A General Plan is the basis for all planning decisions that are made in a county. One that minimizes protection for agriculture, open space, and oak woodlands can lead over time to significant losses of those important values. That is the case with the Tuolumne County General Plan that has just been revised. For years […]
When visitors travel to Yosemite Park along Highway 120, they drive through Big Oak Flat and Groveland, with their stores, restaurants, and hotel facilities. Once beyond Groveland, however, travelers currently see mostly natural forest scenery for the next 20+ miles as they drive to the Park’s entrance. Within 10 miles of Yosemite, only a single commercial lodge (Rush Creek) […]
For years river advocacy and fishing groups, CSERC, and other environmental interests have all strongly supported state and federal scientists who have called for higher minimum flows in the Merced, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus rivers. Those three rivers flow into the San Joaquin River and on into the Bay Delta – providing essential aquatic habitat for migrating salmon and other […]
As a biologist at CSERC, I (Heidi) sometimes have the opportunity to talk to the community about the important work that we do. On January 9th, I attended the meeting of a local youth coalition called EPIC – “Empower Peers, Inspire Community” – to talk to high schoolers about environmental advocacy. The students, who come […]
Despite contentious debate, the California State Water board approved a plan that would increase water flows in the Lower San Joaquin River and its three tributaries, the Tuolumne, Merced, and Stanislaus Rivers. The increased flows will improve the habitat quality for salmon and other species that depend on this water system – many of […]
In this very polarized political climate, any mention of leaving water in rivers, streams and reservoirs for the environment stirs up debate. The fight over water rights is nothing new in California. But in our region in particular, the debate is coming to a head. The State Water Resources Control Board is in the process […]
2018 was another successful year of organizing and carrying out volunteer stewardship and restoration projects for CSERC staff and volunteers. 11 workdays with 690 hours of service and 92 participants! Liz Gregg, CSERC’s associate director is the coordinator for our Center’s volunteer projects. She shared “I think the reason that I love organizing these projects is […]
Chinook salmon have made the long, arduous journey from the Pacific Ocean to our local rivers to spawn. Chinook salmon are an anadromous fish species. They are born in freshwater, move downstream to the ocean to live and grow for most of their life, and then return to freshwater to spawn (usually to the same […]
When CSERC staff sets up photo-detection cameras at 9,000’ and higher in our local mountains, our priority goal is to detect the rare Sierra Nevada red fox. If no foxes get drawn to the cameras, then our second priority goal is to get pictures of the elusive American marten. During recent photo surveys with four […]
When visiting national forest lands during the summer/fall grazing season, many CSERC members have observed the negative impacts of damage caused by livestock. Over the past two decades CSERC biologists have monitored selected meadows to take photos and measure grass heights prior to cows being brought onto the Stanislaus Forest by local grazing permittees. Then […]