Jul/Aug 2017

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Act by July 10 to Save America’s Natural Treasures Before you visit a scenic wonder on July 4th, write

to assure it will be there in years to come.

By David Wiggins, Conservation Co-Chair

Devils Tower. Public Domain: Wikimedia Commons.

In 1906, under the recently enacted Antiquities Act,

President Theodore Roosevelt created the Devils

Tower National Monument in Wyoming, protecting a stunning 1267-foot volcanic butte and the

surrounding area from mining development. Since

then, presidents of both parties have used the

Antiquities Act to protect and preserve more than 150 of America’s most beautiful and historic places,

ranging from the Statue of Liberty, to California’s

Giant Sequoia groves, to the coral reefs of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Many monuments,

like the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Bryce

Canyon, Arches, and the California Channel Islands, have eventually been converted by

Congress into national parks.

Now President Trump wants to reverse the process, ordering Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to

review all large monuments created since 1996,

(See Treasures, p. 2)

Refineries Put South Bay at Risk Learn What You Can Do on July 26

By Steve Dillow, Conservation Co-Chair

Accidents and explosions continue to plague the Torrance Refinery. Because that refinery and the

Valero facility in Wilmington use the highly toxic

and volatile chemical MHF, a large region is under threat.

Are you in the risk zone? What can you do about it?

Find out at the PVSB general meeting on Wednesday, July 26, 7 p.m. at the P.V. Peninsula

Center Library. Scientist Sally Hayati, PhD, a

founder and current president of The Torrance Refinery Action Alliance (TRAA) will explain the

facts and the strategy.

On May 3, the federal Chemical Safety Board

issued its final report about the February 2015

explosion at the Torrance Refinery. It blames

ExxonMobil for not “conforming to industry standards” and claims, “ExxonMobil continues to

refuse to provide the CSB with information detailing

safeguards to prevent or mitigate a release of HF.” The actions were reported in Esquire magazine:

(See Refineries, p.2)

(Treasures, from p. 1)

and make recommendations for changes or

revocation.

The review includes 27 monuments nationwide, including the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles

County, the Sand to Snow Monument in San

Bernardino and Riverside Counties, the Carrizo Plain in San Luis Obispo County, and the Mojave

Trails north of Joshua Tree. All four are ecologically

significant, all four are crucial open space parkland for Southern California, and all four are gorgeous

beyond words. It’s heartbreaking to think that

Donald Trump could sweep these natural treasures

away by executive decree. We should take some hope in the strong likelihood that the Constitution

forbids it. With the Antiquities Act, the Congress

delegated to the president its constitutional authority to create new monuments on federal land.

But it did not delegate authority to abolish them.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has

written to Zinke pointing out this legal reality, and

warning that he will use all available legal tools to

prevent the abolition or shrinkage of the six national monuments now under review in California. Maine’s

Attorney General has issued a similar warning.

Zinke has already recommended that Trump scale

back the size of the Bears Ears Monument in Utah,

a land rich with Native American artifacts and

breathtaking natural vistas. The Department of the Interior has closed public comment on Bears Ears.

But if you object to the threat to the other 26

monuments that are part of our historic and natural heritage, let them know now. They are accepting

public comments until July 10. I urge you

to make your voice heard at https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=DOI-

2017-0002-0001. Let’s stop this outrageous and

unconstitutional action.

(Refineries, from p. 1)

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a55169/epa-regulation-

corporations-poison/

Al Muratsuchi introduced a set of bills on the issue

to the State Assembly, but the primary bill banning

MHF was extended to a two-year bill, as the

Assembly waits for action by the South Coast AQMD.

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The AQMD is set to allocate funds to monitor the

air quality around the Torrance Refinery and to work on an alarm system to notify neighbors when

an “event” occurs. But as far as the permanent

solution of banning MHF, they seem inclined to

postpone any requirements in hopes that new technologies may emerge in a few years. We

cannot afford to live under this threat for ten or

more years.

No need to wait for the PVSB meeting to take

action. Send letters or emails of support, both to the AQMD

(http://www.aqmd.gov/home/regulations/complianc

e/torrance) and to Assemblyman Muratsuchi

(https://a66.asmdc.org/ ). Please tell them to enact new regulations to be effective as soon as possible.

For more information visit the AQMD website, or

the TRAA Web page (https://safetorrancerefinery.wordpress.com/) and

sign the petition there.

Sierra Club Success in City Elections By Dean Francois, Political Chair

Good news: Sierra Club-endorsed candidates won

in city elections. In Redondo Beach, Nils Nehrenheim and Todd Lowenstein got council

seats and Bill Brand won as mayor. These

candidates have fought to reduce the size and scope of harbor development. Bill, a two-term

council member, has been a champion of the

environment. Stay tuned for the appeal of the

development project in King Harbor. Sierra Club joined the appeal to the California Coastal

Commission, which recently voted to give it a full

hearing.

In Palos Verdes Estates, Sandy Davidson was

elected to the city council. Sandy was vocal on the

issue of saving city parklands. Earlier, we endorsed Stacy Armato, Justin Massey, and Jeff Duclos who

all won seats on the Hermosa Beach City Council.

To learn about Sierra Club endorsements before an

election, join the Club; we don’t campaign in the

Foggy View, which is available to nonmembers. The endorsement process is complex, but it starts

right here at the group level! We encourage Club

members to get involved in this process. Join our

political committee. Or volunteer to be on an interview committee for future local elections.

Contact Dean Francois at 310-938-2191 or

savethestrand@yahoo.com.

Along the Path: A Young Person’s Guide to Exploring Nature

MightyThingsCanComeinSmallPackages

BySusanRothrockDeo

I like to hike theOcean Trails Reserve near the golf course in Rancho Palos

Verdes,especiallyinthespring.IadmirethebrightyellowsmilesofCalifornia

bush sunflowers,watch for graywhalesblowingas they swimnorth to their

Alaska home, and hope to spy an elusive California gnatcatcher. For years I

neversawone,andthenoneday Iwaswalkingalongthepathandheardto

myrightthatlittlekitten-mewingsongtheysing.ThenIhearditagaintomyleft!Loandbehold,therewasonesittingon

acoyotebushtomyright,andanotheronanartemesiabushtomyleft!TheyweresocloseI’mnotsureiftheywere

upsetwithmeorwitheachotherforinterlopingontheirpersonalterritories.Iwillneverforgetthatmoment.

I’mfascinatedwiththis littlegraysongbird: itspertblacktailwithwhiteedging, itssonglikethe“mew”ofakitten. It

weighsnomorethananickelbuthashadamajorimpactonthelandscapeofSouthernCalifornia.Howcansuchatiny

birddothat?

Back in the 1980’s a scientist named Jon Atwood chose the little

gnatcatchers in Palos Verdes as his PhD research project. The birds

weren’tcalledCaliforniagnatcatchersthen.Theywerethoughttobe

a local population of the Blue Gray gnatcatcher. As he studied the

birds, though, he realized they were distinct from the blue gray

gnatcatcherand,becauseofhis research, in1989theOrnithological

UniondeclaredtheCaliforniagnatcatcheraseparatespecies.TheU.S.

population is very small and only found from Los Angeles County

southtoSanDiego.TheplightoftheCaliforniagnatcatcherbecamea

rallyingcryforpeoplewholovedbirdsandnature.Thebirds’special

habitat, the coastal sage scrub, was disappearing. Everyone clamored to use the gnatcatcher’s land for their own

purposes:homes,roads,parks,businesses,golfcourses,aswellasnaturalareas.Howcouldallthepeopleandthebirds

besatisfied?

Afteryearsofdiscussionsandproposals,localcitizens,environmentalgroups,businessesandgovernmentorganizations

cameupwithaplan topreserve land for thegnatcatchersandotherspecieswhoseexistencewas threatenedby too

muchdevelopment.Thecompromiseallowedeveryonetogetsomeofwhattheywanted.Theplanisn’tperfect,butit

lookslikethebirdsareheretostay.

So,thenexttimeyouarehikingthebluff,listenforthatsoftmewinginthecoastalsagescrub,ortrytocatchaglimpse

ofatinygraybirdflittingabouttheartemesiacatchingspidersandinsectsandrememberthatsometimesmightythings

docomeinsmallpackages.

Susan Deo (author) is a Sierra Club member who has taught life science, marine biology, and environmental education from pre-school to the college level. A docent with Los Serenos de Point Vicente, she has published short stories and essays and is working on several picture books and middle grade novels. Dinuk Magammana (bird photographer) is a Senior Recreation Leader at the Madrona Marsh Preserve Nature Center.

“Along the Path: A Young Person’s Guide to Exploring Nature” is a recurring column, by various authors, for the eternally

curious.

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IMPORTANTNOTICESIn order to participate on one of the Sierra Club's outings, you will need to sign a liability waiver. If you would like to read a copy of the waiver prior to the outing, please see http://content.sierraclub.org/outings/local-outdoors/resources or call 415-977-5528. In the interest of facilitating the logistics of some outings, it is customary that participants make carpooling arrangements. The Sierra Club does not have insurance for carpooling arrangements and assumes no liability for them. Carpooling, ride sharing, or anything similar is strictly a private arrangement among the participants. Participants assume the risks associated with this travel. For bus trips, our seller of travel number is CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.

NOTICEREGARDINGMINORSON LOCAL PVSB HIKES, MINORS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A PARENT.

For overnight trips: Each minor participant must have a Minor Waiver form, available at http://angeles.sierraclub.org/sites/angeles.sierraclub.org/files/docs/get_outdoors/SierraClubMinor_Waiver.pdf . If the minor is not accompanied by a parent or guardian, they must also have a Medical Treatment Authorization & Consent Form (Minor Release) available at http://angeles.sierraclub.org/sites/angeles.sierraclub.org/files/docs/get_outdoors/SierraClubMinorRelease.PDF signed by a parent or guardian. Minors not having these signed forms shall not go on the hike.

Note: Activities may be changed, added or cancelled. Always check: http://angeles.sierraclub.org/palos_verdes_south_bay/current_activities_calendar

Weekly Conditioning Hikes

Conditioning Hikes: Wear lug sole boots.

Arrive early. Rain cancels. Bring red lens flashlight.

Monday Nights O: Rancho Palos Verdes: Slow moderate 2 hr 4-6 mi hike. Not for beginners. Leave 6:30 p.m. from Rancho del Mar High School parking lot. Hike the trails of Portuguese Bend Reserve, Filiorum, and some streets. Some steep trails. Only one group, not for beginners. Ldrs: Bill Lavoie, Zoltan Stroll, Kevin Schlunegger.

Tuesday Nights O: San Pedro/PV: 2 hr, 5-8 mi hike on flat/hilly streets/trails. Slow-moderate (suitable for newcomers/ beginners). Leave 6:30 p.m. from 8th and Averill. Ldr: Joyce White, Kevin Schlunegger. No hike July 4.

Tuesday Nights O: Hermosa/Manhattan Beach: Moderate 1 1/2 hr, 4 mile hike on Greenbelt and hilly streets. Good for beginners. Leave 7 p.m. from far end of parking lot of Hermosa Valley School (1645 Valley Dr.) Ldrs: Chris Albertson, Alix Benson, Frank L. Atkin, Sharon Brossier, Paul Rosenberger. No hike July 4.

Thursday Nights O: Palos Verdes Peninsula:

Not for beginners. 5-8 mi in 2 hours with many hills through various areas on the Peninsula. Multiple speed groups. Start in the slowest group and work your way up. (The faster groups may not be able to wait for anyone who cannot keep up.) Please come EARLY so that everyone can sign the Waiver by 6:30. Meet in the Peninsula Center parking lot near Hawthorne & Silver Spur (next to Opus Bank). Ldrs: Bill Lavoie, Brooks Chadwick, Joyce White, Zoltan Stroll, Jacques Monier, Kevin Schlunegger

Monthly Activities

Executive Committee Meeting. First Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. the PVSB Group Executive Committee meets to discuss matters relevant to the Group. Meeting open to all Sierra Club members. Call Call a member of the Executive Committee for meeting location.

Moonlit Hikes in Palos Verdes O. Friday before or on full moon. Meet 7:30 p.m. Easy to moderate 1.5-2 hr hike in Palos Verdes hills. Go for pizza afterwards. Check website for details and exceptions.

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Notice: For all Sat & Sun hikes,

wear lug sole boots, bring a snack & water.

If you anticipate rain, wear rain gear. Minors are permitted if accompanied

on the hike by a parent.

Jul 15, Sat, O: Ocean Trails Hike Moderate 4 mi, 1000 gain. Meet at 8:00 AM. Take Palos Verdes Dr South to La Rotonda Dr to end, into the trail parking lot (inside the gate). We will take the Prickly Pear, Ocean Vista, East Portal, Gnatcatcher, Switchback, Dudleya and Lakeview Trails, and will walk beside the ocean and visit tidal pools. Ldrs: Steven Morris, Kevin Schlunegger Jul 22, Sat, O: Highridge Park hike Join us on a moderate 6.5 mi, 1200' gain, 2.5 hr hike on equestrian trails in Rolling Hills Estates and hilly trails overlooking the ocean in Rancho Palos Verdes. Meet at Highridge Park in Rolling Hills Estates at 8:00 AM. Park in the parking lot off Highridge Rd or on Highridge Rd adjacent to the parking lot entrance. The Park is 0.9 mi south of the intersection of Hawthorne and Highridge & 0.5 mi. north of Crest Rd. and Highridge Rd. Ldrs: Steven Morris, Linda J Werk

Aug 05, Sat, O: Chandler Preserve Hike Moderate 6.5 mi, 600 gain. Meet at 8:00 AM on Palos Verdes Dr East 1/8 mile south of Palos Verdes Dr North, at trailhead. We will take the Junes, Dapplegray, Dales, Empty Saddle, Saddlehorn Loop, John Howard, Circle, Mailbox and George F Canyon Trails. Ldrs: Steven Morris, Kevin Schlunegger Aug 12, Sat, O: George F – PVLF hike Moderate 6.5 mi, 600’ gain. Meet 8:00 AM. Palos Verdes DR East 1/8 mile south of Palos Verdes DR North, at trailhead. We will take the June’s, Botanical Garden, Moccasin, Chandler’s Park, Palos Verdes Drive North and School Trails. Ldrs: Steven Morris, Linda J Werk

Jul 27-30 Thu-Sun O: Mammoth-Yosemite-Bristlecone Pine Forest Bus Trip: Hike through grassy meadows under towering pines, soak your feet in pristine alpine lakes, and feast your eyes on vistas of snow-capped granite peaks. Enjoy 4 days of glorious hiking on some of the most spectacular trails in the Sierras & the Hoover wilderness near Yosemite. Grand finale: hiking among the oldest living things on the planet in the ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Participants must be fit enough to hike 5-7 miles in hilly terrain at high altitudes. Stay all 3 nights in Mammoth Lakes’ Sierra Nevada Inn. Price includes bus, shared motel room, driver’s gratuity, & snacks. Depart early Thu. from Redondo Beach and return Sun. night. $40 cancellation fee. If you cancel less than 30 days before departure, you will receive a refund only if the trip is full. Send 2 business-size SASEs, H&W phones, gender (M or F), email address, & check to PVSB Sierra Club for $370 to Terri Straub, 28017 Indian Rock Dr., Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. 90275. Ldrs: Minoo Hart (minimars2000@hotmail.com), Terri Straub (terristraub@hotmail.com)

Co-Ldrs: Emile Fiesler and Tejinder Dhillon.

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EXECUTIVECOMMITTEE*votingofficer

GroupChair,ChapterExCom&ConservationRep

AlSattler*310-831-0032

ViceChair,Membership&Outreach

BillLavoie*310-378-8723

Secretary,AlternateChapterExComRep

MarciaCook* 310-324-9827

Treasurer

ZoltanStroll* 310-378-8975

FoggyViewEditor

JudyHerman* 310-377-8047

ConservationCo-Chairs

MelanieCohen*310-994-8016

DaveWiggins*310-529-2051

SteveDillow*310-316-0441

Outings&SafetyChair

FrankAtkin* 310-378-5008

Programs&SocialChair

JoyceWhite*310-383-5247

PoliticalChair,ChapterPoliticalRep

DeanFrancois* 310-938-2191

Publicity&WebsiteCoordinator

PaulRosenberger310-545-3531

Webmaster

MichaelMoore310-398-8219

PV-SBGROUPHIKELEADERSCurrentLeadersactiveinthePV-SBGroup

Name PhoneRating

ChrisAlbertson 310-848-0731 O

FrankAtkin 310-378-5008 I

TerryBass 310-539-8227 O

BobBeach 310-375-0898 M

AlixBenson 310-379-8066 O

RichardBoardman 310-374-4371 M

BarryBonnickson 310-519-0778 O

DennisBosch 310-328-3874 O

StephenBradford 310-993-5501 O

SharonBrossier 310-376-1416 O

UrsulaCarmody 310-539-2259 O

BrooksChadwick 310-544-0600 O

DorieChadwick 310-544-0600 O

ArleneChao 310-541-3902 O

MikeDillenback 310-378-7495 I

EmileFiesler 720-834-2878 O

SandyGraham 714-282-5661 O

MinooHart 310-375-3340O

Name PhoneRating

GregHitchings 310-541-3902 O

DaveHixson 310-676-8848 O

BarryHolchin 310-378-3780 M

DonnaLauck 310-541-4416 O

BillLavoie 310-378-8723 O

KeithMartin 626-396-9701 M

JacquesMonier 310-320-1249 O

StevenMorris 310-530-8708O

MaryBethOubre 310-640-8386 O

PaulRosenberger 310-545-3531 O

KentSchwitkis 310-540-5558 I

JudyShane 310-379-1111 O

TerriStraub 310-544-5017O

ZoltanStroll 310-378-8975 O

LindaWerk 310-676-6171 O

PhilWheeler 310-346-2619 I

JoyceWhite 310-383-5247 O CatherineWhittington 310-532-2380 O

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Sep 2-Sep 4 Sat-Mon Catalina Island in Paradise Kevin Schlunegger 619-804-6616 kevin.schlune@gmail.com Ron Domash 818-891-1848 rdomash@yahoo.com

Cross listing this trip from the 20's & 30's Section of the Sierra Club. Co-led by Kevin Schlunegger Reservation Deadline: 08/20/2017 Fee: $290 (SC) | $311 (Non SC) Coordinators: Kevin Schlunegger Ron Domash Jason Hashimoto, Tiffani Bruno Sanam. Camp Emerald Bay, located on the undeveloped West End of Catalina Island, has secluded beaches and coves and enjoys unparalleled access to the natural gems of Catalina's singular ecosystem. The hiking trails that radiate from camp provide the perfect opportunity to spot the Catalina Island Fox or even an occasion wandering bison. Daytime fun includes: leader-led hikes, snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, volleyball, sunbathing, scavenger hunt, and more. Nighttime activities include: happy hour, karaoke, and optional singles’ mixers, dance lessons with expert teachers, dancing to hip tunes played by a DJ, games, campfire hosted by a musician, or simply relaxing and stargazing. We will be chartering two boats that will depart from and return to Long Beach. Accommodations: Option 1) Pre-assembled 2-person tents Option 2) Rustic wood cabins w/electric lights/outlets with bunk beds sleeps up to 8 persons. Cabins are same sex. Each cabin has an attached bathroom. For all the details, go to http://angeles.sierraclub.org/palos_verdes_south_bay/current_activities_calendar and click on September 2.

Get notified when the Foggy View online is updated.

The Foggy View is published bi-monthly on the PV-SB website: http://angeles.sierraclub.org/palos_verdes_south_bay/foggy_view. To receive an email notice when the Foggy View is posted, fill out the form below and mail it to PV-SB Group Sierra Club, PO Box 2464, PVP, CA 90274, or send that information to pvsbfveditor@ymail.com. Contact the Membership Chair if you have any questions. Name: _____________________________________Sierra Club #:___________________Exp. Date: ____ Address:___________________________________City:_________________________State:___Zip:_________ Phone: (_____)__________________________Email:______________________________________________

Thank you for your membership! Remember to renew!

The deadline for the next Foggy View is Aug. 15. Submit photos and article ideas to the editor.

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