Sierra Club

LEGAL AGREEMENT PROTECTS CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR FOR SANTA ANA MOUNTAIN LIONS

Source: Mountain Lion Foundation

Photo: Mountain lion at Lions, Tigers and Bears

October 26, 2020 (Temecula) --  Conservation groups approved a legal agreement today that will protect a critical wildlife corridor for local mountain lions and other wildlife, fund restoration efforts and ensure implementation of a regional conservation plan. The agreement comes after a judge issued a ruling this spring against the proposed 270-acre Altair development in Western Riverside County in California.

The agreement permanently protects the 55-acre “South Parcel” — a key part of one of the only passages left for endangered Santa Ana mountain lions to move between coastal and inland mountains. This lion population suffers from extremely low levels of genetic diversity due to limited wildlife connectivity.


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SIERRA CLUB WINS CLIMATE ACTION SUIT AGAINST SAN DIEGO COUNTY

 

East County News Service

December 26, 2018 (San Diego) -- Today, Superior Court Judge Timothy Taylor found that the County of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan (CAP)  fails to achieve state goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  In his decision, Judge Taylor ruled on behalf of the Sierra Club, finding that the County’s policy of allowing developers to offset emissions in locations outside of our region do not provide the required enforceable, verifiable and long-term emission reductions mandated.

The ruling could halt consideration of major housing projects in the pipeline, such as Newland Sierra,  unless the developers offer mitigation locally.


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COUNTY DELAYS HEARINGS ON MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS DUE TO SIERRA CLUB LAWSUIT

By Miriam Raftery

November 15, 2018 (San Diego) -- On Tuesday, San Diego County announced that several proposed General Plan Amendments to allow construction of massive development projects will not be heard by the Board of Supervisors in 2018 due to litigation over the Countys climate action plan and a court injunction.  Projects with hearings postponed include Lilac Hills Ranch, Otay Village 14, Planning Areas 16 and 19, Warner Ranch, and Property Specific Requests.




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SIERRA CLUB PLANS RALLY TO PROTEST SDG&E OVER SOLAR ROADBLOCKS

 

 

East County News Service

September 26, 2015 (San Diego)—The San Diego Sierra Club plans a rally on October 7th at 12 noon outside Sempra Energy headquarters (488 8th Ave., San Diego) to protest the utility’s actions that environmentalists say are aimed at “crippling solar.”


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EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

September 23, 2015 (San Diego's East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL/REGIONAL

STATE

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.


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PROTESTERS ASK REP. PETERS TO OPPOSE FAST-TRACKING TPP TRADE DEAL

 

East County News Service

May 26, 2015 (San Diego) – The House of Representatives will soon be voting on a controversial proposal to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, after the Senate approved the fast-tracking.  On Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., activist groups led by the Sierra Club and SD County Democrats for Environmental Action plan a rally at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, where they will call on Peters to oppose the fast-track deal.


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CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION OBJECTS TO SDG&E POWER LINE PLANS

Photo: High-voltage Sunrise Powerlink tower by Lake Jennings

November 7, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has applied for a master permit to construct power line replacement projects in Cleveland National Forest. Now the Cleveland National Forest Foundation  has submitted formal comments objecting to the plan.

According to the Foundation, SDG&E’s project fails to assure that the state’s renewable energy mandate of 33% renewable by 2020 will be met; the project aims to increase energy project four-fold without proposing any reductions in dirty energy sources.


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COURT RULES COUNTY’S CLIMATE CHANGE PLAN IS NOT ADEQUATE

 

By Miriam Raftery

November 7, 2014 (San Diego)—The County’s climate action plan lacks teeth to assure that greenhouse gas emission goals will be met,  California’s 4th District Court of Appeal has ruled. The Appellate Court upheld a San Diego County judge’s ruling in a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club.

The Sierra Club argued that the county’s reliance on voluntary measures and lack of clear deadlines were not enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the targeted amounts by 2020. The Court also noted that the County rejected mitigation proposed by the Sierra Club without  valid reasons.


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READER'S EDITORIAL: END OF DEBATE, LOCAL CLEAN ENERGY WILL KEEP THE LIGHTS ON

 

By Kathleen Connell

March 8, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will soon make a decision on how to replace the power from San Onofre.  This is a decision with consequences for generations to come.  The choice is local clean energy such as rooftop solar, energy efficiency, and conservation or natural gas power plants, i.e., fossil fuel generation.  Local clean energy fights climate change, doesn’t pollute our air, already supports hundreds of well-paying local jobs, and lowers electricity bills.  Natural gas power plants ramp up greenhouse gases, worsen air quality, average only 10-20 permanent employees, and raise electricity bills for all of us because they are funded by ratepayers and cost anywhere from $1 billion to $5 billion each.  And we are shackled to these monuments of the past for decades.


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READER’S EDITORIAL: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SDG&E’S PROPOSAL FOR CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST

 

By Cindy Buxton, Chair, Forest Committee of the San Diego Sierra Club

 

“This is the general “neck of the woods” of the famous Cedar Creek Falls and Three Sisters Waterfall… We are hoping for universal outcry to insist that all parties, SDG&E, the CPUC, and the USFS will embrace this as the golden opportunity to evolve community safety and environmental integrity forward.” – Cindy Buxton

October 21, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) -- The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) sent out its request for scoping on SDG&E’s Master Permit renewal.  The comment period is through November 7th.   Document links are provided at the end of this editorial.

The Forest Service, in an attempt to consistently and effectively manage wilderness and wilderness-like portions of their Forest, recommends moving the 626 69kV line that runs up Boulder Creek Road out of these fragile areas and makes this suggestion along with a mile or so wide corridor for study where portions of the line could be moved. But there more to this proposal than meets the eye.


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CONTROVERSIAL NET METERING MEASURE SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR BROWN

 

By Paul Kruze

“The way everything has turned out, the energy hogs are being rewarded…Now, no matter how much you conserve energy, no matter how much you generate, the residential ratepayers are stuck with this.” – Pete Hasapopoulos, San Diego Sierra Club

October 11, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) -- Amid a chorus of cheers and jeers, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 327 reflecting the first change to electric rates and how  major power utilities account for residential rooftop solar systems.

Introduced by Fresno Democrat Party Assemblyman Henry T. Perea, the legislation directs the California Public Utilities Commission to design a new net metering program that would take effect within four years. The bill also gives the CPUC authority to require utilities to source more than 33 percent of their power from renewable sources like wind and solar. In addition, the new law will replace the electric rate restrictions adopted by  California during the state’s energy deregulation crisis in 2000.


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WINE TASTING SEPT. 29 TO HELP RE-OPEN SIERRA CLUB'S FOSTER LODGE, REBUILD CABIN LOST IN CHARIOT FIRE

 

September 22, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – The Sierra Club invites the public to a benefit to raise funds for rebuilding a cabin lost in the Chariot Fire on July , and to celebrate the fact that the historic Foster Lodge survived the wildfire on Mount Laguna.  While there was insurance coverage, the Chapter needs to raise funds to offset a $10,000 deductible and other costs not covered to get the lodge reopened for business.


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EARTHTALK®: A FIERCE GREEN FIRE

 

September 19, 2013 (San Diego) – Dear EarthTalk: What is the new documentary film A Fierce Green Fire about and what does the title refer to?                                                                           

-- Gloria Howard, Washington, DC

A Fierce Green Fire is a new film documenting the rise of the modern environmental movement from the 1960s through the present day. It premiered at last year’s Sundance Film Festival and will be playing at select theaters across the country beginning in September 2013. Educators, environmental groups and grassroots activists also will be showing the film at small and large events from coast to coast over the course of the fall. Written and directed by Mark Kitchell, Academy Award-nominated director of Berkeley in the Sixties, A Fierce Green Fire (the film) is based on the 1993 book of the same name by environmental journalist Philip Shabecoff.


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CONGRESSMAN DARRELL ISSA TO RECEIVE CLIMATE CHANGE DENIER AWARD

 

August 15, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Members of the national, California, and San Diego Leagues of Conservation Voters will deliver a climate change denier award to Rep. Darrell Issa in recognition of his extreme anti-science views, which put him at odds with 97 percent of scientists and a majority of the American people. The event is part of a “Day of Action” held nationally in coordination with Organizing for Action to hold climate change deniers accountable.


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HISTORIC LODGE AT SHRINE CAMP, SIERRA CLUB’S FOSTER LODGE CABIN AMONG 108 BUILDINGS DESTROYED IN CHARIOT FIRE

 

ECM reporters allowed inside evacuation area to assess damage

 

By Nadin Abbott; photos by Nadin and Tom Abbott

 

July 9, 2013 (Mt. Laguna)— For owners of property on Mount Laguna, the past 24-hours have been heart-wrenching.  The Chariot Fire has reportedly destroyed 108 structures along Sunrise Highway, including the Al Bahr Shrine Camp and one lost at the Sierra Club Guymon Lodge. The blaze has scorched over 7,055 acres and is now 40 percent contained. Highway 79 is open but Sunrise Highway remains closed from 79 to I-8.

Peering through thick smoke late yesterday at the Shrine Camp site (photo, left), we saw a husk of burnt metal and the charred remains of other structures.  We later learned that losses included the 87-year-old lodge and a dozen or more cabins.


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SIERRA CLUB WINS LAWSUIT ON COUNTY'S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN: JUDGE RULES “ENFORCEABLE MITIGATION MEASURES ARE NECESSARY NOW”

 

 

Exclusive to ECM: How decision could impact East County's transportation and energy production

By Miriam Raftery

April 20, 2013 (San Diego) – On the eve of Earth Day events, the Sierra Club has won a critical lawsuit challenging the County of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan (CAP).  On April 19, Superior Court Judge Timothy Taylor issued his final ruling agreeing with the Sierra Club that the County’s Climate Action Plan “contains no enforcement mechanism for reducing GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions.”

The ruling could have significant consequences for East County, where numerous large wind and solar projects have been pushed through under the mantra of addressing climate change. 

On one hand, the decision could bolster arguments of some Supervisors who view large energy projects as the fastest or easiest way to meet goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

On the other hand, the ruling also forces the County to conduct an Environmental Impact Report - opening up the process for public comment. That could include discussion of how much fossil fuel it takes to manufacture, build and operate industrial-scale wind and solar projects--and whether there are better alternatives, such as solar on roofs and parking lots in urban areas.


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BREAKING NEWS: CPUC REJECTS QUAIL BRUSH AND PIO PICO

Commission allows repowering of Escondido plant

“Today’s rejection of Quail Brush is not only a victory for the environment. It’s a victory for our community. It sends a message that San Diego County shouldn’t rely on old-school, power plant technology and that we can accelerate our efforts to develop renewable, cleaner forms of energy, like rooftop solar and fuel cells.”—Supervisor Dianne Jacob

March 21, 2013 (San Diego) – Before a packed audience in San Diego today, the California Public Utilities Commission unanimously denied SDG&E’s requests to build Quail Brush and Pio Pico, gas-powered peaker plants near Mission Trails Regional Park and in Otay Mesa.  The Commission did, however, authorize repowering of an existing but idle gas plant in Escondido.


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SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY DENIES QUAIL BRUSH POWER PLANT

By Nadin Abbott

September 24, 2012 (San Diego)--The mood was tense as people from multiple walks of life and political views filed into San Diego City Chambers. Among them was Republican Santee Councilman Jack Dale and Democrat David Secor, candidate for U.S. Congress for the 50th district. Both Dale and Secor came to oppose the Quail Brush gas-fired power plant.

So did Massada Disenhouse, activist for the Sierra Club and Martha Sullivan, a former California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) employee, and many others.


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SAN DIEGO COALITION CALLS ON CITY COUNCIL TO SAY “NO” TO POWER PLANT NEAR MISSION TRAILS PARK

September 21, 2012 (San Diego)-A coalition of local community groups announces that it will fill the San Diego City Council chambers on Monday, September 24 at 2 p.m.

They will call on the City Council to uphold a recent Planning Commission decision to deny a community plan amendment request that would have paved the way for a 100 megawatt gas-fired power plant on open space designated land adjacent to Mission Trails Regional Park.


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EFFORT AIMS TO BRING BACK PACE CLEAN ENERGY PROGRAM, ALLOW HOMEOWNERS TO FINANCE UP-FRONT SOLAR COSTS THROUGH PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENTS

September 18, 2012 (San Diego) -- The Sierra Club Desert Committee has launched a campaign to help bring back the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, which allows homeowners to finance rooftop solar installations through property tax assessments.   This link enables you to submit comments in support of PACE to the Federal Housing Finance Authority:  


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FIRE IN THE SKIES OF EAST COUNTY: PERSEID METEOR SHOWERS AUGUST 11

August 10, 2012 (East County) – The Perseid Meteor Showers will be peaking August 11 and 12 this year.  The meteor shower occurs every August when the Earth passes through space debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle.  The meteors are bright and often leave trails of luminous gas.  There are a number of events across East County to participate in and enjoy the show.


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EARTHTALK®: E - THE ENVIRONMENTAL MAGAZINE

 
 
By Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss
 
July 22, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--This week’s topics include:

        1) Meat consumption, health and the environment
        2) Challenging Canada's Prime Minister's efforts to weaken environmental protections
 
Dear EarthTalk: We’ve been hearing for years how producing red meat is bad for the environment while consuming it is bad for our health. How do other types of meat, fish, dairy and vegetable proteins stack up in terms of environmental and health impacts?     -- Julia Saperstein, via e-mail

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CA ATTORNEY GENERAL & ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS SUE SANDAG OVER REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN

 

By Megan McGlamery

March 8, 2012 (San Diego)—“Our biggest challenge is to stabilize climate change,” Mike Bullock, chairman of the Transportation Committee for Sierra Club’s San Diego chapter, told attendees at the Forging a Sustainable Future Conference hosted by UnitedGREEN at San Diego State University last weekend. 

To accomplish that, the state has set ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions--and mandated that counties reduce driving and encourage public transportation. 

But the San Diego Association of Government (SANDAG) failed to meet those goals in a Regional Transportation Plan(RTP) that it approved last fall. Now, California Attorney General Kamala Harris has joined with the Sierra Club, the Cleveland National Forest Foundation, and other environmental groups to sue SANDAG. 


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WHY ARE SOME EAST COUNTY CITIES CHARGING 100 TIMES MORE THAN OTHER LOCAL CITIES FOR COMMERCIAL SOLAR FEES?

 

East County News Service
High fees violate state law, and discourage rooftop solar, Sierra Club says

 


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