Skip to main content

Home/ BEC in the News/ Group items tagged BEC

Rss Feed Group items tagged

Filter: All | Bookmarks | Topics Simple Middle
rdifalco

Crowd rallies against new wells planned for Glenn County ag land - 0 views

www.chicoer.com/...anned-for-glenn-county-ag-land

BEC water wells Glenn County GCID drought

shared by rdifalco on 29 Jul 15 - No Cached
  • he crowd at the Ord Community Hall Wednesday night was decidedly against the idea of five new wells for Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District. The agency provides water to about 1,000 farmers in four counties, and plans the new wells for use when surface water supplies are tight.
  • Ord Bend >> The consistent and clear message Wednesday night was that people do not like Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District’s plans to drill five new wells. Members of the crowd were also not fans of five existing wells the district drilled previously and is including in the current environmental review.Speakers at a public comment meeting called the plans greedy, unnecessary and potentially harmful to groundwater levels in the area.
  • Some citizens in Glenn County have started a petition calling for a moratorium on new production wells. Sharron Ellis, who passed a clipboard through the crowds, said a moratorium could stop new wells including those being discussed Wednesday night. So many wells are currently being drilled in the county that a moratorium would only slow down drilling, she said.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • One of the predictions in the environmental review is that once the drought is over, groundwater levels will recover. However, Robyn DiFalco, director of the Butte Environmental Council said this is not likely.
  • Groundwater has not recovered in recent years, and is in a decline, she said.
rdifalco

Chico Bicycle Music Festival to mark 7th Year Saturday | Action News Now - 0 views

www.actionnewsnow.com/...ival-to-mark-7th-year-saturday

BEC chico bike

shared by rdifalco on 18 Jun 15 - No Cached
  • It's a perfect way to celebrate National Bike Month ... the 7th Annual Chico Bicycle Music Festival. It takes place Saturday, June 13th, 2015. The Free, non-profit event was created by Founder Samantha Zangrilli to promote human-scale transportation and local musical talent.
  • Food and drinks, including beer, will be for sale along with a free hydration station by Klean Kanteen, a face painting booth and vendors with jewelry and clothing. For more information visit www.chicobicyclemusicfestival.com.
rdifalco

Celebrate Earth Day with a movie night - 0 views

www.chicoer.com/...e-earth-day-with-a-movie-night

BEC chico Earth Day

shared by rdifalco on 16 Apr 15 - No Cached
  • Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., ChicoBag, Klean Kanteen and Butte Environmental Council will celebrate the 45th anniversary of Earth Day at the Sierra Nevada Big Room with a premier of a new film, “The Little Things” at 5 p.m. on April 22. Prior to the feature film, two short films will be shown: “The Big Pick” and “Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables.”The Earth Day Movie Night is an Earth Day celebration intended to leave attendees inspired by environmental activists, all while supporting environmental organizations and sustainable businesses.
  • A $5 donation is encouraged and students get in free with valid student ID. All proceeds benefit members of the Environmental Coalition of Butte County. Raffle prizes will be provided.In order to encourage all attendees to travel to this event on their bicycle, there will be a free and secure bike valet located directly outside of the entrance to the Big Room, courtesy of Chico Velo.
rdifalco

Water group vows to file lawsuit to stop well drilling - Appeal-Democrat: Glenn County ... - 0 views

www.appeal-democrat.com/...94-11e5-b43a-7311e4ea2f59.html

BEC water GCID groundwater

shared by rdifalco on 13 Aug 15 - No Cached
  • AquAlliance, a water advocacy group in Butte County, has vowed to file a lawsuit to try and stop Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District's plan to drill five new wells in eastern Glenn County. Speakers at a public forum last week in Ord Bend called GCID's plans to pump more groundwater in times of drought "excessively greedy" and potentially harmful to area groundwater levels already taxed to the point that residential wells are running dry.
  • "Glenn County needs to enact an emergency ordinance just as Colusa County did," said Orland farmer Sharron Ellis, of Save our Water Resources. "Oversight of our resources is the responsibility of our county to protect the public trust."
  • The project calls for five additional deep-water wells to be drilled along the Glenn-Colusa canal on sites east of Orland and Artois, which would yield 28,500 acre-feet of water taken over approximately eight months during critically dry years, GCID officials said.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • "In a drought like this, do we really need 10 production wells to pull down more water?" asked Robyn DiFalco, director of the Butte Environmental Council. "I don't think so."
  • DiFalco said the biggest concern with the project's environmental impact report is that it assumes the area's groundwater levels would largely recover during the next wet period.
  • "Based on what?" she said. "Data shows that the groundwater has not recovered in recent years. It's has recovered a little bit, but it is, overall, declining steadily."
  • Water advocates said it is hard to trust GCID given its long history of promoting and endorsing conjunctive use of water, which means groundwater substitution, and that there is no reason to doubt that intent has changed. DiFalco said since GCID had enough "surplus" water this year to sell 70,000 acre-feet of commingled water, of which 45,000 acre-feet flowed south this year to the Delta, she doubts that an emergency exists.
  • "If you have surplus water, where is the emergency for you to pump this water during a drought?" she said. "How do you claim to have surplus and also claim to have a deficit at the same time?"
rdifalco

Tree removal, prevailing wage lead light council agenda - Chico Enterprise Record - 0 views

www.chicoer.com/...wage-lead-light-council-agenda

BEC chico tree removal council

shared by rdifalco on 05 Nov 14 - No Cached
  • One of the first items will be a public hearing for an appeal of the Bidwell Park and Playground's decision to approve the removal and replanting of 25 trees on Mission Ranch Boulevard and Holly Avenue. Butte Environmental Council is appealing the permit approval, which stemmed from a request by the Mission Santa Fe Community of Homeowners and its 47 encompassing households.
  • Butte Environmental Council is appealing on the basis that the project has undergone "inadequate environmental review because the cumulative effects on the urban forest have not been discussed."
rdifalco

Council upholds permit to remove 25 trees in Chico neighborhood - Chico Enterprise Record - 0 views

www.chicoer.com/...25-trees-in-Chico-neighborhood

BEC chico trees

shared by rdifalco on 05 Nov 14 - No Cached
  • CHICO >> Twenty-five trees are scheduled for removal, after the Chico City Council upheld a decision by the Bidwell Park & Playground Commission on Tuesday. Councilors voted 5-2 with Tami Ritter and Scott Gruendl dissenting to uphold the granting of a permit to remove 25 Yarwood sycamore trees and replace them with varieties that are better suited for the area. The Butte Environmental Council had appealed the permit approval, which stemmed from a request by the Mission Santa Fe Community of Homeowners and its 47 encompassing households.
  • Butte Environmental Council appealed on the basis that the project has undergone "inadequate environmental review because the cumulative effects on the urban forest have not been discussed." "If we compartmentalize tree discussions without first addressing overall impacts we are doing the community and the urban forest a disservice," Commissioner Mark Herrera told the council Tuesday.
rdifalco

Sustainable groundwater challenge: Is there enough? - 0 views

www.orovillemr.com/...ater-challenge-is-there-enough

water california BEC

shared by rdifalco on 17 Dec 14 - No Cached
  • The rainy season is here, however, California is long from being clear of the drought. It would need to rain for 150 days before the state has recovered from the past several years of drought, said Debbie Davis, rural affairs adviser and drought liaison with Gov. Jerry Brown’s Office of Planning and Research.Davis shared an update at a forum about groundwater last week in Chico, held by the Butte Environmental Council.
  • Groundwater has been the state’s water bank, which is appropriate in times of drought, she said. However, there are problems when there is not enough water put back into the ground.O
  • The groundwater plans for the future won’t do anything to help with the current drought, said Paul Gosselin, Butte County’s executive director of Water and Resource Conservation.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Water attorney and environmental water advocate Marty Dunlap urged the public to keep involved as the plans unfold.
  • “The danger is that the state of California has been managing our surface water since 1914, and hasn’t done such a great job.”
rdifalco

Water talk tonight, hosted by Butte Environmental Council - 0 views

www.chicoer.com/...by-butte-environmental-council

BEC chico water groundwater

shared by rdifalco on 19 Dec 14 - No Cached
  • A discussion about water issues, including statewide plans for groundwater sustainability, will be presented by the Butte Environmental Council tonight, 6-7:30 p.m. at the Chico Grange.The grange is located at 2775 Old Nord Ave. To get there, take East Avenue west toward the railroad tracks. Before crossing the tracks, take a right at Old Nord Avenue. Speakers include Debbie Davis, community and rural affairs adviser from Gov. Jerry Brown’s Office of Planning and Research. Marty Dunlap is local attorney and water issues mediator. Paul Gosselin in the executive director of the Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation.
rdifalco

CN&R Letters: Hurray for tree-planting - 0 views

www.newsreview.com/...content

BEC trees chico

shared by rdifalco on 01 Jul 14 - No Cached
  • Chico Tree Advocates were on the job last Arbor Day, April 25. Thanks to more than 10 sponsors and our five volunteers, we received a great seminar about tree planting from Dave Bettencourt, city street tree supervisor. Thanks also to the Butte Environmental Council for their encouragement and help as our fiscal agency and providing the bright orange vests for our volunteers. Thanks also to Grub and Rental Guys. Our goal was to plant 10 trees. I bought eight, but when the day came, we had just five sites OK’d for planting. So we planted five trees and we’re still looking for homes for the other three. Since this was our first foray planting city street trees, and because the sky was threatening, I was OK with a short day. As it turned out, minutes after we finished, there was a downpour. Discussing the day, we agreed that you feel something wonderful, powerful, almost spiritual, about planting trees. It felt good. We look forward to getting these last three planted and for an even larger tree planting event in the fall.
rdifalco

Steve Carson's Outdoors: Elk more common, bears still out in Butte County - 1 views

www.chicoer.com/...ears-still-out-in-butte-county

BEC wildlife Butte County

shared by rdifalco on 09 Jan 15 - No Cached
  • Sightings of Rocky Mountain elk are increasing in Butte County, the Butte County Fish and Game Commission heard at its quarterly meeting in Oroville.Elk have been seen near Snag Lake at Butte Meadows and near Humbug Valley. These much bigger animals will out-compete deer, according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Henry Lomeli.
  • The commission also heard grant funding request presentations from 11 local organizations, including Barry Kirshner Wildlife Foundation, Bidwell Wildlife Rehab, Paradise Park and Rec Kids Fishing Day, Oroville Kids Fishing Day, Chico Kids Fishing Day, Paradise Lake Kids Fishing Day, Gridley Kids Fishing Day, Gaines and Associates, Lake Oroville Florida-strain Bass Project, Feather River Recreation and Park District, and Butte Environmental Council.
rdifalco

City of Chico, Butte Environmental Council to partner on weed eradication grant - 1 views

www.orovillemr.com/...tner-on-weed-eradication-grant

BEC chico city council arundo Little Chico Creek watershed

shared by rdifalco on 22 Jan 15 - No Cached
  • Butte Environmental Council representative Mark Stemen shows areas of invasive Arundo donax growth along Little Chico Creek near Humboldt Park in October. Stemen, along with other citizens and city officials, are championing a plan for removal because of major fire danger risk and environmental damage.
  • Chico >> The city of Chico is rallying with Butte Environmental Council to eradicate an invasive weed clogging Little Chico Creek.On Tuesday, the Chico City Council will be asked to approve a joint application for a $1 million Urban Streams Restoration grant to eradicate arundo donax in the creek.
  • “We believe that when the city has to take a step back, the community can take a step forward,” said Mark Stemen of Butte Environmental Council, which will help spearhead the eradication effort. “We pointed out the problem. We also wanted to be part of the solution.”A class of his students at Chico State University mapped Little Chico Creek last fall, noting every location of arundo, invasive species and habitat that will need to be preserved.
rdifalco

'Block party' cleanup of Little Chico Creek set for Saturday morning - 0 views

www.chicoer.com/...creek-set-for-saturday-morning

BEC chico water cleanup creek

shared by rdifalco on 06 Mar 15 - No Cached
  • A clean-up of Little Chico Creek from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday is being touted as a “block party with a purpose.”After gathering near the windchime sculpture at the park on Humboldt Avenue near Willow Street, volunteers and community members will remove garbage from the creek and park, according to an event flier. Invasive weeds will also be cleared.Volunteers are asked to wear closed-toe shoes, long pants and long-sleeve shirts and to bring gloves and a reusable water bottle, if available. Organizers will provide tools, waste bins and water. They will also provide lunch and lemonade to volunteers. The event is sponsored by the city of Chico, Butte Environmental Council, Waste Management and the Mount Lassen Chapter of the California Native Plant Society.
rdifalco

Letter: Butte County supervisors must act on fracking ban - 1 views

www.chicoer.com/...isors-must-act-on-fracking-ban

BEC fracking Butte County water

shared by rdifalco on 02 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • Butte County supervisors must act on fracking banThousands of Butte County citizens joined members of Frack-free Butte County, Butte Environmental Council and the Sierra Club to demonstrate our desire for a ban against fracking in our petition to the county last year.
  • Since then, numerous health, water, air, disposal, climate, transport, soil, seismic and other problems with fracking were described in letters to the editor. In April, the Butte County Board of Supervisors asked the Planning Commission staff to develop a ban; it was tighter than our own ban. Now the time has arrived for the board to sign onto the staff’s excellent ban.
rdifalco

Sacramento Valley water transfer idea leaves locals fuming - Chico Enterprise Record - 0 views

www.chicoer.com/...sfer-idea-leaves-locals-fuming

BEC water california Bureau of Reclamation transfer sacramento river

shared by rdifalco on 23 Oct 14 - No Cached
  • There's a plan for water transfers could move up to 511,000 acre-feet of water each year for the next 10 years from the Sacramento Valley to the San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area.
  • The Bureau of Reclamation received a very clear message Tuesday night that people in the Sacramento Valley don't like that.
  • More than 100 people attended Tuesday's meeting in Chico.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • The document says that maximum would be allowed in dry and critically dry years, and up to 360,000 acre-feet during other years through 2024.
  • One of the alternatives in the plan is to not farm land in Northern California. "How about some crop idling in the area of (water) demand," Vlamis said.
  • Recent rules by the State Water Resources Control Board require local groups to create sustainable water budgets by 2022. Robyn DiFalco, director of the Butte Environmental Council (www.becnet.org) said it "seems clear the San Joaquin Valley proposes to balance their water budget with Sacramento Valley water."
rdifalco

Field trips to explore Big Chico Creek - 0 views

www.chicoer.com/...ips-to-explore-big-chico-creek

BEC Big Chico Creek sacramento river water watershed

shared by rdifalco on 13 Apr 15 - No Cached
  • Butte Environmental Council will host a scientific exploration of Big Chico Creek in a series of three field trips. The first outing will take place at the mouth of Big Chico Creek Sunday. Lucas Ross Merz of Sacramento River Preservation Trust and Jennifer Patten of Altacal Audubon Society will be the featured scientists.During the outings in April, May, and June participants will experience an upstream migration along Big Chico Creek; beginning at the confluence with the Sacramento River, through the valley and urban section, and ending with a hike to the forested spring headwaters. Each event will focus on the scientific wonders from two fields of study to deepen understanding and appreciation of the creek.The is a free event, however space is limited and participants need to register at www.becnet.org or call 891-6424.
rdifalco

PG&E uses site tour to demonstrate need for pipeline tree removals - 0 views

www.chicoer.com/...eed-for-pipeline-tree-removals

BEC chico tree removals pipeline

shared by rdifalco on 23 Mar 15 - No Cached
  • Nestled underground, below a mix of trees and brush, lies a 10-inch natural gas pipeline, installed in 1954. Little has been done to maintain it in recent decades, but Pacific Gas & Electric is trying to remedy that with an aggressive plan to remove trees and vegetation around the line and others throughout the state, said spokesperson Shaun Maccoun.
  • “You look at this little valley oak right now and it doesn’t look like much, but it’s very ominous,” said Joey Perez, senior land consultant. “And it’s going to get bigger ... When I consider the safety risk, these trees were doomed from the start.”
  • Robyn Difalco, executive director of Butte Environmental Council, said being able to see the actual project gave her perspective and context, and she retains hope for saving some of the larger trees.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • “It’s a really beautiful area with thriving oaks of all ages and I was left with a sense that this is a place that can continue to thrive, but it’s a shame for so many oaks to be affected,” she said. “I also felt that PG&E seems willing to work with the community and put together some decent plans to remediate and mitigate for the impact that their project will have.”
  • PG&E doubts most people will be affected by the removed vegetation and it will be replanting in other appropriate areas, with one or perhaps two new trees for every one removed, Perez said.
  • PG&E’s focus on the visual impact of the trees is not enough, DiFalco said. Carbon sequestration, habitat and other factors are also critical, especially in an area where oaks are naturally regenerating.“It’s not surprising that PG&E as a corporation doesn’t entirely recognize the full ecological value of these trees,” she said. “That is what concerns us.”
rdifalco

Letter: Volunteers help clean up Chico's creeks - 0 views

www.chicoer.com/...rs-help-clean-up-chicos-creeks

BEC Chico Community creeks cleanup Lindo Channel

shared by rdifalco on 27 Oct 15 - No Cached
  • The 25th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.Even though Chico doesn’t have any “coasts” per se, we do have a number of waterways traversing our city (albeit several of them are currently bone dry due to the severe California drought).Chico’s contribution to the Coastal Cleanup effort is the annual Butte Environmental Council Chico Bidwell Park and Chico Creeks Cleanup. During last year’s event, we pulled 20 to 30 tons of trash and debris from Chico waterways.
  • We thank a large number of local community-minded Chico businesses and organizations for their help in co-sponsoring this event. (See becnet.org for the names of these awesome co-sponsors.)— Mark Gailey, Chico
rdifalco

Row on the creek - 0 views

www.newsreview.com/...content

BEC Chico Glenn County Butte County water Stony Creek creeks waste recycling landfill toxics

shared by rdifalco on 28 Jan 16 - No Cached
  • rdifalco on 28 Jan 16
     
    Critics blast environmental review of proposed waste conversion facility along Glenn County waterway The watchdogs at Butte Environmental Council usually keep guard close to home, but occasionally they'll look beyond Chico's backyard. "Environmental issues don't stop at the county line," said Executive Director Robyn DiFalco. "We tend to look beyond our borders at least a little bit to see if our community will be affected." She believes that's the case with the proposed Glenn County Solid Waste Conversion Facility about 3 miles west of Hamilton City, which would sort and recycle up to 200 tons of material a day and convert biodegradable substances into biogas. According to the project's Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR), the goal is to divert and recycle up to 70 percent of the county's municipal solid waste from the landfill. And that's been a problem; the county's landfill near Artois has been pushing capacity for years and is set to close in December. What's caught BEC's attention? It's mostly a matter of location. The facility would be constructed along the northern bank of Stony Creek, which feeds into the Sacramento River and the Tuscan Aquifer, the vast underground reservoir that provides drinking water for residents in Glenn County and nearby communities-including Chico.
rdifalco

Rain, rain and more rain needed to refill local groundwater - 0 views

www.chicoer.com/...160119954

BEC rain Chico water Butte County drought groundwater SGMA

shared by rdifalco on 28 Jan 16 - No Cached
  • Oroville >> People are wearing raincoats and watching water run down the gutter. However, the recent rains do not mean the end of California’s four-year drought.Butte County’s water resources scientist Christina Buck said the local rainfall is still only at about 89 percent of average for this time of year. That’s based on rain through last week and beginning Oct. 1, which is the start of the “water year.”
  • Carol Perkins, a water advocate for Butte Environmental Council, told the members of the Water Commission that she hopes when those groundwater jurisdictions are established, they will consider watersheds, rather than existing water use boundaries. Some examples of watersheds are Butte Creek, Big Chico Creek and the Feather River, she said. “This might give groundwater dependent farmers a more prominent voice in this process,” Perkins said.“As it stands right now, our only voice is the county for those areas.”
dkeeley1

Let the planting begin - 0 views

www.newsreview.com/...content

chico trees urban forest BEC Butte County

shared by dkeeley1 on 28 Jan 16 - No Cached
  • dkeeley1 on 28 Jan 16
     
    When the city cut down 209 trees and planted only 14 in 2014, Charles Withuhn felt a huge sense of loss for what he sees as one of the most quintessential aspects of Chico. To him, the trunks and branches that line and tower over city streets are a part of Chico's unique charm and history. The canopy they provide is essential to the city's health, he believes, and their care is a responsibility of the city and its residents. In an effort to do his part, more than two years ago, Withuhn started Chico Tree Advocates, a local organization under the umbrella of the Butte Environmental Council. Members of the group work toward planting trees, educating the public and preserving Chico's urban forest. As a donations-only, volunteer-staffed group, Chico Tree Advocates has been able to plant more than 50 trees around town, both on city and private property, in the past year. Withuhn and many fellow advocates feel that the path the city is taking, in terms of cutting down trees and either not replacing them or replacing them with very small trees, is detrimental to Chico's urban forest.
« First ‹ Previous 141 - 160 of 192 Next › Last »
Showing 20▼ items per page