http://www.wildcalifornia.org Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:19:00 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Today the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) delivered a formal notice of intent to sue letter to the billionaire Archie Aldis “Red” Emmerson and his company, Sierra Pacific Industries, Inc., for harming Northern Spotted Owls in violation of the Endangered Species Act. By clearcut logging within known spotted owl territories, the company is engaged in openly hostile actions against individual spotted owls and their young, seemingly designed to eliminate the owl from its lands. ]]> http://www.wildcalifornia.org/blog/epic-asks-spi-to-stop-logging-owl-habitat/ EPIC, Oregon Wild and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice of intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service today for failing to decide, as legally required, whether upper Klamath River chinook salmon deserve protection under the federal Endangered Species Act. In response to a January 28, 2011 petition from the groups, the Fisheries Service determined in April 2011 that the salmon may warrant protection and began a status review that was supposed to be completed within one year of the petition. ]]> http://www.wildcalifornia.org/blog/epic-joins-in-renewed-push-for-protecting-klamath-chinook/ Due to the high profile of issues like Richardson Grove, it’s not hard to overlook EPIC’s work on less eye-catching sources of environmental degradation. Among the many unsung endeavors is EPIC’s effort, in cooperation with the Klamath Forest Alliance (KFA), to reform livestock grazing in the Klamath National Forest. EPIC intern Victor Reuther traveled the high country of the Marble Mountains this summer documenting the impacts of grazing in the sensitive alpine wilderness. ]]> http://www.wildcalifornia.org/blog/epic-grazing-reform-project%e2%80%94protecting-the-marble-mountain-high-country/ Your help is needed NOW to stop a dangerous new bill in the California Senate: SB 455 (Pavley). This bill would dramatically expand the specific 3-year timber harvest plan required under current law, giving logging companies the option of preparing a very general 20-year plan covering up to 100,000 acres. Astonishingly, the bill proposes no increased protections over existing law, no restrictions on clearcutting, and fails to meaningfully address cumulative impacts to watersheds and endangered species. ]]> http://www.wildcalifornia.org/blog/stop-sb-455-save-our-forests/ The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the Humboldt marten, a rare forest carnivore found only in coastal old-growth forests in Northern California and southern Oregon, will be reviewed for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The Environmental Protection Information Center and Center for Biological Diversity petitioned for protection for the marten in 2010. ]]> http://www.wildcalifornia.org/blog/esa-protection-closer-for-humboldt-marten/ For the first time since 1924, a wild wolf is roaming the State of California. According to the California Department of Fish and Game, on December 29, 2011, a wolf crossed into a remote area of Siskiyou County north of Mt. Shasta. At EPIC, we intend to advocate for wolves as strongly as we advocate for all native biological diversity in northern California. That means continuing our important work in defending our forests and wild areas from exploitation and destruction. ]]> http://www.wildcalifornia.org/blog/wolf-enters-california-wild-california-just-got-a-little-more-wild/ The year 2011 has seen many changes at EPIC and I am grateful to be part of a talented organization supported by a dedicated community. As Conservation Director, I have the opportunity to advance our mission through four main program areas: Public Lands Defense, Clean Water, Endangered Species and Biodiversity Protection, and Industrial Forestry Reform.]]> http://www.wildcalifornia.org/blog/looking-ahead-into-2012/ On December 6, 2011, attorneys for EPIC and plaintiffs filed a motion for summary judgment in federal court in our challenge to the Caltrans highway development project for Richardson Grove State Park. The motion explains the precise legal claims against Caltrans, and illuminates the failure of the agency to follow environmental laws. We are working to see the State of California improve it's policies in terms of directing state agencies and protecting biodiversity.]]> http://www.wildcalifornia.org/blog/richardson-grove-decision-on-the-horizon/ The health and vitality of our futures, and that of our children and grandchildren, is contingent upon our ability to respond to the cries for help from a stressed landscape. Over the years EPIC has gained the trust of our supporters, and now more than ever we need people to pitch in to this collective effort.]]> http://www.wildcalifornia.org/blog/thanks-and-appreciations-an-epic-holiday-message/ As the year 2011 starts to draw to a close, the stewardship crisis in the California State Parks System is clearly becoming more acute. The disastrous plan to close specific park units, including a disproportionate number of parks in Northwest California, continues to unfold without any promise of relief, while many other park units not on the closure list face dire conservation threats.]]> http://www.wildcalifornia.org/blog/no-relief-for-stewardship-crisis-in-california-state-parks/