Santa Cruz County Sustainability Articles

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.

A board is forming to oversee $7 million in anticipated tax revenue from Measure Q in Santa Cruz County. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
SANTA CRUZ >> Applications are open to oversee about $7 million annually for environmental …

A decision to rebuild the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf is not expected for months, after detailed engineering work is done. (Tom Gigliotti)
Key takeaways

The end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf is fenced off Dec. 24, a day after large surf tore off an area under repair. (Tom Gigliotti)
SANTA CRUZ >> The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is expected to decide …

The quaint little Santa Cruz we’ve known for decades has been booming in 2024, like no other time since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.It’s been a boom year for construction all over the county. It’s also been a boom for …

There are two sides to a levee, but a conservationist and a farmer have found common ground at the swampy mouth of the Pajaro River.

The Coastal Watershed Council wants you to fall in love. Since 1995, this nonprofit group has sought to ignite Santa Cruzans with a passion for the San Lorenzo River and the desire to explore, enhance and protect this waterway that …

Conservation of 247 acres by the Pajaro River preserves habitat, safeguards farmland, and builds climate resilience.

The San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Federal Bureau of Reclamation to update hundreds of water meters in Ben Lomond, California. A total of 443 water meters are scheduled to be replaced …

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission’s (RTC) $9 million Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail project study (ZEPRT) has generated heated debate and confusion.

The organization responsible for keeping Watsonville’s wetlands healthy joined forces with city officials and a herd of volunteers Saturday to spruce up the Struve Slough trail.

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 …

The design and planning for new zero-emission passenger rail service is happening now, and includes an online survey plus two Community Workshops on Tues., Nov. 12, in Watsonville and Weds., Nov 13, in Live Oak.

The recreational dungeness crab season will open statewide beginning Nov. 2.

California State Parks and Save The Redwoods League release report outlining actions needed to restore and protect Big Basin Redwoods, Año Nuevo and Butano state parks after CZU Lightning Complex Fire

John Hunt is a collaborator at the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation and a research toxicologist at the University of California, Davis. For over 20 years he co-directed the Marine Pollution Studies Laboratory at Granite Canyon on the Big Sur Coast, …

It seems all manner of e-bikes are popping up across Santa Cruz County more and more—on trails, in streets, outside schools and grocery stores. Sometimes, the e-bikes are even carrying two passengers at a time as they zip down the …

In the wake of the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s recent historic $71 billion award, a look back at the first National Oceans Conference.

California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF) has advice for farmers who have accumulated huge heaps of used plastic, specifically used drip system tape and hoop house film.

In the decade between 2013-23, volunteers and nonprofits picked up 439,358 cigarette butts from Santa Cruz County’s beaches and natural areas, accounting for a quarter of all litter found here.