This week we’re talking about how controlled burning works on private ranch land as wildfire prevention, with staff writer Linda Stansberry sharing her own family’s experience. Also, with summer vegetables taking over the local farmers markets, we’ve got Simona Carini’s roasted vegetable recipe, which may have you rethinking your standard sides. And a little bird […]
Environment / Natural Resources
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Delta Tunnel: Salmon at Risk from Massive Water Project, State Report Says
California’s water agency today released a long-awaited environmental report outlining the details and impacts of a controversial proposal to replumb the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and pump more water south. In the report, state officials said the tunnel project could harm endangered and threatened species, including the Delta smelt, winter-run chinook salmon and steelhead trout. To […]
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NCJ Preview: An Organic Waste Overhaul and New Food and Brew Offerings in Arcata
Humboldt County’s trash collection system is about to get a lot more complicated, with a new state law taking effect aimed at reducing climate pollutants and creating a closed-loop organic waste economy. Meanwhile, a new brewery and deli in Arcata is offering up sandwiches and small-batch brews and recently released documents shed new light on […]
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California Poised to Restrict Bee-killing Pesticides
Widely used insecticides that harm bees and songbirds would face far-reaching restrictions in California under regulations proposed by the state’s pesticide agency. The new limits would be among the nation’s most extensive for agricultural use of neonicotinoids, a class of insecticides used to kill plant-damaging pests like aphids. The highly potent pesticides have been shown […]
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John Mayer Donates $10K to Redwood Parks Conservancy
Musician John Mayer has donated $10,000 to Redwood Parks Conservancy, the official nonprofit partner to Redwood National and State Parks. “We are so grateful to John Mayer for his generous donation to Redwood Parks Conservancy! John’s donation will support us in our mission to protect and preserve the world’s tallest trees,” the nonprofit wrote in […]
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NCJ Preview: A Final Fish Farm EIR, Hate in Humboldt and Thai Food in Willow Creek
This week, we’re talking about a new report that attempts to quantify the environmental impacts of what would be the world’s largest on-shore fish farm in Samoa. Meanwhile, a rash of incidents involving hate and bigotry marred Humboldt County’s July Fourth holiday. And finally, Lily’s Thai brings a new dining option near Willow Creek. Hit […]
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Fourth California Condor Takes Flight in Humboldt County (with Video)
A fourth California condor is now flying free in the skies over Humboldt County. A1, a young male, left the enclosure just before dawn this morning during the third release attempt, according to the Northern California Condor Restoration Program, a Yurok-led effort to return the bird they know as prey-go-neesh to the northern reaches of […]
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UPDATE: ‘We are on A1’s Time’: Another Release Try is Set for Today
SECOND UPDATE: Another release attempt is now scheduled for Thursday, with monitoring starting around 5 a.m. UPDATE: As of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, A1 was still in the enclosure overlooking perched on the edge of a rolling prairie in Redwood State and National Parks. According to a post from the Northern California Condor Restoration Program around […]
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Fourth California Condor Readied for Release (with Video)
The Northern California Condor Restoration Program is readying to release a fourth California condor Tuesday to join three others currently flying free in the skies over Humboldt County. Known as A1, the young male’s first out-of-enclosure debut was delayed by a faulty satellite transmitter, which was replaced last week (see video below). If all goes […]
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California Climate Rules Won’t be Undercut by Supreme Court’s Ruling, Experts Say
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today to drastically limit the power of the federal Environmental Protection Agency to regulate planet-warming emissions upsets environmentalists, but experts say it doesn’t necessarily pose a threat to California’s ability to maintain its own stringent greenhouse gas reduction rules. The 6-3 vote in the West Virginia v. EPA decision marks […]
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Deal is Close on Recycling California’s Plastic Trash
Deal or no deal? Most likely, deal. The California environmentalists who back a November ballot measure to reduce single-use plastics appear headed to withdrawing it just ahead of the Thursday deadline, following fierce negotiations with lawmakers and others on a bill that aims to achieve many of the same goals and that is supported by […]
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Climate-friendly Cement? California Takes on a High-Carbon Industry
Dust swirls in the air at a cement factory on the outskirts of Redding as mud-caked tires travel along a wide conveyor belt. The tires are carried up 90 feet into a smoldering-hot incinerator, where they’re used as fuel for firing a kiln. The massive, 2,700-degree kiln at the Martin Marietta, Inc. plant churns more […]