By John Hankins
Note: The weather continued to be wild during the last two months dumping more rain, causing considerable damage to infrastructure – tornado in Carpinteria March 22! -- but filling up reservoirs and groundwater. Our environmental life and activism continued, notably gains against pollution and some advance for climate change locally. Donations help a lot, and the money stays here at home doing good stuff. Donate at sierraclub.org/donate/1000
Yosemite Alert! Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center is looking for Sierra Club members who would like to spend a week camping to assist with interpretation at the Center, which is the Sierra Club's home there, open May 1 – Sept. 30. Volunteers arrive on a Saturday and depart the following Saturday, receive free entrance and camping in the park and have Monday and Tuesday to explore on their own. All volunteers must bring their own tent, food, and supplies. Contact Bonnie Gisel at 209 347-7300 or Bonnie.Gisel@sierraclub.org
March 28: Big Dollar donations became special interests’ dream when three Ventura County Supervisors ignored constituents when they blew up the campaign limit from $750 for individuals to a whopping $5,500. The three were East County Supervisors Jeff Gorell, Janice Parvin, and Kelly Long. Voting to retain the $750 cap were Matt LaVere and Vianey Lopez. See story pg. 1.
March 27: “Serendipity to it:” Carmen Ramirez was honored posthumously with a county building planned to house assistance for crime victims whose needs are vital due to cultural barriers, language and others who are especially vulnerable. Carmen Ramirez Family Justice Center is eyed for the 500 block of A St., Oxnard. An environmental hero and activist, Supervisor Ramirez was killed in Aug. 2022 while walking in Oxnard, struck by an SUV.
March 22: World Water Day, honoring the role that water plays in our lives. Sierra Club launched its Clean Water Program on this day last year to fight, via its Water Sentinels Network Team, the weakening of the Clean Water Act. Check out a webinar on chemicals in drinking water on April 11, register here: https://tinyurl.com/ForCleanerWater
March 22: Modoc Path bike project in Santa Barbara approved by California Transportation Committee and it now goes into the design phase. Volunteers spoke in support and shared a multi-organization letter of support organized by the Sierra Club.
March 15: Third annual Santa Cruz Island hiking trip. The hike from Scorpion Harbor is 8 miles with a 1200 ft gain, lots of ocean views and coreopsis in bloom, sponsored by Ventura Sierra Club via Meetup.
March 14: Six groups, including the Sierra Club, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court charging the Interior Department and multiple agencies with violating an array of laws when authorizing ConocoPhillips’ Willow oil and gas project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Mike Scott of Sierra Club's Wild Alaska campaign said: “If they’re allowed to break ground, it would be a disaster for the climate, the effects of which would be felt for decades.” For action go to: https://tinyurl.com/NoToOilGas
March 8: Orientation call for Sierra Club Chapter Leaders, an ongoing program (via Zoom) to guide the club’s mission, vision and values, focusing on diversity, social justice and clean energy, among others.
March 2: Oil company appeal was approved on a 3-2 vote of the Ventura County supervisors granting applications to ABA Energy Corp. to re-drill two wells near Oxnard’s Lemonwood community. “This 3-2 vote by VC Supervisors foreshadows votes to come over the next four years,” commented Chapter vice-chair Jim Hines. “The Ventura County environment lost (its majority) in the Nov. 2022 elections.”
March 1: Climate Action Plan for SB County was aired at two in-person community open houses in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria. It was followed up on March 7 via Zoom. To check out the 2030 plan and comment, go to: https://sbco.mysocialpinpoint.com/oneclimatehome
February 22: Seek the Creek, a community visioning process by the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy for the future removal of the Matilija Dam. It would return the critical waterway of Matilija Creek to its original flow, providing much needed public open space to our region, and more sand on the beaches. The last date was conducted in Spanish.
February 15: WBC Begins, rising from a three-year hiatus due to Covid. Our chapter’s Wilderness Basics Course filled up as usual, although with a reduced size of 35 students to ensure a quality education that likely will continue next year with a larger class.
February 14: ‘Rolling Hills’ next to the Arroyo Hondo Preserve is sought for purchase by the Land Trust for SB County. It started a public campaign to raise $750,000 to encompass the “Gaviota Overlook” within the preserve. You can help: https://www.sblandtrust.org
February 13: Gas battle goes national as reported via LA Times’ Sammy Roth writing: “It all started in Berkeley.” In July 2019, the city voted to ban gas hookups in most new homes due to indoor pollution. In our region, Ventura County and the cities of Santa Barbara and Ojai have ordinances banning gas appliances (with caveats). Our chapter has been an advocate for this since the beginning.
February 13: Legal Deadline met: ExxonMobil filed a lawsuit in federal court to challenge SB County’s decision against restarting offshore platforms. EDC was allowed to join opposition to the lawsuit on behalf of Get Oil Out!, SBCAN, Surfrider Foundation, Sierra Club, and our own members.
February 12: First time that NEXT’s solar window is being demonstrated outside the lab and on a building, notably at Ventura Patagonia headquarters at 96 S. Olive St. NEXT of Santa Barbara developed a transparent photovoltaic coating that turns commercial windows into energy-producing surfaces, opening the door to a whole new world of solar power.
February 8: $10 Million Investment is coming from the feds for monarch butterfly and pollinator conservation. Thanks to our Reps. Salud Carbajal and Jimmy Panetta, citing the devastating drop-off of monarch populations in Goleta and Pismo Beach. The money will promote pollinator-friendly practices on roads, including native plants.
February 7: Ormond Lagoon and the vital importance of restoring Ormond Beach for migratory birds and snowy plovers was communicated by Joan Tharp of Surfrider Foundation. People may donate equipment and/or help to monitor the beach via Ventura Audubon Society.
