Assembly Bill 2002 will monitor lobbying of California Coastal Commission

Assemblyman Mark Stone, D-Scotts Valley, Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, and State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara co-sponsored Assembly Bill 2002 that will provide oversight on California Coastal Commission lobbying. This bill was in response to the frustration legislatures felt over the recent firing of the Commission's executive director Charles Lester. Read more in-depth in this Sacramento Bee article.

'Disgrace' isn't a strong enough word to describe Coastal Commission meeting, says LA Times columnist

Columnist Steve Lopez of the Los Angeles Times says that "disgrace" isn't a strong enough word to describe last week's Coastal Commission meeting, which saw the appointed body fired Executive Director Charles Lester. It's a strong piece.

New monuments are super cool -- and Elf Owls

As we prepared our statement yesterday lauding the President and Sen. Dianne Feinstein for ushering in three new national monuments in the California desert, we noticed one bird among many on the list: the Elf Owl. Sure, the other birds affected by this decision are impressive -- Golden Eagle, Swainson's Hawk, Vermillion Flycatcher, Least Bell's Vireo, and so on -- but the Elf Owl is unique. Turns out the Elf Owl is among the world's smallest owls, just about the same size as a sparrow. It maxes out at about six inches long. It weighs about 1.4 ounces, making it the lightest owl. The northernmost edge of this bird's range is in the new Mojave Trails National Monument, but good luck seeing them. This is about the hardest place to bird in the Lower 48 and, oh, the bird is nocturnal.

Sacramento Bee Ed Board calls for complete overhaul of California Coastal Commission

In the wake of the highly controversial decision to remove its executive director, the California Coastal Commission needs to be completely torn down and rebuilt again, says the Sacramento Bee Editorial Board:

"In any case, most of California now believes that its Coastal Commission is preparing to pollute its coast with resorts and golf courses. Nothing but a total reboot will do if public confidence is to be restored."

Feinstein introduces long-awaited drought legislation

As you may have read in the press, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein this week released her much-anticipated drought bill, which seeks to strike a balance between environmental interests and those of agriculture and communities seeking more reliable flows. Audubon California has weighed in several times as this legislation was being developed, and our focus has been to maintain adequate water for Central Valley refuges which provide habitat for millions of birds each year, continued support for the San Joaquin River restoration, and no change in bedrock environmental protection laws.

We're still looking through the bill, but overall we are grateful for Sen. Feinstein's leadership and hard work on this issue over the past several years. We also greatly appreciate that she has accepted nearly all of the input from the wildlife refuge community on portions of the bill that affect refuges. However, we share the concerns raised by the State of California and advocates for healthy fish populations that portions of the bill will affect management of the Delta system to increase exports while putting endangered fish populations at greater risk. We look forward to continuing to work with the Senator, her staff, and other members of the Senate and House, to complete a bill that provides drought relief for Californians without further threatening our state’s biodiversity. 

Legal trouble arising from Porter Ranch gas leak

Legal troubles are mounting for the utility in charge of the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage field that has been leaking for the last three-and-a-half months. News agencies are also calling the event the Porter Ranch gas leak, in reference to the nearby housing community. As the Los Angeles Times reports, Los Angeles County officials have charged Southern California Gas Company with misdemeanor charges stemming from the leak, which could result in massive fines for the agency. The California attorney general has also signed on to class a action lawsuit from nearby residents seeking damages. The news comes as representatives of the utility claim that the leak may be stopped in the next few days, which will come as a huge relief to the thousands of nearby residents who have been dislocated because of the spill.

As we reported earlier, the California Air Resources Board estimated in late January that the Aliso Canyon leak had emitted the equivalent of 2.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. This is more greenhouse gas than 440,000 cars emit in a year. The immediate impact that this will have on birds is unclear. While we know that greenhouse gas emissions are predicted to have significant long-term effects on birds, it is less clear what the pollutants are doing to birds in the here and now.