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El Dorado County Environment Digest



California Enacts New Climate Rules — which Could Boost Gas Prices

11/08/2024

Experts don’t know how much gas prices may rise from the revised California climate program, which tightens standards and gives incentives for low-carbon fuels. The board ordered an annual review of the cost impacts.

Here We Go Again: California Prepares to Battle Trump Over Environmental Policies

11/07/2024

A lot is at stake with the new Trump administration: California’s water projects, its unique authority to clean its air, federal support for offshore wind and disaster aid for wildfires.

Proposition 4 $10 Billion Climate Bond Passes

11/05/2024

Learn more about how the just-passed $10 billion climate bond measure will fund resiliency projects across the state.

A Century Later, Salmon Again Spawning in Klamath River After Dams Removed

10/31/2024

Sixty years ago, I was a reporter for the Klamath Falls (Oregon) Herald and News and with my family lived in a small house on the Link River, which flows out of Upper Klamath Lake, draining a large portion of the Cascade mountain range.

Is a New Plan for Delivering Delta Water Worse Than Trump’s Rules? Environmentalists Say Yes.

10/24/2024

Growers support a federal and state proposal for operating California’s massive systems that send river water south. But it could harm more salmon and other endangered fish.

First California Project to Bury Climate-Warming Gases Wins Key Approval

10/21/2024

Capturing and storing carbon underground is a big part of California’s efforts to tackle climate change but community members and environmentalists say it prolongs the life of fossil fuels.

Environmental Rebate Explained

10/08/2024

How to apply rebate as part of the recent $80 million state program to electrify homes.

Lake Tahoe Restoration Act Reauthorized to 2034

09/24/2024

Congress has reauthorized the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act through 2034, appropriating $300 million for the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program.

South Lake Tahoe & County Recycling Rollout Procedes

09/18/2024

Answers to questions about the rollout of new blue and green recycling barrels underway in South Lake Tahoe and other areas of the county.

Alpenglow Festival Raises Over $50,000 for Charity

09/13/2024

The Tahoe Beach Club sponsored Alpenglow Festival raised over $50,000 to be granted to local artists and nonprofit Clean Up The Lake.

California "30x30" Conservation Efforts Make Progress

09/08/2024

The California state goal to conserve 30% of its land and coastal waters has advanced, with conserved lands reaching 25% and coastal waters 16%.

Clean Up the Lake Surveys Stampede and Boca Reservoirs

08/29/2024

Over several days of dives at the end of June and the first days of July over 1.76 miles of underwater surveys, only low levels of litter from the shore were observed.

American Beverage Awards Grant to South Tahoe Refuse

08/27/2024

American Beverage has awarded a grant of $300,000 to South Tahoe Refuse to help fund the rollout of new recycling carts to over 19,000 residents of South Lake Tahoe.

South Lake Tahoe Rolls Out New Recycling Cart

08/20/2024

To comply with state law, the City of South Lake Tahoe is moving to a three-cart curbside refuse and recycling program.

Lake Tahoe Forest Thinning Projects Continue

08/19/2024

With almost 95,000 acres of forest treated, work continues to thin forests and reduce fire hazard in the Lake Tahoe basin.

Restocking Lake Tahoe Lahontan Cutthroat Trout

08/19/2024

Efforts to bring back the native Lahontan cutthroat trout to Lake Tahoe are making progress.

El Dorado County 4-H Enrollment Open

08/14/2024

Enrollment is open for youth ages 5-18 to join the El Dorado County 4-H.

California Seeks Biden Administration Approval for Controversial Diesel Truck Ban

08/14/2024

The EPA must grant a waiver before the diesel truck measure can be implemented. It’s one of California’s most controversial measures to clean up air pollution and greenhouse gases.

Volunteers Clean Up Abandoned South Tahoe Homeless Camps

08/06/2024

On August 3, a number of volunteers and staff from the Tahoe Resource Conservation District came together to clean up discarded debris in the Johnson Meadow in South Lake Tahoe.

California Lawmakers Negotiating Sweeping Package to Speed Up Solar, Wind Energy

08/01/2024

Legislators and Gov. Newsom are working behind the scenes to draft energy legislation before the end-of-the-month deadline.

Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Hires Deputy Forest Supervisor

07/30/2024

Rosalie Herrera has been named the permanent deputy forest supervisor for the USDA Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center to Host Presentation

07/24/2024

The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center will be presenting its annual State of the Lake report on August 8.

California Has Just Approved a New Blueprint for Offshore Wind. The Massive Projects Will Cost Billions

07/10/2024

Harnessing clean energy is a venture of unprecedented scope in California, bringing big changes to Humboldt and the Central Coast, and requiring 26 ports along the coast.

Less Trash on Tahoe Beaches This July 4th

07/05/2024

Over 700 volunteers helped clean Lake Tahoe beaches following the July 4th celebrations and reported trash volume was significantly lower than the previous year.

‘Nothing Will Be Protected’ — Why California Environmentalists Oppose a ‘Green’ Energy Bill

07/02/2024

Nearly every major environmental group in California opposes a bill that would modify the state’s signature environmental law to speed up upgrades to power lines. Supporters say it would help free the state from fossil fuels and make the grid more reliable, but opponents fear it would damage state parks.

Draft EIR for Generations at Green Valley Project Released

06/27/2024

The El Dorado County Planning and Building Department-Planning Division has released a draft environmental impact report for the 280 acre senior housing development proposed to be built on Green Valley Road near El Dorado Hills.

Annual Community Clean-Up in South Lake Tahoe a Success

06/27/2024

An astonishing 229 tons of mattresses, furniture, appliances, electronics and other refuse was dropped off by residents and collected by volunteers during the annual "$5 dollar dump day" held on June 8 in South Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe Receives US Fish and Wildlife Service Grant

06/21/2024

Funding of over $3 million was awarded for efforts to protect the lake from aquatic invasive species.

Active Fire Season Forecasted

06/17/2024

With multiple fires already burning in the state, forecasters predict the coming fire season will be "very active."

California Wants to Be Carbon-Neutral by 2045. What Does That Mean for Its Big Economic Drivers?

05/27/2024

California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, flew more 6,000 miles to Rome this month to deliver a brief speech on climate change at a Vatican-sponsored conference.

California Climate Programs Would Lose Billions in Newsom’s Budget

05/22/2024

As funds for climate change programs are cut, Democrats and environmentalists are pushing for a bond measure on the ballot to restore some funding.

Volunteers Gather Water Quality Data

05/14/2024

On May 11, 100 volunteers sampled water from 34 streams, ponds and lakes to gather water quality data for the Truckee River watershed and Lake Tahoe as part of the 24th annual Snapshot Day.

Featured

A smoky blanket of particulate matter hovers over San Francisco’s skyline.
Getting Acquainted With AQI
Learn what's getting into Californians’ lungs and why it matters.
A Pyrocumulus cloud generated by the Dixie Fire in July, 2021.
What is Fire 'Containment?' That and Other Terms, Explained
What does it mean when firefighters call a fire "contained?" Here's a brief guide to commonly used fire prevention terminology.
Water is a human right under California law, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Agriculture and Water Shortages in the State’s Breadbasket, Explained
There are many causes contributing to this crisis. And as you may already know, this situation really is nuts.
RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt
RCDs were created to avoid a repeat of the Dust Bowl. Now they work with landowners to preserve the air, water and natural habitats that sustain us all.
Mosquitos kill about 725,000 people every year, worldwide.
Taking a Bite Out of the Mosquito Population
How local government tries to control the world’s deadliest wild animal—the mosquito.
Supercell storms are just one of many weather phenomena in the era of climate change.
The New Vocabulary of the Climate Change Era
As climate change causes more extreme and unusual weather, we need a new set of terms to describe the various phenomena
Over two weekends last October, residents of Santa Cruz and Watsonville  participated in demonstration rides aboard an electric streetcar on rails.
The ‘Rail Trail’ Movement, Explained
The heated controversy over what to do with abandoned railroad tracks
Moss Landing in Monterey Bay is the world’s largest battery storage facility for solar and other renewable energy.
Solar Power and California’s Clean Energy Goals
How the sun is helping push the state toward 100 percent renewable energy.
Just because record rains have been falling, the state’s water crisis remains.
What Is Drought? Probably Not What You Think
Recent torrential rains have helped, but California's drought is a long way from over.
From nitrates to arsenic to “forever chemicals,” California’s water supply faces a serious pollution threat.
Dirty Water: California Faces a Water Contamination Crisis
In a state that declares water a “human right,” more than 2 percent of its residents have no drinkable water.
They help feed the whole country, but life for California’s farm workers remains a struggle.
How California Feeds the Country
California, a state known for high-tech and show business glitz, is also America’s farming powerhouse.
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Kerry Wood, CEO of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, says the organization researches areas of need to help donors direct their contributions.
What Is a Community Foundation?
By channeling funds to a number of nonprofits working on various issues in a given region, community foundations help solve big problems throughout California.
Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment
The hidden price tag of “reclaiming” swamps and marshes as usable land.
The Pajaro River levee broke during the 2023 atmospheric river storms, flooding the town of Pajaro.
Is California Ready for More Extreme Weather Driven by Climate Change?
Increasingly extreme weather events are already testing California’s preparedness.
Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does
How a nuclear plant, a real estate development and an oil spill led to a landmark law.
Long-duration energy storage, such as this thermal energy storage facility, allows renewable energy sources to operate at full capacity without overloading the power grid.
How California Leads the Race For Long Duration Energy Storage
For renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to be viable, ways to store the power they create are essential.
The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
California has a goal of 6 million heat pumps cooling and heating buildings by 2030.
6 Million New Heat Pumps: Essential to California's Climate Future
Installing 6 million heat pumps by 2030 is essential if California is to reach its goal of net zero carbon emissions.
Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law
54-year-old environmental law is often blamed for causing the state’s housing crisis. Is it getting a bad rap?
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