Sacramento Bee -- Sierra Summit

September 29, 2009

Jewels in the sky - alpine wildflowers and climate change

Some of the prettiest wildflowers you'll ever see in the Sierra Nevada grow above timberline, including this wonderfully-named Sky Pilot, which I photographed at 12,500 feet above sea level at the Middle Palisade glacier near Big Pine earlier this month (Sept. 09)

The Sky Pilot is also emblematic of a rugged, windswept and starkly beautiful ecosystem that is now in danger because of global warming.

"As the climate gets warmer, the tree-line moves up," Ann Dennis, a retired vegetation ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service told me in an interview. "If tree-line goes all the way up to the top of the mountains, there will be very little habitat left for these species."

The risk is more acute in the northern Sierra, including the Lake Tahoe region, because forests already creep close to the summits in many places, she said. "The alpine zone is really just a tiny little slice at the top of the peaks. Once the trees get up to the top of those peaks, there really isn't going to be habitat in the Tahoe area for a number of species."

Dennis is working with the Global Observation and Research Initiative in Alpine Environments, or GLORIA, for short (http://www.gloria.ac.at/) to study changes in the alpine zone. Research is underway in the Sierra Nevada and White Mountains and more information can be found at: http://www.wmrs.edu/projects/gloria%20project/default.htm

"I think it is a very genuine cause for concern," Dennis told me. "I care, personally, because I love the high mountains. And I have been going up to very high places since I was a little child. My heart sings in these places. I love it."

September 28, 2009

Arctic warming (it's about more than polar bears)

Climate change is especially severe in the Arctic - and it's not just polar bears that are feeling the heat.

That's the conclusion of an article in Science magazine this month (Sept. 09) that combs the scientific literature for information about the ecological impacts of warming in the Arctic - and here are some of the findings:

Unusually early spring rains in northern Canada have led to the melting and collapse of birth lairs of ringed seals, leaving pups exposed on bare ice.
The northward expansion of moths in Scandanavia has led to the severe defoliation of birch forests.
Shrub species are moving north, too, threatening plant diversity. But so far, grazing by caribou and musk ox - such as this one I saw in Canada's Northwest Territories in 2004 - has slowed the advance.
Increased melting of winter snows in Norway has led to a rapid increase in reindeer population, through increased fecundity and less starvation. Elsewhere, less snow-cover has been associated with the collapse of small mammal populations, including lemmings.
Plants are blooming up to 20 days earlier over the past decade in some places.

It makes sense that colder landscapes - those attuned to cycles of snowfall and snow melt - would be among the first to exhibit the impacts of warming. We have one of those landscapes here in California, too - the majestic Sierra Nevada, a glistening white water tower, wildlife sanctuary and recreational bonanza - much of it tied to life around the freezing point. Stay tuned as I explore, in periodic blog posts, the impact of climate change across the Sierra Nevada, California's cold zone.

September 25, 2009

Sierra Nevada birds and climate change

The more they look, the more scientists find the signposts of climate change across the California landscape.

In the Sierra, such signals have been detected in more destructive wildfire, earlier spring run-off and the movement of small mammals - such as the alpine chipmunk - uphill toward more hospitable environments.

A new study - published in the online journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences earlier this month - has turned up more evidence in the behavior of birds, such as the western bluebird, show here.

The study found that 48 of 53 Sierra species - including the bluebird - have adjusted to climate change over the past century by moving to sites with more desirable temperature and precipitation conditions.

Some birds shifted to warmer locales while others preferred chillier habitats, the study found. Overall, 82 sites surveyed have seen an average 1.4 degree Fahrenheit temperature increase and nearly a quarter of an inch more rainfall during the breeding season since the early 1900s. The study builds upon the pioneering field work of U.C. Berkeley zoologist Joseph Grinnell who traveled extensively across the Sierra between 1911 and 1929 and meticulously recorded what he saw. As our climate changes, the study found, birds tend to seek out conditions that existed in habitats - or ecological niches - that Grinnell documented and wrote about in his journals.

Certain species, such as the Dusky Flycatcher and Green-tailed Towhee were more sensitive to temperature changes, while others, including the Yellow-rumped Warbler and Lazuli Bunting reacted to precipitation changes. About a fourth of the species studied responded to both temperature and precipitation.

"Understanding how species will respond to climate change allows us to take steps now to restore key habitats and create movements corridors that will help them respond to the changes we have coming," said Morgan Tingley, lead author of the study and a Ph.D. student at U.C. Berkeley, in a press release.

To read the actual paper, click on this link:

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/09/14/0901562106.full.pdf+html?sid=9b659bc4-92a6-4b58-9075-d96412e5195b

Photo courtesy of Morgan Tingley

September 8, 2009

A modern-day Johnny Appleseed

Tree-planting is popular these days but few people know more about it - or do more of it - than Mike Landram, regional silvaculturist for the Forest Service in California.

Today, Mike is being award the John R. McGuire Award - named for the former Forest Service Chief who helped draft the National Forest Management Act - for his efforts to replant large patches of California forests burned by increasingly high severity wildfire, including the 2007 Moonlight fire in the northern Sierra.

Tree planters don't get enough kudos. They are the care takers of tomorrow, custodians of the forests that your children's children will enjoy later this century or early next. But restoring forests in an era of climate change is not simple. Late last year, I talked to Mike about some of the challenges - and during our conversation his passion for reforestation was clear. Here is some of what he told me:

"I think the Forest Service has a fundamental obligation to keep forest land forested. Aren't these forests in a public trust because they're forests?"

"The thing I worry about most are the big, burned out patches. They are not characteristic in an evolutionary sense...."

Because such fires inflict so much damage, tree-planting efforts are critical, he said. Nature needs an assist. But as temperatures rise, planting strategies need to change. "The good news is that most of these planted trees are reasonably able to adapt to changing conditions once they get established. But if we think the temperature is going to increase six degrees - and we know the place we are working is already at the warmest edge of where it will grow - don't bother to plant it."

Instead, plant what you expect to grow there in the future. "We call that assisted migration," he said. "That is something the reasearch community is aimed at trying to help us to do."

Change is inevitable. Forests today don't look like they did during the Gold Rush. "We can rest comfortable that the future will be different than today," Landram said.

But the important thing, he said, is to do something.... to plant a tree. "We as a society usually want to focus on the controversy of the day - not on the kind of forest we are going to create for future generations. And we lose focus on what kind of legacy we are leaving the next generation."

To read more about Mike and his award from the National Association of Forest Service Retirees, click on this link: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/news/2009/nafsr-fs-award.shtml

July 11, 2009

A plea for parks (and a history lesson too)

My recent posting about Bodie State Park yielded a number of interesting observations. It's obvious that people care deeply about their parks and are astonished that the Governor would propose to close them. But is the Governor listening?

Here are two e-mails worth sharing - the first from Rachael Woods, director of public relations at Alpine Meadows ski area and the second from Phil Pister, a retired Sierra Nevada fisheries biologist and conservation legend who lives in Bishop.

From Rachael:

"I wrote to every state and district representative I could get addresses for; hopefully everyone does it. I'm no economist, but it wasn't state parks which got us into this mess; I'm not certain they should bear the burden of removing us from it. It would be a shame to see parks - which serve as wildlife refuge for so many animals - close. They are an enormous part of the state's unique character; as well, represent income for so many."

Phil wrote to tell me about the history of Bodie State Park and what closure might mean for it:

"Bodie was rebuilt during my early years here in the early sixties when the local Conservation Camp was established. Fortunately, the guy who headed up their projects (the late John Clark - a good friend) was deeply interested in CA history, and his first project was rebuilding Bodie. Had he not done this I doubt that much would remain. A lot of material had already been carted off before he got here by collectors and other thoughtless people. The nearby settlement of Aurora was essentially lost, mainly by builders looking for old (and free) brick. If Bodie is denied its funding, there is little question in my mind that without a skeleton staff, most of Bodie will end up heading north and south along US 395. This would be tragic."

July 2, 2009

Losing history - Bodie State Park slated for closure

Lost in the sagebrush hills of eastern California, Bodie State Park is one of the most well-preserved mining ghost towns in the world. But now this historical treasure is in trouble, slated for closure by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger due to the state's budget crisis.

Walking through Bodie is like stepping back in time. The weathered 19th century storefronts, the horse-drawn wagons and rusting pieces of mining equipment don't just look real - they are real. Closing a place like this would be a shame. There are many state parks - but there is only one Bodie. Get out and see it while you can. And be sure to watch my video interview with Bodie supervising ranger Mark Langer by clicking on the play button in the box below.

May 6, 2009

Amazon crude - California's thirst for Ecuador's oil

This past Sunday, 60 Minutes aired a fascinating piece about oil development in Ecuador's Amazon - and in particular, about a lawsuit between indigenous residents there and California-based Chevron. The stakes are high. If a judge rules against Chevron, it could face billions in damages related to historic oil pollution in the region. It could even be the most costly environmental judgment in history.

60 Minutes pointed out that much of Ecuador's oil flows to the United States but it didn't say where in the U.S. The answer is eco-friendly California - a state that jealously guards its own coastline from oil development.

When I last reported on this issue from Ecuador in 2003, 39 million barrels of Ecuadorian oil flowed to California. Last year - despite efforts to reduce oil consumption here and shrink our carbon footprint - imports of Ecuadorian oil to California climbed to 62.5 million barrels - up more than 60 percent.

To many environmentalists and politicians, oil development along the coast is a simple "not in my backyard" issue. But when we continue to consume petroleum in massive quantities from afar, we simply deflect the environmental impacts elsewhere - to places out of sight and out of mind - and often, places with less rigorous anti-pollution laws than our own.

That hardly seems environmentally responsible.

April 22, 2009

Speaking about energy and climate (Phil Angelides)

As an environmental journalist, I listen to a lot of speeches about energy and climate. But many, sad to say, are not that energetic. Some, in fact, are more dull than insightful - filled with detail but short on vision. It's unfortunate that subjects so important to our future are discussed in ways that don't connect with the public.

But every so often, someone surprises me. Last month, that person was Phil Angelides, former treasurer of the state of California, former candidate for governor and now chairman of the Apollo Alliance, a group of environmental, labor, business and community leaders working to bring more "green-collar" jobs to California. On March 18, Angelides delivered a speech to the Green California Summit and Exposition in Sacramento in which he talked about the promise of green technology in the Golden State. But unlike other speakers, Angelides delivered his message in crisp, clear sentences, avoided jargon and even worked in a little humor, at one point telling the audience how California's embrace of green energy is like high school sex. "Everybody's talking about it, but not that many people are doing it." But most importantly, he delivered his talk with an alternate form of energy often missing from energy and climate presentations today - a passion for the subject at hand.

To hear some excerpts from Angelides' talk, including his humor, click on the play button here:

To listen to the whole speech, click here:

April 7, 2009

A burning issue: Fire and the Freedom of Information Act

The Moonlight fire, which burned some 65,000 acres near Greenville in September 2007, was one of the largest and most destructive wildfires in recent history in the northern Sierra.

In all, the fire cost more than $30 million to put out. And now, millions more are being spent to replant the region and hopefully bring the forest back to health.

But the precise cause of the fire remains a mystery. One year ago, government officials told Bee correspondent Jane Braxton Little the fire was started by a logging operation on nearby private land - but released no details.

Today, the government is still mum. In response to my U.S. Freedom of Information request asking for a copy of the Forest Service investigative report examining the cause of the fire, the agency wrote back and said, in so many words: We're still working on it. (See attachment below)

It's now been 19 months since the Moonlight fire scarred the region - and we have very little information about how it happened or who - if anyone - will pay the bill, besides taxpayers. What's your view? Is the agency stone-walling? Or is it simply being meticulous? For an agency that has moved rapidly to identify the causes of other large wildfires, why is the Moonlight investigation taking so long?

Here is a copy of the Forest Service response to my Freedom of Information Act request --

img026.11.pdf

and

img029.11.pdf

March 31, 2009

Efficiency of green groups ranked

We hear a lot about energy efficiency these days. What about organizational efficiency?

The American Institute of Philanthropy, one of the nation's leading non-profit watchdogs, has just released its newest Charity Rating Guide and Watchdog Report in which it grades organizations (A through F) based on their fund-raising and organizational efficiency.

The report is hard-copy only. If you're interested, I suggest that you subscribe and I'll include information about how to do that below.

But to give you a sample of what's in the report, here is how some environmental groups active in California and the Sierra fared:

Cost to raise $100 Executive salary in 000's

American Forests A- 19 115 - 142

American Rivers B- 21 - 32 129 - 170

Arbor Day Foundation B+ 17 - 27 187 - 388

Audubon Society B 30 309 - 390

Conservation Fund A+ 2 218 - 476

Defenders of Wildlife D 22 - 50 212 - 315

Ducks Unlimited A- 19 - 25 232 - 292

Environmental Defense B+ 14 - 21 271 - 417

Friends of the Earth B+ 14 - 16 93 - 149

Greenpeace* C- 26 -50 88 - 167

Nature Conservancy A- 12 270 - 407

Sierra Club* C 39 219 - 264

Trout Unlimited A- 14 - 16 148 - 224

Trust for Public Land A+ 4 182 - 282

Wilderness Society C+ 18 - 28 173 - 267

World Wildlife Fund B 15 - 27 228 - 347

*Contributions to these groups are not tax-deductible.

The American Institute of Philanthropy rates non-profit organizations of all stripes, from the Disabled Veterans Association to the American Cancer Society. If you'd like to subscribe to the Charity Rating Guide and Watchdog Report, go to the following link: http://www.charitywatch.org/

March 31, 2009

Kudos to NPR for climate debate

This morning, National Public Radio in Sacramento (KXJZ) aired a fascinating debate about the merits of reducing carbon emissions to combat climate change. If you missed it, I strongly encourage you to listen in at this web page:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97998613

Unlike a lot of climate debates, this one - held in New York in British Oxford-style format (one motion, one moderator and multiple advocates for both sides) actually raises the level of the discussion. Imagine that.

The motion before the panelists was simple: Major reductions in carbon emissions are not worth the money. The issue is particularly important here in California - a state that is home to the world's eighth largest economy and a world leader in the war on carbon.

The debate lasts about an hour - and in the end, audience members have their say. They vote on which side has carried the day. Is it worth it to reduce carbon emissions - or not? I won't give away the results, but I think you'll find them surprising. And no matter what your view on the matter is, my guess is you will learn something by listening in.

March 25, 2009

Climate change and national forests - a rural perspective

Since 1993, Lynn Jungwirth has spoken out often and eloquently on behalf of rural communities and healthy forests. Now, she is talking about climate change, too.

Earlier this month, Lynn - who directs the Watershed Center in Hayfork, a tiny town in northern California - testified before a Congressional sub-committee about how national forests can help combat climate change - and restore rural economies at the same time. It is a big dream and, as Lynn made clear, it won't be easy. I found her testimony intriguing - and I thought you might too. She began with a broad overview and moved on to more complex - and often contentious - issues of forest management and carbon sequestration. So, without further adieu, here are a few highlights.

"Climate change discussions in the United States ... have been dominated by an urban, industrial perspective that focuses on transportation, electricity generation, and large-scale manufacturing.... The rural perspective is somewhat different, perhaps because rural communities and landscapes are experiencing the ecological stresses of climate change, including insect pandemics, intense wildfires, degraded fisheries, invasive species, and ecosystem conversion at an observable rate. We don't actually need the scientists to measure the change in climate; we are living it."

"Healthy, resilient forests sequester carbon. In the Trinities, we started 12 years ago, thinning overstocked stands both for hazardous fuels reduction and to improve the quality of the spotted owl habitat. Subsequent measurement has shown increased growth rates in the remaining trees. The carbon sink is increasing. What is not so obvious is that forest restoration can also provide biofuels for transportation, reduce carbon intensive energy use in the industrial sector through combined head and power biomass plants, and reduce the carbon intensity of electrical power by co-firing coal plants with wood pellets and using woody biomass for electrical generation (a common strategy in the European Union)."

"The Trinity Forest is a nice little forest. It is over a million and a half acres in the Klamath Knot, one of the most biologically diverse areas on the planet. Please don't manage it for carbon. Manage it to be resilient. Manage it to prepare for the impacts of climate change. Manage it to be here for another 400 years. If you do, the carbon sink will come. The greenhouse gas emissions from wildfire will drop. The biofuels can be developed. The renewable energy will be developed and sustained. The owl and the coho will have a chance at survival. And so will we."

If you'd like to read Lynn's testimony in its entirety, you can do so at this link:

http://www.sustainablenorthwest.org/quick-links/resources/Testimony/testimony

More information about the Watershed Center can be found at:

http://www.thewatershedcenter.com/

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