Environment | Contra Costa Herald

Delta tunnels opponents asked to speak out at Dec. 16th State Water Board meeting in Stockton

December 2, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Restore the Delta, the organization fighting to stop the Delta tunnels is asking citizens also opposed to the tunnels, to speak out at the State Water Resources Control Board meeting on what’s now known as the California WaterFix. The meeting will be held in Stockton at the Civic Auditorium, 925 N. Center Street beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, December 16th. The meeting could run until 8:00 p.m. – as long as there are comments from the public, the Board will hear them.

The opposition group issued the following call to action, last month:

Earlier this year, thousands of Restore the Delta supporters signed a petition urging the State Water Resources Control Board to update outdated water quality standards for the Bay-Delta region. Now we need your action in person.

This outdated 20-year-old Water Quality Control Plan allows more than half the water needed for the delta’s ecological health to be diverted away for unsustainable Big Agriculture on the west and south San Joaquin Valley.

The State Water Resources Control Board is currently in Phase I of updating the plan. We need to make sure that the State Water Board gets it right and is not influenced by special interests. New water quality standards that truly protect communities and species is a proactive step that helps ensure reliable water supplies for all water users of the Bay-Delta. Learn more about water quality here.

We need you to make your comments. The public comment process ends January 17, 2017, and all hearings conclude January 3, 2017. Please limit your oral public comment to three minutes in length.

Here are some important points to make:

1) A permanent reduction of exports must happen to protect the Delta. What is the true efficacy of this update to SJ flow standards if water exports from the Delta are not going to be dealt with? The San Joaquin River must reach Chipps Island in order to restore, protect, and preserve the entire estuary. If unsustainable water exports are not dealt with, we worry that water quality and quantity objectives for the Delta will never be met.

2) We do not want to see a weakening of salinity standards in the South Delta. Water quality standards must be protected for agriculture, drinking water, municipal discharge, fisheries, and ground water recharge.

3) The State Water Board must consider environmental justice communities in terms of drinking water and domestic use. Phase 1 Recirculated Draft SED fails to consider environmental justice communities in chapters 5 and 9 (hydrology/water quality and groundwater).

For other dates and locations, click here to see the State Water Board’s notice.

If you cannot make any of the dates, you can make a written comment by following these instructions:

SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS

The State Water Board will accept both written and oral comments on the proposed Plan Amendment and the SED. Written comments must be received no later than 12:00 noon on January 17, 2017, and addressed and submitted to:

Jeanine Townsend, Clerk to the Board
State Water Resources Control Board
1001 I Street, 24th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814-0100

Comment letters may be submitted electronically, in pdf text format (if less than 15 megabytes in total size) to the Clerk to the Board via e-mail at commentletters@waterboards.ca.gov. Please indicate in the subject line: “Comment Letter – 2016 Bay-Delta Plan Amendment & SED.” You may also submit your comments by fax at (916) 341-5620. Electronic submission is preferred, but not required.

Couriers delivering comment letters must check in with lobby security personnel, who can contact Jeanine Townsend at (916) 341-5600.

Save Mount Diablo acquires its first ever Conservation Easement, protecting property in Clayton

November 16, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

1650 Curry Canyon Road, Clayton, CA – Google Maps.

By Caleb Castle

Wednesday, October 12, 2016 was a historic day for Save Mount Diablo as we successfully sold our five-acre Rideau property at 1650 Curry Canyon Road, Clayton to private buyers, Joseph Favalora and Jane McGuire, as part of our newly expanded Conservation Buyer Program. With this transaction the organization acquired our first, perpetual Conservation Easement on the same land.

The parcel’s preservation has been a three year process, and expands preservation of 4.3 mile Curry Canyon and beautiful Curry Creek to almost 85%. The Rideau property’s oak woodland and riparian habitat along Curry Creek will be protected and strategic trail connections retained to other Save Mount Diablo Curry Canyon properties.

The transaction purchase price also allowed Save Mount Diablo to help pay off remaining debt on our historic Curry Canyon Ranch acquisition. This transaction has also reduced Save Mount Diablo’s liability and expense from ownership of the Rideau property while gaining a new partner – the buyers – in the stewardship and management of that land going forward.

The Conservation Easement that Save Mount Diablo acquired on the Rideau parcel upon the sale of the land to Joseph Favalora and Jane McGuire protected the property’s conservation values while also providing the buyers a one-acre building envelope around an existing house where they now live.

“We welcome Joe and Jane to our team of terrific people who are helping us protect and steward the important open space lands of the Mount Diablo area,” said Save Mount Diablo Executive Director Ted Clement. “Our newly expanded Conservation Buyer Program is bringing in more people and resources to help us with our time-sensitive land conservation work while also providing a new tool, the perpetual Conservation Easement, to use where appropriate.”

“We’ve searched, for the past year, for a home in the average neighborhoods that a first time homebuyer would look. Nothing caught our attention until we encountered the outstanding beauty of this Curry Canyon property,” said Joe.

Jane added, “we knew at first sight that Curry Canyon is where we wanted to call home. Waking up to the green hills, the trees and the many families of deer we share the property with is all we’ve ever dreamed. We couldn’t be more happy.”

Curry Canyon is the largest remaining unprotected canyon on Diablo’s main peaks, between the Diablo summit and the Blackhills – 4.3 miles from Curry Point within Mt. Diablo State Park, northeast down to Morgan Territory Road. The top of the canyon was among the first state park acquisitions in the 1930s. Upper Curry Canyon was acquired in 1965 and 1987.

Save Mount Diablo has now protected approximately 1200 acres in lower Curry Canyon starting with the Wright property in 2001. Nearly 85% of the 4.3 mile canyon has now been protected.

The Rideau conservation easement was a new strategy for SMD and its Conservation Buyer Program. As we have done for many years, we sell strategic land to governmental partners to become part of a public park system and we then utilize the revenue to further our land conservation mission.

Now, in addition to our traditional approach, we also sell some lands to private buyers subject to permanent Conservation Easements, which we will hold, and then utilize the revenue to advance our work. This method allows us to protect properties with important conservation values (wildlife habitat, water resources, scenic vistas, agricultural resources, etc.) that may not be well suited additions to a government park because of their size, location or other factors.

A Conservation Easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a qualified organization, such as a land trust like Save Mount Diablo, which restricts activities on the land to protect its conservation values forever.

Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited, non-profit land trust founded in 1971 with a mission to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, and watersheds through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide recreational opportunities consistent with the protection of natural resources. The organization is currently involved with its important year-end appeal to raise critical resources for its time-sensitive land conservation mission. To learn more and support Save Mount Diablo, please visit www.savemountdiablo.org.

Ted Clement contributed to this report.

Frazier sends letter to California WaterFix to oppose Delta tunnels

November 5, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Assemblymember Jim Frazier, whose 11th Assembly District includes much of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, has called upon a state board to reject a change in water rights as proposed by proponents of the Delta twin tunnels project. frazier-waterfix-letter-nov-2016

“My constituents expect to be protected by the State of California,” Frazier said in a six-page letter to the State Water Resources Control Board, which is considering a petition to divert water from the Sacramento River into the tunnels that would be built by the California WaterFix Project.

The project requires a change in water rights. A petition for that change was filed this summer by the state Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which want to ship water to Central and Southern California by going around the Delta via twin tunnels.

With public hearings on the petition continuing this month and into the new year, Frazier denounced the proposed diversions, saying they would “devastate Delta communities that rely on a healthy Delta environment to ensure a thriving local economy.”

Frazier asserted that the WaterFix Project does not meet the requirements of the 2009 Delta Reform Act, which established the co-equal goals of providing a reliable water supply while protecting, restoring and enhancing the Delta – “in a manner that protects and enhances the unique cultural, recreational, natural resource and agricultural values of the Delta.”

“This language was not just provided as an idle consideration for the administration, but represents a high-level declaration of policy that must be satisfied,” he wrote.

Frazier criticized the WaterFix Project, stating that it does nothing to increase or ensure a reliable water supply, nor does it take into consideration that the water it proposes to take is needed by those who live and work in and around the Delta. The diversions, he said, will endanger the livelihoods of those who depend on Delta farming, fishing and tourism, as well as the millions of Californians who get their drinking water directly from the Delta.

And a proposal to backfill the diversion by taking water from farmers and communities in other parts of the state is also unacceptable, he said.

“I urge the administration not to take water from farmers and communities around the state to give it to the Delta just so that the administration can turn around and justify shipping approximately the same volume of water to Southern California,” Frazier added.

To contact Assemblymember Frazier please visit his website at www.asmdc.org/frazier or call his District Offices at 707-399-3011 or 925-513-0411. Follow Frazier on Facebook and “Like” him for updates on events and happenings in the 11th AD.

Congressman DeSaulnier Awarded High Marks from the League of Conservation Voters

October 29, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Washington, DC – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) received a 97% score from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) on its 2015 National Environmental Scorecard. The high score reflects his record of fighting for important issues, including energy, global warming, public health, public lands and wildlife conservation, and supporting environmental programs during his first session of Congress.

“Preserving our planet’s natural resources for generations to come has been one of my priorities since serving on the California Air Resources Board in the 1990s. It is an honor to be recognized by the League of Conservation Voters for my environmental work, and I will continue to work with the LCV to promote policies that address climate change and protect public health while strengthening our economy,” said Congressman DeSaulnier.

“The 2015 Scorecard shows that our cornerstone environmental standards are under attack more than ever before,” said Gene Karpinski, President of the League of Conservation Voters. “Thankfully, Congressman DeSaulnier is helping lead the charge against these extreme attacks. His stellar record during his first year in the U.S. House builds on his strong record at the state-level fighting to protect the air we breathe and confront the climate crisis and we look forward to continue working with him.”

LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard ranks 35 different votes to provide objective, factual information about the most important environmental legislation considered in the 114^th Congress and the corresponding voting records of all members of Congress. The Scorecard represents the consensus of experts from approximately 20 respected environmental and conservation organizations who select the key votes on which members of Congress should be scored.

The full scorecard can be found here.

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier also has earned a lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters of 97%.

Sunny outlook for solar power at Antioch, Lafayette BART stations

October 29, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

On October 27, the Board of Directors authorized BART to enter into an agreement with Solar City to install, operate, and maintain solar panels at the new, upcoming Antioch station as well as Lafayette Station.

BART will purchase electricity generated from these two new installations, which once constructed will be the largest solar generation facilities on District property. As an additional benefit to customers, the panel canopies will provide shade over a portion of the parking lots at each location.

“The BART to Antioch project is putting a brand new face on transit in eastern Contra Costa, and it’s exciting to see new, environmentally-friendly technologies like solar powering up these upcoming stations,” said BART Director Joel Keller.

The cost of the project will be paid from the energy operating budget, and will cost a cumulative $3.75 million and $3.85 million at Antioch and Lafayette stations, respectively, over the 20-year term of the agreement.

Construction of the panels is expected to be completed at Antioch station by fall 2017, and in Lafayette by late spring 2017.

Delta Flood Safety Fair mixes family fun with flood readiness in Isleton on Saturday, Oct. 22

October 19, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

ISLETON, CA – In concert with California Flood Preparedness Week, the Delta Protection Commission declares a week in October to be the annual Delta Flood Preparedness Week. In 2016, Delta Flood Preparedness Week will run from Monday, October 17 through Saturday, October 22.

Due to the unique conditions of life in the Delta, flood risk is dramatically different than in other regions of the state. In the Delta, drought conditions do NOT reduce flood risk, because Delta levees hold back water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – not just when the rivers run high. These unique conditions are addressed at the Delta Flood Safety Fair, a fun and informative day at the Delta Farmers’ Market on Highway 12 west of the Rio Vista Bridge. In its third year, the event is sponsored by the Delta Protection Commission and the Discover the Delta Foundation, and is scheduled for Saturday, October 22nd from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

This year’s participants include perennial favorites River Delta Fire, offering photo ops for the kids with their ladder truck, Solano Office of Emergency Services (OES) giving tours of their Mobile Command Center, the Sacramento County Marine Patrol exhibiting their specialized watercraft, and the specially trained rescue dogs of Sacramento County Search and Rescue. Other participants include the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine addressing livestock and pet safety, the US Coast Guard, CalRecycle, the Department of Water Resources’ Division of Flood Management (DWR), the Diving Accident Rescue Team (DART), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Red Cross, the Delta Science Center and DCC Engineering.

The event also includes food vendors, Delta wine tasting, children’s activities and live music.

WHAT: Delta Flood Safety Fair

WHEN: Saturday, October 22, 2016 – 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

WHERE: Delta Farmers’ Market, Highway 12 at Highway 160, just west of the Rio Vista Bridge.

PHONE: (916) 375-4886

WHO: CalRecycle, Central California Valley Flood Control Association, DART, DCC Engineering, Delta Protection Commission, Delta Science Center, DWR, Discover the Delta Foundation, Dutra Museum of Dredging, FEMA, Red Cross, River Delta Fire, Sacramento County Marine Patrol, Sacramento Search and Rescue, Solano County OES, UC Davis, US Coast Guard

Save money by slaying the energy vampires in your home, this Halloween

October 19, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Ghouls and goblins aren’t the only thing California residents have to worry about this Halloween. There’s another threat lurking in nearly every household: you can’t see or feel it, but it drains your hard-earned cash without you even realizing. This threat is the “energy vampire” – and it accounts for nearly 10% of all energy use in California homes.

“Energy vampires” (or standby power) is a term used for any electronic we leave plugged in that slowly sucks energy from our homes. These can be video game consoles, phone chargers, guitar amps, laptops, printers and more. What’s worse, the average U.S. household spends about $130 per year to power devices while they appear to be off.

So how can households reclaim some of these costs? Here are a few tricks and tips:

Unplug your devices.Perhaps the most obvious thing you can do to battle energy vampires is to unplug devices when they are not in use. Make it a habit to unplug your charger when your phone is fully charged, or your video game console, when you’ve finished playing. These small, simple behavior changes add up in energy savings – and in dollars and cents.
Enable ENERGY STAR power management settings. ENERGY STAR qualified computers and monitors offer a variety of power settings to help you monitor your energy use. By enabling these settings, you can have your devices go into power save mode when they are not actively in use.
Use Advanced Power Strips (APS). Replacing your conventional power strips with advanced power strips can help reduce electricity waste when devices are idle – without your having to change the way you normally use your electronics. Advanced Power Strips work by preventing electronics from drawing power when they are off or not being used.

Register now for free 2017 youth conference on clean air

October 5, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Youth for Environment and Sustainability Conference to be held February 25 in San Francisco

The annual Youth for Environment and Sustainability, or YES, Conference, returns to the Bay Area at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 25, 2017, at the new Bay Area Metro Center at 375 Beale Street in San Francisco.

The free day-long regional conference will bring together middle and high school students from the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties to discuss topics ranging from climate change and public health to transportation and air pollution. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission sponsor the annual conference.

“The YES Conference is an awesome regional gathering that jumpstarts student-led climate action in our schools and local communities,” said Noah Preute, a student from St. Vincent de Paul High School in Santa Rosa and a member of the student planning committee for the YES Conference. “I’m excited to help plan the conference and inform my generation on the serious consequences climate change and air pollution have on our lives and the planet.”

Registration for the event is now open at http://bit.ly/2cEYWkh. Teachers or youth development coordinators who register their studentsbefore October 30, 2016, will be entered into a drawing for a $250 grant for classroom youth leadership activities involving science, technology, engineering, art and math curriculum and sustainability.

A call for presentation proposals invites pioneering students, youth-leaders, teachers or youth advisors to present at the annual YES Conference. The deadline to submit a proposal is Wednesday, January 3, 2017. The online proposal submittal form is available now at http://bit.ly/2dhuevv.

Attending students will have the opportunity to learn directly from their peers’ efforts by discussing advocacy, communication, leadership development and skill building. The program will include interactive presentations led by students and youth leaders from various schools and cities in the region. The 2017YES conference will be the fourth year of bringing youth together to share information to address climate change. The conference was awarded the 2014 Breathe California Award in the public awareness category.

There is no cost to attend the conference and breakfast and lunch will be provided for participants. Parents and teachers are also welcome. Students are required to have their parents’ permission to attend. For complete conference details, visit www.sparetheairyouth.org/2017-yes-conference/.

The goal of the Spare the Air Youth program is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and driving by increasing walking and biking as a transportation mode among youths and their familiesthereby improving air quality in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Air District is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area.MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties.

Park District purchases 76-acre property in Marsh Creek Watershed south of Antioch

October 1, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

View of Mt. Diablo from the former Hanson Ranch property. photo by Scott Hein

Location map. courtesy of Save Mt. Diablo

The 76-acre Hanson Hills property on the eastern slopes of Mt. Diablo, will become part of the future Deer Valley Regional Park, extending the park’s southern boundary to Marsh Creek Road. The East Bay Regional Park District purchased the former ranch land, located south of Antioch and west of Brentwood, from Save Mount Diablo for $730,000, its appraised fair market value. East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy contributed $547,500 toward the cost and funds from Measure WW covered the remainder.

“This beautiful property will be a tremendous asset for generations of East Bay residents,” said Park District Board Member Diane Burgis, whose ward includes the Hanson Hills property. “It’s also a critical part of the Marsh Creek watershed. We’re thrilled to be able to protect this ecologically sensitive area forever.”

Eastern view from the former Hanson Ranch property. photo by Scott Hein

The property encompasses canyons and ridges covered with blue-oak forests and native grasslands, as well as a seasonal stream that drains to Marsh Creek. The ridgetops provide panoramic views of Mt. Diablo, the Marsh Creek corridor and Morgan Territory Regional Preserve. It’s also home to eagles, hawks, coyotes, mountain lions, deer, foxes and other species. The acquisition secures important land links that provide habitat for a number of special status species including the California red-legged frog and Alameda whipsnake.

The acquisition represents an important piece in long-term efforts to preserve land around Mount Diablo. Save Mount Diablo acquired the property from the Hanson Family in April, 2014. The Hanson children, now all in their 80’s, remember fishing for steelhead with their grandfather in Marsh Creek, just across the road, and camping out on warm nights atop the tallest hill. It was important to the family that the land they love so dearly be protected forever.

Ted Clement, executive director of Save Mount Diablo, spoke to the importance of partnerships in conserving land in the region.

“We are thrilled to help ensure the permanent protection of 76-acre Hanson Hills through our partnerships with the East Bay Regional Park District and the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy,” Clement said. “With this transaction not only have we preserved essential wildlife habitat and ensured the protection of a strategic parcel that can later support outdoor public recreation and education, but we have also generated funds to protect more lands around Mount Diablo.”

“This acquisition is another positive step for conservation in east Contra Costa County,” said Pittsburg Councilman Salvatore Evola, chair of the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy board. “It is valuable to have a local land trust, the East Bay Regional Park District and the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy working together to conserve valuable landscapes for species while also providing park and recreation opportunities for the growing population.”

The land will remain closed to the public (“land banked”) until the Deer Valley Regional Park Land Use Plan is completed.

Save Mount Diablo is a non-profit 501(c)(3) conservation organization, which has been preserving lands on and around Mount Diablo and educating the public to the mountain’s natural values since 1971. Preserved lands have increased from 6,788 acres in one park to more than 110,000 acres in more than 40 parks and preserves. Save Mount Diablo continues to preserve, defend and restore the remainder of the mountain for people and wildlife to enjoy. Contact: Save Mount Diablo, telephone: (925) 947-3535, fax: (925) 947-0642, 1901 Olympic Blvd., Suite 320, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; www.SaveMountDiablo.org

The East Bay Regional Park District is a system of beautiful public parks and trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties east of San Francisco Bay, established in 1934. The system comprises 120,700 acres in 65 parks including over 1,250 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and nature learning. www.ebparks.org

For information, please contact East Bay Regional Park District public information supervisor Carolyn Jones at (510) 544-2217, cjones@ebparks.org.

County Flood Control District seeks public input for ambitious creek restoration project

September 27, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

The Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (District) will host a public workshop on Tuesday, October 4 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at 255 Glacier Drive, Martinez to receive public input for the planning phase of an ambitious restoration project for Lower Walnut Creek.

The Walnut Creek watershed is the largest in Contra Costa County, contains eight cities and more than 300,000 residents. The restoration project area consists of the most downstream 4 miles of this watershed that drains to Suisun Bay and is called Lower Walnut Creek.

The District’s long-term vision is to restore and enhance habitat in Lower Walnut Creek and to provide sustainable flood management, while allowing opportunities for public access and recreation. The first public workshop was held in December 2015 early in the planning process. The purpose of this second workshop is to receive public feedback on the restoration alternatives that have been developed to date.

“Since last year, we have worked closely with a representative group of stakeholders to design a project with multiple benefits for flood protection, water quality, wildlife habitat, and other community interests,” said Paul Detjens, District Senior Engineer and project manager for the restoration effort. “The District would like to share with the public what we’ve come up with and to listen to the community’s thoughts about the project.”

An important principle that has guided the planning phase of the project is to anticipate changes such as Sea Level Rise and to design a system that is resilient to change without expensive and environmentally-disruptive management actions.

“The project offers a unique opportunity to connect and expand habitats at the landscape scale, and to do it in a way that will provide benefits with future sea level changes,” said Michelle Orr, the principal technical consultant for the project who works with Environmental Science Associates based in San Francisco.

The community workshop will feature presentations describing different alternatives for the restoration of Lower Walnut Creek and will create a community forum to offer feedback about the direction of the restoration project. The public can also participate in the ongoing conversationa bout Lower Walnut Creek on the project’s Facebook page which can be accessed through www.lowerwalnutcreek.org. There, the public can learn more about the project and view a multi-episode video series produced by the District called Lower Walnut Creek Adventures.

In addition to the community workshop on October 4, the District invites the public to participate in Lower Walnut Creek field tours on October 1 and November 12. These site tours offer a unique opportunity to experience firsthand the restoration potential of Lower Walnut Creek. Seats are limited and registration is required. To register, visit www.lowerwalnutcreek.org.