The Alliance's "Sierra Resource" E-News

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April 22, 2015

Sierra Happenings

Events and Activities | Job Announcements | Resources

Events and Activities

How Blue Is Your Valley?

Your Voice, Your Future: A Community Conference on Water in the San Joaquin Valley

Date:   Friday, April 24, 2015 
8:45 AM—5:00 PM
Place: Fresno City College Old Administration Building (OAB) 1101 E. University Avenue, Room 251 Fresno, CA

Official brochure for the event.

2nd Annual Eastern Sierra/Tahoe Trail Summit “Building Collaborative Partnerships”
The Sierra Front Recreation Coalition in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, Nevada State Parks, Washoe County, International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) and the Tahoe Rim Trail Association will facilitate this one day summit which will include a panel on collaborative successes & failures as well as break out sessions where collaborative group assignments will take place and networking opportunities can occur.

Date: Wednesday, April 29th, 2015
9:00 AM—4:30 PM
Place: Bartley Ranch Regional Park–6000 Bartley Ranch Rd

Questions contact mrkkimbrough@gmail.com or 775-720-4732

Job Announcements & Volunteer Opportunities

SYCRL is seeking River Captains!

Do you want to spend your summer on the South Yuba River? The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) is seeking three part-time, enthusiastic River Captains to lead SYRCL’s efforts in educating the public about best stewardship practices at the river this summer. River Captains are representatives of SYRCL at four popular river crossings and supervise our team of volunteer River Ambassadors. This is an excellent opportunity to exercise your passion for stewardship while gaining experience with volunteer coordination and hands-on environmental education. The River Ambassador program runs 15 weekends between May 24th and August 31, with trainings in April and May. River Captains will work 3 to 4 weekends per month, on a rotating basis. Compensation is $10/hr.

The full job description is here.

Herpetology Job in the Sierra Nevada

The position will assist in a study on Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog ecology and habitat use in the northern Sierra Nevada, CA. The position will be hired at the Junior Specialist I level ($3036/mo with mid-level benefits) starting in June 2015 through October 2015, with possible extension depending on available funding.

Interested applicants should email resumes with three references to Cathy Brown by May 4, 2015: Please put ‘Frog Job Applicant’ in the email subject line.
Cathy Brown, UC Davis, catbrown@ucdavis.edu

Resources

Rose Foundation Grant Funds Available

Rose Foundation has several opportunities for organizations to apply for funding. Rose Foundation administers numerous environmental grants funds, including two separate grassroots-oriented funds in California; watershed-oriented funds in California, Washington and Oregon; and placed-based funds which generally operate on a county-specific level, as well as other specialized funds. Each fund generally has its own unique issue focus and/or geographic scope, and most funds have separate application processes. Prospective applicants should carefully review the following fund descriptions, and follow the application instructions for the fund which is the best fit for their program.

Highlights

2015 SNAP Spring Restoration Project & Training in Nevada City

Twenty-nine Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Program (SNAP) Members travelled from all over the Sierra to Camp Gold Hollow in Nevada City for a five-day restoration project and training last week. This project is an annual event for the SNAP Program, and this year four half term members began their service at Spring Training!

Members spent two days at a restoration site on Deer Creek with Ori Chafe and Sierra Streams Institute, an Alliance Member Group and SNAP Host Site. While at the Deer Creek site, near Penn Valley, Members removed hundreds of pounds of invasive Himalayan blackberry from an ecologically sensitive area and planted dozens of native plants. For day three, SNAP Member Elias Grant led a Scotch Broom removal project at another Member Group and Host Site – Bear Yuba Land Trust’s – Rice’s Crossing property. Members removed invasive and hazardous Scotch Broom from several acres of impaired watershed land also near Penn Valley. Sierra Rescue led a Wilderness First Aid course for members on the last days of training, including basic first aid, CPR certification and interactive scenarios where members practiced their wilderness first aid skills. All SNAP members are now Wilderness First Aid certified.

Rice Scotchbroom removal

The SNAP Spring Restoration Project and Training is made possible with support from California Volunteers, the Corporation for National and Community Service, The Rose Foundation for Communities & the Environment, and the Joseph & Vera Long Foundation. Thanks to all of our partners for this training, including Sierra Streams Institute, Bear Yuba Land Trust, Sierra Rescue, and Camp Gold Hollow.

If you would like to support the SNAP program, please click here to donate to the Alliance.

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 Kelly Miller.
If you have articles, events or announcements that you would like included in this newsletter or if you have feedback, please email kelly@sierranevadaalliance.org.

Recent News

Climate Change

Climate change plan faces high-profile legal test
SF Gate, Associated Press, 4/15/15

Sierra Link: A rule proposed by the EPA last year is under fire. The rule would require states to cut carbon emissions by 30% by 2030 which some argue is unconstitutional. How will this ruling affect our energy options in the Sierra?

NPS and UC Berkeley Study Finds Wildfires Emit More Greenhouse Gases Than Assumed in California Climate Targets
Sierra Sun Times, Sarah Yang, 4/16/15

Sierra Link: A new study shows that California’s forest fires are contributing more to the state’s greenhouse gas emissions than expected. AB 32 assumed no net emissions for wildland ecosystems by 2020. Meeting the state greenhouse gas targets for 2020 might require a reconsideration of wildland management policies, especially in the Sierra.

Forestry

A year round fire season?
USFS, Robert Westover, 3/30/15

Sierra Link: With less winter and water comes more fire. The Sierra is a central location for both of those and the forest service is now predicting a year-round fire season until the 10-year drought in the West comes to an end.

Dry, warm conditions keep California's national forests parched
LA Times, Veronica Rocha, 4/20/15

Sierra Link: Warmer temperatures are drying the state out faster than normal. What could this mean for fire risk and tree disease in the Sierra?

Recreation

Rural counties to lose the most from defunded lands programs
High Country News, Sarah Tory, 4/8/15

Sierra Link: As Congress decides on funding each year for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS) and Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) rural communities in the Sierra and the western US are finding it difficult to make budget ends meet and may resort to other means of income, including more timber sales.

Will Squaw Alpine gondola hurt wilderness?
Reno Gazette-Journal, Benjamin Spillman, 4/20/15

Sierra Link: Although highly anticipated, a gondola connecting two popular ski areas may encroach on national wilderness. If approved, could this set a precedent for other parts of the Sierra?

Water

California farmers mount PR campaign to counter backlash over water use
Merced-Sun Star, David Siders and Dale Kasler, 4/9/15

Sierra Link: California farmers are getting a lot of media attention for using 80% of California’s water. The issue is contentious because by using 80% of California’s water, they are also providing 60% of the US’s fruit and vegetables.

State regulators: California water use will never be the same
The Sacramento Bee, Tony Bizjak, 4/9/15

Sierra Link: The state’s water use is going to drastically change this year and if water agencies don’t take appropriate steps to reduce water usage they could be fined up to $10,000 a day both of which could affect us all.

Wildlife

UC Davis Releases California Roadkill “Hot Spots" Interactive Map
Sierra Sun Times, 4/19/15

Sierra Link: This recently released interactive map shows parts of the Sierra and California including hot spots for roadkill. The information could help highway planners take more measures to protect drivers and wildlife – including some new wildlife crossing structures.

No U.S. protection for sage grouse
Reno Gazette-Journal, Scott Sonner, 4/21/15

Sierra Link: According to Interior Secretary, Sally Jewell, the Mono Basin sage grouse is no longer threatened thanks to agreements with ranchers to conserve land and other improvements in the bird’s habitat. How will this decision affect Sierra conservation efforts by ranchers and others as well as currently protected land?