Arco Arena Reuse Comments

December 9, 2019

On December 9th, ECOS/Habitat 2020 partnered with Sacramento Heron and Egret Rescue to submit comments to the city regarding the Arco Arena Reuse Plan. Click here to learn more about the huge pond we are trying to preserve at the site.

Below is an excerpt from the letter:

The ideas presented in the PUD completely ignore that there is a fully functioning aquatic resource (the Sleep Train Arena pond) in the Plan area that is currently providing habitat and nesting opportunities for hundreds of waterfowl.  The PUD presents a completely people oriented urban landscape without any consideration for the local species that we share the region with.  This paradigm ignores the appeal that such an aquatic resource would have for the new residents of the project area.  It also demonstrates a lack of creativity because it is not even considered for use as part of the drainage basins that the Plan area will need to include.  The grassy-sloped drainage basin depicted in the PUD, with anticipated residents recreating there, presents a vastly inferior option to a biologically dynamic pond supporting a large healthy nesting population of herons, egrets, cormorants, and other local avian species.

If this pond is eliminated, the over 1,000 herons and egrets that nest from April to August each year would very likely move to the surrounding neighborhoods to roost and nest, creating issues for residents and businesses. This would also result in hundreds of injured baby birds each year that would greatly strain local wildlife rescues, which are doing the work that our local shelters would otherwise be dealing with. The pond would provide the area with a nature viewing experience that would serve as a recreational and educational opportunity. It would allow residents access to nearby nature, which has been shown by research to have mental health benefits.

Click here to view the comment letter.

Will local officials listen on 2020 transportation measure?

December 10, 2019
By David Mogavero (Former ECOS President)
Sacramento News and Review

What Transportation Measure?

In the next several weeks, our elected officials are writing a measure for the November 2020 ballot to levy a sales tax for transportation funding in Sacramento County.

How You Can Help!

Go to sacta.org/a_board.html, find the name of your elected representative who sits on the board and call, email, text or ask them for a meeting.

Tell them:

– You don’t want more roads, but want more transit and safer streets for bicycling and walking.

– You won’t be fooled by a measure that funds the road project down the street (that your neighbor told the pollsters they like) but sacrifices the quality of our county’s future

– You will only support a transportation measure that moves our community to a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable future.

-This is most critical for those who live outside of the city of Sacramento, including in Citrus Heights, Arden Arcade, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Elk Grove and North Highlands, etc.

– Please contact your representative now and voice your concerns. By February, it may be too late.

Read the full article here.

Photo Courtesy of Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA)

Sacramento leaders are facing a choice: Help or hurt the climate with transportation dollars

December 10, 2019
By Anne Stausboll
Special To The Sacramento Bee

Below is an excerpt from this insightful article on the new sales tax measure.

The sales tax measure will require approval by two-thirds of the voters. This is a steep climb and won’t be achieved by emphasizing enormous new highway projects that lead to more cost and harm to the environment. Support can only be achieved by investing in alternatives while providing for prudent maintenance of our existing roadways.

This isn’t about taking away people’s cars. It is about planning, common sense, and sustainable priorities.

Click here to read the full article.

Photo by Ricardo Esquivel from Pexels

Salmon lose diversity in managed rivers, reducing resilience to environmental change

December 5, 2019
From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

The manipulation of rivers in California is jeopardizing the resilience of native Chinook salmon. It compresses their migration timing to the point that they crowd their habitats. They may miss the best window for entering the ocean and growing into adults, new research shows.

The good news is that even small steps to improve their access to habitat and restore natural flows could boost their survival.

Click here to keep reading.

Authors of the research included scientists from University of California Davis, University of California Berkeley, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, University of California Santa Cruz, Cramer Fish Sciences, University of California San Francisco, and NOAA Fisheries. Funding was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Bureau of Reclamation.

Photo: Rachel Johnson, NOAA Fisheries/University of California, Davis

Environmentalists Holiday Party – Dec. 15

The Sierra Club Sacramento Group and the Environmental Council of Sacramento invite you to join us in celebrating the winter holidays!

Date: Sunday, December 15, 2019
Time: 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Place: Curtis Hall, inside the Sierra 2 Community Center, at 2791 24th Street, Sacramento

Click here to buy tickets.

Take a break from the hectic holidays and join us for an afternoon of catching up with our environmental community friends and sharing some treats and beverages.

We will be providing a Chili and Nacho bar with vegan chili. Please bring a finger food treat – savory or sweet to share! The clubs will provide some wine and sparkling water.

We are collecting a $10 donation to cover our costs, room rental, refreshments for our social and educational events. You can purchase a ticket via the Eventbrite ticket link below OR pay at the door – **cash only at the door. If you plan to pay at the door, please RSVP “going” on the Facebook page so we can plan for food and drink for all.

We will also be having a silent auction so if you’d like to donate an item, please send an email to sacramentosierraclub[at]gmail[dot]com. Proceeds will go to the groups to support our various efforts.

If you have any questions please contact us at sacramentosierraclub[at]gmail[dot]com.

bugs around light at night

Light pollution is key ‘bringer of insect apocalypse’

Damian Carrington
November 22, 2019
The Guardian

Exclusive: scientists say bug deaths can be cut by switching off unnecessary lights

Light pollution is a significant but overlooked driver of the rapid decline of insect populations, according to the most comprehensive review of the scientific evidence to date.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/22/light-pollution-insect-apocalypse

Click here to read the article.

Photo by Caio Resende from Pexels