Important Water Hearings Monday & Tuesday!

June 27, 2010

WHAT: California Public Utility Commission Public Participation Hearings

WHEN: Monday, June 28, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the Monterey City Hall Council Chambers (580 Pacific St., Monterey) and Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. at the Oldemeyer Center (968 Hilby Ave., Seaside).

These hearings will allow members of the public to “present comments and address issues related to the Regional Water Project, including costs.”

The reservoir impounded by the Los Padres Dam: The Regional Water Project is intended to replace water being illegally pumped from the Carmel River by Cal-Am, but the agreement controlling the Regional Project, as currently written, will not only rip-off the Cal-Am ratepayers and leave them without a say in how the Project is run, but could easily result in the Project failing to deliver enough water to offset the illegal diversions. The PUC can easily fix these problems, but they need to hear from the Cal-Am ratepayers that the community wants the problems fixed. The PUC’s record of doing the right thing on their own isn’t too good. Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | Carmel River, Politics, Water | Permalink
Posted by xasauan

Molera Wilderness Proposal Withdrawn

April 7, 2010

An unnamed stream flows through a trailless redwood forest deep within the proposed Molera Wilderness

In response to vigorous opposition from locals worried that the plan would interfere with future firefighting efforts, Assembly Member Bill Monning has withdrawn his proposal to give State Wilderness designation to a portion of the Molera State Park backcountry. Read the rest of this entry »

2 Comments | Big Sur, Fire, Flood & Apocalypse, Politics, Santa Lucias | Permalink
Posted by xasauan

Big Sur Residents to Hold Government Appreciation Festival

April 1, 2010

The BSRUS (Big Sur Residents United for Socialism) announced plans today for a Festival of Appreciation aimed at thanking the many government agencies, and the state and federal taxpayers, who make the very existence of the community of Big Sur as we know it possible.

Precarious lifeline: The modern Big Sur community is completely dependent on a single, phenomenally expensive, highway. Read the rest of this entry »

7 Comments | Big Sur, Coastal Development/Erosion, Politics, Santa Lucias | Permalink
Posted by xasauan

Groups Trying to Force Forest Service to Allow Public Participation in Land Use Decisions

December 15, 2009

Los Padres ForestWatch and the California Chaparral Institute today filed a lawsuit seeking to force the Forest Service to comply with federal law and allow meaningful public input into Forest land use decisions. Far from inviting public participation, the Forest Service, as we have often pointed out, usually attempts to conduct planning in total secrecy. Read the rest of this entry »

1 Comment | Courts, Politics, Santa Lucias | Permalink
Posted by xasauan

Cloud Seeding Program Hopes to Intensify Big Sur Rainfall

December 4, 2009

Keeping the highway open is a challenge even in good weather

While Big Sur residents and Cal-Trans pray for mild rains, the Monterey County Water Resource Agency is preparing to intensify this winter’s rains by seeding clouds off the Big Sur coast with silver iodide. The goal is to fill the San Antonio and Nacimiento reservoirs by producing heavier rain. Read the rest of this entry »

3 Comments | Big Sur, Fire, Flood & Apocalypse, Politics, Santa Lucias | Permalink
Posted by xasauan

San Clemente Dam to be Torn Down After All?

November 16, 2009

The silted-up, unsafe, San Clemente Dam

With its reservoir filled in, the San Clemente Dam is useless for water storage. It prevents steelhead from reaching their spawning grounds and, as the nearly 90 year old structure is fragile enough to fail in even a moderate earthquake, it poses a serious threat to downstream communities. Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | Carmel River, Politics, Water | Permalink
Posted by xasauan

State Parks to Stay Open

September 25, 2009

DSC00353

China Cove, Pt. Lobos

It’s been obvious from the start that closing parks would cost the state more money than it would save. As this fact became increasingly difficult to ignore during the past few weeks, and as the announcement of the closure list was repeatedly delayed, it became more and more obvious that the Governor’s Office was going to back away from the park closure plans. And today, sure enough, the Governor has announced that all state parks will stay open. The new plan is to save money mainly by reducing the amount of time that parks are open and by reducing maintenance.

We’re glad they won’t be trying to kick us off the beach, but with the difficulty State Parks is already having keeping their property adequately maintained this doesn’t seem like much of a victory.

1 Comment | Politics | Permalink
Posted by xasauan

The Not-So-Great Monterey Beach Cross Debate

September 23, 2009

As the Topix forums for commenting on local news stories are populated almost entirely by trolls focused on antagonizing and insulting one another, it wasn’t surprising that the sawing down, by persons unknown, of the 20 foot tall cross that’s been standing on public property on the Monterey Beach for the past 40 years resulted in an outpouring of vitriol, on several different Topix threads, aimed at “Liberals,” the ACLU, Obama, etc. Read the rest of this entry »

6 Comments | Coastal Development/Erosion, Politics | Permalink
Posted by xasauan

Forest Service Retracts Ridiculous Dope Grower Profile

September 11, 2009

We’ve all heard, and some of us have seen for ourselves, that Mexican immigrants are playing a larger role than ever before in the business of large-scale marijuana growing in the National Forests. We’ve also heard, although without any particular evidence to back it up, that these growers are associated with Mexican drug cartels. Read the rest of this entry »

1 Comment | Politics | Permalink
Posted by xasauan

Bohemian Beach Fire Tradition Blamed for Weakening the Moral Fiber of Carmel’s Youth

August 24, 2009

Waterline

The Carmel Beach is famous for ice cold water, loose dogs, and fine white sand

A lot of people in Carmel these days are deeply concerned with whiteness – the whiteness of the sand on the Carmel Beach. Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | Coastal Development/Erosion, Politics | Permalink
Posted by xasauan

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