I haven't fallen off the planet, folks -- I've just been really busy with the big EBMUD fight. It was a good reminder that until we get the Mokelumne River protected with National Wild and Scenic River designation, we will be fighting these battles over and over.
Now I'm trying to catch up on everything I let go over the last few months -- my house, the Conservancy newsletter, visiting family and friends, etc.
The other day I did get-out-the-vote work for (new Congressman!) John Garamendi in Antioch. My GOTV partner and I worked in a nicely maintained suburban-style subdivision of the kind many people leave to move to the foothills. It had wide streets, well-kept homes, and absolutely no sign of human life during the workday (there were dogs at home, lots of dogs, mostly of the small yippy type).
To many people, this kind of subdivision represents the American dream: a nice home in a decent neighborhood with a good school nearby. There's certainly nothing wrong with that.
And it gave me some insight into why people may support this kind of project when it's proposed for our own local towns (as at Gold Rush Ranch). They may have lived in a place just like that before they came to our little county, or know people who do. Those subdivisions define so much of California living today.
To build that kind of subdivision, builders bulldoze the trees, mass-grade the land, and turn the site into a sort of generic California subdivision blank slate. Then they build homes that look an awful lot alike, and people quickly plant trees, lawns, and other landscaping to try to get some semblance of nature to return to their otherwise paved-over neighborhood. And they try to customize the homes -- at least to the extent allowed by the community's rules.
This neighborhood was a decent, clean and relatively safe place to live. But when you compare it to the older neighborhoods in small towns like Sutter Creek and Jackson, it was a place without character or soul. And I think that character, that soul, that unique sense of place, is part of what makes our small towns so special.
As local officials consider the large subdivisions being sold to them now in the guise of progress or economic salvation, they really need to think about that. Do we want to turn special places like Sutter Creek into anytown California?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Protected rivers are an economic resource
Earlier this month, we took a vacation and went to Idaho to raft the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. It's one of the country's original National Wild and Scenic Rivers.Right before we left, we heard that some members of the Amador County Board of Supervisors were worried about the economic impacts of designating the Mokelumne a National Wild and Scenic River. I was happy to send them some studies about the local economic benefits of Wild and Scenic Rivers.
I also pointed out that on our trip to visit the Middle Fork Salmon the following week, we would be spending money in the Idaho local economy on meals, lodging, car rental, a car shuttle, gasoline, and supplies for our trip.
At the same time, the outfitter with whom we took the trip, OARS of Angels Camp, pays salaries to guides, charters small planes to take people to the river and buses to return them to town, buys huge quantities of food and supplies, and makes a major contribution to the local economy. And OARS is just one of the many outfitters that run the Middle Fork and other Idaho rivers.
The little towns we visited seemed to appreciate the river recreation business that helps keep them alive.
The Mokelumne is considerably smaller than the Middle Fork Salmon, of course. It won't ever be as big an economic engine as that river, but protecting the Mokelumne as it is today would ensure that money our community already receives from river recreation continues. People already visit our river to kayak, swim, innertube, fish, rock climb, camp, hike, hunt, view wildflowers and enjoy the scenic beauty. Everyone who visits the Mokelumne loves it, and most come back.
In addition, if East Bay MUD will ever cooperate and allow commercial rafting on the Electra-Middle Bar run (which OARS wants to do), or an outfitter starts to run the wilder sections of the river upstream, even more money will come into our local businesses from people who travel and spend money to visit the nation's special rivers. Our Middle Fork trip included river-lovers from Texas, Illinois, Ohio, New Jersey and California, all of whom were willing to fork out some serious cash to spend six wonderful days floating a river in the middle of the largest contiguous wilderness area in the lower 48 states.
On our way home, we had supper with a friend who works for Idaho Rivers United, a conservation organization. He talked about how his group has worked with Republican Senator Mike Crapo to protect the state's rivers.
The folks in Idaho need water every bit as much as Californians do. It's a very dry state, and a very politically conservative one. It's also a place where people really enjoy the outdoors for hunting, fishing and more. And they obviously understand that keeping some of their rivers flowing free benefits Idahoans and local communities in many ways.
Amador County residents understand the importance of our Mokelumne River, as shown by the huge opposition to the proposed expansion of Pardee Dam. And more and more of them are supporting National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne, since it's the only way to ensure we have a river in our future.
Maybe our county supervisors will join them one day.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Responding to the taxpayers
When I send a letter or e-mail to an elected official, I nearly always receive a response of some sort. That's true whether I'm writing for myself or on behalf of an organization. And it's true whether I write to our state senator or assemblywoman, U.S. Congressional rep or senator, a local city councilmember, or even the East Bay Municipal Utility District directors.
Sometimes it takes a while to get a reply. And sometimes the replies are obvious boilerplate. But still, the officials nearly always respond in some way.
Not so with the Amador County Board of Supervisors. When I send them information or ask questions by e-mail or snail mail, they seldom even acknowledge having received the communication. And it's exceptionally rare for a supervisor to respond in a substantive way.
It's puzzling. Our supervisors like to say that decisions should be made locally, where government is closest to and most responsive to the taxpayer. But just whom are they responsive to?
I've been a county taxpayer for more than 30 years. I've done a thing or do to contribute to our county. The organization I most often represent is made up primarily of Amador County residents. But the supervisors can't even find time to say, "Thanks for your comments. I'll think about them."?
I worked in government for nearly 25 years, most of it in state service. Both state agencies I worked for had a communication policy regarding response to public comments or questions. They both required acknowledging all communication within a certain amount of time, and a full response by a specific deadline. The policies applied to everyone, from the executive director on down. And no way would the elected officials on the boards of those agencies ever consider ignoring a comment from a taxpayer, regardless of its nature or what they might think of the individual or group. Even totally crazy, off-the-wall comments received a response.
One of those agencies even required everyone -- including the executive management -- to take customer service training. While taxpayers are not customers in the conventional sense (you don't get to pick your tax agency), that did lead to a better focus on the taxpayer. Responding to correspondence is just one example of what government agencies do to serve the public.
Our elected officials, including county supervisors, work for us. All of us. They don't just work for the people they know or like or agree with -- or those who helped them get elected.
So why is it that our supervisors cannot bring themselves to even acknowledge contacts from a local taxpayer?
I'd really like to know.
Sometimes it takes a while to get a reply. And sometimes the replies are obvious boilerplate. But still, the officials nearly always respond in some way.
Not so with the Amador County Board of Supervisors. When I send them information or ask questions by e-mail or snail mail, they seldom even acknowledge having received the communication. And it's exceptionally rare for a supervisor to respond in a substantive way.
It's puzzling. Our supervisors like to say that decisions should be made locally, where government is closest to and most responsive to the taxpayer. But just whom are they responsive to?
I've been a county taxpayer for more than 30 years. I've done a thing or do to contribute to our county. The organization I most often represent is made up primarily of Amador County residents. But the supervisors can't even find time to say, "Thanks for your comments. I'll think about them."?
I worked in government for nearly 25 years, most of it in state service. Both state agencies I worked for had a communication policy regarding response to public comments or questions. They both required acknowledging all communication within a certain amount of time, and a full response by a specific deadline. The policies applied to everyone, from the executive director on down. And no way would the elected officials on the boards of those agencies ever consider ignoring a comment from a taxpayer, regardless of its nature or what they might think of the individual or group. Even totally crazy, off-the-wall comments received a response.
One of those agencies even required everyone -- including the executive management -- to take customer service training. While taxpayers are not customers in the conventional sense (you don't get to pick your tax agency), that did lead to a better focus on the taxpayer. Responding to correspondence is just one example of what government agencies do to serve the public.
Our elected officials, including county supervisors, work for us. All of us. They don't just work for the people they know or like or agree with -- or those who helped them get elected.
So why is it that our supervisors cannot bring themselves to even acknowledge contacts from a local taxpayer?
I'd really like to know.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Working on the river
I've been so busy working to protect the Mokelumne River from the proposed Pardee expansion that I've been neglecting my blog of late. The work I've done on the river this year has been both frustrating and gratifying.
Frustrating, because despite the huge local opposition to the Pardee expansion, East Bay MUD may not listen. We'll know more about that after Tuesday morning's workshop in Oakland.
It's also frustrating because a few people are still spreading lies and disinformation about National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne. What's even more frustrating is when people believe them. Wild and Scenic designation is the true long-term solution for Mokelumne river conservation, and it will only benefit our counties.
It's been gratifying because I've gotten to talk and work with so many local people and visitors who love the river and support keeping it a river forever. I've seen local businesses, especially OARS of Angels Camp, step up to help with its conservation. I've met dedicated river conservationists like angler-videographer Mikey Wier, who grew up in Plymouth. I've learned from native people who have ties to the river reaching back for thousands of years.
I've seen 350 people show up for local hearings. I've watched people work their networks and groups to help save the river.
I've also seen our community unite around an issue in a way we seldom experience. When was the last time you saw ranchers, native MiWuk people, local governments, environmentalists, businesspeople, anglers, young people, older people, anglers, and paddlers all agree on something? It's pretty rare. (We should try it more often.)
I've also spent more time on the river myself. I've rafted the Electra-Middle Bar run three times. I've seen people playing in and around the river from Salt Springs to Middle Bar. I've seen rafters come off the river absolutely enraptured. I've seen anglers cleaning hooks and debris from the Middle Bar Bridge. And I've taken many, many photos of the river, including some of the Foothill Conservancy benefit raft trips OARS put on this summer.
It's good to know that so many people love the Mokelumne River and want to protect it. We will save this river.
Frustrating, because despite the huge local opposition to the Pardee expansion, East Bay MUD may not listen. We'll know more about that after Tuesday morning's workshop in Oakland.
It's also frustrating because a few people are still spreading lies and disinformation about National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne. What's even more frustrating is when people believe them. Wild and Scenic designation is the true long-term solution for Mokelumne river conservation, and it will only benefit our counties.
It's been gratifying because I've gotten to talk and work with so many local people and visitors who love the river and support keeping it a river forever. I've seen local businesses, especially OARS of Angels Camp, step up to help with its conservation. I've met dedicated river conservationists like angler-videographer Mikey Wier, who grew up in Plymouth. I've learned from native people who have ties to the river reaching back for thousands of years.
I've seen 350 people show up for local hearings. I've watched people work their networks and groups to help save the river.
I've also seen our community unite around an issue in a way we seldom experience. When was the last time you saw ranchers, native MiWuk people, local governments, environmentalists, businesspeople, anglers, young people, older people, anglers, and paddlers all agree on something? It's pretty rare. (We should try it more often.)
I've also spent more time on the river myself. I've rafted the Electra-Middle Bar run three times. I've seen people playing in and around the river from Salt Springs to Middle Bar. I've seen rafters come off the river absolutely enraptured. I've seen anglers cleaning hooks and debris from the Middle Bar Bridge. And I've taken many, many photos of the river, including some of the Foothill Conservancy benefit raft trips OARS put on this summer.
It's good to know that so many people love the Mokelumne River and want to protect it. We will save this river.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Mokelumne trips bring joy
Last Sunday, Foothill Conservancy held three raft trips down the Mokelumne River's Electra-Middle Bar run, thanks to rafting outfitter OARS. I was involved all day, from helping set up at 7:30 a.m. until the guides and rafts left just before 7 pm. It was a great day.
The 72 rafters were mostly local people who wanted to see the river from raft level. Some had floated the Electra run, but few, if any, had ever ventured below the Highway 49 bridge down to Middle Bar. They ranged in age from about 9 to somewhere around 80 (hard to tell).
Some folks were a little standoffish as they signed in. Others were a bit nervous, having never before floated a river. But once they got on the Mokelumne and began to paddle and float, you could see their expressions begin to change.
After the first riffles, the rafters were smiling and laughing. By the time they hit the Chute, they'd settled in to their buoyant yellow craft and learned to paddle as a team. And they were listening to and trusting their OARS guides, Tessa, Thomas, KZ and Kyland. Everyone was having a blast.
As fun as the rapids may be, the Electra-Middle Bar run isn't all about thrills. Beauty is its real attraction. Willows and alders line the river's edge. Valley oaks, live oaks, and cottonwood shade the water. The river itself is crystal clear, rippling and shifting from deepest blues to gleaming golden green.
Punk-feathered mergansers swim in the river margins and dive for fish near the rafts. Songbirds serenade from the willows. And there's the sound of the river itself, lapping the shore and rocks, roaring over rocks, splashing when fish jump.
Below the last big rapid, the river slows, and rafters slow down, too, moving in river time to better observe and appreciate the river, its wildlife, and the foothill scenery.
When the rafters reached the takeout at the 1912 Middle Bar Bridge, they were all in love with the Mokelumne. Everyone was smiling and laughing. Seeing all those happy people was more than adequate reward for those of us who put the day together.
The trips helped fund a worthy cause, too -- Foothill Conservancy's efforts to restore and protect the Mokelumne. All is not well on our local river. The entire Middle Bar reach of the river below Highway 49 and a mile of the Electra run are threatened by East Bay MUD's plan to expand Pardee Reservoir. If you haven't yet signed on to oppose that misguided plan, please do it today.
And be sure to tell your friends and family in the East Bay to contact their EBMUD director and urge the EBMUD board to protect what remains of our Mokelumne River. East Bay residents need to step up and say, "Don't destroy this river in our name." If you want to help in the East Bay, send an e-mail to Tim to volunteer.
It's time for East Bay MUD to solve its water issues locally, not by drowning more of a river that sustains such abundant life and brings such joy to those who have a chance to see it first hand.
The 72 rafters were mostly local people who wanted to see the river from raft level. Some had floated the Electra run, but few, if any, had ever ventured below the Highway 49 bridge down to Middle Bar. They ranged in age from about 9 to somewhere around 80 (hard to tell).
Some folks were a little standoffish as they signed in. Others were a bit nervous, having never before floated a river. But once they got on the Mokelumne and began to paddle and float, you could see their expressions begin to change.
After the first riffles, the rafters were smiling and laughing. By the time they hit the Chute, they'd settled in to their buoyant yellow craft and learned to paddle as a team. And they were listening to and trusting their OARS guides, Tessa, Thomas, KZ and Kyland. Everyone was having a blast.
Punk-feathered mergansers swim in the river margins and dive for fish near the rafts. Songbirds serenade from the willows. And there's the sound of the river itself, lapping the shore and rocks, roaring over rocks, splashing when fish jump.
Below the last big rapid, the river slows, and rafters slow down, too, moving in river time to better observe and appreciate the river, its wildlife, and the foothill scenery.
When the rafters reached the takeout at the 1912 Middle Bar Bridge, they were all in love with the Mokelumne. Everyone was smiling and laughing. Seeing all those happy people was more than adequate reward for those of us who put the day together.
The trips helped fund a worthy cause, too -- Foothill Conservancy's efforts to restore and protect the Mokelumne. All is not well on our local river. The entire Middle Bar reach of the river below Highway 49 and a mile of the Electra run are threatened by East Bay MUD's plan to expand Pardee Reservoir. If you haven't yet signed on to oppose that misguided plan, please do it today.
And be sure to tell your friends and family in the East Bay to contact their EBMUD director and urge the EBMUD board to protect what remains of our Mokelumne River. East Bay residents need to step up and say, "Don't destroy this river in our name." If you want to help in the East Bay, send an e-mail to Tim to volunteer.
It's time for East Bay MUD to solve its water issues locally, not by drowning more of a river that sustains such abundant life and brings such joy to those who have a chance to see it first hand.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Mighty Mokelumne's worth the visit
With a decent snowfall and early May rains, the Mokelumne River's really flowing this spring. Salt Springs Dam may spill soon. If it doesn't, that will only be because PG&E is releasing a huge amount of water into the river to keep the flow high and temperature cold (which has to do with foothill yellow-legged frogs, but I'll spare you the details).
If you've never seen the North Fork running high, now's a good time to do it. Ellis Road, Panther Creek and Tiger Creek Road are all open (see maps).
Downstream at Highway 49, the Mokelumne's Electra-Middle Bar run is also flowing fast and high. Normally the run is a forgiving, friendly river, a nice float trip with some fun rapids, plus a challenging, bouncy Class III rapid below the Highway 49 Bridge. People come from all over to learn to kayak there. In high flows, it's another river entirely -- definitely not a place for beginners.
We ran Electra-Middle Bar yesterday in a flotilla of four large rafts captained by experienced guides. It was a great trip, if a short one: It only took us 40 minutes to get from the put-in to the Middle Bar takeout. Normally the trip is close to two hours long.
During the safety talk before we headed downstream, our lead guide, David "Chicken" Nesmith, charged us with one main task: "stay in the boat." With the high flows, cold snow-melt water, and many "strainers" along the river's edges, the river's no place for a swim right now. Visualize trees and shrubs as a colander and rafters as spaghetti and you'll understand what strainers are all about.
Before we headed out, we had to rig boats, send vehicles to the Middle Bar takeout, and have lunch. As we went through these steps, we talked to other folks coming down to the river. I met one threesome of local men who are very familiar with and love the Mokelumne. They recognized that their skills were no match for the river at this flow.
And then there was another group. These folks had three rafts, none of which was really appropriate for whitewater river use. Two were little more than pool toys. BLM river ranger Scott was there, and took time to warn the would-be rafters about the dangers of the river at this high flow, especially considering their obvious lack of expertise and appropriate gear.
But these "we know the river" folks headed downstream anyway. All three boats flipped at the first little rapid. Scott was following them on land and went down to help, but a good Samaritan visiting the river reached them first. Everyone was OK, but we spotted one of the boats a good ways downstream, stuck in the trees. Truth is, they were very lucky to crash and burn early on before things got sticky.
We had a great trip, and a more successful one. It was quick, and pretty exciting at times (especially for the two people who briefly poured out of the rafts and into the Devil's Toilet Bowl rapid). We paddled hard. But we also had time to enjoy this beautiful river right here in our backyard.
The entire Middle Bar reach and nearly a mile of the Electra run would be drowned if East Bay MUD were to expand Pardee Reservoir as proposed. Let's hope that all of the foothill outcry, and continued good work by Foothill Conservancy and others, keeps that from ever coming to pass.
It's time to secure National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne so that in the future, other folks like those in our group can experience the river first-hand, and in doing so, better understand our nation's history and culture as well as its environment.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Wonderful new Mokelumne video
Visiting the Mokelumne River from its upper watershed to the Delta takes a lot of time and some concerted effort. But now you can now get a quick tour online, thanks to a new video by Mike E. "Mikey" Wier.
Mikey grew up in Plymouth and has a sincere love of our local river and a good understanding of its ecology. His Mokelumne video shows not only the river's beautiful landscapes, but helps viewers understand some of the real threats facing the river today.
Be sure to check it out and share it with your friends! Then go online to endorse National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne -- the only long-term solution that can ensure we have a river in our future.
Mikey grew up in Plymouth and has a sincere love of our local river and a good understanding of its ecology. His Mokelumne video shows not only the river's beautiful landscapes, but helps viewers understand some of the real threats facing the river today.
Be sure to check it out and share it with your friends! Then go online to endorse National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne -- the only long-term solution that can ensure we have a river in our future.
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