamond’s rapacious and short-sighted management regime continues to compromise vital habitat for this rare forest carnivore, one of

the most threatened small mammals on the planet. EPIC needs your support to bring ESA

protection to the Humboldt marten, and the marten needs community members to let FSC know about their concerns about Green Diamond. Come to a FSC public comment meeting planned for 7 PM June 11 at the Bayside Grange, just outside of Arcata. See you there!

Humboldt Marten seeks ESA protection; Green Diamond seeks FSC certi cation

could potentially remove over 4,100 acres of spotted owl habitat from within known owl territories.

EPIC intends to put an end to SPI’s systematic liquidation

Act over harm to spotted owl due to SPI’s signifi cant habitat destruction. However, SPI failed to respond to this notice, and has defi nitely continued


harm to spotted owls will not be easy, and EPIC cannot go it alone. EPIC needs your support to help bring

moment where your donations could make a signifi cant diff erence

in our battle to protect the owl from SPI’s summer plans for forest destruction.

The Humboldt Martin population is estimated at less than 100!

TThhrreeaattaataa eenneedd

Name________________________ Date __________Email_________________________________________Address_____________________________________Phone (________)________________________

One time Donation of $________________or

a Recurring Donation $_______ per month

I want to support by check I want to support by credit card: Visa Mastercard

Card #____________________________________________Exp. Date______________ Security Code____________ Signature_____________________________

The best way to stay informed and help protect northwest California is to become a member of EPIC. Basic membership is $35 a year for an individual or $50 for a household. To send a check or credit card information by mail, please fill out this form and mail it to: EPIC, P.O. Box 543 Redway, CA 95560

Make Your Voice Heard! What Do You Think of Green Diamond’s Clearcutting?

Come to the Forest Stewardship Council public comment meeting 7pm, Monday, June 11 at The Bayside Grange Hall

2297 Jacoby Creek Rd. Bayside, CA

145 G Street, Suite A, Arcata, CA 95521 www.wildcalifornia.org (707) 822.7711

Northern Spotted Owl Self-Defense

The Environmental Protection Information Center


Blast from the Past...

On May 22 [1982], Redwood National Park will be dedicated as just one of seven sites in the United States to be placed on the World Heritage List.

In just a few more decades, many of the scars in the Redwood Creek basin of the park will have healed—and much of the human commotion over creation and expansion of the park will be history.

But, just as Republicans couldn’t be elected in the South for decades—and in some places, to this day—because Abraham Lincoln had been a Republican, so too will bitterness engendered by the political warfare over the park remain.

Sadly, the political manipulation of the park issue is likely to be a feature of life on the North Coast for some time to come.

Lingering Scars� e Redwood Employee Protection Program

(REPP), despite its fl aws, will allow some human scars to heal – just as the monies for watershed rehabilitation in the Redwood Creek basin will ultimately hide the roads and clear cuts of a previous era.

It has been well documented that the volume of timber within the park expansion area could not prevent the inevitable end of old growth timber, an

Historic articles selected from the EcoNews Archives.

end which has come to every region of the United States where lumbering was boom-time activity.

� is is not to say that forestry won’t be an occupation in future years for the North Coast. But forestry will be diff erent. It had already changed here before the park had even been created in 1968, let alone expanded in 1978.

� e lumber boom on the North Coast had peaked in 1959; after that year the volume of timber cut declined and, more importantly, so did the number of workers needed to produce a unit of lumber.

Myth As Mask� e saddest part of the myth of Redwood

National Park is that for years to come the struggle to create the park will mask both the structural problems of the timber industry (consolidation, automation and monetary policy) and the ‘cut and run’ philosophy which has been visited on all timber-producing areas.

� e political hacks who serve the corporate timber interests will continue to milk the issue in an eff ort to establish favorable policies, such as giving away local national forests for single-use logging and to do so in the name of Redwood National Park.

Make no mistake; I am not opposed to the idea of forestry, to the use of wood products or to people working in the industry. I am opposed to people and the land being manipulated to their mutual detriment while the lasting benefi ts of the wealth created by the process are dissipated well beyond this region.

Millions of acres of land in Northwestern California have been committed to forestry. Let’s put people to work making these lands productive and healthy, and let’s recognize the message in the world dedication of Redwood National Park.

It is something like this: Here in the latter part of the 20th century, in a time fi lled with derision, poverty, war, prejudice and all of the elements of catastrophe, something of the best of creation on planet earth has been set aside for all survivors of human frailty and injustice to be renewed in and to marvel at.

All successful eff orts to snatch some precious thing from the jaws of destruction send a simple message that there’s always hope.

Park is for Healing by Tim McKayMay 1982

Interested in our local environmental history? Donate some time to our historic EcoNews Archive project! Contact us at 822-6918 or write [email protected]!


POPCORN, THE PERFECT SNACK FOOD: Popcorn contains more of the healthful antioxidants than fruits and vegetables, scientists told the American Chemical Society.

In another fi nding, the researchers learned that the hulls of popcorn—the parts that everyone hates for their tendency to get caught in the teeth—actually have the highest concentration of the antioxidants known as polyphenols. “� ose hulls deserve more respect,” said Dr. Joe Vinson of the University of Scranton. “� ey are nutritional gold nuggets.”

FAT FACTS: In Jamaica, where more than half the population is overweight and a “meagre” woman is considered unattractive, the ladies bulk up on black-market chicken pills—which is chicken feed mixed with appetite-boosting arsenic.

In China, there are 325 million people considered overweight. In the U.S., Boston emergency services has unveiled an ambulance for the obese equipped with a stretcher that can hold 850 pounds. And police in many places are told to make sure they frisk suspects “up in the folds.”

...AND YET: Every day, almost 40,000 children die of malnutrition.

One out of three children on this planet is malnourished. � e price to give all of the world’s children antibiotics, vaccinations and other necessary treatment is equivalent to just 2% of the � ird World’s expenditures on weapons.

THE POWER OF THE INTERNET: Researchers at UC-Berkeley and the nearby International Computer Science Institute, estimated that our planet is home to 750 million laptops, a billion smart phones and 100 million servers—adding up to less than two per cent of all the energy used.

� ey suggest that the internet could replace more energy-intensive activities. For example, their calculations show that a video-conference uses an average of one hundredth as much energy as one in which participants take a fl ight so that they can meet together.

CLASSICAL PREFERRED: Mice with heart transplants survived twice as long if they listened to classical music rather than pop music.

In a Japanese experiment, the mice continuously listened to Verdi’s opera La Traviata, a selection of Mozart concertos, music by Enya, or single monotones. � e mice exposed to opera fared best, surviving an average of 26 days. � ose listening to Mozart lasted 20 days. Mice who heard Enya survived for 11 days and the monotone group only seven days.

Blood samples from the mice revealed that the classical music appeared to slow organ rejection by calming the immune system.

WILD RIDE: Dr. Johannes Fritz was the fi rst thing rare Northern Bald Iris chicks saw when they hatched. � en he used their trust to follow him in his microlight plane over the Alps between summer and winter feeding grounds.

Now after a decade of work, a female bird named GoJa—after conservationist Jane Goodall—made it back under her own steam. � e birds lived in Europe for millions of years, but were almost wiped out four centuries ago.

SWEET: Rapamycin, regularly given to prevent transplant rejection and treat cancer, also has been shown to extend the life of animals—but that amazing plus also has a minus: it simultaneously causes glucose intolerance.

David Sabatini of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, found that rapamycin aff ects two important genes: MTORC1, which prolongs life, and MTORC2, which shortens it by causing diabetes.

His team is hoping to develop variants of rapamycin that act only on the gene for MTORC1 to preserve longevity eff ects and get rid of the unwanted side eff ects.

THE DANGER OF TEXTING: A Californian man was so preoccupied with sending a text on his mobile phone that he walked into a bear.

� e man was caught on video walking right into the 500-pound black bear on a street in the La Crescenta section of Los Angeles. Just moments before impact, he noticed the huge bear—and managed to run away. � e bear was later contained in a nearby garden.

GLOBAL WARMING COSTS TRILLIONS: � e impact of climate change on oceans could cost $2 trillion by the end of the century, according to a report being compiled by the Stockholm Environment Institute for the United Nations’ Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in June.

Report co-editor Kevin Noone emphasized that the $2 trillion fi gure is not a worst-case scenario and doesn’t count factors that aren’t easily quantifi able, such as the value of species which will go extinct when their habitats are lost.

WEED POLLUTION: Scientists are accidentally bringing weeds to Antarctica and some could take root, reshaping the icy continent’s unique wilderness.

Steven Chown of Stellenbosch University in South Africa and colleagues vacuumed the clothes and bags of some 33,000 tourists and 7,100 scientists who visited Antarctica between 2007 and 2008. He found an average of 10 plant seeds on each visitor.

Most seeds were grasses or dandelions, which make good invaders. One bluegrass species is already spreading around four research stations.

Eco-Mania A Merry Melange of Salient Sillies...


FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMSFreshwater ecosystems

include lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands (marshes, swamps and bogs). � e term “freshwater” means that there is no salt in the water, like there is in the oceans. Did you know that only 3% of the water on Earth is freshwater? Two percent of it is frozen in ice caps and glaciers, leaving only 1% as free fl owing water. Plants, animals, and humans all need water. Since only 1% of water on Earth is available for all of us to share, that makes freshwater very important to protect.

� ere are diff erent types of plants and animals in each of the freshwater ecosystems. Large systems have more types of plants and animals, and there are less in smaller systems, but all systems share the same basic structure.

� ere are tiny plants and algae in the water that bacteria and other very small organisms feed upon. � ese small creatures are then food for invertebrates (animals without a backbone like worms) and insect larvae. Insects and larger invertebrates feed on the smaller organisms. Amphibians and small fi sh feed on the insects and invertebrates. Larger fi sh, birds, and small mammals feed on the fi sh and amphibians. Larger mammals feed on those animals.

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

Word Search

BACTERIABOGDIVERSIONECOSYSTEMFRESHWATER

INVERTEBRATELAKEMAMMALMARSHPOLLUTIONPOND

RIVERRUNOFFSWAMPTHREATWETLAND

Every animal in the system traces back to fresh water. If one of those steps in the food web suff ers, the whole system suff ers.

� ere are many threats to the freshwater ecosystems. Some of the major threats are: dams, pollution, diversion, and non-native species. Dams can harm the ecosystem by limiting water fl ow downstream and preventing fi sh and other organisms from moving up and down the river. Pollutants can be caused by runoff from polluted fi elds that surround the water, or from parking lots that drain into the water. Diversion occurs when part of a water source is used for something else. People do this when they want to live where there isn’t very much water, like the desert, or farmers might want to use it to water crops. Non-native species often take over habitat for the native species, sometimes pushing them out all together.

We live around many wonderful

examples of � eshwater ecosystems: rivers and streams, lakes and ponds.

Go check them out!

To fi nd a state park near you: http://www.parks.ca.gov/ParkIndex/

by Sarah Marnick(Below) Lily pads and marsh grasses at Klamath Lake.

Photo: arkoptrix , Flickr Creative Commons

the Kids’ Page:

Rick ParkTrillium haven’t changed much in the

past hundred thousand years or so, but the plants have been the focus of some debate and change as a botanical specimen. For example, the lily-like appearance of the petals was enough for the plant to have been placed in the “lily” family for ages, but due to more recent taxanomic advances trillium was moved into the “melanthiaceae” group.

If trillia had been a human ethnic group, there would probably have been wars over the reclassifi cation, but plants are a bit more civilized than people, and the pink-and-white blooms have continued to appear, undisturbed at their new moniker, in our redwood forests and elsewhere. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” as Romeo put it.

HSU’s Kirsten Wyman, meanwhile, attended a conference recently at UC Santa Cruz, where she continued investigations into the scent of the trillium fl ower. If your nose is no better than your humble reporter’s, you’ll have to take her word for it that there is one.

Once thought to be self-pollinators, bees do in fact contribute to trillium reproduction by visiting their distinctive, single, three-petaled fl ower. Trillium seeds, however, are distributed primarily by ants, a process called myrmecochory. Studies such as those by HSU’s Eric Jules have discovered this to be one reason trillium have diffi culty recovering in disturbed areas devoid of ant distributors.

Trilliums produce only a single fl ower, growing larger with each successive year. It is said that the age of the plant can be determined by the size of the fl ower.

People might also argue over the plural descriptor for the plant. “Trilliums” is favored by some botanists, dumbfounding the Latinists, who of course would incline toward “trillia.” � e plants, however, seem not to give a fi ddle-de-dee about the issue, but merrily wave their heads in the breeze.

Similarly, the three green arms beneath the three petals of the plant (they begin fowering in white, then metamorphose into pink or even purple as they age) may be known to us country folk as “leaves,” but botanists prefer “brachts.” Either way, the term is from the Latin for “arm,” like French “bras,” or our own “branch.”

� e season is now over in the Community Forest, though an alert fancier might spot a few stragglers, but in the higher elevations, the hunt might yet be successful.

A triolet is an old French rhyme form, 8 lines, only 2 rhymes, 1st line repeated as #4 and #7, second line repeated as #8. Amused at the word-play—trillium/triolet—I decided to try my hand at one:

Trillium’s trio of trios—three petals, three brachts and three leaves. “Wakerobin” and “birthroot” are other folk-names for the § ower. Photo: Mihael Kavanaugh.

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Trillium TrioletO wakerobin, birthroot, trillium,Of whites new-risen, or pinks grown old,Don’t pick one at Easter for Mum,No wakerobin, birthroot, trillium,Or the new blooms never shall come,Loss of lily-like beauty untold,No wakerobin, birthroot, trillium,Of whites new-risen, or pinks grown old.

~Rick Park 2012

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TRILLIUM Trillium ovatum

Creature Feature


FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMSFreshwater ecosystems

include lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands (marshes, swamps and bogs). � e term “freshwater” means that there is no salt in the water, like there is in the oceans. Did you know that only 3% of the water on Earth is freshwater? Two percent of it is frozen in ice caps and glaciers, leaving only 1% as free fl owing water. Plants, animals, and humans all need water. Since only 1% of water on Earth is available for all of us to share, that makes freshwater very important to protect.

� ere are diff erent types of plants and animals in each of the freshwater ecosystems. Large systems have more types of plants and animals, and there are less in smaller systems, but all systems share the same basic structure.

� ere are tiny plants and algae in the water that bacteria and other very small organisms feed upon. � ese small creatures are then food for invertebrates (animals without a backbone like worms) and insect larvae. Insects and larger invertebrates feed on the smaller organisms. Amphibians and small fi sh feed on the insects and invertebrates. Larger fi sh, birds, and small mammals feed on the fi sh and amphibians. Larger mammals feed on those animals.

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RIVERRUNOFFSWAMPTHREATWETLAND

Every animal in the system traces back to fresh water. If one of those steps in the food web suff ers, the whole system suff ers.

� ere are many threats to the freshwater ecosystems. Some of the major threats are: dams, pollution, diversion, and non-native species. Dams can harm the ecosystem by limiting water fl ow downstream and preventing fi sh and other organisms from moving up and down the river. Pollutants can be caused by runoff from polluted fi elds that surround the water, or from parking lots that drain into the water. Diversion occurs when part of a water source is used for something else. People do this when they want to live where there isn’t very much water, like the desert, or farmers might want to use it to water crops. Non-native species often take over habitat for the native species, sometimes pushing them out all together.

We live around many wonderful

examples of � eshwater ecosystems: rivers and streams, lakes and ponds.

Go check them out!

To fi nd a state park near you: http://www.parks.ca.gov/ParkIndex/

by Sarah Marnick(Below) Lily pads and marsh grasses at Klamath Lake.

Photo: arkoptrix , Flickr Creative Commons

the Kids’ Page:

A Brooklyn man who holds the record for having the most records is aiming to add... to his records.

Ashrita Furman, 57, will try to beat his own underwater rope jumping record, completing more than 900 skips in an hour while wearing scuba gear and being in a tank fi lled with manatees at an aquarium in Brazil. If successful, he will have 138 Guinness World Records.

Recent records he holds include juggling on a pogo stick the furthest distance (4 miles, 30 feet) and running the fastest mile while balancing a milk bottle on top of his head (7 minutes and 47 seconds).

Here at the NEC, the only record we have is ‘most outlandish pitch for funds’ in this space, going back over something like 35 years. Issue after issue, we have tried to disguise a request for help—monetary or time, or both—by comparing the cost of oddball items to that of a membership in the NEC.

� e goal is to get you to chuckle but also to open your checkbook or volunteer your time. So, in the absence of any feedback, please pony up some cash.

Who knows, maybe the right amount will convince someone here to jump rope underwater (in fact, getting things done here is kind of like skipping rope underwater).

� ank you!

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

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Mail this membership form to:NEC, PO Box 4259, Arcata, 95518or join online at www.yournec.org.

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Join us Sunday, June 17 at the

Friends of the Dunes’ 17th Annual Sand Sculpture Festival! Team NEC will be attempting feats of sand sculpture wizardry in an attempt to win the coveted Golden Shovel Award. � e festival is at the Manila Dunes Recreation Area from 8am – 3pm. For more info and for pictures of past years sculptures, visit:

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