Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 2009 1 The official newsletter of the Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club • San Luis Obispo County, California Protecting and Preserving the Central Coast Santa Lucian I I I n s i d e n s i d e n s i d e n s i d e n s i d e Are you electable? 3 Bus riders unite! 4 Letters 5 Canada to SLO: No go 7 Is once-thru cooling through? 9 Classifieds 11 Outings 12 Please recycle This newsletter printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with soy-based inks Nov./Dec. 2009 Volume 46 No. 10 Santa Lucian Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club P. O. Box 15755 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 84 SAN LUIS OBISPO CA 93401 DON’T MISS November 12: Our Local Ocean - A New Regime - see page 2 November 10 & December 10: Graywater How-To - see page 3 The private destruction of public lands in the Carrizo Ecological Reserve needs to stop When Mr. Pollan Came to Cal Poly... Reserve or Feedlot? By Sarah Christie As a political geek, I am constantly fascinated to observe political pat- terns as they play out in their concen- tric national, state and local circles. One such pattern plays out when an economic special interest becomes so confident of its power that it loses touch with reality. It seeks to leverage its power to control outcomes, but overreaching causes a boomerang effect, creating outcomes the special interest wished to avoid and which would not have been happened but for their actions. This reminds us that the universe has not only a sense of justice, but a sense of humor. And so it was with the dust-up surrounding award-winning author Michael Pollan’s free public lecture at Cal Poly on October 15. Pollan is continued on page 4 the celebrated champion of the family farming renaissance and all food that is local, sustainably produced and generally small scale. The announce- ment of his appearance ignited the ire of Harris Beef Ranch CEO David Wood. In case you haven’t driven Highway 5 between Lost Hills and Santa Nella lately, Harris Beef Ranch is that reeking, treeless wasteland of cow poop soup through which tens of thousands of condemned cattle slog as they spend their last days sur- rounded by razor wire, eating geneti- cally engineered corn, waiting to die and be consumed by, among others, customers of the Harris Ranch Steak Michael Pollans’ Word’s of Wisdom By Jeff Kuyper Los Padres Forest Watch The Carrizo Plain Ecological Reserve includes more than 30,000 acres of ecologically sensitive habitat linking the Los Padres National Forest and the Carrizo Plain National Monu- ment. The 15,355 Chimineas Ranch became part of the reserve on Sep- tember 1, 2004, upon completion of an $8 million acquisition using state bond funds authorized by the Wildlife Conservation Board. Today, severe environmental degra- dation due to excessive amounts of commercial livestock grazing on the property has become all too evident. This is in violation of the terms of the lease agreement administered by the California Department of Fish and Game and contrary to the purposes for which the Reserve was established. Since 2006, Fish & Game has administered a lease agreement that permits the Chimineas lessee to graze livestock on 12,000 acres of the Reserve. That lease sets forth several terms and conditions designed to ensure that grazing is compatible with the protection of the Reserve. Now severe overgrazing is evident across much of the Reserve, with fencing in disrepair, trampled wet- lands and springs, cattle trespassing into areas where the lease expressly prohibits grazing, and other unsatisfactory conditions. These observations indicate that the lessee is in violation of the terms of the 2006 lease agreement. On October 9, Los Padres Forest Watch, the Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club, Sierra Club Californa/Nevada Desert Committee, Center for Biological Diversity, Western Watersheds Project, Desert Survivors and The Wilderness Society sent a letter to Fish & Game and the Wildlife Conservation Board, detail- ing the grazing lease violations and demanding that they remove the cattle immediately and take addition- al steps to protect Reserve resources. continued on page 6 all photos: Jeff Kuyper
Transcript
Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 20091
The official newsletter of the Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club • San Luis Obispo County, California
Protecting and
Preserving the
Central Coast
SantaLucian
IIIII n s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d eAre you electable? 3
Bus riders unite! 4
Letters 5
Canada to SLO: No go 7
Is once-thru cooling through? 9
Classifieds 11
Outings 12
Please recycle
This newsletter printed on100% post-consumer recycled paper with
soy-based inks
Nov./Dec. 2009Volume 46 No. 10
Santa LucianSanta Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club
P. O. Box 15755
San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE
PAIDPERMIT NO. 84
SAN LUIS OBISPOCA 93401
DON’T MISS
November 12:
Our Local Ocean -A New Regime
- see page 2
November 10 &December 10:
Graywater How-To
- see page 3
The private destruction of public lands in the Carrizo Ecological Reserve needs to stop
WhenMr.PollanCameto CalPoly...
Reserve or Feedlot?
By Sarah Christie
As a political geek, I am constantlyfascinated to observe political pat-terns as they play out in their concen-tric national, state and local circles. One such pattern plays out when aneconomic special interest becomes soconfident of its power that it losestouch with reality. It seeks to leverageits power to control outcomes, butoverreaching causes a boomerangeffect, creating outcomes the specialinterest wished to avoid and whichwould not have been happened butfor their actions. This reminds usthat the universe has not only asense of justice, but a sense ofhumor. And so it was with the dust-upsurrounding award-winning authorMichael Pollan’s free public lectureat Cal Poly on October 15. Pollan is continued on page 4
the celebrated champion of the familyfarming renaissance and all food thatis local, sustainably produced andgenerally small scale. The announce-ment of his appearance ignited the ireof Harris Beef Ranch CEO DavidWood. In case you haven’t driven Highway5 between Lost Hills and Santa Nellalately, Harris Beef Ranch is thatreeking, treeless wasteland of cowpoop soup through which tens ofthousands of condemned cattle slogas they spend their last days sur-rounded by razor wire, eating geneti-cally engineered corn, waiting to dieand be consumed by, among others,customers of the Harris Ranch SteakMichael Pollans’ Word’s of Wisdom
By Jeff KuyperLos Padres Forest Watch
The Carrizo Plain Ecological Reserveincludes more than 30,000 acres ofecologically sensitive habitat linkingthe Los Padres National Forest andthe Carrizo Plain National Monu-ment. The 15,355 Chimineas Ranchbecame part of the reserve on Sep-tember 1, 2004, upon completion ofan $8 million acquisition using statebond funds authorized by the WildlifeConservation Board. Today, severe environmental degra-dation due to excessive amounts ofcommercial livestock grazing on theproperty has become all too evident. This is in violation of the terms ofthe lease agreement administered bythe California Department of Fishand Game and contrary to thepurposes for which the Reserve wasestablished. Since 2006, Fish & Game hasadministered a lease agreement thatpermits the Chimineas lessee tograze livestock on 12,000 acres of theReserve. That lease sets forth severalterms and conditions designed toensure that grazing is compatiblewith the protection of the Reserve. Now severe overgrazing is evidentacross much of the Reserve, withfencing in disrepair, trampled wet-lands and springs, cattle trespassinginto areas where the lease expresslyprohibits grazing, and otherunsatisfactory conditions. These observations indicate thatthe lessee is in violation of the termsof the 2006 lease agreement. On October 9, Los Padres ForestWatch, the Santa Lucia Chapter ofthe Sierra Club, Sierra ClubCaliforna/Nevada Desert Committee,Center for Biological Diversity,Western Watersheds Project, DesertSurvivors and The Wilderness Societysent a letter to Fish & Game and theWildlife Conservation Board, detail-ing the grazing lease violations anddemanding that they remove thecattle immediately and take addition-al steps to protect Reserve resources.
w w ww w ww w ww w ww w w. s a n t a l u c i a .. s a n t a l u c i a .. s a n t a l u c i a .. s a n t a l u c i a .. s a n t a l u c i a .s i e r r a c l u b . o r gs i e r r a c l u b . o r gs i e r r a c l u b . o r gs i e r r a c l u b . o r gs i e r r a c l u b . o r g
The Santa Lucian is published 10 times ayear. Articles, environmental informationand letters to the editor are welcome. Thedeadline for each issue is the 11th of theprior month.
send to:
Editor, Santa Lucianc/o Santa Lucia Chapter, Sierra ClubP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406.
Office hours Monday-Friday,11 a.m.- 5 p.m., 547-B MarshStreet, San Luis Obispo
The Executive Committee meetsthe third Friday of every month at12:00 p.m. at the chapter office,located at 547-B Marsh St., SanLuis Obispo. All members arewelcome to attend.
Santa Lucia ChapterP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
Another view from Santa Barbara (Take heed, SLO Supes)
Once again, there is a threat to thelong-term viability of our agriculturallands. On October 13, the Santa BarbaraCounty Board of Supervisors will heara request to approve a large numberof so-called “special events,” year afteryear, on the rural, ag zoned Cross-roads property on Foxen CanyonRoad. This request, if approved, will set aterrible precedent, and it should bedenied by the Board of Supervisors.The majority of these “special events”are simply “parties for profit,” such asweddings, conventions and concertsthat have nothing at all to do with theagricultural use of the property. These “special events” should not beconfused with the existing right ofowners of rural properties to usethem occasionally for fundraisers,family weddings or large parties forfriends. In contrast, requests forpermission to hold large parties forprofit in perpetuity are clear attemptsto turn our rural lands into commer-cial entertainment venues. People inresidentially zoned areas are notallowed to compromise zoningordinances and change the nature oftheir neighborhoods by continuallyrenting out their properties forparties. It should not be allowed on aglands, either. The relationship of the events to theagricultural use of the property is acritical point. There is an obviousagricultural benefit to an annualPumpkin Festival on a pumpkin farm,or a Christmas event at a Christmastree farm. Visitor-serving uses likevegetable stands, pick-your-own fruit,and wine tasting have clear relation-ships to agriculture. Santa Barbara County land usepolicies and zoning ordinances havebeen crafted with this principle inmind. Important tests must be metprior to approval of requests fornonagricultural uses of ag-zonedproperties. AG-II zoning rules clearly state,“The intent is to preserve these lands
for long term agricultural use.” Inorder to ensure this preservation, landuse codes require that approval ofnon-agricultural uses must be foundto be “incidental” to the agriculturaluse of the property. Otherwise, the addition of non-aguses effectively becomes a de factorezoning of the property to commer-cial zoning. For the Crossroads property, norational argument can be made thatthe requested number and type ofevents are “incidental” to the ag use.Economically, the events business is10 to 20 times more lucrative thanthe agriculture. This also sets a bad precedent forother ag-zoned lands. If it is accept-able in this case, then why not on allother ag-zoned properties in theSanta Ynez Valley? Why not also onthe Gaviota coast or the Carpinteriafoothills? This request also drives up the valueof the agricultural lands so thoseserious about farming simply cannotafford to buy or lease land whoseprices have been driven up by the de-facto rezoning. Another serious problem is theinterference of the public events withnecessary agricultural activities thatproduce noise, dust and pesticidedrift. Does the wedding stop, or doesthe neighboring agriculturist have towait? The majority of Santa Ynez Valleyresidents know that our rural land-scape is protected by supporting theevolution of agriculture — butconverting agricultural lands tocommercial entertainment venues iscontrary to achieving the goal. Until this county undertakes acomprehensive study of the natureand impacts of tourism-relatedactivities on agriculturally zonedproperties, all requests like thisshould be denied.
Business owner Gail Marshall is aformer Santa Barbara countysupervisor.
by Gail Marshall, Santa Ynez Valley News, Sept. 24, 2009
Update: On a 3-2 vote, the request for 20 commercial and 5 non-profit eventsper year was defeated. The Santa Barbara supervisors agreed that “temporary”commercial events on non-winery ag parcels need to be “accessory andincidental” to the primary use (ag). There was great concern about precedentbecause the county has several thousand ag parcels that could say “me too.”
Speakers from the Surfrider Foundation and SLOSEA presentthe latest news on efforts to protect the unique and at-riskcoastal waters of the central coast—and how to navigate thetricky political waters.
Fascinating underwater high-definition video of our localcoastal marine life. photography of the area.
Steynberg Gallery1531 Monterey StreetSan Luis Obispo
Free admissionInformation: 772-1875
Thursday, November 12, 7p.m.
Terr
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Sue S
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Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 20093
This is a notice to our members that we are postponing our Chapter ExecutiveCommittee election until February. In order to have full and fair elections for your Executive Committee, wemust have qualified nominees. From the non-response to our call for nominations in last month’s newsletter,I can only guess that this means you love your present ExCom and feel theyrepresent your interests in the community. Thanks, but: that won’t do! Our bylaws require that we have yearly elections.We need to hear from you, indicating your interest in serving on the ExCom, ornominating someone who has said they are willing to serve. We have twopositions to fill by election. In addition, we are need to fill one seat by appoint-ment to replace Mark Shefrin, who resigned in July in order to fulfill his workon the Renewable Energy Secure Communities (RESCO) grant program nowbeing conducted locally. Nominations must be made no later than January 15, 2010. Please considerserving your Chapter in this way. Call or email Cal French with your nomination or for more information. CalFrench: 239-7338, [email protected]
Sincerely,Karen Merriam, ChairExecutive Committee
We are at a historic crossroads in the fight against climate change. The SierraClub is asking its activists to help in this critically important fight by commit-ting to daily, weekly or monthly actions as a Sierra Club Climate Leader. Pleasego to: www.sierraclub.org/climateleaders and sign up. Our first priority is an education campaign to encourage people to supportthe Obama Administration’s use of rules and regulations by the EPA and otheragencies to address climate change. We call this campaign “the Big Picture.”Using a very successful online petition and massive phone call outreach,activists are asking Senators to urge President Obama to create rules as quicklyas possible that will regulate coal ash, mercury, mining, soot, smog, and carbonpollution more effectively. Visit the Big Picture Campaign to learn more:www.sierraclub.org/bigpicture Our other campaign, also dependent on your hard work, focuses on passingstrong comprehensive climate and energy legislation in Congress. Earlier thisyear, the U.S. House of Representatives took the first step toward unleashing atrue clean energy revolution by passing the American Clean Energy andSecurity Act (ACES or Waxman/Markey). Our attention is now on the Senate,where our Senators have started discussing their version of the bill and willbegin voting in early fall. We urge Senators to strengthen this bill and ensurethat it: creates good, clean energy jobs; makes polluters pay for the carbonpollution that causes global warming; and provides assistance for energy costs. We need your help to get people to say to their Senators, “Support a strongclean energy and climate bill.” This will not only clean up pollution domesti-cally, but help the United States lead the world at the international climatetreaty talks in Copenhagen. It is time to commit to create a groundswell of support for clean energy andglobal warming priorities. Sign up to become a Climate Leader and invite tenfriends to do the same: www.sierraclub.org/climateleaders
Climate: The Big Picture
Graywater: Here’s HowLearn the benefits, costs and requirements to install a safe and legal graywatersystem. Program will cover how to calculate graywater discharge, landscape andsurface areas requirements, plumbing techniques and materials and dischargeoptions. The workshop will cover the do’s and don’ts and maintenance pro-grams and will evaluate the costs, complexity and environmental footprint ofvarious systems. No prior knowledge required.
* 5:00-8:00 p.m. (presentations 5:30-7:30 p.m.)* Local contractors and vendors will be present with tables of information* Light refreshments will be served
Morro Bay:Tuesday, November 10Morro Bay Vets Hall$5 suggested contribution at the door- no onewill be turned away$10 Graywater Guides will be available for only$5 for the first 30 buyers!
Atascadero (co-sponsored by the City of PasoRobles and TCSD):Thursday, December 10Atascadero City Council ChambersFree at the door
ChapterElectionsDelayed
Meeting Mr. Levy
by Karl Kempton
David Levy serves as the chair ofMarinet, a program of Friends of theEarth that is spearheading a cam-paign for ocean protection in hisnative England which will “establishby 2015 an ecologically coherentnetwork of highly protected MarineReserves covering at least 30% of UKseas out to 200 nautical miles.” Healso sits on the OSPAR Commission,tasked with managing internationalcooperation in the protection of themarine environment of the northeastAtlantic (www.ospar.org). While attending a recent oceanprotection meeting in London, Davidmet a member of the California OceanConservancy that helped createmarine preserves along the CentralCalifornia coast, with more planned.Informed of a planning meeting inL.A., David decided to attend, payingout of his own pocket. So in mid September, he left 50-degree England, landed in 105-degreePhoenix, rented a car, visited theGrand Canyon on his way to theOregon coast, then drove south. AtBig Sur, he headed inland and con-tinued south until he hit the firstcoastal sunshine, in Shell Beach. On the last Thursday of September,I happened to hold an informalmeeting at the Shell Beach home ofCarol and David Georgi on the topicof underwater nearshore Chumashsites and artifacts. Carol and David areinvolved in ongoing efforts to expandthe boundaries of the Monterey BayNational Marine Sanctuary to includethe waters off SLO County. Four days later, Carol was walkingdown to the cliffs to enjoy the localbeauty of the shore, nearshore andoffshore seascapes. A man approachedher and asked about three dead sealsfloating nearby. What began as asimple question opened up to a widerconversation, and he asked if sheknew anything about marine sanctu-ary protection efforts. She did. That’s how Carol Georgimet David Levy. By Friday, I washaving lunch with Carol, her husbandand Mr. Levy. Small world!
While on staff with the SLO CountyPlanning Department in 1990, KarlKempton was the lead author for SLOCounty’s 1990 Central Coast MarineSanctuary proposal.
State SierraClub ActivistsCome to SLO
By Letty French, CNRCCdelegate
Sierra Club conservationactivists gathered in San LuisObispo the weekend of October17-18 for the Club’s Califor-nia-Nevada Regional Conserva-
tion Committee meeting at RanchoEl Chorro. First-day morning workshopsincluded political races, energy-climate, and population. After lunch,we had presentations on variousresolutions to be considered, andreports from the treasurer, the stateoffice and the Desert Committee.The evening was devoted to anoutstanding presentation on theClub’s Population Justice Project,which seeks to shape a new publicconversation about population andthe envi-ronment based on equality,justice and sustainability. Panelistsincluded Laurie Mazur, Sierra Clubnational campus organizer CassieGardener, and Karina de la TorreGarcia from Mexico. The Energy Committee and theDesert Committee, in conjuction withmany other conservation organiza-tions, produced the document“Renewable Siting Criteria for theCalifornia Desert Conservation Area”for renewable energy sites. Suchcriteria are intended to guide solardevelopment to areas with compara-tively low potential for conflict andcontroversy. A related topic waspotential National Monumentdesignation for the thousands ofacres of Catellus lands bought with$45 million of public conservationfunds and given to federal agenciesfor safe-keeping. That these lands arenow threatened with development isa tragic farce; Senator Feinstein’sproposal should provide the neces-sary protection. San Luis Obispo’s own Mark andElana Shefrin presented the SLOCounty Renewable Energy SecureCommunities project (RESCO) as amodel for state action. Ken Smo-koska and Sean Basalyga presentedthe work that the Club has beendoing in SLO with Cal Poly studentsin the Empower Poly Coalition andencouraged all chapters to supportthe students’ efforts. On Sunday, a resolution opposingPG&E’s anti-local power ballotinitiative passed overwhelmingly (see“PG&E’s Plan: Trick the Voters andMake Them Cry,” October SantaLucian). Another favoring ZeroEmission Motor Vehicles passed aftermore discussion. CNRCC approvedearly endorsement for severalcandidates; the first step toward theireventual endorsement by the Club. Another resolution passed support-ing a permanent funding source forstate parks through a vehicle license
Hands across the water David Levy (left)and Karl Kempton.
continued on page 11
4
Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 2009
By Eric Greening
About Your Unmet Needs
Have you heard enough lip service tonon-motorized transportation andpublic transit? Do you want toactually push resources in thatdirection? We are approaching ourannual opportunity to do just that:the “Annual Unmet Transit andBikeway Needs Public Hearing.” Every jurisdiction must use 1/4 centof its sales tax for transportation. 2%of the funds automatically go forbikeways. (Fortunately, this trickle isnot the only source of funding forthese; the Bicycle TransportationAccount, Transportation Enhance-ment and Environmental Enhance-ment and Mitigation grants, andconditions placed to mitigate develop-ment projects provide the bulk ofbikeway funding, but the “UnmetNeeds” process helps with prioritizinghow these larger sources will beused.) The rest, in major metropolitanareas, must go to public transit,period, but a loophole in the lawallows counties with less than500,000 people to divert this moneyto road work (as six of the County’seight jurisdictions in fact do),provided that the official RegionalTransportation Planning Agency (inour case, the San Luis Obispo Councilof Governments) can find that, beforeso diverting, there are no unmettransit needs “reasonable to meet.”the “Unmet Needs” process gives thepublic the chance to make the casefor transit service being needed andreasonable. In our current economic climate,sales tax collections are down, and theTDA pie is smaller. Thus, transitagencies are threatened with shrink-ing budgets, and riders are threatenedwith service cuts. The normal criteriahave been changed to allow people toargue for service retention as well asnew service. Since dire economictimes make driving less affordable andtransit more needed than ever, it is tobe hoped that jurisdictions wouldkeep transit budgets whole at theexpense of the funds diverted to roadwork, but not all jurisdictions can(SLO City and Morro Bay already useall applicable TDA for transit) or wantto. Thus, this year’s hearing processmay resemble a fight over crumbs. For whatever reason, this year theUnmet Needs melodrama is unfoldingtwo months earlier than usual. Thehearing is normally the first Wednes-day in February, with the deadline forwritten or e-mailed requests a weeklater. This season, however, the 2010process unfolds in 2009: the hearingis on December 2nd (Board ofSupervisors Chambers, 8:30 am) andthe final deadline is the 9th. If that isn’t jumping the gun, ridersand advocates also need to know thatpossible cuts to the Regional Transitservice that connects everything fromSanta Maria to San Simeon to SanMiguel will be on the agenda of theRTA on November 4th (also in CountyGovernment Center, 8:30 am). Whilethe RTA staff is strongly recommend-ing no cuts at this time, the issue ofwhether such cuts will be ordered willbe an action item on the RTA agenda.Transit users and advocates should bepresent and vocal, and hold decisionmakers to live up to their lip service. The December hearing and requestprocess does make riders feel like weare on a tilted playing field. Amongthe findings the SLOCOG Board mustmake to find a request “reasonable” is“ The request is projected to meet the
required farebox ratio,” meaning thatguesses about the future can becomethe basis of a finding, or refusal tofind; service can be denied becausedecision makers don’t think it will bepopular, without giving the service achance to demonstrate its popularity.Year after year, people go through thehearing process vowing never to trustthe process again, but there we areagain the next year. And occasionally,something useful to riders does comeout of it. For example, the current Sundayservice on the RTA represents theoutcome of findings from 3 years ago,and has proven very successful. Ofcourse, now it is threatened with apossible cutoff, and said cutoff couldbe decided as soon at November 4th. The community of bus users in thiscounty numbers in the thousands.The RTA system alone gives over 2000rides a day. Since most riders travelon round trips, this means about 1000people a day. Thousands more use thesystems in SLO, the 5 cities, PasoRobles, etc. Imagine if transit userswere a geographically discrete town.Would public opinion allow the weeklyquarantine of such a town fromSaturday sundown to Monday sunrise?Would the residents accept it withouttaking to the streets? Transit users and our supportersmay eventually have to take to thestreets, but our first stop is the UnmetNeeds Hearing. Normally, the room isfull of needy riders, and the SLOCOGBoard listens politely to the requests.Then a few months later, they meetagain to decide what requests areactually reasonable and will be met,and usually the room is almost emptyof transit users. We won’t let thathappen this year, will we? (I’ll keepSanta Lucian readers apprised of therelevant date!) Public transit may not be as glamor-ous as high-tech approaches to energyefficiency and climate protection, butultimately transit is about efficient useof the existing transportation system.Forty people on a bus take up far lessroad space than forty people inindividual cars, each with a bubble ofsafe stopping distance separating itfrom its peers. It doesn’t matter if thecars are SUV’s or hybrids; if there are40 of them traveling at highwayspeeds, they take up a lane mile andthen some, and they add to thepressure to dig up streams and teardown mountains to provide the basefor expanded roads to deal with thecongestion they cause. Public transitis a paragon of frugality. At the veryleast, it must have first call on afunding source created specifically tosupport it, and we the people must dowhat we can to make sure thishappens. Requests can be phoned to 781-1520, faxed to 781-5703, mailed to1114 Marsh St., SLO, CA, 93401,e-mailed to [email protected],or spoken for at the public hearing onDecember 2nd. The last is the mosteffective, as speakers look the decisionmakers in the eye. And, yes, you can get to this hearingby bus!
House right up the road. Countlesschildren gazing out of passengerwindows have become instantvegetarians upon connecting the dotsbetween the stench, the view, and therestaurant. Thus, CEO Wood reacted to theannouncement of the Pollan lectureby threatening to renege on a$500,000 donation to the universityunless the Pollan event was retooledto suit the interests of industrial ag.He demanded that future such eventsbe tightly screened prior to authoriza-tion and strenuously hinted that aprofessor sympathetic to the cause ofsustainable agriculture should bedismissed. Cal Poly caved so fast to the BeefKing’s demands it left a smokingcrater in the ground. Pollan wasbusted down from solo status, to bepart of a panel with a representativefrom Big Cow on board. It became anews story about academic freedomand industry censorship, and Woodinadvertently stepped into a nationalspotlight, dragging Cal Poly PresidentWarren Baker with him. It was also, of course, fantasticpublicity for the event. When I drove
land, and delivers environmentalbenefits in the form of reducedgreenhouse gas emissions, lowerpesticide use and improved publichealth. In short, Pollan’s message isfor people to prepare and eat real,local food, produced by their localfarmers and ranchers. Not exactly asubversive message. It’s one of my favorite mantras:information is not the enemy. Threeyoung men seated behind me hadbeen making sarcastic commentsabout Pollan for the first half of thepanel discussion. By the end of theevent, one said grudgingly, “Well, nowI guess I’ll have to read his book.” The proponents of Slow Food,sustainable agriculture, organicpractices and a sane national foodpolicy owe Harris Beef Ranch a bigthanksalot. Without the participationof Mr. Wood, Pollan’s lecture wouldhave been an informative, unremark-able event, fairly well attended byPollan’s fans. Instead, Pollan was ableto deliver his message to a packedhouse and a new audience. It may nothave converted anyone, but I am sureit generated a lot of thinking. I love itwhen that happens!
Pollancontinued from page 1
When industry gets down to thebusiness of information suppres-sion, threatening a university withthe withdrawal of promiseddonations is a pop-gun comparedto the full arsenal of dirty tricksand p.r. blitzkriegs that have beenbrought to bear against critics ofBig Ag. Such as: “Jeremy Rifkin is a well-knownsocial critic and author who worksout of Washington D.C. His mostrecent book, Beyond Beef, is anenvironmental critique of thecattle industry that calls for a 50percent reduction in consumptionof beef. The Cattlemen’s Associa-tion has denounced the book as‘fiction,’ and, in concert with thefood marketing industry, has set upa ‘Food Facts Coalition’ to counterBeyond Beef. “In the spring of 1992, Rifkin’snational book tour had to be
nodding when he said that schoolsneed to teach kids to cook again, likethey used to until a decade ago, if weare ever going to address the obesityepidemic. And when Pollan articu-lated the need to reverse the trend ofdwindling family farms by putting twomillion new farmers back on the landacross the country, we all applauded.Together. How did this unexpected commonground emerge from a situation thathad been fertilized by conflict? Well, ifyou think about it, San Luis Obispo’sagricultural community is still prettymuch a miracle of small-scaleoperators. We don’t really have anyexamples of the type of ag operationsthat Pollan criticizes. Sadly, ournational food policy is set up to favorcorporate, industrial-scale monocul-tures as the only economic modelworth pursing. Pollan is urgingconsumers to instead support localfarmers and ranchers directly throughfarmers markets and co-ops instead ofshopping at grocery stores, even if itmeans spending a few more dollars onfood. This, he argues, appropriatelyvalues the important work of farmersand ranchers, keeps families on the
canceled after it was repeatedlysabotaged. Melinda Mullin, thebook’s publicist at Dutton Books,says she received calls from fictitiousnewspapers and TV reporters tryingto get Rifkin’s itinerary. Aftersomeone managed to get ahold of it,radio and TV producers who’dscheduled Rifkin’s appearancesbegan receiving calls from a womanclaiming to be Mullin canceling ormisrepresenting Rifkin’s plans. “Finally, Mullin had to begin usinga code name with the producers. LizEinbinder, a San Francisco-basedradio producer who had had BeyondBeef on her desk for several weeks,was surprised to receive angry callsand an anonymous package de-nouncing Rifkin within hours ofplacing her first call to Mullin. Thisled to speculation that Dutton’s NewYork phones might be tapped.”
- War Against the Greens, DavidHelvarg, Sierra Club Books, 1994
Shucks, That’s Nothing
up to the Performing Arts Centeralmost an hour early, the line wasalready around the building. By thetime I parked, it was clear I wouldnever get in the door. It was onlybecause a friend halfway back invitedme to join her that I barely got in. Once seated, I looked around andnoticed all the cowboy hats in theaudience. Many of these, I had toassume, were worn by farmers andranchers who had responded toWood’s call to arms for his localcattleman comrades to show up in ademonstration of industry solidarity. But if they were expecting aheretical flame thrower, they musthave been surprised to hear the calm,poised Pollan making points thatactually resonated with them. Likethe fact that the current industrialfood system doesn’t work very well forindependent producers, who fre-quently have to sell their meat andcrops at a loss. There was no disput-ing the financial havoc caused byspikes in fuel costs. There weremurmurs of agreement when Pollanpointed out that consolidation of themeat packing industry has raisedcosts for small producers. Heads were
Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 20095
Under a CloudOff-roaders are looking to tighten their grip on Oceano
Dunes, but something’s in the air
continued on page 10
The Off-Highway MotorVehicle Recreation Divisionof the California Depart-ment of Parks and Recre-ation is now preparing anEnvironmental ImpactReport on the purchase ofland from the County in theOceano Dunes StateVehicular Recreation Area. This is the latest chapterin a long saga. For years,the OHV Division hassought to consolidate itspower over the money-maker for State Parks thatis the Oceano Dunes StateVehicular Recreation Areaand expand its sovereigntyby purchasing the 584-acreportion of County land thatit currently administers viaan operating agreement. A few years ago, theyalmost pulled it off. The salewas planned to pass quietly throughthe system early in 2007, but stalledwhen the Sierra Club filed suit overthe head-on collision between StateParks’ General Management Plan(which says vehicles can be drivenanywhere in the SVRA) and theCounty’s Local Coastal Program asmandated by the California CoastalAct (which says cars cannot be drivenon the County-owned land andimmediately surrounding acreage inthe SVRA). At the same time that we sued StateParks, the off-road lobby, as repre-sented locally by the Friends ofOceano Dunes, sued the County fordeclaring that such a sale would beout of conformity with our land usepolicies due to the clear land useconflict it presented. (Essentially, theoff-roaders have sued the County forobeying our General Plan.) “Under a cloud” is the term realtorsuse to describe property that is inlitigation. After the dual lawsuits were
filed, as if the double-decker cloudover the County’s dunes propertycouldn’t get any cloudier, the 2008-09County Grand Jury took a look-seeinto the County Planning staff reportthat originally gave a thumbs-up tothe sale of the County’s land to thestate OHV Division. The grand jury didn’t like what itfound – namely, strong evidence ofattempted fraud. Some person orpersons in the County’s employ hadcrafted that staff report in an apparentattempt to insert a ring in thePlanning Commission’s nose and leadthem to a desired conclusion. Thereport made no mention of the mapin our certified Local Coastal Programthat clearly shows the County’s landto be part of a buffer between theriding area and dunes preserve, andevery mention of that buffer area wasdeleted from the cited coastal policies.This staff report was then presented to
Letterssend to: [email protected], or Sierra Club, P.O. Box 15755, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406. Letters may be edited for space.
Who sues?
Readers of the Tribune Viewpoint byPaul J. Beard on October 18 (“Com-mission crossing the line”) know thatthe Pacific Legal Foundation is tryingto guarantee that Franco DeCicco willbe able to build, or grossly overbuild,on the property he owns at OceanBlvd. and Old Creek Road in Cayucos. In 2004, the PLF devoted its powerin SLO County to assaults on theEndangered Species Act. Afterchecking up on the PLF on theInternet, I gave a 2 minute 40 secondcomment before the Morro Bay CityCouncil on 22 November 2004. It isstill relevant: It would be a wonderful thing forthe reputation of Morro Bay if thenew City Council could dissociateitself from a reactionary anti-environ-mental group, the Pacific LegalFoundation. The California Chamberof Commerce founded the PLF in1973 as a means of bringing lawsuitsfor the business community underthe guise of “public interest” actions. This terminology turned out to beright out of George Orwell. “Public
interest” as sponsored by big businessmeans “private interest.” The PLForganization is ultra-conservativeright-wing, tax-exempt non-profit—funded by big business, such asCoors. With almost limitless money,PLF lawyers have launched assaultson wetlands, equal employment,protections of consumer health andsafety, rent control, labor unions,First Amendment protection of freespeech, public right to beach access,equal rights for gays, and affirmativeaction—as well as assaults on theEndangered Species act. In 2002, theMorro Bay Council Majority hired thePLF to sue over the western snowyplover as a way of keeping dogs on thebeaches. (According to the mayor:“The whole snowy plover thing—it’sall about dogs.”) For the PLF, it wasnot all about dogs, and not aboutmoney from Morro Bay. In myopinion it just wanted the cover of thename of Morro Bay. Now, according to the Tribune onthe PLF is filing suit in Fresno federalcourt to challenge habitat protectionsfor 48 endangered or threatened
species of animals and plants inCalifornia—ranging from the penin-sular bighorn sheep to the yellowlarkspur to the western snowy plover(and not just in SLO County thistime). Cities earn their reputations. There’s an Internet Speed TrapExchange to let tourists know whatlocations to avoid in certain towns —Agoura Hills, Bodega Bay — wher-ever speed traps are documented. Wedon’t want to be known to tourists asMorro Bay, that town the PLF owns;Morro Bay, the former Bird Sanctu-ary, where they are trying to removethe Western Snowy Plover fromprotected status. Do we? Can the newCity Council dissociate itself from thePLF?
Hershel ParkerMorro Bay
An English view
Please excuse this Englishman forinterfering in American and Califor-nian affairs, but as the Chairman ofFriends of the Earth Marine ReservesNetwork (Marinet) I was interestedenough to comment on the destruc-tion of the trees in Shell Beach whichprovided roosting sites for cormo-rants. Decisions can be made with littlethought to their historic importanceand role that they play within the eco-system of a marine preserve. Suchappears to be the destruction of these
trees, and it is such a pity that thisreflects the lack of understanding insome people towards the unique, richand diverse marine habitat that isaround Pismo and Shell Beach I spent the best holiday of my lifewatching sea life in your extendedcommunity, and let me tell you it isprecious and must be protected fromsuch cavalier decisions in the future.Everything in life is interdependenton another -- some are so unique,such as the kelp beds off Shell Beach.The sea otters that live in thisenvironment eating the sea urchinsthat feed on the kelp. Each needs eachother, and this is called a symbioticrelationship. Man has a custodial role to play,and those days of raping our environ-ment should be consigned to thedustbin of history. We need to usewaste to generate energy via anaero-bic digestion and feed our soils withthe compost which is a byproduct.Wave tidal and solar power are free tous all and leave no wastes to disposeand do not destroy our climate viacarbon dioxide production. It is timeto wake up and be less of a drain onthe environment and more of asteward of our planet Thank you for this opportunity tospeak to you.
David LevyChair, Marinet FOE MRC
OSPAR FOE InternationalLondon
In his letter above, Mr. Levy is referring to the removal of this eucalyptus atthe end of Park Place in Shell Beach on October 17. “This was a cormorantrookery, and is noted as such on the city’s planning documents,” said ShellBeach resident Carol Georgi. “Pismo Beach ignores trees as habitats; soonthey will all be removed, and the birds gone. After this tree was cut down,cormorants circled for hours, looking for their nests.”
Become a Hike LeaderBy Lynn BombergerReprinted with permission from /The Ventana,/ Volume 48, No. 4.
Walking is one of the most beneficial forms of exercise that we can do for ourhealth. It’s one of the least expensive outdoor recreation activities, has a lowrate of injury and can be done year round! When we walk for exercise, we canlose weight, increase cardiovascular capacity, improve balance, save our joints(versus running), manage stress, prevent osteoporosis, decrease cholesterol,and on and on. So, what more can we ask for? Well, we can add two more items to the list.One is to view, admire and learn about nature, and the other is to meet avariety of active people. We are very lucky to have hundreds of miles of beautiful trails nearby wherethere are group outings on the weekends and many weekdays. While it is great to get out and hike with a group, it is also be enjoyable tolead hikes. Certainly there are some responsibilities, but there are manyrewards. At this time, we are seeking additional Sierra Club hike leaders. If youare interested, please contact Joe Morris at 772-1875. Or quiz your favoriteSierra Club hike leader.
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Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 2009
We pointed out the following termsof the lease:
Resource Protection; Lease Purposes:The primary purpose of the Depart-ment’s ownership and operation ofthe Reserve Property is for wildlifeconservation purposes. Specificresources to be conserved aregrasslands, blue oak and juniperwoodlands, tule elk, and at least 26sensitive, threatened, or endangeredspecies including burrowing owl andSan Joaquin kit fox. Lessee agreesthat his use of the Premises must becompatible with the protection of thebiological resources of the Reserve
the standards set forth in the leaseagreement. Much of the grazed areais bare soil or nearly bare, withresidual dry matter (RDM) estimatedat 100 pounds per acre or less. This iswell below the RDM standards in thelease agreement:
Lessee agrees to conduct managedgrazing in annual grasslands andblue-oak woodlands on the Premisesto benefit habitat for sensitive grass-land species. The Department willdetermine grass height/biomassgoals and communicate these withthe Lessee. If no specific goals arerelayed to the Lessee, Lessee shallensure that residual dry matter(rdm) on the Premises will bemaintained at a minimum of 1,000pounds per acre.... Lessee shallpromptly remove livestock from anypasture once it has reached the1,000 pound minimum rdm level.
We believe that current RDM issignificantly less than the 1,000pounds-per-acre threshold. Livestockbe removed immediately to preventfurther degradation of range con-
agreement. The lease specificallyprohibits livestock from entering theCRP area.
public agencies in improving regionalwater supply reliability. A portion ofthe funds used to acquire the Reserve
Carrizocontinued from page 1
Property. Lessee agrees that neitherhe nor anyone acting on his behalf orunder or pursuant to his direction orcontrol shall commit waste ordamage to the biological resources,including wildlife and wildlifehabitat, on the Premises.- Grazing Lease Agreement,Paragraph 2 (October 17, 2006).
We stated that we have observedsevere overgrazing on the Reservethat is completely incompatible with
I’ve been to a lot of grazing allotments and I have never seen anythingworse on such a large scale.
- Jeff Kuyper, Los Padres ForestWatch
Evidence of livestock trespass intothe CRP area is common in severalareas, as well as motorized off-roadvehicle use. In some areas, livestocktrespass through fences is so preva-lent that trailing is occurring. This isin violation of the lease agreement,which states:
Lessee shall at all times duringthe term of the Lease and atLessees sole cost, maintain ingood repair and condition allfences and corrals existing onthe Premises. Lessee shall takeall action necessary to preventthe entry or trespassing oflivestock upon land and roadsoutside the Premises.
We demand that livestock notbe allowed to use the Reserveuntil all fencing is repaired in away that will prevent futuretrespass into prohibited areas. The current condition of theReserve is particularly offensivegiven that the Reserve waspurchased in 2004 with$8 million in wildlife and cleanwater funds approved by tax-payers in 2002. The WaterSecurity, Clean DrinkingWater, Coastal and Beach Pro-tection Fund of 2002 (com-monly known as Proposition50) authorized the sale ofbonds to protect regional water
quality, protect and enhance fish andwildlife habitat, and to assist local
in 2004 also came from the HabitatConservation Fund, which wasestablished for the acquisition ofhabitat to protect rare, endangered,threatened, or fully protected species.In applying for funds, the CDFGstated in 2004 that the proposed useof the acquired lands would be for theprotection and preservation ofwildlife habitat. In addition, thepurpose of the acqui-sition was “toprovide landscape level linkage,” “toprovide protection for a uniqueassemblage of habitats and species,”“to protect habitat for severalsensitive species,” “to protect habitatutilized by tule elk and prong-horn,”and “to provide limited, qualityrecreational opportunities.” Clearly, the current use of the landis nowhere near these proposed usesand purposes. The condition of theReserve demonstrates the urgency ofcompleting the Reserve ManagementPlan. The CDFG announced theinception of the management plan-ning process in June 2008 andsolicited public comments at thattime, but, to date, CDFG has notreleased its Initial Study pursuant tothe California Environmental QualityAct. We are concerned that the con-dition of the Reserve will not signifi-cantly improve until the ManagementPlan is in place. Therefore, we urgethe CDFG to proceed expeditiouslywith completing the draft Manage-ment Plan and environmentaldocument.
the protection of biological re-sources, and we believe thatcurrent grazing practices areinflicting waste and damage to thebiological resources of the Reserve, inviolation of Paragraph 2 of the leaseagreement. We have observed conditions on theReserve that appear to be well below
ditions and wildlife habitat pursuantto the terms and conditions of thelease agreement. We also observed several fences indisrepair along the boundary of landsheld in the Conservation ReserveProgram, allowing livestock totrespass into areas where they areexpressly prohibited by the lease
We Stand With the People of Honduras
Moonscape Hillside terracing by livestock.
Wrong side of the fence The difference between grazed (left) and ungrazed vegetation(right) in Conservation Reserve Program lands.
Earlier this year, Father AndresTamayo marched for the restorationof democracy in Honduras. Hemarched with the support of thou-sands of Hondurans and the interna-tional community behind him. Uponhis arrival in Tegucigalpa, the Hondu-ran government strippedFather Tamayo of his citizenship. The Sierra Club condemns theactions of the Honduran governmentto silence a leading defender of justiceand supports Father Tamayo in his
continued defense of the voiceless ofCentral America. Father Tamayo wonthe Goldman Environmental Prize in
2005 for his work to stop clear-cuttingand water contamination. He orga-nized 3,000 followers to march 120miles to the capital, forcing thegovernment to stand on the side ofenvironmental justice. He succeededin protecting not only the fragileCentral American environment, butthe rights of indigenous residents ofrural Honduras. In 2005, the SierraClub was proud to host Father Tamayofor a week of sermons and talks,reaching thousands of people across
the U.S., and we are proud to supporthis continued struggle today. Father Tamayo joins HonduranPresident Zelaya in hiding in theBrazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa, anexile of Honduran citizens in theirown country imposed by an unelectedregime. Please join the Sierra Club inexpressing its support for FatherTamayo and all those who stand forsocial and environmental justice inHonduras. Go to www.sierraclug.org/trade.
Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 20097
Attack of the Zombie NukesAttack of the Zombie NukesAttack of the Zombie NukesAttack of the Zombie NukesAttack of the Zombie NukesAt the end of their licensed 40-year life-spans, California’s nuclear power plants may crawl back from their graves if theNuclear Regulatory Commission says it’s okay. It’s not okay.
I compare our existing reactors to older auto-
mobiles that do not have airbags.... Our existing
nuclear plants do not have the same range of
safety features that new nuclear plant designs
have, and the differences in the types and physi-
cal arrangement of the safety systems makes it
impossible to upgrade the old plants to meet the
same standards.
- Per Peterson, Dept of Nuclear Engineering, UC BerkeleyDiablo Cayon Independent Safety Committee
March 20, 2009
Bowing to public pressure, theNuclear Regulatory Commission(NRC) appeared in San Luis Obispoon October 20 to hear the concerns ofcounty residents regarding theproposed changes to the GenericEnvironmental Impact Study (GEIS)for nuclear reactor license renewals. The meeting was originally sched-uled for Westlake Village, a suburbnorth of Los Angeles, and was to bethe only public meeting on the issuefrom the Mississippi to the ColumbiaRiver. The Alliance for NuclearResponsibility realized the inconve-nient location was a deterrent topublic participation and alertedcounty, state and federal electedofficials. Pressure was soon put onthe NRC to hold two meetings, inthe Diablo Canyon and San Onofreareas. At stake in the GEIS review arethe standards and criteria foradding 20 more years to the life ofa reactor after it turns 40. PacificGas & Electric has indicated thatthey are “studying” the prospectsof renewing the licenses for theDiablo Canyon’s reactors, whichexpire in 2024 and 2025. This is aprecursor to asking for ratepayerfunding for the relicensingapplication, which could costcustomers as much as $20 million.
At the same time, the NRC is propos-ing to change the ground rules forthe environmental impact reportsrequired. Relicensing issues are cat-egorized as “generic” or “site spe-cific.” Once an issue is determined tobe “generic,” it is given a pass in therelicensing process, and the only waya state or group can challenge it isthrough the expensive litigationprocess. The NRC has never refusedto grant a license renewal, and nostate or group has ever prevailedregarding their concerns in a licenserenewal challenge against the NRC. At the Best Western Hotel in Pismo
By the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility
cally lumped into a “soils andgeology” category, and resolved witha scant 152 words of examination inthe 600-page GEIS document. Santa Lucia Sierra Club ChapterDirector Andrew Christie pointed outthat the NRC’s list of “alternative”energy sources to replace nuclearpower was both inadequately re-searched and woefully out of date.Echoing talking points provided bythe Alliance, other community res-idents questioned how evolving andongoing issues such as once-throughcooling, security of spent fuel storage,and mitigation for environmentaldamages could possibly be the sameat Diablo Canyon as at reactor sites inTexas or New England. The 800-pound gorilla in the roomremained the problem of radioactivewaste—not only the accumulationfrom the first forty years of operation,but the amount to be created by a 20-year license renewal. Many speakersreminded the NRC that all promisesmade to remove this high levelradioactive danger from our seismicshores have been broken, and thatCalifornia placed a moratorium onnew nuclear power specificallybecause they wanted assurances of afinal solution to the waste problem.Logic demands that if no newreactors can be built because ofintractable waste concerns, existingones should be prevented from
creating more of it. Alliance outreach coordinatorDavid Weisman graphically demon-strated the NRC’s facile dismissal ofthe waste conundrum with anexample from the Commission’steacher education page. He tooksome time at the podium to cut andfold a paper cube from the studenthandout that makes the point that allthe waste from 20 years of a nuclearreactor’s operation could be placed ina one-inch square representing theamount of waste generated perperson in the United States. Display-ing the cube and doing the math,Weisman surmised that, with a U.S.population of 300,000,000 and thepotential for up to 60 years oflicensed operation, it would takenearly 1 billion such cubes tocontain that waste. Of course, size isn’t the onlyconsideration. Weisman mentionedthat if genuine radioactive waste wasin the paper cube, he would receive alethal dose. (Accordingly, he hadthoughtfully added the radioactivetrefoil warning to each side of thecube, per NRC regulations.) The Alliance for Nuclear Responsi-bility is providing input to theCalifornia Energy Commission’sstudy of the costs, risks and benefitsof continued reliance on agingnuclear reactors. Mandated byAssemblyman Blakeslee’s AB 1632,this study— calling for updatedseismic studies in light of the newlydiscovered Shoreline Fault atDiablo—demands answers to manyof the same questions raised aboutthe GEIS. If the state regulators are notpersuaded that continued reliance onnuclear power is efficient or reliablefor California ratepayers, they canprohibit the utility from filing forlicense renewal. If that happens,concerns over the flaws in the GEISwill be a moot point, and can saveratepayers tens of millions inrelicensing fees and litigation. On October 14, the CaliforniaEnergy Commission (CEC) held itsannual hearing on energy planning,and the nuclear section includedexcellent recommendations. TheAlliance supports the CEC’s conclu-sions, and has posed new questionsfor the draft analysis. Most impor-tantly, the Alliance requests that allstudies—including seismic—bereviewed, implemented and adoptedby the CEC and the California PublicUtilities Commission before any
Now multiply by a billion At the the Pismo Beach NRC meeting, the Alliance forNuclear Responsibility’s David Weisman integrated arts & crafts into his testimony andturned the tables on the NRC’s attempt to minimize the nuclear waste hazard.
continued on page 10
From Canada withTough LoveWhen a whole country tells SLO we have aproblem with our land use policy, listen up
A report entitled Thinking Ahead: Best Practicesin Industrial Land Stewardship was published in2008 as part of the Canada West Foundation’sLand Stewardship Initiative —a two-year researchand communications endeavor focused on publicpolicy in facilitating land stewardship in westernCanada. The report notes that “The industrial andnatural resource land stewardship issues faced bywestern Canadians are not unique. Governmentsaround the world are wrestling with the sameissues, and employing a wide range of publicpolicy options to address and contain the prob-lems. Some of these have worked and some havenot.”
continued on page 10
Beach on the evening of Oct-ober20, the NRC heard from a con-cerned crowd of about 50 peopleon a litany of issues that theybelieve cannot be glossed over as“generic.” Among these werequestions about Diablo Canyon’sunique seismic history and haz-ards—which the NRC had generi-
8
Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 2009
Upshot: See “Are We ‘Protecting Ag? - Pt. 2’” on page 2 of this issue for an example of a neighboring county that is dealing with the same issues, the right way.
Taking Issue“Supes divide on ag events,” by Colin Rigley, New Times, October 8, 2009
Summary: When the County Board of Supervisors met to interpret the meaning of theordinance that permits events on agricultural lands, it was allegedly a contest between thosewho like regulations and those who don’t.
problematic environmental coverage & commentary in our local media
The Board did not set the stage fora new policy. They were asked toprovide an interpretation of anexisting policy and ordinance,following a dispute between thePlanning Department and theAgriculture Commissioner’s office.They did so largely by upholdingthe Planning Department’sinterpretation of the ordinance,which in effect preserves current practice. The ag community was not greatly inevidence at the hearing. Red-shirted central coast wedding professionals comprisedmost of the audience, along with Farm Bureau, wine lobbying spokespeople and theChamber of Commerce.
Supervisor Mecham seemsto be suggesting that activeagriculturists should bemaking the decisions onwhat constitutes primaryag and secondary andincidental. At issue werepolicy standards followedby the Ag Commissioner’s
office, developed in collaboration with the AgLiaison Advisory board, to determine primary agand secondary and incidental, yet SupervisorMecham voted against the role of the AgCommissioner’s office.
The people inthe red shirtswere organizersof unpermittedevents or theowners of ruralproperties
where events are being held without permits. If complyingwith the law is being “overregulated,” is breaking the lawfree-market enterprise?
Holding non-agriculturalcommercialevents on agland does notmake agri-culture viable.It makes
commercial events viable, and agriculture becomesa backdrop at best, an inconvenient loss-leader atworst. The applications that have come forward arefor properties with little or no ag activity occur-ring on them – essentially these permits will becompeting with any one engaged in active ag whomight want to hold events. How does that helpfarmers?
The currentordinanceregulatestemporaryevents. Thepermits that arebeing issued are for as many as 20 and more events per year in perpetuity. That isnot temporary by any stretch of the imagination. That is a mis-application of theordinance that will ultimately lead to the extinction of agriculture in this county.
The definition of“secondary andincidental” was nolonger at issue. Thereal issue is whatconstitutes a “primaryag use” of theproperty, and which
department will make that determination. The Planning Commission rightlyconcluded that the Ag Commissioner has the expertise to determine thepresence or absence of a primary ag use. The supervisors sided with thePlanning Department, which has recently concluded that a verbal promise torestore a defunct almond orchard sometime in the future qualifies as a“primary ag use.”
The “new ordinanceon ag events” waseffectivley sub-marined at a recentPlanning Commis-sion meeting by thered-shirted propo-
nents of “anything goes” events on ag land, who were alsopresent at the Board of Supervisors meeting.
In an attempt to clarify existing policyon large events hosted on agriculturalland, SLO County Supervisors seemto have set the stage for a new policythat will clearly divide the board andupset an already agitated agriculturalcommunity.
But on a 3-2 vote, the board decided to firmly implementthe Ag Policy and interpret it in such a way so a propertyowner with an event permit can only be host to a finitenumber. Supervisors Katcho Achadjian and Frank Mechamvoted against the majority opinion, both saying theybelieved the county was over regulating.
.
The item before County Supervisors on Oct. 6should have been easy enough: interpret thecurrent policy, which allows events (weddings,for example) to be held on ag land, so long assuch events are “temporary [sic] and incidental.”County planning commissioners voted unani-mously to interpret the policy with clearly definedlimits on the size and number of events allowed.
Dozens of people wearing matchingred t-shirts emblazoned with themessage “seeing red”—to representtheir disdain of being overregulated—arrived at the Oct. 6 meeting.
Many argued that agriculturecan no longer be a primarysource of income these daysand, in fact, can only remainviable if events are allowed.
Effectively, nothing should havebeen changed—a new ordinanceon ag events is being developedconcurrently but has yet to gobefore county supervisors for afinal vote. The supervisors,however, had starkly differentperspectives.
Summary: County Supervisors approved the permit for the Los Osos sewerproject, despite critics who “cling to the belief” that a pressurized effluent collectionsystem would be environmentally and economically preferable to the gravity systemapproved.
“Supes Approve Project,” by Jack Beardwood, The Bay News, October15, 2009
Upshot: Perhaps some things are worth waiting for until they can be done right.
“I would like tosee this moreindustryregulated,”SupervisorFrank Mechamsaid.
The EnvironmentalImpact Report for the2001 project rejected agravity system andselected STEP and anout-of-town site as theEnvironmentally Preferred Alternative for the project. It was overruled when the CSDinsisted on a mid-town site instead, which would allow for “public amenities” – park,amphitheater, dog run, etc. — fed by a gravity system. After the Coastal Commissionapproved the permit, the “public amenities” were removed due to prohibitive costs, but thegravity system stayed. A Coastal Commissioner commented on the “bait and switchy”appearance of this maneuver. And there is no longer any debate on relative cost: projectcritics, the Public Works Department and the Board of Supervisors all agree that a STEPsystem would cost less. The County’s denial of the opportunity for submission of a bid, andthe lack of a requirement for guaranteed maximum bids, has avoided the discovery of a harddollar figure that would reveal just how much less STEP would cost.
It’s worth contem-plating what thesituation of LosOsos would be nowif a sewer had beenbuilt in the 1970s,when there was farless concern or
knowledge about things like growth-inducing impacts,low-impact development, water basin management, conservationmeasures, etc. Its water basin would still be certified at Level ofSeverity III (and probably would have gotten there muchsooner), an increasingly leaky gravity sewer would be suckingever-increasing amounts of groundwater out of the basin, with
secondary-only treated effluent unusable on crops to reducepumping of the aquifer. All this would have greatly aggravatedseawater intrusion, which by now would have likely destroyed thelower aquifer.
Despite the STEP system being rejected several times overthe years…some continue to cling to the belief that it wouldcost less to build and lead to lower treatment costs.
The preface tothat surveyquestion listedevery benefit theCounty couldthink of on behalf
of a gravity system, followed by every potentialdrawback imaginable for a STEP system. Twosupervisors pointed out this “stacked deck”approach, but then agreed to drop STEP fromconsideration on the basis of those survey results.
Both good things.This also means thatexpensive, energy-intensive, greenhousegas-emitting effortsto remove nitrates from the effluent are unnecessary and counter-productive. The crops the waterwill be used on would perform that service for free, and benefit greatly from the nitrate content.(Estuary + nitrates: bad. Plants + nitrates: good).
Supervisors also supported the Planning Commission’s decision thattreated effluent should be sold to neighboring farmers for irrigation pur-poses, a move that necessitates the water being treated to a tertiary level.
...the critics say they willfurther appeal to the CaliforniaCoastal Commission, continuinga community battle that hasbeen waged near-continuouslysince the 1970s.
...in a survey of propertyowners, 70 percent in theprohibition zone sup-ported a gravity system.
Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 20099
September 30, 2009
Charlie Hoppin, Chair and Board MembersState Water Resources Control Board1001 I StreetSacramento, CA 95814
Re: Comments on “Water Quality Control Policy on the use of Coastal andEstuarine Waters for Power Plants” Draft Substitute Environmental Document
Dear Chair Hoppin and Board Members:
Sierra Club California submits the following comments on the State WaterResources Control Board and California Environmental Protection AgencyDraft Substitute Environmental Document for the Water Quality ControlPolicy on the Use of Coastal and Estuarine Waters for Power Plant Cooling andthe draft Statewide Water Quality Control Policy on the Use of Coastal andEstuarine Waters for Power Plant Cooling. We welcome the opportunity tocomment on this important issue.
California faces a federal mandate to prevent coastal power plants from con-tinuing to decimate sea life along the coast, but the state water board isproposing a policy that will take up to 12 years to require all remaining 19plants to comply. This long delay would be a violation of the spirit and intent ofthe law. In even 10 years, many of the plants will be 50 to 60 years old, highlyinefficient and unnecessary ongoing sources of significant air pollution.
The proposed timeline is unacceptable because little evidence has been pro-vided to justify allowing the destructive and needless practice of destroying sealife to go on that much longer.
This opportunity to stop the killing before many fish species disappear andsome estuaries may collapse, as one has on the East coast, stems from a 2007landmark federal court decision, now the law of the land, which stated thatcoastal power plant “operations kill or injure billions of aquatic organismsevery year” when swept into plants in water for cooling purposes.
In its historic ruling, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuitrequired technology-based cooling be used by all power plants and, in effect,banned the use of water from bays, estuaries and the ocean for plant cooling.States all over the nation are required to incorporate that ban into theirstatutory policies governing the impacts of plant operations on the ocean,rivers and lakes.
The proposed policy allows unnecessary and unreasonable delays in complyingwith the court decision’s requirements, a result of the fact that it is oftenvague, unclear, ill-defined, contradictory, lacking in essential information and,most importantly, without dates certain by which the court decision will becomplied with and OTC will end. Instead, power plant owners are presentedwith opportunities to exercise options made available in the policy to avoidachieving the board’s stated goal of “protecting the state’s coastal and estuarinewaters.”
Perhaps the clearest example of how the proposed policy plainly anticipatesongoing use of OTC is its stated requirement for developing and implementinga mitigation program for the facility, approved by the Regional Water Board,which will compensate for the interim...impacts.”
This mitigation, or compensation, for continuing to kill marine life would be ineffect until five years after the board policy is adopted. Whether OTC wouldactually end after five years is not clear because of the opportunities in thepolicy for plant owners to avoid final compliance.
The key to avoiding compliance is the “cost-benefit” analysis in the policy,which would allow plant owners to argue that the cost of ending OTC exceedsthe benefit of protecting marine life. The board’s cost-benefit process containsno standards, criteria or ground rules on how cost versus benefit is to bedecided by authorities.
The policy represents a significant opportunity to transform California’sdependence on pollution-emitting power plants—which the EPA has concludedimposes a severe risk to public heath ranging from asthma to premature deathin people with heart or lung disease—via the placement of solar panels (photo-voltaic) on rooftops, mainly on parking lots and warehouses, the most practi-cal, available and cost-effective sites. On June 17, the California EnergyCommission recognized photovoltaic’s vast potential to revolutionize energygeneration. The Commission’s groundbreaking ruling concluded that PV is afeasible, cost-effective alternative to conventional gas-fired power plants, whichmeans it now will be considered in the regulatory process of selecting the mostefficient, effective and environmentally safe ways to generate electricity andserve California markets.
As the Energy Commission’s June 17 ruling elevating PV to its new status as areplacement for gas-fired power plants may have come after the drafting of theBoard policy on power plant cooling, the policy should be revised in light of theCEC ruling.
Additionally, the policy:
- Fails to assure that the existing coastal plants—some a half century old andthe epitome of technological inefficiency—will actually stop using bay, estuaryand ocean water for cooling.
- Contains no legal precedent or guidance for development of the new policyand ignores the 2004 (new plants) and 2007 (existing plants) decisions by theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which gave rise to theboard’s effort to adopt new OTC policy. This omission is misleading because itconveys the notion that the board’s pursuit of a new policy is voluntary, not alegal obligation, hence less urgency.
- Is guided by an “Energy Agencies” staff report that states, “The SWRCB’smission is to create policy that guides OTC mitigation for existing powerplants.” That is grossly misguided because the court-mandated mission isending OTC.
- Asserts that continued operation of many, if not most, of the 19 remainingcoastal power plants indefinitely is necessary to protect electricity grid reliabil-ity and ensure availability to the public. But the board’s own consultantconcluded last year that “more than enough power plants are expected to beoperating in 2015 to more than compensate for any or all OTC plant retire-ments.” (Electric Grid Reliability Impacts from Once-Through Cooling inCalifornia).
- Sets specific dates for various plants to virtually end use of OTC but thenoffers an escape clause if the plant owner can demonstrate that compliance is“not feasible.” No criteria, explanation or definition of “feasible” is provided.
- Orders plants that are not generating electricity or are engaged in criticalsystem maintenance to “cease intake flows” within one year of adoption of thispolicy, but allows intakes to continue if the owner can demonstrate (nodefinition or criteria provided) it “is necessary for operations.”
- Allows plants to mitigate, or compensate, for the killing of aquatic lifecommencing five years after the OTC policy is adopted, even though the 2007court decision explicitly banned habitat restoration, which is defined asmitigation.
- Is based in part on a report by the “Energy Agencies” (California EnergyCommission, California Independent System Operator, California PublicUtilities Commission) that focuses on means to avoid relying on existing powerplants in order to end use of OTC. But the report cites as a main way toaccomplish this goal is “to rely more upon remote generation.” That meansbuilding more, very costly and environmentally-damaging transmission lines,which PV on warehouse and vehicle shelters, as well as home and business,roofs would not require because they would be in local areas where powerplants to be phased out are located. Therefore, this report has not takenlocalized PV into account as a source of energy to replace that of power plants,a major omission.
The Energy Agencies report cites the lack of air credits to upgrade or replacegas-fired plants in the Los Angeles Basin because of its poor air quality as asignificant obstacle to replacing a large percentage of plants now using OTC. Itfails to recognize the potential of localized PV to sharply reduce or eliminatethe need for pollution-producing plants, making air credits irrelevant.
For the first time in the 35 years since the Clean Water Act was adopted by theU.S. Congress, California has an opportunity to stop the killing of billions offish and larvae that has savaged the aquatic life of our coastal waters, whichstudies show has contributed significantly to the disappearance of fish and thedeterioration of coastal economies. The California State Water ResourcesControl Board is poised to implement the policy requiring that moderntechnology replace the outmoded and now illegal use of ocean, river and lakewater— once-through cooling—by power plants. But the long-awaited Boardpolicy to accomplish that requirement misses the opportunity to ensure thatthe killing will stop as soon as possible and to begin replacing or converting theoutmoded power plants with technology-based cooling methods or alternativeenergy sources. The newest and most promising alternative is PV, which alsoon a broader scale has the potential of quickly reaching the state’s widely-praised goal of converting its energy generation to 33% renewables by the year2020.
Thank you for your consideration of our comments.
Sincerely,
Jim MetropulosSenior Advocate
vs.
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Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 2009
permission is granted for utilities tofile for license renewal. The NRC saysthat it should take no more than sixyears, which means PG&E has until2018 to begin this process. But PG&Ewants to start now. Why is the utility in such a hurry?Do not the ratepayers of Californiadeserve a thoughtful and thoroughconsideration of the costs, risks andbenefits—particularly as otheralternatives to energy generation arecoming on line? The issue is dynamic, the time isnow, and the Alliance invites yourparticipation. We welcome techsupport for our website, donations,“air miles and hotel points” to reducetravel costs, and citizens who willsend important letters to ensure thatdemocracy is not forgotten in thenuclear process. To view the Alliance’scomments on license renewals, findaction alerts, and participate in thecalendar of CEC events, visitwww.a4nr.org
Nukescontinued from page 7
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the Planning Commission to serve asthe basis for their deliberations asthough it represented a faithful trans-cription of those policies, rather thanan artfully edited revision and reversalof them. Somebody wanted the sale to gothrough in the worst way, and italmost did. For the residents of the Nipomo
Mesa, when it comes to the OceanoDunes, the term “under a cloud” has amuch more literal meaning. Nipomois the site of the worst particulate(sand and dust) air pollution in thecounty, far in excess of safe exposurelevels as set by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency. That meansdecreased lung function and anincrease in cases of chronic bronchitis
and pulmonary disorders, hazardousconditions for children and theelderly, and a hastened death foranyone with heart or lung disease. The Air Pollution Control Districthas already released one study whoseresults pointed upwind toward theOceano Dunes as a major source ofthat hazard, and, before the end of theyear, is scheduled to release theresults of a second study designed todetermine whether there is a directcorrelation between the worst airquality days in Nipomo and theheaviest vehicle use days at OceanoDunes. In a preemptive strike, State Parkstelegraphed its intention to dismissthe results of that study, informingthe APCD that Parks disagrees withthe methodology, it would not beassisting it in the study, and that anyresults “must be viewed as potentiallyflawed.” Meanwhile, the Sierra Club’slawsuit proceeds, and remains thebest hope that a significant portion ofthe endangered species habitat that isthe Pismo/Oceano Dunes complex cansomeday be rescued from ongoingdestruction and restored to what it issupposed to be: coastal dunes habitat,one of the rarest, most fragile andbiologically rich of all ecosystems onearth.
Under a Cloudcontinued from page 5
Bad air A cloud of sand and dust heads from the dunes riding area toward Nipomo Mesa.
Make your check out to The Sierra Club Foundation, and write “SLO Land Preservation Fund” in the Memo.
From Canadacontinued from page 7
To illustrate this point -- the secondpoint, unfortunately -- the reportcontains a rather interesting casestudy, which we herewith reprint infull, for the lessons it has to offer. Fileunder ”ourselves as others see us:”
2.1.2 San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo County would fulfillsome people’s definition of paradise.Nestled on the Pacific coast of Cali-fornia between L.A. and San Fran-cisco, it is home to about 250,000people and is the third biggest wineproducing region in the state. The rugged beauty and agriculturalintegrity of the area has been threat-ened by rural subdivision, so in 1996the county looked towards a TDC[Transfer of Development] program asa potential solution. The degree to which it has failed tosolve their problems is illuminating.
On the surface, the program, whichhas conserved 5,500 acres of land, hasbeen a moderate success. A closerlook reveals a less optimistic truth. The land conserved came from justthree landowners, and more than5,200 acres came from one transac-tion. No credits have been created inseveral years, and many existingcredits remain unsold. In retrospect, the failure of theprogram came about from three keymistakes:
No incentives for buyers or sellers—Potential sellers of credits would beattracted by the potential for revenue.Revenue comes from the sale ofcredits, but there is little need fordevelopers to buy credits. None of thecities in the county agreed to bereceiving sites for the credits, sourban developers were not interested.In the areas around cities, planning
authorities continued to approverequests to change zoning or density,so developers had no need to incurthe added expense of credit purchases.Market demand was never created, sofailure was almost certain.
Including non-threatened land—Thebiggest property involved, at morethan 5,200 acres, is the Bonnheimranch. The inclusion of the ranch inthe program is controversial. The landis located in an area of the countythat is not under immediate or evenmid-term development pressure.Much of the land is steep and unsuit-able for development. Part of theranch was protected under theWilliamson Act, so it was not underthreat of being developed for at least adecade. (The Williamson Act isanother land stewardship tool thatrestricts development and limits landto agricultural use in exchange for tax
relief. It takes ten years for land to beremoved from under the WilliamsonAct.) More than a thousand acres ofthe parcel was purchased from theBureau of Land Management just oneyear earlier at a low price because itwas of low quality. Perhaps the landwas accepted into the program toprovide early admittance, but it didn’tsatisfy the intentions of the program,and it created a glut of credits thatstill exists today.
Allowing rural development—Theprimary market for credits appears tobe rural land holders looking tosubdivide property. Maria Lorca is ananti-TDC activist in the county. Shelives in an area where the minimumland parcel size is 160 acres. Aneighbour bought a developmentcredit in order to subdivide his landbelow that threshold. Lorca ralliedother neighbours and was able to getthat purchase overturned, but severalother purchase attempts have beensuccessful. Shifting development fromone rural area to another would seemto do little to achieve the initial goalsof the program.
The program has stalled under theweight of public controversy andadministrative reviews. Since 2001, ithas been the subject of two grand juryinvestigations. A moratorium wasproposed in 2005, but it was pushedaside in favour of a blue ribboncommittee that is made up of a cross-section of interested parties. Thecommittee meets regularly, butLorca, who sits as a member, feels lessthan optimistic about the progressthat is being made. It is simplistic to say that the TDCprogram in San Luis Obispo Countywould have succeeded if it had beencarefully planned from the outset andif it enjoyed the support of all levels ofaffected government. What is clear,though, is that several missteps weremade that significantly decreased thechances of success for the program.That’s a stark reminder for anyjurisdiction considering the imple-mentation of a program of their own.
Law Offices of Jan Howell MarxA Client Centered Practice
BusinessMediation
Environmental LawElder LawReal Estate
Wills and Trusts
Got Graywater if You Want ItThe Sierra Club has on hand alimited supply of The San LuisObispo Guide to the Use ofGraywater, the new manual pro-duced by the Appropriate Tech-nology Coalition -- SLO GreenBuild, the Santa Lucia Chapter ofthe Sierra Club and the San LuisBay Chapter of Surfrider. Graywater systems turn a wasteproduct that can comprise up to80% of residential wastewater into avaluable resource for irrigation andother non-potable uses. Harvestinggraywater to meet your non-potablewater needs utilizes an appropriatetechnology that can recover initialcosts quickly. No permit required.
$10 each, while supplies last. E-mail [email protected], or call(805) 543-8717 to reserve your copy.
tax. With this tax, every Californiavehicle owner would get free admis-sion to state parks. Such a proposalwill have to go through the initiativeprocess, a long journey. When theinitiative language is approved, theeffort to gather signatures begins/Every chapter can really help out bycontributing time and activists.
We can’t thank enough all theactivists who make this event happen.Everyone pitches in to do the dishes,clear the tables, and clean up. It isinspirational to be with so manypeople, statewide, who care. The next CNRCC meetings will beFebruary 20, May 15-16, July 24, andOctober 9-10.
CNRCC Meetingcontinued from page 3
Find out how to make your home more energy efficient, environ-
mentally sustainable and healthy, www.sierraclubgreenhome.com
12
Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 2009
Outings and Activities CalendarSeller of travel registration information: CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.
This is a partial listing of Outingsoffered by our chapter.
Please check the web pagewww.santalucia.sierraclub.org for
the most up-to-date listing ofactivities.
They’re here, they’re gorgeous, you have to have
one for your desk, one for your wall, and a great
many more for friends and family! And when
you buy direct from the Chapter, you support
the Sierra Club’s conservation work in
San Luis Obispo County.
wall calendar: $12.50
desk calendar: $13.50
To order, call 543-7051
2010 Sierra Club Calendars
All our hikes and activities are open to all Club members and the general public. If you have any suggestions forhikes or outdoor activities, questions about the Chapter’s outing policies, or would like to be an outings leader,call Outings Chair Joe Morris, 772-1875. For information on a specific outing, please call the outing leader.
Fri.-Sun., November 6-8, MojaveNational Preserve Service Trip. Helpthe Mojave National Preserve clean up alarge illegal dump that has built up overthe years. Work all day Saturday anduntil noon Sunday. Preserve staff willprovide a barbecue Saturday night. Ahike is planned for those arriving in themorning on Friday, and a Ranger talkabout the Preserve. Camping will berustic, but portable restroom will beprovided. High clearance vehiclerecommended. Contact leader forreservation information: Rich Juricich,[email protected], 916-492-2181.CNRCC Desert Committee.
Sat.-Sun., November 7-8, “BowlingAlley” Car Camp & Hike. This strip ofland between Death Valley NationalPark and Fort Irwin is an ideal wilder-ness candidate. Unique and beautifulgeology, several perennial springs, andhabitat for desert tortoise and bighornsheep. We’ll drive in on some roughroutes, then day hike from car/tentcamp site. 4/wd recommended. Potluckdinner Saturday night. Leader: CarolWiley (760)245-8734, Reservations: KateAllen [email protected] (661)944-4056. CNRCC Desert Committee.
Sat. November 7, Spring Cleaning -Mecca Hills Wilderness. Hike two easymiles from Box Canyon Rd. to HiddenSpring, the only permanent watersource. We will remove palm fronds andother invasive vegetation and clean outthe spring box. Then a short hike to the“Grotto.” Great area with good viewsand interesting canyons. Car campingavailable on Box Canyon Rd. or PaintedCanyon Rd. Limited to 10 persons. Hikeleader Kathy Kelley. Organizer andcontact person is Jeff Morgan (760) 324-8696, or (preferably)[email protected] Tahquitz Group(San Gorgonio Chapter).
Thurs., November 12, 7 p.m. Bi-monthly General Meeting: Protectingour coastal waters. See page 2. Info:Joe Morris, 772-1875.
Sat., November 14, 9 a.m.: ValenciaPeak Trail-Oats Peak Trail-Coon CreekTrail-Bluff Trail. Moderately strenuous10.5 mile loop hike in Montana de OroState Park. About 2400 ft of elevationgain. Coastline views from the top ofValencia and Oats Peaks and some backcountry. We will finish the hike bywalking along the bluffs above theocean. Meet at Valencia Peak trailhead,just past the visitor’s center. Bringlunch and/or snacks, water, dress for theweather and possibile poison oak. Wewill do a refueling stop after the hike ata local eatery. Heavy rain cancels. Info,Chuck @ 441-7597.
Sun. November 15, 10 a.m., Islay HillOpen Space. Pole Cats is dedicated toleading local Sierra Club day hikes andmodeling the benefits of using trekkingpoles. 1 mile/400 ft elevation change.Join us for spectacular views of EdnaValley to the south and morros to thenorth. From Broad, go east on TankFarm, turn right on Wavertree, left onSpanish Oaks and veer right ontoSweetbay and park near cul-de-sac.Confirm with David Georgi at 458-5575or [email protected] forupcoming activities. Bipeds welcome.
Sat., November 21, 9:30 a.m. BowdenRanch Trail. Hike 5 miles RT with 1500ft elevation gain over the hill to thegreat divide between the SLO Creek andPrice Cyn drainages and back. Intenseinitial climb of 1200 feet will get yourheart pumping, then becomes aleisurely stroll. Interesting geology and
fantastic views if clear. We may evenshow you the secret spot. Bring water,snack, and non-slip shoes for ascendingand descending the hill. Meet at 9:30 atAdult Education parking lot on Lizzie
Street in SLO across from FrenchHospital. Rain a few days before or dayof may cancel. Call Leader Mike Sims(805) 459-1701. Co-Leader: Joe Morris. Sat., December 5, 9 a.m.: Cerro Altolong hike. Late fall is a good time tohike to the top of the highest Morro.Wonderful views of the coast and landnewly preserved by the SLO LandConservancy. The hike is a moderatelystrenuous 7.1 miles with about 1900 ftelevation gain. Loop hike will start atthe day use area behind Cerro Altocampground. The road to the camp-ground is about 8 miles east of MorroBay off Highway 41. Bring lunch and/orsnacks, water, and dress for the weather.Possibility of poison oak. Taco Temple inMorro Bay after the hike. $5 parking feeunless you have an Adventure Pass. CallChuck @ 441-7597.
Sat., December 5, 10 a.m., SierraSingles - High Ridge Trail - Join hikeleader Stacy for a 5-mile hike along theeast ridge of the recreation area aboveLopez Lake. Total elevation gain of 450ft, opportunities to take in the views ofthe lake and surrounding mountains.Bring water, hiking poles if you desire,long pants encouraged. Meet by theTurkey Ridge Trail sign, $8 day useparking fee required. From the 101 inArroyo Grande, take the Grand Ave. exitand head east through the Village. Bearright on Huasna Rd. at the 227 junc-tion, continue 9.9 miles, onto LopezDrive, to Lopez Lake Recreation Areaentrance station. Park at east end of thelot by the Turkey Ridge Trail sign.
Sat-Sun., December 5-6, CarrizoPlains National Monument Exploration& Service: Pronghorn antelope will notjump fences to escape predators butattempt to crawl under. We will modifyor remove several sections of fenceto help their mobility. Sunday will beeither a hike in the Caliente Range or atour of popular viewing areas in theplains. Opportunity to combinecarcamping, day-hiking, exploring, andservice in a relatively unknown wilder-
Sat., December 12, 10 a.m. City Walkof Victorian-Era SLO. A guided strollpast 18 historic century-old homes and2 churches in the “Nob Hill” of down-town SLO. Learn about the coming ofthe railroad and the lives of the newlyrich who transformed SLO from asleepy stage stop to a thriving city. Seewhere the affluent attended church andthe homes of the mayor, newspapereditor, and Cal Poly’s founder. About 11/2 hrs. Children welcome. Meet infront of Jack House, 536 Marsh St.,SLO. Info: Joe (772-1875).
Sat-Sun., December 12-13, Serviceand Hiking in a Southern Desert. Thisis the cooler season to visit the south-ern deserts. Our project on Saturdaywill be on the east side of the NorthAlgadones Dunes Wilderness - approxi-mately 20 miles east of Brawley, CA,where we will rebuild facilities at theWatchable Wildlife Site. Saturdayevening is a carcamp with potluckdinner. Sunday we will take a recre-ational hike either at our work site orelse within the nearby Indian PassWilderness. Info: leader CraigDeutsche, craig.deutsche@ gmail.com,(310-477-6670). CNRCC Desert Com.
Sun., Dec.13, 10 a.m. Maino OpenSpace trail/Lemon Grove Loop. PoleCats is dedicated to leading local SierraClub day hikes and the benefits of usingtrekking poles. 2.2 miles/400 ft eleva-tion change. The trailhead is located offthe Marsh Street onramp of southboundHighway 101. From downtown SLOtake Higuera Street to the intersectionwith Marsh Street and proceed as if totake 101 South. Immediately after thefreeway underpass, bear right into theparking lot. Confirm with David Georgiat 458-5575 or [email protected]. Bipeds welcome.
Mon-Sat, Dec. 28, 2009 - Jan. 2, 2010Holiday Service in Carrizo PlainNational Monument. Celebrate the endof one year and the beginning of thenext. The Carrizo Plain is a vastgrassland, home to pronghorn antelope,tule elk, kit fox, and a wide variety ofbirds. Welcome hike Dec. 28, three daysof service modifying barbed wirefencing, and full day for hiking planned.Use of accommodations at GoodwinRanch included. Limited to 14 partici-pants, $30 covers 5 dinners. For info,contact leader: Craig Deutsche,[email protected], (310-477-6670), or co-leader leader MelindaGoodwater, [email protected],(408-774-1257). CNRCC Desert Com-mittee.Nipomo Native Garden. Workdays & nature walk, 1st Saturday of the month: 929-6710.
