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Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug. 20121
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The official newsletter of the Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club • San Luis Obispo County, California
Protecting and
Preserving the
Central Coast
SantaLucian
IIIII n s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d eThe revolution on your roof 3
It’s time to label GMOs 4
Bad trade 6
Plovers get critical habitat 8
An ocean of opportunities 9
Classifieds 11
Outings 12
Please recycle
This newsletter printed on
100% post-consumer recycled paper with
soy-based inks
Jul./Aug. 2012Volume 49 No. 7
Santa LucianSanta Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club
P. O. Box 15755
San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE
PAIDPERMIT NO. 84
SAN LUIS OBISPOCA 93401
The Best ofBioneers
How About Now, Guys?
Throughoutthe fall andwinter of 2008-09, our “Mes-sages to thenew board,” aseries ofsuggestedinitiatives forthe newlyelected majorityon the CountyBoard ofSupervisors,were publishedin New Times. The outcome of the 2008 election meant the county was finallyin a position to overcome the imperative of short-term profitthat had held the board in an iron grip for twelve years, courtesyof entrenched special interests. It was time to take bold action toprotect our natural wealth; our coast and ocean, farming andrural lands, wildlife habitat and public health. Compiled in consultation with the best and brightest policywonks and land use activists in the county, the Messages formeda how-to guide for affordable housing, political reform, theprotection of agricultural land and support for localized food andenergy production. Each county supervisor was provided withhis own bound copy of all five messages at the first meeting ofthe new board in January 2009. The official response from the supervisors was dead silence. Over the ensuing four years, it became increasingly clear thatthis board’s plan was not to take the county in a differentdirection than that of their pave-it-all predecessors, but toslightly alter the course that board had been taking while stillheading in the same basic direction. Political expediency hasbeen the order of the day, and virtually none of those 2008-09recommendations to the board has been implemented. The messages to the new board constituted a road map to abetter future. They stand today as a monument to lost opportu-nity and unfulfilled promise: but for a lack of political courage,here is what might have been. During the recent campaign, when asked why they thought theSierra Club decided not to endorse them, it pleased SupervisorsHill and Patterson to characterize us as “environmental extrem-ists” (see “Why We Didn’t Endorse Them,” page 5). We invite ourmembers and any other interested parties to go towww.santalucia.sierraclub.org/M2supes.html and judgefor themselves the extremity of the environmental positionswe took after the 2008 election. That was during the brief period when it seemed that the newboard majority would be likely to implement some or allof these common-sense measures. The June 5 electoral resultshave dictated that the board majority of 2008 -- which SierraClub activists had more than a little to do with creating --will come to an end at the end of 2012. So the board has
Go to:santalucia.sierraclub.org/M2supes.html
It’s time for the ‘08 Board of Supervisors tothink about its legacy
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six months tostart making upfor lost time; a lastchance to put in placepolicies that willprotect our resources,secure a sustainablefuture, and demon-strate the kind ofleadership and politicalcourage that votersthought they hadsecured on electionnight, four years ago.
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Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug. 2012
Change of Address?
Mail changes to:
Sierra Club National Headquarters
85 Second Street, 2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105-3441
or e-mail:
Visit us onthe Web!
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Outings, events, and more!
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Santa Lucian
EDITOR
Greg McMillanLindi DoudLinda SeeleyThomas A. CyrEDITORIAL COMMITTEE
The Santa Lucian is published 10 times ayear. Articles, environmental information andletters to the editor are welcome. Thedeadline for each issue is the 13th of theprior month.
send to:
Editor, Santa Lucianc/o Santa Lucia Chapter, Sierra ClubP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406.
Santa Lucia Chapter
2012 Executive Committee Greg McMillan
CHAIR
Pat Veesart VICE CHAIRLinda Seeley
SECRETARY
Patrick McGibney
MEMBER
Lindi Doud
MEMBER
Jono Kinkade
MEMBER
Vacant
MEMBER
Cal French COUNCIL OF CLUB LEADERSLindi Doud, Patrick McGibney TREASURERS
Committee ChairsPolitical Chuck TribbeyConservation Sue HarveyMembership Cal FrenchLitigation Andy Greensfelder
Nuclear Power Task Force Rochelle Becker
Other Leaders
Calendar Sales Bonnie Walters 805-543-7051Outings Joe Morris [email protected]/Kayak openWebmaster Monica Tarzier [email protected] Guide Gary Felsman
Chapter Director Andrew Christie 805-543-8717 [email protected]
Andrew [email protected]
Printed by University Graphic Systems
Office hours Monday-Friday,12 p.m.- 6 p.m., 974 Santa RosaStreet, San Luis Obispo
The Executive Committee meetsthe second Monday of everymonth at 5:30 p.m. at the chapteroffice, located at 974 Santa RosaSt., San Luis Obispo. Allmembers are welcome to attend.
Coordinator Kim Ramos, Admin and Development [email protected] Assistant Coordinator Yvonne Yip - events & social networking
Santa Lucia ChapterP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
Denny MynattPRINT MEDIA COORDINATOR
Sierra Club, PO Box 421041, Palm Coast, FL 32142-1041
The Best of the Bioneers
By Kathryn Phillips, DirectorSierra Club California
John Muir, the Sierra Club’sfounder and the intellectual touch-stone of Californias environmentalmovement, realized early that it takesmore than a strong appreciation ofnature to protect the state’s naturalheritage. Seventeen years before hefounded the Club with a few friendsin 1892, Muir wrote a letter to a stateSenator urging action to protect thestate’s forests. Many, many more letters, articlesand visits to state and nationalelected officials would be among theweapons Muir used later in life topersuade lawmakers to createYosemite National Park, SequoiaNational Park, and to unsuccessfullyfight the dam thatdestroyed the HetchHetchy Valley. Heleft a legacy ofadvocacy thatresulted in greatwins and somedepressing losses.Muir establishedearly the SierraClub’s importantrole in lobbying fornature andenvironmentalquality. Today, Sierra ClubCalifornia lobbyists,and the volunteerswho support ourwork by writing andtalking tolegislators topersuade them to protect California’senvironment, are the clearestevidence that Muir’s legacy can’t beignored in the state Capitol. Throughout the year, we sendaction alerts via email to Clubmembers like you. Without fail,thousands of you respond. We knowthis not just because we get thereports from the Club’s online staff.We know this because we hear fromlegislators about the impact thosecalls and letters and emails have hadon them. Once a year, we ask volunteers tojoin us for a day of lobbying. If you’vejoined us before, we’re asking youagain to consider spending a Sundayand Monday in Sacramento inAugust. If you’ve never lobbied with
us, we’re asking you to join us forthe first time. On Sunday, August 19, we’llprovide training about bestlobbying practices, informationabout the bills we need pushed ordefeated, and some of the insideinformation about Capitol politicsthat will help you and your chaptermembers be more effective hereand from your home base. OnMonday, August 20, we’ll createteams among the volunteerlobbyists and send you out togetherto meet with legislators and theirstaff members. We’ll pick up the tab for a bed atthe local hostel, within walkingdistance of the Capitol Building.Otherwise, we can suggest otherplaces to stay near the Capitol. We
can also provide some travelassistance for people coming fromtargeted legislative districts. By the time you’re done onMonday afternoon, you’ll haveearned at least two things: One isthe sincere gratitude of all of uswho work at Sierra Club California;we know our influence at theCapitol is only as strong as yourvoice. The other is the right to sayyou have walked in John Muir’sshoes and pressed legislators to dothe right thing for California’sforests, meadows, air, water,wildlife, and people. You can sign up for lobby day atsierraclubcalifornia.org/lobby-day-2012. And hurry! We have space for 50.
The annual Bioneersconference is a gathering placefor the most visionary environ-mental thinkers in the U.S. Tworemarkable speakers at the lastmeeting in October 2011 wereAmory Lovins, chair of the RockyMountain Institute, and RebeccaMoore, a professor at U.C. SantaCruz. Tonight we will be screen-ing the videos of their presen-tations. Lovins presents arresting
data to show a practical plan for taking the U.S. off oil and coal by 2050.Moore demonstrates eye-popping uses of Google Earth Outreach byenvironmental activists in California, Brazil, and other places to revealotherwise hidden depredations of natural resources. Stacey Hunt, director of local Bioneers affiliate, Ecologistics, willintroduce the program and engage in discussion afterward.
Steynberg Gallery, 1531 Monterey St., SLOFor information: Joe Morris, 549-0355, [email protected]
August 19: Come Lobby with Us
Sierra Club General MeetingWed., July 25, 7-9 p.m.
Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug. 20123
Going solar with the Sierra Club and Sungevity is a win, win, win!
l A win for you: You can lock in your electricity rate for the next 20years, free yourself from dirty energy, and do it all with no upfrontinvestment. Most homeowners start saving on their power bills imme-diately. And if you go solar this summer, you’ll get a $750 cash gift card. l A win for the planet: Powering your home with solar energy isthe single best way to shrink your carbon footprint - the equivalent oftaking 1.5 cars off the road. l A win for the Sierra Club: Sungevity will give $750 to the SierraClub for everyone who goes solar through this program. This meansmore money for Sierra Club’s important environmental campaigns inCalifornia. Here’s how it works:
1. Go to www.sierraclub.org/solarhomes2. Enter your address and energy use to get a free solar evaluation foryour home.3. Your free Sungevity quote will detail your solar options, show youwhat your home would look like, and how much you would save.
Repower your home and America’s future - go solar today!
Up on the Roof
The blog of Sierra Club ExecutiveDirector Michael Brune
Let me start with a confession: I’mthe executive director of the country’slargest environmental organization,and I don’t have solar panels on myroof. Now wait a minute. Before youjudge, I do have a few justifications.We have young children and fundshave been tight... we had beenplanning to move for a while... wewere saving up to buy a house, etc. Allvalid reasons, if I say so myself. Butstill, no solar. Until now. Last year, the Sierra Club ran a pilotprogram in California to spread thenews to our members and supportersthat there’s never been a better timeto add solar panels to their roofs. Itwas a big success, so now we’reexpanding to seven states: Arizona,California, Colorado, Connecticut,Maryland, Massachusetts, and NewYork. If you’re a homeowner in one ofthose states and decide to buy or leasea rooftop solar system through ourpartner, Sungevity, you can poweryour life with sunshine for as little as$0 down. That’s not bad, but it’s far from theonly reason you should check out theprogram. As I wrote last year, solar isas green as it gets, and with the priceof solar panels dropping dramatically,there’s never been a more affordable
Join the Rooftop Revolution @ www.sierraclub.org/solarhomes
Sierra Club has partneredwith Sungevity to helpfamilies go solar, savemoney, reduce pollutionand support the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club has partneredwith Sungevity, one of thecountry’s leading residential solarproviders, to help families go solareasily and affordably. The new partnership will helpconsumers save money on elec-tricity bills, reduce pollution andsupport the Sierra Club’s overallmission to explore, enjoy andprotect the planet. Through thispartnership, each time someonegoes solar with Sungevity and theSierra Club, he or she will receivea $750 cash gift card and Sun-gevity will contribute $750 to theSierra Club. The partnership isavailable to any new residential solarcustomers who visit www.sierraclub.org/solarhomes in the statesSungevity serves -- Arizona, Califor-nia, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland,Massachusetts, and New York. With many Americans still strug-gling in today’s tough economy, it hasbecome harder for consumers toprioritize efforts like reducingpollution and supporting theirfavorite non-profits, while simulta-neously saving money. The SolarHomes partnership allows Sierra Clubsupporters to accomplish all three byadding residential solar panels totheir homes. Any homeowner inCalifornia is eligible. Going solar can help consumerssave money on their electricity bills.For example, Sungevity found that onaverage, customers can save up to15% on electricity costs from day onewhen they go solar. Under the solarleasing plan, homeowners can “renttheir rooftop,” allowing them to savemoney on their electric bills by pay-ing Sungevity directly, without anyupfront costs, financing, installation,
and maintenance. Rooftop solar also helps peopleprotect the planet by reducingpollution: every kilowatt hour of solargenerated replaces electricity thatmight otherwise come from dirtyfossil fuels like coal. “We are honored and excited to beworking with The Sierra Club on theorganization’s solar partnership,” saidDanny Kennedy, Sungevity’s founderand president. “This partnershipmakes so much sense, especially asthe economy continues its slowrecovery. Now, homeowners who wantto save money on their electricityrates and support the Sierra Club cando so simultaneously at no cost tothemselves.” Sungevity is recognized as a “BCorp,” one of the “Best for the World”companies, for using the power ofbusiness to solve social and environ-mental problems by harnessing thepower of private enterprise to createpublic benefit for all stakeholders, notjust shareholders. For more information about thepartnership, visit: www.sierraclub.org/solarhomes.
time to install a system. You can helpdisplace dirty coal, or fracked naturalgas, or even nuclear power, one homeat a time. You’ll also lock in anaffordable rate and protect yourselfagainst soaring electricity rates in theyears ahead. The first step is to do what I did:Request a solar iQuote. By using asatellite view of your roof like the onein Google maps, Sungevity can makea preliminary estimate of your sys-tem’s size. According to my iQuote, asolar system on our family’s roofwould eliminate about 89,000 lbs. ofcarbon pollution during my lease,which is the equivalent of planting1,037 trees (or of not driving 101,915miles). After you supply Sungevity withdata on your utility bills, they can alsogive you an idea of exactly how muchyou can expect to save (based on theplan you choose). On average,Sungevity customers save about 15percent on their electric bills.
In June, the nuclear industry andtheir political flacks in Congressforced Gregory Jaczko out of his posi-tion as Chairman of the Nuclear Reg-ulatory Commission. Jaczko was themost safety-conscious and leastindustry-indebted of any chairman inthe Commission’s sketchy history. On April 6, the SLO-based Alliancefor Nuclear Responsibility had met
with NRC Chairman Jaczko after histour of the disabled San Onofrenuclear power plant for a productivemeeting discussing the costs to Cali-fornia ratepayers of inadequate NRCoversight and the myriad impacts thisentails. Local groups and city repre-sentatives who had organized with
NUKED continued on page 10
NRC Commissioner Nuked
Last words Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility representatives Rochelle Becker, DavidWeisman and John Geesman chat with soon-to-depart NRC Chairman Jaczko (right). ROOF continued on page 10
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Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug. 2012
Judgment Day Coming forMorro Bay-Cayucos SewerFuture of both communities riding on decision of California
Coastal Commission
The City of Morro Bay has dug itself into a hole with a seriously wrong-headed plan for a new wastewater treatment plant, and will have a highmountain to climb when it makes a second try for a permit at the CaliforniaCoastal Commission, possibly as early as the Commission’s August meeting inSanta Cruz. Complicating matters politically: the Morro Bay city council majorityresponsible for driving the debacle was voted out of office in the June election. The existing plant, occupying the prime coastal property it was built on backin the day, when the site was considered a sandy wasteland of no particular use,is to be replaced. At numerous public workshops held by Morro Bay andCayucos under their Joint Powers Agreement to discuss alternative sites, thevast majority of residents requested that the applicant relocate the plant. For several years, residents, local business owners, the Sierra Club, Surfrider,and the City planning commission have told the City Council and the CayucosSanitary District Board the following: The Local Coastal Plan (LCP), implementing the requirements of the Califor-nia Coastal Act, requires the protection of scenic and visual areas but theproject as proposed calls for two-story facilities in a designated sensitive viewarea. The LCP requires maximum public recreation opportunities but theproject as proposed consumes oceanfront property better suited to recreationaluse. The LCP requires water reclamation but city planners are ignoring thedemand for recycled water and the project as proposed cannot accommodatestorage of recycled water. Morro Bay’s need to secure a future water supply is obvious in its dependenceon state water and in the fact of the nitrate contamination of its groundwaterbasin, which it must rely on during annual maintenance shut downs of theState Water Project. (The Los Osos sewer project was approved by the CoastalCommission contingent upon full tertiary treatment and the dedication of100% of its treated effluent to reclamation and beneficial reuse.) Compared to alternative sites, the proposed project site has the highest riskof flooding, tsunami, sea level rise, earthquake liquefaction and sea level rise,and can’t accommodate future buildout. The alternative sites meet all LCP requirements, are outside the flood plainand tsunami inundation zone and reduce the visual impacts of the plant. Theother sites would allow for recycled water storage, the phase out of the ocean
outfall, and future build-out. Perhaps most importantly, the selection of anyalternative site over the existing site would open a new piece of prime ocean-front property for Morro Bay for dedication to visitor serving purposes, in linewith the Coastal Act. (And while cost considerations are not a factor in judgingpermit conformity with the LCP and the Coastal Act, the value of that propertywould offset the expense of moving the proposed plant to an alternative site.) Shell Beach relocated its wastewater treatment plant, retaining the existingcollection system and enhancing coastal access. Coastal Commissioners areunlikely to be moved by arguments that Morro Bay can’t do likewise. The Sierra Club is one of the appellants of this project. We will be asking theCoastal Commission to find that the project as proposed is infeasible, thealternative sites require additional review, the City’s LCP should be amended torezone the site of the current treatment plant from Light Industrial to VisitorCommercial Serving use, and the immediate urban and agricultural use ofrecycled water is required. This would reclaim 475 acre feet of water per yearand reduce the ocean outfall by 25%. A timeline for reclamation of the remain-der of all the recycled water produced should be put in place for urban reuse,irrigation, groundwater recharge and environmental enhancements.
On June 11, the California Secretaryof State’s office announced that theRight to Know initiative to labelgenetically engineered foods will beon the state’s November ballot. The historic initiative would be thefirst law in the United States requir-ing labeling of a wide range ofgenetically engineered foods.
“We’re thrilled that Californians willhave the opportunity to vote for theright to know what’s in our food,” saidStacy Malkan, a spokesperson for theCalifornia Right to Know campaign.“This initiative is pretty simple. It’sabout our fundamental right to makeinformed choices about the food weeat and feed our families.” The initiative requires labeling ofgenetically modified organisms(GMOs), which are plants or meatsthat have had their DNA artificiallyaltered by the insertion of genes fromother plants, animals, viruses, orbacteria, in order to produce foreign
compounds in that food. This type ofgenetic alteration occurs in a labora-tory and is not found in nature. There is virtually unanimoussupport across the political spectrumfor labeling of genetically engineeredfoods. Nine out of ten voters in theU.S. and in California back labeling,according to recent polls. In March,
more than one millionpeople submittedcomments to the U.S.Food and Drug Adminis-tration on a petition formandatory labeling ofgenetically engineeredfoods, more than anyother petition in theFDA’s history. Twenty states havetried to legislate GMOlabeling, but none havesucceeded due tointense opposition fromcorporate specialinterests. The Right toKnow initiative puts theissue directly in front ofvoters. The campaign
estimates food companies and theirallies will spend upwards of $100million on the effort to defeat theinitiative. (Per Grist, “two carefullynamed, industry-backed ‘astroturf’groups leading the charge” are theCoalition Opposed to the Costly FoodLabeling Proposition and CaliforniaCitizens Against Lawsuit Abuse.) “All eyes are on California, and thevoters of this state will support ourright to know what’s in our food whenthey vote this November,” saidMalkan. For more information, go to:www.CARighttoKnow.org.
California Voters to Decide on Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food
Polls show overwhelming support for historic labeling initiative
Loaded for bear Appellants will have plenty to say to the Coastal Commission about thedeficient sewer plan concocted by the outgoing Morro Bay city council and city staff.
Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug. 20125
Yes, we know: the best outcome ofthe June 5 election would have beenthe reelection of Jim Patterson to theBoard of Supervisors. But we alsoknow that “the best” is a long wayfrom what it once could and shouldhave been. As many of you may recall, we didnot endorse a candidate for eitherPatterson’s or Adam Hill’s seat.Supervisor Hill sent us an irate replyin response to our letter of notifica-tion of his non-endorsement, whichhe evidently forwarded to the localmedia. Speculation immediatelycommenced as to why the Sierra Clubwould not endorse candidates widelyperceived to be two of the “greenest”supervisors on the board. The short answer is that neithercandidate actually wished to beperceived that way, and both have thevoting records to prove it. Instead,they wished to be seen as “moder-ates.” A longer answer must begin withthe observation that a legacy of blownchances and environmentally un-friendly votes did not make theincumbents worse than their chal-lengers, but did not merit endorse-ment by the oldest, largest grassrootsenvironmental group in the country. In its endorsement of Patterson,The Tribune noted that Patterson hadshown himself to be “more moderate”than the “wacko environmentalist”depicted by his political opponents.Among the evidence of moderationlisted were his refusal to endorse theballot measure that would have pro-vided a permanent funding source forthe upkeep of all State Parks, andforcing the county’s strongest andsmartest environmental advocate offthe Planning Commission. His votesfor a Cayucos mega-mansion and aGeneral Plan-busting project inTempleton were approvingly cited asadditional proofs of his moderatecredentials. On Dave Congalton’s KVEC talkshow, Patterson called the SierraClub “environmental extremists.”Interviewed in New Times, Hillproudly stated “I am not an environ-mentalist per se,” shrugged off hisloss of support from “the farther leftenvironmental community” andspoke wistfully of “other places”where “there are probably much morepractical environmentalists that aretrying to work with [policy makers].” Four years ago, those practicalenvironmentalists were us, and thiswas almost one of those other places(see our front page). Hill went on to discuss his “yes”vote at the permit hearing for theaforementioned bad project inTempleton, a meeting at which hecalled Supervisor Gibson “pedantic”for his lone insistence on adhering tothe General Plan and the County’sadopted Smart Growth principlesrather than saddling the citizens ofTempleton with a poorly designedproject. (Hill apologized to Gibsonfor calling him pedantic. He didn’tapologize to Templeton for his vote.) It was presumably in furtherance ofthe moderate strategy that the Hillcampaign sent the Sierra Club’snotification of his and Patterson’snon-endorsement to the press, seek-ing to underscore the differencebetween the moderate candidates andenvironmental extremists like us.
On their record What does “moderate” mean?
We, too, wish wehad “more practical”partners to work with;policy makers whounderstand that, as apractical matter,moderation shouldnot mean drivingtoward the cliff at 60miles per hourinstead of 100 milesper hour. We have wishedthey could havegrasped that:l The principles ofSmart Growth are notrealized when thoseprinciples are tossedout the window whenreviewing the permitsof major developmentprojects.l Our agriculturalheritage and ag land isnot preserved byallowing the de factorezoning of ag landsas commercial eventcenters.l The goal oflocalizing our energysources is not servedby stripping everyreference to localenergy out of theEnergy chapter of theGeneral Plan.l The goal ofincreasing renewableenergy productionwithout inflictingsevere impacts onendangered species isnot served by approv-ing two huge solarprojects in theCarrizo Plan withinadequate mitigationfor their impacts onhabitat, leaving it to alocal nonprofit andnational environmen-tal groups to litigateor threaten litigationin order to get anadditional 9,000 acres set aside forspecies habitat protection -- some-thing the County should haverequired.l The goal of including affordablehousing in housing developments isnot achieved by giving developers theoption of buying their way out of theinclusion of affordable housing indevelopments.l The public interest is notserved by jacking up the feeto appeal a developmentpermit to the board of supervi-sors, thereby making it moredifficult for the public to appeal,and for the board to fix, deficientprojects.l The public interest is not servedby turning a blind eye to a grandjury investigation’s clear evidence ofattempted fraud in a Planning staffreport that sought to facilitate thesale of County land in the OceanoDunes State Vehicular RecreationArea by concealing inconvenientCounty policies from the PlanningCommission.l It would have been a good idea toallow a bid to be submitted on apressurized collection system for theLos Osos Waste Water Project andfind out whether it could have beendesigned to have less environmentalimpact — at half the cost — than the NO ENDORSEMENT continued on page 7
Why We Didn’t Endorse ThemOur post-election analysis: we wonder where the green went
l The public interest was not servedby declining to re-hear and rescindthe Santa Margarita Ranch ag clusterpermit, the Estrella River gravel minepermit and the Cayucos ViewshedOrdinance, the three most grievousland use violations of the previousboard, leaving local nonprofits to dothe corrective heavy lifting at greatexpense in blood and treasure. And so on. After racking up thatrecord, Hill had the good fortune torun against a crackpot. Patterson, upagainst a flood of special interest cashand having inexplicably endorsed aredistricting plan that significantlytipped the political scales against him,needed an energized base and arecord that showed the kind ofstrong, principled conviction thatattracts independent voters. Instead,he had acquired, as per The Shredderin New Times, a “crumple-prone”reputation -- a brand of moderationthat reliably wins endorsements fromThe Tribune, but is not very helpfulin winning elections. And in waitingweeks after absentee ballots hadmailed before mounting a responseto his opponent’s smear campaign,Patterson appeared to be readingfrom the John Kerry “swift-boating” playbook -- eight years
gravity system that the Public WorksDepartment’s obvious technologybias forced on residents. That fatefulchoice is responsible for the problem-atic “dewatering” and low-flow/mini-mum slope issues now haunting theproject.
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Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug. 2012
The Next Bad Thing The common wisdom, per a reassuring pronouncement in the June 14edition of New Times, is that the new pro-business, anti-environmentmajority on the County Board of Supervisors won’t be able to get up tomuch mischief in the forseeable future because there is nothing major“looming on the horizon” that represents an opportunity for “apocalypticchange.” Meet the Laetitia Agricultural Cluster Subdivision. Unless the current Board acts fast this year, this south county mega-development will come before the development-friendly board for its next tryat a permit next year. For more information on the project, go to the website of the Nipomo HillsAlliance, www.stoplaetitia.com The Sierra Club’s comments on the project’s recirculated Draft EIR can beread at santalucia.sierra club.org/news/news.html.
Santa Lucians will recall that werecently explored in these pages analleged eco-conspiracy to impose one-world government, a fantasy that hasgripped the imaginations of the moreconservative residents of SLO County(“Agenda 21 Meets Godzilla,” May).True believers in this conspiracy basetheir belief on a mildly wordedtwenty-year-old U.N. document, thefevered imagination of Glenn Beck,the It’s a Small World ride atDisneyland and a galaxy of websitespracticing the fine art of distortionand quoting out of context. This month, we regret to informyou that we can now bring you thereal deal in global take-over con-spiracy: the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Disguised as a trade agreement andnegotiated in secret – the latest roundof negotiations occurring, with greatirony, over the Fourth of July week-end – the TPP essentially lays out themeans for corporations to handcuffgovernments and institute a regimeof global governance in service totheir interests. We know this thanks to portions ofthe text that were leaked in June aftertwo years of closed-door negotiations.The leaked text can be read at tinyurl.com/tppinvestment. Although the Trans-Pacific Partner-ship is being peddled as a tradeagreement, the leaked text revealsthat its primary purpose would be tolimit how signatory countries mayregulate foreign firms operatingwithin their boundaries, allowingthem to challenge environmental and
One-World Global Governance for RealNAFTA was nothing — here comes the Trans-Pacific Partnership and a parallel world of special corporate rights
public health safeguards and givingthem greater rights than domesticfirms. The leaked text reveals that thedrafters are aiming to give unfet-tered rights to foreign corporationsat the expense of environmental andother public interest policy. TheTPP’s definition of “investment”goes far beyond “real property” asdefined under domestic law, andwould expose wide swaths ofcommon domestic policy to attack.It sets up a two-track legal system,with foreign firms empowered toskirt domestic courts and laws todirectly sue governments in non-transparent private tribunals. Thesetrade tribunals could award corpo-rations unlimited cash compensationfor any claimed “takings” – i.e. lawsthey feel might reduce their profits –if they were made to shoulder theintolerable burden of having to obeythe laws domestic businesses aresubject to. “The top U.S. trade officialeffectively has said that the adminis-tration must keep TPP secret becauseotherwise it won’t be able to shovethis deal past the public and Con-gress,” said Lori Wallach, director ofPublic Citizen’s Global Trade Watch.“U.S. officials are rewriting swaths ofU.S. law that have nothing to do withtrade. They have agreed to submit theU.S. government to the jurisdiction offoreign tribunals that can order un-limited payments of our tax dollars toforeign corporations that don’t wantto comply with the same laws our
domestic firms do.” “Our worst fears have been con-firmed by this leaked text,” saidMargrete Strand Rangnes, Labor andTrade Director for the Sierra Club.“Government officials have touted theTPP as a ‘21st Century Agreement.’But the language in the investmentchapter echoes outdated trade agree-ments which put the profits ofcorporations over environment andpublic interest policy. The full text ofthe TPP must be publicly released andthe secretive nature of the talks mustcome to an end.” The TPP represents the ultimateextension of the world-beatingcorporate agenda known as theinvestor-state regime. To date,corporations such as Exxon Mobil andDow Chemical have launched morethan 450 cases against 89 govern-
ments using investment rules similarto those in the leaked text. Dozens ofenvironmental laws and regulationshave been challenged, and countries—including the U.S.—have spentmillions of dollars fending off corpo-rate attacks on government policy. “The Sierra Club recognizes andappreciates that the United States ispushing for a strong and legallybinding environment chapter of theTPP,” said Strand Rangnes. “However,the investment chapter would severelyundermine attempts to strengthenenvironmental law and policy. TheSierra Club could not support anagreement with such harmful invest-ment provisions.” The Sierra Club will continue todemand transparency and a rewrite ofthe TPP as the next round of negotia-tions starts in July in San Diego.
Stop the Laetitia Ag ClusterBy The Nipomo Hills Alliance
Firstly, we should point out thenumerous water studies conducted bythe applicants hydrogeologist haveconsistently overestimated the watersupply while repeatedly revisingestimates of water demand down-ward. The work done by GeoSync appearsto have been very thorough. However,this peer review was based on testingdata provided by the applicant’shydrogeologist, who didn’t evenprovide data and testing plans toGeoSync for Phases 1 & 2 (andperhaps phase 3 as well) until afterthe testing had been concluded. Secondly, their estimates of a water
duty factors of .44 AFY, while math-ematically possible, are realisticallynot attainable. Comparable develop-ments are using water duty factors of1.44 to 1.5 AFY. GeoSync’s water dutyfactor is more suitable to small urbanlots than to one-acre rural lots. Even if one accepts these lowdemand estimates there do not appearto be adequate measures in place toimplement and enforce the proposedwater conservation methods. Thethreat to deny permits and licensessubsequent to occupancy as a deter-rent is laughable. A relatively smallincrease in the water duty factor from.44 to .60 plus the Ranch HQ wouldnearly equal the estimated sustainableyield of 62.4 AFY (102 x.6 = 61.2 + 1= 62.2). The addition of the Dude
Ranch with itsunsupported require-ment of 13 AFY fortheir 77 units onlyexacerbates theproblem. Consider-ing rainfall was 138%of normal during thetesting period, it isapparent there islittle, if any, margin oferror. Thirdly, they areattemptingtheir version of baitand switch. Thereduction in LosBerros Creek flow was
LAETITIA continued on page 7
The trade issue is at the core of US economic deterioration, yet it is the greatsilence in the 2012 campaign.
- William Greider, The Nation, Feb. 6, 2012
Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug. 20127
Robert F. Kennedy, University of Capetown, South Africa, June 6, 1966
categorized as a Class I unmitigableimpact, therefore requiring a findingof overrding consideration on the partof the County. Applicants thenproposed to mitigate this by not usingwells number 12 and 13 for theproject because of their proximity tothe creek and adverse influence onstream flow adversely. Instead theydrilled wells number 14 and 15, whichallegledly are in a different aquifer aswell as further from the creek. Therevised DEIR bought this mitigationwithout any restriction to prohibitLaetitia’s use of these wells forvineyard irrigation, agriculturalfacilities or the future Dude Ranch. Laetitia should be precluded notonly from using wells 12 and 13, butalso wells 11 and 8, which are also inclose proximity to the creek andprobably draw from the riparianaquifer of creek underflow. Historically, Laetitia has met all oftheir vineyard and ag facility needsusing existing wells in the lowerwestern portion of their property(with the exception of well #9) andshould be restricted to continuing todo so in accordance with the County’spolicy of ag water having primacyover residential needs. Finally, it is apparent the applicantsare using water in storage as acomponent of “safe” yield, which inessence means they are “mining” theaquifer.
By Joe Morris, Outings Chair On June 9, outings leaders BillWaycott and Andrea Ortiz led a hardybunch of hikers on a unique event: aone-day ascent of the five majorpublicly accessible Morros in San LuisObispo County. Nine participants,who climbed one or more of theMorros, joined them. As far as anyone can remember, thishappening was the first time in ourchapter’s history when Islay Hill,Cerro San Luis, Bishop Peak, Cerro
Cabrillo, and Black Hill were allclimbed in a single day, for a totalmileage of over 13 miles and 3,500feet of elevation gain. Bill conceivedof the idea and skillfully coordinatedthe planning. Andrea assisted with herusual cheerful energy. Leading a day of five hikes posedsome unique challenges. Five meet-ings were held to tackle suchquestions as: When must the daybegin and end? Where couldrestrooms be found (none of thetrailheads have “pit stops.”) How toaccommodate slower hikers? Howmuch drive time would need to befactored in? The day began, a mild, sunny one,with a two-mile hike up Islay Hill at7:30 a.m. In the southern boundariesof SLO, Islay is the easternmost of theMorros, with grand views of several ofthe others. Bill leaped through theknee-high grass coming down toshow people some ancient Chumashmortars. A four-mile walk up and overCerro San Luis, with knockout viewsof SLO, followed. Then a lunch breakwith some communal watermelon at12:30, and up Bishop Peak, thehighest of the Morros. Near the topwere several boulder caves, one ofwhich was occupied by a turkeyvulture who probably wasn’t expect-ing company. Onward! The caravan headed northto Morro Bay for a hike up CerroCabrillo, which gave the hikers agreat view of the estuary. Ending the day at 7 p.m. was anexuberant hike up Black Hill in MorroBay State Park, with panoramic viewsof the coastline north to SanSimeon. Bill and Andrea lookedrefreshed, hardly tired, with Andreaeven pondering going contra-dancingthat evening. On to Morro Mania Day 2013!
Morro Mania Was a Day to Remember
Laetitiacontinued from page 6
The second danger is that of expediency; of those who say that hopes andbeliefs must bend before immediate necessities. Of course, if we would acteffectively we must deal with the world as it is. We must get things done. But if there was one thing President Kennedy stood for that touched the mostprofound feelings of young people around the world, it was the belief thatidealism, high aspirations, and deep convictions are not incompatible with themost practical and efficient of programs -- that there is no basic inconsistencybetween ideals and realistic possibilities, no separation between the deepestdesires of heart and of mind and the rational application of human effort tohuman problems. It is not realistic or hardheaded to solve problems and takeaction unguided by ultimate moral aims and values, although we all knowsome who claim that it is so. In my judgment, it is thoughtless folly. For itignores the realities of human faith and of passion and of belief -- forcesultimately more powerful than all of the calculations of our economists or ofour generals. Of course to adhere to standards, to idealism, to vision in the face of immedi-ate dangers takes great courage and takes self-confidence. But we also knowthat only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. It is this new idealism which is also, I believe, the common heritageof a generation which has learned that while efficiency can lead to the campsat Auschwitz, or the streets of Budapest, only the ideals of humanity and lovecan climb the hills of the Acropolis. A third danger is timidity. Few men arewilling to brave the disapproval of theirfellows, the censure of their colleagues,the wrath of their society. Moral courage isa rarer commodity than bravery in battleor great intelligence. Yet it is the oneessential, vital quality of those who seek tochange a world which yields most pain-fully to change. Aristotle tells us that “Atthe Olympic games it is not the finest andthe strongest men who are crowned, butthey who enter the lists.... So too in thelife of the honorable and the good, it isthey who act rightly who win the prize.” Ibelieve that in this generation those withthe courage to enter the moral conflictwill find themselves with companions inevery corner of the world.
Excerpt from the Day of Affirmation address
No Endorsementcontinued from page 5
after any political campaign lost anyexcuse for making such a basicmistake. It may be useful to take a closerlook at the alleged extremism vs.moderation paradigm in a particularinstance: the Templeton projectwhich The Tribune cited in itsPatterson endorsement and Hillbrought up in his New Times inter-view. Here’s what we wrote at thetime our moderate supervisors votedto approve the Davis-Tucker Creek-side project in Templeton:
Should we anticipate moderateunmitigated traffic and flooding, inline with that supposedly moderatevote? Is channelizing Toad Creek themark of a moderate, whereas restor-ing Toad Creek as called for in thecommunity design standards wouldhave been left wing? Did deciding tobuild on top of sewer lines andignoring all project-related impactsserve to differentiate SupervisorsPatterson and Hill from environmen-tal extremists?
Then as now In 2007, SLO County District 5legislative assistant Anne McMahonsaid “Everything we need to knowabout how we can better managegrowth has been known for years.Many organized community-wideefforts and conferences held in thecounty during the last ten years ormore have all come to the sameconclusion: we want to protect ouragricultural lands, natural resources,unique communities, and more. Or atleast, we say that’s what we want.What has been sorely lacking is any
strong political will to do it.” True then. And, alas, still true now. The determinedly moderate candi-date, slipping easily into the “environ-mental extremist” cadences of the farright, is trapped by two fundamen-tally flawed articles of faith: that thebest position is always in the center,and compromise is an essential good,suitable for all occasions. To that first belief, we presume ourreaders are familiar with Jim High-tower’s observation about the onlythings to be found in the middle ofthe road (yellow stripes and deadarmadillos). To the second belief,there is a difference between compro-mising on objectives and compromis-ing on values. When compromise, aprocess in which it is sometimesnecessary to engage, gets confusedwith goals, it becomes a core beliefinstead of a means to an end. To candidates confused betweenmeans and goals, we recommend thewords of Rose Ann DeMoro, directorof the California Nurses Association,who recently told Bill Moyers: “I’mnot interested in bipartisanship; I’minterested in social change.”
As we point out on our front page,this board still has the same chancethey had four years ago to begin toeffect broad, meaningful change andsecure what we all say we want. In the end, the 2012 SLO CountyBoard of Supervisors election was alocal lesson on what “moderate”seems to mean now. It was aboutcalculation and the constrictedpolitics of our time; narrowed hopes,lowered expectations and limitedhorizons, the sense of what is politi-cally possible telescoped far downfrom what many can still rememberfrom times past, locally and nation-ally, when tides of progressive andpopulist ambition ran high. As an example of the better way,we’ve reproduced below a portion of afamous speech Robert F. Kennedygave in South Africa in 1966, in whichRFK had a few things to say aboutpracticality, pragmatism and politicalcourage. The word “moderate” doesnot appear. His words are a reminder of whatpolitics is supposed to be, what it’sfor, and why anyone would want to beinvolved in it.
The applicant’s design...will require filling in theflood plain area of theRecreation zoned land witheight to ten feet of fill,lobbying FEMA to changethe flood designation areas,channelizing Toad Creek andbuilding earthen berms onneighboring property tocontain the flood waters ofToad Creek rather thanrestoring the creek asrequired by TempletonDesign Standards, amongother problems. TheTempleton CSD raisedobjections to the project’sproposal to construct theseberms on their sewer liftlines. This issue was neveraddressed in the hearing andapproval process. Theunresolved, unmitigatedtraffic and flooding problemswith this project will hauntthe community and thecounty for decades to come.
8
Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug. 2012
A state regulatory agency is prepar-ing a long-awaited draft regulation tocut toxics in everyday products. The rule, required as a result of a2008 law Sierra Club Californiahelped pass, has had a longer route tocompletion than initially envisioned.Known as a “Green Chemistry” rule, itwas first released in draft form by theDepartment of Toxic SubstanceControl (DTSC) during the Schwarz-enegger administration. That draftwas so weak and ineffective the Brownadministration went back to thedrawing board to rewrite it. Sierra Club California and other keystakeholders have had a sneak peak atthe expected new draft. It’s muchbetter than past versions. However,industry pressure is mounting for therule to be weakened before it goespublic. Among the new draft’s improvedfeatures is a robust list of chemicalsthe regulators should consider as theyevaluate groups of products for theirsafety. The new draft includes morethan 2,100 chemicals, culled fromother vetted lists of chemicals knownto be harmful to people and theenvironment. Chemical industryrepresentatives and manufacturersare asking that the DTSC’s list be cutdown to as few as 100. There are morethan 100,000 chemicals used incommerce. Sierra Club California is workingwith allies to support the longer list,and asking that the list of productsthat contain the chemicals, and thatare scheduled to be reviewed underthe rule, be expanded. Additionally,we are pressing for ways for thepublic, not just industry stakeholders,to participate more fully as theregulation is implemented. The Green Chemistry law intendedthat California, as one of the world’slargest economies, protect publichealth and the environment fromunnecessary exposure to dangerouschemicals in consumer products. Thenew rule needs to reflect this intent.Sierra Club California staff areworking with toxics safety allies tosend a loud and clear message to theindustry and regulators that ourchildren and our environmentdemand safer products. You can read our latest commentletter to DTSC at sierraclubcalifornia.org/2012/06/04/clubpushestocuttoxicsexposure.
State regulators are facing industrypressure on a broad front, not just toweaken protections from toxics beforea formal draft of Green Chemistryrules is released. The next few monthswill be a dangerous time for Cali-fornia’s environmental quality. Big Oil is stepping up a strategy toattack landmark policies designed to
About Sweet Springs… I am a longtime supporter of Sierra Club both in California and Nevada, andfind myself appalled at the short sightedness of the local Sierra Club’s view/support of the Sweet Springs plan to destroy old trees in the name of conserva-tion (“About Sweet Springs…,” April). Did you all forget what the word means? I live across the street from the Sweet Springs Preserve. One of my choices tolive here were the beautiful and fragrant eucalyptus trees across the street andupwind from me. A native Californian myself, I grew up along the NorthernCalifornia coast with these trees, and they were there long before my 63 years.It is the nature of life be in change. We may not always like the changes, but ifyou live long enough, it is clear that holding onto the past is a lesson infrustration. These old trees came to our land, thrived and made a home herefor themselves and numerous plant and animal lives. In years to come, thispurist, hold-onto-the-past view that includes cutting down the Cyprus andEucalyptus trees will be pointed to as the grievous error it is. Let us take a longtime to determine whether this is the right course before losing these icono-clastic behemoths that so many of us love and that now have an ecosystem oftheir own. Perhaps we should consider getting rid of all the non-native Califor-nians before we kill these trees.
B. Misty WycoffLos Osos
It has been saddening to see Audubon’s proposed restoration project at theLos Osos Sweet Springs Nature Preserve — a project that will enhance thepreserve’s value as wildlife habitat — become a contest of personal aestheticsvs. endangered species. The first requirement of conservation is to acknowl-edge that nature is about the reality of ecology and ecosystems, not ananalogy about plants as immigrants seeking their fortune and meeting therequirements for citizenship. Managing Sweet Springs to give threatenedspecies a chance to survive and the ecosystem a chance to recover from theencroachment of invasive species requires removing as much of the veldt grassas possible and thinning the eucalyptus — not including those that currentlyserve the needs of nesting raptors and Monarch butterflies — and replacingthem with native coast live oaks, sycamores, myrtles, willows and coastal duneshrubs. The planning process will take the requisite long time to determinewhether this is the right course. The Sierra Club supports healthy ecosystems and the survival of endangeredspecies. We do not support extinction under the euphemism of “change.” Wesupport the East Sweet Springs habitat enhancement project because we havenot forgotten what the word “conservation” means.
end its monopoly on transportationfuels. Organized legislative attacks onenvironmental review are in fullswing, with help from the governor’soffice. Now, more than ever, the environ-ment needs a strong voice in the StateCapitol. Sierra Club California staffmembers are that voice, but we can’tdo it alone. We need your help tomake sure we have the resources—
Club Pushes to Cut Toxics ExposureBy Annnie Pham, Legislative Assistant, Sierra Club California
especially the dollars—to keep us asactive and effective as possible.Every dollar you give literally buyslobbying time for the environment.Help us protect California. Pleasedonate today. You may securely donate online atsierraclubcalifornia.org or send acheck to Sierra Club California at 801K Street, Suite 2700, Sacramento, CA95814.
Letterssend to: [email protected], or SierraClub, P.O. Box 15755, San Luis Obispo, CA93406. Letters may be edited for space.
TAKE ACTION
On June 18, the U.S. Fish and Wild-life Service designated approximately24,527 acres of coastal habitat inWashington, Oregon and California ascritical habitat for the Pacific Coastpopulation of the western snowyplover, including 1,076 acres of MorroBay beach and 1,652 acres in theNipomo and Guadalupe Dunes. The plover is protected as a threat-ened species under the EndangeredSpecies Act (ESA). Critical habitat isa term in the ESA that identifiesgeographic areas containing featuresessential for the conservation of athreatened or endangered species, andwhich may require special manage-ment considerations or protection.Designation of critical habitat has noimpact on private landowners takingactions on their land that do notrequire federal funding or permits. Itis used to notify other Federal agen-cies of areas that must be givenspecial consideration when they areplanning, implementing, or fundingactivities that may affect designatedcritical habitat. The designation revises the Service’sprevious critical habitat designationfor the plover and represents asignificant increase from the 12,150acres the Service proposed to desig-nate as critical habitat in 2005. Thatdesignation was quickly engulfed byclouds of scandal wafting from theBush administration’s anti-environ-mental Interior Department and gotthe Fish and Wildlife Service sued bythe Center for Biological Diversityover improper analysis of economicimpacts, inappropriate interpretationof the Endangered Species Act and itsimplementing regulations, and poli-tical interference. In settlement ofthat lawsuit, the Service proposed therevised critical habitat designation onMarch 22, 2011, encompassing a totalof 47 discrete areas or units in Cali-fornia, nine in Oregon and four inWashington. The expanded designation wasbitterly opposed by the off-road lobby,which instigated a national letter-writing campaign to remove theOceano Dunes State VehicularRecreation Area (Unit CA-31) fromthe proposed designation. Fortunately, they failed. (See “Pullfor the Plovers,” June 2011.) In our
2011 letter of comment to theFish and Wildlife Service, theSanta Lucia Chapter pointedout that “State Parks’ man-agement of the Oceano DunesState Vehicular RecreationArea continues to result in thetake of Western Snowy Ploverin violation of both State andFederal Endangered SpeciesActs, the California CoastalAct, and California Fish andGame Code Section 3511. Wesupport the proposed rulerevising designated critical
Plovers Win Fight for Critical Habitathabitat for the Pacific Coast popula-tion of the Western Snowy Plover andurge special management consider-ations and protection for Unit CA-31as required to minimize habitatdestruction, degradation, and frag-mentation associated with recre-ational activities and off-highwayvehicle use.” The designated critical habitat ispart of the unique and increasinglyrare coastal beach-dune ecosystemhabitat along the Pacific Coastessential to the survival and recoveryof the plover. Using the best availablescientific information, the Servicedetermined that the plover requiresadditional critical habitat to offsetanticipated adverse effects of risingsea level due to climate change, andto reflect increased understanding ofthe important role that unoccupiedhabitat can provide for the conserva-tion and recovery of imperiledspecies.
Nice one The environmental communityprevailed in the designation of 1,652 acresof critical habitat for the snowy plover at theOceano and Guadalupe Dunes.PLOVER continued on page 10
Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug. 20129
The 2012 California Ocean andCoastal Amateur PhotographyContest is seeking your bestsummer beach pictures! Amateur photographers areinvited to upload up to five photosdepicting the scenic coast andPacific Ocean off California,native ocean and coastal wildlife, orpeople and the California coast,and then encourage your friends tovote. Online voters will pick a “viewers’choice” winner, while separate“judges’ choice” winners will beselected for first, second, and thirdplace. Winners will select from thefollowing donated prizes:
l An overnight stay in Sonoma County courtesy of The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa.l An overnight stay in Orange County courtesy of the Fairmont Newport Beach hotel.l An overnight stay in San Jose, courtesy of the Fairmont San Jose hotel.l An overnight stay in San Francisco, courtesy of the Fairmont Hotel San Francisco atop Nob Hill.
The deadline to enter is July 13th, 2012 and online voting runs through July27th. Entry is free. To enter your photos or vote for others, visitmycoastalphoto.com. Sponsored by the California Coastal Commission, Thank You Ocean Cam-paign, and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts of California.
Peter Douglas,legendary Execu-tive Director of theCalifornia CoastalCommission,passed away onApril 1. A memorialservice was held atCrystal Cove on theNewport Coast ofCalifornia onJune 1. He wrote thesewords to be read athis memorial:
I leave with warm feelings of love, friendship and gratitude in a heart that hasnow been stilled. Having come to terms with demons and virtues, mystrengths, weaknesses and transgressions, I have no regrets other than notbeing able to do much I would yet have wanted to accomplish. My life has beenchallenging, meaningful, fulfilling and spiritually rewarding. During my brieftime in the sun I was privileged with gifts of profound love, the adventures ofparenting, the honor of service, and an enduring zeal for learning and discov-ery.
With the passage of years, I grew younger at heart. I looked within for answersto perplexing questions the inquiring of all ages ask. I found peace andharmony there, notwithstanding the push and pull of passions with which Iwas amply endowed. Though ever optimistic, I could not, of late, totallywithstand a depressing sense of despair arising from a growing accumulationof proof that ours is a devolving culture characterized by avarice, intolerance,cynical manipulation of thought and suppression of critical thinking, intellec-tual myopia, dishonesty and laziness, selfishness, tyranny of corporate oligar-chy, deliberate disenfranchisement, growing poverty, mindless, unconscio-nable despoliation of Gaia, and political pusillanimity by liberals andprogressives.
Notwithstanding gnawing pessimism and no matter how irremediable thedeclining condition of the planet seems, humans are responsible and what youdo and don’t do is the legacy you leave -- your footprints in the sands of timeand the measure of your presence here. My activist days are over, but yours arenot. If you wish to give in my memory, give of yourselves -- renew your resolveand commit yourself to continuing making a difference. Never give up! Inspireand empower the young to get involved. Encourage activism. Speak truth topower and remember the power of truth. Mother Earth and the powerless needyour courage, resolve, and convictions. Eschew pusillanimity. Don’t becomecomfortable with the status quo. Your life is short; your legacy is long. Lookwithin for meaning and reward. Do your best but by all means try. I knew thedifficulties of staying with the struggle. But more importantly, I internalizedthe sustaining power of perseverance. There is reward in the trying, too. Make adifference! You are the only one who can. Carpe vita!
National Ocean Policy Workshop
By the Otter Project
The Central Coast is home toCalifornia’s first network of underwa-ter parks, known as Marine ProtectedAreas, developed under the MarineLife Protection Act. Designated in2007, these 29 MPAs set the standardfor the rest of the state. Implementing the MLPA requiresmore than just establishing MPAs.Now that they are designated,stakeholders must ensure theirsuccess through active monitoringand by building awareness in localcommunities. The Otter Project promotes the
rapid recovery of the California seaotter through science-based policyand advocacy. As part of our effort toprotect sea otter habitat, the OtterProject was heavily involved with theformation of Marine Protected Areasalong California’s central coast. Wewill be training a network of volun-teers to monitor resource use in andaround MPAs from Año Nuevo toCambria. Volunteers will be trained toidentify ocean activities and collectdata. MPAs are a cutting edge tool ofocean conservation and we want toknow how they work! Volunteers will be responsible forcollecting and recording data onnear-shore ocean resource use. Thiswill involve monitoring shoreline and
In Memoriam MPA Watch: A Citizen ActionNetwork for Healthy Oceans
MPA WATCH continued on page 10
Ode to the Ocean
Wind, water, rocksScour out the mind
Leaving bare essence.The rest is flotsam and jetsam.
- Judith Bernstein
Protected area management can only be effective if it is based on accurateknowledge on how people are affecting the resources within the protected area.
- Dr. Peter MousThe Nature Conservancy
Ocean & Coastal AmateurPhoto Contest
Enter now & vote online
Sierra Club’s MarineAction Team cordiallyinvites you to attend atraining on theNational Ocean Policy(NOP) on Sunday, July29, from 12-5 p.m. atthe Goleta BranchLibrary, 500 N. Fair-view Ave., Goleta. Two years ago, onJuly 19, 2010, Presi-dent Obama signed anExecutive Order toestablish the NationalOcean Policy to prioritize marine stewardship and better coordinate use of ourocean and Great Lakes resources. The NOP is not a new law, but rather a way toencourage all 27 agencies currently working in our oceans and Great Lakes toadopt a formal policy to strategically manage our oceans—and the economiesand ecological systems that depend on them. Since the summer of 2010, NOP implementation has been an uphill battle,mainly due to gridlock in Congressional appropriations and Federal budgetcuts. Meanwhile, regional groups such as the Northeast Regional OceanCouncil and West Coast Governor’s Alliance on Ocean Health continue tocollaborate and integrate their ocean policy and decision making. The NOP is a significant document for our nation. To keep this policy frombecoming nothing more than “pie in the sky,” Sierra Club’s Marine ActionTeam has adopted it and is aggressively recruiting activists throughout thecountry to join the team and help in the push for implementation. Whatever your local ocean or marine related issue is—whether it is extensionof a National Marine Sanctuary or wetland restoration—it can be benefited bythe National Ocean Policy. One of the nine priorities of the NOP is CoastalMarine Spatial Planning, which plays a huge role in protecting marine ecosys-tems—as evidenced by the Marine Life Protection Act and the network ofMarine Protected Areas now spanning the length of the California coast. The Sierra Club Marine Action Team will be hosting nine trainings in variousregions throughout the Nation (California, Washington, Virginia, Hawaii, theGulf and the Southeast) this summer to train local Sierra Club members on
l The history of the NOP;l Content of the NOP;l Current Status and Issues surrounding the NOP;l How to use the NOP to benefit your local campaign/marine issues; andl How you can stay involved and help implement the NOP (letters, lobbying, etc.). For more information, contact NOP Project Manager Roxy Carter [email protected].
10
Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug. 2012
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ocean activities at a specified site forone or two-hour shifts. Shifts can beirregularly scheduled, but must becoordinated with a partner andcommitted to in advance. It is widely acknowledged thatensuring compliance with MPAregulations is essential to the successof MPAs. Yet no quantitative studieson compliance to MPA regulationsexist. To date, the success of MPAs haslargely been evaluated based onecological monitoring results. To ensure that evaluations are
management agencies coping withnew regulations.
Spend a day at the beach & call itwork! Volunteer for MPA Watch! TheOtter Project is now seeking volun-teers for this exciting monitoringprogram:
Requirements Endurance: Volunteers must be ableto spend at least one hour outdoors inunpredictable central coast weather.Some monitoring sites require mod-erate hiking. Open Mind: Volunteers will be askedto use basic field technology (binocu-lars, GPS, digital cameras) and webtools (meetup.com and Google docs)to access materials and information,and report data. No previous experi-ence required but willingness to learnis advisable. Flexibility: Volunteers are asked toprovide feedback on monitoringprotocols and troubleshoot problemsin the field.
Commitment• Volunteers must commit to a mini-mum of 2 hrs/week of monitoring forat least 3 months.
• Volunteers must attend 2-3 hourtraining (Either via online training oran in person session, plus field time).• Once trained, volunteer monitoringtimes are flexible but must be coordi-nated with a partner.• Volunteers are also asked to attend aone-hour social catch up every 6 – 8weeks to submit data, give input,receive feedback and collaborate withother volunteers.
Regions• Santa Cruz Region—ranges fromAño Nuevo SMCA to Natural BridgesSMR.• Monterey Region—ranges fromaround the Monterey Peninsula to BigCreek SMR.• San Luis Obispo Region—rangesfrom the Piedras Blancas SMR downto Point Buchon SMR.
To sign up, contact:[email protected], or call831-646-8837. Visit www.otterproject.org for more info!
Friends of the Earth participated inthe meeting. The California Public UtilitiesCommission is holding hearings onthe Alliance’s opposition to PG&E’snew seismic study funding request forDiablo Canyon. The Alliance filed anopening brief on May 18 and a replybrief on June 1, urging the PUC to
Roofcontinued from page 3
MPA Watchcontinued from page 9
accurate, it is essential that we verifythat the protected area in questionwas protected in practice, and not juston paper. That’s where you come in.
How does it work? MPA Watch is a new programcoordinated by The Otter Project totrain citizen volunteers and docentgroups to monitor resource use inand around MPAs. Volunteers areassigned specific monitoring locationsand asked to record activities they seetaking place. Volunteers’ experiences in the fieldwill be used to develop and improvestandardized monitoring protocol andwill give managers an idea of thescope of resource use and the tools toadaptively manage the program toensure accuracy and reliability. Thedata gathered will be analyzed toanswer the following questions:• Are certain activities increasingaround MPAs (i.e. increased wildlifeviewing, diving, etc.)• Are regulations being followed?• What are the pros and cons of MPAuse? Answering these questions canhelp managers and stakeholderstailor enforcement and outreachefforts. The goal of MPA Watch is tofoster compliance and informmanagement decisions for CentralCoast MPAs by providing useful
information to enforcement and
Nukedcontinued from page 3
direct PG&E to configure its onshoreand offshore seismic surveys to specif-ically address Dr. Douglas Hamilton’stestimony concerning the DiabloCove Fault and the San Luis RangeFault and their interaction (see“Safety is Their Worst Priority,” June). Stay tuned. And stay up to date atwww.a4nr.org.
TAKE ACTION
Generally, people who can afford topurchase a system outright will getthe biggest overall savings, but thereare advantages to leasing a systembesides not having to write a bigcheck (solar panels have gotten a lotcheaper recently, but they’re still asignificant investment for mosthomeowners). One is peace of mind:Sungevity is responsible for themaintenance of leased systems, andthey continuously monitor perfor-mance to make sure everything’sworking right. And when your lease isfinished, you can always opt topurchase the system at fair marketvalue. For more on how solar leaseswork, see our website. There are plenty of great solarinstallers across the country. TheSierra Club chose to partner withSungevity because we support their
vision to grow a grassroots movementof clean-energy homeowners. If youchoose Sungevity, you’ll receive a$750 cash gift card — and Sungevitywill contribute an additional $750 tothe Sierra Club. Not bad. The bestreason to start harvesting all that freesunshine that’s falling on your roof-top, though, is that each kilowatthour of solar you generate eitherreplaces electricity that might other-wise come from burning a fossil fuellike coal or natural gas. And if you charge an EV or plug-inhybrid vehicle at home, you’redisplacing yet another dirty fossil fuel— oil (and saving still more money). Getting an iQuote doesn’t costanything and takes only a few min-utes. If you’re a homeowner like mewho’s been itching to go solar, give ita try — and let me know how it goes.
Plovercontinued from page 8
Over the last forty years,major coastal plovernesting areas have declinedfrom 50 to 28. In addition to loss ofnesting habitat due todevelopment, the size of thepopulation has declined.About 2,500 Pacific Coastwestern snowy ploversbreed along the PacificCoast. Human activity onbeaches during the breed-ing season, includingoperating off-road vehiclesand horseback riding, cancause destruction of eggsand chicks. Predation andencroachment of exoticbeach grass are otherfactors in the decline of thePacific Coast western snowyplover. The rule will go intoeffect on July 19.
Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug. 201211
ClassifiedsNext issue deadline is August 15. To
get a rate sheet or submit your ad
and payment, contact:
Sierra Club - Santa Lucia Chapter
P.O. Box 15755
San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
CYNTHIA HAWLEY
ATTORNEY
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
LAND USE
CIVIL LITIGATION
P.O. Box 29 Cambria California 93428
Phone 805-927-5102 Fax 805-927-5220
A portion of any commissiondonated to the Sierra Club
Pismo toSan Simeon
GREEN HOMES
Les KangasSolar Energy ConsultantREC Solar, Inc.775 Fiero Lane, Suite 200San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Office: (805) 528-9705Cell: (805) 305-7164Toll Free: (888) OK-SOLAR (657-6527)
Fax: (805) 528-9701
Hold Your Water“Slow it, sink it, spread it” is themantra of enlightened water managerswho know that water works best whenit stays on the land where it falls. Now that mantra can be yours, too,along with healthier soils, happierwildlife, and reductions in your waterbill, thanks to the tips and techniquesin Rainwater Management for LowImpact Development, a publication ofthe Appropriate Technology Coalition --SLO Green Build, the Santa Lucia
Chapter of theSierra Club andthe SurfriderFoundation,available for $10postage paid,while supplieslast. Mail yourcheck to SierraClub, P.O. Box15755, SLO93406.
12
Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug. 2012
Outings and Activities CalendarSeller of travel registration information: CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.
This is a partial listing of Outingsoffered by our chapter.
Please check the web pagewww.santalucia.sierraclub.org for
the most up-to-date listing ofactivities.
All our hikes and activities are open to all Club members and the general public. Please bring drinking waterto all outings and optionally a lunch. Sturdy footwear is recommended. All phone numbers listed are withinarea code 805 unless otherwise noted. Pets are generally not allowed. A parent or responsible adult mustaccompany children under the age of 18. If you have any suggestions for hikes or outdoor activities, ques-tions about the Chapter’s outing policies, or would like to be an outings leader, call Outings Chair Joe Morris,772-1875. For information on a specific outing, please call the listed outing leader.
August 12-14, September 9-11Explore the wild, windswept islands of Channel Island National Park. Enjoy thefrolicking seals and sea lions. Train your binoculars on rare sea and land birds.Hike trails bordered by blankets of wildflowers and plants found in no otherplace on earth. Kayak or snorkel the pristine waters— or just relax at sea. Alltours depart from Santa Barbara aboard the 68’ twin diesel Truth. $590 feeincludes an assigned bunk, all meals, snacks, beverages, and the services of aranger/naturalist who will travel with us to lead hikes, call attention to itemsof interest and present evening programs. Proceeds will go to benefit SierraClub California’s political programs. To make a reservation, mail a $100 check,payable to Sierra Club to leader Joan Jones Holtz, 11826 The Wye St., ElMonte, CA 91732. Contact leader for more information, 626-443-0706;[email protected].
Island Hopping in Channel Islands National Park
Fri-Sun, July 13-16. HighlandRange Nevada Service Join rangerJohn from Nevada BLM for a scintil-lating wilderness service project inHighland Range, just south of GreatBasin Nat. Park. Mark old historictrail, clean up aspen grove to keepvehicles on road, inventoryarborglyphs, and erect fencing—allgood work at a scenic location. Central commissary offered. ContactVicky Hoover at [email protected] or 415-977-5527. CNRCC Wilderness Committee. Sat., July 14, 9 a.m. Lopez Lake/Duna Vista Hike 7-mile, 1000 ft.gain,hike on loop trail past the two arms ofLopez Lake to Duna Vista lookoutsummit with 360-degree views ofPacific and Santa Barbara Cty, con-tinuing to another lookout where thetwo waters meet. Duration about 3hrs. Bring adequate water, snacks, hatand sturdy shoes and dress in layersfor the weather. To reach French BoyScout Camp trailhead, drive towardsLopez Lake Recreation Area. Justbefore entrance, after crossing abridge over a lake side canyon, turnright on Hi Mountain Rd and proceedfor .8 mile, turning left on UpperLopez Canyon Rd for 4 miles toentrance of French Boy Scout Camp,on left side of road. Park in campparking lot. Info.: Bill Waycott, 459-2103 or [email protected] Plants, animals, and geology of thearea will be topics on the outing. Fri-Sun, July 20-22 Little RockCanyon Wilderness We will be
rebuilding culvert and doing routerehabilitation on edge of Little HighRock Canyon Wilderness in BlackRock Desert HIgh Rock CanyonImmigrant Trails NCA. All mealsexcept lunch are provided. Info.:Graham Stafford, 775-686-8478,[email protected] or PatBruce (Friends of Nevada Wilderness)at [email protected] Great Basin Group-Toiyabe Chapter. Sun., July 22, 1 p.m. City Walk ofSan Luis Obispo: Jazz Age to theFifties. Where is the hotel whereHearst entertained his guests, thespeakeasies in the twenties, the USOdance hall for GIs after Pearl Harbor,and the original French Hospital? Find out and much more on a guideddowntown stroll past historic stores,theaters, and hotels. Learn aboutSLO city life from years of the ModelT to Prohibition and World War II. Meet at building designed by FrankLloyd Wright, corner of Santa Rosaand Pacific Sts. Info.: Joe Morris,549-0355. Wed., July 25, 7-9 p.m. BimonthlyMeeting: “Best of the Bioneers.” The annual Bioneers conference is agathering place for the most visionaryenvironmental thinkers in the U.S. Atthe last (October 2011) meeting weretwo remarkable speakers: AmoryLovins, chair of the Rocky MountainInstitute, and Rebecca Moore, U.C.Santa Cruz professor. Tonight’smeeting shows videos of theirtwo talks, each lasting about 35minutes. Lovins presents arresting
data and graphs to delineatea practical plan for taking the U.S. offoil and coal by 2050. Moore demon-trates eye-popping uses of GoogleEarth Outreach by environmentalactivists in California, Brazil, andother places to reveal otherwisehidden depredations of naturalresources. Stacey Hunt, director ofthe local Bioneers affiliate,Ecologistics, will introduce theprogram and take time for questionsand discussion. Location: SteynbergGallery, 1531 Monterey St., SLO. Info.: Joe Morris, 549-0355. Sat., July 28, 8:30 a.m. Cruickshankto Soda SpringsTrailheads Moder-ately strenuous, 10-mile hike, 2200 ft.gain. Trail begins with ascent topanoramic overlook of the southernBig Sur coastline, then enters VillaCreek Canyon and to Buckeye Campfor lunch, and finally across RedwoodCreek to Soda Springs trail junction. Bring lunch, snacks, water, and dressfor the weather. Ticks and poison oakare possibilities. Meet at WashburnDay Use Area in San Simeon StatePark. From there, we will drive 40miles to Cruikshank trailhead,first leaving a shuttle car at SodaSprings trailhead 4 miles south. Probable stop for eats afterwards inCambria or MorroBay. Info.: Chuck,441-7597. Sat., Aug. 25, 10a.m. Musical Walkof Old San LuisObispo. Join us on a
guided tuneful stroll past ten landmarks in the historic core ofSLO, to discover two ancient adobes,a stagecoach stop, the Creamery,home of SLO’s first millionaire, and aforgotten WPA project, accompaniedby recordings of authentic songs fromMission days to World War II. Duration about 1 1/2 hrs. Meet at NW corner of Nipomo and Dana Sts. Info.: Joe Morris, 549-0355.
Sign up for a course with theYosemite Conservancy and supportthe future of Yosemite NationalPark. (And get free camping andentrance into Yosemite. )
July 19-22 Seeking Muir’s First Glacier Naturalist PeteDevine will show you where John Muir discovered the firstknown glacier in the Sierra and what climate change has doneto it since then.
July 29-August 3 Advanced Backpack: Southbound RangerDick Ewart takes experienced outdoorspeople on a favoredroute over the crest of the Sierra.
August 2-5 Glen Aulin Backpack Trek Author SuzanneSwedo brings her group to a special place along the TuolumneRiver’s high country canyon.
August 23-26 Lyell Glacier Backpack Trek Pete Devine bringsa group to Yosemite’s highest peak to see the west slope’slargest glacier – before it disappears. Free park entry, free camping. Lodging has been reserved(for an extra fee). Members of the Park’s non-profit YosemiteConservancy take 15% off the course fees. To learn more andregister, see ww.yosemiteconservancy.org/adventures.
Joe Morris, Outings Chair
Sierra Club, Santa Lucia Chapter
(805) 549-0355
