Editor’s note: By popular demand, we continue with the Jim Hines Chronicles, which reflects the emails by our premier lobbyist on the ins and outs of environmental activism and is chock-full of information. This covers the last two months and begins with a comment overview. Jim is our chapter vice-chair and conservation director who belongs to many wildlife groups.
By Jim Hines
It all started with the defeat of ballot measures A and B in June 2022 and continued with the election of an anti-environment majority on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. Gone are the great environmental visionaries such as the late Carmen Ramirez and the termed-out Linda Parks.
Even in the City of Ventura, the leader of the SoCal Building Industry Assn. was elected to City Council.
Ventura, the county of my birth, is changing folks, the fossil fuel industry reigns supreme politically, and while many citizens of our county want clean water, air and protected open space, clearly voters at the polls think otherwise.
Local Chambers of Commerce were able to get people who support the paving over of our lands and people who support the fossil fuels industry elected to various city councils around the county.
I weep for my Ventura County, my ancestors came to this region in the 1840s. Gone are the open spaces I enjoyed as a kid, farmlands paved over, abundant wildlife of past times, now endangered.
I grew up with green hills, now paved over; I grew up with flowing creeks, now dammed; I grew up with Condors on our ranch property, now critically endangered; I grew up with wildlife freely moving throughout the county, I now see dead wildlife on our roads.
Yes, we have successes, two national park units, one national forest, one national wildlife refuge and one national marine sanctuary offshore, but even those so-called protected areas face daily challenges to their existence.
I won't give up fighting for the natural heritage of Ventura County, the county of my ancestors
Oct 6: Wildlife Team Sierra Club CA will be setting up meetings over the next few weeks with all 12 CalTrans districts staff to discuss how it will implement a wide-ranging law signed by Gov. Newsom to create protected wildlife over- and under-passes and other road, highway and safety features to protect wildlife. See AB 2344 for full text, passed unanimously.
Oct 12: I can't believe the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, the CA Native Plant Society, Nature Conservancy and 20 other environmental organizations support the use of the deadly wildlife and ecosystem killing herbicide Glyphosate (Roundup) by their letters of support for Roundup use last week. The letter written by Erin and me on behalf of Sierra Club California was the only letter opposing its use.
Oct 18: A most dangerous member when it comes to our national public lands, is Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) who will be speaking in Santa Barbara Oct. 21 at the Hilton. He is in a tough re-election fight, and should he prevail, (Editor’s note: he won a third term) I can't begin to tell you the power he will wield. He opposes the designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, Rim of the Valley Corridor and Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, as well as being our major foe in protecting public lands in Utah including Bears Ears National Monument, where I first met him. He doesn't like to meet with people who support protecting our nation's treasured natural resources and he can be quite rude and arrogant during meetings. Lee also took part in the January 6th attack and is being investigated for his role in that insurrection.
Oct 21: Caltrans study on ways to protect wildlife crossing the 101 freeway in the Gaviota pass area is well underway. You can learn about the study here:
Nov 2: Information Guides on platform decommissioning off our coast:
https://tinyurl.com/DecomGuide
Nov 3: Never give up in defense of open space and wildlife habitat. U2’s guitarist The Edge (David Evans) has approached the state about purchasing his 200-acre property for open space on Malibu’s Sweetwater Mesa, for which he fought to build mega-mansions. Nothing solid yet, but the fact that he approached the state is a big step forward in preserving this special place in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Nov 7: One of our chapter's highest 30 x 30 Conservation Plan properties will soon be in the protection of the National Park Service. It’s the 1200-acre Mansdorf property along PCH in Ventura County and documents were signed today.
Nov 9: Going to be challenging lobbying in DC this coming year for us. While Santa Barbara and Ventura counties were our bright spot in yesterday's elections (for legislative offices, see story pg ?), Ventura’s Board of Supervisors lost its eco-majority. In January we will face a hostile House Republican majority. Examples: Ryan Zinke (former Trump Interior Secretary) won a seat representing a Montana district, and Utah voters reelected Senator Mike Lee.
Nov 30: Rough month for wolves in America and for those of us in the Sierra Club who work on protecting wolves. A Montana judge lifted the ban on hunting wolves in Montana and this now includes the Yellowstone wolf pack. Wolf hunting, even wolf pups in their winter dens continues in the National Parks in Alaska. Congress still will not pass a national wolf protection act despite our lobby efforts.
~ Edited by Condor John