PORTLAND
Conservation groups ask court to reinstate protections on 3.4 million acres of critical Northern Spotted Owl habitat
Conservation groups in the Pacific Northwest filed a legal challenge to reinstate federal protections on more than 3.4 million acres of federal old-growth forests, which are essential for the survival of the threatened northern spotted owl. The lawsuit asks the court to reject a rule issued in the last days of the Trump administration that eliminated one-third of the critical habitat protections for the species. The nonprofit law firms Earthjustice and Western Environmental Law Center represent Audubon Society of Portland, Cascadia Wildlands, Center for Biological Diversity, and a number of other environmental entities.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Fish and Wildlife) protected the northern spotted owl, a bird found only in the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest, as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 1990. In 2012, approximately 9.6 million acres of habitat necessary for the owl’s survival and recovery were protected on federally managed public lands in Washington, Oregon and Northern California.
“Protecting habitat is the most important thing we can do for the owl,” said Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland Conservation director. “If northern spotted owls are going to survive and recover, we must get all the habitat protections back in place.”
The drastic slashing of critical habitat protections came as a surprise, as an earlier proposed rule suggested eliminating protections for only 200,000 acres. The final rule also came despite the Fish and Wildlife’s science-based conclusion in December that northern spotted owl populations deserved to be protected as endangered due to continued habitat loss.
Earlier this month, the Biden administration extended the date at which the rule slashing habitat protections would go into effect and asked for further public comment on the millions of acres of owl habitat that would be opened for logging.
“The Trump administration looted the palace on its way out the door,” said Kristen Boyles, Earthjustice staff attorney. “The Biden administration is taking the right steps to fix the mess it was handed, and we want to ensure it continues to do so.”
“Our goal is to make sure the owl retains all the habitat protections it scientifically needs to recover,” said Ryan Shannon, a staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity.
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LAKEPORT
Please don’t feed the ducks – keep waterfowl healthy and wild
According to city officials, wildlife in Lake County is part of what makes this such a special place. Feeding ducks, or any waterfowl, is not permitted in the City’s parklands, according to our Municipal Code. California state law also reflects this. Section 251.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations prohibits the harassment of any game or non-game bird or mammal or fur-bearing mammal, expressly including intentional acts such as feeding that disrupts the animal’s natural foraging behavior.
Why not? Feeding the ducks is a very old and popular family pastime. What many people don’t realize is that feeding wildlife can lead to severe health consequences for wildlife and people. Learn more here: https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/duck-feeding-prohibited#disease
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CLEARLAKE
Hope Rising’s SafeRx expands efforts in substance use disorders treatment
Leveraging SafeRx’s opioid misuse coalition’s successful tactics, Hope Rising is expanding efforts to combat the devastating effects of illicit substance use in Lake County. Hope Risings focuses collective efforts on residents struggling with substance use disorders, those living in recovery, reducing the stigma around addiction and seeing lives restored.
In 2019-2020, Hope Rising distributed 1,600+ Narcan kits to community members, Native American tribes, and local businesses that directly correlated to 40 overdose reversals and lives saved. Combined with the reduction in opioid prescriptions due to SafeRx’s 2015 county-wide safe prescribing guidelines, significant measures are in place to continue battling this crisis. By 2018, SafeRx saw a reduction 31% decrease in average dosage per user, a 43% decrease in overall opioid users, and a 78% decrease in unsafe dose users.
“Several of our team members have lived experience with someone affected by substance use or have lost loved ones to the opioid crises,” says Allison Panella, Hope Rising Executive Director. “This is something that sits very near to our hearts.”
Acknowledging that the battle against substance use disorders in Lake County has a long way to go, Hope Rising made some significant steps to turn the tide. “This crisis didn’t occur overnight, nor will it be resolved in a short time.” Says Panella.
In a county battling staggering substance use disorders, compounded with a year-long pandemic stay-at-home order and isolation, the age-adjusted opioid prescription rate is still improving in all county zip codes, due to the efforts of the SafeRx initiative.
In addition to reducing substance use disorders, Hope Rising has been working to prevent drug use in youth through two SafeRx programs. The Youth Opioid Response initiative helps to support local youth with their experiences surrounding substance use disorder. The online website and Instagram account have received over 2 million media impressions since its inception. SafeRx is requesting additional grant funding to sustain all counties’ operations https://findyourwayca.com/lake-county. SafeRx has also partnered with the Clearlake Youth center to initiate a youth group focused on wellness and prevention.
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