Santa Cruz County Sustainability Digest

For the fifth consecutive year, California officials are delaying the Bay Area’s commercial Dungeness crab season to decrease the chances of migrating whales currently off the coast getting ensnarled by the crab-pot fishing lines.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law in October, SB 272 by Sen. John Laird, that requires local governments to plan for rising sea levels. It's already factoring into planning in places like Marin County.

China modeled some of its climate programs on policies first adopted by California. Now, California depends on the world’s most populous country for essential materials in its electric vehicle ambitions.

Legislation that was created in response to fire breaking out in 2022 at the Elkhorn Battery Energy Storage System facility was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

In an effort to reduce the risk of wildfire, Cal Poly Humboldt faculty and students have embarked on a three-year study to investigate tree health.

The Watsonville Municipal Airport could be looking at a greener future. The airport recently received $83,575 through the Federal Aviation Administration for a zero-emissions vehicle and infrastructure project.

A long-awaited, controversial report weighs updates to standards that state officials say have failed to protect fish and wildlife. But environmentalists, Native tribes and others already are furious about how long this has taken—and the state is years away from taking action.

Santa Cruz County is well-known for its forestry, with approximately 75% of its overall terrain covered by trees, according to Global Forest Watch.

This year is Bird School Project’s second go at organizing the acclaimed festival (formerly the “Monterey Bay Birding Festival”), which invites bird nerds and newcomers alike to bask in the glory of our winged, bipedal brethren.

Maintaining certain interactions so that they remain similar to those that have controlled Earth conditions over the past 12,000 years is critical for ensuring human activities do not trigger dramatic changes that likely would decrease the Earth’s ability to support modern civilizations.

Using intricate infrared images captured by airplane over California's Central Valley, researchers were able to distinguish Cabernet Sauvignon grape vines that were infected but not showing symptoms.

Santa Cruz Metro is expected to finalize the purchase of 57 hydrogen fuel cell-electric buses—the single largest purchase for that variety of zero-emission vehicle in the nation.

Satellite data from across California’s landscapes reveal an increase in nitrogen dioxide levels in remote forest areas, and wildfire and soil emissions are likely the reasons why, according to a paper from UC Davis published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

“This is possibly the largest improvement project the District has ever taken on. The replacement of aged and undersize infrastructure will also greatly improve support for future firefighting efforts in the San Lorenzo Valley," said Rick Rogers, general manager of the San Lorenzo Valley Water District.

The human-built world keeps getting in the way of the rising sea. But this current story of our coast does not have to end in disaster.

Office parks, corporate campuses, strip malls would have to remove grass, or face fines of up to $500 a day.

“Central Coast Water Board staff needs to review the water quality data and the additional information before ... we can authorize Big Basin Water Company to accept flows from additional properties,” wrote Jennifer Epp of the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Three years after the CZU Complex Lightning Fire, Big Basin Water Company can once again operate the local sewer system. Homeowners say one of the obstacles to rebuilding has been the county was not approving permits because sewer lines were not connected.

California’s only native sunfish, the Sacramento perch, was once abundant before invasive species decimated it. As the planet heats up and threatens cold-water game fish, the Sacramento perch may be on the cusp of a comeback, thanks to its ability to tolerate warm water.

The concept report will provide an early analysis that includes placement of stations, frequency of service and a closer look at especially challenging areas such as Beach Street in Santa Cruz and near Harkins Slough in Watsonville.

Some 7,000 square miles of ocean on California’s Central Coast could soon become the largest national marine sanctuary in the continental U.S. It could also make history as one of the first federal sanctuaries to be spearheaded by a Native American tribe.

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 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.

The National Association of Counties delivered a unanimous vote Friday that will include equitable flood protection for disadvantaged communities.

The changes could result in an 10% increase in service overall that, pending further public engagement and direction from the Metro Board, could roll out as soon as December.

San Francisco has become the prime example of what downtowns shouldn’t look like: vacant, crime-ridden and in various stages of decay. But in truth, it’s just one of many cities across the U.S. whose downtowns are reckoning with a post-pandemic wake-up call.

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 vast scale and effort of recycling are on full display at the Santa Cruz Resource Recovery Center, which offers tours every Friday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. until Aug 25.

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 autonomous, water-free system captures waste in biodegradable bags and sawdust and are then taken to a central location for composting.

On summer weekends Metro’s Route 35 to Big Basin Redwoods State Park will provide locals with a sustainable option for visiting the popular regional destination.