CoastWatcher

Coalition Calls for Sen. Feinstein’s Rider Extending Life of Oyster Farm at Point Reyes National Seashore To Be Stripped

Posted September 29th, 2009 by Kurt Repanshek

Sen. Feinstein’s efforts to see an oyster company continue operations at Point Reyes National Seashore for another decade are being opposed. Photo of Drakes Estero by Susan Van Der Wal via NPS.

Some push-back has surfaced against U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein’s efforts to see oyster farming continue in an area of Point Reyes National Seashore that has been destined for official wilderness designation.

A group calling itself the Save Drakes Bay Coalition is urging U.S. Representative Norm Dicks, D-Washington, to strip a rider Sen. Feinstein placed on an Interior appropriations bil that would allow the Drakes Bay Oyster Co. to continue operations in the national seashore’s Drakes Estero. Commercial oyster farming was well under way in Drakes Estero in 1976 when Congress designated the estuary as potential wilderness. Interior Department officials, noting that the Drakes Bay Oyster Co. operation would run counter to official wilderness designation, directed the National Park Service to push for that designation in 2012 when the oyster farm’s lease expires. Read the rest of this entry »

Ed. Note:  For anyone interested in seeing an amazing video of the Australian oil spill referred to in the opinion below, and the extremely important coastal resources and whale migration and nursery areas threatened, go to http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunday-night/video/-/watch/15774959/#fop

It can happen in Santa Barbara.  In fact, it already has….

Opinion: PXP’s offshore drilling project not right deal for us

Pedro Nava

September 27, 2009 5:24 AM
What do more than 90 statewide environmental groups, including the Sierra Club California, the Surfrider Foundation, the Planning and Conservation League, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Audubon and Environment California, have in common? They oppose Plains Exploration and Production Co.’s (PXP) plan to introduce new offshore oil drilling in California Sanctuary Act waters, just 3 miles off the Santa Barbara coastline.

Texas-based PXP continues its well-financed public relations campaign to bring new offshore oil drilling, with all the environmental risks, to the Santa Barbara coast. Read the rest of this entry »

Record Volunteer Turnout In San Diego For Coastal Cleanup

BY ED JOYCE
September 21, 2009
San Diego Coastkeeper and I Love a Clean San Diego report that San Diego County had a record number of 9,587 volunteers Saturday for the 25th annual California Coastal Cleanup.

The two groups estimated that 65,000 pounds of trash was collected at 80 sites in the county and Tijuana.

Items found included cigarette butts, plastic bottle caps, plastic bags.

Unusual items such as an ATM machine, a fake nose and pickles.

The California Coastal Commission late Saturday reported that 56,877 volunteers collected 801,937 pounds of debris throughout the state.

All reported statistics are initial figures and are expected to be updated.

Obscure right wing Duncan Hunter (Former US Congressman-San Diego) usually inspires one of two reactions:  Either you’ve never heard of him because he hasn’t ever accomplished much or you care about the environment and are aware of his unceasing efforts to destroy coastal resources and endangered species as part of his mind bogglingly stupid passion for building giant fences along the U.S.-Mexico border.  Don’t mention that terrorists use the U.S.-Canadian border, he hates that racism insinuation….

So despite the fact that the State of California through the California Coastal Commission denied the fence, Hunter pulled strings in Washington DC to over ride his constituents and got the fence approved anyway.  So far we’ve spent $2.4 billion.  Before Hunter is done however the US will have wasted over $6 billion on this silly folly, and will not have stopped terrorism, drug smuggling or illegal immigration.  Hunter’s nutty folly on our dime.  http://instaputz.blogspot.com/2009/08/duncan-hunter-dumbass.html

Gov’t: Border fence to cost $6.5 billion over 20 years

By Eileen Sullivan
Associated Press
Posted: 09/17/2009 06:32:46 AM PDT
Updated: 09/17/2009 06:32:47 AM PDT

WASHINGTON — Government investigators say it will cost taxpayers $6.5 billion over the next 20 years to maintain the southwest border fence.
And the Government Accountability Office says that as the Obama administration begins to understand the long-term costs of the border fence, it doesn’t have a way to evaluate whether this investment has helped control the flow of undocumented immigrants into the country.
The $6.5 billion price tag is in addition to the $2.4 billion that’s already been spent to build fence segments along the U.S.-Mexico border. The fence is a Bush administration initiative that has faced several delays and cost increases. The GAO says the technology portion of the government’s plan to secure the border continues to be delayed.