Conservation groups filed an appeal Tuesday, March 28, in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging a lower court ruling allowing exploratory drilling in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains that threatens an endangered fish and a dwindling population of bi-state sage grouse. Read the full press release here.
Updates
(Photo by Diana Tomback) In a December 14 press release, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced a final action to list the whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service has concluded that the whitebark pine is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future throughout its range. Service Regional Director Matt Hogan said, “As a keystone species of the West, extending ESA protections to whitebark pine is critical to not only the tree itself, but also the numerous plants, animals, and watersheds that it supports.” The final rule to list…
“The futures of tourism, wildlife and ranching in Mono County are now at the mercy of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power – according to environmental groups – now that a court has upheld the agency’s authority to cut irrigation water.” Click here to read the entire article, which has been distributed to numerous media outlets throughout the Western U.S., thanks to our partnership with Public News Service. We Need Your Support! If you would like to help Friends of the Inyo continue the good fight for water justice in the Eastern Sierra, please read our June…
By Jora Fogg, FOI Policy Director Last month, in conjunction with Earth Day, the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) released their final Pathways to 30×30: Accelerating Conservation of California’s Nature strategy to forward the global effort to conserve 30 percent of lands and coastal waters by 2030 (30×30). The plan focuses on protecting the state’s biodiversity, advancing equitable access to nature and addressing the climate crisis. The Pathways document was crafted by a dedicated team at CNRA through months of public engagement. More than 4,100 Californians engaged with the state to provide input through more than a dozen public meetings,…
Did you miss the live event? Join Friends of the Inyo and Sierra Club as we virtually explore Conglomerate Mesa and remind ourselves on why we work so hard to protect this beautiful landscape. This event was hosted by Bryan Hatchell from Friends of the Inyo and Kris Hohag from Sierra Club. They show a recent flyover tour video of Conglomerate Mesa and then dive into the recent threats to this landscape.
Conglomerate Mesa Campaign Update | May 2021 The season of visiting Conglomerate Mesa is on its way out as desert temperatures quickly rise into uncomfortable ranges and folks from across the west are getting in their final trips. As people trend away from their desert trips in Saline Valley and the Southern Inyo Mountains, Conglomerate Mesa remains in limbo from mining threats that would forever alter these landscapes where people from across the globe come to explore and recreate. K2 Gold and Mojave Precious Metals are ramping up for their much more destructive second phase of exploration at Conglomerate Mesa….
LADWP will provide minimal amount of water In late April, DWP indicated by correspondence that it will provide a minimal amount of water for irrigation in Long Valley this year. In early April, the KLVG coalition submitted official comments on DWP’s Urban Water Management Plan pointing out that the data provided by DWP in its draft plan indicates that it is possible for the agency to meet the water demands of its ratepayers and drastically reduce, or even eliminate, reliance on water exported from the Eastern Sierra over the next 25 years. In spite of this, the agency’s draft plan…
Action Alert: Mining Exploration Threatens Long Valley *Updated 5/10: Comment period extended to May 13, 2021 What’s happening? Kore Mining proposes to construct a total of fourteen drilling pads, measuring 30 feet by 50 feet each. Access to these drill pads will require re-opening roughly a third of a mile of road for the duration of the project. Impacts of this proposed project include local quality of life, tourism, air quality, noise pollution, decimated habitat of local flora and fauna (including the at-risk sage grouse and local mule deer). The impacts of the exploration might be only the beginning, however. If…
Keep Long Valley Green Update LADWP faces no 2021 water shortages, yet refuses to start irrigation in Long and Little Round Valleys The Keep Long Valley Green (KLVG) coalition, made up of ranchers, environmental non-profits, local tribal members, and representatives from a diverse set of recreation interests, continues to seek a long-term commitment from Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to maintain historic water spreading practices in Little Round and Long Valleys. So far, the recalcitrant agency has steadfastly refused. Indeed in 2021, as reported by the LA Times, LADWP faces no foreseeable water shortages and yet has…
Press Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4/5/2021 Contact: Kris Hohag, (760) 920-3389, kris.hohag@sierraclub.org Bryan Hatchell, (336) 307-6745, bryan@friendsoftheinyo.org Mining Project Proponents Block Meaningful Public Participation at Town Hall Local businesses, Indigenous leaders, and environmental groups were unable to provide comment and ask questions during the event LONE PINE, CA – On Wednesday, March 24th, Mojave Precious Metals and K2 Gold hosted a virtual “Community Town Hall” about their upcoming road construction and exploratory drilling at National Conservation Lands site Conglomerate Mesa. With roughly 200 people in attendance, community members were eager to share their perspectives and ask company representatives questions…