Calaveras Unified schools get grant for garden program

“One day, we’d like to see the bigger kids going down to the other sites and spreading their knowledge with younger kids to create a sense of community,” said Hesser. “The program is growing at a very nice pace.” The aim of the model is to educate students and parents about access, demand and consumption of specialty crops. Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, October 25, 2016  Read More

What we can learn about carbon taxes from British Columbia’s experiment

In 2008, the Canadian province of British Columbia instituted a tax on carbon. It is “revenue neutral,” which means that all the money raised by the tax is used to reduce other taxes — the government doesn’t get any new revenue to spend. Read Article Here  Read More

Foothill Conservancy challenges Amador County general plan

Thursday, November 3 For more information, contact Cecily Smith: 209-223-3508, cecily@foothillconservancy.org On Thursday, November 3, Foothill Conservancy filed a lawsuit in Amador County Superior Court challenging the County of Amador’s new general plan and related environmental impact report. The Conservancy’s petition for writ of mandate asks the court to set aside the general plan and EIR, and revise the EIR to correct identified errors and... Read More

Deconstructing the current California drought

At a brown bag seminar held in September of 2016, Dr. Michael Dettinger, a Senior Research Hydrologist for the USGS National Research Program, presented his analysis of the multi-year deficits that have accumulated during this drought including deficits in precipitation, snowpack, streamflow, reservoir storage, and hydropower generation. Read Article on Maven’s Notebook  Read More

The price of water conservation—Using less and paying more

Many people have seen their water rates go up as they conserve more, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Water Deeply, September 26  Read More

Work along with nature to manage forests

A letter to the Calaveras Enterprise speaks to working with nature for forest management:  http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_2c51d34c-919d-11e6-a437-7fcee6ad3ff8.html  Read More

Modesto-area lawmakers blast river flow proposal:

Two lawmakers from the Modesto area urged a state board on Tuesday to rethink a plan for greatly increasing river flows.  The doubling of reservoir releases into the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers would devastate the region’s already wobbly economy, Assembly members Kristin Olsen and Adam Gray told the State Water Resources Control Board.  They asked for more time to study last week’s updated proposal, which aims to help salmon and other... Read More

Mokelumne River agency gets grant to better forest

 The Sierra Nevada Conservancy last week approved a $500,000 grant that will support restoration of meadows and thinning of overgrown forests in the Pumpkin Hollow area not far from Cabbage Patch on Highway 4.  The grant will go to the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed Authority, a consortium of water agencies that seeks to manage the watershed. But the forest improvements are expected to improve water yield and quality to both the Mokelumne and Stanislaus... Read More

Cannabis regulation comments due Sept. 30

This is an important deadline for residents of Calaveras County Enterprise report / September 19, 2016   Calaveras County residents who want state authorities to consider particular issues as they draft regulations for cannabis farms should submit their comments to the California Department of Food and Agriculture by Sept. 30. The agency is currently seeking to define the scope of issues to be considered as it prepares its Medical Cannabis Cultivation... Read More

Historic campaign to revive the Bay-Delta and the rivers that feed it.

 Here’s how you can help: Friends,   After decades of decline due to inadequate freshwater inflows, the San Francisco Bay-Delta might finally get a new lease on life. Yesterday, the State Water Board released its updated Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan, calling for 40% of unimpaired flows between February and June on the lower San Joaquin River and it’s three major tributaries, of which the Tuolumne is the largest.  This would... Read More