San Benito County Environment Articles

The 2022 California wildfire season looks like another dangerous one, with the state's historic drought showing no signs of letting up. Here's what to expect, and some measures the state is taking to slow down the flames.

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, which will help pumas in the Santa Monica Mountains cross 10 lanes of Highway 101, will be the largest in the world.

California is creating wildlife crossings that can help animals get across dangerous highways without risk of death from vehicle strikes. Here are five of them.

Three California transportation leaders explain why Measure D will ultimately kill much-needed rail service and slow progress on the Santa Cruz Rail Trail.

Unless the governor and Legislature address flaws in the way the state plans for and develops public transit and rail projects, California’s ambitious climate-related goals cannot be realized.

California may soon shut down its last nuclear power plant, but Gov. Gavin Newsom who once championed the closure has had a change of heart. Federal funds may now keep the plant running.

Sometimes making the community better manifests as a better understanding of how nature works. Local birders lead the way.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Air Resources Board are boasting about California's shift to zero-emission vehicles but the reality of making it happen is daunting.

Saving water is more important than ever in California, due to the region’s worst drought conditions in 1,200 years. Here are some steps you can take to help.

California can increase water savings in urban and suburban areas by 30 to 48 percent using nothing but existing technology, a new report from the Pacific Institute says.

Gas prices are going up. But America has long paid too little for gasoline, along with a low gas tax rate. Is it time for all of that to change?

California’s outdated water rights laws have failed to account for the effects of climate change, says a new expert report, which makes some strong recommendations.

Thousands of miles of railroad track, including some in Santa Cruz County, now sit idle. The fate of those largely abandoned tracks has become a burning controversy.

The climate change era has created a whole new set of terms for a wide variety of storms and other weather phenomena. Here are some of the most important.

California has a new law to ban leaf blowers, which both annoy neighbors and pollute the air. Here’s why the law might not do enough, explained.

Here's how San Benito County and its quartet of water districts delivers water to its residents and businesses.

The pesky mosquito can be deadly as well as annoying. Here’s how local governments in California have been waging war on mosquitoes for more than a century.

LA Times staff writer Louis Sahagun reports from the front lines of the battle to preserve California’s most endangered species.

What do resource conservation districts protect? Pretty much everything that’s worth saving.

Why is California still experiencing offshore oil spills half-a-century after the catastrophic Santa Barbara disaster? The answer is found in the state’s longtime, close relationship with the oil business.