The Stanislaus Forest recently released a new version of its Over-Snow Vehicle Management Plan. That OSV plan is the latest attempt by the Forest Service to identify areas where snowmobile use is allowed within the vast local national forest, while supposedly ensuring that quiet recreation visitors to the forest also have places to safely […]
This article from the East Bay Times looks into our country’s long history of fire suppression and how the practice to put fires out immediately has resulted in over-dense forests that are prone to large, highly destructive fires. What can be done to stop the trend of these megafires? Forest Service research ecologist Eric Knapp, […]
Here’s an insightful article from the San Francisco Chronicle about repairing society’s relationship with fire. The article discusses the significant benefits of prescribed fires and managed natural ignitions, which can reduce forest fuels to the point where subsequent wildfires are much less intense. An old burn area slowed the Ferguson Fire’s approach toward Yosemite Valley, […]
The Fresno Bee posted a great news article, which transcribes an interview with Samir Sheikh, director of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Samir describes air pollution in Yosemite Valley, and how human health will be affected by the decreasing air quality. Read it here!
Since our center was founded in 1990, CSERC has made it a priority to work to save wild places, rare wildlife, and precious water resources. Old growth trees have been one of the most threatened parts of nature’s web of life in our local region, and CSERC has consistently fought to preserve them and their […]
On June 27, 2018, thirty-seven miles of the North Fork and the main stem of the Mokelumne River were protected as California’s 12th State-designated Wild and Scenic River, when Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 854. The Mokelumne was found eligible and suitable for state Wild and Scenic designation because of its extraordinary scenic and recreational […]
In November, as CSERC’s most recent hire, I attended my first collaborative stakeholder group, the Amador-Calaveras Consensus Group (ACCG), as a representative of our organization. The group consists of members with diverse and often conflicting interests, including environmentalists, loggers, business owners, and residents, alongside federal, state, and local officials. Our mission is to promote fire […]
Scat (animal droppings) is an often overlooked sign of which animals are using your backyard or favorite trail. Not only does scat tell you what animals have been in the area, it can also offer clues to what they have been eating. Scientists studying scat can actually determine the health of individual animals by analyzing […]
Since its inception, a federal government agency has sparked frequent outrage due to its program that focuses on killing wild animals that are considered to be pests or threats, or perhaps may be competitors with a commercial enterprise. Over the years, due to criticism and public outcry, the federal agency has strategically reduced its transparency. […]
Although they can easily go unnoticed, fungi occupy an important role in the ecosystem. Most fungi are decomposers, breaking down complex organic molecules into smaller molecules that can be reused by other plants and animals– from the mold that breaks down your old sandwich, to the mushrooms you see in the forest that decompose leaf […]