In the News
Bill to restore marine ecosystems, update water infrastructure, passes unanimously in House of Reps
by Lana Cohen
LITTLE RIVER, 12/10/20 - On Tuesday, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the 2020 Water Resources Development Act, a bill which will allocate funding to improve water infrastructure, restore marine ecosystems, and manage for flooding around the country. The bill approves $30 million to continue to protect Lake Mendocino from the invasive species Zebra Mussels. "The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) is essential to everyday American life," wrote Democratic staff in a WRDA … Continue Reading
December 09, 2020
Bipartisan senators introduce tree conservation bill as climate solution
by Rachel Frazin
Bipartisan senators on Wednesday introduced a bill that seeks to use trees to mitigate climate change, similar to a Republican-backed bill that was introduced in the House earlier this year. The new legislation, introduced by Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) on Wednesday, looks to forests, wetlands and other ecosystems to absorb carbon dioxide that's emitted into the atmosphere. It authorizes $10 million for a program to shore up the country's supply of seeds … Continue Reading
December 09, 2020
The 2020 Election: How Might Fisheries Be Affected?
by Charles Witek
As this is being written, nearly a month after the 2020 election, the outcome of the election is not yet fully clear. The Democrats have retained the House of Representatives. Although a few races remain in doubt, it's clear that their majority in the 117th Congress will be significantly smaller than it was in the previous session. Barring some unprecedented and probably unthinkable event, the Democrats have also captured the White House, with President-elect Biden standing by to take over … Continue Reading
December 09, 2020
Rep. Katie Porter Exposes 'Corruption In Real Time' After McConnell's Attempts To Tank Relief Bill
by Evan Brechtel
Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA) is just finishing up her first term in the House of Representatives, but the freshman representative is already well-established on Capitol Hill. Porter is known across the country for her tactics during meetings of the House Financial Services Committee, where her sensible yet relentless line of questioning often forces everyone from billionaire CEOs to high-level pharmaceutical executives to acknowledge the economic hardships faced by their employees. Now, … Continue Reading
December 08, 2020
Huffman Votes in Favor of Water Resources Legislation
by Kali Cozyris
North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman voted today in favor of the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020, which includes key North Coast and environmental priorities authored by Rep. Huffman.The legislation includes numerous provisions Rep. Huffman advocated for including increasing the set-aside for smaller "emerging ports" from 10 percent of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to 15 percent and unlocking an additional $2 billion in annual funding for harbor maintenance … Continue Reading
December 07, 2020
Democrats question legality of speedy Arctic refuge oil lease sales
by Rachel Frazin
Three Democratic lawmakers are raising legal questions about the rapid timeline the Trump administration is using to advance oil and gas development at a wildlife refuge in the Arctic. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) stated in a federal register notice that was published Monday that it must receive bids for land leases by Dec. 31, though they won't be opened until Jan. 6. In a letter to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, whose department oversees the BLM, Democratic Reps. Raúl … Continue Reading
December 07, 2020
Sonoma County movie theaters struggling to survive hope for Hollywood ending in 2021
by Bill Swindell
The holiday season typically would be a bonanza for local movie theaters with Oscar-worthy films and family tales that would draw many Sonoma County residents. This year, however, has been a real-life horror flick for local theaters. The coronavirus pandemic has essentially shut down the whole industry, perhaps clamping down operations more than any other economic sector since last spring. The predicament for theaters became more perilous when Warner Bros. announced Thursday that it would … Continue Reading
December 05, 2020
2021 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree to Hail from Six Rivers National Forest
by Iridian Casarez
Next year's U.S. Capitol Building Christmas tree (AKA "The People's Tree) will hail from California 2nd Congressional District's very own Six Rivers National Forest according to a "humbug" tweet from North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman."I don't mean to 'humbug' the nice tree from Colorado, but next year, the Capitol Christmas tree is coming from California's 2nd congressional district where we have the biggest and most beautiful trees of all. Six Rivers National Forest!" reads Huffman's … Continue Reading
December 04, 2020
UNPACKING THE NEW ADMINISTRATION: FOUR PREDICTIONS FOR THE OUTDOORS
by Tania Lown-Hecht
With a historic election behind us, what’s on the horizon for the outdoors? Over the past ten years, Outdoor Alliance has worked with both Republican and Democratic administrations to protect key landscapes, fund public lands and waters, and improve outdoor experiences. We value the outdoor community's ability to work with both parties, as well as with a divided Congress, and we are thinking carefully about the work we can get done over the next four years to protect and … Continue Reading
December 04, 2020
House passes ‘Tiger King’ bill to outlaw private ownership of big cats
by Jack Hobbs
A new bill passed by the US House of Representatives would outlaw private ownership of big cats - potentially preventing any new "Tiger King" successors from emerging. The law, which was dubbed the "Tiger King" bill after the viral Netflix show of the same name, was passed by the US House of Representatives on Thursday with a 272-114 vote. The show's star, Joseph Maldonado-Passage, a.k.a. Joe Exotic, is currently serving 22 years in prison for various wildlife crimes, as well as a … Continue Reading
December 04, 2020
INTERVIEW: Jared Huffman On The Likelihood Of A Stimulus Package
Michelle speaks to Congressman Jared Huffman about the proposed stimulus deal, stimulus checks, trap doors, chances it passes, the MORE Act vote & California's Stay-At-Home Order: … Continue Reading
December 03, 2020
Trump's 'QAnon of water projects': Destined for death?
by Jeremy Jacobs
The Trump administration made a splash last month announcing it was moving ahead with enlarging one of California's largest dams to provide the drought-stricken state's farmers more water. But state officials and conservationists have another message for the outgoing administration: Not so fast. The Bureau of Reclamation on Nov. 20 finished its environmental review of raising the 600-foot Shasta Dam in Northern California by 18.5 feet. It would be the Trump administration's largest water … Continue Reading
December 02, 2020
Congressman Joe Neguse Calls For A National Biodiversity Strategy, Rejoining Paris Climate Agreement
by Sam Brasch
In the fossil record of the far future, the legacy of human civilization could look a lot like an asteroid impact. Below a line of sediment, future paleontologists would find an abundance of plant and animal life. Above it, there would be a far more narrow range of fossils, pointing toward an extinction event at some point in Earth's distant past - right around the present moment. Most scientists agree such an event is currently playing out across the planet. According to a recent UN panel … Continue Reading
December 02, 2020
Key House Committee Sends Marijuana Legalization Bill To Floor For Vote
by Kyle Jaeger
A key House committee advanced a bill to federally legalize marijuana on Wednesday, clearing its path to a floor vote that leadership said will come on Friday. While several amendments to the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act were submitted to the Rules Committee, most were not deemed in order for floor consideration. A manager’s amendment offered by the bill’s sponsor, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), will be attached under the rule … Continue Reading
December 01, 2020
Tuleyome Tales: A second chance for Eel River salmon and steelhead?
by Victoria Brandon
For many years PG&E has operated the "Potter Valley Project," a hydroelectric facility on the main stem of the Eel River consisting of Scott and Cape Horn dams and a tunnel diverting water into the Russian River watershed, where it is used to generate a small amount of electricity and for irrigation by farmers in Potter Valley and farther south in Sonoma County. The construction of Scott Dam in 1922 completely blocked passage of critically imperiled anadromous fish including salmon, … Continue Reading
November 18, 2020
Historic deal refreshes plans for major dam removal
by Jeremy P. Jacobs
America's largest dam removal project has been brought back to life with a new agreement among California, Oregon, tribes and a utility owned by billionaire Warren Buffett. The decadeslong effort to remove four dams on the Klamath River in Northern California that have had a devastating impact on salmon runs had appeared in danger following an unexpected July regulatory order. But in an emotional and triumphant online press conference yesterday, major stakeholders praised a new agreement that … Continue Reading
November 17, 2020
'A New Era For California Tribes'; Agreement Breathes New Life Into Klamath River Dam Removal
by Jessica Cejnar
Berkshire Hathaway's PacifiCorp has signed onto a new agreement with Oregon, California, the Yurok and Karuk tribes paving the way forward toward Klamath River dam removal in 2023. The memorandum of agreement advances the "most ambitious salmon restoration effort in history," establishing the Klamath River Renewal Corporation as the entity in charge of removing four obsolete dams, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton Bonham announced during an online event that … Continue Reading
November 14, 2020
What a Biden Administration could mean for Klamath water
by Alex Schwartz
Reposted to KPVI News and Blue Mountain Eagle. When the Associated Press called the presidential race for Joe Biden, stakeholders in local water issues started preparing for a federal shakeup. The last three administrations have been considerably active in Klamath Basin issues regardless of political party. Negotiations for a basin-wide agreement began under the Bush Administration and continued under the Obama Administration until faltering in the House of Representatives - though … Continue Reading
November 01, 2020
Fight climate change, preserve nature in one stroke
by Jonathan Parfrey
Recently, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a first-in-the-nation pledge to protect 30% of the state's land and water by 2030. This historic executive order will require significant conservation action from our leaders. Thankfully, numerous members of Congress are currently working to pass legislation to protect critical public lands and waters across the state which would help California meet our new "30×30" target. This legislation would in one stroke help safeguard biodiversity, contain … Continue Reading
October 31, 2020
Jared Huffman co-sponsors daylight saving time bill
by Ruth Schneider
Many Americans have expressed a desire to not have an extra hour of 2020. But this year's daylight saving time ends 2 a.m. Sunday when Californians will be asked to set the clock back one hour. U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) said it's time for another option and he is co-sponsoring a bill with a Utah Republican that, if passed, would allow states to observe daylight saving time all year round. "I've had a bee in my bonnet about this for years," Huffman told the Times-Standard on … Continue Reading