Sacramento Group April 2023 Newsletter
Happy Spring and Earth Month! With the increasingly frequent mild weather days, we have all been enjoying more hikes on our local trails, bird-watching, kayaking, and feeling gratitude for our outdoor activities! And we also continue to work with our partners on making our environment a better place for all.
With the Spring bloom underway, a lot of great sights and finds are being shared and featured on social media as folks re-discover the wildflowers and wildlife in our area. We would love to see some of your favorite images and feature members' outdoor explorations in our future newsletters – crediting your work of course :)
You are invited to share your photos with us, and please include a notation of the site and featured finds, at sacramentosierraclub@gmail.com. We look forward to sharing with you the joy and gratitude for what is already a record-breaking season of replenishment in northern California. And the best may be yet to come!
In This Month's Edition:
- Habitat Preservation in the Natomas Basin
- Upcoming Events - Join Us!
- Bushy Lake Eco-Cultural Community Celebration
- Walk on the Wild Side
- Breathe California Tobacco Litter Pick Up
- Spare the Air Days
- Litter Clean-Ups Continue
- Sacramento Sierra Club Outings
Natomas Basin Habitat Preservation Efforts
Local activists are leading efforts to protect the Natomas Basin from several large-scale developments proposed for the environmentally sensitive area.
Developers are proposing three major projects in the basin, including the Airport South Industrial Project (ASIP) on 450 acres of farmland outside the city of Sacramento and the County’s Urban Services Boundary line. Together the projects total 8,191 acres, larger than the entire North Natomas area.
The basin is subject to environmental protection through the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan (NBHCP), which was a federal and state requirement in 1997 to mitigate planned development in the City. The NBHCP was later approved by a federal court. The basin, which includes 54,000 acres in Sacramento and Sutter County, from the Garden Highway to the Cross Canal in Sutter County, provides habitat for the protected Swainson’s Hawk and Giant Garter Snake, among other animals.
The developers of the ASIP need approval from the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) so the land can become part of the City of Sacramento.
Habitat 2020, a coalition of groups including Friends of Swainson’s Hawks (FOSH) and the Sierra Club, opposed the first step taken by the City and LAFCo staff in that process – to make the city and the commission co-lead agencies on the environmental review of the annexation and the project. A law firm hired by Habitat 2020 and Friends of the Swainson’s Hawk sent the commission a letter saying that having co-lead agencies is a violation of state environmental law. They are waiting for a response.
Former Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo, along with FOSH, ECOS Climate Committee’s Natomas Team, and Sierra Club representatives, has been meeting with officials to explain why environmentalists oppose the project. Fargo and other project opponents are meeting with LAFCo members and Sacramento council members and are asking that the proposed annexation be brought to the Council for a public hearing and decision by the city council.
(photo and article by Executive Committee member Brad Branan)
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Bushy Lake Eco-Cultural Community Celebration
Saturday, April 29th, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Free Event and Parking!
Join the Bushy Lake team for nature tours, speakers, blessing the land and community! Bushy Lake is an Eco-Cultural Restoration Project in Sacramento, CA (adjacent to Cal Expo) that was established in 2015.
Eco-cultural restoration is a core component of our project and includes planting culturally significant native plant species. We are also conducting a Northwest Pond turtle conservation project, conducting weekly bird surveys, and monitoring wildlife cameras.
Please join this community celebration and learn more at Bushy Lake Eco-Cultural Celebration. Our members will be at the Parking Lot of the Cal Expo RV Park at 500 Ethan Way, Sacramento, CA 95815.
Directions
From Hwy 50, take Howe Ave North
Turn left on Hurley Way
Then turn left at Ethan Way
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Walk on The Wild Side Festival
Saturday, May 20th, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
(article by Executive Committee member Perry Metzger)
Walk on the Wildside celebrates International Migratory Bird Day and highlights local efforts in wildlife conservation and protecting and restoring native Central Valley habitat. Visitors can hike the miles of trails, or enjoy tours of restored wetlands and oak forests on Regional San’s Bufferlands. Sierra Club, Sacramento Group has participated in this event for a number of years until it was suspended for the last couple of years due to COVID, and are pleased that this great event will be resumed this year!
This event celebrates International Migratory Bird Day and highlights local efforts in wildlife conservation and protecting and restoring native Central Valley habitats. Visitors can the miles of trails, or enjoy tours of restored wetlands and oak forests on Regional San’s Bufferlands. Throughout the day, visitors can get up close and personal with wild animals, listen to some great folk music, and check out conservation exhibits.
This Festival is designed for families and children under 10 years old and introduces local valley wildlife and nature trails. Throughout the day, visitors can get up close and personal with wild animals, listen to some great folk music, and check out conservation exhibits. At our SC booth, we’ll be introducing the Sierra Club to a new generation and their parents with information on the club, sales of Sierra Club merchandise, and a special craft project for those younger participants.
We are always looking for help, and if you’re interested in volunteering for this event please email us at sacramentosierraclub@gmail.com
Highlights of the Event
• Wild animal presentations by Wild Things, Inc., a non-profit wild animal rescue
• Live folk music
• Children’s puppet show by Jason Adair
• Guided and self-guided tours of wetlands and riparian forests
• Children’s activity center, games and prizes hosted by local Girl Scouts
Food vendors will be on site
Event and Parking are FREE!
Directions
Take I-5 or Highway 99 South, from Sacramento
Exit at Cosumnes River Blvd
Take Cosumnes River Blvd West to Freeport Blvd
Take Freeport Blvd South, past the golf course and the small town of Freeport
Turn left at signs opposite Cliff’s Marina (8651 River Rd, Sacramento, CA
For more information visit: Walk on the Wildside - Bufferlands Event
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Help Remove Tobacco Litter From River Bend Park
Join Breathe California Sacramento Region & the American River Parkway Foundation
Saturday, May 20th
8:45 - 11:45 am
Location: River Bend Park 2300 Rod Beaudry Road Sacramento, CA 95827
Registration: EventBrite Registration Form
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Spare the Air Days
The Sac Metro Air District and the air districts of the Sacramento region have asked us to help spread the word about Spare The Air Days. With warmer weather right around the corner, there will be a higher potential for smog, also known as ground-level ozone, which pollutes our community’s air and negatively impacts our health. The 2023 Spare The Air season is underway, and runs from May through October. Smog is the region’s primary pollutant during these months and is mostly caused by emissions from cars and trucks interacting with the hot summer sun. Visit the Spare The Air website for more information or reach out to me with any questions that you might have about the campaign.
Cleaning Up Our Environment
River City Waterway Alliance
Stay connected with the Alliance for upcoming river bank clean-ups at:
https://www.facebook.com/rivercitywaterwayalliance
Sacramento Picks It Up
Sponsoring frequent clean-up events in various locations around the county, Sacramento Picks It Up posts updates on Facebook and Instagram.
Sacramento Sierra Club Outings – hiking events are updated regularly by the Club Outings Leaders and announcements for them can be found in a couple of spots:
Important information about the Outings and some events are posted on the Mother Lode Chapter Website here: Mother Lode Chapter Outings
Meetup Outings are posted here: meetup.com/sacramento-sierra-club/
Thanks for all you do for our environment!
Contact us anytime via email at sacramentosierraclub@gmail.com
Visit us on FB, Instagram, and Twitter Sierra Club Sacramento!
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Barbara Leary
Group Chair
Sacramento Group
Sierra Club
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