Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Play

Banking woes send consumers looking for safer alternatives, some Indiana communities resist a dollar chain store "invasion," and a permit to build an oil pipeline tunnel under the Great Lakes is postponed.

Play

Republicans say it is premature to consider gun legislation after the Nashville shooting, federal officials are unsure it was a hate crime, and regulators say Silicon Valley Bank was aware of its financial risks.

Play

Finding childcare is a struggle everywhere, prompting North Carolina's Transylvania County to try a new approach. Maine is slowly building-out broadband access, but disagreements remain over whether local versus national companies should get the contracts, and specialty apps like "Farmers Dating" help those in small communities connect online.

Hearing Wednesday in Congress on Bills to Protect CA Public Lands

Play

Tuesday, July 9, 2019   

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Leaders from California's conservation and outdoor-recreation communities will testify in Washington, D.C., Wednesday in favor of a trio of public-lands bills that would protect more than a million acres in the Golden State.

The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act would designate as wilderness 245,000 acres in the Los Padres National Forest and the Carrizo Plain National Monument.

Graciela Cabello, director of community engagement with the group Los Padres ForestWatch, said the area needs to be protected from commercial interests.

"Wilderness is actually the strongest protection available for federal land, so that would limit any sort of development,” Cabello said. “Definitely commercial logging would not be allowed, and also essentially prohibit oil drilling and fracking."

Cabello is one of several leaders who will testify before a subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee.

Two other bills protect lands in the San Gabriel Mountains, and in Trinity County in Northern California. Opponents of the bills say the lands have adequate protections and should be managed with an eye to increasing domestic energy production.

A second bill, the Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation and Working Forests Act, would establish a 730,000 acre South Fork Trinity-Mad River Special Restoration Area, and designate 262,000 acres of wilderness, and 379 miles of Wild and Scenic rivers.

Kent Collard, who runs a children's camp on a mountain ranch west of Redding, said the bill was written with a lot of feedback from local interests.

"Some areas that people had specific and legitimate concerns were removed from the bill,” Collard said. “It does lock up some timber. But the areas that are proposed are roadless areas and, really, no timber harvesting has been happening in those for the last 25 years."

David Diaz, executive director of the group Active San Gabriel Valley, said the San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act would fund needed improvements.

"Right now there's trash, graffiti, safety hazards and very few visitor facilities,” Diaz said. “So those conditions increase fire danger, decrease water quality and really, threaten the diverse ecology."

The bill also would add more than 30,000 acres to the Yerba Buena, San Gabriel and Sheep Mountain wilderness areas of Southern California.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.



get more stories like this via email

California is home to banks of all sizes, including 36 Minority Depository Institutions and 111 Community Development Financial Institutions. (Syda Productions/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

The recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank has put a spotlight on the safety and stability of the U.S. financial system. Now…


Environment

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced an 18-month delay in permitting a controversial oil-tunnel construction project under the Great Lakes…

Social Issues

Advocacy groups said they are concerned about the lack of accountability surrounding Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's $388 million proposal to staff schools …


There are more than 7,004 certified nurse midwives currently employed in the United States, according to Zippia. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

The Iowa House has passed a measure to establish a licensing board for midwives. Iowa is one of 15 states currently without such a program, often …

Social Issues

By Jazmin Murphy for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Brett Peveto for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-…

Black Americans are the most likely to suffer from insufficient sleep. (ChadBridwell/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

March is Sleep Awareness Month and health experts say Americans are not getting enough of it. United Health Foundation data found more than 32% of …

Environment

Environmental groups are seeking greater input as California puts the finishing touches on its application to become a hub for hydrogen fuel productio…

Social Issues

This month marks 160 years since the first Medal of Honor was awarded by President Abraham Lincoln. More than a dozen of the 65 recipients alive …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021