Open Space Happenings: 06.27.12

Every week we round up news, links, and more that tell part of the land conservation story here in the Bay Area. Here's this week's installment.

Alt. was held on a very hot Saturday, June 16 and one of the riders, Yu Kuwabara, mounted a camera to his handle bars as he descended the third and final mountain of the day. Watch this video and join him on the ride down. Read more about Yu's experience on his blog.

• Congressman Honda Says California’s Parks Must Be Preserved. U.S. Congressman Mike Honda, D-San Jose, said that California’s parks and other open spaces must be preserved at all costs, and selling them off to close budget gaps would be a violation of public trust. (New American Media)
• Two-thirds of California parks set to close may be saved. With less than two weeks until a July 1 closure deadline, Portola Redwoods State Park became the 31st park saved from the list of 70 parks that Gov. Jerry Brown had proposed to close to help balance the state budget. (Mercury News)
• Food Access: The Missing Sustainability Planning Topic? According to a recent national study conducted by APA’s Planning and Community Health Research Center, only 105 jurisdictions in the U.S. explicitly address an aspect of local or regional food systems in their comprehensive plans or sustainability plans. (APA Sustaining Places)
• A campaign to save California's coastal prairie. With golden summer hillsides and enticing mosaics of forest and field, the grasslands of California are iconic. Yet few people realize that some of those grasslands are actually coastal prairie, one of the most diverse - and most endangered -ecosystems in the world. (Bay Nature)
• California faces more serious risk of sea level rise than other areas. As the world continues to warm from climate change, most of California -- including San Francisco Bay -- will see a greater rise in sea level than other parts of the planet, according to a prominent national study released Friday. (Mercury News)
• Monitoring Conservation Easements. A radio show that provides an overview of what's involved. (KRCB)

 

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This is your weekly helping of land conservation news for the Bay Area. Scroll through past Happenings by clicking here.