|
 TCEC members
receive the
Eco-Logic
Newsletter,
which is
published
monthly except
for July/August
and
November/December
issues. Each
issue is full of
local
environmental
news, events and
activities, and
ways you can get
involved in
environmental
issues.
Review a sample
(past) issue.
Online, we
feature the
Closer Look
column, written
for our
newsletter by
TCEC
Publications
Chairperson,
Donna Olsen.
Closer
Look
January 2012
Annual
Holiday
Donations
Reflect Local
Issues….Mostly
Each year at
our December
meeting, TCEC
honors special
organizations
with a donation.
We put aside
$1000 for this
purpose. This
year’s the
winners are!
Math/Science
Nucleus received
$150 for its
ongoing
educational
efforts in the
area of science.
Ohlone Humane’s
Wildlife
Rehabilitation
Center received
$300 towards
annual rent of
$600. Alameda
Creek Alliance
received $250 to
apply to the
next battle with
CalTrans. And
the Save the
Redwood League
garnered $100
toward the
purchase of the
CEMEX Redwoods
(over
8000-acres) in
the Santa Cruz
Mountains.
The ecology
center has made
these
end-of-the-year
donations to
worthy
organizations
for about 35
years. Our next
community
donation will be
in January when
the libraries of
the Tri-City
area receive
over $1000 worth
of books, CDs
and
DVDs….another
long-running
tradition.
Monarchs’
Numbers Are Up
Great News!
After years of
decline, monarch
butterfly
numbers are up.
Christina
Garcia, a
naturalist at
Ardenwood
Historic Farm,
counted over
4000 this year
as compared to
224 last year.
Better yet,
numbers have
increased
state-wide.
Garcia
speculates that
late rain caused
milkweed plants
to flourish thus
providing a
better home for
monarch eggs and
food for the
caterpillars. An
idea…Plant a
milkweed plant
in your backyard
and be part of
the recovery!!
The Cost
of Mailings…New
Format
The cost of
publishing the
newsletter has
risen
dramatically
over the past
two years. The
price of paper
has risen, but
even more
impressive is
the increased
cost of postage.
If you use
staples in your
mailing, it
becomes
“non-machinable”
and the price
triples! So we
are going to use
a new
format…magazine-like….with
mailing seals.
We like the new
look and hope
you do too.
We Will
Miss Geoff Steel
Geoff and
Mary Steel
joined the
ecology center
in 1976. They
both worked at
our Recycling
Center “in the
day” as the
saying goes.
Geoff went on to
be a regular
volunteer at the
Lemonade Booth.
We will miss his
intellect and
wit! (As you
know, Geoff
served as
Fremont Mayor
and
Councilmember in
the 60s and
70s.) We are
honored that the
Steel Family
asked donations
be made to TCEC
in memory of
Geoff. Thanks
you.
Un-Occupy
Hetch Hetchy!
Since 1913,
San Francisco
has
unnecessarily
occupied, and
greatly damaged,
a part of
Yosemite
National Park
that belongs to
all Americans.
Poet Harriet
Monroe asked,
"What right has
a single city to
absorb the
property of a
nation?"
The obstacle
to restoration
is not science
or
engineering-it
is just
old-fashioned
bureaucratic
defense of the
status quo.
Restore Hetch
Hetchy (RHH) is
working to break
through that
resistance. Two
weeks ago,
United States
Congressman Dan
Lungren (CA-3)
called for a
federal
investigation of
San Francisco's
poor management
of the water
stored in Hetch
Hetchy Valley.
The Raker Act -
the 1913
decision that
granted San
Francisco the
option to flood
the valley -
makes clear that
water from the
Hetch Hetchy
reservoir can
only be utilized
when the City's
local water
sources have
been exhausted.
According to
the Los Angeles
Times, so-called
"green" San
Francisco does
not recycle a
drop of water.
By comparison,
20% of Orange
County's tap
water is
recycled water.
Furthermore,
since
constructing the
Hetch Hetchy
system, San
Francisco has
disregarded this
federal
requirement and
virtually
abandoned use of
local
groundwater
supplies. The
city is not only
ignoring its
environmental
responsibility -
it's ignoring
its legal duty
by continuing to
occupy Hetch
Hetchy.
This must
end. The
Un-Occupy
movement begins
now. While the
federal
government
pursues its
investigation,
RHH is taking
action at the
ballot box. Next
November - just
11 months from
now - they hope
to place before
the voters of
San Francisco a
proposal to
begin the
process of
restoring Hetch
Hetchy Valley.
If you need more
information or
would like to
help, visit
www.restorehetchhetchy.org
The Top
Local Story of
2011.…. ACA
Stops First
Phase of Niles
Canyon Road
Widening Project
On December
12, the
California
Department of
Transportation
signed a
settlement
agreement with
the Alameda
Creek Alliance (ACA)
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.
“This is a
victory both for
protecting
Alameda Creek
and forcing
transparency in
public agency
decisions,” said
Jeff Miller,
director of the
Alameda Creek
Alliance.
“CalTrans must
mitigate for
damaged trees
along Alameda
Creek and cannot
pursue a highway
project in lower
Niles Canyon
without adequate
environmental
review and full
public
participation.
If CalTrans
comes back with
a revised
project, we
strongly suggest
it not involve
significant
highway widening
or unnecessary
damage to trout
habitat.”
LEAF It to
Beaver…A Report
from Rich
Godfrey
A strange and
nefarious
activity has
been taking
place in the
historic Rose
Garden of
Mission Adobe
Park. Discovered
recently were
several rose
bushes that were
chewed in neat,
circumferential
rows at their
base, causing
them to collapse
to the ground.
Suspected in
this crime were
1) moles, 2)
ground
squirrels, 3)
tree squirrels,
4) or perhaps
beavers
migrating from
Niles Canyon.
Skilled and
knowledgeable
animal
detectives are
invited to
participate in
the forensic
investigation so
that the
perpetrators can
be brought to
justice.
Also, there
are 2 fun and
enjoyable work
parties planned
for Saturday,
February 4 and
11, to do
pruning of the
garden area.
Join us if you
would like to
learn or teach
about roses,
share in work
and an outdoor
breakfast - 9-12
AM.
Ohlone
College Plans
Earth Day(s)
Ohlone
College has
ambitious Earth
Day plans this
year. It will
sponsor two
events: the
first will be
held at the
Fremont Campus
on Tuesday,
April 17; the
second at the
Newark Campus on
Thursday, April
19. We are
looking forward
to great events.
Speaking of
Earth Day….will
the City of
Fremont and
Washington
Hospital
co-sponsor the
celebration of
the Earth again
this year? And
will it be held
in the Conrad
Anderson
Auditorium at
the hospital
again? Some
exhibitors and
guests were not
happy with last
year’s venue
that had no
access to the
sky, trees, or
anything
“earthy”. We
hope that the
event returns to
Lake Elizabeth
at the Senior or
Teen Centers.
State
Parks Hit Again
On Jan. 5,
Governor Jerry
Brown released
his budget
proposal for
Fiscal Year
2012-13. The
budget continues
down the path of
closing state
parks with the
inclusion of a
reduction of
General Fund
support of $11
million. When
combined with
the $11 million
cut from Fiscal
Year 2011-12
State Budget,
the result is a
full $22 million
General Fund cut
to the
Department of
Parks and
Recreation,
necessitating
the closure of
up to 70 state
parks.
Governor
Brown’s budget
proposal also
proposes
devastating
trigger cuts
which would
include the
removal of all
seasonal
lifeguards
(which
effectively
eliminates all
lifeguards on
all state
beaches), and
elimination of
20 percent of
all rangers in
California state
parks, if the
Governor’s
November ballot
initiative for
new revenue
isn’t
successful.
Despite the fact
that a decision
on that
initiative is
ten months away,
the Governor is
demanding that
these budget
cuts be
committed to
this spring.
The State
Parks Assn. has
launched an
online action
alert to the
Governor
opposing this
plan for state
parks and urging
him to protect
and preserve the
more than
100-year legacy
with which he’s
been entrusted
as Governor.
Take action
at:
The California State Parks Foundation website.
Saving the
Bay Adds
Educational Site
Many of you
viewed Saving
the Bay on KQED/KTEH.
It is a
magnificent
4-part series on
the history of
San Francisco
Bay. In 2011,
TCEC donated the
set to the
Tri-City
libraries!
Saving the
Bay was
broadcast as a
PBS national
prime time
special over
four weeks in
April and May
2010 after
several airings
on KQED//KTEH in
the San
Francisco Bay
Area. And it has
been
re-broadcast at
different times
in different
markets around
the country. It
won four
regional Emmy
awards including
for Best
Documentary in
May 2011. The
primary reason
for making
Saving the Bay
was to raise
awareness about
the importance
of San Francisco
Bay, how we
almost lost and
then saved the
Bay and to
celebrate our colorful
regional
history.
The
Education
section of the
website
www.savingthebay.org
has 20 full
lesson plans
with 26
accompanying
video segments
for 4th through
12th grades
arranged by
subject, grade
level and key
words set to
California state
standards. KQED
says the lesson
plans are being
downloaded
(free) up to
1,000 times per
month. The
Education
section may
expand if
funding is
available.
The TCEC
Board Needs You
In February, the
ecology center
will hold its
annual election.
Four officers
will be selected
to serve on the
Board… Chair,
Vice Chair,
Secretary and
Treasurer. Toss
you hat into the
ring! In
addition, two
At-Large
positions are
open. If you are
interested, call
Gus at 790-1685
or Donna at
797-2755. Or to
e-mail the
center, visit
our website:
www.tricityecology.org.
Volunteer at
the Local
History Museum
Garden!
Spring is here.
Join us on the
second Saturday
of each month at
190 Anza St. for
a couple of
hours of
gardening. We
start at 9:30
and go
to….whenever you
like. Plants and
bushes are
growing as well
as weeds. Our
garden needs
your help. Bring
gloves and hand
tools and join a
great group of
friendly
gardeners. As a
plus, the Museum
is also open on
the second
Saturday; so
plan time for a
visit.
2012
Eco-Grants Are
Now Available
We hope the new
year brings new
eco-grant
requests. Both
Youth and Adult
Eco-grants are
available. In
2011, the
ecology center
distributed
approximately
$1000 to 4
projects…. (1)
Kennedy High
school solar
fountain, (2)
Eagle Scout
project for
LEAF, (3) FIERCE
Green Fair at
the Hub and (4)
Newark High
Cycling
Education. We
would like to
hear from you.
Applications are
available to
download on our
website,
www.tricityecology.org
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