The Newsletter of the Conservation Committees
of the Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club. Email items or articles to Editor: Robin Ives, Publisher/Webmaster: Lori Ives
The Conservation Committees provide forums for Club members to discuss impending conservation issues and to coordinate efforts of conservation subcommittees with groups and sections. They meet monthly every third Tuesday (Orange County) and third Wednesday (Angeles Chapter). Contact the Conservation Committee Chairs by the end of the previous month for a place on the agenda. Deadline for newsletter submissions is 16 days before the Chapter meeting.

Quote of Note

"Just take what you love doing, and do it with enough other people to make it the future."

Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope, a snippet of his fascinating conversation with Van Jones, in the premiere episode of This Brave Nation, an on-line series featuring progressive leaders.

Eastern Sierra Wilderness and Rivers

Wild rivers in the San Gabriel Mountains and Eastern Sierra took a huge step toward preservation May 22. The bipartisan Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act was introduced as companion House and Senate bills sponsored by Representative Buck McKeon (R-CA) and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

The legislation proposes to protect more than 52 miles of Wild & Scenic Rivers and nearly 476,000 acres of Wilderness, including some of the most spectacular scenery in the West.

The Amargosa River south of Death Valley, the Owens River Headwaters in the Eastern Sierra, and Piru Creek north of Los Angeles would gain Wild & Scenic protection. The Owens River Headwaters flows into one of the most popular wild trout streams in the West. Piru Creek is one of only three year-round coldwater trout streams in Southern California. The Amargosa

is a rare free-flowing desert river that supports many rare and endangered wildlife species.

According to Steve Evans, Conservation Director of the statewide organization Friends of the River, the legislation would significantly diversify rivers protected in the federal systems. “This legislation protects three distinct streams in the Eastern Sierra, Mojave Desert, and San Gabriel Mountains. Those are such important ecological regions that were—up to now— unrepresented in the system,” he said.

Approximately 19 miles of Glass Creek, Deadman Creek and Big Springs would be protected as a Wild and Scenic River in the Eastern Sierra. These water sources come together to form the Owens River, a favored destination of wild trout anglers from across the nation.

A 28-mile segment of the Amargosa River near the Mojave Desert communities of Shoshone and Tecopa would be protected, not only for its important habitat, but also as a unique desert recreation area for tourists.

A 7-mile segment of Piru Creek with easy access off of Interstate 5 would also be protected north of Los Angeles. The segment is a popular destination not only for anglers but also families who visit the creek to escape the summer heat.

The legislation also proposes protection for more than 476,000 acres of Wilderness on the eastside of the Sierra Nevada, in the White Mountains on the Nevada border, and the northern slope of the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles. The existing Hoover, Emigrant, Ansel Adams, and John Muir Wilderness would all gain significant additions, while entirely new areas would be protected in the White Mountains, on Granite Mountain, and in the San Gabriel Mountains. The areas include some of the most spectacular scenery in the west and are popular destinations for hikers, backpackers, anglers, hunters, equestrians, and all those seeking unconfined and primitive forms recreation.

Areas included:

Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act, Introduced by Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA) and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) May 22, 2008

Amargosa Wild & Scenic River 26.3 miles
Location: Inyo and San Bernardino Counties, Bureau of Land Management
The Amargosa River is a stunning oasis in the surrounding desert landscape of the northern Mojave Desert. The only river flowing into Death Valley, it sustains biologically rich wetlands and riparian forests as it makes its way through ancient, rugged canyons. The Amaragosa supports more than 280 bird species, including several that are threatened and endangered.

Owens Headwaters Wild & Scenic Rivers 19.1 miles
Location: Mono County, Inyo National Forest
The Owens River headwaters, including Glass Creek, Deadman Creek, and Big Springs, support one of America’s finest and most popular trout fisheries. Found eligible for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic River system by the Inyo National Forest, Wild & Scenic protection of the public lands along the Upper Owens River would tremendously enhance the Eastern Sierra fishing economy.

Piru Creek Wild & Scenic River 7.25 miles
Location: Los Angeles County, Angeles and Los Padres National Forests
Located northwest of Castaic, Piru Creek is one of the few year-round catch and release trout fishing streams in southern California. With easy access from Interstate 5, the creek is a popular recreational destination for family picnics and summertime wading. High winter and spring flows offer one of the most spectacular class IV wilderness kayak runs in the west. Piru Creek provides habitat for numerous threatened and endangered wildlife species, including arroyo toad, California red-legged frog, least Bell’s vireo, southwestern willow fly-catcher, California condor and southern steelhead.

White Mountains Wilderness 223,517 acres
Location: Mono County, Inyo National Forest
The White Mountains are America’s largest and highest desert mountain range. They contain the largest expanse of alpine tundra in western North America, the highest peak in the Great Basin, and the second largest unprotected roadless area in the lower 48 states. The Whites are home to the world’s oldest living trees, the ancient bristlecone pines, which live to almost 5,000 years. With its large size and tremendous diversity of unique and beautiful habitats, the Whites are world-renowned for scientific research and are home to desert bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope and other mountain and desert wildlife and plants.

Hoover Wilderness Additions 76,982 acres
Location: Mono County, Humboldt, Toiyabe and Inyo National Forests
The Hoover Wilderness additions represent a classic High Sierra landscape of deeply carved glacial valleys dotted with tranquil alpine lakes and forests of lodgepole pine. The northern Hoover additions (“west” and “east”), which includes 12 miles of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail and the headwaters of the West Walker River, is a popular recreation destination for hikers, anglers, hunters and equestrians. The southern portion, consisting mostly of a high plateau rising above the west shore of Mono Lake, is home to a reintroduced population of the endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep.

Granite Mountain Wilderness 35,564 acres
Location: Mono County, Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office
East of Mono Lake, Granite Mountain is a geologically varied landscape of open alluvial basins, basaltic plateaus and granite ridges. Its Great Basin sagebrush steppe habitat is currently underrepresented in the National Wilderness Preservation System. The area contains sage grouse, deer migration corridors, abundant raptor nesting sites and wild horses.

Owens River Headwaters Wilderness 15,247 acres
Location: Mono County, Inyo National Forest
Over 100 seeps and springs form the headwaters of the Owens River just east of the San Joaquin ridge between Mammoth and June Lakes. This area is the Eastern Sierra’s most important river system and a popular wild trout fishery. The area contains exceptionally diverse and unique habitats including the largest subalpine meadow in the central Eastern Sierra (Glass Creek Meadow), the region’s largest old growth red fir forest, and habitat for many sensitive and rare plant and animal species.

John Muir Wilderness Additions 80,112 acres
Location: Mono and Inyo Counties, Inyo National Forest
These additions would move the current wilderness boundary down from the crest to include more of the steep Eastern Sierra scarp. The boundary adjustments would protect the unparalleled viewshed, transitional lower elevation habitat and trout-bearing streams which flow down into the Owens Valley while maintaining access to popular car camping, hunting and fishing sites.

Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness 28,424 acres
Location: Los Angeles County, Angeles National Forest
This spectacular area is located south of the desert communities of Palmdale/Lancaster on the north slope of the San Gabriel Mountains. The area features 8,200-foot Mt. Williamson and other dramatic peaks, the headwaters of Little Rock Creek, and some of the most magnificent and remote ridge and canyon country in southern California. The Pacific Crest Trail and other popular trails access the area, which offers opportunities for fishing, rock climbing, class IV kayaking, and snowshoeing. It is home to bighorn sheep and the mountain yellow-legged frog, old-growth pines, and Joshua trees.

Magic Mountain Wilderness 13,709 acres
Location: Los Angeles County, Angeles National Forest
A scenic backdrop to the Santa Clarita Valley, Magic Mountain’s chaparral covered hillsides and live oak canyons drain into the Santa Clara River. Visitors enjoy the spectacular view from the summit of Magic Mountain, and hikers and equestrians can journey from the mountain’s summit down to the river. An important habitat link with mountain ranges to the north and west, Magic Mountain is frequently visited by California condors and also provides habitat for black bear, mountain lion, bobcat and deer.

Victory for Sierra Club and the Giant Sequoias!

June 23, 2008—Just two weeks ago we saw the end to the Sierra Club’s three year long battle with the timber industry, preventing them—once and for all—from logging in the Giant Sequoia National Monument.

The win came at the 11th hour, as the Sierra Club legal team prepared to appear in the Ninth Circuit court to argue the last case standing, a last-ditch appeal by the timber industry, regarding commercial logging in the Monument. But on the eve of the hearing, they abandoned and withdrew their appeal—putting the final nail in the coffin of this very drawn out case—and putting an end to the pillage of these iconic trees.

Beginning in 1901, when John Muir lobbied for the expansion of Sequoia National Park to encompass the entire range of the giant sequoia, the Sierra Club has advocated for the protection of giant sequoia ecosystems in their entirety. And, after years of fighting to keep our towering Sequoia trees safe from the timber industry's saws, we have finally won. Thanks to this hard-earned victory, our children and grandchildren will be able to stand in awe of these noble giants for generations to come.

Assembly Committee Passes SB 994,
Gutting Protections for Delta Smelt

June 24, 2008—Despite strong opposition from the environmental community and concern from fish biologists, SB 994 (Florez, Ashburn, Steinberg) received enough votes to pass out of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife this morning and is now headed to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.

SB 994 attempts to sidestep environmental protections for the threatened Delta Smelt, which have been in severe decline for the past eight years. If passed, the bill would create a loophole allowing water diverters to comply with endangered species protection laws without providing habitat restoration, water quality improvements, and necessary freshwater flows within the ailing Delta as required by those same laws. Instead, SB 994 would tie the hands of the Department of Fish and Game by requiring the department to issue necessary environmental permits as long as water diverters simply pay into a fund for a massive Delta Smelt hatchery.

The committee analysis includes a stinging criticism of the bill's approach by fish biologist Dr. Peter Moyle, the foremost expert on Delta Smelt. "Trying to keep Delta Smelt going by raising them in hatcheries and releasing them is like trying to raise sheep in a drought-seared pasture surrounded by a forest full of hungry wolves," explains Moyle.

When pressed this morning in committee about the lack of evidence that a Delta Smelt hatchery would actually help restore the species, Senator Florez responded that the bill's intent was simply to establish an "interim" and "experimental" hatchery. Yet the bill has no sunset clause or time limitation, and it allows diverters to base compliance with environmental laws on the experimental hatchery.

PCL and a coalition of environmental organizations, including all of the environmental organizations involved in the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), an effort to provide long-term endangered species permits for water diversion, registered opposition for SB 994. One primary concern of the coalition, in addition to the blatant attempt to undermine environmental protections, is that SB 994 would compromise the good-faith efforts of the BDCP and the Governor's ongoing Delta Vision process.

Barbara Byrne of the Planning and Conservation League said, "The fact that water diverters and some legislators are supporting SB 994 against the advice of Delta Smelt experts brings into question their commitment to restoration of the Delta ecosystem. This divisive measure does not bode well for the future success of collaborative processes and legislation on water and the Delta."

New Set of Legislative Committee Chairs
All Hold Stellar Environmental Voting Records

June 17, 2008—Earlier last month, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass appointed new chairpersons for four high-stakes policy committees that hear environmental bills. All four appointees earned a 100 percent pro-environment voting score in 2007 from the California League of Conservation Voters. The new chairs will take up their gavels at the start of the 2009-10 session on December 1, 2008.

The new chair of the Assembly Health Committee will be Sacramento's own Assemblymember Dave Jones. This committee has jurisdiction over bills related to public health, such as measures dealing with toxics exposure and the siting of facilities near roadways.

Assemblymember Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) will be the new chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, which reviews legislation concerning issues such as air quality, fuels standards, and the state's transportation infrastructure. The Assembly Business & Professions Committee will be chaired by Assemblymember Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward). This committee has jurisdiction over bills that establish mandatory green buildings standards for new construction in California. The Assembly Judiciary Committee, which covers a range of environmental issues from citizen enforcement to public information disclosure, will be chaired by Assemblymember Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles).

Committee chairs have yet to be named for the Assembly's Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee, Budget Committee, and Appropriations Committee, which are currently chaired by members who are termed out after this session.

McCain Falls Short on Fuel Economy, Gas Prices
America Needs Obama's 50 MPG, $150 Billion Energy Plan

June 24, 2008—Washington DC—The Sierra Club issued the following response to John McCain's speech on fuel economy and cars delivered today in Fresno, California.

Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director

"Senator Obama has demonstrated the real leadership America needs to address both our energy and economic crises. He understands that the long-term solution to high gas prices is making our cars get better gas mileage. He pushed hard last year to raise fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon and wants to give the American auto industry the help it needs to hit 50 miles per gallon within two decades.

"By contrast, John McCain has a spotty record when it comes to fuel economy and seems more interested in offering up a $300 million gimmick rather than exercising the kind of bold leadership America needs. He has repeatedly failed to embrace what America really needs—a vehicle fleet that gets to 50 mpg on a predictable and agressive schedule, and then keeps on getting better. Instead of a $300 million giveaway, Barack Obama has proposed to do what is really needed. He has a plan that calls for a $150 billion investment in the technologies we need to fight global warming and end Big Oil’s chokehold on our economy once and for all. Senator Obama also wants to end taxpayer-funded giveaways to the oil industry, wants the industry to pay its fair share on its record profits, and will crack down on the Wall Street speculators gaming the system at the expense of hardworking Americans. Meanwhile, Senator McCain continues to oppose the key incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency that we need to make the clean energy future a reality."

Settlement Could Bring New Habitat Protections
to a Desert Plant Threatened With Extinction

June 24, 2008—Los Angeles—In the wake of a legal challenge by the Center for Biological Diversity, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to reconsider the critical habitat designation for a very rare California desert plant—the Lane Mountain milkvetch—which is threatened with extinction. The Bush administration previously designated zero acres of habitat to protect the milkvetch, despite the fact that only four populations are left on the planet and recent studies indicate that the number of individuals is declining.

“The failure to designate any habitat as critical to the survival of the plant demonstrates a profound indifference to extinction,” said Ileene Anderson, a biologist with the Center for Biological Diversity. “It is another example of the Bush administration’s attempts to undermine legal protections for imperiled species. The Fish and Wildlife Service knew the designations wouldn’t hold up in court, and is doing the right thing by revisiting the designation.”

The Lane Mountain milkvetch (Astragalus jaegerianus) is only found in the central Mojave desert northwest of Barstow, California. A majority of the plants are located within the recently expanded boundaries of the Fort Irwin National Training Center, in areas that will be heavily used for desert tank training. On April 8, 2005, the Fish and Wildlife Service issued final critical habitat for the Lane Mountain milkvetch and designated zero acres for the unique pea-like plant, though the agency admitted that preservation of the remaining milkvetch on public lands is critical to the survival of the species.

The Lane Mountain milkvetch is a vining, perennial plant that grows up through shrubs. Like most members of the pea family, it helps to enrich desert soils by converting nitrogen in the air into usable fertilizer. This milkvetch is scattered in a 20-mile-long region in San Bernardino County. Much of its habitat is threatened with destruction by off-road vehicles, mining, and suburban development.

The zero designation of habitat for the plant followed the Bush administration’s pattern of devaluing protection of critical habitat, resulting in many scientifically indefensible designations that have favored development at the cost of recovery.

Today’s court-approved settlement agreement reopens the public process of critical habitat designation. By 2010, the Fish and Wildlife Service will propose new critical habitat designations for the milkvetch; it will finalize the designation by 2011.

“The public will once again have the opportunity to submit hard science to the feds and this time, hopefully, science rather than politics will drive the designation of habitat that is critical for this plant’s survival,” said Anderson.

Coastal Slope Trail
First Round Is a Draw
by David Brown, Santa Monica Mountains Task Force Conservation Chair, July, 2008 Newsletter

One of our major projects in recent years has been completion of the Coastal Slope Trail, which would follow the coastal slope of the Mountains above Malibu from Lower Topanga to Leo Carrillo, providing outstanding views of the Malibu coastline and Santa Monica Bay. The trail is in the master plans of every park agency and local government, but completing it will require the willingness of either park agencies to buy the route or of local governments to require dedication of the right-of-way during the subdivision process.

A key link in the Coastal Slope Trail is the section just south of Solstice Canyon Park between Corral Canyon and Latigo Canyon. Over a year ago the Malibu Planning Commission approved creating four lots on this mile-long property without requiring dedication of the right-of-way for the Coastal Slope Trail.

Fearing the failure to dedicate this section of the trail would prevent completion of the entire trail, the Task Force joined the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the Malibu Trails Council and several other organizations in appealing the Planning Commission’s action to the Malibu City Ccouncil.

The subdividers were rumored to be a world-famous rock group, represented by a businessman from Georgia and a well-known, hard-line local developer lobbyist.

Instead of trying to work something out with the opponents—who at first would have settled for the trail dedication—the subdividers’ lobbyist tried to play hardball with us, offering to dedicate the trail only if we would agree to development of four oversized mansions on the ridge overlooking Solstice Canyon. We refused to go along with that offer, leading to a year- long stalemate during which the entire property—including an old house on the site—burned over in last Fall’s Corral Canyon Fire. Then in this Spring’s City Council Election an extremely pro-development councilmember was "termed out" and a couple of new councilmembers were elected.

After numerous postponements our appeal finally came before the City Council on June 23rd. To our surprise city planning staff recommended that the Council either deny the subdivision or require the subdividers to do an Enivironmental Impact Report on the project that would address the trail issue, the visual impact on Solstice Canyon Park, the fire hazard, and the numerous faults and landslides on the site.

The "hardball" lobbyist and the man from Georgia were not happy with this turn of events, to say the least, and angrily withdrew the project. For the moment that kills the subdivision, but it also kills any chance of a trail dedication for the time being.

Past experience tells us that the development community should now know there is strong public support for the Coastal Slope Trail, and that any future plans for this property will have to address the trail. Either the subdividers will cool down and come back with revised plan or they will sell the property to someone who realizes he will have to address the trail issue before getting approval to subdivide the property.

Conservancy Pressured to Lease Out Part of Temescal Park

by David Brown, Santa Monica Mountains Task Force Conservation Chair, July, 2008 Newsletter

One of the things that goes with the territory of trying to save open space in the midst of one of the world’s largest urban complexes is that the open space we save is such a scarce commodity in a crowded urban metropolis with astronomical land values that it is bound to come under pressure from those who would like to develop a wide range of public and private land uses on that "preserved" land that are incompatible with its continued preservation as a public park and natural area.

Temescal Canyon was originally going to be a four-lane highway connecting the Palisades Highlands development to Sunset Boulevard, with a school planned to take up most of the canyon bottom. However, Temescal Canyon was also seen as the logical southern access to the trails, wilderness, and scenic coastal vistas of Topanga State Park for the millions of urban residents of the Los Angeles Basin.

By a stroke of good luck the Sanata Monica Mountains Conservancy was able to acquire the old Presbyterian Conference Grounds in Temescal Canyon in the 1980s, converting the streamside cabins into an overnight camp for disadvantaged urban children and turning the access road into a heavily used trailhead for Topanga State Park.

Somewhere along the way, the Conservancy was prevailed upon to "temporarily" lease part of Temescal Canyon to a private organization, Chabad of Pacific Palisades, for an Early Childhood Center. Seeing the likelihood that Chabad might be reluctant to give up the property when the lease was up, the Conservancy included language in the lease making it very clear that the lease "could not be extended or renewed under any circumstances."

Nevertheless, Chabad has asked for an extension of the lease on public land that is part of Temescal Canyon Park and retained a politically connected attorney-lobbyist to make its case at high levels in Sacramento.

Conservancy Executive Director Joe Edmiston has denied Chabad’s request for a lease extension. Chabad has appealed this denial to the Conservancy Board.

It’s pretty clear that political pressure is being applied to the Conservancy from very high levels in state government, although exact details remain unclear at this time. Here are some quotes from an email from Joe Edmiston to Pacific Palisades activist Randy Young on June 26.

I am under directives that cannot be disclosed to you, but restrict my ability to act …Temescal Canyon is under threat, no doubt about it. Between YMCA and Chabad, this canyon could very well be parceled up among private interests …

The situation is only too reminiscent of the "takeover" of Malibu Bluffs Park almost 30 years ago by the Malibu Little League.

After State Parks had paid $7.2 million for the 93 acre Malibu Bluffs Park property, the Little League was allowed to locate there "temporarily." Signs soon went up identifying this state park land as the "Malibu Community Park," discouraging the general public from using its own property. For the next 25 years the Little League, backed by Malibu community leaders, pretty much took over the property and used it virtually rent free.

Ultimately, under pressure from the Coastal Commission, Malibu was persuaded to purchase the 10 acres containing the Little League fields and the rest reverted to the state.

Coastal Commission Finalizes Malibu Valley Farms Decision
by David Brown, Santa Monica Mountains Task Force Conservation Chair, July, 2008 Newsletter

A year ago the Coasstal Commission overrode a staff recommendation of denial and voted to approve what it acknowledged was an illegally constructed horse facility in the flood plain of Stokes Creek immediately upstream from the most heavily used part of "King Gillette Ranch Park" (ex-SOKA). The Commission even failed to set a limit on the number of horses that could be boarded on the 30 acre property.

Our testimony had pointed out that almost all of the seven miles of creek between the facility and the ocean flowed through heavily used state and federal parks and beaches where children would have direct contact with whatever pollutants were carried downstream from the facility.

Last month, with the Coastal Commission scheduled to adopt legal findings to explain why it ignored the staff recommendation of denial, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky finally spoke out.

As the local elected official representing the community … I want to make clear my absolute opposition to the Commission’s approval of this permit.

In direct violation of CEQA, the Revised Findings fail to provide adequate justification why the draft permit conditions do not require the applicant to utilize environmentally preferable alternatives the original staff report identified as feasible.

Undeterred, the Commission voted to approve the findings and reaffirm its decision to approve Malibu Valley Farms.

Soledad Canyon Mining

Congressman Buck McKeon has introduced a federal bill (HR 5887) that will prevent a large scale mining operation in Soledad Canyon. This legislation, which seems worthy of support, would cancel CEMEX USA’s right to operate a quarry near Santa Clarita, while ensuring CEMEX is fairly compensated for its past investment by receiving lands of equal value in the Victorville area. The cities of Santa Clarita and Victorville support this legislation. The Bill, when passed, would assure Santa Clarita and its neighbors that any programs for future mining in Soledad Canyon would be prohibited.

The Unbearable Arrogance of Oil
by Carl Pope

June 17, 2008—Houston TX—The past week has been a spectacular testament to the iron grip that Big Oil has on American politics. First, they trotted out their handmaiden, the Vice-President, to speak to the US Chamber of Commerce. Cheney proceeded to lie through his teeth—getting caught, as has become his trademark, only for the little one. The media jumped all over Cheney for claiming that it was outrageous that US oil companies could not drill for oil off Florida when the dreaded Cubans already had the even more dreaded Chinese drilling just 60 miles away.

"Oil is being drilled right now 60 miles off the coast of Florida," the Vice-President said. "We're not doing it, the Chinese are, in cooperation with the Cuban government. Even the communists have figured out that a good answer to high prices is more supply." It turned out, of course, not to be true.

In a spectacular example of why this Administration thinks lying is just fine, Cheney claimed as his source not a journalist, but columnist George Will, whose editors regularly explain that as a columnist he has no obligation to check his facts.

Immediately the conservative email lines were hot with the Cuban/Chinese connection.

But while the media nailed this lie, they missed the whopper. As the Washington Post reported:

“Vice President Cheney yesterday called for a substantial increase in domestic drilling for oil and other natural resources, including in environmentally sensitive areas, saying that only increased production—and not new technology—will satisfy the nation's demand for energy."

Cheney's logic gave him away, though. He claimed that while we could, "over time" kick what his boss, the President, has called our "addiction to oil," drilling would work sooner and faster. Well, I'm sure Cheney knows the actual numbers. The auto industry can change the relative production emphasis it places on different models within six weeks. It can deliver a new model to the showroom in three years. But if Congress ever authorized leasing in the Arctic, as Cheney wants, it would be a decade before any oil flowed. So new technology (in the form of more-efficient vehicles) could be in place in six weeks to three years—whereas oil flowing from new oil fields would take at least a decade.

And Cheney's speech was odd. Why was the Bush administration looping back to its old, and often rejected, demand for more drilling, in the Arctic and off our beaches? Was this simply lame-duck autopilot?

Who was the audience?

It turns out to have been a very small, very elite, and very attentive audience. The day after Cheney trotted out "drill everywhere," Fred Barnes wrote in the Weekly Standard that John McCain's key to redemption with his party's leadership was "drill everywhere." Headlined "There's Votes in Them Thar Hills," Barnes' article warned McCain that his well-established, "let the states decide" position on drilling off the coasts was a non-starter with the Bush wing of the party:

"A federalist on what he regards as a grave national security threat? That's an odd stance. It seems more like a dodge—a very un-McCain-like tactic—than a logical position.... Republicans believe "drilling"—the one-word capsulation of the issue—is their strongest political talking point in 2008. Indeed, it may be their only good domestic issue."

And Republicans, Barnes warned McCain, might forgive him for not joining in their cry to drill the Arctic refuge—but only if he offered up Florida, California, North Carolina, Washington, and Oregon as a trade.

The combination to the lockbox that is John McCain's straight-shooting heart turns out to read "Cheney + Weekly Standard." Today, in the nation's oil capital, Cheney capitulated and announced that he supported eliminating the moratorium on drilling off the coast. His press advisory yesterday said "I'll call for lifting federal moratorium on states for off-shore oil exploration. This is a short-term measure toward the long-term goal of reducing dependence on foreign oil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions." Let's parse that sentence—by allowing more drilling for oil, McCain is reducing greenhouse gases?

This is a very sad moment. The oil industry has demonstrated that their reach and power enable them, with just the slightest flick of a finger, to take a Presidential candidate whose reason for being was independent, and turn him into a lapdog.

Texas Two Step
by Carl Pope

June 18, 2008—Washington DC—Weeks ago, John McCain was still a "maverick"—a longhorn that no rancher owns because it hasn't been branded. Yesterday, he got lassoed by Big Oil, and today he was branded by the President with a big "W." (Since this is a family blog, we won't talk about the rest of what happens to a young steer when he gets the lariat around his feet at a roundup.)

McCain changed his tune yesterday, coming out for offshore oil drilling and against protecting our coasts. (In my blog yesterday, I inadvertently said "Cheney," which alert readers caught—it was McCain who flip-flopped yesterday.) McCain then went on to try to create daylight between himself and the President, insisting that he has a very different approach to global warming and energy. But the big news in his speech was the cave-in to Big Oil on the coasts—and today Bush made it abundantly clear that McCain has joined his camp by ratifying what both Cheney and McCain said in the past two days—it's time to give the oil industry what it wants.

All of this, of course, will do nothing about the price of gas. By the time the outer continental shelf could be leased and brought into production, the whole world supply and demand picture will have been transformed for either better or worse—and a few drops from fouling the beaches of Florida won't matter a tinker's damn. But we're not helpless. For one thing, the oil industry has lots of leases it hasn't developed—roughly 70 percent of its holdings in fact are not in production off the coast. More importantly, Americans have changed the cars they buy—dramatically.

Sedans are taking the place of SUVs and pickups. That means that Americans are already starting to save dollars—and gas. Because when someone buys a fuel-efficient vehicle instead of a gas hog, they save money two ways. They use less gas immediately—a lot less. And they lower demand over time as the vehicle fleet becomes more efficient—so the price goes down as well. It's a virtuous cycle, a very fast one taking only a few years, and it's already happening. Too bad Detroit and Bush didn't start it five years ago. Gasoline wouldn't be $4/gallon. And half of us would be driving fuel-sipping, not gas-guzzling, vehicles.

Lawmakers in the Dark
by Carl Pope

June 12, 2008—San Francisco—It's evident to almost anyone—more and more Americans are taking steps in their own lives to reduce energy use and tackle global warming as best they can. Even private companies are coming aboard, seeing the economic benefits of going green. But one group refuses to see to see the light.

And that's lawmakers who are resisting the science and refusing to tackle our growing energy crisis and climate change.

As the year has gone by, it's become obvious. It's not enough for us to change lightbulbs, we need to do more. That's why this week the Sierra Club is launching Lightbulbs to Leadership, a new on-line, video-driven campaign. Through the videos, a call for higher fuel-efficiency standards, and lightbulb jokes submitted by the public, we're telling those officials that it's time to change direction on global warming and catch up with the people.

It won't be an easy fight. That was blatantly visible last week when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell—one of the four "in the dark" senators featured in our video—decided that it would be in the people's interest to spend nine hours reading word by word the 491 pages of the Lieberman-Warner climate security act. We saw it again earlier this week when Senate Republicans blocked a series of commonsense first steps towards real solutions to our energy crisis by using procedural tricks to prevent the Senate from even beginning debate on not one, but two bills to address high energy prices and promote clean energy.

Americans are ready. People everywhere are changing their lightbulbs. But, unfortunately, that isn't enough. Without bold, urgent, serious action from our leaders, we will all remain in the dark.

The biggest single step we can take right now to cut global warming pollution is to improve the fuel economy of our cars—and to do it on a much faster timeline than the Bush administration wants. The administration doesn't seem to have noticed that gasoline is over $4/gallon. They are regulating fuel efficiency as if it were way down at $2.40 a gallon. Of course, if we had improved fuel efficiency a decade ago, gasoline might still cost $2.40 a gallon. It's called supply and demand—but Bush doesn't get it. Or maybe, being an oil man, he does.

Hooking Your Toilet to the Kitchen Tap
by Carl Pope

June 11, 2008—Atlanta, GA—In most states, it's illegal to connect your toilet so that it drains through your tap. But on a larger scale, the Bush EPA is prepared to declare that this is, in effect, allowed under the Clean Water Act. At least that's what the agency told a conference of water managers here will be permitted by a new agency rule.

According to a new agency rule, anyone—an industry, water agency, municipality—can take dirty water from any body of water, use it (as long as they don't make it dirtier), and then dump it into a clean body of water—without applying for a Clean Water Act permit. The industry or agency dumping the water can take as much dirty water as it wants, move it as far as it wants, and dump it wherever it wants—regardless of the impact on the body of water.

Environmentalists promptly promised to sue. Earth Justice attorney David Guest summed it up: "Obviously, we're very disappointed at this," since it allows dumping "regardless of how dirty the transferred water is and regardless of how clean the receiving water is." Guest added, "That's not what the Clean Water Act is for, and why EPA is exempting these types of water transfers, I don't know."

I'm going to hazard a guess. This issue first arose in Florida in 2005 when the EPA intervened to support the South Florida Water Management District's plans to dump polluted water from suburbs and sugar cane fields into the Everglades. Environmentalists and the Miccosukee Indian tribe had tried to protect the Everglades by blocking the dumping, but the EPA clearly wanted to make life easy for the sugar companies and developers.

I think EPA Administrator Steve Johnson has now decided to take that local favor he did for Big Sugar three years ago and extend it to all polluters as a parting gift before the administration leaves office. Will the federal courts let him? Stay tuned.

$4.69 a Gallon? Time to Raise Our Sights
by Carl Pope

June 24, 2008—Santa Rosa, CA—Almost $5 a gallon—that's what I paid for gas here Sunday on my way to an environmental awards event hosted by Representative Mike Thompson. That's some of the most expensive gasoline in American history. And this district, on the north coast of California, is the place chosen by Dick Cheney, George Bush, John McCain, and the oil industry as the Potemkin village for solving the problem—just drill the coast!

But the 300 or so of Thompson's constituents at the event are a profile in why this ploy by Big Oil and its political henchmen won't work. People here travel long distances, on modest salaries—but they are thinking about how to save their watersheds, get bond acts passed for mass transit, and encourage recycling. They're gritty in their opposition to oil drilling but no longer panicked—they've watched Big Oil go after the shoreline that is their heart and soul ever since James Watt first targeted this coast in 1981. They are confident that with Thompson's support they will ride this moment out as well.

That's good old American common sense—something that appears to be in short supply in Washington this week. For example, here's the official Bush administration view, courtesy of the Department of Energy: Drilling America's coasts would produce no new oil until 2030, and even then it would lower the price of gas by only 3.5 cents gallon. So why is this happening now? With only a few months left for the Bush administration, Big Oil's hammering down on GOP politicians. The chits are being called in. Mavericks are getting branded.

Yesterday's SF Chronicle proclaimed that the Republican Party leadership thinks that drilling is their key to electoral return from death. Senator John McCain joined them. He appears to have taken an already completed political ad, one that was supposed to be about "new" energy choices like wind and solar, and inserted a reference to more oil drilling. I almost winced when it showed up on the screen.

Political correctness comes to the Straight Talking Express. Newsweek's reaction was stunning: "Contradictions and misstatements short-circuit McCain's energy policy pronouncements." A new poll of young Americans shows that McCain's negatives have jumped percentage points in the past two months. In April, according to the Democracy Corps' polling, McCain's favorable/unfavorable ratings were 34 percent and 37 percent. They're now 30 percent and 49 percent.

Yet all the Republicans can talk about are poll numbers showing that, if you ask them in the right way, more Americans say they're in favor offshore drilling than oppose it. Senator John Ensign touted the strategy this way: "Energy is actually a huge opportunity for Republicans. Energy has the opportunity to change the climate if it's done right." But those in favor gave this answer only when reassured that such drilling will be environmentally benign—and they are even more in favor of solutions such as more-efficient cars and green electricity. For them, they are just giving an answer to a pollster.

But the opponents of offshore oil drilling, like Mike Thompson's constituents, have a deep commitment to the places they love, the places where they live. This is everything for them. Sadly, Senator McCain has foolishly gone with the pollsters and abandoned the people. His choice will resonate in this district—and in many others in states like Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, and Oregon come November. We need to get to a place where serious politicians can't get away with stuff like this—where the explanation "I really didn't mean it—that was just politics" is the kiss of death; not a "get out of jail free" card.

If the Republicans think they can ride the current poll numbers on drilling for oil to victory in November, I have a bridge to sell them. It's the same one Ted Stevens tried to build with billions in public money in Alaska—the Bridge to Nowhere.

Resolutions Passed by Chapter ExComm (6/29/08)

Griffith Park Historic Cultural Monument Status

The Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club supports the application of the Griffith Jenkins Griffith Trust to designate Griffith Park as a historical cultural monument.

Position Recommendation on HR6887 the Soledad Canyon Mine Act

The Angeles Chapter seeks Sierra Club endorsement of HR.5887 (McKeon), the Soledad Canyon Mine Act. The Chapter expresses concern for the inclusion of credits that may be applied to leases for submerged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf (on page 12 of the act),

Combined Litigation/Grant Request (The Harbor Vision Task Force)

The Angeles Chapter requests permission to sponsor the intervention in litigation to protect the Clean Trucks Program and grants allocation of up to $2000 for the proposed intervention.

Orange Hills Task Force

The Angeles Chapter asks that the Sierra Club National Litagation Committee drop its stipulation that the CEQA lawsuit on Orange Hills Area 3 (aka "case no. 2") be dropped when the lawsuit appealing "case no.1" to the State Supreme Court is terminated either successfully or not. In other words, the Orange Hills Task Force would be allowed, then, to let case 2 proceed regardless of case 1's legal outcome.

Angeles Chapter Conservation Committee
3435 Wilshire Blvd Ste 320, Los Angeles CA 90010-1904
Conference call access: (866) 501-6174, Conference Code: 1000400#
Chair: Judy Anderson <judyanderson@earthlink.net>

DRAFT AGENDA—Wednesday, July 16, 2008 - 7:15 pm

7:15  Introductions and Announcements—limited to FUTURE EVENTS—Approval of the Agenda

7:25 Discussion: Global Warming

• What is the committee doing?
• What are the opportunities for others to get involved?
• What opportunities are there to follow up on An Inconvenient Truth?

7:45 Reports

• South Coast Wildlands Report of Key Wildlife Corridors (TBA)
• Conservation Management—progress on review of procedures vis-à-vis negotiating (Judy Anderson)
• Coordinators Activity—6 month recap, and plans (Jennifer Robinson, Maddalena Serra)

8:30 Action Items

A. Orange County Toll Road [closed session] (Bill Holmes)
B. Support for Cities Resolutions Banning Plastic Shopping Bags (David Czamanske)

8:45 Conservation Grants (if any)

8:55 Adjourn —- next meeting August 20.

Orange County Conservation Committee
Inn at the Park, 10 Marquette, Irvine. Take the 405 to Culver, go west towards the beach. Follow Culver past Michelson and University; turn right on Harvard. Take Harvard to Marquette; turn right. It's on the corner of Harvard and Marquette on the right hand side. http://angeles.sierraclub.org/ocosc/ Chair: Patti Barnes <mezzohiker@msn.com>

DRAFT AGENDA—TUESDAY, JULY 15, 7 PM

7:00   Introductions and Announcements

7:15  Approval of Minutes-OCCC Meeting June 16, 2008

7:20  Angeles Chapter Staff Report [???] (Jennifer Robinson)

7:30  Proposed Resolution—Orange County Toll Road (Bill Holmes)

7:50  Report on the Upcoming Banning Ranch Park And Preserve Task Force Community Workshop (July 21) and the Upcoming BRPP Conservancy/Land Trust Fundraiser (Patti Barnes)

8:10  Continuation of Discussion on the Possible Formation of a "Global Warming Committee" for Orange County, possibly within the OCCC (Paul Carlton)

8:30 Emergency Resolutions (if any) - Discussion, Voting, etc.

8:45  Adjourn

     Next meeting: Tuesday, September 16     NO AUGUST MEETING

Newcomer/Member Information Events
Discover the Sierra Club… In your neighborhood!

Conservation Committees Calendar
If you have an upcoming meeting or event to be listed below:

   In Los Angeles County, contact Lori Ives (ives@ivesico.net)

   In Orange County, contact Patti Barnes (mezzohiker@msn.com

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