Tuesday, April 4, 2006 – A Creeks To Sewers Program in San Luis Obispo
You may have heard about “rails to trails.” This is a national movement to convert unused rail right of ways into pedestrian and bicycle paths, and as a matter of fact, there’s a local effort underway in Santa Cruz County.

The City of San Luis Obispo seems to be forging a “creeks to sewers” program, something quite a bit different. According to an article published on March 24th in the San Luis Obispo Tribune, the City is considering doing what no other agency along the Central Coast has ever done: removing a body of water’s designation as a drinking water source, so they can use it for wastewater discharges. “We are really concerned that we will have to treat our water to a high level for a use that does not exist,” says David Hix, the City’s wastewater division manager.

The Regional Water Quality Control Board, which just happens to be based in San Luis Obispo, though its jurisdiction extends north to Santa Cruz County, didn’t have a positive response. “We think it would be a step backwards,” said Matt Thompson, a water resource control engineer with the Regional Water Quality Control Board, “and staff cannot…support it.” 

City utility managers say that no one uses the surface waters of San Luis Obispo Creek for drinking anyway, and that eliminating its drinking water designation will save the taxpayers money. Money versus the environment is nothing new. This time, it looks like the environment is going to win!

Wednesday, April 5, 2006 – The California Climate Act of 2006
On March 28th, on the recommendation of Mayor Matthews, Vice Mayor Reilly, and Council Member Coonerty, the Santa Cruz City Council adopted a resolution in support of Assembly Bill 32, the California Climate Act of 2006.

Global warming poses an overwhelming challenge to all of us, and we need to respond. The population of the United States is only 5% of the world’s population, but we emit 30% of the global warming pollution that is putting our planet at risk. I recently heard former Vice President Al Gore talk about global warming, and this was emphatically not your typical political speech. It was a well-researched PowerPoint presentation, quoting the science, and the only conclusion you could draw was that we need to take the boldest and quickest action possible. That will include reform of our sprawling land use patterns. Assembly Bill 32, authored by Assembly Member Fran Pavley, would make a very significant step in the right direction. As the Executive Director of the Planning and Conservation League, let me say that passing AB 32 is one of our highest priorities.

I would like to urge you to get involved in the effort. One good way would be to attend PCL’s 2006 Legislative Symposium, a “Climate of Change,” scheduled for Saturday April 29th.

Thursday, April 6, 2006 – Tomorrow Evening In San Luis Obispo
World renowned botanist and ecologist Peter Raven will be speaking tomorrow evening at Cal Poly. The Washington University professor is a world leader in the environmental movement. An article about him in Discover Magazine is titled, “Peter the Great,” and he was Time Magazine’s 1999 “Hero for the Planet.” Raven received the National Medal of Science Award in 2000, and was appointed a MacArthur Fellow, this being the so-called “Genius Award.” Together with Paul Ehrlich, Raven developed the theory of coevolution in the 1970s. His talk tomorrow evening is titled, “Biodiversity, Sustainability and the Modern University.” It begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Mott Gym. The lecture is free and open to the public.

While Raven is visiting Cal Poly, he will tour the campus, meet with senior officials, and with representatives of groups engaged in efforts to advance biodiversity and sustainability, and will offer suggestions. I am hoping that KUSP listeners in San Luis Obispo County will be able to attend this lecture, and will highlight, in their questions and comments, the important role that good land use policies play in maintaining biodiversity.

Something else is going on tomorrow evening in San Luis Obispo, and that may be of interest.  HopeDance is sponsoring two films on “Peak Oil,” which will be shown at the San Luis Obispo Library, starting at 7:00 p.m.

Friday, April 7, 2006 – Next Hearing On The Watsonville General Plan
On Tuesday, April 11th, the Watsonville City Council will hold another hearing on its proposed new General Plan. As before, I’m urging Watsonville residents to get involved. Get more information by clicking on the Land Use Report link at www.kusp.org. Send me your comments and suggestions, too.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.