Recent News
Climate Change
California Drought Is Worsened by Global Warming, Scientists Say
New York Times, Henry Fountain, 4/1/15
Sierra Link: Scientists are saying that it’s not only less snow causing the drought but warmer temperatures attributed to climate change. Trends have predicted that California and the West will continue to see a warming trend and less snow in the years to come.
Forestry
Sierra Nevada pine tree die-off worsens as beetles thrive in drought
The Fresno Bee, Lewis Griswold, 3/30/15
Sierra Link: Beetles in the southern Sierra Nevada are attacking drought-stressed trees, turning forests brown and creating a fire tinderbox. The increased fire risk and fourth year of drought have the southern Sierra residents worried.
Recreation
Federal public land transfers get a Congressional boost
High Country News, Cally Carswell, 3/31/15
Sierra Link: Federal legislation may be introduced in the fall to relinquish federal lands to the states. It may make drilling and development much easier on private lands but what could it mean for the Western states where water and fracking are of concern?
Drought alters familiar landscape in Yosemite National Park
Merced Sun-Star, Louis Sahagun, 3/31/15
Sierra Link: The last time Yosemite was this dry was 1,000 years ago and the landscape is changing.
Water
Brown orders California's first mandatory water restrictions: 'It's a different world'
LA Times, Chris Megerian, Matt Stevens And Bettina Boxall, 4/1/15
Sierra Link: The first mandatory water restrictions were issued by Governor Brown ordering cities and towns across California to cut water consumption by 25%. As we’ve all been watching this winter, the continued drought and dismal snow pack have contributed to the historically low water content, not great news for California’s residents and economy.
The Southwestern Water Wars
New York Times, Richard Parker, 3/13/15
Sierra Link: California isn’t the only state experiencing the negative effects of the drought. Across the Southwest the scene is a triple threat: booming population, looming drought and the worsening effects of climate change. How are the other states dealing with the triple threat?
Beneath California Crops, Groundwater Crisis Grows
NY Times, Justin Gillis and Matt Richtel, 4/5/15
Sierra Link: In Southern California the lack of snowpack in the Sierra Nevada is not only affecting crops around the nation -- in some places the water table has dropped 50 feet or more in a couple years.
Wildlife
Drought prompts truck and release of salmon smolts in Rio Vista
Sacramento Bee, Ed Fletcher, 3/26/15
Sierra Link: If the drought conditions don’t improve, 12 million fish could be released in the Sacramento Delta to improve their chance of survival. How long will going to such measures to protect fish habitat have to continue and at what cost?
Bighorn sheep given new home in Yosemite
Merced Sun Star, Thaddeus Miller, 3/31/15
Sierra Link: In an effort to bulk up populations, scientists released a dozen endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep at Yosemite National Park. This could mean great things for the populations in the Sierra and diversity of fauna in the range.
Volunteers trap crawfish to return steelhead to creeks
SF Gate, 4/5/15
Sierra Link: By removing invasive crawfish from waterways, volunteers are saving the native steelhead habitat. What could this mean for the invasives in Tahoe and beyond?
Other Articles
Obama administration unveils fracking rules for federal lands
SF Gate, Jennifer Dlouhy, 3/20/15
Sierra Link: Companies must now disclose the chemicals they pump underground and store wastewater in tanks instead of open pits. Perhaps the newly mandated regulations will provide some inspiration for California regulators to crack down on those companies working in the Sierra and the rest of California.
