EBNCPS Submits Comments for Mitigation Plan in Springtown Alkali Sink Preserve in Livermore

On Monday, January 23rd, EBCNPS submitted comments on the Mitigated Negative Declaration for a proposed mitigation project in the Springtown Alkali Sink Preserve in Livermore.  The proposed project involved creating new wetland habitat in a disturbed section of the preserve as mitigation for a car dealership development.  EBCNPS commented on the importance of minimizing invasive weed spread through the sensitive habitat of the preserve due to machinery and worker movement to and from the project site.  We also recommended that complete biological surveys for rare plants such as Palmate bracted bird’s-beak (Cordylanthus palmatus) which is state and federally endangered, and Livermore tarplant (Deinandra bacigalupii) which isCPS list 1B (highly endangered) be carried out during the appropriate season to establish a project baseline.  Our complete comments can be found here:  EBCNPS comments for Springtown Alkali Sink MND .  The original Mitigated Negative Declaration for this project can be found here:  Springtown IS-MND .

We are hopeful that our comments will be taken into consideration and that this project will result in a net benefit to the sensitive and valuable habitat at Springtown Preserve.

Richmond City Council Meeting Tuesday to Decide Zoning for North Shoreline

EBCNPS has been following the City of Richmond’s work on their new general plan since early summer.  On Tuesday (1/10), the City Council will finally decide whether to zone the North Shoreline area of the city for open space or for continued industrial use.

EBCNPS will be at this meeting to recommend that the council follow staff and the Planning Commission’s recommendation to zone this area for open space.

Citizens for East Shore Parks (CESP) has published this great list of arguments in favor of the open space designation:

• The people of Richmond have strongly supported leaving this area as a natural space with limited development.

• As we face climate change, the shoreline will serve as a natural buffer zone for sea level rise and should be protected for the safety and benefit of all Richmond residents.

• Upzoning this area for more intense development for the benefit of land investors will diminish this buffer protection and lead to further degradation of vital natural habitat.

• It is imperative that any zoning ordinances, written to guide future development, take into consideration the implications of sea level rise.

• Upzoning this area will not help Richmond meet its goals of infill development in areas that already have infrastructure and transportation options.

We hope to see you there.  This is a great opportunity for the City of Richmond to finalize what EBCNPS believes is a great general plan that will ensure preservation of the unique natural resources and wildlife habitat along the Richmond Shoreline.

Meeting info:

Richmond General Plan - 

North Shoreline Land Use Decisions - City Council Meeting

January 10, 2012 at 6:30pm  

City Council Chambers - Civic Center Campus
440 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond

UPDATE:

Unfortunately, the Council was unable to come to a decision at this meeting.  The issue will be sent back to the Planning Commission in the hopes that the Planning Department will have more time to add development standards to the proposed zoning options (Open Space/ Recreation; Business/ Light Industrial; “Limited” Business/ Light Industrial).   EBCNPS will continue working to ensure the unique habitat values of the North Shoreline are spoken for as this process continues.

The Jepson eFlora is Now Online

From Susan Bainbridge of the Jepson Herbarium:

An important advance in systematics of California plants:

The Jepson eFlora is now on line.
See http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html

The Jepson eFlora initially parallels the second edition of The Jepson Manual, Vascular Plants of California, which is the work of 300 authors and editors being published by the University of California Press.

The eFlora includes all of the taxonomic treatments of the print Manual and has in addition treatments for taxa that were excluded from the print Manual because of doubts about naturalization status. Interactive distribution maps linked to specimen data from the Consortium of California Herbaria are included.  Words that were abbreviated to save space in the print Manual have been expanded.  Keys are linked to the treatments to which they refer. Accepted names and synonyms can be searched for.  The eFlora is linked to the Jepson Online Interchange, and from there to numerous electronic tools.

The Jepson Herbarium will work with the treatment authors and users to keep the eFlora in sync with advances in California botanical knowledge.

Alameda Creek Alliance Stops First Phase of Niles Canyon Road Widening Project

Damage to riparian habitat along Alameda Creek from Phase I of Caltrans' road widening project. Photo Courtesy: Alameda Creek Alliance

This is a major victory for conservation interests in the East Bay.  EBCNPS counts the Alameda Creek Alliance as a close ally and was happy to support them in this project, submitting comment letters and attending public meetings to voice our support for protecting the watershed and the natural resources being threatened by this road widening plan.  Congratulations to the Alameda Creek Alliance for their great work and dedication to this project!

See Press Release from Alameda Creek Alliance Below:

Oakland, CA 12/12/11 – The California Department of Transportation signed a settlement agreement today with the Alameda Creek Alliance that forces the agency to terminate the approval and permits for the first phase of a controversial $80 million highway widening project in Niles Canyon along Alameda Creek. CalTrans will rescind its 2006 approval and flawed environmental review for the Route 84 Safety Improvement Project, notify regulatory agencies it is withdrawing the project, terminate the project construction contract, and comply with mitigation requirements for work already done, such as tree cutting along Alameda Creek.

Full press release can be found here:  Phase I Settlement Victory Press Release

Phase II of this plan is still in the environmental review process, but it would result in the cutting of almost 500 more trees and add close to two miles of retaining walls and armoring along the creek.  We will continue following this project and post updates here as they become available.

Press Release: New Appeal Filed by Environmental Groups in Knowland Park Case

Bristly Leptosiphon (Leptosiphon acicularis) at Knowland Park credit: Ken-ichi Ueda

12/07/11 Oakland, CA – Attorneys for Friends of Knowland Park and the East Bay Chapter of the California Native Plant Society today filed an amended legal petition in Alameda County Superior Court charging that the city approved a 50+-acre Oakland Zoo development project for the wildland areas of Knowland Park in violation of the Seismic Hazards Mapping Act. Under the Act, a geotechnical report is required to be prepared and submitted to the state prior to approval of a project located in a mapped seismic hazard zone. While this issue was raised in public comments as early as March, 2011 (http://www.knowlandpark.com/FOKP_Comments_Page/index.html), the City Council approved the project without it.

The complete press release can be found here:  EBCNPS_FOKP Press Release DEC_7_2011

 

UPDATE!  Here is some of the media that we have received so far:

East Bay Express Article

Contra Costa Times Article

EBCNPS Recieves Grant from the Lawrence Foundation to Protect Knowland Park from Harmful Zoo Expansion

Lupine Flower at Knowland Park, credit: Ken-ichi Ueda

The East Bay Chapter of the California Native Plant Society has been awarded a $2,000 grant from the Lawrence Foundation to assist us and our partners, the Friends of Knowland Park, in fighting to protect the precious natural resources of Knowland Park from being destroyed by the Oakland Zoo’s proposed theme park development.  This grant provides further evidence that others understand the importance of Knowland Park as a threatened ecosystem.

This good news comes at a perfect time just before the holidays, and should help help motivate all of us to come back in the New Year with a renewed spirit and optimism to ensure a bright future for this beautiful natural space.

Update on Alameda County Rural Solar Policy

At the November 10th meeting of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors Transportation and Planning Committee, county planners gave a presentation of their updated staff report regarding their forthcoming solar policy strategies for rural areas of the county.  At this meeting, the planners came back with a much more detailed plan than last time (October 3rd meeting, see blog post dated Oct. 12th) that not only addressed the need for distributed generation in urban areas, but also called for a general plan amendment which means an accompanying EIR will have to be carried out to address this change in policy.  The planners are recommending that the general plan amendment process begin and that in the meantime, rural SEF (Solar Energy Facility) applications that are inconsistent with existing policies such as the ECAP and Williamson Act be denied.  So overall, good news for our solar coalition!  Our coalition will continue following this and reaching out to organizations for support and to strengthen our message as the next step of this planning process begins.  Stay tuned for more info as it becomes available.

To review, a copy of the SOLAR (Save Our Land, Agricultural and Raptors) Coalition’s list of guiding principles can be found here:  SOLAR Statement of Principles .

EBCNPS Submits Comments for Creekside Memorial Cemetery DEIR

View of project site from Camino Tassajara looking northwest (photo courtesy: stopthecemetery.org)

EBCNPS recently submitted comments to the Contra Costa County Planning Department regarding the DEIR for the proposed Creekside Memorial Cemetery in the Tassajara Valley area of the County.  The proposed development would result in disturbance of approximately 77 acres of grading for grave-sites and irrigated landscaping, and 13 acres of impervious area (roads, buildings, parking lots).

This project is of concern to EBCNPS because it is located within our “East Dublin and Tassajara” Botanical Priority Protection Area.  This area is recognized by CNPS for priority protection because it contains one of the last remaining matrices of grasslands and vernal pools that once characterized the greater Livermore Valley.  The alkaline valley bottoms and Northern Claypan Vernal Pools of this area support rare plant species including Congdon’s tarplant (Centromadia parryi ssp. congdonii), San Joaquin spearscale (Atriplex joaquiniana) and Saline clover (Trifolium depauperatum var. hydrophilum) as well as locally rare plant species.  Among these species, Congdon’s tarplant and San Joaquin spearscale (both CNPS list 1B) have been identified on site and will be directly impacted by this project.

A copy of the DEIR for this project can be found here:  Draft Environmental Impact Report for Creekside Memorial Cemetery

Our Comment letter can be viewed here:  EBCNPS Comments for Creekside Cemetery DEIR

California Department of Fish and Game Joins Federal Suit Challenging the Removal of Vegetation on Levees

November 9th, 2011

“The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) today commenced the process to join federal litigation that challenges …the Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) adoption of a national policy that requires removing virtually all trees and shrubs on federal levees.”

Any time the DFG takes a legal stand it is significant, and in this case, their participation in this suit will hopefully ensure that essential riparian habitat for endangered species remains intact.  The Army Corps of Engineers’ new policy would be both economically costly and environmentally damaging.  We will continue following this ongoing lawsuit.

More information on this issue can be found HERE (DFG Seeks to Join Lawsuit to Protect Fish and Wildlife on Levees)

SETTLEMENT TALKS SCUTTLED; ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS’ LAWSUIT CONTINUES AGAINST OAKLAND ZOO PARKLAND DEVELOPMENT (Press Release)

Photo looking down at existing zoo from proposed expansion area. Credit: Ken-ichi Ueda

10/24/11 Oakland Calif. – Friends of Knowland Park and the East Bay Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (EBCNPS) announced today that mediated settlement negotiations with the City of Oakland and the Oakland Zoo have ended. The groups will instead return to court to continue their lawsuit charging that the city broke the law by approving, without a full Environmental Impact Report, the zoo’s plan to build a theme park atop rare native wildlife habitat.

A full version of the press release can be found here:  Press Release Regarding Settlement Talks with Oakland Zoo