Sierra Resource
we consider you part of our family. Because of this close relationship, we feel it is
appropriate to keep you updated on important issues affecting the Alliance and our
staff.
It is with great sadness that we share news that our Executive Director, Jim Ross,
has been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer that has metastasized to his liver. The
cancer was discovered after Jim developed pneumonia while moving his family from
Pennsylvania to Tahoe in mid-August after 6 months of separation while Jim started
work for the Alliance in February 2014.
Our hearts go out to Jim, his wife Amy, and their three girls - Madelyn, age 9 and
twins Hannah and Alison, age 5. Please join us in wishing Jim a speedy recovery. You
can follow Jim¹s progress on his blog fiercehope.com and support his family during
this difficult time through an online fundraising campaign set up by the family.
I will be working with the Alliance staff to keep our day-to-day operations running
smoothly while actively working with our Board of Directors to chart a course
forward.
Feel free to contact me with any questions,
Gavin Feiger
Acting Executive Director
gavin@sierranevadaalliance.org
530-542-4546 x702
Articles
Climate Change
YubaNet, National Science Foundation, 9/30/14, Cause of California drought linked
to climate change
http://yubanet.com/california/National-Science-Foundation-Cause-of-Californiadrought-linked-to-climate-change.php#.VDL3DkhGzZs
Forestry
Plumas County News, Feather Publishing, 10/5/14, Sierra Nevada forest health in
rapid decline, drought adds fuel to the fire
http://www.plumasnews.com/index.php/12946-sierra-nevada-forest-health-inrapid-decline-drought-adds-fuel-to-the-fire#!/ccomment
News 10 ABC, Dave Marquis, 10/7/14, National forest burned in King Fire will take
decades to recover
http://www.news10.net/story/news/local/eldorado-hills/2014/10/07/king-firerecover-forest-trees-burned/16844221/
Recreation
High Country News, Jodi Peterson, 10/1/14, National parks ponder fee increases
http://www.hcn.org/articles/national-parks-ponder-fee-increases
Water
UCR Today, Iqbal Pittalwala, 9/4/14, Research Shows Declining Levels of Acidity in
Sierra Nevada Lakes
http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/24397
National Journal, Brian Resnick, 10/7/14, Can California Make It Rain With Drones?
http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/can-california-make-it-rain-with-drones20141007
VisaliaTimes-Delta, Fenit Nirappil, 10/7/14, California water use drops 11.5 percent
in August,
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/california/2014/10/07/califo
rnia-water-use-drops-percent-august/16868453/
Wildlife
Capital Public Radio, Ed Joyce, 10/6/14 Plan To Protect Weasel-Like Fisher Cites Pot
Risk
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2014/10/06/plan-to-protect-weasel-like-fishercites-pot-risk/
High Country News, Ben Goldfarb, 10/7/14, The Earth has half as many animals as it
did in 1970, http://www.hcn.org/articles/the-earth-has-half-as-many-animals-asit-did-in-1970?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email
Other
YubaNet, Office of the Governor, 9/30/14, Governor Brown Signs Legislation to Ban
Single-Use Plastic Bags
http://yubanet.com/california/Governor-Brown-Signs-Legislation-to-Ban-SingleUse-Plastic-Bags.php#.VDL2ekhGzZs
High Country News, Sarah Gilman, 10/3/14, Extreme Makeover, the BLM episode,
http://www.hcn.org/articles/extreme-makeover-the-blm-episode
Jobs
UC Merced is hiring a Sustainability Director
Description: Reporting to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Facilities
Planning, the Director for Sustainability serves as the leader and director of UC
Merced's sustainability efforts to foster a culture of sustainability among students,
faculty and staff, identifying and prioritizing areas for institutional sustainability
efforts; planning and development of short and long range plans and engaging other
campus leaders to foster sustainability broadly across campus units.
California Department of Fish & Wildlife is hiring an Environmental Scientist
http://jobs.spb.ca.gov/wvpos/more_info.cfm?recno=572719
Responsible for the overall planning, analysis, and preparation of Conceptual Area
Protection Plans (CAPPs), Land Acquisition Evaluation (LAEs) and management
plans. Implementation of construction or habitat improvement projects that are
associated with CAPPs, LAEs, management plans or general lands management that
address the on-going operation and development needs of the assigned wildlife
areas and ecological reserves and newly acquired properties to emphasize
environmental diversity of fish, wildlife and habitat values, including management
for rare, threatened and endangered species.
Events and Activities
The Stream Team will be heading out into the creek this Saturday to finish up
our 11th Year of monitoring water quality in Big Chico Creek. Please join us!
Water Quality Monitoring Event: Oct. 11th (9AM)
Meet at the Five Mile Picnic Area Parking Lot, (off Centennial Way)
Where: Chico, CA
Thanks for volunteering, and see you soon!
Timmarie
530 342-6620
www.thestreamteam.org
Placer Land Trust Docent led Hike at Harvego Bear River Preserve
This month’s docent led hike will be at our Harvego Bear River Preserve in North
Auburn. Along the trail you will enjoy the scenic views from a short hike up Bald
Rock, an overlook view of the Bear River, and learn about the history of the cattle
ranch in this rolling oak woodland savannah setting. This is a 4 mile hike and will
take 3+ hours to complete.
Join us Saturday, Oct. 11th, at 9:30am at our Harvego Bear River Preserve, North
Auburn. Don't miss it, REGISTER by noon on Friday!
http://www.placerlandtrust.org/october-11-harvego-bear-river-preserve-hike/
Resources
3D Elevation Program (3DEP)
http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=259953
The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative is being developed to respond to needs
for high-quality topographic data and for a wide range of other three-dimensional
representations of the Nation's natural and constructed features. The primary goal
of 3DEP is to systematically collect enhanced elevation data in the form of highquality light detection and ranging (lidar) data over the conterminous United States,
Hawaii, and the U.S. territories, as well as interferometric synthetic aperture radar
(ifsar) data over Alaska. The 3DEP initiative is based on the results of the National
Enhanced Elevation Assessment (NEEA), which indicated an U.S. Geological Survey
optimal benefit to cost ratio for Quality Level 2 (QL2) data collected over 8-years to
complete national coverage. The implementation model for 3DEP is based on multi-
agency partnership funding for acquisition, with the USGS acting in a lead program
management role to facilitate planning and acquisition for the broader community,
through the use of government contracts and partnership agreements.
Clif Bar Family Foundation
Small Grants average approximately $8,000 each. Applications must be received by
February 15 for consideration during the first quarter of the year, and May 15,
August 15, and November 1 for consideration of funding during the second, third
and fourth quarters, respectively. (Of course we would appreciate it if you could
submit your application earlier in the quarter.) Grants awarded during a
particular quarter will be announced at the beginning of the following quarter.
Priority is given to applicants that:
Address our funding priorities from a holistic perspective*
 Protect Earth's beauty and bounty.
 Create a robust, healthy food system.
 Increase opportunities for outdoor activity.
 Reduce environmental health hazards.
 Build stronger communities.
Operate with clearly defined objectives and viable plans to achieve them.
Demonstrate strong community ties and operate at the community level.
Promote positive change through both the projects and their implementation
process.
http://clifbarfamilyfoundation.org/Grants-Programs