Eco-Bulletin ~ April 2, 2007

The beauty of our rural lands defines our county. Despite the growth of recent years, we are still a largely rural area, with rangelands and woodlands stretching from the interior valleys to the coast. In coming months, the future of our rural lands will be a major topic discussed by county decision makers.

You have the opportunity to speak out about the Cayucos viewshed protection ordinance at the next San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, April 3. The viewshed ordinance, intended to protect the pristine coastal hills and ridges of rural Cayucos, covers views from only Highway 1 and two rural roads. It needs to cover all public roads.

People who care about our rural lands are moving to join this important discussion and they need to hear from you. Attend the April 3 hearing (arrive before 9:30am) and write all five county supervisors expressing your support for protecting views from all public roads and places.

Click here for the Staff Report on Item C-1.

Click here for the Agenda for April 3.

This issue has become more than just a concern over this incredibly beautiful area; it has become a fight to show our Board of Supervisors that people truly care about the future of our county. Special interests should not have a greater voice than the public. The wider community has a legitimate interest in protecting productive ag land, open space and natural habitats. This effort is crucial to our county’s future character.

The viewshed ordinance will be the first public hearing item to be heard around 9:45am. Arrive early to ensure a seat and to show your support.

Click here for a map to the County Government Center at 1055 Monterey Street.

Send letter to:

Chairman Lenthall (jlenthall@co.slo.ca.us)

Supervisor Achadjian (kachadjian@co.slo.ca.us

Supervisor Gibson (bgibson@co.slo.ca.us)

Supervisor Ovitt (hovitt@co.slo.ca.us)

Supervisor Patterson (jpatterson@co.slo.ca.us)

Sample letter:

Re: Cayucos Rural Area Viewshed Ordinance - April 3, 2007 Agenda

Dear Supervisors:

The entire Cayucos rural area is worthy of effective viewshed protection. I urge you to support the current staff recommended ordinance, but with the addition that it be made applicable to new structures within one mile of all public roads within the Cayucos rural area.

Name

Hike with a Natural San Luis Docent at enjoy the wildflowers in bloom at Guidetti Ranch at 9am on Saturday, April 14. Make reservations thru ECOSLO, 544-1777, as there are a limited number of spots available. The hike is 5 to 6 hours (depending on the speed of the group). There is a hill at the very beginning and some gentle inclines throughout the hike. People should bring lunch, snacks and plenty of water.

The Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility invites you to share Earth Day 2007 with renowned activist and environmentalist Diane Wilson on Sunday, April 22, from 4-6pm at the San Luis Obispo Public Library. Suggested donation for General Admission is $20 and for Students with ID, $5. Space is limited; call 772-7077 for reservations. An evening soiree with Ms. Wilson at a home in San Luis Obispo (by reservation only) will follow the library event at 6:30pm. Suggested donation is $40 per person and includes refreshments, conversation and inspiration. To make reservations call 772-7077. Both the library event and the reception are available for a special combination price of $50, with all proceeds benefiting the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility.

Ms. Wilson is the co-founder of Code Pink, was a keynote speaker at the Bioneers conferences, and was presented the 2006 "Blue Planet Award" by the foundation for ethics and economics in Berlin. A fourth-generation Texas fisherwoman, she first fought to save the bays of her hometown from polluting corporations using hunger strikes and other forms of civil disobedience. She has since spoken out against Dow Chemical (for neglecting the victims of Bhopal) and the war in Iraq, and has been arrested and served time in jail for her convictions.

The seventh event in the SLO Green Build Educational series entitled LEARN BUILD SAVE will be held at the San Luis Obispo City/County Library. While geared towards building professionals, all interested members of the general public are welcome to this free event on Wednesday, March 28, from 6:30 – 8:30pm at the San Luis Obispo City/County Public Library, 995 Palm Street.

The Coastal Discovery Center at San Simeon Bay opened its doors in July 2006. Educational programs for school groups and adults are in development, as is a website and finance committee. Volunteers are needed now. Share your knowledge, experience and enthusiasm by becoming a docent!

Docent Training Schedule 2007

- April 28: 9 am – 4 pm

- May 2: 6 pm – 9 pm

- May 5: 9 am – 4 pm

- May 9: 6 pm – 9 pm

- May 24: 4:30 pm – 8 pm

Located at beautiful and historic Hearst State Beach, the theme of the facility is “Connecting Land and Sea.” Visitors to the Coastal Discovery Center learn about local natural and cultural resources, take a video voyage to the deep sea, watch live rainbow trout, and listen to a talking tidepool.

Seeing gulls or pelicans with fishing hooks in their mouths or fishing line wrapped around their legs is an all too common sight on California beaches. Thanks to the SeaDoc Society, a marine ecosystem health program of the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center, these types of injuries soon should be reduced.

SeaDoc has started a yearlong effort to remove discarded fishing hooks and line from pier pilings, and establish fishing-line recycling stations on the piers, called the California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project. It is an effort to make the coastal ocean safer for wildlife as well as people.

In March, ECOSLO and SeaDoc installed two custom bins at the Avila Beach pier to encourage anglers to discard their unwanted hooks and line in the bin instead of into the water. Collected monofilament will be recycled. Special thanks goes to Chevron for sponsoring ECOSLO’s efforts on this project.

Cleanups will take place in march through June 2007 on piers in these locations: Santa Cruz, Monterey, Avila, Goleta, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, San Pedro, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, San Clemente, Oceanside, Ocean Beach in San Diego and Imperial Beach.

The $200,000 California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Marine Debris Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The project was established with grants from those organizations and by the California Ocean Protection Council and State Coastal Conservancy.

Additional information:

California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project

http://www.derelictfishinggear.org/

UC Davis SeaDoc Society http://www.seadocsociety.org/

UC Davis wildlife Health Center http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/whc

California Coastal Conservancy http://www.coastalconservancy.ca.gov