Monterey County Sustainability Overview

Dozens of volunteers joined forces with a crew from Watsonville Wetlands Watch and the City of Watsonville on Feb. 1 for a day of tending local wetlands as part of the annual World Wetlands Day.

As the Monterey Peninsula becomes increasingly dependent on recycled water, the cost of water is going to rise, and already has. Although recycling water is cheaper than desalinating it, it’s still energy intensive. Add to that, energy from the grid…

For more than a year, Soledad-based Sitos Group has operated a pilot program at ReGen Monterey’s waste management facility in Marina, transforming wood waste and other organic materials into a usable product while removing carbon that would otherwise end up…

David Schmalz here, wrestling with a conundrum: Seawater intrusion is advancing in the northern Salinas Valley—heading toward Salinas from the coast—which has forced growers to drill deeper wells, but that’s only made the problem worse.

There are an increasing number of ways that food waste is being diverted from the landfill. Some people compost at home, while others (less) bring scraps directly to farms. Many now use services created under SB 1383, a 2016 law…

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – California's 30×30 goal was a topic at the Sierra Nevada Alliance Conservation Conference held at Lake Tahoe Community College, Nov. 7-8. In 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom committed the state to conserving 30% of lands …

David Schmalz here, with some notable news to report. This past water year—a calendar built around the wet season, from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024—just 8,972 acre-feet of water were pumped into Cal Am’s system to meet customer…

SALINAS VALLEY — In an effort to increase groundwater recharge and storage while reducing flooding, four local agencies and nonprofits collaborating on the Multi-benefit Land Repurposing Program are seeking public input about known areas of flooding and recharge.

MONTEREY COUNTY — The imbalance between housing supply and demand is a key challenge to economic growth in Monterey County, according to a new report that makes clear the need for increasing housing supply.

As the pandemic spotlighted, access to the internet is no longer a luxury but a necessity. From health care and online banking to education and disaster communication, much of everyday life requires being online.