Nevada County Sustainability Digest

As the planet heats up and threatens many cold-water game fish species like trout, the Sacramento perch may be on the cusp of a comeback, thanks in part to its ability to tolerate warm water and extreme conditions.

Researchers from UC Davis can now predict which forests could survive despite future drought. Their new method links precipitation to tree growth, and it can help people decide where to put their resources as climate change affects patterns of snow and rainfall.

Rotary screw traps, used to capture migrating juvenile fish, will be installed on the North Yuba River. But while they are important data gathering devices, RSTs can be dangerous to people and pets.

California’s leading air regulator acknowledged major roadblocks to meeting its ambitious carbon emissions target for 2030. The hurdles revolve around the feasibility of carbon capture technologies and the state’s flagship climate program, known as cap-and-trade.

The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) launched a $101 million grant program to support tribal initiatives that benefit their communities while helping to achieve the state’s world-leading climate and conservation goals.

The total number of climate change court cases has more than doubled since 2017 and is growing worldwide. These findings, published by the UN Environment Programme and the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, show that climate litigation is becoming an integral part of securing climate action and justice.

As sea levels rise, many countries are considering a controversial strategy: relocation of communities. A Stanford analysis of planned relocations around the world reveals a blueprint for positive outcomes from an approach often considered a last resort.

Much has changed in a short time at Nevada Irrigation District. Fewer than five years ago, the water district was laying the groundwork for construction of the controversial Centennial Dam. Now there’s a new general manager and the dam has been back-burnered.

As oppressive heat continues to blanket much of the U.S., it’s especially crucial to take precautions to protect yourself and your loved ones—furry friends included.

Raising Shasta Dam to increase its capacity would provide 634,000 more acre-feet of water per year, legislators say. But that assumes there will always be enough precipitation, and the move risks flooding sacred Native American lands and harming local habitats.

The International Civil Aviation Organization established the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, which aims to help reduce aviation greenhouse gas emissions.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe and USDA Forest Service’s Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit are working both independently and collaboratively to stop the scenes of July 5th, which saw thousands of pounds of litter from one Lake Tahoe beach following the July 4th holiday, from happening again.

After 14 years, the Grass Valley Family Resource Center, located next door to the Grass Valley Charter School, has closed its doors. Full services will continue at locations in Penn Valley on the Ready Springs campus and San Juan Ridge on the Oak Tree campus.

In the magazine Nature, a team of scientists reports that they have detected changes in ocean color that cannot be explained by natural, year-to-year variability alone. These color shifts have occurred over 56 percent of the world’s oceans.

The Climate Transformation Alliance is launching a new program to address building electrification in the region, called the Truckee Tahoe Building Decarbonization Pilot Program.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe and ECO-CLEAN solutions are kicking off the 2023 summer season by expanding their robot-powered, beach-cleaning initiative to cover entire beaches in Lake Tahoe.

California lawmakers passed the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act, permanently protecting the iconic and imperiled species.

Lake Tahoe saw a huge surge in visitors at the beginning of the pandemic. The North Tahoe Community Alliance, which serves as the region’s chamber of commerce, looks to address the resulting problems, such as overcrowding, garbage and traffic.

U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) announced that the Tahoe Transportation District will receive $3.4 million to fund its Clean Transit Initiative.

The Salt & Straw ice cream chain is part of the upcycling movement, creating high-quality products from leftover food with flavors like Cacao Pulp & Chocolate Stracciatella Gelato, made from leftover cacao pulp from chocolate production.

BCycle, an industry leader in electric bike share operations and equipment used in communities around the country, is thrilled to bring bike share to Truckee.

Alterra Mountain Company reinforced its commitment to social responsibility, unveiling its first Impact Report, which is focused on four core pillars: Prioritizing People, Protecting the Planet, Investing in Community, and Operating Responsibly.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has implemented a new policy recognizing the ecological benefits of beavers while mitigating conflict over damage to land and property (depredation).

Truckee is pursuing a single-use plastic water bottle ban after receiving feedback from its recent Town Council meeting.

Climate-concerned youth from Truckee will travel to the capital next month to do a presentation on the electrification resolution they proposed in April to the Board of the Truckee-Tahoe Unified School District.

The U.S. government has approved a proposed multibillion-dollar transmission line that would send wind-generated electricity from rural New Mexico to big cities in the West.

California legislative committees in the Assembly and Senate blocked two big climate bills. One would have made the state’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets more ambitious. Another would have allowed people to sue oil companies over health problems if they meet certain criteria.

From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, SYRCL’s volunteer River Ambassadors educate the community to care for the South Yuba River. The team promotes an ethic of responsible use of the river by speaking with visitors at crossings, beaches, and on trails.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe's plan to redevelop an aging office building into a new environment and education center, as well as the organization's headquarters, is building momentum.

Area jurisdictions move forward with biomass facilities to put to better use excess green waste. In exchange, we get heat and electricity.

The Bureau of Land Management named the Yuba Watershed Institute its Conservation Partner of the Year for 2023. The local nonprofit has been operating on the San Juan Ridge for more than 30 years under a series of cooperative agreements with BLM.

Fort Bragg is embarking on an innovative pilot project to desalt ocean water for the Mendocino Coast community using carbon-free wave action to power an energy-intensive process that in other cases generates climate changing greenhouse gases.