EcoNews Report
220 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsA weekly environmental news roundup produced in Arcata, California by Tom Wheeler (Environmental Protection Information Center), Caroline Griffith (Northcoast Environmental Center), Alicia Hamann (Friends of the Eel River), Jen Kalt (Humboldt Waterkeeper) and Colin Fiske (Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities).
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Episodes
Toxic Soup in the Smith River
April 21, 2024 02:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBThe Smith River needs your help. Agricultural operations along the estuary are polluting the river with high levels of pesticides. This pesticide pollution is impacting coho salmon, tidewater goby and other wildlife that rely on the river, as well as the human residents that live amongst the pollution. Greg King, executive director of the Siskiyou Land Conservancy, joins the show to discuss his organization’s new report detailing the 40 year history of pesticide pollution in the river and w...
Coping with Climate Anxiety
April 06, 2024 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MB“One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds.” - Aldo Leopold Do you also have a gnawing, seemingly ever-present hum in the back of your head—an intrusive thought about the immensity of the climate crisis and your own miniscule ability to do anything about it? If so, you are not alone. Some 83% of the United States thinks that climate change poses a "serious and imminent threat to the planet" and "59% of youth and young adults said they were ...
How Do Fish Get Counted, and Why Does Genetic Diversity Matter?
March 31, 2024 00:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBThis week on the EcoNews Report, we discuss how fish are monitored and counted. Our host Alicia Hamann from Friends of the Eel River is joined by Dave Kajtaniak from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Samantha Kannry from TRIB Research. Tune in to learn about the hopeful returns salmon returns on the Eel and why preserving genetic diversity is so important to giving species the adaptability they need to survive our changing climate. Click here to learn more about TRIB Resear...
Can We Clean Up Humboldt Bay Before the Sea Rises?
March 23, 2024 17:00 - 27 minutes - 18.9 MBThe industrial legacy of the 20th Century left many contaminated sites around Humboldt Bay. Our second special episode on communities at risk from sea level rise features local residents talking about several of the most vulnerable sites, including Tuluwat Island, Butcher Slough in Arcata, and the nuclear waste storage site above King Salmon. Many thanks to Hilanea Wilkinson, Adam Canter, Jerry Rohde, Nate Faith, and to Jessie Eden, who produced this episode with funding provided by the Cali...
You Loved the Movie. Now See Humboldt's Dunes!
March 16, 2024 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBSpice up your life by checking out the spectacular dunes of Humboldt County! Just like the shifting sands of Arrakis in the iconic Dune series, these sandy landscapes are home to unique and fragile ecosystems, adapted over millennia, which were once at threat from exploitation. And who are the Fremen that protect our dunes from OHVs, invasive species, and other threats? Meet Suzie Fortner, the new executive director of Friends of the Dunes. Suzie and outgoing executive director Mike Cipra jo...
Dam Removal is Sometimes Messy (But Worth It)
March 09, 2024 18:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MBKlamath River dam removal is underway, with drawdown of the three largest reservoirs occurring now and physical removal of these dam structures scheduled for this summer. The dams have impacted the river for over a hundred years and dam removal has its own environmental impacts. While fish biologists and water quality scientists are confident that the long-term benefits will outweigh the short-term impacts, a loud group of dam removal antagonists have glommed onto the ‘messy’ part of this ma...
Hydrogen Buses Coming to Humboldt
March 02, 2024 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBMass transit along California's North Coast is difficult. The long distances between rural communities are trouble for ordinary battery-powered electric buses, which don't have the range to make there-and-back trips. Hydrogen buses, however, are able to make the long journey. And thanks to a $38.7 million grant, Humboldt Transit Authority is purchasing 11 state-of-the-art buses and building a hydrogen fueling station. Guests Peter Lehman of the Schatz Energy Research Center and Jerome Qiriaz...
Is Humboldt Bay the Canary in the Coal Mine for Sea Level Rise?
February 23, 2024 05:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBJoin us for the first in a special series on communities at risk from sea level rise featuring local residents who share their thoughts on the challenges and potential solutions facing our region. Many thanks to Marnie Atkins, Jerry Rohde, Nate Faith, Troy Nicolini, Adam Canter, and to Jessie Eden, who produced this episode with funding provided by the California Coastal Commission Whale Tail Grant Program. For more info: Cal Poly Humboldt Sea Level Rise Institute Communities at Risk...
Delving Deeper into Port Electrification
February 17, 2024 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBThe Humboldt Bay Harbor District has been in the news a lot this year. The Harbor District has committed to a "green terminal" strategy that commits the District to a goal of a zero emission terminal capable of building offshore wind turbines. And Congressman Huffman helped to deliver $426m in federal funding for the construction of this new green terminal. What does building a green terminal look like? Maddy Hunt and Ysabelle Yrad, fellows at the Blue Lake Rancheria, have produced a new w...
Greening the Grid
February 10, 2024 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBHumboldt County's transmission infrastructure is old. Connections to the larger grid are weak and undersized, forcing Humboldt to be reliant on the fracked gas-burning Humboldt Bay Generating Station because we cannot pull enough power from our grid connections to keep the lights on. And, conversely, those same undersized powerlines mean we cannot export the power that would be generated from offshore wind. Until new grid infrastructure is operational, offshore wind can't be operational. Wh...
Declining Access to Public Spaces
February 03, 2024 18:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBOn this week’s episode of the EcoNews Report, host Alicia Hamann from Friends of the Eel River is joined by long-time Eureka resident and fisherman Steve Rosenberg and Humboldt Trails Council’s Advisory Chair Karen Underwood. Alicia and her guests reflect on the history of losing public access to rivers and wild spaces, and discuss modern efforts underway to protect what remains. Featured is the recent issue of attempts to limit access to one of the few remaining fishing access points along ...
How Did the Harbor District Land Almost Half a Billion Dollars?
January 26, 2024 18:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBHave you ever wondered what exactly the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District does, who runs it, and how on earth did they manage to get a $426 million federal grant for a Heavy Lift Terminal for building offshore wind turbines? Tune in for a conversation with Chris Mikkelsen, the District's new Executive Director. For more info: Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal Project The Biggest Federal Grant in Humboldt History? Support the show
Supply Skepticism: Can Building More Housing Reduce Costs?
January 20, 2024 18:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBIn politically progressive circles, a strange phenomenon can occur. Supply skepticism, the belief that housing prices are divorced from impacts to housing supply, abounds. On this week's EcoNews Report, Professor Vicki Been from the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, joins to discuss her metaanalysis of research into the relationship between housing supply and cost. (Hint: More housing moderates housing costs, generally.) Required Reading: Supply Skepticism (2018) Supply Ske...
Coho Salmon in Downtown Arcata?
January 13, 2024 07:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBAre there Coho salmon in small urban streams like Jolly Giant and Janes Creek? If so, how often, and how far upstream do they go? Our guests, fisheries biologists Colton Dixon and Darrren Ward, are studying these streams and have some answers that might come as a surprise. Tune in to learn more about these streams and the fish that call them home for a fairly brief but critical time in their life cycle. For more fascinating info on the fish in our local streams and rivers and the people who...
Poetry for a New Year
January 06, 2024 18:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBStart your new year on a poetic note. Poets Jerry Martien and Katy Gurin join the EcoNews for our annual new year's poetry reading. Do you have an environmental-themed poem that you want read on air? Email [email protected] and you might hear your poetry read on the EcoNews. Support the show
Barred Owls Impact More than Spotted Owls
December 16, 2023 18:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBOn this week's EcoNews Report, spotted owl experts Dave Wiens and Peter Carlson join bird nerds Ken Burton and Tom Wheeler to discuss barred owls and their impact to West Coast ecosystems. The barred owl is in the news because of a draft strategy released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to cull the invasive owl to benefit the native northern spotted owl and California spotted owl. The impacts of barred owls are well-documented—together with habitat loss, barred owls are driving the spo...
The Bird Buzz with Ken Burton
December 09, 2023 18:00 - 27 minutes - 18.9 MBOn this week's EcoNews Report, Humboldt's preeminent bird nerd, Ken Burton, drops by the show to discuss the bird buzz. The Christmas Bird Count is coming up. This bird count is very important to understanding long-term trends in bird populations and identifying species that require conservation attention. If you would like to help our local Redwood Region Audubon Society with this year's count, please visit their website. Local birders are atwitter because of a new visitor to the area: a...
Meet the Energy Superstar at the Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District
December 02, 2023 18:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBThe Hoopa Valley Tribe is engaged in exciting work to help promote a greener, more resilient power grid. And they are being recognized for their good work! Linnea Jackson, the general manager of the Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District, is the California Energy Commission's 2023 "Tribal Champion" award winner and inductee into the Clean Energy Hall of Fame. Linnea joins the show to talk about the challenges of providing power, water and waste services for a rural district and opportunities...
California's Coast vs. Sea Level Rise
November 24, 2023 18:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBHow will California's coast deal with sea level rise? Journalist Rosanna Xia traveled across the state to talk with folks on the frontlines of sea level rise. Their stories are the focus of her new book, California Against the Sea: Visions for Our Vanishing Coastline. Rosanna joins Tom Wheeler of EPIC and Jennifer Savage of the Surfrider Foundation to discuss sea level rise and her work as an environmental journalist. Bonus: Rosanna will be at CalPoly Humboldt on Thursday, November 30 from ...
What Has Sacramento Done for Us Lately?
November 18, 2023 18:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MBThe legislative season has come to a close, so let’s take a look at what was done! Specifically, how will the new raft of laws affect some of the biggest environmental issues we’ve been tracking — including affordable housing, urban design, greenhouse gas emissions and more? We talk about it! Street Story: A Simple Way to Contribute to the Fight for Safe Streets Have you experienced a near-miss, a crash, or know of an hazardous street or intersection? In just a few minutes, you can give C...
Untitled Episode
November 18, 2023 18:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MBThe legislative season has come to a close, so let’s take a look at what was done! Specifically, how will the new raft of laws affect some of the biggest environmental issues we’ve been tracking — including affordable housing, urban design, greenhouse gas emissions and more? We talk about it! Street Story: A Simple Way to Contribute to the Fight for Safe Streets Have you experienced a near-miss, a crash, or know of an hazardous street or intersection? In just a few minutes, you can give C...
Rep. Huffman Talks Legislative Priorities
November 11, 2023 20:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBCongressman Jared Huffman joins the show to discuss the current happenings in Washington D.C. — Who the heck is Speaker Mike Johnson? Will we pass a continuing budget resolution? Why would any thinking person want to be a United States Representative? — and his legislative priorities. From offshore wind to Eel River dams to nickel mining on the Smith River, Congressman Huffman has a lot to share. Listen in to learn more. Support the show
How much do you know about Humboldt Bay Oysters?
November 04, 2023 14:00 - 29 minutes - 16 MBTune in for an interview with Sebastian Elrite of AquaRodeo Farms and Humboldt Bay Provisions to learn about Humboldt Bay oysters. Sebastian tells us all about how they are grown, why they're good for you, the importance of water quality, and how ocean acidification has led to a boom in the local oyster "seed" industry. Support the show
HumCo Climate Action Plan Careening Towards Cliff?
October 29, 2023 19:00 - 29 minutes - 19.5 MBEnvironmental activists are concerned with the direction of the Humboldt County Climate Action Plan. The Plan, a to-do list of sorts describing what local jurisdictions can do to reach state-mandated greenhouse gas reductions, has been in development for five years and at a recent Board of Supervisors meeting, Planning Director John Ford warned that significant changes to the plan are necessary, delaying adoption of the plan even further. Caroline Griffith of the Northcoast Environmental Ce...
Tsunamis, Sea Level Rise, and Humboldt Bay's Spent Nuclear Waste Site
October 20, 2023 17:00 - 29 minutes - 18.5 MBThis week, Cal Poly Humboldt Assistant Professor Jennifer Marlow and Graduate Research Assistant Alec Brown join Jen Kalt of Humboldt Waterkeeper to talk about the 44 Feet Project, which is focused on the future risk of climate and coastal hazards to Humboldt Bay's spent nuclear fuel site above the town of King Salmon. The first privately-owned nuclear plant in the U.S, the Humboldt Bay Power Plant produced electricity from 1963 to 1976, leaving 37 tons of spent nuclear fuel to be stored ind...
Looking Back on a Week Without Driving
October 14, 2023 20:00 - 29 minutes - 18.3 MBAt the beginning of October, many local elected officials, planners and other community leaders in Humboldt County took on a simple but significant challenge: don’t get behind the wheel of a car for seven days. They were participating in the first National Week Without Driving, which was organized in our region by the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities (CRTP). The challenge was designed to give decision-makers personal insights into what life is like for the many people wh...
The Latest on the Seismically Unsafe Scott Dam
October 08, 2023 18:00 - 27 minutes - 19 MBOn this week’s episode of the EcoNews Report we reflect on the tragic dam failure in Libya last month and discuss why Scott Dam on the Eel River poses similar risks. The PG&E-owned dam sits right on a significant fault line, the Bartlett Spring Fault. Between its unusual engineering and a century’s worth of accumulated sediment, many factors are converging to make even PG&E wary of the risk. That’s why the company made drastic changes to how they manage the dam last spring. And that’s why th...
What’s the Deal with all the Construction on Highway 101?
September 30, 2023 17:00 - 29 minutes - 18.4 MBAnyone who’s traveled between Arcata and Eureka lately has seen a whole lot of construction going on. Humboldt County Supervisor and Coastal Commissioner Mike Wilson joins co-hosts Jen Kalt (Humboldt Waterkeeper) and Colin Fiske (Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities) to talk about several projects that have been in the works for many years. Once the Indianola Interchange is built, CalTrans will close all the medians, meaning no more left turns across oncoming traffic. The fina...
EcoNews: Celebrate Latino Heritage Month with Latino Outdoors
September 16, 2023 17:00 - 28 minutes - 15.7 MBOn this week’s episode, Luis Villa, Director of Latino Outdoors, joins the show to talk about how to make nature a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for all people. Latino Outdoors is a unique Latinx-led organization working to create a national community of leaders in conservation and outdoor education. By providing leadership opportunities and by changing the narrative about who are environmentalists, Latino Outdoors is helping to broaden the tent of environmentalism to make it more dive...
Coastal Cleanup Month is Here!
September 10, 2023 22:00 - 28 minutes - 18.2 MBTrash: it’s everywhere! From our beaches to our forests. But those plucky do-gooders at the Northcoast Environmental Center are on the job. With this year’s Coastal Cleanup MONTH, dozens of clean ups are planned across the county to make our beaches great again. The NEC is also working with individuals experiencing homelessness to help mitigate issues of trash in encampments. Come learn more from Caroline Griffith and Sable Odry on this week’s episode. Sign up to help keep our coast clean he...
An Ode to the Humble (and Humboldt) Oyster
September 02, 2023 16:00 - 29 minutes - 19.2 MBDavid George Gordon, author of the new book, Heaven of the Half Shell, joins the show to discuss all things oysters. The oyster has long been an integral part of local diets and has helped to shape our history. Now, climate change and invasive species put oysters at risk. Tune in to learn more about this lovely mollusk! David will be in town for an oyster-filled weekend the second weekend in September The first event will be held Friday, September 8 at 7pm at Northtown Books and the seco...
Kids Beat Montana to Uphold Right to a Healthy Environment
August 19, 2023 22:00 - 29 minutes - 19.7 MBThe kids are alright. Sixteen youth took Montana to court to challenge their state's failure to consider greenhouse gas emissions when approving fossil fuel extraction permits. Using Montana's unique constitution, which explicitly recognizes a right to a clean and healthy environment, the plaintiff's alleged that Montana violated their constitutional rights. And a judge agreed. In a powerful 103 page ruling, Judge Kathy Seely outlined the facts about climate change and how Montana's failure ...
Sonoma Proposal for Eel River Dams and Why Humboldt Should Be Wary
August 12, 2023 17:00 - 22 minutes - 14.5 MBOn this week's episode of the EcoNews Report, our host Tom Wheeler is joined by Alicia Hamann and Craig Tucker from Friends of the Eel River to discuss a vague, last-minute proposal from water users to take over part of the Potter Valley Project. Pacific Gas and Electric, owners of the two Eel River dams and diversion tunnel that make up the Project, are in the midst of preparing their license surrender and decommissioning plan. The company will submit a draft plan this November, with a fina...
Are Environmental Laws in the Way?
August 11, 2023 04:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBCall it what you want—supply side progressivism, a “liberalism that builds,” or good ol’ permitting reform—a debate has emerged within progressive circles about whether environmental laws get in the way of good things, like renewable energy, and if so, what to do about it. As the executive director of a non-profit law firm that regularly uses environmental laws to fight bad things like oil and gas development, Erik Schlenker-Goodrich of the Western Environmental Law Center, has some thoughts...
What's a Walkable Community?
July 30, 2023 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBWalkability expert Dan Burden took Humboldt by storm last week, leading walk audits in Blue Lake, McKinleyville, Arcata, and Eureka. Dan joins the show to talk about how we can rethink our road system to be safe for all people on foot, on bikes, and in cars. Read more! How Do We Make Our Communities More Walkable? Dan Burden Knows, and He’s Coming to Humboldt to Help Us Out - Lost Coast Outpost In Conversation With an Expert: Dan Burden - Strong Towns Support the show
NIMBY Initiative on the Ballot?
July 22, 2023 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBRob Arkley is back at it again! This time with a new ballot initiative that would block new affordable housing in downtown Eureka and rezone the former Jacobs Middle School site for dense housing. (To be clear: more density is great! But Eureka City Schools, which owns the site, has already turned down an offer from the city to purchase the lot and California Highway Patrol is deep in negotiations to purchase some of the land.) Jen Kalt of Humboldt Baykeeper and Matt Simmons of EPIC join th...
What's In Store for Offshore Port Development?
July 14, 2023 19:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBOffshore wind energy can be thought of as three distinct projects: the construction of offshore wind turbines, the actual operation and generation of electricity, and the transmission of that electricity across California. The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District is poised to play a major role in offshore wind turbine construction and is planning improvements to create a port designed specifically to build these large floating turbines. The Harbor District has release...
Celebrate Plastic Free July!
July 08, 2023 17:00 - 29 minutes - 18.1 MBPlastic is everywhere and not in a good way. From the Mariana Trench to the top of Mount Everest to even your own blood (ew!), plastic pollution is a big and growing problem. Jen Savage, Senior Plastic Pollution Manager at the Surfrider Foundation joins the show to talk about Plastic Free July, an international movement to try to reduce plastic use as much as possible for the entire month. Need some help getting started? Check out the Surfrider Foundation's tips for plastic-free living. ...
Increasing Water Levels in the South Fork Eel River
July 01, 2023 17:00 - 28 minutes - 17.7 MBHow do you improve the flow of a river? Just ask our friends at Salmonid Restoration Federation. On this week's episode of the EcoNews Report host Alicia Hamann of Friends of the Eel River is joined by Dana Stolzman and Katrina Nystrom from Salmonid Restoration Federation, and Joel Monschke from Stillwater Sciences for a discussion of flow monitoring and enhancement projects on the South Fork Eel River. Tune in to learn more about SRF's decade of flow monitoring on Redwood Creek, the Marshal...
Exploring Sea Otter Reintroduction
June 23, 2023 19:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBSea otters (Enhydra lutris) once swam along the North Coast of California, but 18th- and 19th-century fur trappers nearly caused the species to go extinct. Statewide, only one remnant population of approximately fifty individuals was left in Big Sur by the 1930s. Today, thanks to concerted efforts, more than 3,000 sea otters call California home from that small initial remaining population. While recovery efforts have increased the overall population, sea otters are still only occupy a nar...
What’s That Fence In the River?
June 17, 2023 17:00 - 29 minutes - 18.3 MBThis week on the EcoNews Report hosts Alicia Hamann from Friends of the Eel River and Tom Wheeler from EPIC discuss an experimental installation in the South Fork of the Eel River. Guests Marisa McGrew from the Wiyot Tribe's Natural Resources Department and Gabe Rossi and Philip Georgakakos, both research scientists with UC Berkeley, tell us all about the collaborative effort to install and manage a weir in the river. The primary purpose of the weir is to remove invasive pikeminnow from the ...
Confused by the Cones on Broadway?
June 10, 2023 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBLet’s face it: Broadway - that section of Highway 101 in south Eureka - sucks. Especially for people getting around on foot or on a bike. Thankfully, Caltrans recognizes the deep suckiness of Broadway and is committed to making it better. You may have seen cones and temporary bollards and wondered, “WTF?!” They are part of a “pop-up” demonstration of potential measures to make the road just a little bit safer — from bulbouts and curb extensions to improve visibility of pedestrians and to s...
A Trip Back in Time to the Ghost Forest, With Author and Redwood Summer Veteran Greg King
June 04, 2023 18:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MBIt would seem unbelievable if it weren’t true. EarthFirst!, bombs, crooked cops, racists. This is the story of the redwoods, or rather, the fight to protect the redwoods, as told by one of the partisans of this fight, Greg King. His new book, The Ghost Forest: Racists, Radicals and Real Estate in the California Redwoods is part memoir of his own time as fiery young radical in the Redwood Wars and part of history of the economic and social history that set the stage for the Redwood Wars. Gre...
Community Benefits from Offshore Wind?
May 27, 2023 20:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBFor offshore wind to be successful, there will need to be considerable investment in Humboldt County — big infrastructure, like new transmission lines and substations, but also investment in housing, healthcare, childcare and other “human infrastructure.” On this week’s show, we talk about how we can draw community benefits from offshore wind development. Erik Peckar of Vineyard Power joins the show to provide the experience and perspective of residents of Martha’s Vineyard, a community tha...
Protecting 30% of California by 2030
May 20, 2023 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBCalifornia has set a bold conservation goal to protect 30% of its lands and coastal waters by 2030. This “30x30” goal aligns with a global 30×30 movement to protect nature all around the world to avoid an extinction crisis. The Power in Nature Coalition brings together environmental organizations, activists, and tribal nations to collectively push Sacramento to meet its 30x30 target. Advocates are urging the state to fund and protect key strategic lands and waters that will protect biodiver...
How to Run a Rural Transit Agency
May 06, 2023 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MBRunning a transit agency in a rural area is hard work. Just ask Greg Pratt, General Manager of the Humboldt Transit Authority. Less dense development means longer distances between fewer people, both increasing operational costs (diesel is expensive, y'all!) and limiting potential ridership revenue. Despite these challenges, Humboldt Transit Authority is plowing ahead with new solutions to boost ridership and reduce tailpipe emissions from its fleet. Listen in to learn more. Support the show
New Fish, Who Dis?
April 29, 2023 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBNordic Aquafarms recently announced that it was making a switch: yellowtail kingfish, a fish native to the warm waters of the Pacific, instead of Atlantic salmon. Biologically, the two fish require different environments, with yellowtail needing warmer, saltier water compared to chilly brackish water for Atlantic salmon. Yellowtail, perhaps better known as hamachi to our Japanese cuisine loving friends, also has a higher price point than Atlantic salmon, meaning that Nordic can make the sa...
When Enviros are Pro-Development
April 22, 2023 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBLocal environmental groups have gotten very good at saying “no” to developments, whether it is a Liquid Natural Gas export facility on Humboldt Bay or cutting and paving over redwood roots at Richardson Grove State Park. But some development is socially necessary and desirable, such as affordable housing projects. On this week’s episodes, leaders from Humboldt Baykeeper, the Northcoast Environmental Center, Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities, and EPIC talk about the recent ...
Suing the Feds for Klamath Water
April 16, 2023 17:00 - 27 minutes - 18.9 MBDespite the wildly wet year, the Bureau of Reclamation has threatened to reduce flows in the Klamath River below the mandatory minimum for salmon. Such an action will dry up critical habitat for salmon at a time when salmon populations are critically low. Now, the Yurok Tribe and fishermen are in court together to challenge the low flows. Amy Cordalis, legal counsel for the Yurok Tribe and a tribal member, and Glenn Spain, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s A...
Bird Nerds Rejoice: Godwit Days are Here Again!
April 08, 2023 17:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBOn this week's EcoNews Report, Ken Burton, local bird nerd, joins the show to discuss this year's Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival and other big news in the birding community. This year's festival, running from April 13-16, features over 75 events, from bird walks to lectures. We hope to see you there! In other bird news, we chat about the controversy in the birding community about whether to retain reference to birder and slaveholder John James Audubon by the Audubon Society and ...