Fred Allebach to Supervisors: “I encourage you to not approve the Dry Creek winery expansion ….”

Letters / October 18, 2015

-the whole county is keyed up to conserve water during a 500 year drought and to permit a 25,000 case winery sends the wrong message to a citizenry hoping their efforts will count; more and more wineries mean citizens are effectively subsidizing wine expansion by their conservation measures; many hope to be saving water to benefit stream ecosystems and higher groundwater levels.

-no new large wineries should be allowed until Groundwater Sustainability Agencies have been formed…

County moves to stop ‘unrestrained’ development in Santa Monica Mountains

Uncategorized / October 18, 2015

County moves to stop ‘unrestrained’ development in Santa Monica Mountains The proposed Rim of the Valley National Recreation Area would run from the Simi Hills, the Verdugo Hills, the Santa Monica Mountains, the San Fernando Valley and into the western part of the Angeles National Forest. Here, a hiker and her dogs make their way …

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Paso Robles Moratorium on New or Expanded Irrigated Crop Production

Uncategorized / May 26, 2016

There are currently several communities in California that have halted new wells and vineyards. Paso Robles passed a moratorium due to dry wells from newly created vineyards going in their dry, water scarce region. Homeowners couldn’t afford to drill as deep as winery interests so many tried to sell their properties. It became a crisis …

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Lessons from a Former California Coastal Commissioner “Farming for Developers” by Steve Blank

Big Wine, Coastal Issues, Opinion / May 26, 2016

The Local Coastal Plan being proposed by PRMD/Supervisors includes language that’s sets up an “economic feasibility” commission either by the California Coastal Commission or local entity that can sub out the report with little to no transparency and public input. The commission would decide if farmlands can be subdivided if economic feasibility is not determined. …

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Peter R. Baye, Ph.D. Coastal Ecologist, Botanist Letter to PRMD on Coastal Plan

Letters / October 9, 2015

To: Lisa Posternak, Sonoma County Permits & Resource Management Department (PRMD). Cc: Interested parties Date: September 30, 2015 SUBJECT: General comments on preliminary draft Local Coastal Plan: significant environmental baseline deficiencies and consequences Dear Ms. Posternak: I would like to provide only preliminary and general comments on some selected basic aspects of the preliminary draft …

Peter R. Baye, Ph.D. Coastal Ecologist, Botanist Letter to PRMD on Coastal Plan Read More »