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rdifalco

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

  • 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

Competitive potluck and community garden party Tuesday night - Chico Enterprise Record - 0 views

  • If you've driven by Oak Way Park this summer or last spring, it's hard to miss something new. Neatly divided plots of land have sprung to life at the corner of Nord and West Eighth Avenues. The land is the second community garden organized through the Butte Environmental Council, http://www.becnet.org Some of the growers are people who were on the waiting list for BEC's community garden on Humboldt Avenue. Now that things have sprung up, BEC will host a potluck party at Oak Way Park Tuesday night, 5-7 p.m.
  • "Our agreement with the city is that we can do the community garden on the property until it is needed for something else," explained Robyn DiFalco, BEC executive director.
  • BEC has also partnered with Independent Living Services of Northern California. The plan is to build raised beds that will be accessible by people who have mobility limitation.
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  • Mark Stemen, a cheerleader for community gardens, was a leading force in the creation of the Humboldt Garden, at Humboldt and El Monte, and had enthusiasm left over to spearhead the garden at Oak Way Park.
rdifalco

Chico News & Review - A $7 billion blunder? - Feature Story - Local Stories - October 2... - 0 views

  • Local environmental groups, including the Butte Environmental Council, AquAlliance, the Sacramento River Preservation Trust, Chico Conservation Voters and Friends of Butte Creek have come out against the proposition. So, too, have fishing groups and others worried about the impacts on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the state’s fishery.
  • BEC officials note Prop. 1 includes some worthwhile components, such as water conservation and funding for restoring watersheds, but the bond promotes north-to-south water transfers via purchase at a time when existing water rights exceed the actual supply of water by a 5-to-1 ratio. The bond, as BEC points out, does not create more water.
  • Perkins studied the potential impacts the proposition, including the construction of Sites Reservoir, would have on Northern California groundwater resources.
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  • Carol Perkins, BEC’s water policy advocate, says the bond doesn’t address the urgent nature of the issue. “We need immediate solutions like recycling and efficiency improvements,” she said, “not borrowing now to purchase water and shift the burden to our children and grandchildren.”
  • Above-ground storage facilities do not offer much in the way of new water, her study notes, though Sites could increase the existing supply by 1 percent. On the other hand, at least 30 percent of the surface water in the state is known to evaporate or be lost to infiltration back into the ground, which means “groundwater storage will be the ‘wave’ of the future.”
  • She said $520 million would be allocated for organizations to compete for clean-water and waste-water infrastructure projects. “That money would be set aside for competitive grants,” Perkins said, “which means it goes to the savvy, well-funded organizations instead of the smaller communities without county or district water departments.
  • Perkins said the bond also provides hundreds of millions for water conservancies, and that those monies would not be dispersed on a level plane. For instance, she noted the conservancy in L.A. County’s Baldwin Park would receive $10 million for its 2,038 acres of land, which equates to $4,906 per acre. On the other hand, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, which provides 60 percent of the state’s water supply, would receive $25 million for its 42 million acres, or 59 cents per acre. “Los Angeles is getting a lot of money and so [statewide] environmental organizations like the Audubon Society and the Nature Conservancy are for [Prop. 1] because it means more money for them,” Perkins said. “We’ve had $20 billion set aside in taxes and interest since 2000 and we still have water problems. The money gets put aside, but is not being spent where it needs to be spent.”
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    Environmental groups say water proposition is no panacea
rdifalco

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

  • 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.
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  • “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

Butte County Planning Commission backs smaller setbacks between houses and orchards - 0 views

  • Oroville >> The Butte County Planning Commission has recommended changes to how close new houses may get to orchards and vineyards within residentially zoned areas.
  • The commission voted 4-1 last week to approve clarifying that a 300-foot buffer between agriculture and houses applies to agriculturally zoned lands. In residential areas, the commission backed a minimum 25-foot setback between houses and orchards or vineyards, although the policy calls for houses to located as far away as practicable.
  • Robin DiFalco of the Butte Environmental Council said she generally supported the final revisions. She backed having public hearings and making setbacks be as great as is practicable, which may reduce land use conflicts and was good land use policy.
becnews

Butte Environmental Council offers water saving gadgets | Local News - Home - 0 views

  • CHICO, Calif. -
  • The Butte Environmental Council is giving away a couple small items to help easily tweak water conservation inside your home.First, they are offering a shower hourglass timer that you can suction cup to the side of your bathroom wall.
  • This times your shower to five minutes. The council said by shaving just four minutes off your shower, you save more than 3,500 gallons of water per year.They are also giving out a sink aerator. This reduces the flow of water, reducing the number of gallons per minute.
becnews

Chico News & Review - Back in the scrap - News - Local Stories - October 1, 2015 - 0 views

  • It takes more than a good fence to make a good neighbor. That was the sentiment expressed by many who attended a meeting held by Chico Scrap Metal at the Eagles Hall on Friday (Sept. 25). The meeting ostensibly was a pitch for aesthetic improvements proposed by the recycling yard as part of the owners’ latest attempts to stay at the 20th street property it has occupied since 1983. Zoning changes to the area in 2004 prompted a 2006 order from the Chico City Council that the scrap yard move by 2011, and a series of extensions expired at the end of 2014.
  • A group of opponents to Chico Scrap Metal’s continued presence in south Chico, collectively known as Move the Junkyard, met Tuesday morning at Butte Environmental Council’s headquarters to try to make sense of Friday’s meeting and plan strategies moving forward. Several in attendance expressed ongoing concerns about pollution and questioned whether the city can legally overturn zoning laws and the past council’s amortization order. The group thinks there’s only one reasonable outcome, which was best voiced by Chico resident and Democratic National Committee member Bob Mulholland.
ndcarter

Grant will help with new Chico trees, management - Chico Enterprise-Record - 0 views

  • Bamlet said that the Butte Environmental Council has a grant that will let it plant roughly 100 trees this fall, so he’s waiting until those get in the ground before moving forward with the city’s batch.
ndcarter

Chico News & Review - Heavy lifting - News - Local Stories - February 21, 2019 - 0 views

  • When it comes to meeting the goals of the city’s Climate Action Plan, Stemen said, “Chico was on target to meet its previous goals, and then came the Camp Fire.”
  • There is general agreement, however, that around-the-clock restrooms are needed. Gustafson’s agenda report recommends that the city “identify funding for two portable restroom systems” and continue discussions with the Butte County Association of Governments for future grants to obtain a Portland Loo, a more sophisticated outdoor restroom. Again, about a dozen people spoke to this matter. Nearly all agreed with the recommendations, but several felt they were overly focused on downtown when there was a similar need in other places. And two portables simply aren’t enough, they said. One of them was Angel Gomez, of the Butte Environmental Council. More portables are needed, she said, “especially along waterways near homeless camps,” where human feces is getting into the creeks and posing a serious public health threat.
ndcarter

Community resource fairs set in Orland, Durham, Nord - 0 views

  • North Valley Energy Watch and Butte Environmental Council will be hosting three Community Resource Fairs in Nord, Durham and Orland.
  • These fun events for everyone in the community will give you access to tons of resources and information. Get help finding a job, reduce your energy bill, and meet local non-profits who offer programs for youth and families in your neighborhood.
ndcarter

Chico News & Review - Oak grove chainsaw massacre - News - Local Stories - March 14, 2019 - 0 views

  • Robin McCollum had just begun talking about a field of fallen trees by the Chico Creek Nature Center when a white SUV slowed to a halt and the driver rolled down the front passenger window. “Is this where the village is going to go?” the woman asked, referring to the Mechoopda living history exhibit proposed to be sited adjacent to the center. “No,” replied McCollum, chair of local environmental group Chico Tree Advocates. The tribal installation would go in the old deer pens nearby. This clearing owes its existence to ignoble circumstances.
ndcarter

Chico News & Review - Compassion above all else - Editorial - Opinions - March 29, 2018 - 0 views

  • Butte Environmental Council, which for decades has organized events to beautify our parks and waterways. During a cleanup in 2008, as the CN&R reported, BEC volunteers collected a whopping 10.5 tons of trash in five hours.
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    Butte Environmental Council (BEC) is a community organization committed to protecting and defending environmental quality throughout Butte County. By regularly removing trash and recyclables that have found their way in to our urban creeks, parks and greenways BEC is helping to keep local water clean and safe, improving wildlife habitat and reducing human impacts on our environmental quality. Chico's urban waterways are heavily impacted by litter, illegal dumping, and creekside camping. BEC is committed to treating all members of our community with dignity and respect. We often remove materials left behind by those living along our creeks. Our non-confrontation policy asks our volunteers to avoid any interactions with those in the cleanup area besides inviting them to join us. In partnership with local law enforcement, we provide notice to camps in an effort to allow time for personal property to be removed. Usable items that are removed from our cleanup efforts are repurposed whenever possible to minimize what we send to the landfill. Our community cleanups have two goals: remove waste from our creeks, and build a community committed to healthy waterways.
ndcarter

Chico News & Review - Hitting streets, building roofs - News - Local Stories - February... - 0 views

  • Councilwoman Ann Schwab was concerned because the parcel in question is home to the Butte Environmental Council’s Humboldt Community Garden, which would have to move. As such, Schwab made a motion to accept the proposal with an amendment directing the city to help relocate the garden, if possible, which passed unanimously.
ndcarter

Chico News & Review - Water worries - News - Local Stories - May 31, 2018 - 0 views

  • To her consternation, Strachan’s colleagues had declined to consider a resolution put forth by the Butte Environmental Council for the county to recognize BEC as a representative of groundwater interests. Supervisors previously passed a comparable resolution for an agricultural group.
  • Natalie Carter, BEC’s executive director, echoed Strachan’s perspective on equal representation. “Farmers say, ‘We represent domestic users—we have domestic wells,’ and they do, and they absolutely have a shared perspective in that,” Carter said. “They don’t want their domestic wells to go dry. “That’s not to say we shouldn’t have a voice for someone who is only a domestic well user and doesn’t have ties to the agricultural interests in this community, which are so valuable, but shouldn’t be the only voice at the table.” In seeking recognition from the county, BEC wants to become a—not the— representative for users of groundwater from shallow depths. That’s the connection BEC sees between advocacy for groundwater-dependent ecosystems and homeowners who depend on wells—and why Carter says it’s important for the county to recognize multiple constituencies. “[SGMA conveys] a 50-year horizon to sustainability,” she added. “The whole design is local control, and our local voices include a wide variety.”
ndcarter

Chico News & Review - From tiny acorns - News - Local Stories - May 25, 2017 - 0 views

  • Gustafson said the city has committed to providing certain resources to make it work. That includes identifying the locations to plant the acorns and providing the signage or cages that will protect them. The idea is to find spots where the future trees will flourish naturally, he said. The other key to the project is having a stable of volunteers affiliated with CTA and BEC (the latter organization has a similar, ongoing program to replenish the oak stock in Upper Park) to provide the manpower to plant the acorns.
  • In preparation, the city is starting to remove existing debris, including many of the fallen trees that dot the landscape. At last count, between 40 and 50 large trees have come down in Lower and Middle Park in the last year or so, Gustafson said. Crews will begin along South Park Drive and Petersen Memorial Way and then will head toward Woodland and Vallombrosa avenues.
ndcarter

Chico News & Review - Rush to cut - News - Local Stories - May 11, 2017 - 0 views

  • It turns out Withuhn was right to question the removal. Erik Gustafson, manager of the Chico’s Public Works Department, said city staff had been inundated with calls from concerned citizens after the two trees were cut, and confirmed no permit had been issued. City staff visited Enloe Medical Center the next morning—May 3—to deliver a cease and desist order to prevent further removals.
ndcarter

Chico waste rates are changing, but customers can still save money - 0 views

  • It’s worth noting the city has approved the main components of the waste hauling agreement, but has not finalized the details. There will likely be more tweaks made before the October date. The agreement returns to the City Council on July 5.
  • “A lot of people aren’t quite sure what can be recycled,” Holden said. When in doubt, some people tend to just throw things out, or throw too much into the recycling bin.
  • maximizing use of recycling bins, using donation stations and learning to compost can help costs drop “enormously,” especially for people using the largest bin size.
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  • Once people realize how easy it is to compost, Holden said they can create their own nutrient rich soil and put organic waste back into the ground instead. “It’s water, food, brown material, cardboard and sunshine,” Holden said.
  • Residents and businesses can end up being slammed with extra fees if they are not disposing of waste correctly. Learning what not to do can help people avoid unnecessary fees.
  • “The goal is to deliver clean recyclables to manufacturers to create new materials and clean green waste to return as compost,”
ndcarter

Chico News & Review - Challenge met, work continues - Sustainability - Green - Septembe... - 0 views

  • Goldstein reached out to the general public at Chico events such as Thursday Night Market; the homeowner workshops co-sponsored by North Valley Energy Watch and the Butte Environmental Council, nonprofits that put together tool-and-testing kits available through the Chico library; and meetings with business leaders.
  • Molly Marcussen, a recent graduate of Chico State, began her CivicSpark fellowship this week, transitioning into City Hall as Goldstein transitions out. The two met in one of Marcussen’s classes last fall—Community Service Practice in Geography, taught by Sustainability Task Force chair Mark Stemen—but otherwise have not worked together.
dnbaxter

Putting Down Roots for a New Forest Canopy - 0 views

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    Butte Environmental Council partners with Urban Forester on City of Chico Urban Forest Revitalization Project for climate benefits and justice
rdifalco

Deals for out-of-region water transfers have some calling for a halt - Chico Enterprise... - 0 views

  • Put a hold on water transfers out of the area. That's the proposal being made by Tony St. Amant, a citizen who follows Sacramento Valley water closely. He's bringing the idea to the newly formed Northern Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Group (www.nsvwaterplan.org). The regional water planning board, with members from six counties, has no authority to make rules on water transfers, St. Amant states in his letter. But it could ask water districts, including two planning transfers this year, to halt those deals until regional guidelines for water transfers are developed.
  • Already, the Butte Environmental Council has drafted a letter (http://goo.gl/gFU5r) to the regional planning group, urging the members to adopt St. Amant's plan.
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