UPDATE: The four young condors have arrived and will spend the next few weeks with a “mentor” bird brought in to impart important social and survival skills before being sent free to soar in the North Coast’s skies. PREVIOUS: More than a century has passed since condors last soared over Yurok ancestral lands but that’s […]
Environment / Natural Resources
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Where’s the CAP?
If an irresistible force meets an immovable object, one possible outcome is a stalled Climate Action Plan. Caught between the realities of an ever-warming climate and a culture that is embedded in fossil fuels, city, state and county planners have been trying for years to come up with some acceptable and realistic ways of staving […]
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Gas money: Is it Better to Send Out Checks or Suspend a Tax?
State lawmakers have several proposals for sending checks to people to help with the increased cost of gas. One-time checks would be especially helpful for people with lower incomes, economists and policy experts said. Republicans are pushing to temporarily suspend the state gas tax to reduce the price of gas. California is flush with cash […]
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Audit: California Utilities Aren’t Doing Enough to Reduce Wildfire Threats
As record-breaking drought fuels another potentially dangerous wildfire season, the state auditor reported today that state officials are failing to hold California’s electric utilities accountable for preventing fires caused by their equipment. The report to the California Legislature found that the new Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety approved utility companies’ wildfire prevention plans even when […]
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Californians Used More Water as State Braces for Another Dry Year
Californians used 2.6 percent more water in January compared to before the drought emergency was declared, a sign that urban residents are ignoring the state’s pleas to take the drought seriously and cut back. The increased water use in California’s cities and towns came during the second-driest January on record, as the Sierra Nevada snowpack […]
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NCJ Preview: Tsunami Sirens and Eureka’s Drive-thru Dilemma
Is it worth it to fix Humboldt’s tsunami sirens? This week’s cover story looks at the cost and the payoff, as well as whether sirens are as effective as cellphone alerts and other warning systems. And as a petition circulates to keep Annie’s Cambodian Cuisine from being converted into a Starbucks, we’ll talk about what […]
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What to Know About Gov. Gavin Newsom’s State of the State Speech
Even as the coronavirus pandemic finally appears to be receding, Californians are in a funk. They are nearly evenly split on whether the state is headed in the right direction, according to a survey released last month by the Public Policy Institute of California, and gave poor marks to Gov. Gavin Newsom on almost every […]
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Hoopa Tribe Awarded $5 Million Beautification Grant
The Hoopa Valley Tribe has been awarded $5 million from the state’s Clean California initiative, the largest amount available under the Caltrans-led program that grants funding to beautify public spaces. According to a news release, the money will go toward makeovers in four separate areas owned by the Hoopa Tribe — Pookey’s Park, the Hoopa Rodeo […]
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Feds Release Klamath Dam Removal Environmental Document
The Federal Energy Regulation Commission today released the final draft of its Environmental Impact Statement on plans to remove four hydroelectric dams from the lower Klamath River dams, and proponents say the document confirms the long-touted environmental benefits. “Once again, a thorough analysis by experts reveals dam removal as key for restoring Klamath fisheries and […]
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Snow Falling: Amid Climate Change, Overhauling California Water Projections Gains Urgency
The Sierra Nevada hasn’t provided nearly as much water as predicted. Now the state is struggling to overhaul its snow runoff forecasts. Packed onto the slopes of the Sierra Nevada is a precious source of water for California — a frozen reservoir that climate change is already transforming. As the planet warms, the spring snowpack […]
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No End in Sight: California Drought on Course to Break Another Record
The first two months of 2022 are shaping up to be the driest January and February in California history, prompting state officials to warn of dire water conditions ahead. “There’s no precipitation forecast through the remainder of February. And there’s very little precipitation in the long-range forecast for March,” Erik Ekdahl, a deputy director with […]
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Ag Producers Urged to Apply Now for Emergency Access Passes
With the need to prepare for wildfires before winter even draws to a close becoming more critical as megablazes move into year-round threats — with each new fire season surpassing the last — Humboldt agricultural producers are being encouraged to apply now for a Restricted Area Access Pass. Having the annually issued pass is a […]