Photo: Environmental activist Chris Poelhman wears a costume to protest plans to convert nearly 2,000 acres of coastal Sonoma County redwood forests into vineyards. Credit: Louis Sahagun / Los Angeles Times

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2011/08/grapevines-or-redwoods.html

Daily Dish
The inside scoop on food in Los Angeles

Grapevines or redwoods?
Sonoma County may have to choose

August 25, 2011 | 10:31 am

The Pacific coast of Sonoma County is one of the hottest wine regions in California (popularity-wise, that is). It’s cool nights and afternoon sunshine are perfect for growing Pinot Noir. But the area is also home to some of the most magnificent old-growth redwood stands in the state. Which gets preference? That’s what’s being fought out now, as reported in this story by P.J. Huffstutter and Louis Sahagun.

–Larry

Dear Editor:

Newspapers and other media all over the country are covering a proposal to
clear-cut redwood trees in the Gualala River watershed in Sonoma County to
plant vineyards. These include the Marin Independent Journal, the Oakland
Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Sacramento Bee and the San Jose
Mercury News in California, and the Boston Globe, the Washington Post,
Forbes.com, the Florida Times-Union and the Huffington Post elsewhere. Many
ran an article earlier this month under the headline: ‘Redwoods vs. Red
Wine’.

The Press Democrat apparently decided that the Associated Press story titled
‘Plan to Cut Forest for Vineyards Faces Opposition’ was of no interest to
readers of the online or print editions.

Strangely, other stories concerning the winery itself (Artesa) and its
parent company (Codorniu) are regularly covered in the business section of
the Press Democrat.

One might wonder about these editorial decisions, and, possibly, reach
somewhat cynical conclusions.

Edmund G. Brown Jr.

Governor

STATEWIDE GENERAL NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM PERMIT FOR RESIDUAL PESTICIDE DISCHARGES FROM AQUATIC ANIMAL INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL APPLICATIONS, SPRAY APPLICATIONS, VECTOR CONTROL, AND WEED CONTROL (COLLECTIVELY STATEWIDE GENERAL PESTICIDE PERMITS)

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Klamath Training Room

Joe Serna, Jr./Cal-EPA Building 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) staff will hold a public workshop on Wednesday, June 22, 2011, to receive oral comments on the proposed toxicity study for the Statewide General Pesticide Permits. Although a quorum of the State Water Board may be present, the State Water Board will not take an action during the workshop.

The workshop will begin with a staff presentation on the background of the Statewide General Pesticide Permits and the proposed toxicity study followed by a UC Davis Granite Canyon Laboratory staff presentation on the proposed toxicity study design.

BACKGROUND

The State Water Board has funded a toxicity study to determine whether toxicity testing is an appropriate tool to determine compliance with the Statewide General Pesticide Permits. The UC Davis Granite Canyon Laboratory will conduct the study which consists of chemical, sediment, and toxicity testing.

State Water Board staff is coordinating with the California Department of Food and Agriculture and Mosquito Vector Control Association of California to ensure successful collection of samples needed for the study.

California Environmental Protection Agency

Recycled Paper-2-

INFORMATION REGARDING THE WORKSHOP

Questions concerning this notice may be directed to Phil Isorena at

pisorena@waterboards.ca.gov.

ACCESSIBILITY, PARKING, AND SECURITY

The Joe Serna Jr./Cal-EPA Building is accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals who require special accommodations in the building are requested to contact Catherine Foreman, Office of Employee Assistance, at (916) 341-5881.

Persons with hearing or speech impairments can contact us by using the California Relay Service Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD). TDD is reachable only from phones equipped with a TDD Device. HEARING IMPAIRED REPLAY SERVICE: TDD to voice 1-(800)-735-2929; voice to TDD 1-(800)-735-2922.

A parking garage is located across from the Joe Serna Jr./Cal-EPA Building with entrances on 10th and 11th Streets between “I” and “J” Streets. Metered parking spaces are also available in the vicinity of the building. For a map, refer to this website: http://www.calepa.ca.gov/EPAbldg/location.htm.

All visitors to the Joe Serna Jr./Cal-EPA Building are required to sign in and receive a badge at the Visitor Services Center located inside the main entrance (10th and I Streets entrance). Valid picture identification may be required due to the security level. Please allow up to 15 minutes to receive clearance before proceeding to the Klamath Training Room on the second floor.

On May 23 the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) released an updated health advisory and safe eating guidelines for San Francisco Bay fish and shellfish.

To view the associated press release, report, fact sheet with consumption recommendations, and answers to some Frequently Asked Questions go to:  http://www.oehha.ca.gov/fish/nor_cal/2011SFbay.html
The consumption recommendations, the fish tissue data on which it was based, and related information that may be important to you are all on the My Water Quality website (www.CaWaterQuality.net ( http://cawaterquality.net/ )) under the question,
Is It Safe To Eat Fish And Shellfish From Our Waters?

The new advisory and safe eating guidelines replace interim advice OEHHA issued for San Francisco Bay in 1994.  They are based on fish tissue contaminant data collected by the Bioaccumulation Oversight Group (BOG), a collaborative effort between the State Water Resources Control Boards Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP), the Department of Fish and Game, OEHHA, and others and sponsored by the California Water Quality Monitoring Council.  The new advisory and guidelines also apply to striped bass, white sturgeon, and Chinook (king) salmon that migrate between the bay, ocean, Delta, and rivers flowing into the bay.

If you have any questions on the updated health advisory and safe eating guidelines, please contact Margy Gassel at 510.622.3166 or mgassel@oehha.ca.gov

As partners in a statewide effort to secure protections for polluted waterways, we ask for your help in letting U.S. EPA know that Californians support strong federal leadership on reducing storm water pollution and restoring the health of polluted lakes, rivers, streams, estuaries and coastal waters. In November 2010, EPA issued a memo (attached) that provided good guidance on establishing numeric effluent limits in permits, and other ways to improve storm water and TMDL programs.  But now EPA is backing away from the memo in response to pressure from industry, and is seeking comments on whether to withdraw or weaken the memo.  EPA’s call for comments is also an attempt to gauge support for a federal storm water rule, which is currently in progress.  You and your organization can help in three ways before the comment deadline this Monday, May 16:

1) Fill out and submit our action alert. Circulate it far and wide to your colleagues and link to it on your Facebook page:http://www.cacoastkeeper.org/take-action/speak-out/9.

2) Sign-on to the attached group letter to EPA, asking them not to weaken or withdraw the November 2010 Memo. Please send logos, name, title, and organization name to sara@cacoastkeeper.org by Friday, May 16 at 10am.

3) Adapt our action alert or letter and send an individual letter to EPA on your organizational letterhead. The more letters the better!

Feel free to email me with any questions.

Thank you!

Sara

Environmental groups have been working hard the past five years to stop the use of cancer-causing methyl iodide, called by scientists “one of the most toxic chemicals on earth.” Now, that work is beginning to pay off.

The EPA is currently reconsidering its decision to keep methyl iodide on the market, despite intense pressure from Arysta — the largest private pesticide company in the world. On March 17, the agency opened public comment on a petition to end all uses of this pesticide, nationwide. The science is clear: This pesticide is too toxic to be used safely.

We need your voice heard during this critical comment period. Please take action today: Urge Administrator Lisa Jackson to follow the science and end methyl iodide use.

From the Center for Biological Diversity

For more infomation, go to:  http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6625

Since 2006, U.S. honey bee populations have been in precipitous decline,
with some estimates suggesting losses as high as 30% per year. While
that’s terrible, the problem is far greater than just the loss of a
species.

Without bees, our food supply is in serious danger. Pollination by
honey bees is key in cultivating the crops that produce a full one-third of our
food.

A recently leaked memo suggests the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
has ignored the science linking the pesticide clothianidin to the bee
die-off.

Please sign the petition to E.P.A. Administrator Lisa Jackson demanding an immediate ban and full scientific review of this very dangerous
pesticide:

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/bees_pesticide/?r_by=-434685-