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Santa Lucian • Sept./Oct. 20171 SANTA
LUCIAN Sept./Oct. 2017Volume 54 No.8
T h e o f f i c i a l n e w s l e t te r o f th e Sa n ta L u c i a C h a p te r o f t h e S i e r r a C l u b ~ Sa n L u i s O b i s p o Co u n t y, C a l i f o r n i a
IIIII n s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d eMeeting: Changing for climate change 2
Slouching toward Las Pilitas 3
SLO: Go 100% renewable 5
What is Zinke thinking? 6
Classifieds 7
Outings 8
Please recycle
This newsletter printed on100% post-consumer recycled paper with soy-
based inks
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w w ww w ww w ww w ww w w. s i e r r a c l u b . o r g. s i e r r a c l u b . o r g. s i e r r a c l u b . o r g. s i e r r a c l u b . o r g. s i e r r a c l u b . o r g /////s a n t a - l u c i as a n t a - l u c i as a n t a - l u c i as a n t a - l u c i as a n t a - l u c i a
Bring theOutrageAttention Oceano, Guadalupe, Nipomo Mesa: The fightfor your lives is about to happen at the CoastalCommission’s meeting in Cambria
Trump is Attacking theCentral CoastTell the SLO City Council to fight back
Our Silent AssemblymanOn the Oceano Dunes, Senator Mon-ning and Assemblyman Cunninghamare a study in contrasts
On July 9, the SLOTribune printed aneditorial headlinedwith the followingquestion: “NipomoMesa has some of thedirtiest air in thenation. So where’s theoutrage?”
The editorial followed theissuance of a Notice ofViolation of Rule 1001 —aka the Dust Rule — toState Parks’ Off-HighwayMotor Vehicle RecreationDivision by a fed-up SLOAir Pollution ControlDistrict the previous month.The OHMVR Division wasfound to be failing toimplement agreed-uponmeasures for dust controlmeasures at the OceanoDunes and actively hinder-ing air quality monitoring. Sometime betweenSeptember 13 and 15 (go towww.coastal.ca.gov andclick on “Meetings,” then“Monthly Agenda”), theOHMVR Division will beapplying to the CoastalCommission for a CoastalDevelopment Permit (CDP)for a five-year dust controlplan at the Oceano DunesState Vehicular RecreationArea. Both the SLO APCDand the California AirResources Board have pro-nounced the plan inad-equate to solve the problem.Judging by Coastal staff’scomments on the plan’sEnvironmental ImpactReport (see “On theThreshold of Insignifi-cance,” May), it is likely tobe a lively permit hearing. The solution to the prob-lem was laid out by theSLO APCD in an August 7letter to the Coastal Com-mission. The relevant text isworth reprinting in full:
“…We believe the type andgeneral locations of dustcontrol measures describedby OHMVR in their CDPapplication and analyzedthrough the EIR is broadenough and providessufficient flexibility toallow the Coastal Commis-sion to grant the permit withthe following importantcaveats:
1. The boundary of theproposed dust mitigationproject area (Figures 2.8and 2.9 in OHMVR’s CDPapplication) contains asubstantial setback fromshore and excludes somenorthern riding areas. Suchboundary limits precludesome of the most emissiveareas in the ODSVRA fromconsideration for dustcontrols, as shown inOHMVR’s own emissivitystudies and on the CARBemissions modeling map(Attachment 1). Suchexclusions are inappropriatewithout scientific evidenceor modeling that demon-strates controls in theseareas are not needed to
protect public health. Thus,the proposed project areashould not exclude anyhighly emissive areas fromconsideration as possiblelocations for dust control.
2. The amount ofmitigation proposed to beinstalled in a given year (40acres of wind fencing and20 acres of vegetation) is aself-imposed constraint byOHMVR that may notallow them to meet compli-ance with the emissionreduction requirements ofRule 1001. Thus, theCommission approvalprocess should consider theability to install, in anygiven year, any amount ofdust mitigation shown to benecessary by the CARBmodeling and the APCD-approved PMRP, providedit complies with CoastalCommission requirements.
3. Studies conducted bythe Desert ResearchInstitute (DRI), undercontract to OHMVR, haveshown that vegetation is themost effective method ofdust control; it is 90% -99% effective at reducingsand flux, and is also theleast costly control methodover time, providingpermanent rather thanseasonal emission reduc-tions. OHMVR’s proposalto plant most of the newvegetation outside theriding areas is contrary tothe data from the compre-hensive scientific fieldstudies performed by DRIat the ODSVRA, whichclearly show the ridingareas to be far moreemissive than the non-ridingareas (Attachment 2). Planting vegetationoutside the riding areaswould be substantially lesseffective in reducing dustemissions than plantingwithin the riding areas,especially in the mostemissive riding area zones.To protect public health inthe most timely and cost-effective manner, all
vegetation planting for dustcontrol should occur withinthe most emissive ridingareas shown in Attachments2 and 3.
4. In addition to the windfencing arrays proposed inthe CDP application, the listof appropriate dust controlmeasures in the permitshould also include theability to simply installperimeter fencing aroundcertain highly emissive “hotspots....” The temporaryperimeter fencing installedaround the Snowy PloverEnclosure to prohibit ridingin that area during thenesting season appears to behighly effective at reducingsand transport while it’s inplace. Such fencing couldbe installed quickly andcheaply in specific highemission zones and beginproviding dust relief whilemore comprehensivecontrol measures wereunder development.”
The one thing the CoastalCommission must not do ishand State Parks a permitfor their proposed programas is, allowing the OHMVRDivision to continue toproclaim they are makingeternal “progress” toward agoal with no sign of evergetting there.
Come to the CoastalCommission’s ODSVRADust Control permit hearingat the Cambria Pines Lodgeon the hearing date and fillout a speaker slip for thatitem. Tell the Commission-ers not to issue State Parksa Coastal DevelopmentPermit unless it includes thefour provisions specified bythe Air Pollution ControlDistrict. Prior to themeeting, email comments tokevinkhan@ coastal.ca.gov. The meeting will begin at9 a.m.
In its July 9 editorial onthe outrageous ongoingfailure to clean up the air onthe Nipomo Mesa, TheTribune called out the localelected officials who havebeen the least helpful in thateffort: County SupervisorsLynn Compton and DebbieArnold, and Pismo BeachMayor Ed Waage. Assemblyman JordanCunningham is apparentlyapplying to be added to thatlist. The editorial asked twopertinent questions:
“What about our two statelawmakers, AssemblymanJordan Cunningham andSen. Bill Monning? Havethey demanded action?They could play a crucialrole in ensuring State Parksfollows through and, ifnecessary, in securing fundsto make sure dust controlmeasures are in place assoon as possible.”
We can shed some lighton those questions.
SILENT continued on page 5
50th Anniversary ChapterCelebration CommitteeThe Sierra Club is 125, and the Santa Lucia Chapter isturning 50! If you enjoy planning fun parties, lining upgreat entertainment, signing up sponsors and auctionitems, and preparing historical documents to show offthe accomplishments of the Santa Lucia Chapter overthe past 50 years, get on board now for a fabulous yearof celebration in 2018. We need many hands to make asuccessful event. We need you. Call Karen at 440-2714.
The Santa Lucia Chapterof the Sierra Club is work-ing with the Center for Bio-logical Diversity to urge theSan Luis Obispo CityCouncil to pass a resolutioncalling on the Trumpadministration to halt newoil and gas drilling off ourcoast and ban fracking andother “well stimulation”techniques in existingoffshore wells. When President Trumpsigned Executive Order13795 last April “imple-menting an America-FirstOffshore Energy Strategy,”his intent was clear: End-run the MarineMammal Protection Act andrewrite the current scientificunderstanding of the effectof loud underwater sound
on marine mammals inorder to expedite permitsfor offshore oil seismicsurveys that can emitunderwater sound at levelsabove 200 decibels. Prepare a rule “sus-pending, revising or re-scinding” the current ruleprotecting the Arctic fromoffshore drilling. Reconsider the WellControl Rule, mandating theuse of effective blowoutpreventer systems, and ahost of other regulations inthe name of easing “unnec-essary regulatory burdens.” And perhaps mostominously of all forCalifornia: “Conduct areview of all designationsand expansions of NationalMarine Sanctuaries, and ofall designations andexpansions of MarineNational Monuments underthe Antiquities Act of1906…designated orexpanded within the 10-year period prior to the dateof this order.” California has fourNational Marine Sanctuar-ies. All ban oil and gasdrilling, and all haveundergone some form ofexpansion or boundarychange over the last tenyears. Cities the length of theCalifornia coast are wakingup to the need to stand up
The Trump Effect On June 29, the Santa Lucia Chapter and LosPadres ForestWatch hosted a town hall event at the SLO CityLibrary on the Trump administration’s assault on national monu-ments and national marine sanctuaries. Saying “I’m here exercisingmy First Amendment rights while I have them,” P.J. Webb zeroed inon the fact that the primary thing the targeted sanctuaries arebeing reviewed for is “lost opportunity costs” – the dollar value ofthe oil and gas not allowed to be extracted from sanctuary waters.“And that’s all they’re looking at. The economic benefits of marinesanctuaries is not something they’re paying attention to.”
TRUMP continued on page 5
TAKE ACTION
2 Santa Lucian • Sept./Oct. 2017
The Executive Committee meetsthe second Monday of every monthat 2:00 p.m. and the ConservationCommittee meets the secondFriday at 1p.m., at the chapteroffice, located at 974 Santa RosaSt., San Luis Obispo. All membersare welcome to attend.
Denny Mynatt PRINT MEDIA COORDINATOR
CommitteesPolitical OpenMembership/Development Marcia Alter Stephanie Gong Nancy J. ColeConservation Sue Harvey
Nuclear Power Task Force Rochelle Becker Linda SeeleyVolunteer Coordinator Karen Merriam [email protected]
Printed by University Graphic Systems CalPoly, San Luis Obispo. Mailing servicescourtesy of the Silver Streaks.
Office hours Monday-Friday,1 p.m. - 7 p.m., 974 Santa RosaStreet, San Luis Obispo
Facebook Administrator Kim Ramos
Santa Lucia ChapterP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406805-543-8717
CNRCC Delegates Lindi Doud, Patrick McGibney John BurdettWildlands Stewardship Group OpenCalendar Sales OpenOutings Bill Waycott
Webmaster Monica Tarzier
CHNMS campaign coordinator Nancy J. Cole [email protected]
Trail Guide Gary Felsman
50th Anniversary Coordinator Jennifer Von Der Lohe
Santa Lucian
EDITOR
Lindi DoudSandy SimonEDITORIAL COMMITTEE
The Santa Lucian is published six 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 [email protected]
Santa Lucia Chapter
2016 Executive CommitteeKaren Merriam (12/18) CHAIRChuck Tribbey (12/19) VICE-CHAIRLindi Doud (12/17) TREASURERStephanie Gong (12/17) SECRETARYChristine Mulholland (12/18) MEMBERSue Harvey (12/17 MEMBERMarcia Alter (12/19) MEMBER
Karen Merriam COUNCIL OF CLUB LEADERS
Andrew Christie
Chapter Director Andrew Christie [email protected]
Meets at Ascendo Coffee, 974 Monterey Street, SLO.Free. For more info, contact: Bill Waycott, 459-2103.
We have a new host for ourbi-monthly membermeetings: Ascendo Coffee,974 Monterey Street, SLO,courtesy of owner JonathanStauf. Meetings will be held the3rd Wednesday every othermonth, from 5:30-7:30,beginning September 20,2017. Ascendo willcontinue to serve beverages
Local Sierra ClubMembership HitsRecord High Thanks to a surge in new members, our chapterhas recorded an all-time high in membership of2,900 members in SLO County! This encouragesour efforts to protect and preserve our preciousenvironment. “This is one record high we can beexcited about,” said Karen Merriam, Chapter Chairof our local Santa Lucian Sierra Club. There truly isstrength in numbers! We wish we could personally thank each newmember for joining. We value each and everymember, new or otherwise. We encourage all of youto take full advantage of your membership bycoming to events, going on outings, participating inletter writing opportunities and volunteering oncampaigns. You can learn more about how to getinvolved and make a difference by checking out thewebsite at www.sierraclub.org/santa-lucia or callingthe Sierra Club office at 805-543-8717.
Once upon a time, we sentout an e-mail alert about alocal proposed developmentproject that would have hadsevere environmentalimpacts. We let the folks onour e-mail list know it wascoming, what hearings werescheduled, and contactinformation for key electedofficials. We mentioned somethingabout opportunities thatwould arise over the nextfew months to engage inthe activism necessary todefeat the project. This was a few years agoand I’m obviously hazy onthe details, but I’ll neverforget one of the responseswe got, from a gentlemanwho wished to inform usthat he and his wife weredeeply insulted at theimplication that they wouldhave any interest in beingactivists or engaging in anyactivity so disreputable asactivism. I was reminded of thatgentleman’s complaint asthe Phillips 66 oil trainterminal project approachedits climactic denial at theSLO County Board ofSupervisors last year – theclimax of a drumbeat thatbegan with the recommen-dation for denial by CountyPlanning staff, followedby eight meetings of thePlanning Commission thatconcluded with a vote todeny the permit, followedby the appeal of that denialto the supervisors – theproject’s most strikingfeature became ever moreapparent: This was the mostopposed land use proposalin the County’s history. To the casual observer,that may have seemedinevitable. The projectwould involve the UnionPacific main line, passingthrough the heart of dozensof communities virtually thelength of the state. And forall those cities, counties andschool districts facing theprospect of devastatingderailments, spills, explo-sions and toxic emissionscoming their way, there wasonly one permitting entityto whom they could voicetheir urgent dismay: theCounty of San Luis Obispo. Hence, letters poured intoSLO County from all overthe state: dozens of citycouncils, county boards ofsupervisors and schoolboards pleaded with the
and baked goods until 6pmas we have time to gettogether informally. After6pm, the space is dedicatedto our Chapter program. All community membersare welcome. We will leaveAscendo by 7:30pm. We look forward towelcoming you to theseinformative meetings.
Activists: Just LikePeople, Only Organizedby Andrew Christie, Chapter Director
planners, commissionersand supervisors not to letthis project happen to theircommunities. Additionalcomments from morethan 20,000 individuals – acounty record – overwhelm-ingly urging denial, werelogged by the CountyPlanning Department. At the final PlanningCommission hearing, awell-meaning commissionerwas horrified by the projectand appalled by theattempts of several of hisfellow commissioners towave away its potentialimpacts and turn a blind eyeto the County’s planningstandards. He also said: “Sometimes the ‘public’ isa special interest group withan agenda. Sometimes the‘public’ is a group ofneighbors. Sometimes the‘public’ is just that. Thepublic.” And: “These are not specialinterest groups. These areour fellow Californians.” And: “After tossing out thespecial interest group formletters and the nimbys, whatremains is the balance ofthe citizens of this countywho are not special interestsor nimbys. They, and thepeople of the counties andcities represented by theletters we received fromcity councils and supervi-sors all up and down theUnion Pacific Line.” He had decided onecategory of resistance waspopulated by people, andanother category, the toss-out category, was populatedby “special interest”activists and nimbys (akaneighbors). And he seemed to believethat all those electedofficials and school boardmembers around the staterolled out of bed one morn-ing and said “Hey, I think Ishall do some research todetermine if there’s an oiltrain terminal being pro-posed in SLO County and ifthere is, I’m going tooppose it.” Nope. Activists did that.Up and down the state andall over this county, wefanned out and wrote,called, and met with thosemayors, councils, supervi-sors and superintendents,testified at public meetings,and supplied draft resolu-
tions and statements ofopposition. We laid thefacts before local officialsand let them know how tomake their voices heard. Inthe South County, the MesaRefinery Watch Group builta local organizing entityseemingly overnight thatmobilized the NipomoMesa community. We held communitymeetings, maintainedcontact lists, tabled atevents, leafleted, knockedon doors, and made theproject a constant presenceon social media. All of us were up againstone of the nation’s largestoil companies, theirretained public relationspros, and tactics thatincluded giving staff andmanagers at Phillips’Nipomo refinery multipledays off and putting themon busses to hearings of citycouncils, the countyplanning commissionand board of supervisors,and putting up websitesfalsely touting editorialsupport from New Timesand The Tribune (“SeePhillips 66 PR Gets FactChecked,” Jan. 2016). We organized because weknew that’s what needed tobe done to prevail againstthe project. That’s also why theCenter for BiologicalDiversity, Communities fora Better Environment,STAND.org, Surfrider andthe Sierra Club, afterchallenging the Phillipsproject every step of theway through the administra-
tive process, went on tointervene in the lawsuit theoil company promptly filedagainst the County fordenying it a project permit.We’re raising the fundsneeded to continue to fightPhillips in court. That well-meaningplanning commissionerchose to believe that themassive opposition to theproject from cities, countiesand school districts hadsprung like Venus from thebrow of Zeus and wastherefore worth payingattention to, whereasthousands of people whoput their names on the samepostcard opposing theproject or came to SLO torally and testify against itwere to be ignored –because that, clearly, wasthe work of activists. Charles Pierce, in anAugust 6 essay for Esquire– “It All Begins With thePeople in the Streets” –cited the most prominentrecent example of the powerof activism on the nationalstage with a dot-connectingsummary of those hair-raising days at the end ofJuly when health care formillions of Americans hungin the balance and a razor-thin vote made the differ-ence between salvation andcalamity: “The primary forcedriving the events ofThursday night and Fridaymorning was the energy and(yes) persistence of allthose people who swampedtown hall meetings, whowrote, or called, or e-mailedvarious congresscritters toshow them what real politi-cal pressure felt like. Iremember watching townhalls in Maine, to whichpeople drove hundreds ofmiles to tell Susan Collinswhat they thought. Thosepeople bucked up vulner-able Democratic senators sothat Chuck Schumer couldcount on a united Congress. “They brought pressureon Republican governors,too. People like BrianSandoval in Nevada andJohn Kasich in Ohio werehanded put-up-or-shut-up
While it seems at times an overwhelming challenge tosolve the problems we’ve caused for our home planet, thereare ways each individual can contribute to the solutions. Dr. Lars Tomanek will introduce some of these solutions— technical and social — in the context of the scientificbases of the problems. By starting to tell the story of whowe are as the species now in charge of planet Earth, we willbe more successful in telling a motivating story for thefuture of generations to come. Dr. Tomanek is Professor of Biology at Cal Poly. Hisresearch has focused on the environmental stress of marineorganisms to help predict how climate change will affecttheir ecology. He has published over thirty research papers,co-authored the textbook “Biochemical Adaptation:Responses to Environmental Challenges from Life’sOrigins to the Anthropocene,” and received several majorresearch awards from the National Science Foundation.
Any group of people who bandtogether to advocate forsomething could be called a“special interest group,”but some get labelled thatway and some do not.What are the selection
criteria? That’s easy,actually. In conservative
politics, the phrase is onlyused to describe opponents.
- Robyn Benson, PublicService Alliance of Canada ACTIVISTS continued on page 4
Sierra Club General MeetingClimate Change: How Can We Change?Wed., Sept. 20, 5:30-7 p.m.with Professor Lars Tomanek
(New Digs!)
Santa Lucian • Sept./Oct. 20173
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Hi, Social Media and Website Communicators!We need two or three volunteers skilled in website design and input,Facebook, Instagram and Twitter updates and postings, and folks whohave ability and time to learn Salesforce marketing and database manage-ment tools available through Sierra Club training programs. This couldprovide a great addition to your resumé, and/or be a fun way to spendextra time (if you have that). Contact [email protected].
Las Pilitas Rising
Regime Theory, Take Two Political scientist Clarence Stone is known as thefather of “regime theory,” which refers to the closecooperation between local government and privatebusiness interests, and the systemic power wieldedby landowners and developers – known to sociolo-gists as “the growth elite,” accustomed to winningin clashes with coalitions advocating for neighbor-hood and environmental protections. You can read about regime theory in a number ofacademic texts. Or you can just pull up the video ofthe May 12 [2015] Las Pilitas Quarry appealhearing archived on the County’s website, settle infor eleven hours or so, and behold that theory inaction, and a rare instance in which the growth elitecouldn’t quite pull it off. You will learn what those who were at that epicall-day hearing know: The people made the systemwork.
-- from “Quarry Collapse Saves Town,”Santa Lucian, June 2015
Rejected in 2015 by theBoard of Supervisors due tothe overwhelming evidenceof harms that it would do tothe environment and thelocal community for little orno public benefit (see“Quarry Collapse SavesTown,” June 2015), theproposal to develop amassive gravel quarry
behind Santa Margarita isheading back to the CountyBoard of Supervisors. It’s easy to see the solereason why the Las PilitasQuarry proponents arecoming back now: FrankMecham’s swing vote isgone, replaced by JohnPeschong’s opposite-of-a-swing-vote.
In other words,the majority onthe board ofsupervisors iscomposed of aclearly delin-eated hard-rightfaction that canbe counted on toroutinely cham-pion industryover the envi-ronment and area good bet toapprove a poorlylocated projectthat compro-mises the health,safety, character,and livability ofan entire com-munity in thename of privateprofit. This timearound, projectproponents arebetting that whenthey expend thesignificant sum
required to pay for anenvironmental review andtake their project throughthe planning process, theycan bet on politics, not thefacts in the record andrequirements of the law, towin the day. Some may respond to thisturn of events by conclud-ing that Santa Margarita isnot their back yard, there-fore this is not their issue.But even if you don’t live inor around Santa Margarita,
the impact from theapproval of this projectwould be felt countywide.All county residents, notjust those with the deepestpockets, deserve account-ability and representationfrom our Board of Supervi-sors. If facts and respon-sible planning principlestake a back seat to politicalideology in order to ramLas Pilitas through, thisproject may not be in yourback yard, but no backyard in SLO County will besafe. The precedent set willfind its way into yourcommunity next. In the months to come,there will be opportunitiesto weigh in, whether inwritten comments on thedraft Environmental ImpactReport, testimony beforethe County Planning Com-mision, or on appeal to theCounty Board of Supervi-sors, where projectproponents are obviouslycounting on a bank shotnetting them three votes inthe corner pocket.
How to Be aSustainingDonor PayPal makes it easyto make an automaticmonthly contributionto the Santa LuciaChapter of the SierraClub! Go to sierraclub.org/santa-lucia/donate. Click on the redDonate button. Pick your monthlyamount -- $10 $20 $35,$50, other. Click Donate, andfollow the PayPalprompts. Thank you!(Note: Donations areseparate from annualmembership dues andwill not renew yourmembership.)
Friends of the Elephant Seal could always use morefriends. Volunteer docents meet fascinating creatures on thebeach at San Simeon and interesting visitors on theboardwalk, get continuing education, and receive thesatisfaction of protecting the seals and helping visitorsappreciate them.
Volunteer training dates:Sat., Sept. 9Advanced training dates:Sat., Sept. 23Sat., Oct. 7Sat., Oct. 21
For more information, go to www.elephantsealorg, or call 805-924-1628.
Nature nurturers turned out on July 8 to support the newbatch of oak seedlings seeking a foothold on Bishop Peak. Planted last November in a joint effort by Sierra Club,ECOSLO and the City of San Luis Obispo, most of theplucky young oaks made it through the intervening eightmonths. Holly Sletteland, Projects Manager for Friends ofthe Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, reports: “We had 13 people for the watering party. Even though itwas a blistering hot day, we were able to wrap up in 2hours. We’ve had a good survival rate – maybe 80%. Iremoved cages on about six that had outgrown them. I’mgoing to have a busy October, but I will try to arrange onemore watering for that month. Then hopefully we’ll getdecent rains this winter and they can make it from there.Not exactly pampered, but it should be enough to get to70% survival, which is respectable.”
Step One Volunteers turned out last November to plant 50 oakseedlings and help Bishop Peak recover from drought-induced treemortalities.
FolksHelpingOaks
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4 Santa Lucian • Sept./Oct. 2017
Not YetBy Vicki León
Here in California, we trynot to feel superior to allthose other, less fortunatestates, but it’s tough. Wecan’t help ourselves. Thusat times we brag about ourgood fortune. We warbleabout our stunning scenery,our wilderness areas. Wewax poetic about ourmostly glorious climate. Werevel in our progressivelaws protecting the naturalenvironment. Being green,we also pride ourselves onour attention to communityhealth and welfare. Therefore, it really stingswhen we’re cruelly calledon the carpet, as we justwere this April. As a researcher, I’d readcopiously about ourstate’s environmentaldisasters of the past, ofcourse—and writtenabout them. Lessons welllearned, I thought. As weall thought. I regret to report, how-ever, that California stillharbors a shocking long-term situation that is justnow making headlines. Our shameful secret?California has its ownFlint, Michigan mess.Furthermore, our leadpoisoning disaster has beenpoisoning more children,and damaging them moreseriously, than Flint. The other shock isgeographic. Unlike impov-erished Flint, the hotspotsources of lead contamina-tion for kids lies in South-ern California. The epicenter? The twocensus tracts of SanMarino, a largely wealthyarea of vintage Spanish-style residences, wherehomes reflect real estatevalues that average overtwo million dollars. Besidesits turn-of-the-centuryhistoric housing, SanMarino prides itself onpromoting healthy life-styles; in fact, the citydoesn’t permit fast-foodchains. According to Los AngelesCounty health data, how-ever, over 17 percent of theyoung children tested inSan Marino showedelevated levels of lead intheir blood. To put thisfigure into perspective:during the height of Flint’swater contamination crisis,5 percent of Flint’s young-sters tested that high forlead. The news gets worse. In323 neighborhood areasthroughout Los AngelesCounty, more than 15,000kids ages 6 and under like-wise tested in the dangerzone for lead poisoning. In26 of those areas, the rateof elevated lead levels was
at least twice that of Flint.(Tests were administered bythe Los Angeles CountyDepartment of PublicHealth between the years2011 and 2015.) Upon learning recentlyabout this crisis, the currentmayor of San Marinoordered officials to investi-gate potential exposuresources. As it turned out,officials were largelyunaware of these numbersdue to the way in which thedata had been gathered. The new data wasgenerated via an ongoing,nationwide probe by theReuters news agency, whichis investigating hidden leadhazards throughout the U.S.Begun in 2016, the Reuterssurvey has to date identifiedover 3,300 at-risk neighbor-hood areas in communitiesthroughout the nation. Why had the existinglead-burden blood data notbeen circulated prior toReuters’ work? Whyweren’t we warned? Whydidn’t we know about theamount of lead beingabsorbed by little kids inLos Angeles County andelsewhere? Reuters’ research ap-proach holds the key tothese discoveries. Instead ofproducing broad-brushanalysis of child popula-tions across entire countiesor even states, their trackingmethodology pinpointscommunities. More details haveemerged from the data
collected by Reuters. In SanMarino, for example, giventhe age and sheer number ofits beautifully kept homes,layers of old lead-basedpaint are probably the mainculprit. (Some 80 percent of
Is California Leading Our Lead-Free Future?
may contain lead contami-nants.) Are there other culpritsthat contribute to the leadcontamination of children?Yes indeed. One of the mostubiquitous may be home
renovationprojects. Onestatisticsuggests thatup to one-third of leadpoisoningcases can belinked tosuch activi-ties. In thecase of SanMarino, itsmayor is con-templatingthe develop-ment ofordinanceson homerenovations.If such ord-inancesbecamestandardpractice inSouthernCalifornia,this couldreduce leadexposuresignificantly,
tion in poor circum-stances also tend toreceive less medicalcare for theirchildren. Doctors donot routinely testkids for leadcontamination,although levelsclearly show up via asimple blood test. Why, you ask,given our pollutedworld, and thegrowing number ofnasty and toxicsubstances that kidsneed to avoid andevade, is the issue of leadso critical? Precisely because lead issneaky. It damages young,growing brains, actuallylowering I.Q.’s, causingattention disorders andother problem behaviors.Lead dust from lead paintand other sources isubiquitous and is readilyfound on the floor and inthe dirt outside the frontdoor. Tiny, nearly invisibleparticles of lead mix withhousehold dust, coatingtoys and literally every-where that toddlers explore
with their hands andmouths. In a typical householdwhere lead dust is present,in one to six months a childcan absorb enough to raiseblood-lead levels to a po-tentially dangerous point. Ifa toddler plays with (andchews on) a leaded toy for amonth or more, he or sheshould be tested for lead. Once in your body, lead isreluctant to leave; smallamounts get excreted butmost of it gravitates to yourbrain and bones. All this alarm might seemto be overblown, but whenit comes to lead, even aminute amount —especiallyin children’s bodies—istoxic. Unlike some poisons,the harm lead does isirreversible. As the EPAstresses, there is no safelevel of lead exposure.None. As if these toxic itemsweren’t enough of achallenge, infants and smallchildren in Flint faced afurther threat: their basicdaily necessity, cleandrinking water, was leadcontaminated. The EPA isnow urging all states todevelop searchable data-
bases for publicuse, which identifythe homes andbuildings that havebeen tested byutilities and whatlead levels theyrepresent. A few
states such as Illinois havealready implemented suchprograms. Working with our stategovernment and with theEnvironmental ProtectionAgency, California can andshould lead the way to an“unleaded” nation. To betruly green, we need toensure that our youngstersgrow to adulthood in a lead-free environment. We’regoing to need all theirbrainpower to combat theglobal warming challengesahead.
choices from their constitu-ents. Perhaps the mostsignificant Republicangovernor was Doug Duceyof Arizona, whom McCainrepeatedly said he wouldconsult before voting. Lateon Thursday afternoon,Ducey came out stronglyagainst the bill.” Locally, that kind ofresponse to bad proposedprojects and policies scoredwins against the Phillips 66oil train terminal and theLas Pilitas Quarry (see page3). We’ll need more of it tobeat back the Trump admin-istration’s assault on publiclands and environmentalregulations, and its plans toexpand offshore drillingand fracking in California(see page 1), as well as theTrump-inspired majority onour board of supervisors. Ifwe’re going to beat backthe Las Pilitas Quarry plan(again) and the vastexpansion of the Arroyo
Grande Oil Field at theexpense of the groundwater,or become part of theenergy future of Californiaby establishing a Commu-nity Choice Energy program(see page 5), we will needto show those supervisors“what real political pressurefeels like.” I commend to the atten-tion of that sincere formerplanning commissioner —and to that long-ago irategent, annoyed at receiv-ing an invitation to becomean activist to protect hiscommunity — the story ofthe Little Red Hen; she whoplanted seeds, harvestedwheat, milled flour, andbaked a loaf of bread, allwithout the assistance of herbarnyard colleagues. It’ssupposed to teach childrenlessons about selfishnessand sharing. A loaf of breaddoes not make itself orcome out of nowhere. Whenyou benefit from itsessential sustenance, youcan thank those who made itfor you. And when you
pitch in and help, you willearn the fruits of your labor. And it holds anotherlesson: While it did notoccur to the duck and thepig and the horse that itmight be in their interest tohelp the Little Red Henmake that bread, neither didthey voice disapproval ofthe process of milling andbaking. Even if they didn’tgrasp the connectionbetween the need to makebread in order to eat bread,they were down with thewhole bread thing. They didnot disparage the concept ofbread and bread-making. I would like to think thatin recent months -- sincelast November, say -- theformer planning commis-sioner and my email inter-locutor have had time toreflect on their assumptionsand are recalibrating themto fit the world in which wenow find ourselves. Perhaps they’ve learnedthat activism is good foryou. And in truth, in timeslike these, it’s all we’ve got.
High and low Whether in the inner city (left) or enclaves like SanMarino (above) the stealthy environmental crisis created bymultiple sources of lead amounts to a silent public health crisisequal to or greater than the calamity that struck Flint, Michigan(below).
Activistscontinued from page 2
its dwellings are pre-1960,and lead-based paint wasnot banned until 1978.Other likely sources in SanMarino, which has a largeAsian population, includeimports of food, medicine,and pottery from China that
given L.A.County’s
population of ten million. Another factor thatexposes small children todangerous lead levels is thedecrepit housing oftenfound in low-income zones,such as those in South L.A.The under-served popula-
Lead pipe cinch A lead water main in Wash-ington DC
Santa Lucian • Sept./Oct. 20175
A bill currently movingthrough the legislature – SB249 – will reauthorize theState Off-Road MotorVehicle Recreation Programbefore the current authori-zation and funding ends onDecember 31. SenatorMonning and his staff havemet with the Sierra Cluband concerned NipomoMesa residents and ex-pressed support for addinglanguage to that bill toresolve the air qualityproblem at Oceano Dunesand to secure that funding. In short, to answer TheTribune’s question, ourState Senator has givenevery indication of going tobat for his constituents on abill that could literally savetheir lives. Our StateAssemblymember appearsto be another story. On July 11, we wrote toAssemblyman Cunningham,urging him to support theamendment of SB 249 toprotect the health ofresidents in the vicinity ofany State Vehicular Recre-ation Area that is respon-sible for raising levels ofparticulate matter beyondstate or federal safetystandards, especially when
much of that impact falls onlow-income minoritycommunities downwind ofthe facility. We received a politeacknowledgment of receiptfrom his district office thefollowing day. The rest issilence. SB 249 has passed theSenate and its first Assem-bly committee hearing. It ifit passes its next hearing, itwill come to a vote of thefloor of the Assembly bythe end of September,hopefully with the neces-sary language included tofinally bring relief tocommunities that are down-wind from the ODSVRAand home to the worst airquality in the nation. Assemblyman Cunning-ham is either working to getthat crucial languageincluded or he’s not. Whenthe bill comes to the floor,he will either vote for it oragainst it or abstain. Since he has not beeninclined to discuss his viewsand seems to be in need ofencouragement to ensurethat SB 249 does the rightthing for his constituents,we urge everyone to contacthis Sacramento and districtoffices via the web formand phone numbers at right. We also urge any enter-
prising local reporters to getthe Assemblyman’sthoughts on the subject.
Contact AssemblymanJordan Cunningham athttps://ad35.asmrc.org/or:State Capitol, Suite #4102,Sacramento CA 94249916-319-2035or:444 Higuera, Suite 100, SanLuis Obispo CA 93401805-549-3381.
TAKE ACTION
Silentcontinued from page 1
Maybe he’s just shy Assem-blyman Cunningham needsyour encouragement.
this administration’s plansto drag us backward into apit of fossil fuels and awayfrom a clean energy future,assuring the cooking of theplanet.
The people have the
Trumpcontinued from page 1
power: We need dozens ofCalifornia cities to forceTrump to listen to them, andthe SLO City Council needsto listen to you. If you are aresident of the City of SLO,we’ve made it easy for you:Before September 5, go tohttp:/tinyurl.com/noTrumpoil, fill in yourcontact information (gov-ernment website submission
forms generally will notallow submission of com-ments with blank fields) andclick “send” to urge the citycouncil to pass a ResolutionProtecting Our Ocean andCoast from OffshoreDrilling and Fracking. For good measure, cometo the September 5 CityCouncil meeting to makeyour request in person.
TAKE ACTION
As the Trump Administration turns its back on clean air and water, cities and localleaders are stepping up to drive the transition to healthy communities and a more vibranteconomy powered by renewable energy. More than 30 U.S. cities and towns have nowcommitted to transition entirely to clean and renewableenergy, following city council votes establishing 100
Tell SLO: Join 30+ U.S.Cities Committing to100% Renewable Energy
TAKE ACTION
Coastal Clean Up Sept. 16 Help clean up the coast by volunteering for the 33rd Annual Coastal Cleanup Day. The international cleanup, organized in California by the Coastal Commission andsupervised in SLO County by ECOSLO, is held annually on the third Saturday in Septem-ber. The event runs 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturday, September 16. You can choose among30 different sites in the county, both coastal and inland waters. Participants are encouraged to bring grocery bags for reuse, a bucket, and gloves.Cleanup sites will have some bags and gloves available. Close-toed shoes are recom-mended. Remember to bring your reusable water bottle. Volunteers will pick up debris and track what they find with the provided data cards.Children will enjoy educational information at many of the volunteer check-in tables. Theday will show children what they can do to eliminate trash and conserve the environment. Participants are encouraged to register ahead of time online at ecoslo.org/coastal-cleanup-day or they can show up at one of the locations before 9 a.m. to sign up. Head tothe site captain’s table to check in for supplies and a data card. For more information, contact Mary Ciesinski at ECOSLO, 805-544-1777.
“Coastal Cleanup Day isabout much more thanpicking up trash. It’s achance for Californiansto join people aroundthe world in expressingtheir respect for ouroceans and waterways.It’s an opportunity forthe community to dem-onstrate its desire forclean water and healthymarine life. And it’s amoment to share with one’s neighbors, family, and friends,coming together to accomplish something vital and worthy onbehalf of our environment.”
- California Coastal Commission
Central Coast Power, theconsortium of 27 localgovernments from Venturato Monterey that areexploring the feasibility of atri-county CommunityChoice Energy program(see “Get Ready, GetSet…,” Feb.) has an-nounced the study iscompleting a comprehen-sive peer review and will beshared with multiplejurisdictions in mid-September. The Santa BarbaraCounty Board of Supervi-sors is expected to considerthe results of the study onOctober 3. The study willbe presented to otherCentral Coast jurisdictionsafter that date.
A CommunityChoice is Comingpercent renewable energy goals.
On May 8, San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmonsigned on to the Sierra Club’s “Mayors for CleanEnergy” statement, joining 337 mayors across thecountry who have pledged to uphold the ParisClimate Agreement and “intensify efforts to meeteach of our cities’ current climate goals, push fornew action to meet the 1.5 degrees Celsius target,and work together to create a 21st-century cleanenergy economy.” (See “Where’s Your Mayor?,”June.) It was a great first step. Now the City of SLOneeds to adopt goals and set a date to get to 100%renewable energy. A good example is close at hand:On June 6, the Santa Barbara City Council approvedthe establishment of a community-wide goal oftransitioning to 100% renewable electricity by 2030.
Go to www.sierraclub.org/ready-for-100 or#Readyfor100 for everything you need to send anencouraging message to the SLO City Council [email protected]
6 Santa Lucian • Sept./Oct. 2017
Let me be blunt. I will comeright out and say what our presi-dent won’t: White supremacy hasabsolutely no place in our countryand will not be tolerated in anyform. The racist and violent acts thatoccurred in Charlottesville lastweekend at the hands of whitesupremacist and neo-Nazi groupswere horrifying and indefensible. As a country of immigrants with arich array of cultures, our historyof diversity should be celebrated,not attacked. Even more inexcusable is ourpresident’s failure to place blamesolely where blame is due – on theextreme hate groups that perpe-trated these acts. I was proud to see constituenciesacross the Central Coast, in bothSanta Barbara and San LuisObispo counties, come togetherand organize vigils condemningthese hateful acts and standing insolidarity with Charlottesville. Thank you for joining me inworking together, speaking out,and taking a stand against hatred.
- Rep. Salud CarbajalAug. 15, 2017
Standing together 1,000 people in Mission Plaza, SLO, August 16, 2017.
The Sierra Clubcondemns this actof white suprema-cist terrorism inthe strongestpossible terms. Ourthoughts are withthose injured andkilled and ourhearts are withthose who arepeacefully speakingout to stop hatefrom gaininganother inch in ourcountry and thosewho are living infear because of thathate. No one who tookto the streets of Char-lottesville fueled bybigotry and brandish-ing the symbols offascism that so manyAmericans foughtand died to tear downhas any claim on themantle of patriotism. Instead, it is moreimportant than everthat they be calledout for exactly whatthey are: vile andunacceptable racistspreaching divisionand hatred thatstands in oppositionto the values ofequality and justicethat must drive ournation forward. Hatred and racismhave long played adisgraceful part ofAmerican history, butthere can be no doubtthat those who spewwhite supremacy feelempowered right nowwhen they see allies inthe corridors ofpower. These bigotsmust be condemned,
A Vigil for Charlottesville
-- Michael BruneExecutive Director, Sierra Club
August 12, 2017
not coddled, and weare in solidarity withthose elected officials,residents ofCharlottesville, andpeople all over thiscountry who are
speaking out for anAmerica that pushesforward towardjustice, not slidesbackward into hatredand fear.
Heather Heyer, 1985-2017
On August 24, the date on which Secre-tary of the Interior Ryan Zinke completed
his review of 21 national monuments –including the Grand Sequoia and CarrizoPlain National Monuments – and sent it toPresident Trump with his recommendations
for their fate, the Interior Departmentreleased a vague summary announcing that
fact and otherwise basically saying nothing at all. Zinke is recommending “changes” to a “handful” ofmonuments. He coyly declined to tell the AssociatedPress “whether portions of the monuments would beopened up to oil and gas drilling, mining, logging andother industries for which Trump has advocated” (saidadvocacy being the stated reason for the “review”), andthat was that. The public deserves to see the recommendationsapproved by Secretary Zinke. National Monuments andNational Conservation Lands are part of the fabric ofAmerica. They provide clean water to millions, containsites sacred to Native American tribes, are critical torural economies, offer opportunities for solitude, tell thestories of all Americans and help drive tourism and an$887 billion outdoor recreation economy. Zinke’s performance on August 24 was anotherexample of the lack of transparency the Trump InteriorDepartment has shown and further makes the case thatthis process is a sham. The Administration’s review hasignored science, the law, and the will of the Americanpeople, including over 2.7 million comments supportingkeeping our national monuments intact. Zinke never visited any of the California monumentshe “reviewed” and failed to meet with any advocates todiscuss the monuments. Zinke’s tight lips have reopened the discussion abouta public lands selloff, even as he denies he wants to selloff public lands. (Secretary Zinke has a history ofsaying one thing and then doing another. As a Memberof Congress, he voted for the initiative of Rep. RobBishop (R-Utah) proclaiming that public lands have nopublic value in order to facilitate selling them off tospecial interests.) Secretary Zinke said he recognizes that the commentsreceived during the monuments review process were“overwhelmingly in favor of maintaining existingmonuments.” We hope that his recommendations reflectthis. But who knows? Certainly not the 2.7 millionAmericans who took time out of their lives to partici-pate in the process and were then left in the dark bySecretary Zinke and the Trump Administration.
On Zinke and NothingnessThe Interior Secretary’s report on national monuments makes a non-debut
Still waiting A resident of the Carrizo Plain National Monumentawaits word on her fate from Secretary Zinke.
*Please consider placing your name in considerationfor election to the Santa Lucia Chapter ExecutiveCommittee. This committee of 7 members administers thebusiness of the Chapter. Three seats will be open inour November election. We are looking for people with a strong interest andbackground in Energy issues, Finance, and/or LandUse Planning. We are committed to diversity in ourChapter representatives. Contact Karen at 440-2714 if you are interested orwant more information.
It’s Time to ServeYour Chapter!
Santa Lucian • Sept./Oct. 20177
ClassifiedsNext issue deadline is Oct. 19. To get a rate sheet or submit your ad and payment, contact:Sierra Club, P.O. Box 15755, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 or [email protected]
Tell NOAA:Designate the Chumash HeritageNational Marine Sanctuary! Go to:
tinyurl.com/CHNMSpetition
Cambria author PamelaChristie’s Arabella Beaumonthistorical mystery series is aromp through Regency Londonin the company of the city’smost esteemed and scandalouscourtesan, adventuress andamateur sleuth! Available onAmazon.
CYNTHIA HAWLEYATTORNEY
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONLAND USE
CIVIL LITIGATION
P.O. Box 29 Cambria California 93428Phone 805-927-5102 Fax 805-927-5220
Now taking orders for the
Accept no substitutes.Your desk will thankyou. Your wall willthank you. Your friendsand family will thankyou. And when you buydirect from the Chap-ter, you support theSierra Club’s conserva-tion work in San LuisObispo County. Wethank you.10% off!wall calendar: $13.50desk calendar: $14.505 or more: 15% off!
2018 Sierra ClubCalendar
Contact:[email protected] (805) 543-8717
8 Santa Lucian • Sept./Oct. 2017Outings 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.
All our hikes and activities are open to all Club members and the general public. Please bring drinking water to all outings andoptionally a lunch. Sturdy footwear is recommended. All phone numbers listed are within area code 805 unless otherwise noted.Pets are generally not allowed. A parent or responsible adult must accompany children under the age of 18. If you have anysuggestions for hikes or outdoor activities, questions about the Chapter’s outing policies, or would like to be an outings leader,call Outings Chair Bill Waycott, (805) 459-2103. For information on a specific outing, please call the listed outing leader.
(805) 549-0355
Bill Waycott, Outings Chair(806) 459-2103 [email protected]
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.
Saturday, Sept. 9th, 10am,Shell Beach. Meet at theintersection of Bluff Driveand El Portal (with Indioalso intersect-ing). PoleCatsis a group dedicated todemonstrating the effectiveuse of trekking poles. Directions: from ShellBeach Road, go west on ElPortal until you reach theabove intersection. Go rightand park near the illegalgate. The hike will go upthe fire road to the trail andthen follow the trail for lessthan a mile, returning to thefire road and back to theparking area. The hike is1.5 miles, 100 feet elevationchange. For more informa-tion, contact David Georgi,[email protected],(805) 458-5575. Raincancels.
Saturday, Sept. 16th,10:30 am, Morro StrandBeach. Less strenuous, 3.5mile roundtrip beach hike,Morro Strand State Beach. This scenic hike will leadyou through wetlands, sanddunes, onto the beach andultimately to the base oficonic Morro Rock. Thefirst of the Nine Sistersvolcanic formations, this576 ft. Morro is a sanctuaryfor Peregrine falcons.Morning fog; light jacket,waterproof footwear andbinoculars. From Hwy 1, 2miles north of Morro Bay,turn west on San JacintoStreet, then south through asmall subdivision to theparking lot. Contact JanSecord. (805) 602-0403.
Saturday, Sept. 23rd, 8:30am, South half of BuckeyeTrail Hike. Because of theMud Creek Slide, the trailat the old Salmon CreekStation is as far north as wecan access. We will hike toBuckeye Camp and beyondto the high ridge aboveRedwood Gulch. This is astrenuous hike with 2,800feet of elevation gain in 9miles. Poison oak, steepdrops along narrow sectionsof trail and loose gravelon other sections. Trekkingpoles are worth bringing.We will meet at WashburnDay Use Area at 8:30 am,located about 1 1/2 milenorth of Cambria on Hwy 1.Extreme heat will postponeto a later date. ContactCarlos (805) 546-0317.
Thursday, Sept. 28th, 1:00pm to 4:00 pm, Yoga +Hike to High School Hill. Once at the top, we will doa 45-minute Vinyasa yogapractice. Excellent views ofthe region. Approximately 2miles one-way, with a steepincline that will give you agood cardio exercise. 4miles round trip with a1,492-ft elevation gain. Thishike is considered strenu-ous. Trailhead located at theend of Lizzy St., adjacent tothe Adult School, with easyparking. Bring water andgood walking shoes. Noyoga mat required. ContactNan Cole, [email protected].
Friday-Sunday, Sept. 29th
- Oct. 1st, National PublicLands Day. Join NorthernNevada outdoor groups fora volunteer project in theBlack Rock Desert, about100 miles north Reno.Current plans are for aproject at Soldier MeadowsHot Spring. Most foodprovided, but you’ll have towork for it! There’s usuallya work day and a play day. Contact David Book, (775)843-6443 for more info. Sponsored by the GreatBasin Group.
Saturday, Sept 30th, 8:30– 11:30 am, Second surveyof a rare plant habitatworkshop, Los Osos. SLOCo. is home to many rareplant habitats, most ofwhich have not beensurveyed in many years.Join plant biologistsMelissa Mooney and BillWaycott of the CaliforniaNative Plant Society(CNPS) for our secondworkshop. Work in teams toidentify and record thedominant plant specieswithin a 60-foot radius froma predetermined GPSpoint. Once up to speed, wewill survey other rare planthabitats in the county overthe next two years. Meet atthe corner of Highland andBroderson. Bring a clip-board, sharpened pencilwith a good eraser, ifavailable a device that readsGPS locations, along with ahat, water, and snacks. Formore information, contactMelissa at (805) 459-8099,[email protected].
Saturday, Sept. 30th, 9:30am Gaviota Beach BackCountry. This is a moder-ately strenuous hike fromGaviota Beach to the windcaves and radio towerabove Hwy 101, returningby the same route. Gloriousviews of the Gaviota Coastand mountains, with funscrambling around shallowcaves in the rocks, @ 6miles roundtrip. Wear layersand sun protection, bringwater, good shoes for rockyparts. From the north: gosouth on Hwy 101 pastSanta Maria and Buelltonjust beyond the Gaviota restarea. Turn right intoGaviota State Park en-trance, but stay to the right,don’t go into the park;follow the road around aturn and park at trailhead.Eats afterwards! ContactAndrea for more info andcarpooling [email protected],(805) 264-4527.
Sunday, Oct. 1st, 2pm,Historic Walk San LuisObispo: Jazz-Age SLO toWorld War II. Where arethe hotels used by WilliamRandolph Hearst toentertain his celebrityguests, the speakeasies ofthe twenties, the originalFrench Hospital? Find outand much more on a guideddowntown stroll of San LuisObispo. Hear stories ofchanging city life from theModel-T years to Prohibi-tion, Depression, and PearlHarbor. About 1 1/2 hrs.
Meet at the corner of Marshand Toro Streets. ContactJoe Morris, (805) 549-0355.
Saturday, Oct. 7th, 11amto 4pm Yin Yoga + Hike toOats Peak. Join this hikealong Coon Creek. 45-minute yin yoga class on thepeak. Poses are held forlong durations of time. Theaim is to find stillness set inbeautiful scenery. A rigor-ous 7.5 mile hike, with a1,900 feet elevation gain.About 4-5 hours includingyoga. No mat required.Bring water and bag lunch. Meet at the end of Montanade Oro access road (CoonCreek trailhead), 3.8 milesfrom MDO entrance sign.Contact Nan Cole, [email protected].
Saturday, Oct. 7th, 8:30am to 11:30 am, WorkCrew, Old ProspectorTrail, Irish Hills, SLO.Due to the high rainfalllevels received last winter, alot of brush has grown intothis trail. We will be usingloppers to remove branchesof Ceanothus and otherchaparral plants, then cachethe pieces off the trail. Meetin the Costco parking lot,adjacent to the gas station.From there, we will walk tothe trail with a pair ofloppers. Total distance 3 to4 miles. 500 – 700 ft.elevation gain. Use a smallbackpack for water, snacks,and sunscreen. Wear sturdyshoes, bring gloves, hat,layered clothing, as needed.Contact Bill Waycott, (805)459-2103, [email protected].
Sunday, Oct. 8th, 10am,Shell Beach. Meet at theintersection of Bluff Driveand El Portal (Indio inter-secting). PoleCats is dedi-cated to demonstrating theeffective use of trekkingpoles. From Shell BeachRoad, go west on El Portaluntil you reach the Indiointersection. Go right andpark near the illegal gate.We will go up the fire road,then follow the trail forabout a mile, returning tothe parking area. 1.5 miles,100 feet elevation change.For more information,contact David Georgi,[email protected],(805) 458-5575. Raincancels.
Saturday Oct. 14th, 10:30am, Fiscallini Ranch,Cambria. Less strenuous.This trail along the coastalbluffs is less than 2 milesand fully accessible. Forthose participants who wishto explore further into thewoods, an extra 1-mile legis optional. One leader willstay with those preferring toremain along the bluffs. Another will proceed on thePreserve’s upper trailthrough wooded area (ashuttle via the south side ofthe Preserve is an option),then meander down agradual downhill with wideopen vistas, returning tostarting point. To reachnorth side of the Preserve:
Take Hwy 1 to Cambria; atthe 4th traffic light, take aleft onto Windsor, pastMoonstone Beach Drive.Pass Shamel County Park,take another left, park atdead end. Bring binoculars.Unique benches made fromnatural elements providerest stops. Wear layers.Hike leader Jan Secord. Fordetails on optional access toupper trail, contact ElianeWilson at (805) 748-7815.
Saturday, Oct. 14th,9:30am, Easy Family-Friendly hike to OsoFlaco Lake and Beach.Walk through beautifulriparian habitat, over thelake on a boardwalk,through the dunes to thebeach, a 4 mile roundtrip.Wear layers and sunprotection, and bring water.Directions: Take MainStreet/Hwy166 exit westfrom Hwy 101 in SantaMaria, drive west about 8miles to Hwy 1 inGuadalupe, turn right/northand drive about 3 miles toOso Flaco Lake Road. (Oso Flaco Lake Road canalso be accessed fromArroyo Grande by drivingsouth on Hwy 1 directly.)Turn west and drive to theend of the road and park inlot. There may be a $5parking fee per car. Nodogs allowed. ContactAndrea [email protected],(805) 264-4527.
Saturday, Oct. 21st, 8:30am, Salmon Creek Trail toSpruce Creek Trail toDutra Flat Camp. Join theleader on this autumn hiketo Dutra Flat Camp in theSilver Peak Wilderness ofsouthern Big Sur. This is amoderate hike of 8.4 mileswith about 2200 ft. ofelevation gain. The hikebegins at the Salmon Creektrailhead and after 1.9 mileswe will turn south on theSpruce Creek Trail. Thereare good views of SilverPeak along the trail. Afterhiking out of Spruce CreekCanyon we will crossrolling grasslands to DutraCamp. There is a possibilityof ticks and poison oak,especially in Spruce CreekCanyon. Bring water.lunch, hat and sunscreen,and dress for theweather. Meet at 8:30 am atthe Washburn day use areaof San Simeon State Parkwhich is about 1 1/2 milesnorth of Cambria on Hwy 1.We will carpool about 35minutes from there to thetrailhead. We will stop forfood after the hike if thereis interest. Contact Chuck(805) 441-7597.
Sunday, Oct. 22nd, 2-4pm,iNaturalist Workshop,San Luis Obispo Botani-cal Garden. Have you everthought about keeping track
of your nature observationsin an organized way, orsharing your observationsand photographs taken innature with a group of like-minded people online?Would you like to makemeaningful contributions toscientific research?iNaturalist (www.inaturalist.org) is the place to getstarted. Join us to discusshow to use the iNaturalistwebsite and mobileapplications, what theoptions are, and how tocustomize your iNaturalistaccount for your personalinterests. Will combinehands-on classroom andfield work. In preparation,please sign up for aniNaturalist account onlineand create a profile. If youplan to use your mobiledevice(s), download andinstall the mobile app(s).After the classroomcomponent, we will visit thegarden to use iNaturalist inreal-time. Led by MichelleTorres-Grant and BillWaycott of the CaliforniaNative Plant Society. SLOBotanical Garden, ChorroRegional Park, off Hwy 1,across from Cuesta Collegeand adjacent to the DairyCreek Golf Course.
Friday-Sunday, Oct. 27th- 29th, Wilderness Resto-
ration in Death ValleyNational Park. Join us aswe continue the clean-up ofa grow site in this beautifulnational park. We will hikeabout 3 miles up a ruggedcanyon to gather and carryout the trash left behind inan illegal grow site. Partici-pants should bring an oldbackpack if they have one. Sturdy trash bags will besupplied to protect packs. Details on meeting time andcamping location have notbeen finalized. PotluckSaturday night. ContactKate Allen, [email protected], (661) 944-4056.
Sunday, Oct. 29th,2pm, San Luis ObispoHistoric Walk: the SanLuis Cemetery. Guidedstroll past gravesites offamous pioneers like Angel,Murray, and Sinsheimer andCivil War vets, plusthe “potters’ field” forindigents and the landmarkpyramid. Hear the compel-ling stories of the 19th-century founders of SanLuis Obispo. Durationabout 1 1/2 hrs. Meet insouth parking lot, adjacentto the pyramid, 2890S. Higuera St. Contact JoeMorris, (805) 549-0355.
September 24-26,October 22-24
Join us for a 3-day, 3-island,live-aboard cruise toCalifornia’s Channel Is-lands! Hike wild, wind-swept trails bordered withblazing wildflowers. Kayakrugged coastlines. Snorkelin pristine waters teemingwith colorful fish. Swimwith frolicking seals and sealions. Look for unusual seaand land birds. Watch forthe highly endangered is-land fox. Or.....just relax atsea! All cruises depart fromSanta Barbara. The cost,$650, includes an assignedbunk, all meals, snacks andbeverages plus the servicesof a naturalist-docent as-
Island Hopping in Channel Islands National Park 2017
signed by the national parkto help lead hikes, point outitems of interest and giveevening program. For moreinformation contact leader:Joan Jones Holtz; 626-443-
0706; [email protected] make a reservation senda $100 check, written toSierra Club, to leader,11826 The Wye St., ElMonte, CA 91732.
