Photo: Steve Zmak

Washington, DC: President Obama on Friday, April 20 designated the nation’s newest national monument, Fort Ord Soldiers National Monument in California. From 1902 to 1994, Fort Ord served as a unit garrison site and basic training base for Army soldiers who served in America’s conflicts from the Spanish-American War to Operation Desert Storm. The newly named Fort Ord Soldiers National Monument is a reminder of the service of over a million troops who trained on these lands and a recognition of the area’s continuing historical and natural importance... [more]

Chapter Celebrates Earth Day in Marina

The Chapter cosponsored an Earth Day event in Marina on Saturday, April 14. Organized by Natalie Zayas and helped by Tom Moore, Steve Zmak, Scott Waltz, Heather Cunningham, Bruce Delgado and Dale Agron, we had 175 visitors sign in at our booth!

Scott and Natalie had prepared games and activities for children and Steve took photos. The Chapter’s donation provided food, flyers and music. Most of those who attended participated in service projects removing ice plant, french broom, ripgut brome, old plastic irrigation lines, painting buildings, benches and trash cans, and picking up trash. Sierra Club encourages sponsorship of these events to educate and engage the public in protecting the environment.

Chapter Conservation Committee member Kevin Collins submitted comments on March 22 to the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority (SVSWA) regarding a proposed solid waste disposal proposal. SVASWA is the lead agency and funder for this project, a “Plasco Conversion System”. The plant would be designed by Plasco Energy Group of Ottowa and is slated for development at the Johnson Canyon landfill near Gonzales in south Monterey County. It will consist of a municipal solid waste receiving and sorting building, a plasma arc gasification process, “syngas” burning electric energy generators, ash, waste water and slag disposal and utilities connection... [more]

Arysta LifeScience Inc. confirmed in a news release late Tuesday, March 20, 2012, that it was immediately suspending the sale of all formulations of the fumigant Midas in the United States after controversy about its threat to human health, the environment, and worker safety persisted... [more]

By Rita Dalessio

Zip lines, aerial tramways proposed for Jacks Peak County Park continue to draw criticism as more members learn about the routes through this largest remaining pristine Monterey Pine Forest in the world. Hike leaders from Ventana Chapter and California Native Plant Society have led outings along the mapped areas proposed by the Canadian based Ziptrek Ecotours. Hikers can see for themselves the impact the zip line segments, 8-10 large looming towers and criss cross of wires could do to the breathtaking vistas, as well as the majestic trees, raptors and other living things that call Jacks Peak home... [more]

The former Fort Ord in Monterey County contains nearly 28,000 acres which stretch from the Monterey Bay to Salinas. Contained within this acreage are former shooting ranges, training ranges, housing areas, office buildings, unexploded ordinance, sensitive and endangered habitats and species, hazardous materials, contaminated groundwater and a greatly varied mix of deteriorated and brand new infrastructure and buildings.

In 1990 the U.S. Army announced that it would close Fort Ord and dispose of the property. So in 1994, the State of California established a special agency known as the Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA) to supervise the conversion of most of the base to civilian uses. Overseen by a board comprised of 13 voting members from local cities and the County of Monterey, FORA is responsible for the planning, financing, and implementation of the conversion of most of the land in accordance with a Base Reuse Plan (BRP). FORA was given 20 years to accomplish these tasks... [more]

On Wednesday, September 12, the Federal Bureau of Land management (BLM) held an auction that could result in the leasing out of thousands of acres of environmentally sensitive land in South Monterey County near Lake San Antonio for oil and gas development. Three oil and gas lease parcels in Fresno and Monterey counties were auctioned for a total of $257,051, including administrative fees, by the Bureau of Land Management in Sacramento... [more]

My grandson Nicholas Thornton surveying the dune top edge with precision GPS in his backpack.

by Ed Thornton

The most erosive shoreline on average in all of California is the southern Monterey shoreline from Wharf II in Monterey to the Salinas River (Hapke et.al., 2006). The shoreline is eroding at about 1 foot per year in Monterey, 3 feet in Sand City and more than 6 feet per year in Marina. A region sediment management plan by funded by the State of California (PWA, et.al., 2008) concluded that the primary cause of the ongoing erosion is the more than 200,000 cubic yards of sand mined annually by CEMEX (the sand plant visible from the overpass at the north end of Marina). Imagine for the moment that this amount of sand is equivalent to sand being scrapped off the beach and loaded into 7 cubic yard dump trucks that leave the peninsula every 18 minutes, 24/7; this is effectively is what has been happening for the last 50 years!...more

In June 2007, the California Coastal Commission (CCC) denied the Pebble Beach Company's (PBC) plan to cut down nearly 18,000 trees and fill in some of the last remaining coastal wetlands in the state. The Chapter had opposed the project in hearings and correspondence for almost 10 years since the introduction of Measure A to alter the Local Coastal Plan (LCP) came before the voters in 2000. At the CCC meeting, represented by our attorney Tom N. Lippe, we argued that the project was unlawful under the Coastal Act and was damaging to the environment and many rare and endangerment species. CCC staff agreed and gave a compelling synopsis of their report of over 200 pages describing the protected habitat that exists in this Monterey Pine Forest, one of 5 remaining in the world. After nearly 10 hours of testimony, the Coastal Commissioners denied the project 8-4... [more]

The Santa Cruz Boardwalk provides a backdrop for these Humpback whales in October. Photo: Kim Powell

by David Casterson
Based on its rich biodiversity, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary has been described as the "Serengeti of the Sea." A perfect intersection of conditions led to a magical two-week cetacean-human experience this October.

In the fall, upwelling of our nutrient-rich waters drives a bloom of plankton. Anchovies often move into the shallow waters of the inner Bay to utilize this abundance. This year, a pod of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), part of the population that migrates annually between Oregon and Mexico, happened to arrive when this was all taking place... [more]

Local parks on closure list

At press time 70 California state parks were slated for closure beginning in September as a result of state budget cuts. Local and nearby parks on the closure list include

Castle Rock State Park
Henry W. Coe State Park
Garrapata State Park
Limekiln State Park
Moss Landing State Beach
Portola Redwoods State Park
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
Twin Lakes State Beach
Zmudowski State Beach

Several state parks have been targeted by off road vehicle lobbyists for funding and management by the State's fuel tax fund earmarked for support of off highway vehicle (OHV) recreation. Several speakers at the State OHV Commission meeting in March suggested taking Henry Coe State Park "in trade" for the State using fuel tax revenue earmarked for support of OHV recreation to help close its yawning budget gap. The 87,000 acre Henry Coe State Park does not currently allow motorized recreation. Another of the parks targeted for takeover by OHV users is Red Rock Canyon in the Mojave Desert.

Bluefin boycott

Atlantic bluefin tuna are on the brink of extinction, but have been denied Endangered Species Act protection. We have to stop eating them. If you want to sign a pledge to that effect, visit http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/t/5243/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5209.

Map courtesy of California Coastal Commission; click to enlarge	So named for its trumpet-like call, the Trumpeter Swan has a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet. Once found throughout most of the northern United States and Canada, they were heavily hunted in the 19th century for the millinery trade and for their skin which was used for powder puffs. They are now protected, and populations are recovering. Photo: Peter Selig
Photo Peter Selig	Hikers follow leader Diane Cornell on October 26 thruough North Coast dunes. Photo Vivienne Orgel