Removing the Roadless Rule in Northern California would change the status of inventoried Roadless Areas across national forests like the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, Lassen, and Trinity by allowing new road construction where it is currently restricted. These areas are often high-elevation ridges, backcountry watersheds, and steep forested slopes that are now inaccessible. If road restrictions are…
Redding Nights Are Staying Hot.That’s a Problem We Built. Redding has always been hot in the summer. But the heat people experience in Redding is not only a product of weather and geography. How much of the ground is paved, how much tree canopy is left to shade it, and how much open land has…
There are places in this region where the light shifts through oak branches, where the sound of water settles the mind, and where the horizon opens enough for a person to breathe a little more deeply. These are not luxuries. They are part of what ties a community to the land. Yet many of these…
Why Accessible Open Spaces Strengthen ConservationSpecies of the Month: Chinook Salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytschaSpecies of the Month: Wavyleaf Soap Plant, Chlorogalum pomeridianumEvent: The Extraordinary CaterpillarAdopt-A-Swim Beach ProgramTrip Report: Phillips Brothers Mill Tour Link: June Newsletter
Cal Fire’s Urban Forest Plan Is Open for Comment. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has published a draft plan to expand the urban tree canopy statewide by 10% before 2035. Public comments are open through April 30. For Shasta County residents, the plan has significant gaps that deserve attention before the comment…
We’ve updated our Raising Shasta Dam webpage with a new interactive map to show how the reservoir would change if the dam is raised. The current full pool is shown in light blue, while the proposed higher full pool is shown in darker blue. The magenta line marks the additional area that could be taken…
The City of Redding has started a formal process to decide what will be studied in the Environmental Impact Report EIR for the Redding Riverfront Specific Plan. This step is called scoping. Scoping happens before the Draft EIR is written. At this stage, the City is asking what issues, locations, and types of impacts must…
Our New Community Cleanup Dashboard Is Live! We just launched a shared, real time cleanup dashboard that brings community cleanup work together in one place. As reports come in, the map and charts update instantly so cleanup activity is visible as it happens.Instead of cleanup efforts being scattered across posts, spreadsheets, and group updates, this…
The Hidden Costs of Clean Energy Across California and throughout the West, new solar farms are rising on open land that once held pastures, oak woodlands, and small farms. They represent progress toward clean energy but also raise difficult questions about land use, fragmentation, and what kinds of landscapes we are willing to give up…
California Strengthens Land Stewardship with Passage of AB 900 California took a significant step toward achieving its 30×30 conservation goals with the signing of AB 900. The legislation strengthens the long-term stewardship of protected lands, ensuring that conservation efforts provide lasting ecological benefits. The state’s 30×30 initiative is a statewide goal to conserve 30 percent…
Environmental Impacts and Policy Challenges California stands at the forefront of technological innovation, hosting a significant number of data centers that power the digital infrastructure of the modern world. However, the rapid expansion of these facilities raises pressing environmental concerns, particularly regarding energy consumption, water use, land conversion, and the adequacy of existing regulations. Energy…
Sustainable Practices for a Healthier Landscape As cooler weather arrives and leaves begin to fall, many Shasta County homeowners turn their attention to seasonal yard cleanup. This annual routine is more than just tidying up, it is a chance to care for soil, conserve resources, and support the local ecosystem. With a few sustainable practices,…