By Miriam Raftery

April 4, 2018 (San Diego) – The California Public Utilities Commission is considering whether or not to approve a settlement over the San Onofre nuclear power plant that shut down in 2013 due to steam generators that were leaking radiation.

Funded by the San Diego River Conservancy and the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, SDSU researchers are working on several projects.

Source: SDSU News Center

April 2, 2018 (San Diego) – The San Diego River is a capricious and temperamental thing. The first Spanish explorers who worked the land discovered this the hard way: Upon encountering the dribbling stream in 1769 that emptied into False Bay (today Mission Bay), they concluded it was nothing more than a tame trickle. A month later, they planted grains along its banks. Then the year’s first rains swelled the river and took out the crops. The next year, they planted farther back—only to experience a drought year that left their fields dry and withered.

Source: Monica Zech, City of El Cajon Public Information Officer

Photos by Michele Miller, City of El Cajon Public Works Dept.

March 26, 2018 (El Cajon) -- The City of El Cajon celebrated the 29^th annual Arbor Day at Kennedy Park on Saturday, March 24^th at 8 a.m.  During the ceremony, the City received its 21^st Tree City USA award presented by CAL FIRE.  There was a large turnout by members of the community, including the Lions Club from Granite Hills High School and Key Club from Grossmont High to plant trees at Kennedy Park.

By Angela Deegan, SanDiego350

Photo:  SanDiego350 volunteers with Sophie Wolfram of CAC in celebratory mood March 13^th after adoption of La Mesa CAP.  Photo courtesy of Cody Klatt

March 21, 2018 (La Mesa) -- On March 13th, the City Council of La Mesa unanimously adopted a strong Climate Action Plan (CAP), with a goal of 100% clean energy. This victory came after three years of persistent advocacy and organizing efforts by SanDiego350 La Mesa volunteers and allied organizations.

By Miriam Raftery

March 20, 2018 (La Mesa) – By a unanimous vote, La Mesa’s City Council voted on March 13^th to adopt a climate action plan.  The vote drew cheers from members of San Diego350, a nonprofit that has been advocating for cities to take action to combat climate change.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: City of Santee

March 12, 2018 (Santee) -- The Walker Preserve Trail in Santee will soon have 4,000 new plants and trees – all native to our region.

Cottonwoods, alders, sage brush, buckwheat and San Diego sunflowers are among the drought-tolerant species that will soon line the walking trail, providing habitat for birds and other native wildlife, NBC 7 reports.  Native plants will also help improve water quality in the San Diego River and prevent erosion.

Source:  City of La Mesa

Photo via Tree City USA

February 22, 2018 (La Mesa) - The Arbor Day Foundation, in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management, has named La Mesa a 2017 Tree City USA for the 38th consecutive year.

La Mesa achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

By Michelle Mowad, County of San Diego Communications Office

February 17, 2018 (San Diego's East County) - Take a fresh approach to your wedding ceremony and say “I do” in a park. From romantic country meadows to bayfront ocean views or rustic ranchos, San Diego County Parks and Recreation has a wide array of outdoor spaces for wedding ceremonies and receptions in every part of the county.

With venue fees starting at $105, County parks are not only a beautiful option, but a budget-friendly one, too! To tour event spaces or make reservations, contact Parks at (858) 565-3600.

Here are just a few of the scenic spaces to exchange vows. Find the complete list of venues online.

By Miriam Raftery

February 7, 2018 (Sacramento) – California could be heading into a new drought.  Electronic measurements taken February 1^st by the state’s Department of Water Resources reveal that rainfall and snowpack water levels remain below average, four months into the rainy season.

Substantial relief to ratepayers: $873 million will not be paid to utilities over the next 5 years, resulting in $775 million reduction

East County News Service

January 31, 2017 (San Diego) – Citizens Oversight, also operating as the “Coalition to Decommission San Onofre,” today signed a settlement agreement with Southern California Edison (SCE), San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) and other ratepayer advocates to bring to a close the dispute over the amount ratepayers are obligated to pay for the San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station (SONGS).  The nuclear plant was subject to an emergency shutdown on January 31, 2012, and permanently shuttered on June 6, 2013.

Warner Springs and Murrieta farm raises pastured chickens, rebuilds healthy soils and grasslands, and coexists with wildlife

Story and photos @Pasturebird and Primal Pastures.

January 27, 2018 (Warner Springs) -- Most people don’t set up a wholesale pastured poultry operation in an area known for its mountain lion activity as much as for its orchards.  Yet for farmer Paul Grieve of Pasturebird, flourishing habitat is an integral part of farming. “The important thing to us is that we build an ecosystem.  Our role is to steward the land and grow a great environment for Mother Nature.”

Initiative would require public vote on significant changes to General Plan, to protect backcountry from “sprawl-style development” and traffic gridlock

East County News Service

Update: Hear our interview with former Supervisor Pam Slater Price and Mark Jackson from Save Our San Diego Countryside by clicking the audio link.  Learn more at https://saveoursdcountryside.org/.

January 24, 201 (San Diego) -- Today the San Diego County Registrar of Voters approved the title and summary for the “Safeguard Our San Diego Countryside” Initiative, clearing the way for proponents to gather signatures to place the initiative on the November 2018 ballot. If passed, the measure would require voter approval of amendments to the San Diego County General Plan that significantly increase density on parcels in the unincorporated county now designated for farming, open space, and wildlife uses.

Update January 24, 2018:  Supervisors voted 4-0 yesterday to approve this, with Supervisor Horn absent due to leaving early.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Joe Brunetto, owner of Marechiaro's Italian Restaurant and Jack Shu, president of Cleveland National Forest Foundation, speak out against retail project proposed for land visible in background

January 22, 2018 (Lakeside)—San Diego County Supervisors will hold a hearing Wednesday on Lake Jennings Marketplace, a proposed retail strip shopping center on Olde Highway 80 in Lakeside.  The project by South Coast Development requires approval of an environmental impact report,  a General Plan amendment and rezoning  of residential land  to commercial.

But opponents say the developer earlier promised to build multi-family housing on the site, not a shopping center.  Cleveland National Forest Association (CNFF) and a local restaurant owner are heading up opposition to the project, saying what the community needs is housing, not more retail. 

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 20, 2018 (San Diego) - The San Diego County Planning Commission voted 6-1 Thursday to recommend that the County’s Board of Supervisors approve the County’s revised Climate Action Plan, with some modifications.

Story and photos by A.J. Herrington

January 15, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) --​ ​A group of children from the inner city San Diego neighborhood of City Heights travelled to Boulder Creek Preserve Saturday to plant trees at the wildlife sanctuary near Descanso.