California, Creatures

Bishop Chamber asks for your input in proposed FWS critical habitat designation
The endangered Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog. (Creative Commons)
The endangered Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog. (Creative Commons)

Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau

Dear Chamber Members and Friends –

You may have heard by now that the US Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to designate critical habitat for the yellow-legged frog, the Yosemite toad and the northern population segment of the mountain yellow-legged frog in California.

Inyo County areas proposed for the critical habitat designation would include Rock Creek Lake, Mt. Tom, the Bishop Creek Drainage (including South Lake), Coyote Flat, Big Pine Creek Drainage and Onion Valley.

Outdoor recreation such as fishing, camping, hiking and trail riding could certainly be affected by any such designation. Many businesses and the overall economy of the Eastern Sierra might be impacted.

We understand that the issues of species protection and critical habitat are complex, and the Bishop Area Chamber has not officially taken any position on the matter. We would however like to encourage all members, friends and concerned people to weigh-in on the matter. We truly believe that the only way to create the best public policy is to participate in the discussion!

Please follow the links below to learn more about the two proposed designations (one for critical habitat and the other as an endangered/threatened species).

Please take time to do this ASAP, as the deadline for public comment is Monday.

Click Here To Visit Inyo County Planning Department Webpage. You’ll see maps and related documents.

Click Here To Give Your Comment on the Proposed Critical Habitat Designation

Click Here To Give Your Comment on the Proposed Endangered/Threatened Species Designation

Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau | 690 North Main Street | Bishop | CA | 93514

News

Metrolink reverses course and commissions health risk assessment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 14, 2013
Media contact:
Scott Johnson, Metrolink Public Affairs
(213) 452-0205 or johnsons@scrra.net

Metrolink to conduct health risk assessment of maintenance facility

LOS ANGELES — Metrolink Chief Executive Officer Michael P. DePallo announced today he has directed staff to immediately commence preparations for commission of a health risk assessment (HRA) of the agency’s Central Maintenance Facility located at 1555 N. San Fernando Road in Los Angeles.

“This is a significant step to quantify the emissions emanating from the facility and to solidify a baseline,” said DePallo.

Metrolink Board Chair and San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris agreed.

“As the mayor of the city that hosts the largest intermodal rail facility in Southern California, I understand the concerns of those who reside near Central Maintenance Facility,” said Morris. “I, as much as anyone, want to know the results of this assessment, along with the subsequent measurement of the air quality improvements we have already made to the facility.”

Metrolink has worked extensively with community groups, key stakeholders and elected officials over the past two years to implement a wide array of facility and operational improvements.

Metrolink made a major contribution toward improving the quality of the environment and future rail system operations with the purchase of up to 20 new low-emission Tier 4 locomotives. These locomotives produce more than 80 percent less particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen than current older engines and will be delivered in late 2015. Metrolink has allocated $129.4 million for the purchase of the locomotives.

The locomotive upgrades will have system-wide benefits, and as well as help reduce emissions in the surrounding communities.

At the facility itself, Metrolink has implemented a plug-in policy that enables trains to utilize ground power while being cleaned and serviced instead of utilizing the engines that power the passenger cars. Nine ground power stations have been installed, while the facility anticipates an additional four stations being built this year.

Metrolink has installed Automatic Engine Start Stop (AESS) technology into its locomotives and implemented an aggressive fuel conservation program. AESS is a mechanism that prevents unnecessary idling, reducing fuel use and emissions. In 2010-11 AESS reduced the amount of fuel used from the previous year by 860,000 gallons and saved the agency $2 million. Currently 33 of Metrolink’s 52 locomotives are equipped with this technology.

In order to reduce noise at the facility, train maintenance, servicing and testing is done during business hours to avoid disrupting sleep and weekend recreation activities. Additionally, staff has reduced the amount of time trains are on service and inspection tracks by 50 percent.
Without Metrolink service, an additional 18,000 vehicles would be on the roads each weekday.

A health risk assessment (HRA) is an analytical tool used to estimate whether current and/or future exposures to certain air pollutant emissions will pose health risks to a broad population, such as a city or a community.

The CMF, which is located on a parcel of what once was referred to as Southern Pacific’s Taylor Yard, has been a rail facility servicing locomotives and rail cars since the 1920s. Metrolink began servicing trains at CMF in 1991.

Events

Carp Throwdown winners experience deja vu

Does lightening strike twice? Well, for this year’s Carp Throwdown on Lake Henshaw in San Diego County over the weekend, it sure did.

Just like last year, David Wratchford once again captured the wading division with 97 points. And the boat team of Dustin Sargent and John Hendrickson snagged first place with 102 points.

The winners walked away with an Orvis H2 saltwater 6 weight and a Yeti cooler, respectively.

Wratchford also got the prize for “best trash fish,” which includes everything in the lake, excluding carp.When’s the last time you heard of a bass being considered as a trash fish? In Wratchford’s case, it was a catfish, and he won a Galvin T-5 reel for his efforts.

Everyone else, well, you can tell from these photographs, snapped by Bernard Yin, had the swag of enjoying this fab tournament.

If you can’t get enough, consider participating in the Carp-Ocalypse in Seattle, Aug. 10-11.

See you on the river, Jim Burns

Events, Los Angeles River Recreational Pilot Project

Quick Mends: Big week for the L.A. River
Rep. Adam Schiff (D.-Burbank) called on MetroLink to commission a health risk assessment for its Taylor Yards facility. (Jim Burns)
Rep. Adam Schiff (D.-Burbank) called on MetroLink to commission a health risk assessment for its Taylor Yards facility. (Jim Burns)

The opening of the rec zone Memorial Day generated a plethora of coverage, both from the blogosphere and MSM. Take a look:

Los Angeles Times

KCBS

CNN

KABC

KCET

The EastsiderLA

Southern California Public Radio

Laist

L.A. Weekly

Also, last week Rep. Adam Schiff (D.–Burbank) held a press conference to demand a Taylor Yards health assessment from MetroLink. Elysian Valley residents have forced changes to the agency’s maintenance facility, which appears in the lower-right frame, but a health assessment measuring the amount of diesel particulate matter in the air and its effects hasn’t yet occurred.

See you on the river, Jim Burns

Events, Los Angeles River Recreational Pilot Project

Officials inaugurate historic L.A. River rec zone

Events

FOLAR volunteers take out the trash

About 100 volunteers at Steelhead Park today helped clean up the Los Angeles River as part of the Friends of the L.A River's annual event. The goal was to fill up a nearby 40-yard industrial trash bin with all manner of garbage from the river, while not disturbing any wildlife that make the waters their home. FOLAR volunteers could be seen at numerous sites along the river's 51-mile stretch.

As you can see from the photo, that trash included an old tire, as well as bags of plastic refuse.

Brian Talbot and his two young children, Marley and Miles, of South Pasadena, even found a keepsake metate-style pestle for grinding herbs and spices, while they plucked throwaways from the river's green space.

Last week, the Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority filled up two 40-yarders in preparation for the recreational pilot program that begins Memorial Day. The MCRA is charged with administering the program that will continue until Labor Day.

 

See you on the river, Jim Burns

 

News

Get your paddle ready — pilot program begins Memorial Day

In the immortal words of  “Family Guy’s” Peter Griffin, “Alright, diggity diggity diggity.”

After lots of public input, wrangling over dogs (don’t bring them …) and some bureaucratic close shaves, the Los Angeles Recreational Pilot Program is on for the summer.

Signs such as this one will inform visitors to the two-and-a-half mile stretch of water (Courtesy MCRA)
Signs such as this one will inform visitors to the two-and-a-half mile stretch of water (Courtesy MCRA)

From its new  website:

“For the first time since the Los Angeles River was channelized in the 1930s, the public will be welcomed to walk, fish and kayak on a 2.5 mile portion of the L.A. River in Elysian Valley. The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), in cooperation with the City and County of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, and the Army Corps of Engineers, will administer the historic Los Angeles River Recreation pilot program to increase safe public access to the L.A. River and to promote the goal of river revitalization.  The recreation zone includes the river channel and five feet of adjacent riverbank—but not the upper banks or the existing bike path, or the maintenance road on the banks above the river channel.

“The program runs from Memorial Day (May 27) to Labor Day (Sept. 2) and from sunrise to sunset daily, during safe conditions.  During this time, any member of the public can access the Recreation Zone free of charge. Organized groups and fee-based groups must obtain special use permits from the MRCA for which there is a fee.  Boat access to the Recreation Zone is located at MRCA-managed Rattlesnake Park at Fletcher Drive.  The exit point will be downstream adjacent to MRCA-managed Steelhead Park on Oros Street.  MRCA Rangers will regulate usage and promote public safety in the Recreation Zone with rules established by the MRCA ordinance.  The Recreation Zone also permits activities such as walking, bird watching, and fishing (with a California Department of Fish and Wildlife permit).  No dogs are allowed in the Recreation Zone. Foot traffic is strictly limited to paved and rocky surfaces in order to protect protected bird habitat.”

See you on the river, Jim Burns

Quick mends

Quick Mends: Los Angeles River ‘Wired’
AHOY, MATEY: Councilmembers Tony Cardenas, front, with Ed Reyes, far rear, enjoyed a day on the river last summer. (Jim Burns)
AHOY, MATEY: Councilmembers Tony Cardenas, front, with Ed Reyes, far rear, enjoyed a day on the river last summer. (Jim Burns)

“Any press is good press,” so the adage goes, and a new post about the L.A. River from Wired Mag’s bloggerie certainly confirms it. And it’s good to see activist kayaker George Wolfe and the film about his historic river run, Rock the Boat, get a nod.

But the piece skates over the most recent volatile event, which is the pilot river project, slated to begin Memorial Day. This project would allow citizen  kayaking on a portion of the river, as well as other recreational uses, including fishing, below the Glendale Narrows.  Last I heard objections from the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife may scuttle the project late in the game,which was approved by the Los Angeles City Council in March. A meeting is planned with the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority’s Division of Natural Resources and Planning to find a resolution. The MRCA is slated to oversee the project, which would last until Labor Day. Developing.

See you on the river, Jim Burns