Check out this week’s Weekly Roundup for breaking news affecting San Francisco Bay.
SocketSite 4/29/13
Pier 30-32 Revitalization Act Aims To Clear The Way For The Warriors
Pier 30-32 was granted to the City and County of San Francisco by the state in trust “for purposes of commerce, navigation, and fisheries, and subject to specified terms and conditions relating to the operation of the Port of San Francisco.” While the use of Pier 30-32 for a cruise ship terminal was authorized and written into law, the terminal was built upon Pier 27 instead. And as it stands, an arena upon Pier 30-32 is not a legally authorized use. Introduced by Assembly Member Phil Ting, Assembly Bill 1273 (a.k.a. the Pier 30-32 Revitalization Act) will be considered by the Assembly Local Government Committee in Sacramento on Wednesday.
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The Press Democrat 4/29/13
State’s Coastal Conservancy runs low on cash after local deals
A little-known state agency that has poured $68 million into Sonoma County conservation projects is running low on cash and planning to scale back its mission of protecting and enhancing vast forests and coastal lands. Down to its last $150 million, the State Coastal Conservancy has spent most of a nearly $1 billion pot of bond funds approved by California voters and is preparing to get by with no new bond measures for the next 10 years. The conservancy, which has helped purchase about 40,000 acres in Sonoma County, is no longer likely to help swing big deals like the $24.5 million Preservation Ranch purchase it supported with a $10 million grant earlier this month.
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CBS SF Bay Area 5/1/13
Jefferson Award Winner Teaches Others The Values Of Native Plants
May 5, 2013 will be the ninth annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour in the East Bay. What started as one woman’s passion to protect local watersheds has grown to change the way thousands of people look at nature and the value the planting and preserving of native plants.
For 25 years, Kathy Kramer has worked to protect the watersheds of Northern California, developing award-winning education programs like Kids in Creeks, and community projects like the one that transformed Sausal Creek. Volunteers ripped out hillsides covered in ivy and replaced it with native plants that attract more insects and wildlife. The opened paths restored parts of the creekbed.
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Sierra 5/1/13
Are Grocery Delivery Services Green?
It isn’t easy being green. Sometimes, adopting eco-friendly habits — whether avoiding plastic bags or researching sustainable food options — only seems to add more stress to our already hectic lives. But one green habit might be as easy as skipping next Sunday’s grocery trip. A study published in the Journal of the Transportation Research Forum reveals that grocery delivery is easier not only on you, but on the planet, too. Using Seattle as a model, engineers at the University of Washington found that delivery service trucks generated 20 to 75 percent less carbon dioxide than personal vehicles driven to and from the grocery store.
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