Posted on 05/10/2005 9:09:37 AM PDT by calcowgirl
The Sierra Nevada, historically a majestic battleground for competing local interests, comes under the stewardship of the state's newest and biggest conservancy this week.
Proponents say the 25-million-acre Sierra Nevada Conservancy will be more than a protector of the mountain environment - it will also be an incubator for jobs and economic growth.
The conservancy's 13 voting board members - seven state appointees and six county supervisors - will hold their first meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday in Sacramento at the state Energy Commission building, 1516 Ninth St.
The Sierra Nevada Conservancy is the ninth conservancy created by the Legislature since 1973. The general idea is to convene one regional body to coordinate the conservation efforts of multiple public agencies, and to channel government funding to the region.
For residents of the Sierra, according to the planners, having their own conservancy means their region will see millions of state bond dollars that might otherwise have gone to affluent coastal communities. A new Sierra Nevada license plate could generate another $2 million annually.
The conservancy also will give the mountains a cohesive identity, supporters say, and therefore a lustier voice in state and federal deliberations.
Its general mission, outlined in AB 2600, which Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law last fall, is to "protect the environment and economies in the Sierra Nevada."
The nonprofit Sierra Fund was a sponsor of AB 2600. Fund spokesman Shawn Garvey said Schwarzenegger's support pushed the conservancy into existence after a quarter-century of stalled discussions.
Garvey hopes the conservancy will encourage civil debate on previously divisive issues: wildfire management, water rights and quality, the role of logging and mining, local control vs. "big government."
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
"But if they force their will on local government - well, I'll have to go out and shoot myself."
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Ping
Looks like this could eventually fall under the newly Gubinator-proposed Energy Dept and PowerCzar that would come from a proposed regrouping of Cal ISO and other state dept. energy personnel and functions.
Thanks for the post.
Hahahahahahahahahaha
He has no fear of death! He has survived one of the worst forms of rare and dangerous cancer known to man or woman!!!
Either he's allowing himself to be made a complete fool, subject to scorn and riducule, or he knows exactly what he has done to the Siearran People and Property Owning Taxpayer/citizens with this abortion of property ownership and control!!!
Like so many others, he went so gaga over swivelling Schwartzenrenegger that he literally feared standing up to the Kennedy driven swine!!!
So BOHICA, Sierra Citizens! If it isn't this, it's the demonizing of Cauleeforneeah's state rock, Serpentine (aka Greenstone) about "naturally occuring asbestos" that's going to kill every mother's child if we don't stop and reverse all real estate improvements! (aka DEVELOPMENT!!!) (/dripping sarcasm)
We've had the "Sierra Economic Development District" (SEDD) regional governmental body on whose board I served for 4 years and we never successfully created any long-lasting, good paying jobs, except GovernMental make-work tax sucking jobs!!!
"El Dorado County Supervisor Helen Baumann will represent her county and three others - Placer, Nevada and Yuba - on the board when it meets Thursday. Other board members include Mike Chrisman, Schwarzenegger's resources secretary, and Tom Campbell, his director of finance. The governor is expected to announce his other three appointments early this week."
This is just obscene from any angle any of you want to look at it! It's a complete waste of time and scarce resources, but since Arnold blessed this oversized blastpheme to fiscal conservatism, all you conservative activists out there are just gonna lie back and enjoy the rape!!!
Big GovernMental Republicanism expanding by giant leaps and bounds!!! (that's NOT "Conservatism!")
GAO: Forest Service Not Well Positioned to Address Reforestation Needs
April 27, 2005 Washington, DC - Today the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the backlog and growing acreage of lands needing reforestation or timber stand improvements. The report, Forest Service: Better Data and Clear Priorities Are Needed to Address Increasing Reforestation and Timber Stand Improvement Needs, came at the request of Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR). The subcommittee is holding a hearing on the report Today at 2:00 pm in 1324 Longworth HOB.
"The enormous wildfires we've seen throughout the West in the last few years have put the Forest Service behind in trying to stay caught up with reforestation and timber stand improvement efforts; but when they aren't able keep pace, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and timber value become compromised. Beyond that, treatments costs increase each year we fall behind," said Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR). "A lot of work needs to be done and the committee is going to be looking at this issue very carefully. We have a responsibility to be the best possible stewards when it comes to managing these forests not only for today's needs, but for those of future generations as well."
The report examined the growing number of acres needing reforestation, identified the contributing factors and outlined the potential effects of inaction. GAO's findings supported the subcommittee's belief that reforestation and timber stand improvements need to be central in order for the Forest Service to continue meeting its forest management objectives and to maintain healthy, vibrant forests.
"It's no secret that the sharp increase of wildland fires has contributed to a large number of forest lands needing replanting," said Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA). "There is certainly a consensus in Congress that replanting after catastrophic fire, disease and insect infestation is good policy. We need to work toward getting a plan in place that will help the Forest Service to do just that."
GAO cited Forest Service reports that detail the recent spike in natural disasters. In 2000, wildland fires burned over 8 million acres, compared to the 2.3 million acres burned in 1998. Similarly, insects and disease damaged over 12 million acres in 2003 compared to the less than 2 million acres in 1999.
Historically the Forest Service funded reforestation and timber stand improvement needs with revenue generated from timber harvests. However, due to the sharp decline in timber harvests and an equally sharp rise in catastrophic events, reforestation projects have been increasingly accumulating.
Without future restoration and timber stand improvements, wildlife habitat will suffer, the cost of treatments will rise for controlling competing vegetation and forests will become increasingly prone to wildland fires and insect infestation.
BWAHAHAHA! Cowards!
What? You are not looking forward to the sacred miwok mule ear preserve and casino?
See how they're already helping the economy of your Sierran Communutty??? (/dripping poisonous sourchasm)
Geeze... Arnold coulda joined 'em an instead of smokin stogies, they coulda sat around at taxpayer expense, tokin on good ol Grass Valley GRASS!!! That's about all that'll ever git done!!! Dumb sumbiches!!!
What a ludicrous, proverbial PANT-LOAD!!!
You know better than that. Although there was a group heavily lobbying for it (along with the other 50% of the county population praying for a government job). No way Jose after the local pubbies got on it.
Fight the b*st*rds tooth and nail. But Tim Leslie might get his wish.
I'm sorely tempted to go down to that first meeting and just be deliberately disruptive till they throw my differential out of the place... really! I'm inclined to want to protest, rather than just sit around waiting for them to waste all those precious resources on a bunch of nothing!!!
Why not? I'd still like to see a nice big "Go Home Sierra Conservancy Carpetbaggers" billboard on I-50.
I can't imagine you being disruptive ((grin)) :-)
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