Drought Conditions and the Sac Water Forum

On June 1, 2021, Habitat 2020 hosted a presentation/discussion led by Jessica Law, Executive Director of the Sacramento Water Forum.

Jessica’s presentation was focused on the projected conditions of the Folsom Reservoir and the American River as we move through the current drought year and what these conditions portend for the Lower American River, the fisheries in it, and the environment around it. Jessica provided us the results of ongoing analysis done by her consulting staff on water flows and temperatures projected to occur that result from the Bureau’s reservoir operations including their impacts on the fisheries. She also briefed us on discussions she is having with the Bureau and other agencies involved in river operations. finally, Jessica discussed the Folsom Reservoir and American River operations, flows, and temperature objectives the Water Forum is working to have the Bureau and others adopt for this year.

Click here for a video recording of the presentation on Google Drive.

American River Parkway Resource Impact Monitoring Plan

August 4, 2020

Sacramento County Regional Parks has begun the long awaited process to get a Resource Impact Monitoring Plan in place for the American River Parkway. Before a Resource Impact Monitoring Plan can be developed and implemented, Parks has put together a technical team to develop a Natural Resource Management Plan. The purpose of this plan is to provide relevant and defensible information to the Parkway Manager so the Manager can make informed decisions for managing, maintaining and restoring the American River Parkway natural resources.

Please participate and complete the survey by the deadline, August 15th, and share it with your networks!

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Elk Grove Multi-Sport Complex Site Update

July 21, 2020

Heads up! The City of Elk Grove is still trying to acquire more land to develop, despite having thousands of acres that are available to develop within their sphere of influence. The next action deadline is August 19, 2020.

The latest move by the City of Elk Grove is called the Multi-Sport Complex Site and Southeast Grant Line Industrial Annexation Area. Here is where the project is in the environmental review process, under the California Environmental Quality Act.

There are four general stages to the CEQA process and the Supplemental EIR:

Notice of Preparation and Scoping – Under this stage, the City provides notice (through a Notice of Preparation) that a Supplemental EIR will be prepared. This provides other local and State agencies, as well as the public, with an opportunity to comment on the scope of the EIR.
Draft SEIR – The City will prepare and release for public comment, a draft Supplemental EIR. The EIR will be available on this page for review and comment.
Final SEIR – The City will review comments received on the draft Supplemental EIR and prepare responses to comments, along with technical corrections to the draft Supplemental EIR. This will be documented in a Final EIR.
Certification – Once the Final Supplemental EIR is prepared, the document will be presented to the Planning Commission and City Council for review. The City Council will be asked to certify the document. Once certification is completed the City Council may approve the General Plan amendment, prezoning, and initiate the annexation application with LAFCo.

The Supplemental EIR is currently at Step 1, Notice of Preparation and Scoping. A Notice of Preparation (NOP) has been prepared and is available for review.

The comment period for the NOP is from July 20, 2020 to August 19, 2020. Comments may be mailed, emailed, or submitted using the form on their website.

To learn more, visit the project’s website at http://elkgrovecity.org/city_hall/departments_divisions/city_manager/strategic_planning_and_innovation/multi-_sport_park_complex.

Private Wells and Groundwater Sustainability

April 10, 2020

The Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) and Habitat 2020 have submitted a comment letter regarding the subject of significant and unreasonable domestic, shallow agricultural and small system well impact evaluation as part of Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) preparation.

Click here to view the comment letter.

Attachment: NGO letter to California Natural Resource Agency, Department of Water Resources, Cal EPA Special Counsel for Water Policy, and State Water Resources Control Board titled “Reviewing Groundwater Sustainability Plans In Accordance With State Agency Obligations to Consider the Human Right to Drinking Water”, February 10, 2020

Mather South Environmental Review

On January 27, 2020, the Environmental Council of Sacramento, 350 Sacramento, and the Sierra Club Sacramento Group submitted a letter of our comments on the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Mather South Community Master Plan.

Our comments focus on Chapter 7, “Climate Change.” We present general and project-specific concerns.

Click here to read our comment letter in full.

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.