What Governor Brown’s 14-15 Budget Means for the Environment

The state budget was released early last week due to a leak of the Governor’s Budget Summary.   With nearly $7.6B in state funds allocated for environmental protection and natural resources, this budget reflects the Governor’s priorities and will go a long way towards determining the health of our California’s lands, air, waters and communities.  For more info, click here.  Read More

Drought shows need to invest in local water supplies

With Governor Jerry Brown officially declaring that California is in a drought emergency, we have a stark reminder that our current water policies put all Californians at grave risk from reduced access to clean, safe water.  Now is the time to invest wisely in a ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ approach to water to create a sustainable future for the State.  Read more about the drought, statewide water planning, and what you can do to help. Read... Read More

Neighbors win ruling against Lode quarry

Project would extract 5M tons of rock each year By Dana M. Nichols Record Staff Writer March 02, 2014 SAN ANDREAS – Ranchers and other neighbors opposed to the proposed Newman Ridge quarry and a related asphalt plant near Ione won a legal victory last month. Amador Superior Court Judge J.S. Hermanson ruled that Amador County officials failed to accurately reveal the likely traffic impacts of the Newman Ridge quarry before environmental documents... Read More

Fire district’s plan doused by residents

By Stephen Crane | Posted: Tuesday, March 4, 2014 6:00 am http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_d1b795c0-a32e-11e3-9406-001a4bcf887a.html   Many fire districts in the county are hurting for revenue. They’re operating on shoestring budgets and any reserves they may have in place are being depleted.   Calaveras Consolidated Fire Protection District is one of those suffering, and it’s looking for a way to sustain itself going into the... Read More

Cal Fire unit HQ leaving & status of new jail

By Stephen Crane | Posted: Friday, February 28, 2014 6:00 am/The Calaveras Enterprise The headquarters for Cal Fire’s Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit has been stationed in San Andreas for decades. The administration building is there. The dispatch services, the barracks, engines, maintenance shop and warehouse are there. But that will soon change. Within a few years, the only thing that will remain in San Andreas is a two-engine firehouse as Cal Fire... Read More

Health district gears up for road ahead

By Alicia Castro | Posted: Friday, February 28, 2014 6:00 am/The Calaveras Enterprise The Mark Twain Health Care District Board took the path most traveled this week by joining a lengthy group of supporters for a trail route through San Andreas. “We have a lot of wonderful segments, but they’re like isolated islands,” said Jim Kavanagh, San Andreas Recreation and Park District board director. “We hope to create pedestrian and bicycle opportunities... Read More

Water & Rivers

California Water Policy Seminar Series: Michael Rosenzweig: Tactics for conserving diversity: Global vertebrae patterns point the way: The 2014 California Water Policy Seminar Series presented by the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and the law school’s California Environmental Law & Policy Center is focusing on how to manage water systems for both ecosystem and economic objectives – an immense challenge for engineers, ecologists,... Read More

Paving way for greener future?

San Joaquin County’s sustainable communities plan would preserve farmland, increase housing and transportation options. The Record, March 4  Read More

Land Use Planning and Development

Eggman refocuses on saving farmland* Assemblymember from Stockton introduces new legislation to protect agricultural lands. The Record, February 24 Property rights, land use planning and the competitive community A truly excellent speech on the history of land use and property rights in America and what brings value to real estate and makes communities competitive. Donovan D. Rypkema via YubaNet, February 22 Big changes ahead: OPR to revise general... Read More

Time to change water management in Northern California

A Roseville official advocates for retaining more water in the federal reservoirs that serve cities, farms, rivers and the Delta. Sacramento Bee, op-ed, February 22  Read More