In the News
Democrats press to bar lawmakers from carrying guns in the Capitol
by Mike Lillis
A group of liberal Democrats is pressing House leaders in both parties to bar lawmakers from carrying guns on Capitol Hill. Although members of the public are prohibited from carrying weapons of any kind on the Capitol grounds, a decades-old regulation allows lawmakers to bear firearms in most areas of the Capitol complex. At least twenty-one Democratic gun reformers are hoping to overturn that exemption. In a letter sent Tuesday to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader … Continue Reading
December 14, 2020
Pelosi to keep climate committee, Castor as chair
by Nick Sobczyk
The Select Committee on the Climate Crisis will return for the 117th Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said yesterday, as President-elect Joe Biden pushes for aggressive action on climate change. "As we look toward the future, this Select Committee will continue to champion ambitious progress to protect our communities, promote justice, create good-paying jobs and safeguard our planet for generations to come," Pelosi said in a statement. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) will remain … Continue Reading
December 12, 2020
Editorial: Biden election offers hope for preserving the Delta
The forthcoming Biden administration is California's best - and perhaps only - hope for solving vexing water issues that have largely been put on hold for more than a decade. It should be clear that state leadership is incapable of crafting a comprehensive water strategy. The California Department of Water Resources continues to push for pumping additional water from the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta at the expense of its immediate and long-term health. Preserving the health of … Continue Reading
December 11, 2020
Lumbee goes before Congress for federal recognition. Again.
by Mary Annette Pember
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has been here several times before over the past 130 years. Recognized by the state of North Carolina in 1885, the Lumbee have been seeking federal recognition since 1889. Over the years, the tribe has sought recognition through Congress several times. Although versions of the Lumbee Recognition Act have been passed by the House of Representatives, the legislation inevitably dies in the Senate. In 2020, the House has once again passed the Lumbee Tribe of … Continue Reading
December 10, 2020
House, Senate approve natural resources bills
by Jacob Wallace
The House approved legislation yesterday to study the effects of drones on wildfire suppression, among other natural resource bills. The chamber cleared H.R. 5040, the "AIR Safety Act," from Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), on a 382-6 vote. The bill would direct the Bureau of Land Management to study the effects of drone incursions on wildfire suppression on public lands. The measure would task BLM with releasing a report within 18 months detailing how drones have affected wildfire suppression. … Continue Reading
December 10, 2020
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