Refund program to help expand broadband

BY RACHELLE CHONG AND LLOYD LEVINE Special to The Bee / July 13, 2016 This year is turning out to be a bellwether year for internet law and policy. In June, a federal court ruled that high-speed internet is an essential “utility” and should be available to all Americans. In February, the Federal Communications Commission redefined broadband internet as a Title II common carrier service, moving it from an information service to a telecommunications... Read More

California governor looks to extend climate change efforts

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Jerry Brown has launched a campaign to extend some of the most ambitious climate-change programs in the country and ensure his environmental legacy when he leaves office in two years. The centerpiece of the push is a cap-and-trade program that aims to reduce the use of fossil fuels by forcing manufacturers and other companies to meet tougher emissions limits or pay up to exceed them. The program has... Read More

Dead trees threaten homes, utility lines in Arnold

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is paying contractors to remove thousands of dead trees that pose a risk to its powerlines. For many property owners, the PG&E work is a godsend, taking care of trees that would have been prohibitively expensive for the owners to remove. Read Article   Read More

Sacramento Judge Rules Delta Plan Is “Invalid”

In his decision, Judge Michael Kenny said: “To be clear, the Delta Plan is invalid and must be set aside until proper revisions are completed.” Read article here   For the complete statement from the Council, go to: https://mavensnotebook.com/2016/06/23/this-just-in-delta-stewardship-council-issues-statement-on-courts-tentative-delta-plan-ruling/‘  Read More

Forest Service: Nearly 700,000 dead trees in Calaveras County

Drought, beetles, warmer temps led to historic die-off Read entire article here  Read More

Brown’s lofty environmental goals face uncertain future

California’s clean vehicle rebate program is on hold, and legal uncertainties cloud the future of cap-and-trade. What does this mean for Gov. Jerry Brown’s efforts to reverse climate change? Three years ago, he established the lofty goal of having 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on California roads by 2025. Read entire article here  Read More

Forest Service: Staggering 66 million dead trees in California. 700,000 dead in Calaveras.

Twelve million trees across California recently have died from a lethal mix of bugs and long-term drought. Needle-covered trees are unable to secrete the sticky resin to fight off bark beetle infestations. We absolutely see this in our Sierra Nevada forests. Read entire article here      Read More

PG&E makes a wise call to shutter Diablo Canyon

Seeking to seize control of its future, PG&E has made a clear-eyed decision to shutter the massive Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant and is wisely promising to replace it with green power. Environmentalists and labor applaud PG&E’s decision. Read entire article here    Read More

Documenting Bovine Degradation in Wilderness: A Call for Volunteers from the Project to Reform Public Land Grazing in Northern California

This summer and fall volunteers with the Project to Reform Public Land Grazing in Northern California will again be in the field monitoring conditions on public lands where cattle and other livestock are permitted to graze. Our task will be to document with photos, measurements and field notes how the cattle are managed and the resulting degradation of water quality, riparian and wetland habitats. Click here to learn how you can volunteer for grazing... Read More

Forest Rules a Self-defeating Glut

Timber industry officials and environmental activists warn that the state’s logging safeguards have become a bureaucratic snarl that can drag out rule-making for a decade and a half and more. Experts say that 43 years after the enactment of the Forest Practice Act, timescales are so out of joint that the pace of environmental damage far outruns preventive action on the ground. Critics say the regulatory framework has recoiled on itself, leaving... Read More