Free Republic

IF YOU LOOK at projections for the Pacific Northwest, through the 21st century, a population equivalent to 15 Seattles will move into this "livable" corner of the planet. "We have one last chance to get this right," says Gene Duvernoy, president of the Cascade Land Conservancy. What is "right?" The answer -- strike a balance that preserves what makes us "livable." According to a recent Pew Research poll, spaces and cities of the West exert a powerful draw on Americans. Denver, Seattle and San Diego topped the list of where folks would like to move. So as not to wreck...

Steps to prevent catastrophic wildfires in the Lake Tahoe basin, one of the country's most treasured natural wonders, have been hampered for years by bureaucratic infighting among agencies that often work at cross purposes, according to thousands of pages of documents reviewed by The Associated Press. The failure of the agencies to adequately protect the basin was brought to light last June when the Angora Fire ripped through a thickly forested ravine and destroyed 254 homes near South Lake Tahoe. Since then, blame has fallen on the overlapping agencies that have environmental and regulatory oversight of the Tahoe basin. A...

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy approved a controversial plan this week to further open the rugged hills of Malibu for camping, hiking and other activities, heightening a battle with canyon residents and city leaders over public access. Malibu city leaders and other opponents have harshly criticized the access plan, contending that greater use of hillsides and canyons would result in more traffic, heightened fire risk and damage to wildlife habitat. City officials also say the conservancy, which plans to present its proposal to the California Coastal Commission, is trying to circumvent local land-use laws. Proponents have accused residents of seeking...

37,000 Acres of Irvine Ranch Land Receives Prestigious ‘National Natural Landmark’ Designation from U.S. Department of Interior • ‘The Irvine Ranch National Natural Landmark’ joins Mount Shasta, Anza Borrego, Hawaii’s Diamond Head and other beloved national landmarks • Honor recognizes designated land as “a nationally significant natural area” • First site in California to receive NNL designation since 1987 • Land is “a shining example of our nation’s natural treasures,” says National Park Service Director Fran Mainella • Governor Schwarzenegger notes, “Today’s event celebrates another area of our state that can be enjoyed for generations.” NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Standing on...

Millions of dollars from voter-approved bonds meant for parks, water and wildlife have been vulnerable to waste and misuse because of faulty controls at state agencies, according to a series of recent audits. While agencies say the problems account for only a small fraction of the $10 billion from four environmental bonds voters passed between 2000 and 2002, state Department of Finance auditors have flagged questionable spending on public relations, lobbying and even yoga classes, documents show.In addition, some groups that received grants from the bond funds failed to properly document expenses, claimed unallowable costs and went over budget because...

The Bureau of "Nature Conservancy" How this non-governmental entity governs... Article, with links to related material, posted May 26, 2006 at Trumpet America JOYCE MORRISON * The Bureau of "Nature Conservancy" It would almost appear The Nature Conservancy has been given bureau status with the United States government. They don't need appropriations to run their bureau as they are funded from grants given to them by their close partnerships, Memorandums of Understanding, agreements, and other connections to government agencies - as well as public donations. One of TNC's most recent actions as a bureau has been the signing of an...

In an unusual campaign to hedge their political bets, a coalition of 11 leading environmental groups has quietly drafted a ballot measure asking California voters next year to approve the largest parks and water bond in state history. The proposed measure, now awaiting a title and summary from California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, would raise $5.4 billion to shore up aging levees in San Francisco Bay's delta, build new drinking water treatment plants, fund flood control, restore salmon runs and purchase new parklands from Monterey Bay to Lake Tahoe to inner-city Los Angeles. --snip-- ``We're hopeful the governor and the...

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ruled that the Los Angeles Unified School District can proceed with its plans to demolish most of the historic Ambassador Hotel and build a $318-million campus, attorneys said Monday. The Los Angeles Conservancy and a coalition of local organizations had filed suit after the school board voted in October to build a facility for 4,200 kindergarten through high school students on the 24-acre property where movie stars, politicians and royalty once mingled and where Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968. The suit contended that the district had failed to comply...

Gilroy - City leaders said Friday that Gilroy will not join the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority, but vowed to explore other options to preserve open space and farmland in and around the city. Officials gathered at a City Council policy retreat said the deciding factor was the cost of polling and underwriting the special election required to join the authority, which levies a parcel tax to buy property and conservation easements. “If you’re looking for some enthusiasm on this I’m not going to be able to do it because of the cost of putting it on the ballot,”...

The Internal Revenue Service has established a team dedicated to tracking down abusive tax breaks claimed through conservation easements. The team is searching for patterns of abuse and for individuals who promote tax schemes related to land conservation, according to Steven T. Miller, the IRS commissioner for tax-exempt entities. "We are going to shine a searchlight in their direction, and will use all civil and criminal tools at our disposal to combat abuses," Miller said in written testimony presented yesterday at a Senate Finance Committee hearing. The hearing focused on a range of concerns. Many involved the Nature Conservancy, the...

Eight towns would love to land the new Sierra Nevada Conservancy headquarters, projected to eventually have 70 employees and a $10 million budget. But only two showed up at the historic first meeting of the conservancy board Thursday in Sacramento, and both were from Nevada County. Nevada City used a laid-back approach in its pitch, but Truckee came on like a runaway snowboarder. Auburn, Colfax, Placerville, Amador City, Ione and Jackson were no-shows. “Give us your serious consideration,” said Truckee Mayor Craig Threshie in a lengthy speech that trumpeted the town’s location, history and commitment to the range. “We have...

Increased solar activity causing disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field may cause whales to run aground in the North Sea, say researchers. Analysis of whales stranded between 1712 and 2003 shows that more are stranded when solar activity is high. Writing in the Journal of Sea Research, scientists propose that whales use the Earth's magnetic field to assist navigation like homing pigeons do. As the Sun disrupts the magnetic field whales can become confused, they say. Animal magnetism The Sun goes through a cycle with an average length of about 11 years, though individual cycle lengths have ranged from 8...

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...

LOS ANGELES Soka University of America has sold its 588-acre land in the Santa Monica Mountains to the state for 35 (m) million dollars. The land is expected to become public park land consisting of nature trails. It also will house the headquarters for the Santa Monica State Recreation Area and a national park visitors' center. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy will own and oversee most of the land once it's turned over to the state in three years. Under terms of the deal, the university will lease the land until current students graduate. Joseph Edmiston, conservancy executive director, says...

The Nevada City sales pitch to land up to 70 jobs and a $10 million budget with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy headquarters will be spurred today with an artistic boot. A four-color promotional booklet sent to conservancy directors and key state officials trumpets Nevada City's scenic grandeur, job base, schools and lifestyle as pieces of the perfect strategic location for the new agency. Julie Soderlund of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office said "I can't speculate" where the conservancy will eventually land, but that has not stopped a core group of Nevada City advocates from trying to acquire it. The conservancy was...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading critic of the Bush administration's environmental policies, is expected to tell Sacramento legislators today how federal changes in policies and laws could harm California. Kennedy is scheduled to speak this morning at a Legislature hearing by joint environmental committees dealing with the threat of pre-emption of state laws as well as with new air-quality and water-supply problems.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - One of the largest land conservation deals in California history became final Friday when the state and two private groups closed escrow on a $95 million agreement to preserve the nearly pristine stretch of coastal rangeland that surrounds Hearst Castle. Nearly all the 82,000-acre Hearst Ranch about 200 miles north of Los Angeles will remain undeveloped, while 13 miles of coastline that has been privately held for generations will transfer to the state for public access, according to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office. "The landscape and the coastline will remain pristine," said Nita Vail, executive director of...

Los Angeles Daily News Valley Rim plan opposed U.S. may squeeze out property owners By Susan AbramStaff Writer Saturday, February 12, 2005 - The way Sunland resident John Brown sees it, once the government is allowed to circle in on his land and home, it'll do everything it can to squeeze out the kind of lifestyle he's enjoyed for decades. He's seen it before, he said, in the East Mojave Preserve where he owns a ranch, and where roads that opened in the 1800s have been closed off, and cattle fences have been eliminated. And he believes the government...

WASHINGTON - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has endorsed a North Coast wilderness bill that swiftly cleared a Senate committee Wednesday, and proponents said they hope the legislation has the momentum to be enacted into law. The legislation sponsored by California Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, both Democrats, and Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, in the House, would designate more than 300,000 acres of federal lands as protected wilderness. "This bill protects the natural beauty that is at the heart of California's identity," Boxer said of the measure. --snip-- Last year, the legislation was approved by the Senate but died in...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Former state Senate leader John Burton has been appointed to the board of the California Tahoe Conservancy by the Senate committee he used to head. Burton, a San Francisco Democrat, spent 26 years in the Legislature, serving as Senate president pro tem from 1998 until last November, when he was forced from office by term limits. He was also a member of Congress for eight years. The conservancy, established in 1984, acquires property in the Lake Tahoe area to protect open space and wildlife habitat and to provide recreation. The appointment was announced Wednesday by the Senate...