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On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC HEARING: Sites Reservoir Project water rights hearing beginning at 9am. The State Water Resources Control Board Administrative Hearings Office will hold a Public Hearing on the pending petition for Sites Reservoir Project water rights. Interested members of the public who would like to watch this hearing may do so through the Administrative Hearings Office YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@swrcbadministrativehearing728/featured. Click here for the hearing notice.
In California water news today …
How February’s atmospheric rivers affected California’s water supply
“After a bone-dry January, California experienced four atmospheric rivers in the first two weeks of February. This was a welcome development—January is typically the state’s wettest month and crucial for water supply, and the lack of rain and snow was deeply concerning to many across the state. California relies heavily on atmospheric rivers to build snowpack, fill reservoirs, and recharge groundwater. This water feeds into one of the world’s most elaborate conveyance systems, which moves water hundreds of miles to cities and farms throughout the Central Valley, the Bay Area, and Southern California. But even during this recent period of abundance, there are constraints on how much can be stored or moved around. Addressing these bottlenecks in the system to take better advantage of wet periods will be essential to cope with a changing climate. But it will not be easy, and all approaches are likely to involve costly and controversial trade-offs. The February storms illustrate some of the challenges the state faces. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
California faces worsening drought despite recent heavy rainstorms
“Dramatic rainstorms earlier this month brought more than 6in of rain to the California mountains – a full month’s worth of rain in little more than a day – but the deluge wasn’t enough to reverse a worsening drought trend that is set to intensify further in the coming weeks and months. Along the iconic Pacific Coast highway in Malibu, where just weeks earlier flames leveled hundreds of oceanside homes, a Los Angeles firefighter was washed out to sea, and later rescued. Massive debris flows transported a thick layer of mud into neighborhoods near Altadena, the same place where search and rescue crews had gone house to house searching for survivors among the wreckage of the worst wildfire disaster in the history of southern California. The hardest hit from the mudslides was the foothills town of Sierra Madre, which was under evacuation orders last month from the Eaton fire – and now must dig out from a newly deposited feet-thick layer of muck. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
SEE ALSO: California Gets Warning About Water Supply, from Newsweek
Even in wet years, wells are still dry. Why replenishing California’s groundwater is painfully slow
“After abundant rain and moderate snowfall this year in the northern half of the state, California’s largest reservoirs are holding more than 120% of their historical average. But underground, the state’s supply of water for drinking and irrigating crops remains depleted. Even after multiple wet winters, and despite a state law that’s supposed to protect and restore the state’s precious groundwater, thousands of wells — mostly in rural, low-income communities in the San Joaquin Valley — have gone dry because of over-pumping by growers. So why hasn’t the recent bounty of rain and snow replenished the state’s underground supplies? The Newsom administration has been pushing for more groundwater storage and investing hundreds of millions of dollars in solutions, but most stormwater flows into the ocean. Some of this is intentional — the water has to be routed quickly away from communities to prevent flooding, while some supports aquatic ecosystems, including endangered salmon. But millions of acre feet escape every year because there is no statewide system of pumps, pipelines and ponds to capture it and let it sink into the ground. … ” Continue reading from Cal Matters.
Saving the salmon: Restoring native fish populations on Lower Clear Creek
“For millennia, Northern California Native Americans, particularly the Wintu, relied heavily on salmon harvested from Clear Creek and the Sacramento River for food and trade. These waterways once thrived as major salmon habitats, sustaining the Wintu’s diet and culture. However, the mid-1800s California Gold Rush brought drastic changes. Gold miners dredged creek bottoms and mined stream banks, leading to significant sedimentation and siltation downstream. This influx of silt robbed salmon of the clean gravel essential for their reproduction, contributing to their population decline. While gold mining has waned over the years, other human activities such as logging and, most notably, dam construction have continued to impact salmon habitats. These modern influences pose significant challenges to the recovery of salmon populations. What measures have been taken, and what more can be done to support their resurgence? … ” Read more from the National Park Service.
Diversity in coho salmon could be key to species survival
“New research published today in Ecology Letters from the Stone Center found that coho salmon, one of five Pacific salmon species, have more dynamic migration patterns than previously thought. The study reveals these alternative life histories made coho populations more stable over time, which could be a missing piece in conservation research and action more broadly. Salmon are keystone species (they play an essential role in the health and function of their larger ecosystems) and coho are endangered in California. Researchers with UC Berkeley and California Sea Grant led the 12 year-long study in Willow Creek, a tributary to the Russian River located in northern California’s Sonoma County, to evaluate the effectiveness of salmon restoration efforts. “It’s commonly thought that, during their first year of life in freshwater, coho live and eat near to where they hatched prior to migrating to the ocean for adulthood,” said Dr. Hank Baker, lead author of the paper and postdoctoral researcher within the Carlson and Grantham labs and Freshwater Group at UC Berkeley. “However, we noticed that some individuals leave their natal habitat early and spend months in other parts of the river network before migrating. We found that this subtle diversity within the population contributed quite dramatically to a more robust and stable population overall.” The effect is similar to that of a well-diversified financial portfolio, according to Baker. … ” Continue reading from UC Berkeley.
How young salmon navigate a gauntlet of danger en route to the sea
“For young salmon, the journey along the San Joaquin River in Central California is no small feat. Every spring and fall, thousands of these fish—each as long as a pinky finger— embark on a 350-mile race, swimming day and night and dodging predators along the way to reach the Pacific Ocean. But less than 5% survive the journey, and in some years, hardly any make it. Elevated water temperatures, dams and poor water quality all endanger the animal, but human-introduced predators, including striped and largemouth bass, kill most of them. In a new CU Boulder-led study, researchers reveal how these salmon learn to swim in different parts of the river at different times of day to avoid predators and conserve energy. The study was published Feb 24 in the journal Ecology Letters. … ” Read more from CU Boulder.
Scientists attest to value of UC Davis Smelt Lab
“Moshiur Rahman doesn’t know much about what’s going on with federal funding for the facility he works at, the UC Davis Fish Conservation and Culture Laboratory near Byron. What Rahman, an assistant project scientist, knows is the value of the work that his facility does researching and breeding smelt such as the endangered Delta smelt. While the population of this fish has been largely depleted, it can help feed other parts of the Delta ecosystem and prevent algae blooms. Rahman even knows what he’d say to people trying to politicize smelt: “You have to save this species.” This might be in doubt, with the San Francisco Chronicle reporting on Feb. 6 that the federal government was looking to not renew funding for the lab after its current round expires on Friday. While sources close to UC Davis are confident of a new contract being signed with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, that hadn’t happened as of press time. People like Rahman warn about what could happen next. … ” Read more from Comstock’s.
Where California’s land is sinking and rising
“As part of a broader effort to improve understanding of sea level rise, researchers have published new estimates of California’s vertical land motion—also known as uplift and subsidence—between 2015 and 2023. They detailed where land beneath major coastal cities, including parts of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, is sinking. Locations of uplift were also observed. The rising and sinking land, detected in the new analysis by researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is visible in this map. Areas shown in blue are subsiding, with darker blue areas sinking faster than lighter blue ones. Areas shown in dark red are rising the fastest. … ” Read more from NASA’s Earth Observatory.
California’s sea level projections may be way off—thanks to sinking land
“Rising and sinking land across the state of California could affect sea levels in the state in the coming decades, according to an analysis by researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The researchers studied satellite radar data to capture the vertical movement of land across more than one thousand miles (1,610 kilometers) of California coast. Comparing that data with historical observations of the same locations, the team found that land was subsiding and rising at levels much higher than regional estimates. The team’s research—published last month in Science Advances—reveals the amount of surface motion on the ground using data from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellites and ground-based receiving stations that are part of the Global Navigation Satellite System. The data was collected between 2015 and 2023 and shows how different areas across the state are rising and sinking. In the image below, areas in blue are subsiding, while areas in red are rising (the darker the red, the faster the rise). … ” Read more from Gizmodo.
New state legislative bill package includes focus on tribal issues
A new legislative package in the California Legislature includes several bills focusing on tribal issues. The package is being put forward by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino), the first and only California Native American serving in the state’s legislature. Some of the key bills in Ramo’s package focus on confronting the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis and “furthering acceptance and knowledge of state tribes,” Ramos said. The bills in the package focusing on tribal issues are as follows. … AB 362 (Shingle Springs Water) would add tribal water uses as a beneficial use of water in the state. AB 362 would also require the State Water Quality Control Board or a regional water quality control to describe, with both quantitative and qualitative information, how the project or regulatory program will impact tribal water uses. Sponsor: Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. Not yet referred to a policy committee. … ” Read more from the Lake County News.
In commentary today …
Editorial: Donald Trump — aided by DOGE — just crippled California’s ability to fight wildfires
The McClatchy California editorial board writes, “President Donald Trump made good on his promise to shrink the federal workforce— and he did it in the worst possible way. Aided and abetted by Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, Trump declared a hiring freeze and fired tens of thousands of probationary employees, regardless of their missions. DOGE would have us believe these were mostly low-level bureaucrats who sat behind their desks and did little more than collect paychecks. They were not. They held down a variety of positions — not necessarily behind a desk — and often worked long hours for little pay, doing jobs that would be unimaginable to many of us. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Dan Walters: Trump, Newsom play high-stakes game over billions in federal wildfire aid
“After voters shunned Kamala Harris and sent Donald Trump back to the White House, California Gov. Gavin Newsom immediately positioned himself as the leader of the opposition. Newsom called a special legislative session, seeking money for lawsuits to “safeguard California values.” “The freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack — and we won’t sit idle,” Newsom said in a statement. His office declared that “This is the first of several actions by the Newsom administration, in partnership with the Legislature, as the governor begins shoring up California’s defenses against an incoming federal administration that has threatened the state on multiple fronts.” Trump responded with a post on his Truth Social website, saying, “Governor Gavin Newscum is trying to KILL our Nation’s beautiful California” and “stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again.’” … ” Read more from Dan Walters at Cal Matters.
Why Trump’s attempt to blackmail California on LA fire relief funding is a betrayal
Opinion writer Tad Weber writes, “One of California’s great treasures is its 840-mile-long coastline. From the redwood-forested coast of Northern California to the rocky shores of Big Sur on the Central Coast to the sandy beaches in Southern California, the California coast is truly a wonder. Central Valley residents know this as the coast is a prime destination for many when blazing hot summer months arrive. Preserving and guarding the splendor is the California Coastal Commission, the public agency that the state’s voters created in 1972. Its mission is “to protect, conserve, restore, and enhance the environment of the California coastline.” The commission frequently denies developers who want to build on the coast and private homeowners who wrongly believe the beach below their homes belongs to them. It doesn’t. It belongs to the public, as enshrined in the California Coastal Act of 1976. It is no surprise, then, that a critic of the Coastal Commission would be none other than President Donald Trump, aka a New York real estate developer. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Lake County may try to derail Eel River Dam deal with direct appeal to President Trump
“It was all kumbaya a couple of weeks ago, as various players in the drama over the Eel River Project stamped their seals of approval on a deal that would tear down both Scott and Van Arsdale dams, while at the same time continuing delivery of Eel River water to the Russian River watershed. But Lake County — the actual home of Lake Pillsbury, the reservoir created by Scott Dam — now seems ready to throw a wrench into the gears, via a direct appeal to President Donald Trump. At its meeting tomorrow, the Lake County Board of Supervisors will consider sending two letters — one to Gov. Gavin Newsom and one to various cabinet-level officials in the Trump administration, arguing that removal of the badly broken dams runs contrary to policy. … ” Read more from the Lost Coast Outpost.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
TRPA’s Environmental Threshold Evaluation shows improvements in standards, new long-term goals
“The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s (TRPA) environmental threshold evaluation report, which monitors the regional plan’s environmental factors across 140 indicators, shows that in 2019 to 2023, 75% of the indicators trended positively. The results of the peer-reviewed report can now be accessed online through a dashboard and reveal the positive effects of the Environmental Improvement Program (EIP). The TRPA prepares a threshold evaluation report every four years—this most recent one represents the 8th comprehensive threshold evaluation since 1980. The data is collected for a three-year period, then all the data are compiled into a report, peer-reviewed by the Tahoe Science Advisory Council. For the period from 2019 to 2023, 92% of the indicators were stable or improving, while 79% of the thresholds were “in attainment” or within the accepted level. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
Salmon return to North Yuba River for first time in almost a century as restoration continues
“Years of human activity along branches of the Yuba River dating back to the Gold Rush have changed the river’s flow and ecology. But several projects, recent and ongoing, have sought to return parts of the river closer to natural conditions. Salmon swam the North Yuba River this year for the first time in the better part of a century as part of a multi-agency effort to restore the spring-run Chinook species to its historical spawning grounds upstream in the mountains. Another river project moved forward last week — but remains about a year away from the start of construction, with more red tape in the way — as Yuba Water Agency directors approved environmental work for a “Nature-Like Fishway” that bypasses a dam that’s blocked several fish species on the lower Yuba River for decades. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
CENTRAL COAST
Judge ordered SLO County to release more water from Lopez Dam. Will it drain the lake?
“San Luis Obispo County and a coalition of environmental groups are fighting over the appropriate amount of water to release from Lopez Dam to support an endangered fish without jeopardizing the drinking water supply. In December, U.S. District Court Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett ordered the county to release more water from Lopez Dam to support steelhead trout migration through Arroyo Grande Creek. The county appealed the decision, arguing that the court-ordered water release schedule would drain Lopez Lake during a drought — preventing the county from delivering drinking water to South County. Lopez Lake isn’t only a home to steelhead trout — it’s also a drinking water source for more than 45,000 SLO County residents living and working in Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Pismo Beach, Avila Beach and Grover Beach, according to county documents. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Hydrology critical on the Stanislaus watershed
“The Northern San Joaquin Valley, as things now stand, could be slipping into the grip of a dry year. And if conditions don’t turnaround with less than five weeks to go before the critical April 1 snowpack reading, South San Joaquin Irrigation District water managers are warning drought measures could be on the horizon. The SSJID board when they meet today at 9 a.m. is considering starting the irrigation season on March 12. That would be welcome news to almond growers as the region is now heading into a week or so of higher than normal temperatures. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
Feds give SoCal Edison more time to submit data in contentious Kern River plant relicensing
“Southern California Edison will have until June 30, 2025 to file required information on its application to relicense its Kernville power plant, despite strong objections by a local boating group. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission found Edison’s application deficient as it didn’t include design drawings of the plant and its intake facilities. It initially demanded the drawings by March 18 but on Monday granted Edison’s request to bump the deadline by three months. Kern River Boaters had objected, saying the delay will give the public less time to study the plans in order to make informed comments. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Public invited to march for the Kern River ahead of key hearing
“Members of local group Bring Back the Kern are holding a march in the dry riverbed on March 15 to show support for keeping flows in the Kern through Bakersfield before a hearing at the 5th District Court of Appeal. Fifth District justices will hear arguments about whether to uphold a preliminary injunction issued by Kern County Superior Court Gregory Pulskamp in October 2023 mandating the City of Bakersfield keep enough water in the river for fish to survive. The hearing will be held March 20 at 1:30 p.m. in Fresno. “Their decision will have an enormous impact on the river for future generations,” Bring Back the Kern said in a statement. “If they rule in our favor (as the state AG wants them to), the preliminary injunction will be back in place, meaning the river will start flowing again, regardless of how long the full court case takes.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Southern California’s wild winter continues with record-threatening heat, then a chance of rain
“Southern California’s recent unusually warm temperatures are expected to ramp up over the next couple of days, peaking by midweek, when some areas will see highs reach into the low 90s. “There’s a possibility that a few locations could hit their daily record — or possibly exceed it,” said Paul Steward, a National Weather Service meteorologist in San Diego. He said a widespread ridge of high pressure will continue to strengthen through Wednesday, which is expected to be the region’s warmest day. Temperatures are forecast to be 15 to 20 degrees above normal, Steward said. Downtown Los Angeles was about 14 degrees above normal Sunday, reaching 82 degrees. Temperatures could climb into the 90s by Wednesday across the region’s coasts and valleys, according to the weather service’s Monday morning forecast. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Chiquita Canyon looking at leachate facility
“Just weeks after Chiquita Canyon Landfill evacuated in response to the Hughes Fire in January, residents learned last week the facility is looking into an on-site treatment facility for its ongoing leachate problems. The discussion of the potential plans came up during the Feb. 19 Castaic Area Town Council meeting during the group’s monthly Chiquita Canyon Landfill update and questions from residents. A resident asked why the facility was seeking a conditional authorization request from the county’s Fire Department and the state’s Department of Toxic Substances Control. … ” Read more from The Signal.
Malibu sea lions are ‘suffering and confused,’ likely from toxic algae
“Toxic algae off the coast of Malibu is likely sickening sea lions, causing the large marine mammals to experience seizures and comatose states, according to a nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation center. The California Wildlife Center received at least 14 calls about distressed sea lions over four days, according to a Facebook post from the organization. “Though we have not confirmed the cause for these animals’ illness, their signs and the recent rains make the situation highly suspicious for domoic acid toxicity,” the post said. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Protesters, elected officials take action to halt flow of toxic debris to local landfills
“Kelly Martino stood in front of the thundering hood of a Freightliner semi-truck hauling waste from the Palisades fire, determined to block it from entering the Calabasas Landfill. Martino was among the several dozen people who protested at the site Monday, concerned that the ash, debris and soil being carted to the landfill might be potentially toxic. The crowd chanted “Back it up!” and wielded handwritten signs that read “No Toxic Dumping.” As the queue of trucks grew longer, sheriff‘s deputies threatened to make arrests if the crowd didn’t disperse. The protestors stood their ground. “All the ash and sludge and debris is going to come here — and that’s not acceptable to us,” said Martino, who lives nearby in Agoura Hills. “And we’re not going to wait for a bunch of kids to get sick in 20 years.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO: San Fernando Valley residents protest use of local landfill for wildfire debris dump, from NBC 4
LADWP launches interactive water quality restoration dashboard
“The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has launched an interactive Water Quality Restoration Dashboard to provide essential updates and information for residents affected by the “Do Not Drink” notice in effect in most portions of Pacific Palisades and adjacent LADWP service areas. “As customers throughout Pacific Palisades begin the recovery process and our water system staff work to flush, test the water and work to lift the Do Not Drink notice in effect in the area, this new online tool puts timely and transparent information at our customers’ fingertips,” said LADWP CEO & Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones. … ” Read more from LA DWP.
SEE ALSO: LADWP launches water quality restoration dashboard to keep residents safe, from the LA Daily News
Orange County Water District unveils resilience plan to increase future water supplies
“The Orange County Water District (OCWD) announces the release of its Resilience Plan: Adaptive Strategies for Securing Abundant and Reliable Water Supplies, a forward-thinking blueprint designed to strengthen the region’s long-term water security. “Ensuring a reliable water supply requires careful planning, innovation, and investment,” said Denis R. Bilodeau, P.E., board president. “The Resilience Plan builds on OCWD’s long history of proactive water management, providing a framework to safeguard our region’s water future.” Looking ahead 25 years, the Resilience Plan serves as a strategic guide for future investments, planning decisions, and policy initiatives that will strengthen Orange County’s water reliability and safeguard OCWD’s assets. The plan identifies 16 priority projects over the next five years, among them: increasing stormwater capture at Prado Dam using Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations, sediment management at Prado Basin, enhancing seawater intrusion barriers to protect groundwater quality, and constructing treatment systems to remove PFAS from groundwater. Unlike previous facilities-based planning efforts, the Resilience Plan is a living document that allows the District to remain flexible and responsive to changing conditions. … ” Read more from the Orange County Water District.
SAN DIEGO
Restored estuary celebrated
Along the Colorado River …
Why Western water managers are preparing for a ‘nuclear option’ in Colorado River negotiations
“As Arizona’s record-dry winter continues, Western water managers are quietly preparing for what many have called a “nuclear option” in the ongoing battle for who-gets-what from the quickly drying Colorado River. Seven states are locked in a standoff right now over who should use less water from the river, as climate change continues to dry it up. They’re facing a 2026 deadline to create new rules to govern it. Last month, Arizona rocked the boat by proposing a state budget that included millions to pay for a court battle over Colorado River water, they say, just in case those negotiations don’t work. Alex Hager covers the Colorado River for KUNC in Colorado and joined The Show to discuss. … ” Listen or read transcript at KJZZ.
Colorado River meeting canceled by the Trump administration
“This week’s scheduled meeting of a group focused on the management of Glen Canyon Dam was canceled by the Trump dministration. It’s one of many scientific conferences and federal meetings that have been canceled or indefinitely postponed. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation says the meeting will be rescheduled to ensure new Department of the Interior and Reclamation leadership are “fully briefed” on the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group. The group advises the Secretary of the Interior on how best to manage Glen Canyon Dam in keeping with the 1992 Grand Canyon Protection Act. … ” Read more from KNAU.
Trump funding freeze includes payments to keep the Colorado River flowing
“The first executive order President Trump signed in his second term, “Unleashing American Energy,” wouldn’t seem to have a direct impact on how much water is in the Colorado River, at least in the short term. The order, signed the first day Trump took office, aims to “unleash America’s affordable and reliable energy and natural resources,” by ending “burdensome and ideologically motivated regulations.” But the order also says, “All agencies shall immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.” … ” Read more from NPR.
Commentary: ‘Just do something’ to protect our water? That’s the last thing Arizona needs
Opinion columnist Joanna Allhands writes, “Is it helpful to “do something” on groundwater if that action is probably not going to last? Arizona’s elected leaders claim they want to protect this finite and dwindling water supply — one on which millions of Arizonans rely. But instead of working toward policy compromises that not everyone loves but can live with, they seem hellbent on doing things unilaterally. Which ticks off those who feel they were left out of these decisions, who then throw their energy into thwarting them. Consider how it’s playing out … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Utah close to fully banning fluoride in water, stripping cities’ ability to decide
“Utah appears to be the first state ready to put a full ban on fluoride in public water systems under a bill that doesn’t allow cities or communities to decide whether to add the cavity-preventing mineral. A bill sponsor and an organization opposed to fluoridating water said Utah’s proposal would set a precedent in the U.S. — and it would come as new federal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed skepticism about water fluoridation, which is considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century. Utah’s bill cleared its final hurdle in the legislature Friday, and heads to Gov. Spencer Cox for his approval. A spokesperson for Cox didn’t immediately respond to a question about whether he’d sign it. … ” Read more from KTAR.
In national water news today …
The CEQ has no clothes: the end of CEQ’s NEPA regulations and the future of NEPA practice
“On February 20, 2025, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) posted a pre-publication notice on its website of an Interim Final Rule that rescinds its regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which, in one form or another, have guided NEPA practice since 1978. CEQ simultaneously issued new guidance to federal agencies for revising their NEPA implementing procedures consistent with the NEPA statute and President Trump’s Executive Order 14,154 (Unleashing American Energy). The Interim Final Rule was submitted for publication in the Federal Register on February 19, 2025 and will become effective 45 days after it is published. This action represents the final blow to CEQ’s NEPA regulations, coming in the wake of two recent federal court decisions in the past few months that foreshadowed their impending demise. In light of those court decisions, CEQ is unlikely to issue new regulations, even under a future presidential administration, without express congressional authorization. … ” Read more from Allen Matkins.
NOAA set to slash jobs ‘imminently’
“Mass firings are set to hit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) “imminently,” a source with knowledge told The Hill. The person, who asked to speak anonymously due to fear of reprisal, said the agency had not yet been subjected to the steep cuts announced elsewhere due to the then-pending confirmation of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The Commerce Department oversees NOAA and the National Weather Service. Lutnick is set to be sworn in Friday afternoon. Many of the federal cuts thus far have targeted probationary workers, which includes recent hires but also those who have been recently promoted. … ” Read more from The Hill.
Environmental groups sue Trump’s USDA over purge of climate change records
“A trio of environmental groups sued the Department of Agriculture on Monday for removing all of its website landing pages focused on climate change after President Donald Trump returned to power in late January. Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the D.C.-based Environmental Working Group claim in their civil complaint that the deleted websites included critical resources on climate-smart farming, climate adaptation strategies and sites to access billions of dollars for conservation practices. Represented by attorneys from Earthjustice, based in San Francisco, and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, the groups say USDA subagencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency also removed entire climate change sections from their websites. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
US shuns climate science meeting as UN warns ‘time is not on our side’
“U.S. representatives are not at a key climate science meeting in China, a source told AFP on Monday, sitting out a fight over the U.N.’s next blockbuster assessment of global warming research. U.S. officials declined to comment last week on reports that America’s delegation had been pulled from the U.N. talks in Hangzhou. But a source at the meeting, which opened on Monday, told AFP: “We haven’t seen anyone from a U.S. delegation, and there hasn’t been anyone representing the U.S. in plenary session so far.” U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called climate change a “scam” and made no secret of his disdain for the United Nations and climate science, has already pulled Washington out of the landmark Paris Agreement for a second time. However, observers said the decision to withdraw scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, set up in 1988 to inform policymakers, was a new “blow.” … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
SEE ALSO: The IPCC meets amid Trump’s climate attacks. What to watch for, from E&E News
