econews vol. 45, no. 3 - augsep 2015

Arcata, California

one planet

Vol. 45, No. 4 Aug/Sep 2015Over 40 Years of Environmental News

Coastal Cleanup Day Sept. 19 | Native Plant Sale Sept. 12 | Lawsuit Against EPA Water RulesProposed Pot Ordinance Problems | Dire Sea Level Predictions | Re-Launch of Peace Boat

Supporting Each otherCaring for our world

Published by the Northcoast Environmental Center Since 1971

1

Editor/Layout: Morgan [email protected]

Advertising: [email protected]: Karen Schatz and Midge Brown

Authors: Sid Dominitz, Dan Ehresman, Sarah Marnick, Dan Sealy, Jennifer Kalt, Jennifer Savage, Ned Forsyth, Kimberly Baker, Ali Freedlund, Morgan Corviday, Brandon Drucker, Alicia Hamann, Nancy Stevens, Jon Queally, Sarah Westover, Arnold “Skip” Oliver, Maia Raposo

Cover Photo: . The fi rst full-frame photo taken of the Earth since 1972. Taken by NASA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory spacecraft (DSCOVR) on July 6, 2015.

Artist: Terry Torgerson

A flipside to this rainy onslaught from the heavens—should it be as intense as anticipated—biologists predict an unraveling of North Coast watersheds that have been abused by shortsighted timber barons and are now being wrecked at the hands of those seeking fortunes in a relentless green rush. No doubt our collective indifference has contributed to the series of calamities in this region and throughout the world.

Life has a way of articulating the tragedy of disconnection and despair; but it also has the uncanny knack for illuminating the wonder and spectacle that is creation, and reminding us that we all have a role to play. Even when it feels that all is lost, the world has a way of bringing us back together to explore not-too-distant peaks and immerse ourselves in sacred waters, to dig in sand and build sculptures on the beach, to eat and breath and laugh and cry together and to take comfort in each other during times of remembrance, of celebration, of renewal.

So here’s to that blessed buffalo boy whose spirit carries on, and here’s to being present and supporting one another in our life together on this wild and wondrous living earth.

and condolences, I cannot help but think of how easy it is to take life for granted; how easy it is to become subtly or not-so-subtly disconnected from those we care

News From the CenterOn July 18, one week ago today

as I sit typing, my colleague and good friend called with unfathomable news. He called to say his 11-year-old son was killed in an ATV accident. My heart cracked in that instant—both for the loss of one whose sweet energy and exuberance for life touched so many and for my friends who just lost one of the most important beings in their world.

As time ticked by, my eyes gradually opened to the gift that Owen left in his passing. I remembered the times with him, during his visits to the office or out and about in the world beyond, when he reminded me to play; to celebrate life and love and connection to this planet and to one another. And it impresses me to no end this gift he shared with all who knew him.

Yet, with his passing, with everybody who has come out of the woodwork to lend their support

NEC Board Of Directors

EcoNews is the o� cial bi-monthly publication of the Northcoast Environmental Center (NEC), a non-pro� t organization. Third class postage paid in Arcata. ISSN No. 0885-7237. EcoNews is mailed to our members and distributed free throughout the Northern California and Southern Oregon bioregion. The subscription rate is $35 per year.

1385 8th Street - Suite 226, Arcata, CA 95521

PO Box 4259, Arcata, CA 95518707- 822-6918, Fax 707-822-6980

www.yournec.org

The ideas and views expressed in EcoNews are not necessarily

those of the NEC.

President - Larry Glass, Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment, [email protected] - Dan Sealy, At-Large, [email protected] - Jennifer Kalt, Humboldt Baykeeper, [email protected] - Chris Jenican Beresford, At-Large, [email protected] Falxa, Calfornia Native Plant Society, [email protected] CJ Ralph, Redwood Region Audubon Society, [email protected] Kreis, Sierra Club, North Group. [email protected] Greacen, Friends of the Eel River, [email protected] Morris, Trinity County Representative, At-Large, [email protected] Keytra Meyer, At-Large, [email protected]

NEWSEC NEWSNEWSNEWSEC

Dan Ehresman, Executive Director

NEC StaffNEC Executive Director: Dan Ehresman, [email protected] EcoNews Editor:Morgan Corviday, [email protected] Programs Director: Jennifer Savage, [email protected] Assistant: Madison Peters, [email protected] Associate: Sydney Stewart, [email protected]

Humboldt Baykeeperwww.humboldtbaykeeper.org707-268-0664

Sierra Club,North Group, Redwood Chapterwww.redwood.sierraclub.org/north/

California Native Plant SocietyNorth Coast Chapterwww.northcoastcnps.org

Redwood Region Audubon Societywww.rras.org, [email protected]

Friends of the Eel Riverwww.eelriver.org, [email protected]

Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment (SAFE)www.safealt.org

Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC)www.wildcalifornia.org, [email protected]

Friends of Del Nortewww.fodn.org

Mattole Restoration Councilwww.mattole.org, [email protected](707) 629-3514

Zero Waste [email protected]

NEC Member Groups

NEC Affiliate Members

Be a part of our growing team of site captains and volunteers!

Visit our website for more information and a list of available sites.

about and from our surroundings. I cannot help but think how

our detachment perpetuates many of the difficulties in

our world.This past June was

the warmest on record and July, with many days like a furnace blast, is on track to pop previous records as well. In this heat wave, our region’s waterways are warming up with undue haste. Fisheries experts on the Klamath River are raising the warning of

a likely fish kill given extremely

high levels of a d r o u g h t - l o v i n g

parasite in juvenile salmon. Domestic water

supplies are concerningly low throughout many parts of the

state. On top of that, fire season is well underway.

With change as the never-ending constant, forecasters are projecting a very wet El Nino this fall that may lend some relief to these dry times.

Humboldt BaykeeperFiscally sponsored by the NEC

Director: Jennifer Kalt, [email protected] Bay Explorations Sta� : Jasmin Segura, [email protected]

3 In Memory: Walker Owen Greacen4 Watersheds & the Pot Ordinance4 Dire Sea Level Predictions5 Coastal Cleanup Day - Sept. 1967

Shore LinesOregonians Oppose LNG Exports

8 Relaunch of the Golden Rule9

10Eye on WashingtonProtect Scenic Rivers from Strip Mines

11 Lawsuit Against EPA Clean Water Rules12 Zero Waste Humboldt13 Humboldt Baykeeper14 Friends of the Eel River1516

EPICMattole Restoration Council

17 Sierra Club, North Group18 California Native Plant Society20 Eco-Mania21 Creature Feature: Bobcat22 Kids’ Page: Tick Talk

Hands in the Sand

Catch the NEC’s EcoNews ReportEvery Thursday, 1:30pm on KHSU - 90.5FMRotating hosts talk with a variety of experts and guests on a range of topics

Past shows are archived on our website for download or streaming

www.yournec.org/econews-report

Adopt-a-BeachBe a part of our growing team

of site captains and volunteers! Visit our website for more information

and a list of available sites.

www.yournec.org/marinedebris/adoptabeach BouquetsA bouquet of Lilium humboldtii (Humboldt lilies) to Lucille Vinyard for over 50 years of adventurous leadership to save Redwood National Park, our Northern California Wilderness Areas and inspiring generations of conservation activists.

A bouquet of airwaves to Mike Dronkers, whose dedication to the environment was evident in his daily KHUM 104.7 FM radio show and manifested in seven years of “Coastal Currents,” a feature focusing on Humboldt’s ocean, beach, bay and watershed stories. We greatly appreciate Mike’s use of his stage to highlight important issues facing our community. HIs unwavering support of a better Humboldt brought true and qualitative diff erence to our world.

A bouquet of celestial light to Pope Francis, for highlighting the crisis posed by climate change in his recent papal encyclical. While environmentalists and religious fi gures have not often found themselves on the same side, the Pope’s encyclical—which warns of serious consequences from climate change and strongly criticizes relentless resource exploitation—has profound potential to foster a new sense of stewardship and ecological urgency not only in the Catholic Church, but also other faiths and leadership worldwide.

At this year’s Friends of the Dunes’ Sand Sculpture Festival, the Northcoast Environmental Center’s Madison Peters and Sydney Stewart sculpted a tribute to life on our planet with the beautiful message: “Lend a Hand.” � e sculpture was created in loving memory of those who have left us, in support of those who are grappling with the loss of their loved ones, and as a reminder to care for one another and for our wild and wondrous home. Many thanks to Madison, Sydney and Roman for your care-full sculpting!

Japan Tsunami Marine Debris

Monitoring and Beach Cleanups

Call or email the NEC to register in advance, or for more information: [email protected] or 707-822-6918.

Humboldt County:SAMOA BEACH

SATURDAY @ 10:00 AMSeptember 19, 2015

Del Norte County:POINT ST. GEORGE BEACH

SUNDAY @ 11:00 AMSeptember 20, 2015

www.yournec.org/tsunamidebris

Letters to the Editor are welcomed!

Letters should be 200 words or less, should be relevant to material covered in EcoNews, and must include the writer’s address and phone number.

Letters may be edited and shortened for space. The NEC reserves the right to reject any submitted material for any reason (e.g. size, content, etc.).Send to [email protected].

Photo: Andrew Go�

EcoNews Aug/Sep 2015 www.yournec.org 2

3 In Memory: Walker Owen Greacen4 Watersheds & the Pot Ordinance4 Dire Sea Level Predictions5 Coastal Cleanup Day - Sept. 1967

Shore LinesOregonians Oppose LNG Exports

8 Relaunch of the Golden Rule9

10Eye on WashingtonProtect Scenic Rivers from Strip Mines

11 Lawsuit Against EPA Clean Water Rules12 Zero Waste Humboldt13 Humboldt Baykeeper14 Friends of the Eel River1516

EPICMattole Restoration Council

17 Sierra Club, North Group18 California Native Plant Society20 Eco-Mania21 Creature Feature: Bobcat22 Kids’ Page: Tick Talk

Hands in the Sand

Catch the NEC’s EcoNews ReportEvery Thursday, 1:30pm on KHSU - 90.5FMRotating hosts talk with a variety of experts and guests on a range of topics

Past shows are archived on our website for download or streaming

www.yournec.org/econews-report

Adopt-a-BeachBe a part of our growing team

of site captains and volunteers! Visit our website for more information

and a list of available sites.

www.yournec.org/marinedebris/adoptabeach BouquetsA bouquet of Lilium humboldtii (Humboldt lilies) to Lucille Vinyard for over 50 years of adventurous leadership to save Redwood National Park, our Northern California Wilderness Areas and inspiring generations of conservation activists.

A bouquet of airwaves to Mike Dronkers, whose dedication to the environment was evident in his daily KHUM 104.7 FM radio show and manifested in seven years of “Coastal Currents,” a feature focusing on Humboldt’s ocean, beach, bay and watershed stories. We greatly appreciate Mike’s use of his stage to highlight important issues facing our community. HIs unwavering support of a better Humboldt brought true and qualitative diff erence to our world.

A bouquet of celestial light to Pope Francis, for highlighting the crisis posed by climate change in his recent papal encyclical. While environmentalists and religious fi gures have not often found themselves on the same side, the Pope’s encyclical—which warns of serious consequences from climate change and strongly criticizes relentless resource exploitation—has profound potential to foster a new sense of stewardship and ecological urgency not only in the Catholic Church, but also other faiths and leadership worldwide.

At this year’s Friends of the Dunes’ Sand Sculpture Festival, the Northcoast Environmental Center’s Madison Peters and Sydney Stewart sculpted a tribute to life on our planet with the beautiful message: “Lend a Hand.” � e sculpture was created in loving memory of those who have left us, in support of those who are grappling with the loss of their loved ones, and as a reminder to care for one another and for our wild and wondrous home. Many thanks to Madison, Sydney and Roman for your care-full sculpting!

Japan Tsunami Marine Debris

Monitoring and Beach Cleanups

Call or email the NEC to register in advance, or for more information: [email protected] or 707-822-6918.

Japan Tsunami Marine DebrisJapan Tsunami Marine DebrisHumboldt County:SAMOA BEACH

SATURDAY @ 10:00 AMSeptember 19, 2015

Del Norte County:POINT ST. GEORGE BEACH

SUNDAY @ 11:00 AMSeptember 20, 2015

www.yournec.org/tsunamidebris

Letters to the Editor are welcomed!

Letters should be 200 words or less, should be relevant to material covered in EcoNews, and must include the writer’s address and phone number.

Letters may be edited and shortened for space. The NEC reserves the right to reject any submitted material for any reason (e.g. size, content, etc.).Send to [email protected].

Photo: Andrew Go�

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owenIn Mem� y of

Walker Owen Greacen

Sma� , Fea� ered Consolations

Two baby barn swa� ows wobbling on � e wire outside my window. It’s � eir fi rst day out of � e nest.They’ve b� n fl ying around after � e parent birds, a little unsteady, unfamiliar wi� � eir wings. Occasiona� y, almost by accident, catching some� ing to eat.Now � ey’re tired, want to be back in � e nest.When an older bird lands on � e wire � ey beg f� food. It fl ies off, leaves � em � ere. Big mou� s, pale fl uff, scared and hungry.In a few days � ey’� be soaring over � e garden. Hard to te� which are � e older birds, which are � e young.It happens � at fast.In a few w� ks � ey’� a� be gone. Some wi� be back next year, some won’t. Not a� of us wi� be here to m� t � em.Life s� ms designed to � eak us open. Wi� beauty and fear, joy and grief, love, any one of its � ousand ways. To send us out into no� ing but fai� and air.Ear� is a nest of � oken she� s.- Jerry Martien

Our earth lost a young friend too soon when Walker Owen Greacen died on July 18 in an all-terrain vehicle accident at his grandparents’ land in remote northwestern New Mexico. Owen was the son of Greta de la Montagne—herself a lifelong activist, and the daughter and granddaughter of presidents of the Montana Wilderness Association—and Scott Greacen, director of Friends of the Eel River. Owen was deeply connected to nature, often the fi rst to spot some creature others missed. At nine, he carefully and clearly identifi ed a ring-tailed cat no one else has yet seen near the place he died this summer. Owen loved to paddle, watch birds, dig sand, climb rocks, hike forests, and sail kites. May his memory live in our hearts as a reminder of humanity’s capacity for love and joy.

Top: Memorial circle for Owen at Moonstone Beach, July 19, 2015. Above: The Bu� al-Owen, created by Team Owen for the Sand Sculpture Festival,

July 25, 2015. Below: Owen at Hecata Head, Oregon, June 2015.

An account has been set up to accept donations for Owen’s family. Donations accepted at Southern Humboldt Community Credit Union

757 Redwood DriveGarberville, CA 95542

Account #17967


Jon QueallyThis article was originally published online at

CommonDreams.org.

New research shows that consensus estimates of sea level increases may be

underestimating threat; new predictions would see major coastal cities left

uninhabitable by next century If a new scientifi c paper is proven accurate, the

international target of limiting global temperatures to a 2°C rise this century will not be nearly enough to prevent catastrophic melting of ice sheets that would raise sea levels much higher and much faster than previously thought possible.

According to the new study—which has not yet been peer-reviewed, but was written by former NASA scientist James Hansen and 16 other prominent climate researchers—current predictions about the catastrophic impacts of global warming, the melting of vast ice sheets, and sea level rise do not take into account the feedback loop implications of what will occur if large sections of Greenland and the Antarctic are consumed by the world’s oceans.

A summarized draft of the full report was released to journalists on Monday, with the shocking warning that such glacial melting will “likely” occur this century and could cause as much as a ten foot sea-level rise in as little as fi fty years. Such a prediction is much more severe than current estimates contained in reports issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)—the UN-sponsored body that represents the offi cial global consensus of the scientifi c community.

“If the ocean continues to accumulate heat and increase melting of marine-terminating ice shelves of Antarctica and Greenland, a point will be reached at which it is impossible to avoid large scale ice sheet disintegration with sea level rise of at least several meters,” the paper states.

Separately, the researchers conclude that “continued high emissions will make multi-meter sea level rise practically unavoidable and likely to occur this century. Social disruption and economic consequences of such large sea level rise could be devastating. It is not diffi cult to imagine that confl icts arising from forced migrations and economic collapse might make the planet ungovernable, threatening the fabric of civilization.”

� e Daily Beast’s Mark Hertsgaard, who attended a press call with Dr. Hansen on in July, reports that the work presented by the researchers is warning that humanity could confront “sea level rise of several meters” before the end of the century unless greenhouse gas emissions are slashed much faster than currently contemplated.

Dan EhresmanOf all the serious environmental issues we face in

our region, promoting meaningful marijuana policy and action is one of the most signifi cant local issues that we have a real chance of infl uencing before it gets even worse. Policy makers on the North Coast and throughout California are working to fi ll regulatory holes left after passage of Proposition 215 while also preparing for the anticipated legalization of recreational weed in 2016. � e impacts relating to an unchecked industry that is fragmenting forests, tapping watersheds dry and expanding every year have been previously discussed in EcoNews. Current legislation will have an impact—for better or for worse—on our region’s burgeoning cannabis industry.

In advance of legalization, several bills are making their way through the state legislature with the aim to put in place a functional regulatory framework for medical marijuana while supporting responsible cannabis businesses. Current frontrunners in this fi eld are AB 243, AB 266 and SB 643. After summer recess in early August, lawmakers will have three weeks to get bills through appropriations committees and onto Governor Brown’s desk by October 11 for signature or veto. (More information on these bills is provided in the online version of this article on our website.)

On the regional stage, Trinity County community members have come out in force to urge their Supervisors to enforce the County’s existing marijuana cultivation guidelines to stem the expansion of large-scale grows. Meanwhile, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors continues to defer to industry group California Cannabis Voice Humboldt (CCVH) to write their own land use ordinance guiding cultivation on rural parcels larger than fi ve acres.

CCVH Ordinance—Digging deeperOn June 30, 2015, CCVH unveiled their seventh

draft cannabis cultivation land use ordinance. Despite having nearly a year and six drafts to incorporate concerns from environmental advocates and other concerned members of the public, CCVH’s leadership has instead retained core components that will perpetuate irresponsible, large-scale grows at the expense of healthy rivers, forests and communities.

New Study Announces Dire Sea

Level Predictions

Continued on page 10

Invest in the FutureJoin our Monthly Giving ProgramFor more information, call the NEC at 707-822-6918For more information, call the NEC at 707-822-6918

Protecting Watersheds Needs to be First Priority in Pot Ordinance

• All grows must be held to standards that protect North Coast streams and salmon.

Unfortunately, the CCVH draft does nothing to stop water withdrawals from streams during times when fi sh and downstream residents need water most. Any proposal that moves forward must ensure that operations are either connected to a stable municipal water supply or have enough water storage to meet 100 percent of the dry-season irrigation needs without withdrawing from waterways during summer months when stream fl ows are low. Further, any ordinance needs to make clear that cultivators cannot be reliant on water trucking—an unsustainable loophole in the existing draft.

• Conversion of forestland to commercial marijuana production must stop.

CCVH’s draft gives a free pass to commercial cannabis grows on forestlands and provides a pathway for other landowners to clearcut forests—thereby fragmenting wildlife habitat—to make way for even more large-scale grows. � e timber industry has done tremendous damage to our forests and watersheds for decades; clearing hillsides and building more roads will only exacerbate the problems.

• Watershed carrying capacity needs to be addressed.

CCVH’s draft does nothing to address the cumulative impacts of cultivation activities within a watershed. As a whole, existing operations—including public land trespass grows and irresponsible grows on private property—are resulting in unacceptable impacts to waterways, wildlife and downstream communities. New commercial grows should not be permitted until each watershed has been assessed and all cultivation activities are in compliance with environmental regulations. Continued on page 19

� e following are the NEC’s primary concerns with CCVH’s proposed ordinance:

In Mem� y ofWalker Owen Greacen

Sma� , Fea� ered Consolations

Two baby barn swa� ows wobbling on � e wire outside my window. It’s � eir fi rst day out of � e nest.They’ve b� n fl ying around after � e parent birds, a little unsteady, unfamiliar wi� � eir wings. Occasiona� y, almost by accident, catching some� ing to eat.Now � ey’re tired, want to be back in � e nest.When an older bird lands on � e wire � ey beg f� food. It fl ies off, leaves � em � ere. Big mou� s, pale fl uff, scared and hungry.In a few days � ey’� be soaring over � e garden. Hard to te� which are � e older birds, which are � e young.It happens � at fast.In a few w� ks � ey’� a� be gone. Some wi� be back next year, some won’t. Not a� of us wi� be here to m� t � em.Life s� ms designed to � eak us open. Wi� beauty and fear, joy and grief, love, any one of its � ousand ways. To send us out into no� ing but fai� and air.Ear� is a nest of � oken she� s.- Jerry Martien

Our earth lost a young friend too soon when Walker Owen Greacen died on July 18 in an all-terrain vehicle accident at his grandparents’ land in remote northwestern New Mexico. Owen was the son of Greta de la Montagne—herself a lifelong activist, and the daughter and granddaughter of presidents of the Montana Wilderness Association—and Scott Greacen, director of Friends of the Eel River. Owen was deeply connected to nature, often the fi rst to spot some creature others missed. At nine, he carefully and clearly identifi ed a ring-tailed cat no one else has yet seen near the place he died this summer. Owen loved to paddle, watch birds, dig sand, climb rocks, hike forests, and sail kites. May his memory live in our hearts as a reminder of humanity’s capacity for love and joy.

Top: Memorial circle for Owen at Moonstone Beach, July 19, 2015. Above: The Bu� al-Owen, created by Team Owen for the Sand Sculpture Festival,

July 25, 2015. Below: Owen at Hecata Head, Oregon, June 2015.

An account has been set up to accept donations for Owen’s family. Donations accepted at Southern Humboldt Community Credit Union

757 Redwood DriveGarberville, CA 95542

Account #17967

Aug/Sep 2015 EcoNewswww.yournec.org5

CCD Saturday, September 19

While scientists, inventors, governments and agencies try to fi gure out how to clean up the estimated millions of tons of garbage already in the ocean, the rest of us can help staunch the fl ow by participating in California’s Coastal Cleanup Day.

As longtime EcoNews readers know, Coastal Cleanup Day has its humble beginnings right here in Humboldt County as a program of the NEC. Now international, the event is celebrated worldwide and is the single largest volunteer event in support of the marine environment.

Last year, with your help, over 1,000 Humboldt County Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers removed over eight tons of trash and recyclables from our beaches, rivers, bay and estuaries. Coupled with eff orts throughout the state and around the world, Coastal Cleanup Day makes a quantitative diff erence in how much trash enters our ocean.

In cooperation with the California Coastal Commission, the Northcoast Environmental Center will again organize at least 40 cleanups throughout Humboldt County—a feat requiring an immense amount of staff time and community coordination. Therefore, in addition to seeking site captains and volunteers, we’re also currently seeking fi nancial sponsorships to cover coordination costs. Contact Jennifer Savage at [email protected] for details on benefi ts to fi t your budget.

For more details, visit www.yournec.org/coastal cleanup, email [email protected] or call us at 822-6918.

How to get involved:Be a site captain! Site captains are the main points of contact

for the cleanup teams at each site and work with the NEC’s Cleanup Coordinator, recruiting teammates, gathering supplies, overseeing the successful cleanup of their site and reporting cleanup data back to the NEC. Check the NEC’s website at yournec.org for a list of available beaches.

Join a team! Be part of the group cleaning up your favorite beach. All you need to do is show up and pick up.

Sponsor Coastal Cleanup! This is a fantastic way to support local cleanup eff orts and publicize your business or organization as a friend to the ocean. The NEC has a number of sponsorship packages available and all include your logo on county-wide posters and recognition at a special Ocean Night event following Coastal Cleanup Day.

Spread the word! Passing info on to colleagues, friends, family, school teachers and civic minded groups. The more hands we have on deck, the more impact we can make!

Stand together to put a stop to trash! If a product can’t be reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refi nished, resold, recycled or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production.

After the cleanup all are welcome to stop by the NEC’s booth at the North Country Fair—and join us Sunday, September 20 for the All Species Parade!


Save the Dates:

Jennifer Savage, Coastal Programs DirectorSummertime! Hopefully you’ve had the chance

to enjoy the long days with some time at the river, the beach, in the mountains or diving into a lake. It’s important to make the time to enjoy nature, in between fi ghting to preserve and restore it.

Marine Protected Area Enforcement Improvements

Our colleagues at the Natural Resource Defense Council have compiled a report on potential technology options for improving marine protected area enforcement has been published and can be read at http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/ca-mpa-enforcement.asp. From NRDC: “� e report summarizes technology options that could help enhance enforcement of MPAs in California’s ocean waters and identifi es tools that are compatible with existing resources, can help provide reliable data that will stand up in court, and have a track record of successful application with appropriate scale.”

In most cases, the tools prioritized will benefi t fi shery management as well as MPA enforcement. Options include predictive policing, vessel monitoring systems and potential targeted use of radar and cameras to be promising tools. Recommended steps call for the California Department of Fish & Wildlife to take the following initial steps, with support from the Fish and Game Commission, Ocean Protection Council, legislative budget committees and other relevant entities:

• Take prompt action to implement an electronic records management system (RMS) that is compatible with those in Oregon and Washington.

Shore Lines: Coastal Programs Update Shore Lines: � at undertaking should include an assessment of the bare minimum of data types needed for enforcement of California MPAs and fi sheries regulations, identifi cation of personnel responsible for managing the data, consideration of ways to make relevant information accessible to the public, and collaboration with the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) on program design and funding.

• Investigate the feasibility of requiring violators of MPA or fi sheries regulations to install and use vessel monitoring systems (VMS) for any future fi shing by that operator and vessel. If that option is deemed feasible, CDFW should implement such a requirement as quickly as possible.

• Determine how many vessels would need VMS in order to achieve coverage of the entire California commercial fl eet.

• Investigate whether suffi cient radar units are in place to allow radar surveillance of locations where hot spots of MPA violations and related incidents have been identifi ed. � is analysis would help determine the feasibility of targeted radar surveillance in those hot spots.

Keep in TouchFollow along on marine and coastal issues through Coastal Currents Wednesdays at noon on KHUM 104.7 FM, at the Lost Coast Outpost (www.lostcoastoutpost.com) with “Your Week in Ocean,” and on the ocean-themed episodes of The EcoNews Report—usually the last Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. on KHSU 90.5 FM. The EcoNews Report airs each Thursday with rotating hosts and covers a variety of subjects.

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1:00pm

Make a mask or a costume and join the fun!

Or, volunteer to be part of our Un-Dam the Klamath

Street Theater!

on the Arcata Plaza

www.yournec.org/allspecieswww.yournec.org/allspecieswww.yournec.org/allspecies

presented by the Northcoast

Environmental Center and the

North Country FairCelebrate All Speciesat the

707-822-6918


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and march to the Department of State Lands. � e Protect Our Home Rally included speeches from tribal leaders, impacted landowners and a keynote speech from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., president of Waterkeeper Alliance.

“Oregon is viewed as a leader in combating climate change, yet the fossil fuel industry is pushing to make Oregon a traffi cker of fracked gas to the entire world through these LNG export proposals,” said Kennedy. “Oregon should stand fi rm in protecting iconic salmon-bearing rivers like the Rogue and Columbia, and in the process reaffi rm its goal of reducing climate pollution by rejecting LNG export terminals and pipelines.”

Oregon faces two LNG export proposals—� e Jordan Cove project in Southern Oregon and the Oregon LNG project near Astoria-coupled with associated proposals to construct hundreds of miles of new natural gas pipelines throughout Oregon and Washington. � e Jordan Cove project would quickly become the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the entire state of Oregon. Opposition to the LNG projects has created unusual alliances, inspiring rural landowners near proposed pipelines to join forces with conservationists and climate activists.

Oregonians Rally Against Liquidi� ed Natural Gas

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Salem on May 26 for the Protect Our Home—No LNG Rally. Photo courtesy of Rogue Riverkeeper.

Continued on page XX


Sarah WestoverLNG Organizer, Rogue Riverkeeper

For more than 10 years, gas companies have been pushing plans for huge Liquefi ed Natural Gas (LNG) terminals on the Columbia River and Coos Bay, and Oregonians have stood fi rm to protect our farms, forests and rivers. Today, hundreds of Oregonians including farmers, ranchers, business owners and conservationists are working to send a clear message to Oregon’s new Governor that the time has come for Oregon to reject fracked gas export terminals.

LNG is super-cooled methane gas that requires massive amounts of energy and fresh water to produce. Energy companies have been working for ten years on two proposals for large gas pipelines and LNG terminals in Oregon, and the companies now intend to use the proposed terminals to sell fracked gas to overseas markets.

In May, a groundswell of opposition across Oregon inspired a statewide rally encouraging Governor Kate Brown to stand with Oregonians against proposed LNG projects. Community activists from across the state organized more than 600 people from 10 counties in Oregon and Washington to rally on the capitol steps in Salem

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LNG


and march to the Department of State Lands. � e Protect Our Home Rally included speeches from tribal leaders, impacted landowners and a keynote speech from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., president of Waterkeeper Alliance.

“Oregon is viewed as a leader in combating climate change, yet the fossil fuel industry is pushing to make Oregon a traffi cker of fracked gas to the entire world through these LNG export proposals,” said Kennedy. “Oregon should stand fi rm in protecting iconic salmon-bearing rivers like the Rogue and Columbia, and in the process reaffi rm its goal of reducing climate pollution by rejecting LNG export terminals and pipelines.”

Oregon faces two LNG export proposals—� e Jordan Cove project in Southern Oregon and the Oregon LNG project near Astoria-coupled with associated proposals to construct hundreds of miles of new natural gas pipelines throughout Oregon and Washington. � e Jordan Cove project would quickly become the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the entire state of Oregon. Opposition to the LNG projects has created unusual alliances, inspiring rural landowners near proposed pipelines to join forces with conservationists and climate activists.

Oregonians Rally Against Liquidi� ed Natural Gas

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Salem on May 26 for the Protect Our Home—No LNG Rally. Photo courtesy of Rogue Riverkeeper.

Continued on page XX


Sarah WestoverLNG Organizer, Rogue Riverkeeper

For more than 10 years, gas companies have been pushing plans for huge Liquefi ed Natural Gas (LNG) terminals on the Columbia River and Coos Bay, and Oregonians have stood fi rm to protect our farms, forests and rivers. Today, hundreds of Oregonians including farmers, ranchers, business owners and conservationists are working to send a clear message to Oregon’s new Governor that the time has come for Oregon to reject fracked gas export terminals.

LNG is super-cooled methane gas that requires massive amounts of energy and fresh water to produce. Energy companies have been working for ten years on two proposals for large gas pipelines and LNG terminals in Oregon, and the companies now intend to use the proposed terminals to sell fracked gas to overseas markets.

In May, a groundswell of opposition across Oregon inspired a statewide rally encouraging Governor Kate Brown to stand with Oregonians against proposed LNG projects. Community activists from across the state organized more than 600 people from 10 counties in Oregon and Washington to rally on the capitol steps in Salem

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Golden Rule’s crew would also infl uence future generations of activists, as would their abiding respect for the humanity and dignity of those with whom they disagreed. � e seas of the world have never been quite the same since.

� e Golden Rule fi red the imagination of a generation, and was the forebear of the many peace and environmental protest boats that followed, from New Zealand’s Vega, to the Australian Pacifi c Peacemaker, to the Sea Shepherds and Free Gaza fl otillas.

� e connection to Greenpeace is direct. In 1971, Golden Rule supporter Marie Bohlen attended a meeting in Vancouver, Canada of people concerned about nuclear weapons testing. She suggested a voyage toward the U.S. nuclear test site in the Aleutian Islands á la the Golden Rule. Soon,

Historic Peace Ship is Relaunched

The restored Golden Rule in Humboldt Bay, July 20, 2015. The ship set sail for San Diego on July 23. Photo: VFP Golden Rule Project.

Arnold “Skip” OliverThis article was originally published online at

CounterPunch.org.

Along the rugged coast of northern California’s Humboldt County, maritime history is being made. June 20 marked the launch ceremony of the rebuilt sailing ketch, the Golden Rule, after four years of hard work by a restoration team led by Veterans for Peace. � e Golden Rule is no ordinary sailboat.

In the 1950s, the U.S. military used the Marshall Islands as the primary site for its atmospheric nuclear weapons testing. As is now known, those huge nuclear detonations in the Western Pacifi c were wreaking havoc on the environment and human health. In fact, with each monstrous explosion, readily detectable clouds of radioactive fallout wafted around the planet, and contamination began to turn up in cows’ and mothers’ milk. Increasingly, skepticism grew about government assurances that there was no danger.

� en, in 1958, the Golden Rule arrived on the scene. � e Hugh Angelman-designed 30-foot ketch was purchased by a group of activists who set out on a voyage of nonviolent protest toward the Marshalls. � eir plan, which was well publicized, was to sail into the target zone and sacrifi ce both boat and crew if need be to bring a halt to the tests.

� e Golden Rule and its crew never made it to their destination. � e Coast Guard stopped the vessel in Hawaii and arrested everyone on board. � e publicity surrounding the crew’s trial and imprisonment helped ignite worldwide public outrage against atmospheric testing.

� at outrage turned the tide. By 1963, the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom signed the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which banned nuclear tests in the atmosphere, underwater, and outer space. No nuclear tests took place in the Marshall Islands after 1958.

Just as importantly, the use of nonviolent direct action as a fundamental guiding principle of the

the rusty trawler Phyllis Cormack was renamed the Greenpeace and headed north toward the Alaskan Archipelago. � e rest, as they say, is history.

Sadly, after the 1958 voyage, the Golden Rule was sold and slipped from public view. � e ship wound up in Humboldt Bay, California, badly neglected. She fi nally sank in a storm in late 2010.

When a group of Northern California members of Veterans for Peace learned the damaged ketch was nearby and might be salvageable, they leapt at the chance to raise the vessel from the depths and

restore it to its former peacemaking glory.In large measure, the purpose of the

rebuild of the Golden Rule is to honor the original crew. � ey stood fi rm for peace and nonviolence before it became fashionable. Two of them, Albert Bigelow and James Peck, later were among the original 13 Freedom Riders in 1961 in the American South.

� e other crew members were equally noteworthy. One led United Nations development programs, and another became a founder of Peace Brigades International.

� e team that has rebuilt the Golden Rule is honored to carry on this legacy by bringing the feisty little ketch back to life. While sponsored by Veterans for Peace, the Golden Rule Project brings together an eclectic mix of historic boat lovers, environmentalists, peace and religious activists, and progressives. It’s open to anyone interested in working to keep the boat sailing and promote its mission.

Now that the re-build is complete, the Golden Rule will soon ride the waves as a living museum and fl oating classroom. Her crews will educate future generations on the risks of nuclear technology, the importance of the ocean environment, and

above all, the power of peacemaking.

Arnold “Skip” Oliver is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Heidelberg University in Tiffi n, Ohio. Visit VFPGoldenRuleProject.org for more information.

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Proposed Changes in Forest Management Would Limit

Public VoiceSome members of Congress are using the

public’s fear and misunderstanding of fi re to circumvent the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA is the foundation of our nation’s environmental laws and, most importantly, the mechanism by which federal agencies are required to inform citizens of their plans, use the best available science, and consider public input.

� e NEPA process takes time, but reduces the unsustainable rate of logging within our national forest that can leave our watersheds eroded and forests uninhabitable for many rare, native species. � is July, however, a bill passed the full House of Representatives with a mostly partisan vote (262 vs 167) that would make it more diffi cult for communities or organizations to fi le lawsuits when an agency neglects the law.

HR 2647, ironically titled the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015, gives the U.S. Forest Service sweeping powers to log up to 5,000 acres with virtually no public input, and pushes some post-fi re logging timelines up making them also nearly impossible to stop, even in the face of potentially signifi cant environmental impact.

Many conservationists are also very concerned that Congress is using this bill as a test for destroying our other environmental laws. In the Senate, leaders of both parties have made clear that they want to apply similar changes to other Forest Service activities. Some members of Congress have been candid—they know they cannot get rid of NEPA, the Clean Air, or the Clean Water Act, but they can destroy them incrementally.

� ere are also several other related bills of varying degrees of “bad for conservation.” One such Senate bill is SB 132, supported by Oregon Democratic leaders. SB 132 would open the way for logging important spotted owl habitat in the “O&C Lands”—a checkerboard of private and public lands in southern Oregon managed for sustainable yeild.

� e eff ects of clear-cut logging on the private lands are clearly visible from roads and from the air. � is bill would allow much of the public lands to be cut in a similar fashion in spite of the potential eff ects to threatened species and watershed protection. A possible compromise bill would include creation of the Wild Rogue and Devil’s Staircase wilderness areas and more than 200 miles of new wild and scenic

river designations in Oregon. � ese elements have been applauded by some wilderness advocates.

A fi nal Senate version is expected to get a vote later this summer or autumn. � e resulting bill could pose a major concern for c o n s e r v a t i o n organizations and communities located in or adjacent to our national forests.

� e Northcoast Environmental Center was one of over 30 conservation organizations across the nation to send a letter in opposition of HR 2647.

Drought Politics—Western StyleWater has driven politics in the West since

early settlement. Unlike in the eastern US where frequent rains fi lls rivers and reservoirs throughout the summer, Western states rely on winter rain and snowmelt to fi ll reservoirs for use in the summer. � is cycle has guided a system of Western water rights that goes back generations, but overdevelopment and changes in weather patterns have stressed the water systems for the past several decades.

Now, with climate change, politically motivated over-allocation of limited water resources, and changes in agricultural practices that prioritize nut crops, some people are left without water. Into this continuing drama steps freshman Rep. Valadao, from California’s 21st District (southern half of the Central Valley), and others who would like to start from scratch to determine who gets water and how water will be stored and conveyed. His bill, HR 2898, not only throws uncertainty to communities, farmers and river ecosystems, but this bill could also increase the robbing of northern waters to feed rapidly growing communities and unsustainable agricultural practices in the south.

� e Northcoast Environmental Center joined many other local and national conservation organizations to oppose HR 2898. Our district Congressman, Jared Huff man, authored competing legislation that would support tactics to solve the West’s water problems through more sustainable means such as reclamation, recycling and improved infrastructure.

HR 2898 passed the full House on a vote of

Yosemite National Park is studying the impacts of forest � res on rare species such as spotted owl. Though the study is not complete it seems to be con� rming what other recent studies have shown: spotted owls do not abandon their habitat after � res—they continue to forage and use remnant trees for roosts and nesting. Photo: Dustin Garrison, National Park Service.

Dan Sealy, NEC Legislative Analyst

Poaching and Vandalism on Public LandsRobs Future Generations

EyeonWashington

245 - 176. Many conservation organizations from Trout Unlimited to the Sierra Club vigorously opposed HR 2898 and the NEC joined in writing letters opposing the bill and supporting Congressman Huff man’s bill. � e Senate companion bill is sponsored by Senator Barraso (R-WY) and is equally troubling to Western conservationists. Senator Feinstein has said she could not support HR 2898 and has been working on her own version, which has also raised concern.

Congress Gets Into the GMO BusinessIn late July, the House Rules Committee

reviewed a bill (H.R. 1599) that was introduced “to avoid the patchwork of state laws dealing with biotech food labeling,” Some members on both sides of the aisle have expressed interest in preempting state laws aimed at labeling food that contain GMO products. Representatives Conaway (R-Texas) and Peterson (D-Minn.) clarifi ed that the bill does not address any areas other than labeling “…such as cultivation of crops.”

� e Environmental Working Group fear this bill could “stop state and local governments from regulating any process related to production of GMO crops.”

HR 1599 would create an Agriculture Department certifi ed “non GMO” program similar to the existing program for “organic” products.

The Big PictureWhy is so much bad legislation being

pushed by Congress right now? Simple: the 2016 election cycle. Currently, the Republican Party has the majority in both chambers, meaning they occupy the chairmanships of every congressional committee and thereby determine the legislative agenda.


KS wild peti-tion

� is roughly 10 feet of sea level rise—well beyond previous estimates—would render coastal cities such as New York, London, and Shanghai uninhabitable.

� is apocalyptic scenario illustrates why the goal of limiting temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius is not the safe “guardrail” most politicians and media coverage imply it is, argue Hansen and 16 colleagues in a blockbuster study they are publishing this week in the peer-reviewed journal Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry. On the contrary, a 2C future would be “highly dangerous.”

If Hansen is right—and he has been right, sooner, about the big issues in climate science longer than anyone—the implications are vast and profound.

In the call with reporters, Hansen explained that time is of the essence, given the upcoming climate talks in Paris this year and the grave consequences the world faces if bold, collective action is not taken immediately. “We have a global crisis that calls for international cooperation to reduce emissions as rapidly as practical,” the paper states.

Hansen said he has long believed that many of the existing models were under-estimating the potential impacts of ice sheet melting, and told the Daily Beast: “Now we have evidence to make that statement based on much more than suspicion.”

� ough he acknowledged the publication of the paper was unorthodox, Hansen told reporters that the research itself is “substantially more persuasive than anything previously published.”

For his part, Eric Holthaus, a meteorologist who writes about weather and climate for Slate, said the “bombshell” fi ndings are both credible and terrifying. Holthaus writes:

To come to their fi ndings, the authors used a mixture of paleoclimate records, computer models, and observations of current rates of sea level rise, but “the real world is moving somewhat faster than the model,” Hansen says.

Sea Level RiseContinued � om page 4


“Parts of [our coastal cities] would still be sticking above the water, but you couldn’t live there.” —Dr. James Hansen

� e southwestern corner of Oregon contains the headwaters of the premier wild rivers in the West, including the Wild and Scenic Smith and Illinois Rivers. Sparkling emerald water fl ows through forested canyons to the ocean, these rivers are important fi sh and wildlife habitat and provide clean drinking water that local communities depend on. � e rivers and streams fl owing though these public lands provide outstanding opportunities for boating, swimming, hiking and sport and commercial fi shing.

But mining companies want to excavate a series of nickel strip mines in the pristine headwaters of the Wild and Scenic Smith and Illinois Rivers in the heart of California and Oregon’s much loved Wild Rivers Coast. � ey also want to mine in the coastal streams of Hunter Creek and Pistol River. � ese devastating proposals would turn these wild and pristine watersheds into a wasteland of haul roads, ore smelters, and piles of toxic mining waste.

� ere is a unique opportunity to temporarily protect this wild region from industrial nickel strip mining with the Southwest Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act, while Congress considers more lasting protection. � e “mineral withdrawal” will protect against new mining claims and require existing claims to be tested to determine legitimacy. The withdrawal area includes botanically rich serpentine terrain in the West Fork Illinois River watershed—which hosts the highest concentration of rare plants in Oregon—and the headwaters of Hunter Creek and the North Fork Pistol

River—two cherished native salmon and steelhead streams on the Wild Rivers Coast.

Eff ective support for this campaign will come from large numbers of US citizens who sign-on to the public comment letter to the Bureau of Land Management by the end of the comment period on September 28th, 2015. Take action to save one of America’s

most beautiful natural wonders by signing the petition asking that the

Kalmiopsis Rivers and the Wild Rivers Coast remain free

from toxic pollution!

Sign-on today at kalmiopsiswildrivers.org/submit-a-public-comment

To learn more, watch the video Emerald Waters of the Klamath-Siskyou at this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM0WO9DwDbA

Visit this Forest Service link for updates about public comments and meetings:

www.fs.usda.gov/detail/rogue-siskiyou/news-events/?cid=STELPRD3846224

Help Protect Wild & Scenic Rivers from Strip Mines


PopeNancy Stevens

On Saturday and Sunday, September 19-20, 2015, the annual North Country Fair will once again take place on the Arcata Plaza. We invite you to join the Zero Waste team and be a part of the fair’s waste reduction crew! Last year, the Fair’s board, the Same Old People, Inc., became the fi rst festival in Humboldt County to adopt a zero waste policy. � is policy is the fi rst essential step for a long-term commitment to work toward zero waste.

In addition to vendor commitment, it takes a huge team of trained volunteers to successfully reduce and recycle the waste. Working with Zero Waste Humboldt, the Fair will have trained volunteers taking shifts at each of the 6 stations on the Plaza during the 2-days to help the public to deposit materials for “Compost,” “Recycling,” or “Landfi ll.” � ere will also be a 7th station where trained volunteers will weigh and sort recyclables.

� e North Country Fair and Zero Waste Humboldt are pleased that its large crew of volunteers have ranged from age 14 to 75, and included people from many backgrounds. � e Fair’s zero waste crew includes family members, housemates, co-workers, HSU classes, Arcata High School Green Club, and sports teams.

North Country FairAll Species Parade

Happy, helpful ZWH volunteers at the 2014 North Country Fair.

This May, Jud Ellinwood of Zero Waste Humboldt and Humboldt State School of Business Intern Tim Combley reported to the Board of Supervisors on a survey they conducted of store owners and operators in the unincorporated areas of Humboldt County covered by the California’s Single-use Plastic Carry-out Bag Law (SB270). Even though 138 local governments in California have already adopted a ban on single-use plastic carryout bags, implementation of SB270 has been suspended until the outcome of a state November 2016 ballot measure.

The study included 28 interviews of local store owners and managers of all the types of stores covered by SB270 to assess their familiarity with the law and what they need to know to prepare for compliance. 100% of the store owners and managers surveyed expressed a need for information from the County. Survey results provide clear evidence that in order for local stores to voluntarily stop providing single-use plastic carryout bags, or to comply with SB270, or to comply with a County ordinance should the Board of Supervisors pass it, they need information.

To read the report and its conclusions, go to www.zerowastehumboldt.org/advocacy.

Volunteers have enjoyed scheduling shifts with family and friends. � e one-hour zero waste training is required for volunteers and will be off ered on Sunday, Sept. 13th at 10 a.m. on the plaza or Wednesday, Sept. 16th at 5:30 p.m.

� is year, we are excited to add Cub Scout pack 95 of Arcata to our volunteer crew. With adult supervision, these cub scouts will be learning about Zero Waste and will be the fi rst youth group to participate in the All Species Parade as Zero Waste Zebras.

Last year, the North Country Fair banned the sale of single use plastic water bottles during the event and provided three water coolers for fairgoers to fi ll their own refi llable bottles. “We plan to have even more convenient water coolers this year. Please bring a refi llable water container,” Stevens said.

One of the other key elements in the North Country Fair zero waste program has been attention to the details of measurement and monitoring. “It takes more work, but the outcome is that we really know how much and what type of waste the Fair generates and how much we are actually reducing each year,” states Zero Waste coordinator Nancy Stevens.

Fairgoers have really taken notice and have responded very positively to the Zero Waste Humboldt volunteers. It’s been a fun way to enjoy the music, food and crafts, AND work for a good cause at the same time! We encourage you, your family, and your co-workers to join the zero waste crew by contacting [email protected].

Zero Waste Crew Needs YOU to Help Reduce Waste at the North Country Fair!

Humboldt Stores Want Bag Information

Forest Carbon Offsets Available for PurchaseO�set your carbon footprint!Makes a great local gi�!Purchase local forest carbon offsets from the Arcata Community Forest to offset greenhouse gasses. Every metric ton purchased offsets carbon dioxide gasses equivalent to a round-trip flight between SFO and JFK airports.

Please contact theEnvironmental Services Department(707) 822-8184 [email protected]

www.cityofarcata.org/departments/environmental-services/city-forests

$10/metric ton

North Country FairNorth Country Fairand Harvest Festival

the Same Old People present

Saturday Sept. 19 & Sunday Sept. 20• Bring your own refillable cup!

• Ride your bike to the Fair!

• Samba Parade on Saturday!

• All Species Parade on Sunday!

FREE!

• Over 100 craft and food vendors!

• Dozens of local bands and entertainers!

10am-6pm on the Arcata Plaza

www.northcountryfair.org

the

Lawsuit Challenges Loopholes in New EPA Rule Exempting Wetlands and Streams From Clean Water Act Protections

small water bodies can only be protected if they are within 4,000 feet of a stream or river. However, if a wetland is just one foot over the arbitrary 4,000-foot line, it cannot be protected—even if it is vitally important in preserving downstream water quality. In their drive to placate industry interests, the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers’ failed to ensure that these types of exemptions do not jeopardize the survival of hundreds of endangered species as required by the Endangered Species Act. Endangered salmon and sturgeon on both coasts, California red-legged frogs, and bog turtles are among the many species that depend on clean, unpolluted water and will be harmed by the exemptions created by this rule.

“Freshwater species in the United States are already going extinct hundreds of times faster than terrestrial species, and these loopholes will make survival even harder for them,” said Brett Hartl, endangered species policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “� ere’s no question that eliminating protection for thousands of wetlands waters will hurt people and wildlife for generations to come.”

In another last-minute concession to industry, the agencies substantially weakened Clean Water Act protections for streams, wetlands and ponds that are adjacent to streams and rivers if those water bodies are currently used in farming, ranching or silviculture activities. Contrary to science and the requirements of the law, the fi nal rule categorically reduced protections for tributary

Maia Raposo, Waterkeeper AllianceThis article was originally published online at

Waterkeeper.org.

Conservation groups fi led a lawsuit on July 22 challenging last-minute exemptions for industries in the new “waters of the United States” rule that could open the door to more pollution of wetlands, streams and other waterways. � e rule, fi nalized in May by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, defi nes which waterways can be protected against being destroyed, degraded, or polluted without a permit under the Clean Water Act.

� e new rule reaffi rms longstanding federal protections for some types of waters, but largely as a result of industry pressure, arbitrarily exempts and removes safeguards for critically important streams, wetlands and other waterways, many of which had been protected since the 1970s. � ese unprecedented exemptions are contrary to clear scientifi c evidence demonstrating the importance of these waterways for drinking water, recreation, fi sheries and wildlife.

“Communities deserve the broadest protection of waters consistent with sound science,” said Marc Yaggi, executive director at Waterkeeper Alliance. “We need to advocate for the strongest rule possible so that we move forward in restoring our nation’s waters by controlling the discharge of pollutants into the smaller tributaries that feed into them.”

Under the new rule, wetlands, ponds and other

streams, wetlands, streams that have been ditched or channelized, and for water bodies that are only connected to protected downstream waters by subsurface water fl ows.

“� is rule change will weaken protection for waterways on and near big agribusiness operations, likely resulting in more agricultural pollutants on our food and in our environment,” said Adam Keats, senior attorney at the Center for Food Safety. “� e EPA and the Army Corps should be working to strengthen, not gut, the laws that keep industrial agricultural pollution in check.”Despite these unprecedented concessions to industry, opponents of the fi nal rule have mounted a massive misinformation campaign claiming the agencies are expanding the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act. In reality, the EPA and the Corps have improperly relinquished jurisdiction over historically protected waters and admit that: “� e scope of jurisdiction in this rule is narrower than that under the existing regulation. Fewer waters will be defi ned as ‘waters of the United States’ under the rule than under the existing regulations, in part because the rule puts important qualifi ers on some existing categories such as tributaries.”� e coalition, represented by Earthrise Law Center, Lewis & Clark Law School’s environmental litigation clinic, and Stanford Law School’s Environmental Law Clinic, includes Waterkeeper Alliance, the Center for Biological Diversity, Humboldt Baykeeper, and several other conservation organizations.

In Bow to Industry, EPA Rule Hurts Water Quality, Human Health and Wildlife Across Country

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FIELD TRIPS

www.rras.org

andpiper SAUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015

Redwood Region Audubon Society

The SRedwood Region Audubon Society

TheThe

Every Saturday: Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. These are our famous rain-or-shine docent-led fi eld trips at the Marsh. Bring your binocular(s) and have a great morning birding! Meet in the parking lot at the end of South I Street (Klopp Lake) in Arcata at 8:30 a.m. Trips end around 11 a.m. Aug 1: Jude Power; Aug. 9: Brad Elvert; Aug 15: Larry Karsteadt; Aug. 22: Jim Clark; Aug. 29: Chet Ogan.

Sunday, August 9: Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This is a wonderful 2- to 3-hour trip for people wanting to learn the birds of the Humboldt Bay area. It takes a leisurely pace with emphasis on enjoying the birds! Beginners are more than welcome. Meet at the Refuge Visitor Center at 9 a.m. Call Jude Power or David Fix (707-822-3613) for more information.

Sunday, August 9: Del Norte Shorebirding. Join Rob Fowler (707-616-9841) for a shorebirding trip to Del Norte County. This is a joint trip between RRAS and Redwood Parks association. Humboldt birders meet at 7:30 a.m. near Espresso 101 in the Valley West Shopping Center off Giuntoli Lane. Del Norte birders meet at 9 a.m. near the public restrooms off Anchor Way in Crescent City. We will focus our shorebirding efforts at Lakes Earl and Tolowa and at the Alexandre Dairy pond in the Smith River Bottoms

on this 5- to 6-hour trip. Bring a lunch. LIMITED TO 15 PEOPLE so pre-register for the trip with Susan Calla at [email protected].

Saturday, August 15: Southern Humboldt Community Park. Jay Sooter (707-444-8001) and/or John Gaffi n will lead this monthly walk. All ages and experience levels are encouraged to participate and revel in the beauty of the park and its avian inhabitants on this easy 2- to 3-hour walk. Binoculars are not provided, and dogs are not allowed; fi eld guides are usually available, but please bring your own if possible. Steady rain cancels. Meet at 8:00 a.m., parking by the kiosk near the farmhouse in the main entrance.

Sunday, August 16: Eureka Waterfront. Meet at 9 a.m. at the foot of W. Del Norte St., where we will scope for birds off the public dock until everyone assembles. We will then drive to the base of the Hikshari’ Trail at Truesdale Street and bird along the trail to the Elk River Wildlife Sanctuary. Leader: Ralph Bucher (707-499-1247; [email protected]).

Sunday, August 30: Trinity Alps Wilderness. An underappreciated phenomenon is the use of brushy, high-country habitats by dispersing and migrating birds in fall. Ken Burton will lead an easy 6-mile hike through 16-year-old

burned forest and unburned meadow habitats at an elevation of about 5,000 feet. Last year this hike produced an amazing number and variety of birds, including a Williamson’s Sapsucker It’s a long drive, so the meeting time will be very early; call Ken at 707-499-1146 for specifi cs.

Saturday, September 12: Migration in Arcata and McKinleyville. Join Rob Hewitt (707-601-8581) on a fall migration trip to hotspots in Arcata in McKinleyville to enjoy the fall shorebird and passerine migration. Locations will be determined based on what has been around and if any interesting birds are staked out. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the main parking lot at Hiller Park in McKinleyville. Bring a lunch and plan to bird for 5 to 6 hours, ending in Arcata.

Sunday, September 13: Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. See August 9.

Saturday, September 19: Southern Humboldt Community Park. See August 15, except that the meeting time is 8:30 a.m.

Sunday, September 20: Eureka Waterfront. See August 16.

September Program: Friday, Sep 11

Programs start at 7:30 p.m. at Eureka High School Lecture Hall at the corner of Humboldt and K Streets. Bring a mug to enjoy shade-grown coffee, and please come fragrance-free.

August Program: Friday, Aug 14

Many meadow habitats in the western US are degraded, and efforts are increasing to restore ecologically important montane meadow systems. Karen Pope, a research wildlife biologist with the US Forest Service’s Pacifi c Southwest Research Station, Redwood Sciences Laboratory, will discuss techniques being used to restore degraded meadows on public lands in the Sierra Nevada. She will share results of a recent study in which wetland, vegetation, soil carbon, and channel condition variables were compared between restored and unrestored montane meadows in California. A new study at Childs Meadow near Lassen Volcanic National Park is being done to understand the benefi ts of using beaver and beaver dam analogues to restore meadows.

Mountain Meadow Restorationin California Many avian species vary in their ability

to solve novel problems. Previous research suggests this ability is behaviorally complex and improves over time, but this has rarely been described in wild subjects. Steller’s Jays often need to solve novel problems to access human food sources. Derek Harvey, a master’s student at Humboldt State University Wildlife Department, studied innovative problem-solving in a color-banded population of Steller’s Jays in Arcata. The fascinating results of this study should enhance our understanding of the role innovation plays in individual behavior and social learning in wild populations.

Problem-Solvingin Wild Steller’s Jays

photo by Karen Pope photo by Derek Harvey

Publicity (Harriet Hill) Fill in when Harriet is out of town: 6 hours about once per year (or every other year)

Education (Denise Seeger) Help with education activities: 1 to 2 hours per month during school year

Volunteer Committee (Susan Penn) Coordinate annual RRAS volunteer appreciation event, which happens around Halloween Any other volunteer activity you might be interested in.

Arcata Marsh Saturday Field Trips (Ken Burton) Docents for the weekly Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary: 3 hours several times a year.

Keep Up-to-Date Through RRAS Listserve

Be reminded about fi eld trips and programs and learn about upcoming meetings, public hearings, and symposia of interest to RRAS members and other concerned nature lovers. Subscribe in 1 of 2 ways: through a Web page link at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rras or by e-mail to [email protected]. Postings should have complete information. This listserv is not for posting bird sightings.

CHAPTER LEADERSOFFICERS

President— Hal Genger …………............ 707-499-0887Vice President ........................................................ VacantSecretary—Adam Brown............................. 707-826-0319Treasurer—Syn-dee Noel............................. 707-442-8862

DIRECTORS AT LARGERalph Bucher …........................................ 707-443-6944Joe Ceriani …............................................ 707-476-9127Jill Demers ……………………………… 707-667-6163Harriet Hill………………………………. 707-267-4055Cindy Moyer.....................................…..… 707-822-1806Chet Ogan …............................................… 707-442-9353 Susan Penn..................................…......…. 707-443-9660 C.J. Ralph ............................................….. 707-822-2015

OTHER CHAPTER LEADERSConservation — Jim Clark ...............…... 707-445-8311Eductn/Scholarships — Denise Seeger ....707-444-2399eBird Liaison — Rob Fowler …………... 707-839-3493Field Notes — Daryl Coldren...........…..... 916-384-8089Field Trips— Rob Fowler ……….......….. 707-839-3493Finance— Syn-dee Noel .............................707-442-8862 Historian — John Hewston ...................... 707-822-5288Membership — Susan Penn.…..................707-443-9660NEC Representative — C.J. Ralph.......... 707-822-2015Nominating – Jim Clark …....................... 707-445-8311Programs — Jared Wolfe...........................262-443-6866Publications — C.J. Ralph..................….. 707-822-2015Publicity — Harriet Hill............................ 707-267-4055Sandpiper (Editor)—Jan Andersen ….… 707-616-3888Sandpiper (Layout)— Gary Bloomfi eld ...707-362-1226Volunteer Coordinator — Susan Penn.…707-443-9660Website Gatekeeper — Ralph Bucher......707-443-6944Lake Earl Branch — Sue Calla................ 707-465-6191RRAS Web Page...........................……..... www.rras.orgArcata Bird Alert .........707-822-LOON (707-822-5666)

The Sandpiper is published six times each year by Redwood Region Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 1054, Eureka, CA 95502.

Thinking of Joining the National Audubon Society?

If so, please use the coupon below. By sending in your membership on this form, rather than replying to solicita-tions from National Audubon, $20 is sent directly to RRAS. This is how NAS rewards local chapters for recruitingnational members. (Otherwise, the RRAS dues share per new member is only a couple of dollars.) Thank you.

Chapter Membership ApplicationYes, I’d like to join.Please enroll me as a member of the National Audubon Society and of my local chapter. Please send AUDUBON magazine and my membership card to the ad-dress below.My check for $20 is enclosed. (Introductory offer)NAME_______________________________ADDRESS___________________________ CITY ______________________________STATE____________ZIP______________email ______________________________Local Chapter Code: C24 C1ZC240ZPlease make checks to the National Audubon Society.

Send this application and your check to: National Audubon Society P.O. Box 422250 Palm Coast, FL 32142-2250

--------------LOCAL CHAPTER------------- REDWOOD REGION AUDUBON SOCIETY

P.O. BOX 1054,EUREKA, CA 95502

By Hal Genger President’s Column

Conservation NotesThinking Globally and Acting Locally for Bird Conservation

By Jim Clark

Rainforest clearing, clear cutting, and offshore mangrove swamp conversion to shrimp farming are some global problems that we contribute to solving but fi nd it hard to effectively participate in a hands-on way. One of the most environmentally devastating features, however, is literally in our back, and front, yards. The urbanization and suburbanization of our local landscape promote the introduction of exotic and invasive plants and the unregulated use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Hydrologically altered landscape has reduced capacity to neutralize and dilute the toxins used to control invasive weeds. If that were not enough, plants such as Pampas Grass, Algerian and English Ivy, and Himalaya Berry harbor rats, which prey on birds. The runoff from unregulated herbicide, pesticide, and fertilizer use also adversely affects water quality that in turn negatively affects birds: either directly by poisoning or by reducing the productivity of our surface waters. Our national politicians are unlikely to ever have the courage to ban combination herbicide-fertilizer products as has been done in Canada, so we need to do it ourselves. Avoid using the cosmetic chemicals. Like the problem, the solution is also in our own yards. With a little planning and imagination, attractive

and colorful landscaping can be achieved with native plants that rivals traditional landscaping that uses exotic hybrids. The benefi ts that accrue with a maturing bird-friendly native-planted yard are not just more birds but less pollution. Native plants are mostly resistant to insects and disease and promote benefi cial insects. Maintaining a native-planted yard is mainly a matter of controlling prolifi c growth. Fortunately, trimming and pruning native plants follow the same rules as for exotics. Don’t forget the grass! Native grass turf and seed are available and are drought-resistant with options to mow or not mow or irrigate or not. I’m still researching local availability. Last, you don’t need to be a purist. A few noninvasive exotics can add color and fragrance and may even benefi t from the presence of natives. Lost Foods Native Plant Nursery at the Redwood Acres Fairgrounds offers a wide variety of plants in a setting that demonstrates their landscaping potential. You can also get good advice from our local (North Coast) chapter of the California Native Plant Society. Go plant!

Redwood Region Audubon Society relies on volunteers to keep it running. We offer one or more free public fi eld trips weekly, a free general public meeting monthly, and have active committees dealing with fi nance, membership, conservation, education, outreach, putting together this newsletter, publications, and publicity. All of these activities require volunteers! The amount of time a volunteer contributes varies with the activity. Some tasks require only a small amount of time once whereas, at the other extreme, some require hours monthly. Some volunteer positions are short term to cover for a person on vacation or are needed just once a year. Following are some volunteer positions RRAS needs help with.

Membership Committee (contact Susan Penn) Help with quarterly mailings: 1 to 2 hours 4 times a year Compiling “welcome packets”: 1 to 2 hours every few months Compiling new members list for The Sandpiper: 1 to 2 hours every other month

Conservation Committee (Jim Clark or Chet Ogan) Attend monthly conservation committee meeting at noon at the Golden Harvest, Arcata

For the 4th year, the Godwit Day Spring Migration Bird Festival is offering a Fall Preview. Join experienced leaders the weekend of September 26 and 27 on any of 10 small-group trips (maximum of 10 registrants) selected to cover the area’s best birding locations. Held at the end of the peak period for migrating birds, the Fall Preview is intended to give registrants a taste of Humboldt and Del Norte counties during this time of year with high potential for rare bird sightings. On Saturday, look for lingering migrants along the Lost Coast (Centerville to Petrolia) on an all-day trip with

Tony Kurz; spend 3/4 of a day chasing rarities reported the previous week with Brad Elvert and Lizzie Feucht; travel south to the Eel River, Ferndale, Loleta, Centerville, and Hookton Road with Rob Fowler (3/4-day trip, stopping at Eel River Brewery for lunch); search for rare birds on the North Spit, North Jetty, and mouth of Humboldt Bay with Rob Hewitt (half-day trip); or scour Humboldt Bay for shorebirds during a half-day trip (leader TBD). On Sunday, visit Del Norte’s Lake Earl, Crescent City Harbor, and Alexandre Dairy during a full-day trip with Rob Hewitt; spend 3/4 of a day chasing rarities

reported the previous week with Brad Elvert and Lizzie Feucht; scour the Blue Lake cottonwoods and fish hatchery during a half-day trip (leader TBD); scope out the Arcata Marsh and Bottoms and Shay Park with Gary Bloomfield and Samantha Bacon; or spend 3/4 of a day birding Mad River County Park, Hiller Park, and the Hammond Trail with Ken Burton. To register or get more information, visit www.godwitdays.org and click on the link in the right-hand “Special Events” column.

Registration Open for Godwit Days Fall Preview

Humboldt County Record Big DayOn May 3, 2015, Gary Bloomfield, Elias Elias, Brad Elvert, David Fix, Sean McAllister, and Tristan McKee, did a Humboldt County Big Day in the wee morning hours. By the time fatigue and darkness began settling in late that evening, they had set a new record for number of birds seen in Humboldt County in one day. David has provided an inimitable account of their Humboldt County scramble that bird nerds will undoubtedly enjoy. We didn’t have space for it here, but you’ll be able to find it on the RRAS website, www.rras.org . Don’t miss it! It may inspire you to take up the challenge and top their record!

“Where the Flying Things Are” by Isaac Ward, a 6th grader at McKinleyville Middle School, received a $35 first prize as the best project related to birds or their habitat at the annual Humboldt County Science Fair held in mid-March. Isaac’s research question asked where native and non-native birds were most common: in natural habitats or human-developed places. He hypothesized that exotic birds would be found more often in human-developed spots rather than in natural places. He surveyed Arcata’s Redwood Park, Prairie Creek State Park, Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the Arcata Marsh, Heartwood Drive in McKinleyville, and the Arcata Bottoms. The Bottoms had the highest number of exotic individuals (216), while only native birds were found in Redwood

Park and Prairie Creek. The highest number of individual birds was seen in the Bottoms, while the Refuge had the most species diversity. Due to the quality of the bird-related projects in 2015, the judges awarded a second prize of $15 to “Which Suet?” by Maggie Odell, a 4th grader at Freshwater School. She hypothesized that birds in her backyard would prefer the suet that contains peanuts because her research found that birds like nuts. She hung 4 flavors of suet on a tree in her backyard, rotating the location every time she weighed the remainder. After 2 trials, she discovered that birds ate the most of the Sunflower Blend both times. Maggie’s real-world application was “this information could be used throughout the world when people buy suet.”

Where Is Tom Leskiw’s Essay?Tom has expressed a desire to downscale his contributions to The Sandpiper to a less-than-every-issue basis. He would still like to contribute, perhaps every other issue. Tom and I would like to encourage others to contribute appropriate stories to the Sandpiper—Editor.

RRAS Sponsors 11th Annual Science Fair Awards

Redwood Region Audubon Society welcomes the following new members and subscribers:Arcata — Jess Barger, Jennie L. Barnes, Jeremy Brown, John Coonen, Jeffrey Fryer, Gabrielle Gopinath, Rick Halsing, Cody Hess, Jennifer Knight, Bonnie MacEvoy, Franklin Moitoza, Linda Rutenbeck, Madeleine Venturi, Joan VinotBayside — Sandrine Grandmont, Bruce KesslerBlue Lake — Griffin Robbins FamilyCarlotta — Virginia H. MullanCrescent City — Kathi Allee, Tami Glenn, Karol Holley, Louise Mason, Beth & Clarke Moore, M. J. Muldoon, Dawn Phillips, Lois StultzEureka — Natalie Arroyo, Jennifer Barajas, Ken Bates, Jeannie Breslin, Elaine David, Lorraine Dillon, G Falxa, G Garman, Mark Hapgood, Teresa Jisna, Ardenella Kinnison, Gerald W. McGee, Joy Morrison, Jennifer Snipes, Kennan Snipes, Jeff Wissman, Leon Zlatkoff

Fortuna — John Carvelho, Arlene Guccione, Katherine Katz, Udoa Rieman, Thomas TormaHoneydew — Helena OrozcoHydesville — Jeff Ball, Paul Holzberger, Bill ShapeeroKneeland — Brian Connich, Linda EricksonMad River —Judith GravesMcKinleyville — Beni Bennett, Thomas Lisle, Sharon L. Seagraves, Tom Cover, Issac Lien, Issac Lien, Pamela OwensMiranda — Dale W. Neiman, Jan & Harry VaughnRedway — Jacqueline Kelley, Charles K. Liphart, Andrew McKaye, Tom OneilSmith River — Barbara BurkeTrinidad — Marilyn ShepherdWeott — Barbara Kennedy

We look forward to seeing you on field trips and at our monthly programs.

New Members

© Gary Bloomfield© Gary Bloomfield © Gary BloomfieldTropical Kingbird Ruff Common Yellowthroat

Field NotesSUMMARY OF NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA BIRD REPORTS

By Daryl Coldren and Sean McAllister

May 1 to June 30, 2015Field Notes is a compilation of bird-sighting reports for Del Norte, Humboldt, and Trinity Counties. Sources include the RRAS Bird Box (707-822-LOON), the online northwestern California birding and information exchange ([email protected]), eBird (http://ebird.org/content/klamathsiskiyou), and reports submitted directly to the compiler. Reports may be submitted to any of the sources mentioned above or to Daryl Coldren: (916) 384-8089; [email protected].

AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; HO = Hold Over; HSU = Humboldt State University; MOb = Many Observers; RC = Repositioning Cruise; SP = State Park

Greater White-fronted Goose: 12, Lake Tolowa, 1 May (LB); 1, Loleta Bottoms, 30 May (OH); 2, AMP, 24-29 Jun (MOb) • Snow Goose: 1, Loleta Bottoms, 30 May (OH) • Laysan Albatross: 1, Offshore Humboldt Co, 2 May (KO); 2, Offshore Humboldt Co-RC, 21 May (PLe) • Murphy’s Petrel: 15-25, Offshore Del Norte Co-RC, 7-14 May (PLe); 30+, Offshore Humboldt Co-RC, 7-21 May (PLe) • Hawaiian Petrel: 5, Offshore Humboldt Co-RC, 7 May (PLe); 1, Offshore Del Norte Co-RC, 13 May (PLe) • Cook’s Petrel: 1, Offshore Del Norte Co-RC, 13 May (PLe) • Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel: 6, Offshore Humboldt Co-HSU Pelagic, 15 May (RF, SM, MC, MOb) • Leach’s Storm-Petrel: 2, Luffenholtz Beach County Park, 9 May (EE, MOb [RRAS field trip]); 1, Crescent City Harbor, 18 May (LB) • Scripp’s Murrelet: 4, Offshore Del Norte Co-RC, 7 May (PLe); 1, Offshore Humboldt Co-RC, 21 May (PLe) • Tufted Puffin: 4, Castle Rock, 20 May (RN) • American White Pelican: 1, Lake Earl, 3 May (LB) • Swainson’s Hawk: 1, Friday Ridge Road, 3 May (TK, DC, RF, CR) • Sandhill Crane: 2, Cock Robin Island, 20 May (EF, DO, ML, DK-B) • American Golden-Plover: 1, Lake Tolowa, 21-26 May (LB); 1, Arcata Bay, 27-30 Jun (TM, MOb) • Pacific Golden-Plover: 1, Lake Tolowa, 14 May (TK, CR); 1, Lake Tolowa, 25-26 May (LB) •

Hudsonian Godwit: 1 adult male in alternate plumage, Clam Beach, 25-26 May (MC, SM, DO, DK-B, MOb)

• Red Knot: 1-37, Clam Beach, 3-29 May (MOb); 1, Arcata Bay, 27 Jun (TM) • Wilson’s Phalarope: 1-2, Alexandre Dairy, 20-21 May (LB, RN); 1-26, AMP, 28-30 Jun (MOb) • Laughing Gull: 1 (possible), King Salmon, 19 May (KB) • Franklin’s Gull: 1, Humboldt Bay North Jetty, 25 May (AL); 1, AMP-Oxidation Ponds, 29 Jun (TM, EF, DO, ML, DK-B, MC) • Thayer’s Gull: 1, Ferndale Bottoms, 3 May (RF, TK, DC, CR) • Forster’s Tern: 1-5, Clam Beach, 1 May (CO); 1, Centerville Beach, 29 May (DO) • Long-eared Owl: 1, Butler Valley, 3 May (SM, EE, GB, TM, BE, DF); 1, Humboldt Redwoods SP, 22 May (TK, CR) Yellow-billed Cuckoo: 1 (1st Del Norte Co record), Smith River Bottoms, 3-4 Jun (TK, CR, AB, MOb) • White-winged Dove: 1, Smith River Bottoms, 26 May (LB) • Common Nighthawk: 1-3, Horse Mountain, 6-26 Jun (GB, RF, ML, EF); 1, Pecwan Creek, 15 Jun (EE); 1, AMP, 24 Jun (EE) • Common Poorwill: 1, Prairie Creek SP, 18 May (DF, SM); 1, Orleans G-O Rd, 28 May (SM) • Black Swift: 1, Mad River Gardens, 16 May (SB); 1-2, AMP, 16-21 May (BE, DK-B, ML, SB) • White-throated Swift: an increasing number of reports suggests an increase in breeding numbers and locations in the region, including several bridges in the Garberville area and the Mad River near Blue Lake (MOb); high of 11, Southern Humboldt Community Park, 20 May (JS) • Costa’s Hummingbird: 1 male, Blue Lake, 18 May (PL) • Broad-billed Hummingbird: 1 (apparent female), Low Divide Rd, 27 Jun (CR, AB) • Calliope Hummingbird: 1, Orleans, 3 May (RF, TK, DC, CR); 1, Blue Lake, 13 May (PL); 1, Big Hill, 26 May (TK) • Prairie Falcon: 1, Alexandre Dairy, 7 May (LB) • Least Flycatcher: 1, Ft Dick, 2-9 Jun (LB, AB) • Willow Flycatcher: many reports of 1-2 birds, 15 May-24 Jun (MOb) • Eastern Phoebe: 1, Crescent City Airport, 1 Jun (LB) • Eastern Kingbird: 1, Point St George, 9 Jun (AB, SL) • Tropical Kingbird: 1 (HO since January), Ferndale Bottoms, 3 May (BE, SM, TM, DF, GB, EE) • Red-eyed Vireo: 1, Orick, 5-29 Jun (GL, LL, KB, CO); 1, Cooper Gulch, 10 Jun (TL); 1, Klamath Glen, 14 Jun (LB) • Plumbeous Vireo: 1, Klamath Glen, 14 Jun (LB) • Rock Wren: 1, Lake Tolowa (unusual location), 1-3 May (LB); 1, Orick (unusual location), 9 May (KB); 2, Dyerville Loop Rd-“Rock Wren Rocks,” 19 May (CO) • Mountain Bluebird: 1-4, Doctor Rock trail, Del Norte Co, 22-29 May (LB) • Sage Thrasher: 1, south Clam Beach, 21 May (DO); 1, Point St George, 9 Jun (SL, AB) • Northern Mockingbird: 1, Horse Mountain, 29 May (BB); 1, AMP, 31 May (CD) • Lapland Longspur:

1, Lake Tolowa, 22 May (LB) • Northern Parula: 1-2, Orick, 1-24 Jun (GL, LL, MOb); 1, Humboldt Bay Bird Observatory, 7-29 Jun (NM, MOb) • Black-and-white Warbler: 1, Enderts Beach Rd, 14 Jun (AB); 1, Klamath Glen, 14 Jun (LB) • Magnolia Warbler: 1, Table Bluff, 8 Jun (TL); 1, Humboldt Bay Bird Observatory, 18-30 Jun (NM, MOb) • Chestnut-sided Warbler: 1, Klamath Glen, 13 Jun (LB); 1, AMP, 16-21 Jun (RF, MOb) • Palm Warbler: 1, Mad River Slough WA, 1 May (RF) • Clay-colored Sparrow: 1, Arcata Bottoms, 1 May (RF) • Brewer’s Sparrow: 1, Orleans, 3 May (TK, DC, RF, CR) • Vesper Sparrow: 1, Smith River Bottoms, 1 May (LB); 1, Enderts Beach Rd, 18 May (AB) • Rose-breasted Grosbeak: 1 male, McKinleyville, 21 May (KS); 1, Humboldt Hill, 11 Jun (CW) • Great-tailed Grackle: 1, Big Rock River Access, 12 May (CD, GF); 1, Alexandre Dairy, 18-21 May (LB); 1, Trinidad, 3-4 Jun (RF, MOb); 1, Shelter Cove, 16-30 Jun (fide TL) • Hooded Oriole: 1-2, Arcata, 4 May-27 Jun (EF).

Thanks to everyone who submitted sightings! Special thanks go to Rob Fowler and Elizabeth Feucht for their help compiling reports.

Samantha Bacon, Alan Barron, Gary Bloomfield, Bob Brown, Lucas Brug, Ken Burton, Daryl Coldren, Mark Colwell, Cèdric Duhalde, Elias Elias, Brad Elvert, Elizabeth Feucht, David Fix, Rob Fowler, Gary Friedrichsen, Sarah Graham, Owen Head, Deven Kammerichs-Berke, Tony Kurz, Alexandra Lamb, Matt Lau, Paul Lehman (PLe), Tom Leskiw, Gary Lester, Lauren Lester, Sky Lloyd, Paul Lohse, Sean McAllister, Tristan McKee, Natalie McNear, Richard Norton, Chet Ogan, Kurt Ongman, David Orluck, Casey Ryan, Keith Slauson, Jay Sooter, Carol West.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Smith River Bottom, DN, © Tony Kurz

Chestnut-sided Warbler, Arcata,HUM, © Rob Fowler

Hudsonian Godwit,Clam Beach, HUM, © Tony Kurz


Nancy Stevens

On Saturday and Sunday, September 19-20, 2015, the annual North Country Fair will once again take place on the Arcata Plaza. We invite you to join the Zero Waste team and be a part of the fair’s waste reduction crew! Last year, the Fair’s board, the Same Old People, Inc., became the fi rst festival in Humboldt County to adopt a zero waste policy. � is policy is the fi rst essential step for a long-term commitment to work toward zero waste.

In addition to vendor commitment, it takes a huge team of trained volunteers to successfully reduce and recycle the waste. Working with Zero Waste Humboldt, the Fair will have trained volunteers taking shifts at each of the 6 stations on the Plaza during the 2-days to help the public to deposit materials for “Compost,” “Recycling,” or “Landfi ll.” � ere will also be a 7th station where trained volunteers will weigh and sort recyclables.

� e North Country Fair and Zero Waste Humboldt are pleased that its large crew of volunteers have ranged from age 14 to 75, and included people from many backgrounds. � e Fair’s zero waste crew includes family members, housemates, co-workers, HSU classes, Arcata High School Green Club, and sports teams.

North Country FairAll Species Parade

Happy, helpful ZWH volunteers at the 2014 North Country Fair.

This May, Jud Ellinwood of Zero Waste Humboldt and Humboldt State School of Business Intern Tim Combley reported to the Board of Supervisors on a survey they conducted of store owners and operators in the unincorporated areas of Humboldt County covered by the California’s Single-use Plastic Carry-out Bag Law (SB270). Even though 138 local governments in California have already adopted a ban on single-use plastic carryout bags, implementation of SB270 has been suspended until the outcome of a state November 2016 ballot measure.

The study included 28 interviews of local store owners and managers of all the types of stores covered by SB270 to assess their familiarity with the law and what they need to know to prepare for compliance. 100% of the store owners and managers surveyed expressed a need for information from the County. Survey results provide clear evidence that in order for local stores to voluntarily stop providing single-use plastic carryout bags, or to comply with SB270, or to comply with a County ordinance should the Board of Supervisors pass it, they need information.

To read the report and its conclusions, go to www.zerowastehumboldt.org/advocacy.

Volunteers have enjoyed scheduling shifts with family and friends. � e one-hour zero waste training is required for volunteers and will be off ered on Sunday, Sept. 13th at 10 a.m. on the plaza or Wednesday, Sept. 16th at 5:30 p.m.

� is year, we are excited to add Cub Scout pack 95 of Arcata to our volunteer crew. With adult supervision, these cub scouts will be learning about Zero Waste and will be the fi rst youth group to participate in the All Species Parade as Zero Waste Zebras.

Last year, the North Country Fair banned the sale of single use plastic water bottles during the event and provided three water coolers for fairgoers to fi ll their own refi llable bottles. “We plan to have even more convenient water coolers this year. Please bring a refi llable water container,” Stevens said.

One of the other key elements in the North Country Fair zero waste program has been attention to the details of measurement and monitoring. “It takes more work, but the outcome is that we really know how much and what type of waste the Fair generates and how much we are actually reducing each year,” states Zero Waste coordinator Nancy Stevens.

Fairgoers have really taken notice and have responded very positively to the Zero Waste Humboldt volunteers. It’s been a fun way to enjoy the music, food and crafts, AND work for a good cause at the same time! We encourage you, your family, and your co-workers to join the zero waste crew by contacting [email protected].

Zero Waste Crew Needs YOU to Help Reduce Waste at the North Country Fair!

Humboldt Stores Want Bag Information

Forest Carbon Offsets Available for PurchaseO�set your carbon footprint!Makes a great local gi�!Purchase local forest carbon offsets from the Arcata Community Forest to offset greenhouse gasses. Every metric ton purchased offsets carbon dioxide gasses equivalent to a round-trip flight between SFO and JFK airports.

Please contact theEnvironmental Services Department(707) 822-8184 [email protected]

www.cityofarcata.org/departments/environmental-services/city-forests

$10/metric ton

North Country FairNorth Country Fairand Harvest Festival

the Same Old People present

Saturday Sept. 19 & Sunday Sept. 20• Bring your own refillable cup!

• Ride your bike to the Fair!

• Samba Parade on Saturday!

• All Species Parade on Sunday!

FREE!

• Over 100 craft and food vendors!

• Dozens of local bands and entertainers!

10am-6pm on the Arcata Plaza

www.northcountryfair.org

the


Swim Guide App!Waterkeeper Swim Guide is a mobile phone app that delivers the latest beach water quality information right to your smartphone. The Swim Guide shows current and historic status of the most popular beaches so you can determine if the water is safe for swimming. For more information and to download the app, visit www.theswimguide.org.

On June 26, the U.S. EPA made its fi nal determination that Little River, Widow White Creek, Jolly Giant Creek, Campbell Creek, Lower Elk River, and Martin Slough are impaired by bacteria, namely E. coli, a species of fecal coliform that lives in the guts of warm-blooded animals. � e U.S. EPA’s approval of the 303(d) listing fi nalizes the August 2014 recommendation by the North Regional and State Water Quality Control Board, which was based on Humboldt Baykeeper’s Citizen Water Monitoring data collected between 2005 and 2010.

Of California’s more than 200,000 river miles, over 40,000 are not meeting at least one water quality goal, and still need clean-up plans. Many clean-up plans are years behind schedule, including a plan to address dioxin contamination in Humboldt Bay.

Now that state and federal agencies charged with protecting and restoring water quality have formally recognized the bacteria pollution that has troubled Humboldt Bay’s oyster industry for years, clean-up plans will be prioritized.

� e U.S. EPA also upheld the listing of several Humboldt County beaches as impaired by bacteria: Clam Beach at the mouth of the Mad River and at Strawberry Creek, as well as Luff enholz, Moonstone, Trinidad State Beach, and Old Home Beach, which is also known as Indian Beach. � is list includes all beaches monitored by the County, leaving the public to wonder how many other local beaches are similarly polluted.

On June 16, Clam Beach was given the dubious distinction of being the third most polluted beach in California in the annual Beach Report Card compiled by Heal the Bay, a non-profi t in Santa Monica. � is is Clam Beach’s second year in a row on the “Beach Bummer” list due to unacceptably high levels of fecal bacteria detected by Humboldt County’s Ocean

Impaired Waters Designation Finalized by EPA

• Clean up pet feces• Have your septic system inspected• Clean up trash that attracts birds and other wildlife• Fence livestock out of streams and away from streamside areas• Make sure nothing but rain goes down the storm drains.• Become a member of Humboldt Baykeeper • Donate to our Water Quality Program

Monitoring Program (for more info, including weekly sampling results, visit http://humboldtgov.org/1696/Water-Quality-Test-Results). Levels higher than allowed for swimming were found in 80% of the samples from the surf zone on Clam Beach near the mouth of Strawberry Creek. Again, the sources of this water pollution are unknown, but Baykeeper is coordinating with the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board to identify the sources so we can work toward eff ective solutions.

Humboldt Bay is not considered polluted by bacteria during dry weather, but each major rainstorm fl ushes polluted runoff into the bay from tributaries, closing commercial oyster beds according to public health regulations. Finding solutions to bacteria pollution will protect the commercial oyster industry as well as people who harvest wild clams and mussels. Clean water must also be restored to ensure that local waterways are safe for swimming, surfi ng, wading, and other water-based recreation.

Although the sources of bacteria remain unknown, Humboldt Baykeeper has received funding to identify the sources through molecular analysis of water samples. � anks to Coast Seafoods, the Humboldt Area Foundation, Environment Now, Moonstone Beach Surf Camp, and hundreds of individual supporters, we are developing sampling plans for pilot studies in Little River and Janes Creek. We hope to begin sampling later this summer. Once sources are identifi ed, solutions can be developed to restore clean water to ensure that our local waterways are fi shable, drinkable, and swimmable.

Explore Humboldt Bay/ Explora la Bahía

Interested in exploring Humboldt Bay while paddling a kayak or from the deck of a motor boat? Baykeeper has partnered with the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center and the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District to offer tours covering a variety of topics on Humboldt Bay. Thanks to a grant from the California Coastal Conservancy, our staff and docents lead tours in Spanish and English. Boat tours are for ages 8 and older. Space is limited and reservations are required.

Upcoming motor boat tours with the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District are scheduled for 9:30 to 11 a.m. on these dates:

Saturday, August 15Saturday, September 26Saturday, October 10

Call 707-825-1020, or email [email protected] for more info or to reserve your Bay Tour. Se habla español.

On July 25, Humboldt Baykeeper hosted our � rst kayak tour of Elk River in conjunction with the HSU Aquatic Center with funding from the California Coastal Conservancy. For info on upcoming tours, visit humboldtbaykeeper.org or email us at [email protected].

What can you do to help prevent water pollution?

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For more Humboldt Bay news and info, visit www.humboldtbaykeeper.org, like us on Facebook, sign up for action alerts by emailing us at [email protected], and tune in every 3rd Thursday

at 1:30 for the EcoNews Report on KHSU - 90.5 FM! Alicia HamannAs everyone in our region should be aware

by now, far less water is fl owing in the Eel River than is healthy for the ecosystem or sustainable for our livelihoods.

A variety of diff erent methods are used to measure how much water is fl owing through our watershed. Several stations in the Eel River watershed measure the fl ow and stage, or height, of the river. � ese stations are managed by a range of

of the Eel RiverFriends

agencies including PG&E, United States Geological Service and the California Department of Water Resources, and are located on the mainstem, south fork, and middle fork. Data collected at these stations is made available to the public through the California Department of Water Resources’ California Data Exchange Center (www.cdec.water.ca.gov). You can see below how little water is running through our immense watershed in graphs obtained from the California Data Exchange

Center. � e graphs represent the rate of fl ow, measured in cubic feet per second (cfs) beginning May 25 and ending July 24. � e downward trend on these graphs is severe, each station measuring less than 20cfs by the end of July. For comparison, the average rate of fl ow between 2001 - 2012 for July 24 at the Fort Seward station is 115cfs.

While it seems awfully late to just start now, it is important to conserve water however we can and to keep excess sediment out of our rivers and

streams. � e Salmonid Restoration Federation is hosting two upcoming opportunities on the North Coast to learn about registering water rights and reducing sediment impact.

First the North Coast Water Rights Workshop on Tuesday, August 11 from 6 - 8:30pm at the Willits Community Center, where topics will include riparian and appropriative rights, DFW permit 1600, calculating water use and more. � is workshop is hosted in partnership with the Mendocino Resource Conservation District and Trout Unlimited.

� en, Wednesday, September 16 is the Sediment and Erosion Control Workshop at the Piercy Community Center from 9am - 5pm. � is workshop, hosted with Pacifi c Watershed Associates, will cover identifying and evaluating sediment sources, creating erosion control methods, and more.

To register or learn more about either

workshop, visit www.calsalmon.org.

These graphs represent the rate of fl ow, measured in cubic feet per second (cfs) beginning May 25 and ending July 24, on the Mainstem, South Fork and Middle Fork Eel Rivers. Graphs obtained from Department of Water Resources’ Data Exchange Center. Map formatted from USGS’s Streamer mapping service.

Drought, Data and Water Conservation Workshops


Amber Shelton Bobcats are still trapped throughout

California, and their pelts are sold in the international fur trade market. Recent spikes in demand from countries like Russia and China have increased prices for bobcat pelts, resulting in a boom in bobcat trapping throughout the State of California.

On October 11, 2013, the Governor approved the Bobcat Protection Act of 2013 (AB1213), which directs the California Fish and Game Commission to increase bobcat protections, and now the Commission is considering two options for bobcat trapping restrictions: Option 1 proposes a partial closure of the state to bobcat trapping by establishing closure boundaries around protected areas; and Option 2, which EPIC supports, would implement a complete ban on commercial trapping of bobcats throughout California.

� e Commission is slated to make a decision to adopt new bobcat trapping regulations at their August 5th hearing, which will be held at 8 a.m. at the River Lodge at 1800 Riverwalk Drive in Fortuna California. EPIC will join bobcat advocates from around the state to rally for the protection of bobcats at 7:30 a.m. before the hearing. Two days before the hearing, on Monday, August 3rd from 6-8 p.m., EPIC and our allies will host a teach-in and poster making session in the Arts & Crafts Room at the Arcata Community Center at 321 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.

� e trapping industry has openly opposed the state wide ban, and will likely send a spokesperson to speak at the August 5th hearing in favor of bobcat trapping. � is is why it is important for bobcat allies to make a presence and show the Fish and Game Commission that the overwhelming majority of people are in favor of a statewide ban.

� e law on the books allows bobcat trapping season to take place between November 24 and January 31, and anyone possessing an easy-to-obtain trappers’ license can trap as many bobcats as desired until a statewide total of 14,400 bobcats are killed for the season. � e nearly unrestricted statewide cap is based on out of date population estimates from the 1970’s of 72,000 individuals.

� is baseline number is deeply troublesome. Over thirty years ago, in 1982, a court found that the science behind the 1970’s population estimate was too fl awed to qualify as the basis for a bobcat management program. Yet, no additional surveys have been conducted since.

Bobcats are shy creatures that do not threaten public safety, and while no one knows what the current bobcat populations are, there is anecdotal evidence that trapping has greatly diminished localized bobcat populations, throwing ecosystems off kilter. In fact, the state legislature recognized that bobcats are important apex predators that play a signifi cant role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem, reducing rodent populations and preying on populations of many animals that are considered “nuisance” animals such as raccoons, opossums and skunks. Bobcat trapping hurts more than bobcats; it hurts our forests and fragile ecosystems.

In addition to protecting bobcats for ecological reasons, there is a moral obligation to end the cruel and inhumane methods of killing bobcats. Because their pelts are worth more without

bullet holes or other marks, trappers often strangle, stomp or bludgeon them to death. California should lead the nation and outlaw this cruel and harmful practice.

� e Fish and Game Commission will be accepting public testimony on this matter at their May 5th hearing in Fortuna, and bobcats need you to speak up for them! � e last time wildlife supporters banded together and attended a Fish and Game Commission hearing in Fortuna, we helped sway the Commission to protect gray wolves in California and with your help, we can do this again for the bobcats! Visit wildcalifornia.org to sign our action alert and learn how you can get involved. Last year we rallied for the wolves, this year join us to speak up for the bobcats!

ACTION DATES:August 3rd, 6-8 p.m.—Teach-In & poster making night at the Arcata Community Center cra� s room, 321 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.

August 5th, 7:30 a.m.—Rally & Hearing at the Fish and Game Commission Hearing at the River Lodge at 1800 Riverwalk Drive in Fortuna.

Wildlife advocates successfully rallied for gray wolves at a Fortuna Fish and Game Commission Hearing, where the Commission granted protections for gray wolves under the California Endangered Species Act! Photo: EPIC.

The Environmental Protection Information Center ep cep c

Wildlife Advocates A� end Hearings to Ban Bobcat Trapping

Bobcat kittens in a tree. Photo: Summer M. Tribble.


Community Hub Maintains a Cool(er) CenterSee the video here: https://youtu.be/p9IbJg9YnSE.

MRC has been successful in implementing fuel reduction projects both large and small for the past decade. It helped in the development of the Lower Mattole Fire Safe Council (LMFSC) and continues to provide capacity for project development. LMFSC developed its Community Wildfire Protection Plan in 2002 and the Lower Mattole Fire Atlas in 2004. Building on the planning effort by identifying and

prioritizing projects, MRC implemented a handful of fuels reduction projects through the CA Fire Safe Council, with funding from the USDA along with County-administered federal funds.

� e Petrolia Fire Department and the Honeydew Volunteer Fire Company are integrated into the processes, plans, and projects of the Fire Safe Council. Both fi re service communities, with help from LMFSC and MRC, have had Firewise Community status since 2010. Forming a Fire Safe Council, having a completed plan, an atlas and Firewise status truly helps in securing project funds.

To get those crew boots on the ground, or in this case, up in the trees, we encourage communities everywhere to not only start or maintain a community center, but to start or maintain a Fire Safe Council and become a federally-

listed Firewise Community. Most grants require matching labor in the form of volunteers or other kinds of matching funds. Sometimes it can seem like a lot of preparation and paperwork, but when it coalesces into a community-sponsored project it is a beautiful way to reconnect to the hub and spark everyone involved to reduce any fuels buildup they might have on their own property. Just after this project, we got more calls to rent our chipper than ever before.

Even on the North Coast, weather predictions forecast longer, drier summers, providing ever more reason to reduce fuels, conserve water, stay cool and maintain your Center.

nurtured the community with pizzas fresh out of a cob oven; however, large tree branches were looming. Older trees had produced many slender off spring, creating a dense thicket. A professional tree climber and fuels reduction crew was needed to help keep the MVCC the safe, creative haven it had become.

� e MRC proposed the Mattole Valley Community Center Fuels Reduction Project for a Title 3 federal grant administered through the

Even more than the family dinner table, a community center can be a place of renewal, celebration, education, nourishment, boundary-setting, storytelling, memorializing and bonding—all essential to the social fabric of our lives. � e Mattole Valley Community Center (MVCC) in Petrolia, California, is a social keystone for the whole Mattole River Valley and its hill communities.

Founded in 1975, MVCC has been a hub for classes, events and community projects. When the 1992 earthquake struck, the building served as the Emergency Services center where FEMA set up an intake offi ce. � e Center raises funds for local schools and the Lost Coast Camp through its thrice-yearly Cabaret. A Farmer’s Market takes place year round every Sunday. � e MVCC hosts public meetings—for fundraisers or projects, to address a local issue, or to provide a public forum regarding proposed changes at the county or state level that may aff ect the community. It is a venue for all kinds of classes and get-togethers that range from Chi Gong to ping-pong. � e MVCC has also sheltered the Mattole Restoration Council (MRC) since its founding in 1983.

Last fall, MRC applied for funding to reduce dangerous fuels from resident Eucalyptus tree around the MVCC property. Eucalyptus stands are notoriously volatile—producing extremely hot fi res. � eir pungent leaves and shredding bark can quickly spread fi re to nearby areas by releasing fl aming embers. � e fl ammable oils of the trees themselves can explode in a fi re.

Several trees were identifi ed by the MVCC board as a hazard. In particular, the public skateboard ramp was overhung with heavy branches that regularly plunked Eucalyptus buttons on the ramp—and sometimes the skaters. For a few years the MVCC and a cook or two have

Ali FreedlundMRC Program Director:

Working Lands and Human Communities

Video crew capturing fuels reduction work at the Mattole Valley Community Center. Photo: Ali Freedlund.

Humboldt County Fire Safe Council (HCFSC). � e project proposed that MVCC and the Mattole Valley Resource Center (MVRC) would make a matching contribution of volunteer labor and equipment.

The project was approved and implemented in February 2015. A tree climber and a chipper crew were hired, and at least ten volunteers labored for several days to implement the project. Larger pieces of Eucalyptus were cut into firewood and given to low-income seniors. MRC was able to hire a local youth team to shoot a cool video of the experience.


Beginners and experts, non-members and members are all welcome at our programs and on our outings. Almost all of our events are free. All of our events are made possible by volunteer e� ort.

ORTHCOAST HAPTER

NC

Sign up for e-mail announcements: [email protected] For more details and later additions, visit: WWW.NORTHCOASTCNPS.ORG

Field Trips & Plant WalksAugust 9, Sunday. Pine Ridge Prairies Day Hike. Prairies and the oak woodlands mixed with them are two of our shrinking habitats, as lack of fi res and reduced grazing allow conifers to grow, shading out a diverse mix of grasses and herbs, as well as the oaks. Many of our favorite sun-loving wildfl owers thrive in these open habitats. A few may still be blooming when we explore the prairies of Pine Ridge, making use of new trails created by the BLM, Redwood Coast Mountain Bike Association, and the Humboldt Trails Council on this ridge in the BLM’s Lacks Creek Management Area (north off Bair Rd., between Redwood Creek and Hoopa). We will hike about 4 miles. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at Pacifi c Union School. Dress for mountain weather all day (3,600 ft. can be hotter or colder than on the coast). Bring lunch and water. Return late afternoon. RSVP to Carol at 822-2015. September 26, Saturday. Insect-aided Botany: learning about plants by studying galls. Like fl owers, diff erent species of insect galls on plants appear in diff erent seasons. With naturalist John DeMartini we will fi nd new galls that were not there in June in the Titlow Hill Rd. and Horse Mountain area in Six Rivers National Forest (off Highway 299). Oaks, silktassel, manzanitas, and tobacco brush are likely gall hosts, but we will look at anything botanically interesting among the diverse shrubs and trees in this nearby mountain area, including any late-blooming fl owers. Be prepared for walking off -trail at various roadside stops and for changeable, mountain weather (cold or hot). Bring lunch and plenty of water, and if you have one, a hand lens. Meet at Pacifi c Union School at 9:30 a.m. to carpool. Return by 5 p.m. (or sooner, driver’s choice). RSVP to 822-2015.September 13, Sunday. Elk River Spit Day Hike. Where there’s water, there will be plants still green, maybe even blooming. Elk River Spit has salt water, fresh water, and sand, so we’re sure to fi nd something interesting. We will walk about 3 miles, mostly on fi rm sand, including crossing the river on a train trestle. Bring lunch and water; be prepared to be outside all day. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at Pacifi c Union School to carpool, or at 9:45 at the Park & Ride at Herrick Ave. exit at the south end of Eureka. Return mid- to late-afternoon. RSVP to Carol at 822-2015.

Native Plant Sale

Come see our great variety! We have many hundreds of volunteer-raised plants and plants from our partners Samara Restoration Nursery, Lost Foods Nursery, and Brant Landscaping.

Our knowledgeable, friendly volunteers will be available to help you.

PLUS: Every half hour, starting at noon, for 10 minutes a diff erent expert will show and tell about his or her favorite plants available at our sale.

For your drought tolerant garden, native plants are the way to go.

For your backyard edible and medicinal garden, native plants are important additions.

For butterfl ies, bees, and hummingbirds we off er monkeyfl owers, penstemons, sages, buckwheats, phacelias, California fuchsia, beeplant, columbine, and more. For birds and their insect food we have shrubs, many of them berry-producers, to create a hedgerow, screen, or thicket. For shade we have wild ginger, inside-out fl ower, sugar scoop, miterwort, piggy-back plant, boykinia, and ferns. For form and year-round interest we have six species of grasses, both tall and short. For groundcover we have beach strawberry, silverweed, and modesty.

So many plants; so little space in your yard!

For more information check our website (www.northcoastcnps.org) or contact us at 822-2015 or 826-7257 or [email protected] or [email protected].

Saturday, Sept. 1210:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.

Alert!! New location at our nursery! 2182 Old Arcata Rd., Bayside

(Jacoby Creek Land Trust’s Kokte Ranch)

Evening Programs At the Six Rivers Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Rd., near 7th and Union, Arcata. Refreshments at 7:00 p.m.; program at 7:30 p.m.

September 9, Wednesday. 7:30 p.m. “Tropical Fungi: New Insights from the Guiana Shield and Congo Basin.” Dr. Terry Henkel, mycologist at Humboldt State University, will review his work in both Guyana (South America) and the Congo (Africa) exploring the world’s largest areas of intact tropical forests to document new species of fungi and

study their ecological relationships with green plants. His work surprised ecologists by fi nding on both continents that fungal diversity approached that of species-rich temperate forests. � e discovery of forests dominated by pea family and dipterocarp family trees stimulated research into their ecology and mycology. Ectomycorrhizal relationships between fungi and trees emerged as important ecological forces. On this virtual tour of tropical forests, Dr. Henkel will give us an appreciation of what we can’t see under our feet as we appreciate the majesty and beauty of forests above our heads.

woody debris,” i.e. whole trees and logs, using helicopters and track-driven excavators, to create critical habitat for juvenile and mature salmonids.

� e implementation of AB 1492 coincides with historic drought, with its recurring hazards of fi sh mortality and disease. It will take scientifi c research, documentation and just plain hard work in the watersheds to sustain our wild creatures, and, ultimately, to sustain ourselves. � is is a good time to contribute to the current discussion, or to fi nd out how to make a living in this exciting fi eld of fi sheries/forests restoration for our salmonids. � ey need us! Do add your voice, and get out in the woods.

And let’s wish the 1973 California Forest Practices Act, however imperfect, a belated Happy Fortieth.

NORTH GROUPREDWOOD CHAPTER

Russian Lake, May 30, 2015. Photo: Ned Forsyth.

Events� e North Group off ers the following hikes in September. All our hikes are open to the public. Contact hike leaders for more information:

Sunday, August 2—North Group Sierra Club Redwood National Park Skunk Cabbage Trail Hike. Bring water and lunch. No dogs. Moderate diffi culty, 7.5 miles round trip, less than 1000 feet elevation change. Carpools: Meet 9 a.m. Ray’s (Valley West) Shopping Center, 10 a.m. trailhead, clearly marked left turn 1 mile north of Orick. Leader Ned, [email protected], 707-825-3652 message phone.

Sunday, August 23—North Group Sierra Club Redwood National Park Emerald Ridge Loop Hike. A gentle descent through lush forest to Redwood Creek, then we head downstream to the Tall Trees area. Back on shady trail, we’ll hike Tall Trees Loop, and ascend back to our trailhead. Bring water, lunch, sunscreen, and footwear suited for trails, loose gravel, and water. No dogs. Moderate diffi culty, 5 miles, less than 1000 ft. elevation. Carpools 9 a.m. Valley West (Ray’s) Parking Area. Meet 9:45 a.m. Kuchel Visitor Center (Hwy. 101, one mile south of Orick) leader Melinda 707-668-4275.

Saturday, September 12—North Group Sierra Club Mad River Buttes 6 Rivers National Forest Hike. Come explore this beautiful potential wilderness area. Sturdy boots a must. Bring lunch and plenty of water. No dogs. Moderate diffi culty, 8 miles round trip, less than 1000 feet elevation change. Carpools: Meet 9 a.m. Ray’s (Valley West) Shopping Center. Leader Ned, [email protected], 707-825-3652 message phone.

Forest and Fisheries RestorationFunding from Wood Product Sales

Ned ForsythForty isn’t old, some say, if you’re a tree. Forty

years it’s been since I fi rst set foot in Redwood Country, my adopted home. Forty years of seeing countless log trucks with forty-to-eighty-year-old trees on their way to industry and commerce. And forty years since our watershed restoration movement started to hit its stride with real accomplishments on the ground, overcoming logging excesses of the 1950s and 1960s and beyond, attracting strong and meaningful support from the community and from elected offi cials.

� is summer, I hear voices in the woods—vireos, tanagers, scolding jays, groaning fi rs, and yarder whistles—in Forest Glen, Summit Valley, Lacks Creek with its forty-foot-tall second growth. From Sacramento, there are echoes from an evocative number: AB 1492.

� is law, offi cially the “Timber Regulation and Forest Restoration Fund Program,” made major revisions to the original Forest Practices Act of 1973, enacted during the fi rst Jerry Brown administration. Funded by a new one-percent tax on retail sales of wood products, the revised program is administered jointly by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and CalEPA, coordinated by a newly created CNRA Assistant Secretary for Forest Resources Management position. A total of $4 million in new grant funding over the next two years has been allocated for “forest restoration projects to benefi t listed salmonids.” Annual staffi ng expenditures have risen to over $22 million. A series of budget reductions have left California Department of Fish and Wildlife at less than one-third of that amount for Timber Harvest Plan review—a level that is no longer a “functional equivalent” of judicial review, according to comments fi led by CNPS, EPIC, Forests Forever, Center for Biological Diversity and many others.

Concerns linger among conservation advocates that

watershed-scale cumulative impacts analysis, opinions from the public and from independent scientists should be considered independently from the “Eff ectiveness Monitoring Committee”—a holdover from the original structure within the existing Board of Forestry staff . AB 1492 calls for the creation of “Ecological Performance Measures,” which would in concept be more independent of economic or political concerns since the costs of regulation and restoration are borne by the lumber-buying public, not just the permittees or the General Fund. Policies are still being developed by and for various working groups this fi scal year and next, according to a Preliminary Executive Summary on CNRA’s website.

As I, a layman, look out over these (mostly) green landscapes today, in the latest year of our latest drought, I can see that an uninformed skeptic might inquire, “Why does the forest need restoration? It’s recovering by itself.” But forest restoration must include watershed-wide and species-inclusive restoration. Impacts on watercourses and fi sheries are mostly unseen—the deranged hydrology, the debris and disturbance that present-day hands on the land are painstakingly remediating.

It’s a right livelihood, and a growing one. Over the past forty years fl uvial geomorphologists have studied how our region’s magnifi cent rivers have changed as a result of industrial logging practices and restoration eff orts. � e result is that today workers are using big machines to enhance in-stream habitat, creating conditions that salmon need to thrive. Today’s successful in-stream restoration projects include placement of “large


Beginners and experts, non-members and members are all welcome at our programs and on our outings. Almost all of our events are free. All of our events are made possible by volunteer e� ort.

ORTHCOAST HAPTER

NC

Sign up for e-mail announcements: [email protected] For more details and later additions, visit: WWW.NORTHCOASTCNPS.ORG

Field Trips & Plant WalksAugust 9, Sunday. Pine Ridge Prairies Day Hike. Prairies and the oak woodlands mixed with them are two of our shrinking habitats, as lack of fi res and reduced grazing allow conifers to grow, shading out a diverse mix of grasses and herbs, as well as the oaks. Many of our favorite sun-loving wildfl owers thrive in these open habitats. A few may still be blooming when we explore the prairies of Pine Ridge, making use of new trails created by the BLM, Redwood Coast Mountain Bike Association, and the Humboldt Trails Council on this ridge in the BLM’s Lacks Creek Management Area (north off Bair Rd., between Redwood Creek and Hoopa). We will hike about 4 miles. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at Pacifi c Union School. Dress for mountain weather all day (3,600 ft. can be hotter or colder than on the coast). Bring lunch and water. Return late afternoon. RSVP to Carol at 822-2015. September 26, Saturday. Insect-aided Botany: learning about plants by studying galls. Like fl owers, diff erent species of insect galls on plants appear in diff erent seasons. With naturalist John DeMartini we will fi nd new galls that were not there in June in the Titlow Hill Rd. and Horse Mountain area in Six Rivers National Forest (off Highway 299). Oaks, silktassel, manzanitas, and tobacco brush are likely gall hosts, but we will look at anything botanically interesting among the diverse shrubs and trees in this nearby mountain area, including any late-blooming fl owers. Be prepared for walking off -trail at various roadside stops and for changeable, mountain weather (cold or hot). Bring lunch and plenty of water, and if you have one, a hand lens. Meet at Pacifi c Union School at 9:30 a.m. to carpool. Return by 5 p.m. (or sooner, driver’s choice). RSVP to 822-2015.September 13, Sunday. Elk River Spit Day Hike. Where there’s water, there will be plants still green, maybe even blooming. Elk River Spit has salt water, fresh water, and sand, so we’re sure to fi nd something interesting. We will walk about 3 miles, mostly on fi rm sand, including crossing the river on a train trestle. Bring lunch and water; be prepared to be outside all day. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at Pacifi c Union School to carpool, or at 9:45 at the Park & Ride at Herrick Ave. exit at the south end of Eureka. Return mid- to late-afternoon. RSVP to Carol at 822-2015.

Native Plant Sale

Come see our great variety! We have many hundreds of volunteer-raised plants and plants from our partners Samara Restoration Nursery, Lost Foods Nursery, and Brant Landscaping.

Our knowledgeable, friendly volunteers will be available to help you.

PLUS: Every half hour, starting at noon, for 10 minutes a diff erent expert will show and tell about his or her favorite plants available at our sale.

For your drought tolerant garden, native plants are the way to go.

For your backyard edible and medicinal garden, native plants are important additions.

For butterfl ies, bees, and hummingbirds we off er monkeyfl owers, penstemons, sages, buckwheats, phacelias, California fuchsia, beeplant, columbine, and more. For birds and their insect food we have shrubs, many of them berry-producers, to create a hedgerow, screen, or thicket. For shade we have wild ginger, inside-out fl ower, sugar scoop, miterwort, piggy-back plant, boykinia, and ferns. For form and year-round interest we have six species of grasses, both tall and short. For groundcover we have beach strawberry, silverweed, and modesty.

So many plants; so little space in your yard!

For more information check our website (www.northcoastcnps.org) or contact us at 822-2015 or 826-7257 or [email protected] or [email protected].

Saturday, Sept. 1210:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.

Alert!! New location at our nursery! 2182 Old Arcata Rd., Bayside

(Jacoby Creek Land Trust’s Kokte Ranch)

Evening Programs At the Six Rivers Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Rd., near 7th and Union, Arcata. Refreshments at 7:00 p.m.; program at 7:30 p.m.

September 9, Wednesday. 7:30 p.m. “Tropical Fungi: New Insights from the Guiana Shield and Congo Basin.” Dr. Terry Henkel, mycologist at Humboldt State University, will review his work in both Guyana (South America) and the Congo (Africa) exploring the world’s largest areas of intact tropical forests to document new species of fungi and

study their ecological relationships with green plants. His work surprised ecologists by fi nding on both continents that fungal diversity approached that of species-rich temperate forests. � e discovery of forests dominated by pea family and dipterocarp family trees stimulated research into their ecology and mycology. Ectomycorrhizal relationships between fungi and trees emerged as important ecological forces. On this virtual tour of tropical forests, Dr. Henkel will give us an appreciation of what we can’t see under our feet as we appreciate the majesty and beauty of forests above our heads.


19

In response to the paper, climate scientist Michael Oppenheimer of Princeton University affi rmed: “If we cook the planet long enough at about two degrees warming, there is likely to be a staggering amount of sea level rise. Key questions are when would greenhouse-gas emissions lock in this sea level rise and how fast would it happen? � e latter point is critical to understanding whether and how we would be able to deal with such a threat.”

� e new research, Oppenheimer added, “takes a stab at answering the ‘how soon?’ question but we remain largely in the dark. Given the state of uncertainty and the high risk, humanity better get its collective foot off the accelerator.”

And as the Daily Beast’s Hertsgaard notes, Hansen’s track record on making climate predictions should command respect from people around the world. � e larger question, however, is whether humanity has the capacity to act.

“� e climate challenge has long amounted to a race between the imperatives of science and the contingencies of politics,” Hertsgaard concludes. “With Hansen’s paper, the science has gotten harsher, even as the Nature Climate Change study affi rms that humanity can still choose life, if it will. � e question now is how the politics will respond—now, at Paris in December, and beyond.”

Sea Level Rise Continued � om page 10

...City—and every other coastal city on the planet—may only have a few more decades of habitability left. � at dire prediction, in Hansen’s view, requires “emergency cooperation among nations.”

Pot OrdinanceContinued � om page 4

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LNG ExportContinued � om page 7

“As a proud conservative Oregonian, I oppose the pipelines for LNG exports because it would destroy valuable farmland and forestland,” said rancher Bill Gow of Douglas County, Oregon. “� ere’s no way these companies are going to put a big scar through the middle of my ranch.” Like Gow, hundreds of Oregon and Washington families may have their land condemned to install a pipeline to export gas to overseas markets.

� e statewide No LNG Exports coalition is calling on Oregon decision-makers to use the state’s power to protect Oregon from LNG projects while supporting clean energy, healthy rivers and forests, private property rights, safe communities and a stable climate.

Don West, Manager of the Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria and owner of the Astoria Crest Motel, plans to call on Gov. Brown to take a fi rm stand against LNG exports. “� e future of our community and our business—a future that creates jobs by drawing people to iconic, salmon-bearing rivers like the Columbia—depends on the State of Oregon rejecting LNG exports,” West states. “I’m inspired to be one of many voices from all walks of life joining this common call for Gov. Brown and state leaders to protect our home.”

“� e Jordan Cove LNG terminal poses an unacceptable safety risk to our community,” said North Bend resident Jody McCaff ree. “We are also concerned about the impacts this project would have to existing jobs in the timber, fi shing, crabbing, clamming, oyster, tourism and recreation industries in Coos Bay area.”

Both LNG project proposals require permit approval from a litany of federal and state agencies before moving forward. � e Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is expected to issue its fi nal permitting decision on the project by January. Oregonians are asking Governor Kate Brown to use her power to challenge FERC’s likely approval of the project as Governor Kulongoski did in 2008.

“We are looking to our Governor to protect the interests of Oregonians and make our state a leader in addressing climate change by steering Oregon away from exporting climate-changing fossil fuels like LNG” says No LNG Exports campaign organizer Sarah Westover. “Money invested in green energy provides 17 times as many jobs as the same amount invested in fossil fuels. Our country should be moving toward sustainable renewables, not taking a step backwards with new fossil fuel export infrastructure.”

For more information and updates on the progress of Oregon’s No LNG Exports’ campaign, please visit www.nolngexports.org.

Given the state of uncertainty and the high risk, humanity better get its

collective foot off the accelerator.

• Th e use of pesticides and herbicides must be prohibited.

CCVH’s draft allows for use and onsite storage of pesticides. Current practices allow growers to determine what pesticides are used—a health risk for wildlife and humans alike. Pesticide use should be explicitly prohibited. • A sustainable revenue source is needed to ensure adequate enforcement.

CCVH’s land use ordinance suggests an unrealistic fee structure that would fall far short of the sum needed to run the program itself, much less to support the enforcement that will be needed to get a handle on the environmental damage from existing water diversions and sedimentation from unregulated roads and clearings.• Support sustainable, small-scale cannabis cultivators and take a fi rm stand against irresponsible grows that are doing harm.

CCVH’s draft allows an unlimited number of permitted grows over 10,000 square feet. � e draft also allows existing grows up to 10,000 sq ft canopy size (potentially over two acres of cultivated area) to continue with no environmental impact review. Due to the high market value of marijuana, allowing operations of this size and larger would eff ectively be a green light for mega-grows on over 14,000 parcels throughout the county. Our watersheds are already under severe strain from past logging practices and ongoing extreme drought. If there is to be a future for our region’s salmon—and a truly sustainable cannabis industry—irresponsible grows must be reined in.

Eco-ManiaA merry melange: salient or silly. Eco-ManiaEco-Mania

NOT TESTY OVER TURKEY TESTICLES: A suburban Chicago pub owner and turkey testicle eat-off founder is not upset over a nearby community’s plan to hold its own celebration featuring the unusual dish.

P.R. Westberg said his only criticism of the competing celebration is lack of originality. They use the same name, Turkey Testicle Festival, and schedule it for the same date and time on the day before Thanksgiving. Westberg’s attracts more than 4,000 people—and both will raise money for charity.

SQUIRREL WANTED: That’s the mock headline that police in a Detroit suburb are using to fi nd the thieves who stole a truckload of snack nuts worth about $128,000.

Police had hoped that the power of social media and a picture of a squirrel in a wanted poster would help crack the case. But despite a share of more than 400 times on Facebook, it did not garner any credible leads.

HEADS MISSING IN SACRAMENTO: Police are puzzled over a series of gruesome packages containing dead goats, chickens, lambs fi sh, rats and even a tortoise.

In most of at least a dozen instances of mutilated animals, they are headless, blood-free and found near train tracks.

CAUTION: FLYING EGGS: That’s the warning sign in Swaton, England, site of the annual World Egg Throwing Championship, which has a 700-year-old history.

The two-man teams start at 11 yards from each other and try to throw the eggs without breaking the shell. They move further apart until only one team completes a catch without cracking the shell.

The game originated around 1325 when an abbot in the Lincolnshire village, the only person who had chickens, encouraged church attendance by giving alms of one egg—even when the river fl ooded, when he was said to have thrown the eggs over to them.

TOO HOT: Italian farmers are installing air conditioners in cowshed and pigsties to cool off animals dealing with 100-plus temperatures, the hottest July in more than a decade.

Cows produced 50 million liters less milk in the fi rst 15 days of the month and chicken laid up to 10 percent fewer eggs.

PIG GETS FEMINIST AWARD: Miss Piggy, the beloved Muppet star of movies and television, received a feminist award for contributions to society.

Along with a retrospective of her career, she had a conversation with long-time women’s rights campaigner Gloria Steinem in which she said she was “thrilled but not surprised” to share the honor to fellow legends and role models.

INDIGESTION: A 12-foot-long snake’s big meal was also its last.

After the huge African rock python died, South African park rangers opened its stomach and found a 30-pound porcupine. Its needle-sharp quills apparently punctured the snake’s digestive tract and led to its death.

Pythons are some of the world’s largest snakes and kill their prey—some as big as antelopes—by constriction.

HARM-ADILLO: Larry McElroy, a 54-year-old man in Georgia, accidentally shot his mother-in-law after his bullet bounced off an an armadillo.

He fi red his pistol at the animal but his bullet ricocheted off its armor, hit a fence, went through her trailer and landed in her back. She was expected to make a complete recovery.

HEROIC RODENTS: An elite rat known as Pit needed only 11 minutes before he detected a deadly mine in a Cambodian fi eld, compared to the fi ve days it would have taken humans and mine detectors to discover. He is rewarded by his two handlers with a banana.

Pit is part of a team of 12 rats trained since they were four weeks old in Dahomey and sent by a Belgian non-profi t to help clear mines and unexploded shells that have killed 20,000 Cambodians since 1979.


Eco-ManiaA merry melange: salient or silly. Eco-ManiaEco-Mania

NOT TESTY OVER TURKEY TESTICLES: A suburban Chicago pub owner and turkey testicle eat-off founder is not upset over a nearby community’s plan to hold its own celebration featuring the unusual dish.

P.R. Westberg said his only criticism of the competing celebration is lack of originality. They use the same name, Turkey Testicle Festival, and schedule it for the same date and time on the day before Thanksgiving. Westberg’s attracts more than 4,000 people—and both will raise money for charity.

SQUIRREL WANTED: That’s the mock headline that police in a Detroit suburb are using to fi nd the thieves who stole a truckload of snack nuts worth about $128,000.

Police had hoped that the power of social media and a picture of a squirrel in a wanted poster would help crack the case. But despite a share of more than 400 times on Facebook, it did not garner any credible leads.

HEADS MISSING IN SACRAMENTO: Police are puzzled over a series of gruesome packages containing dead goats, chickens, lambs fi sh, rats and even a tortoise.

In most of at least a dozen instances of mutilated animals, they are headless, blood-free and found near train tracks.

CAUTION: FLYING EGGS: That’s the warning sign in Swaton, England, site of the annual World Egg Throwing Championship, which has a 700-year-old history.

The two-man teams start at 11 yards from each other and try to throw the eggs without breaking the shell. They move further apart until only one team completes a catch without cracking the shell.

The game originated around 1325 when an abbot in the Lincolnshire village, the only person who had chickens, encouraged church attendance by giving alms of one egg—even when the river fl ooded, when he was said to have thrown the eggs over to them.

TOO HOT: Italian farmers are installing air conditioners in cowshed and pigsties to cool off animals dealing with 100-plus temperatures, the hottest July in more than a decade.

Cows produced 50 million liters less milk in the fi rst 15 days of the month and chicken laid up to 10 percent fewer eggs.

PIG GETS FEMINIST AWARD: Miss Piggy, the beloved Muppet star of movies and television, received a feminist award for contributions to society.

Along with a retrospective of her career, she had a conversation with long-time women’s rights campaigner Gloria Steinem in which she said she was “thrilled but not surprised” to share the honor to fellow legends and role models.

INDIGESTION: A 12-foot-long snake’s big meal was also its last.

After the huge African rock python died, South African park rangers opened its stomach and found a 30-pound porcupine. Its needle-sharp quills apparently punctured the snake’s digestive tract and led to its death.

Pythons are some of the world’s largest snakes and kill their prey—some as big as antelopes—by constriction.

HARM-ADILLO: Larry McElroy, a 54-year-old man in Georgia, accidentally shot his mother-in-law after his bullet bounced off an an armadillo.

He fi red his pistol at the animal but his bullet ricocheted off its armor, hit a fence, went through her trailer and landed in her back. She was expected to make a complete recovery.

HEROIC RODENTS: An elite rat known as Pit needed only 11 minutes before he detected a deadly mine in a Cambodian fi eld, compared to the fi ve days it would have taken humans and mine detectors to discover. He is rewarded by his two handlers with a banana.

Pit is part of a team of 12 rats trained since they were four weeks old in Dahomey and sent by a Belgian non-profi t to help clear mines and unexploded shells that have killed 20,000 Cambodians since 1979.


ADS

11 months of age. A bobcat’s life expectancy is between 10 and 15 years in the wild, and over 20 in captivity.

� e bobcat has three close cousins: the (1) Canada lynx, (2) Eurasian lynx, and (3) Iberian lynx. � e larger, Canada lynx overlaps in distribution with the bobcat along the US-Canada border. However, the lynx is scarcer in this area, and tends to prefer the cool northern stretch of forest and tundra in Alaska and Canada where it lives closely tied to its main prey, the snowshoe hare. � e Eurasian lynx is the largest of the four species, and inhabits the forests of Europe and Siberia. � e Iberian lynx, native to the Iberian Peninsula, is considered to be the most endangered feline in the world by many conservationists. � e last few hundred cats are confi ned to two isolated populations in southern Spain.

Bobcats were historically hunted in great numbers throughout the Midwest and Eastern US for their spotted coats. Today, hunting is more closely regulated and the majority of bobcat populations are considered rebounded and stable. Still, this species is threatened, like so many others, by continued habitat loss and fragmentation, which reduces gene fl ow and makes the animals vulnerable to disease and inbreeding. � e California Fish and Game Commission is considering the adoption of new rules to regulate bobcat trapping at a meeting in Fortuna on August 5, so if you’d like to weigh in the time is right meow.

Brandon Drucker� e bobcat is a featured creature rarely seen,

yet present throughout much of North America. Roughly twice the size of your housecat, the bobcat is known for its elusive nature and beautiful coat of dense, dappled fur. Coloration varies from buff gray to red brown, darkening along the spine, and lightening to white along the underbelly. Melanistic black cats are also occasionally reported. � e species’ uniquely “bobbed” tail distinguishes it from most other felines, but is actually a shared characteristic among all members of the Lynx genus, along with tufted ears, facial ruff s, and relatively long legs.

� e bobcat’s greatest strength is its adaptability. Arid desert, deciduous and coniferous forest, subtropical swamp, snowy mountain, and,

Bobcat

increasingly, the urban edge are all habitat for this species. Sightings have been confi rmed across nearly all contiguous U.S. states, northern Mexico, and southern Canada.

Lynx species prefer a solitary lifestyle, wandering large home territories that vary in size depending on the animal’s sex, time of year, and abundance of prey. Bobcats prefer to feed on rabbits and hares, but will also take rodents, squirrels, insects, birds, and even deer when necessary—no small feat for an average 15 (female) to 21 (male) lb. cat. Hunting occurs primarily at night, dusk, or dawn. Particularly large kills may be partially buried for later consumption.

Mother bobcats give birth to litters of 1-6 kittens in early spring. Kittens will remain with their mother until they mature between 8 and

Lynx rufus

A bobcat photographed in Montana, clearly showing the distinctive bobbed tail . Photo: Linda Tanner, Flickr.com CC.


11 months of age. A bobcat’s life expectancy is between 10 and 15 years in the wild, and over 20 in captivity.

� e bobcat has three close cousins: the (1) Canada lynx, (2) Eurasian lynx, and (3) Iberian lynx. � e larger, Canada lynx overlaps in distribution with the bobcat along the US-Canada border. However, the lynx is scarcer in this area, and tends to prefer the cool northern stretch of forest and tundra in Alaska and Canada where it lives closely tied to its main prey, the snowshoe hare. � e Eurasian lynx is the largest of the four species, and inhabits the forests of Europe and Siberia. � e Iberian lynx, native to the Iberian Peninsula, is considered to be the most endangered feline in the world by many conservationists. � e last few hundred cats are confi ned to two isolated populations in southern Spain.

Bobcats were historically hunted in great numbers throughout the Midwest and Eastern US for their spotted coats. Today, hunting is more closely regulated and the majority of bobcat populations are considered rebounded and stable. Still, this species is threatened, like so many others, by continued habitat loss and fragmentation, which reduces gene fl ow and makes the animals vulnerable to disease and inbreeding. � e California Fish and Game Commission is considering the adoption of new rules to regulate bobcat trapping at a meeting in Fortuna on August 5, so if you’d like to weigh in the time is right meow.

Brandon Drucker� e bobcat is a featured creature rarely seen,

yet present throughout much of North America. Roughly twice the size of your housecat, the bobcat is known for its elusive nature and beautiful coat of dense, dappled fur. Coloration varies from buff gray to red brown, darkening along the spine, and lightening to white along the underbelly. Melanistic black cats are also occasionally reported. � e species’ uniquely “bobbed” tail distinguishes it from most other felines, but is actually a shared characteristic among all members of the Lynx genus, along with tufted ears, facial ruff s, and relatively long legs.

� e bobcat’s greatest strength is its adaptability. Arid desert, deciduous and coniferous forest, subtropical swamp, snowy mountain, and,

Bobcat

increasingly, the urban edge are all habitat for this species. Sightings have been confi rmed across nearly all contiguous U.S. states, northern Mexico, and southern Canada.

Lynx species prefer a solitary lifestyle, wandering large home territories that vary in size depending on the animal’s sex, time of year, and abundance of prey. Bobcats prefer to feed on rabbits and hares, but will also take rodents, squirrels, insects, birds, and even deer when necessary—no small feat for an average 15 (female) to 21 (male) lb. cat. Hunting occurs primarily at night, dusk, or dawn. Particularly large kills may be partially buried for later consumption.

Mother bobcats give birth to litters of 1-6 kittens in early spring. Kittens will remain with their mother until they mature between 8 and

Lynx rufus

A bobcat photographed in Montana, clearly showing the distinctive bobbed tail . Photo: Linda Tanner, Flickr.com CC.

T T W F S E R T N J Z W M C E N Y W G Y X A L B O Z E L A M E G G E O N X G E D T L N O M M E F F E O Q B O A B N R L T P T S A U Z E A M F E T A D S O V D N N A E O S T E N O T O L W I J J J R R N D O O L B H E B S Y M P V A S F E E D L L V F E Y H L O X R G R T Q D T E R A O B N B R Y U N X U E D D I S E T I S A R A P O T C E E I E F N T T H U K H H L F M S E I G H T L E G S C O J S M F O B C T A L U O I P I I C Q H Q K I U V Y N X O P E T C O

BITE BLOOD DEVELOPMENT DISEASE

ECTOPARASITE EGGS EIGHT LEGS FEED HOST

METAMORPHOSIS NO ANTENNAE TICK TWEEZERS

Did you know that ticks have eight legs and are closely related to spiders? There are about 900 tick species split into two families based on the hardness of their bodies (700 hard-bodied vs. 200 soft-bodied).

Ticks go through a metamorphosis that has three stages. Emerging from eggs as larvae, ticks grow into nymphs, and then fi nally transform into adults. They need to eat in order to develop into the next life stage. Ticks are ectoparasites, meaning they live on the outside skin of their host where they feed on blood.

There are several diseases transmitted to humans by ticks. The best known is Lyme disease. It’s important to check your body and hair for ticks after playing in the woods or tall grass. Since ticks can’t fl y, they crawl up vegetation and wait to grab onto a host animal like a dog, cow, bird, or human. Tucking in your pant legs and wearing long sleeves helps to protect from tick bites.

If you happen to fi nd a tick on you, don’t get scared. Have an adult fi rmly pinch the tick with tweezers close to your skin and pull it out. Keep the tick in a little jar of rubbing alcohol just in case you need to go to the doctor where they can identify the species. A fever, rash, or red ring around a tick bite is a sign to see your doctor. Ticks are hard to squish. If you fi nd one on your shirt or pants simply fl ush it down the toilet or place in rubbing alcohol.

by Sarah Marnick

Above right: Ixodes scapularis, the common deer tick. Left: A closeup of the mouthparts of a deer tick. Both photos: Macroscopic Solutions, Flickr.com CC.

Tick Talk of

the Kids’ Page :

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One out of every four dogs in the world’s biggest dog show is overweight. According to analysts at Britain’s Crufts show, 26 percent were fat

while none were underweight. Show dogs are assumed to be perfect specimens of their breed, but

pugs were 80 percent fat, Basset hounds 68 percent and Labradors 63 percent. Obesity causes signi� cant health problems in dogs, such as arthritis and diabetes.

Here at the NEC, we have no show dogs. Sta� doesn’t su� er from obesity, and we like to think that they are perfect examples of their breed.

But they still need your help. So o� er them some time or send in a donation—or both.

They’re busy barking at environmental ripo� s and sni� ng out potential risks.

So give them a pat or two: memberships are as low as $25 a year—and you’ll get a subscription to this � ne paper as well.

Thank you.

Corpulent Canines

Northcoast Environmental Center1385 8th St. Suite 215, P.O. Box 4259 Arcata, CA 95521

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econews vol. 45, no. 3 - augsep 2015

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