The Alliance's "Sierra Resource" E-News

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March 29, 2016

Sierra Happenings

Events and Activities | Job Announcements | Resources

Events and Activities

Coloma Wildflower Walk!

Please join the Sierra Nevada Alliance for a one of a kind Poppy Walk, exploring the Caloma hills while admiring the wildflowers in this wonderful setting. With glowing orange fields overlooking the crystal water of the South Fork of the American River, the stunning contrasts and vibrant colors are a sight few have the fortune of witnessing. The walk will be led by Alliance members Robin & Bill Center and by Jenny Hatch, the Alliance’s new Executive Director. Jenny looks forward to this walk's opportunity to learn about you and your interest in protecting the Sierra. Don't miss out on this rare opportunity; sign-up TODAY!

Date: April 3rd, 2-5pm
Location: Coloma Foothills
Details: The river trail is steep in places but has a good flat bed. Hiking to the flowers takes about 15-20 minutes. Refreshments will be provided. Thank you for leaving dogs at home for this SNA event.
Cost: $25 per person (to support the Sierra Nevada Alliance)

Please email Shannon, or call 530-542-4546 ext 703 to reserve your spot, or online to sign up!

Earth Day Concert with the Foothill Conservancy!

Don’t miss bluegrass greats Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands at the historic Mokelumne Hill Town Hall on Saturday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. The event is a special Earth Day celebration to benefit Mokelumne River conservation and the Foothill Conservancy. Tickets are on sale now: Adult tickets are $25 advance, $30 door; tickets for kids 12 and under are $15. For more information, click here, or call 209-223-3508.

Bird and Wildflower Walks: South Yuba River State Park!!

State Park Docents will lead guided easy two mile Wildflower Walks every Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. beginning on Sunday March 6 and continuing through at least May 8. Resident Birding experts will also be leading guided two mile walks approximately once monthly through the early fall. Dates and details for both events are posted on the website.

Please click here to learn more about either event schedules.

TERC presents: North and South Lake Tahoe Science Expos!

UC Davis TERC is excited to announce the expansion of our successful Science Expo program to South Lake Tahoe. With funding from Soroptomist International of South Lake Tahoe, the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) is partnering with TERC to bring Science Expo to South Lake Tahoe (SLT). In addition to the five days of Science Expo at the UC Davis Tahoe Science Center on the North Shore (March 14 - 18), there will be three additional days of Science Expo (March 30 - April 1) at the Lake Tahoe Community College campus in South Lake Tahoe.

Volunteers are needed for both North and South Lake Science Expo dates!

Please sign up to volunteer with the North Lake and South Lake Expos with these links.
For more info on the science expos, click here!

Weathering Change: The Impact of Climate and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act on California’s Water

Climate change and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) will strongly influence water availability and allocation in California. UC Davis will be hosting a conference featuring keynote Kevin de Leon, President Pro Tem of the California State Senate, and a full day of sessions, panel discussions, and time to engage with academics, managers, and stakeholders.

Date: April 4-5, 2016. Please RSVP by March 27th.

Location: University of California, Davis, Conference Center

For more info or to RSVP, click here!

Job Announcements & Volunteer Opportunities

River Science Project Manager with SYRCL!

SYRCL is seeking a River Science Project Manager, as well as River Captains for the 2016 River Ambassador Program! The River Science Project Manager will be responsible for implementing SYRCL’s River Science Projects as part of SYRCL’s River Science Team.

Job description and application info here!

Watershed Coordinator: Alpine Watershed Group!

The Alpine Watershed Group is now hiring for the position of Watershed Coordinator. The Watershed Coordinator is responsible for managing and implementing all monitoring and restoration activities of the organization. The Coordinator also assists with event planning, outreach, office management and organizational fundraising. Please submit resume and cover letter via email by March 31. Target start date: April 18, 2016.

Full job description available here!

Please direct all questions and applications to AWG Executive Director, Sarah Green.

Natural Resources Social Science Internship!

The Sierra Institute for Community and Environment is looking for a motivated individual to fill the six month position of a Natural Resources Social Science Intern. The intern will support the organization’s social science work, which occurs within context of natural resource management and rural development at the local, regional, and state-wide levels.

For additional information, please click here for vacancy and application info!

Resources

Grants Available for National Parks Centennial Celebrations

To honor the National Park Service’s 100th birthday in 2016, the California Wildlands Grassroots Fund (Cal Wildlands) has created a one-time National Parks Centennial Celebration grantmaking program to support community-based celebrations and events across California.

This is a one-time, special program that operates with its own guidelines, criteria, and application process.

More information here!

Rose Foundation's Anthony Grassroots Prize!

Rose Foundation's Anthony Grassroots Prize for outstanding grassroots environmental activism is now accepting nominations. The Anthony Grassroots Prize is a $1,000 cash award recognizing outstanding achievement in the field of grassroots environmental activism during the previous year. Either individuals or small organizations are eligible for nomination.

For more information, click here!

Wallace Global Fund Grants Available!

The Wallace Global Fund supports activities and movements that are global or national in scope. We will consider significant local or regional initiatives with the potential to leverage broader national or global impact. Proposals can be for either core or project-specific support.

For more information, click here!

2016 Environmental Education Grants Program

The EPA is now accepting applications for their 2016 Environmental Education Grants Program. Funded projects will support locally focused environmental education projects that promote environmental stewardship and help develop knowledgeable and responsible students, teachers, and citizens. The EPA is expecting to award up to three grants from each regional office for a total of about $2.7 million ($91,000 max per applicant).

For more information, click here!

Highlight

Sierra Nevada Alliance Presents:

The 11th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival
South Lake Tahoe

Presented by the Sierra Nevada Alliance, South Tahoe Earth Day Committee & Patagonia Lake Tahoe

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival combines award winning environmental and adventure films with the energy of local activism. Each year, powerful environmental and adventure films are chosen so as to inspire attendees to action regarding issues that impact our environment, ourselves and our world.

Click here to buy your tickets today!

Thursday, March 31, 2016
7:00 - 10:00 pm, Doors open at 6:00
MontBleu Showroom
South Lake Tahoe, CA

Sponsor the 11th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival
in South Lake Tahoe

We couldn't put on the Film Festival without the support of our sponsors! All sponsorships will support the Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership & the Sierra Nevada Alliance. We are very excited about the 11th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival, especially returning to MontBleu Casino, Resort & Spa, where sponsors will have the opportunity to reach out to even more festival guests. The Sierra Nevada Alliance is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so all donations and Sponsorships are tax deductible. Sponsorships start at just $100!

You're invited backstage at the MontBleu Showroom

Mingle with your friends, neighbors, special guests and other festivalgoers at the VIP Backstage Reception. Enjoy complimentary Sierra Nevada Brewing Company beer, wine and snacks before the films start and during intermission. VIP Tickets are only $50! Become a Film Festival Sponsor or Sierra Keeper and receive FREE passes to the VIP Backstage Reception.

You can learn more about the Wild and Scenic Film Festival, and purchase tickets here.

For additional questions, please contact Shannon Domina.

If you would like to support the Sierra Nevada Alliance Initiatives,
please click here to contribute to our funding.

The policy of the Resource is to include articles that appear in local or major media outlets relevant to Sierra conservation. We also include news releases, event notices, funding opportunities and job announcements sent to us from our Member Groups and friends. If you as a reader disagree with the content of a submission we encourage you to submit a letter to the editor of the issuing publication to reach the broader audience who read the article. You are welcome to forward your letter to the editor to the Alliance for inclusion in our new "Letters to the Resource" section. We also invite Letters to the Resource to be directly submitted on any article with which you're concerned.

Newsletter contents prepared by Kate Gladstein.
If you have articles, events or announcements that you would like included in this newsletter or if you have feedback,
please email Kate!.

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Recent News

Climate Change

Interior Department Releases Report Underscoring Impacts of Climate Change on Western Water Resources
US DOI Press Release, 3/22/16

Sierra Link: The SECURE Water Act Report, produced by Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation and its state and local partners, was released following the first White House Water Summit in observance of World Water Day. The report identifies climate change as a growing risk to Western water management.

California's largest reservoir filling too fast thanks to El Niño, must release more water
Los Angeles Times, Matt Stevens, 3/25/2016

Sierra Link: The El Niño-fueled storms that have swept through Northern California in recent weeks have swelled some of the state’s largest reservoirs to encouraging levels even as the state's drought persists.

Forestry

Deal Protects 'Stunning' Northern Sierra Forest Land
Capital Public Radio, Ed Joyce, 3/28/16

Sierra Link: More than 400 acres of private land around the Tahoe National Forest has been sold to the U.S. Forest Service to preserve the land from development. The Trust for Public Land and Truckee Donner Land Trust bought the property for $2.1 million, not for the $7.5 million a "For Sale" sign on the land indicated, and then sold the 412 acres to the U.S. Forest Service for the same amount they paid.

CAL FIRE AND USFS Seasonal firefighters returning
The Union Democrat, Guy McCarthy, 3/25/16

Sierra Link: Seasonal firefighters are returning to work for Cal Fire and the Forest Service, and many of them are training this week in the Mother Lode as part of evaluations required before they are cleared for regular duties.

Recreation

U.S. steps up fight over Yosemite names, asking trademarks be canceled
Sacramento Bee, Michael Doyle, 3/18/16

Sierra Link: Going on the offensive, the National Park Service has formally urged the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board to cancel the Yosemite-affiliated trademark registrations secured by the famed park’s former concessionaire. “These registrations are causing damage and injury to the National Park Service,” Interior Department attorneys stated in a filing with the trademark board.

What Could Change If Recreational Pot Is Legalized In California
Capital Public Radio, Jacob Margolis, 3/28/16

Sierra Link: A campaign is underway to make pot legal for recreational use. Supporters are gathering signatures now to put an initiative on the November ballot, asking California voters if pot should be fully legal, like it is in Colorado, Oregon and Washington.

Water

Reservoirs are getting a big boost from 'Miracle March' — but the drought isn't over yet
Los Angeles Times, Matt Stevens, 3/18/16

Sierra Link: Even with the recent rains, reservoir storage statewide remains below average. Although the state's snowpack is much improved, it also remains below normal, and groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley is still critically overdrafted, as it has been for decades.

Mercury Rising? UC researchers study potential mercury methylation throughout the Lower Yuba/Feather River system
YubaNet News, Julie Cohen - UC Santa Barbara, 3/16/16

Sierra Link: Mercury, used in the gold extraction process, has been detected throughout the Lower Yuba/Feather River system in the state’s Central Valley, and its presence could prove dangerous to local wildlife. What does this mean for the thousands of legacy gold mine locations throughout the Sierra Nevada?

Wildlife

Tricolored Blackbird Moves Toward Endangered Species Designation
Capital Public Radio, Melody Stone, 3/3/16

Sierra Link: Last December, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned California Department of Fish and Wildlife to consider listing the Tricolored Blackbird as an endangered species. That process requires feedback from the public about the bird’s distribution, abundance and biology.

10 of the Worst-sited Wind Energy Projects for Birds Identified
YubaNet News, American Bird Conservancy (ABC), 3/25/16

Sierra Link: As the hunger for alternative energy grows, thousands of new wind energy projects are being planned and built—often without regard for the serious risks they pose to birds and other wildlife. Here is a list of 10 of the worst-sited existing and proposed commercial wind energy projects from the perspective of bird conservation, released by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC).