Thursday, March 31, 2011

Oak woodland habitat restoration tree planting along Rattlesnake Trail Sat. April 16

Sat April 16 meet at 10 am at the North Forebay Aquatic Center, Garden Drive exit west from Hwy 70 (first exit southbound into Oroville).

Bring lunch, water, boots, gloves. Tools and materials provided. Cancelled if more than 50% chance of rain.

There will be a short walk up the hill and the park naturalist will talk about the area and provide context for the work we need your help with.

Questions? 846-1435 Jim Dempsey. Jim can be reached on April 16 at cell. 990-2448.

Help restore wildlife habitat at the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area, North Forebay by planting native trees – Thank You for your help!

Thank you!

Jim Dempsey
Environmental Scientist
California Department of Parks and Recreation, Northern Buttes District
400 Glen Drive, Oroville, California 95966
jdempsey@parks.ca.gov
office 530-538-2240
fax 530-538-2244 attn:JimD

California State Parks Mission

To provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state's extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation.

Riparian habitat restoration planting Sat. Apr. 9

Sat Apr 9 meet at 10 am at the Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area campground entry kiosk, about 20 minutes drive north from Chico, 4 miles east of Corning, east side adjacent to the County Park at the Sacramento River.

Bring lunch, water, boots, gloves. Tools and materials provided. Canceled if high winds or more than 50% chance of rain.

We will carpool as a group (no independent access via a private easement) in higher clearance or 4WD vehicles into the Natural Preserve, then walk into the planting site about ½ mile. The park naturalist will talk about the area and provide context for the work we need your help with. Anticipated exit from the Natural Preserve about 3 pm.

Questions? 846-1435 Jim Dempsey. Jim can be reached on April 9 at cell. 990-2448.

Help restore wildlife habitat at the Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area, Natural Preserve by planting native plants – Thank You for your help!
 
Jim Dempsey

Environmental Scientist
California Department of Parks and Recreation, Northern Buttes District
400 Glen Drive, Oroville, California 95966
jdempsey@parks.ca.gov
office 530-538-2240
fax 530-538-2244 attn:JimD
California State Parks Mission

To provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state's extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

WILDFLOWER WEEKEND (April 2-3)

The WILDFLOWER WEEKEND (April 2-3) is coming to Feather Falls Casino put on by California Garden Clubs. There will be speakers, armchair tours, and a morning and afternoon guided tour of Table Mtn lead by our own Alan Mendoza.

Yahi Group has been asked to table and we will have our display panel in the vendor area Friday 3-6PM, Sat 8-6PM and Sun 830 - 2PM. I am looking for volunteers to assist at the booth selling our hiking books and answering questions about the club.

2 or 4 hour volunteer slots would be nice so you can enjoy the other great lectures on "Creating a Butterfly Habitat", "The Art and Architecture of Seeds", Wildflowers of the Sutter Buttes", "Using CA Native Plants in the Garden, and other interesting lectures. I'll set up the booth on Friday take it down on Sunday.

Checkout this weekend Conference on April 2 & 3 at www.norcalwildflowers.org with speaker names and bios, schedule of events, tours, wildflower photos, prices, and more!
Please call me at 533-2357 or email me if you can volunteer, to provide you with volunteer conference name tags. I am sorry about the short notice but I just heard about the conference last Friday.

I hope to see you there, Dave Garcia

Conservation Report for April 1, 2011 Yahi Ex. Com

1) I continue to attend lengthy but very interesting meetings of the Chico Water Coalition (CWC). At the last meeting, one of the major local developers (named Zeke Lunder) of a very useful website explained it, his concerns about getting funding to keep the sight up to date, and making it increasingly lay user-friendly. A major focus is Watershed Protection and Restoration. Go to Sacriverorg, where one can see many different layers, zoomed photos, etc,. in this GPS mapping of the entire Sacramento Watershed from Oregon to the Delta.

ACTION ITEM: Our group should write the CA Secretary of Natural Resources about our environmental concerns, especially regarding WATER issues. (The next water CWC meeting will focus on ways we can educate the public to prepare for the next Water Bond vote.)

2) 3/20/11 MLC Conservation and Executive Committee Meetings: a few points that might interest the Yahi leadership:

ACTION ITEM: We are one of two MLC groups that has not sought what we are owed financially: We should be requesting reimbursement for those portions of our newsletter that would be covered by C3 funds. The money comes form National.

ACTION ITEM: The MLC Political committee chair, Andy Sawyer (VERY dedicated), is looking for volunteers from each group --whom Andy could notify when environmental legislation comes up . (Frequency of volunteer efforts in our area would be small given the leanings of our representatives.)"Andy Sawyer" andysawyer@aol.com

+Forest biomass is a source of controversy within the club, e.g., MLC's Forest Legacy Group has a position, but SC-California is very split on issue. There are different ideas re what to do with the forest biomass including; use small wood for products, remove all by burning it, chip and scatter, etc. In order to help reach our goal of truly healthy forests for the long-term: if we go for removal through burning in short term, the EPA might push back due to carbon emissions. Concerns about how to pay for it, too. MLC will have a position, while being especially attentive to our concern that large trees not be removed.

+Climate Action plans of several cities were discussed, including my making brief remarks about Chico's plan & its limitations, e.g, more housing and highways allowed in General Plan would negate much of the supposed big efforts to clean our air. The city of Davis has what-sounds-like a truly great plan which was developed bottom-up ,i.e., by grassroots efforts, and not top-down. (One can find cities' climate plans on the web.)

+The Club's Resilient Habitats campaign is concerned about logging companies getting carbon credits. Defenders of Wildlife is especially active with this.

+The U.S. House GOP, e.g., McClintock, is trying to roll back crucial environmental regulations, including Wild and Scenic River designations, allowing more dams, etc. Sierra Club is unaccustomed to fighting for this on the national level; thus club needs people to lobby in D.C. Moreover, longtime attempts by SC and others to develop a huge national park around Lake Berryessa are threatened now.

+Terry Davis will look into vernal pools issue, e.g., should we be considering wider regional perspectives in Habitat Conservation Plans (part of our counties' General Plans), and not just preservation of local vernal pools?

3.  As you know from my email, I sent a letter to the City of Chico about air quality issues in the General Plan. I also attended the Planning Commission meeting and presented that letter aloud at the beginning of the meeting.

4.  I am always glad to find out about the activism of other Yahi leaders, e.g., Dave Garcia's presentation of a film about fracking at the Grange, and his efforts to get younger people involved in the club! Moreover, John Hollister volunteered to attend Chico City Manager Dave Burkland's quarterly environmental meetings at City Hall next week (March 31). Please share with us what you learn through your activism.

Grace Maria Marvin

Thursday, March 24, 2011

PLAN B: MOBILIZING TO SAVE CIVILIZATION

Premieres on PBS stations March 30, 2011, 10 p.m. EST.  (Check local listings)

The Journey to Planet Earth series continues with a special program, hosted by Matt Damon, which features Lester Brown, environmental visionary and author of “Plan B.” This documentary delivers a clear and unflinching message – either confront the realities of climate change or suffer the consequences of lost civilizations and failed political states.

Brown, together with other notable scholars and scientists, including Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman, Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, former Governor and Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, provides a glimpse into a new and emerging economy based upon renewable resources as well as strategies to avoid the growing threat of global warming.
Follow Journey to Planet Earth: JTPE/PBS JTPE on Facebook JTPE on Twitter JTPE on YouTube

Sacramento River Spring Full Moon Float

Sacramento River Preservation Trust & AS Adventure Outings Present:

A Sacramento River Spring Full Moon Float
Monday, April 18, 2011

The Sacramento River Preservation Trust (Trust) and Associated Students Adventure Outings (AO) are co-sponsoring a Sacramento River full moon float on Monday, April 18, 2011. The float will cover a short stretch of the Sacramento River just outside of Chico, near Hamilton City. We will float downstream to Scotty’s Landing, stopping for dinner on one of the sandbars in between as the moon rises over the river. This event will be a late afternoon into evening activity starting at 5:30pm and ending at approximately 10:00pm.
This is a great opportunity to observe this scenic stretch of the River. Nocturnal species will likely make their presence known as we gently float under the fading light of a beautiful spring day! Binoculars are recommended, as bats, bank swallows, river otter and an amazing mix of other migratory and resident wildlife are often seen this time of day.
River guides, boating equipment (whitewater rafts and lifejackets) are provided by AO. Participants will start in Chico. Transportation is provided, with a trip cost of $30 for Trust members, or $40 per person for non- members. Participants are encouraged to bring their own dinner and/or snacks and water. Due to A O requirements, only adults (18 and over) are allowed.

This trip will fill up quickly, and there is a limited amount of space, so call the Trust soon at (530) 345-1865 or visit our website at www.sacrivertrust.org.

Liz Gardner, Sacramento River Preservation Trust
P.O. Box 5366
Chico, CA 9592
530-345-1865
liz@sacrivertrust.org
http://www.sacrivertrust.org/

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Sutter Buttes, Valley View Hike

Contact person: Liz Gardner  (530) 345-1865 or liz@sacrivertrust.org
The Sacramento River Preservation Trust presents:
A Sutter Buttes, Valley View Hike
Saturday, April 9, 2011, 8:30am to 3:30pm

Experience a rare opportunity to enter a land “seen by all, but visited by few” on Sacramento River Preservation Trust’s twice a year hike into the Sutter Buttes on Saturday, April 9. On this six-hour, slowly paced outing we circumnavigate Cat Rock, a volcanic dome split in half, rising 500 feet above Peace Valley, an interior basin on the Buttes’ northern perimeter. The leader is Daniel Barth from the Yuba Historical Society, who will start the tour with a visit to a 1,500-year old Native American encampment and then to a refreshing waterfall tucked away in a bay tree grove. From there our group hikes up to a prominent rock outcrop for a brief geology talk. Next we hike upwards to Cat Rock’s shoulder to take in Peace Valley below while observing turkey vultures circling overhead and swallows busily constructing mud nests on Cat Rock’s sheer walls. After this we will ascend for a view high above the Sacramento Valley where we will take in an expansive panorama of Mount Shasta & Lassen Peak, Bald Rock and Oroville Dam and the Yuba River country.

With the wet spring expect to see impressive displays of various wildflowers including Larkspur, Paint Brush, Clarkia, Dutchman Pipe and more.

This hike is approximately 3 miles in length with 700-foot elevation gain. Be sure to wear sturdy hiking shoes, bring hat, water and lunch and other clothing appropriate to the weather condition. Price is $30 for Trust members, $40 non-members. For those 17 years of age or younger: $10 members & $15 non-members.

For reservations and hike details please contact Liz Gardner liz@sacrivertrust.org or 530-345-1865.