On November 18, 2025, the Habitat committee of ECOS, and a number of other organizations, submitted a joint letter regarding the proposed Coyote Creek Agrivoltaic Project.
Tag Archives: Habitat Conservation
SMUD’s controversial Coyote Creek solar project moves forward, November 11, 2025, Capradio
By Manola Secaira | Capradio | November 19, 2025
The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s (SMUD’s) controversial Coyote Creek solar project at a packed Tuesday meeting.
Over 150 people showed up to share concerns or support over the course of hours. The solar project involves developing over a thousand acres in southeastern Sacramento County. The site lies near Rancho Murrieta and the Prairie City State Vehicle Recreation Area.
…
Luz Lim, a policy analyst for the nonprofit Environmental Council of Sacramento, also spoke against the project.
“We think it is necessary to have solar development to reach our climate goals, but we also need to be strategic,” Lim said. “It doesn’t make sense that we are going to, in the name of green energy, kill thousands of blue oak trees, native trees, that have been here for a really long time.”
Help save Blue Oak woodland in Sacramento County 10/6/2025
October 6, 2025
Please share with your networks!
Please join us at the upcoming October 6th, 2025 Sacramento County Planning Commission meeting to tell them that you oppose destroying thousands of oak trees, native wetlands, native grasslands and numerous local and rare species.
The Sacramento County Planning Commission will be deciding on October 6th, 2025 whether to recommend to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors the approval of an approximately 1200 acre industrial solar facility in the eastern part of Sacramento County. Whereas we 100% support renewable resources, this is an unacceptable location to site such a facility because:
- It will kill more than 3000 native oak trees
- It will destroy habitat for numerous local and protected species
- It will disrupt an important wildlife corridor at a time where such corridors are increasingly important because of climate change and the growing need for species to seek colder climes.
- They are many far more appropriate sites in the county.
- SMUD does not need this project to be able to close local fossil fuel plants or meet its 2030 net zero carbon goals
- It disrupts the ability of the South Sacramento Habitat Conservation plan to achieve its conservation goals.
- It runs counter to Sacramento County general plan directives for the use of this area.
- It will destroy sacred ground and associated cultural resources for local tribes.
- It will be a visual blight in a very scenic part of the county.
- It will negatively impact operations and events in the state vehicular recreation area, immediately adjacent to the proposed facility. These events generate 57 million dollars for the local economy and that revenue would be at risk with the degradation of a massive industrial solar facility being installed immediately adjacent to their facility.
It is extremely important for the planning commission meeting to be packed so the commissioners will know the level of opposition to this project.
The meeting will be held at 700 H street, Suite 1450, Sacramento, CA at 5:30 pm.
Public comment is not necessary if that makes you uncomfortable. We need to fill that chamber!!!
Fighting for Land: We need more housing, but we also want to protect wildland, September 23, 2023, Comstock’s Magazine
By Brad Branan | September 23, 2024 | Comstock’s Magazine
The Swainson’s hawk is considered threatened in California, the result of lost habitat. Yet it is doing well in the Natomas Basin, in part because of a conservation plan that sets aside land for habitat, like the farm where the hawk foraged.
That could change due to four major development projects that are planned in the Natomas Basin. The projects would replace important wildland with homes, warehouses and other buildings.
Upper Westside Plan headed for Sac County supes vote in spring 2025, September 13, 2024, The Sacramento Business Journal
By Ben van der Meer | September 13, 2024 | The Sacramento Business Journal
The Upper Westside Plan for Natomas is facing “…opposition from smart-growth advocates. The Environmental Council of Sacramento, in opposing another Natomas development project called Airport South, said they worried approval of that project and its changes to the urban services boundary would open the door to even bigger projects like the Upper Westside Plan.”
Saving Sacramento’s Special Places – 3/1 Presentation
Have you ever wondered how local conservancies and trusts protect our region’s important habitats? Join Sacramento Valley Conservancy Acquisition Specialist Steve Schweigerdt to see how it is done and to understand how parallel efforts like 30 x 30 and local habitat conservation plans factor in. Find out about the diverse and important habitats in our region and learn about the many challenges facing local conservation efforts to save them, and understand how these relate to the opportunities available. And finally, find out how you can help save the last great habitats remaining in our region.
Wednesday, March 1, 2023, 6:00 pm, via Zoom
Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6656164155
To phone in: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 665 616 4155
