By John Hankins
We are here to Explore, Enjoy and Protect the planet (Sierra Club’s motto), despite a looming anti-environmental in federal political administration.
Check out the stories and links below on what happened in the last two months.
Join us by getting involved and have fun too. We offer activities and activism and free hikes. See Group News box on page 3 for contacts and links where you can get involved or enjoy our free hikes via links on page 5, including via MeetUp and internet lists.
If you’d like to be an official hike leader, contact our hike teacher Gerry Ching at:
gching@cox.net
Donations help a lot, and the money stays here at home doing good stuff.
Oct 11: Great News when The Biden Administration today designated the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of northern Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. While it’s a very long time coming, it did the right thing by making this important designation to protect our ocean and marine resources. More details here:
https://tinyurl.com/ChumashSanctuary
Oct 13: Meet-and-Greet with the SB Sierra Club Group of the candidates we endorsed for the 2024 election at the Community Environmental Council Hub. Many locally endorsed candidates spoke to the crowd of over 40 committed environmental advocates. Rep. Salud Carbajal touted his environmental accomplishments and promised to keep our shared values going forward on behalf of our region. He also championed the Inflation Reduction Act and its landmark impact on climate change mitigation. Also in attendance: SB City Council member Oscar Gutierrez, Goleta City Council candidates Stuart Kasdin and Jennifer Smith, and Buellton mayoral candidate David Silva.
Oct 30: Sable ain’t Able, but … Our Sierra Club, Channelkeeper, other eco-groups along with State Senator Monique Limón, Assemblymember Gregg Hart, former State Senator Hannah Beth Jackson, and community members gathered at a press conference and SB County Planning Commission hearing to voice opposition to the transfer of oil permits from ExxonMobil to Sable Offshore. Despite that opposition and over oil spills, Sable’s financial capacity, existing repair violations the Planning Commission voted 3-1 to approve the transfer of permits.
Nov 6 Mountain Fire begins as a vegetation fire in Sumis, causing evacuations of up to 14,000 residents and wreaking havoc with agriculture and the workers. The flames stayed generally north of the Santa Clara River.
Nov 5: CA Wolf Project (CAWP) begins a partnership within UC Berkeley’s Rausser College of Natural Resources establishing a long-term partnership with the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife to advance the science and management of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in California. With additional support from the National Geographic Society, CAWP brings together scientists, wildlife managers, and conservation communicators working with diverse stakeholders to better understand the social and ecological factors that shape wolf populations and inform management decisions.
To read more about the return of gray wolves in or to report a sighting, visit: wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Gray-Wolf.
To learn more about CAWP visit:
wildlife.berkeley.edu/cawolfproject.
Nov 8: SB Environmental Defense Center appeals to County Supervisors to Deny Permits for Dangerous Oil Plan.
Nov 10: CRV Recycle Center Inc., which has conventional buyback centers in Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, plans to install Recycletek which is a new recycling technology that logs in your mixed recyclable bottles etc. and then pays you according to its California Redemption Value, usually 5-10 cents each.
Nov 10: Tunnel Trail in Santa Barbara reopens, after a 4-month closure. It is a popular access to Inspiration Point trailhead. However, it will close again in summer 2025 for about three months for more work. See details about the work here:
https://tinyurl.com/CanyonUpgrade
Nov 12: Pine Mountain forest plan to thin out trees along a 6-mile ridge passed muster from a Ninth Circuit Court judge, in opposition to a suit filed by conservation groups, notably EDC and ForestWatch. The 755-acre Reyes Peak Forest Health and Fuels Reduction Project was approved by the U.S. Forest Service in 2021 but held up by protests.
“The court’s ruling is a shocking blow, but we’re not deterred in our commitment . . . “said Jeff Kuyper of ForestWatch. “This project exemplifies the misguided ‘rake-the-forest’ policy that began under the last Trump administration and will only worsen over the next four years.”
Nov 19: Get Out! Ellwood Marine Terminal Demolition and Restoration project has started. It will restore the site for public use and rebuild the historic high point that was leveled in 1929 when the oil tanks were installed. That means visitors will see views of the ocean at Sands Beach through the dunes, Devereux Slough and the Santa Ynez Mountains.
Nov 21: Thank you! Volunteers Clear 2,100 Pounds of Marine Debris from Channel Islands. Reps from SB Channelkeeper, Island Packers, SB Adventure Co. and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation were helped by over 20 other volunteers.
Nov 22: SBCAN Inspiring Leadership Awards & Fundraiser honored State Senator Monique Limón, Gabe Escobedo (VP of SB Unified School District) and E. onja Brown (President, local Martin Luther King committee). Our SB-Ventura Sierra Club was a sponsor of the event.
Nov 22: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has generated a $60.4 million grant to support the City of Ventura’s large scale water recycling program called Ventura Water Pure. Rep. Salud Carbajal announced the funds asserting: “I will keep working in Congress to protect this law’s programs in the next Administration.” The project is estimated to produce 3,600 acre-feet of recycled water annually.
Nov 27: Mountain fire finally contained after 21 days It is the third most destructive wildfire in a decade. It started at Balcom Canyon Road and Bradley Road, Somis.