Conditions for major reservoirs

A useful graphic depicting the historical averages and current fill level of California’s major reservoirs. California Department of Water Resources, May 28  Read More

High school students clean and raft the Moke*

Students from Argonaut High School and Mountain Oaks School recently removed invasive plants and rafted the Mokelumne River, thanks to Stewardship Through Education and O.A.R.S. Amador Ledger-Dispatch, Jun 6  Read More

United States secures $50.5 million in settlement for Power and Whiskey Fires

Under a settlement filed Thursday, a PG&E contractor has agreed to pay a $45 million settlement related to the Power Fire in Amador County. The Forest Service claims the fire was started by tree-trimmers smoking while working along a distribution line. Press release on YubaNet, June 6 Related article, SF Chronicle, June  6  Read More

Complaint Exposes Rift Between ‘Green’ Certification Groups

A “green” label creates consumer confidence, but activists say it’s being abused, with a special focus on timber products from clear cutting. SPI’s forest products are certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative discussed in this story. New York Times, June 2: Read Here  Read More

CCWD says it will hold town hall meetings

Responding to heavy criticism about its plans to raise water and waste-water rates, the Calaveras County Water District will hold several town hall meetings in Arnold, Valley Springs and Copperopolis in coming weeks. The district is encouraging the public to attend these meetings and ask questions. The first town hall meeting is scheduled for 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, June 10, at the Independence Hall Community Center in Arnold, 1445 Blagen Road. Additional... Read More

Conservation Stewardship Program Applications Due by June 14

WASHINGTON, May 28, 2013 – The Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Conservation Stewardship Program will provide about $175 million in funding for up to 12.6 million additional acres enrollment this year. Although applications are accepted all year, farmers, ranchers and forestland owners interested in CSP should submit applications by June 14 to their local NRCS office to ensure they are considered for this year’s funding. The deadline... Read More

Sierra Nevada Conservancy Board to Vote on $2.5 Million Grant Program Guidelines

(Auburn) – The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) Governing Board will decide on guidelines for accepting applications for approximately $2.5 million in Proposition 84 bond grants to help restore ecological health to Sierra forests and remediate impacts from historic abandoned mines. The vote on the guidelines is among the items included in the board’s quarterly meeting at the West End Theatre in Quincy, June 6. The board will also take a field trip... Read More

Where greenhouse gases come from, in one graph

By David Roberts Here’s a tiny version of a large, information-dense graphic from research consultancy Ecofys: You should click and look at the big version, or better yet get the PDF from Ecofys and zoom in really close, where you can see the sectors further broken down.  Read More

No conservation plan in the works

To save Calaveras County’s financial credibility and avoid a lawsuit, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to return just over $10,000 in grant money to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy after failing to execute habitat conservation work initially approved in 2008. The total grant amount issued was $46,000 and was meant to fund “specific” ecological studies and fund a separate grant application that would cover the total cost of a... Read More

Planned water-rate increases draw ire

Calaveras County Water District’s decision to raise water and wastewater rates by nearly 70 percent over a five-year period has resulted in turbulence among the district’s ratepayers. Letters explaining the rate increases were received by the entire district’s estimated 13,000 water customers and 4,800 sewer users Tuesday, May 28. For Bertha Underhill, a former district board member and current customer, the proposed rate increases were “absolutely... Read More