G2. Local Greens

“The Hub” is a weekly round-up of transportation related news in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Check back weekly to keep up-to-date on the issues Clean Air Council’s transportation staff finds important. 

The Inquirer: A big step forward for the Chinatown Stitch as $158 million is awarded to cap the Vine Expressway – The Chinatown Stitch, which is a project to reconnect Chinatown by capping parts of the Vine Street Expressway, was awarded a $158 million federal grant to build the cap. The Stitch will include a public park, traffic calming measures, and a connection to the Rail Park. This money is from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot grant program.

Metro Philadelphia: Additional SEPTA Bus Revolution community meetings begin this week – SEPTA scheduled 8 more community meetings about its Bus Revolution. These meetings are scheduled from March 12 to April 4 in the 5th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Council districts, to give these neighborhoods additional opportunities to review the proposed changes. The Bus Revolution includes a decrease in the number of total bus routes, but an increase in the number of frequent routes, and better service on weekends and in the evening. Visit septabusrevolution.com to review specific changes and meeting schedules.

Streetsblog USA: Find Out How Much Your State Would Benefit From Cutting Car Travel –  There is a new tool that advocates can use to show how states would benefit if residents drive less. Cutting vehicle miles traveled will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce traffic congestion, and improve public health. It can also show how much taxpayers would save.

WHYY: Bike Trends and Trails, Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg, Beer and Cheese – What a Pairing

The Inquirer: This Philly bus driver is also a substitute teacher and public transit activist

BillyPenn: Meet the transit-savvy student on a mission to visit every SEPTA station

The Inquirer: Traffic safety, Washington Ave., and a new way of thinking about urban planning

Next City: An App That Helps Riders With Vision Loss Navigate Complex Transit Systems

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map was updated last fall to give gardeners and growers more accurate information about what to plant and when.

The post Wondering when to plant? There’s a map for that appeared first on The Allegheny Front.

Antonio DeVargas’s recall petition of Rio Arriba County Commissioner Alex Naranjo will be held on March 19, 1:00 pm at Santa Fe District Court instead of in Española, as originally scheduled. The Court is located at 225 Montezuma Ave. Rio Arriba County residents of District 1—and others—are urged to attend.

A new judge, Marie Ward, has been assigned to the case to determine whether DeVargas may proceed with his recall petition of  Commissioner Naranjo based on the grand jury indictment of the North Central Solid Waste Authority and Naranjo’s attempt to relocate the statue of Juan de Oñate at the Rio Arriba County Complex in Española (after it was removed in 2020 from the Oñate Center in Alcalde).

In related news, DeVargas just announced his candidacy for the Rio Arriba County Commission, District 3. He’ll announce his platform soon—he’s on Facebook as Ike DeVargas—but the failure of the current commission to address the grand jury concerns regarding North Central Solid Waste Authority and the commission’s inept response to the relocation of the Juan de Oñate statue are obviously motivating factors.

Another norteño, Margaret Campos, just announced her candidacy for State Representative in District 41. Campos is a well known farmer and project manager who lives in Embudo. You can check out her announcement on her Facebook page, where she is setting up an account for donations.

In its sixth year, the Cook-Off for the Coast 2024 was our largest and most successful Cook-Off to date! Over $20,000 was raised through sponsorships, donations and merch sales, and more than 2,000 attendees came out to enjoy the delicious food and plentiful sunshine at Docville Farm on February 24th. As always money raised will go to coastal restoration projects in St. Bernard Parish. This year the Cook-Off will be supporting the Chandeleur Sound Living Shoreline Project, a partnership with ...

The post Cook-Off for the Coast 2024 appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

If you’ve visited Utah’s San Rafael Swell recently you may have left with a sense that something is awry. Visitation has dramatically increased in recent years—particularly with regard to motorized vehicles like UTVs (otherwise known as side-by-sides) and dirt bikes. It’s increasingly hard to escape the sight and sound of these vehicles as they push farther and deeper into the formerly quiet places that make the Swell a favorite destination for so many.

Take action to help protect the San Rafael Swell from overwhelming off-road vehicle use!

As part of its work to prepare new travel management plans for much of eastern and southern Utah, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently released a set of “preliminary alternatives” for possible motorized trail designations in the San Rafael Swell. These alternatives represent the BLM’s first attempt at determining where motorized vehicles will be allowed across a landscape that spans from the heart of the Swell north to the Price River, to the canyon and reef systems along the Swell’s western flank, and all the way south to near Capitol Reef National Park—over 1 million acres in total!

The BLM is obligated by law to minimize the impacts of motorized vehicles, which damage soils, vegetation, wildlife, cultural resources, and wilderness characteristics. The agency must also minimize user conflicts between motorized and non-motorized visitors.

We believe Alternative B is the only alternative that complies with these legal duties. It’s the only alternative that does justice to this fragile and uniquely Utah landscape by eliminating redundant routes and those that simply don’t lead anywhere, as well as routes causing damage to fragile riparian areas, wildlife habitat, and cultural resources.

Please take a moment today to ask the BLM to adopt Alternative B for the San Rafael Swell travel management plan.

This isn’t the last time you’ll hear from us about travel planning; the BLM will release its draft environmental assessment for the Swell, as well as updates to other travel plans, later this year. And we’ll need you to again speak up for conservation each and every time. Thank you for supporting this work.

The post Help Protect the San Rafael Swell from Overwhelming Off-Road Vehicle Use appeared first on Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.

Restore the Delta’s latest opinion piece sheds light on Gavin Newsom’s divisive tactics in pitting marginalized communities and tribes against each other to fight over water resources, particularly regarding the controversial Delta Conveyance Project. Newsom’s administration, along with State Water Contractors, are accused of appropriating environmental justice rhetoric to favor the interests of Southern California and Silicon Valley, while disregarding the harm to tribal and disadvantaged communities along California’s rivers and Delta watershed.

In particular, the Newsom’s divide and conquer tactics aim to confuse the public when he takes steps to restore salmon runs to our rivers by distracting from the role the Delta plays in salmon population health. 

Yesterday, Newsom announced another $50 million to boost the salmon population in the “long-term”, but it fails to address the key driver of healthy salmon runs, the health of the Delta.  

In response to Governor Newsom’s $50 million salmon population spending plan, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director with Restore the Delta, released the following statement:

“Governor Newsom’s expressed desire to restore salmon populations in rivers is commendable, but ignores an essential step needed to truly revive salmon in the Delta, and that is to stop the Delta Conveyance Project. Newsom’s Delta Conveyance Project isn’t pro-salmon; it’s a death sentence for this vital species. Without comprehensive action to restore the Delta’s ecosystem and ensure adequate water flows, salmon populations will continue to languish. It’s crucial to recognize that restoring salmon solely in rivers neglects the interconnectedness of the Delta ecosystem, where many salmon spend a significant portion of their life cycle. We must abandon this misguided tunnel plan and instead prioritize actions that will genuinely protect and restore salmon habitats in the Delta.”

(March 14, 2024 – Baton Rouge, La.) Today, Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) Board approved the state’s historic $1.7 billion Annual Plan for coastal spending for Fiscal Year 2025. The plan, which will now progress to the state Legislature to approve for its adoption, is the funding vehicle for authorizing spending toward new and existing projects in the state’s integrated coastal protection and restoration efforts.   Restore the Mississippi River Delta, an influential coalition of national and local ...

The post Historic Plan Authorizing Spending for Coastal Projects Advances to Legislature for Approval  appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

March 13, 2023

From:  New Mexico cajadelrio.org

Proposed power transmission line through the Caja del Rio sees overwhelming public opposition

Over 20,000 public comments were submitted in opposition to the National Nuclear Security Administration proposed power transmission line

SANTA FE, NM – In late February, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNNS) ended its public comment period on a proposed 14-mile, 115-Kilovolt power transmission line for Los Alamos National Labs (LANL) that would be constructed across a major part of the Caja del Rio plateau in Northern New Mexico. The Caja del Rio coalition collected 23,215 public comments in opposition to the proposed transmission line citing concerns over the potential impacts to the ecological, cultural and spiritual values of the landscape and raising questions on the substance, transparency and legality of the project. 

“Our people have called these lands home for thousands of years, and we still use them today. The Caja del Rio already faces immediate threats — from illegal dumping and shooting to the desecration of sacred sites and petroglyphs. The proposed transmission line would bring increased traffic and increase these threats and pressures on the landscape tenfold. This project will only continue the harmful nuclear legacy that LANL has brought upon our Northern Pueblo relatives, therefore I stand firm in opposition to this project.” said Reyes DeVore, a member of the Jemez Pueblo and program director for Pueblo Action Alliance. 

“In proposing this project, the agency clearly failed to recognize the longstanding spiritual, cultural and ecological connection New Mexico’s diverse communities have with the Caja. Our community has made our voice heard loud and clear that a powerline has no place in this landscape.” said Carmichael Dominguez, a former Santa Fe city councilor and the Hispanic organizer for EarthKeepers 360. “We urge the agency to go back to the drawing board and come up with more creative solutions to energy transmission without compromising the Caja’s sensitive natural, cultural and ecological values, as well as truly listening and building trust with local communities.”

“This proposed project threatens important wildlife habitat – including the Caja del Rio Cultural and Wildlife special management area that we worked with thousands of community members, elected officials, and ultimately the U.S. Forest Service over many years to protect. The proposed line could also impact the integrity of lands sacred to many Tribes and our local communities as well as the ability for local Tribes to preserve important cultural and historical sites,” said Reverend Andrew Black, Founder of EarthKeepers 360 and public lands field director for the National Wildlife Federation. “The Caja del Rio coalition and over 23,000 people are urging the Biden Administration and federal agencies to engage in a more thorough process and consider all alternatives by conducting a full Environmental Impact Statement.”

“The sheer amount of comments submitted in opposition to the project affirms what we knew all along: the Caja del Rio is a landscape of immense cultural and ecological significance that deserves long-lasting protection not destruction,” said Romir Lahiri, New Mexico associate program director for the Conservation Lands Foundation. “We encourage the public to continue to make their voices heard and oppose any project that threatens what makes the Caja so special to diverse communities across New Mexico.” 

The Caja del Rio Coalition has asked the New Mexico congressional delegation to call on LANL and NNSA to conduct a new and updated Renewable Energy Feasibility Study for Los Alamos National Labs. The previous Renewable Energy Feasibility Study, completed in November 2008. Given recent breakthroughs in renewable energy technology, rooftop solar and power storage, the 2008 plan is antiquated and fails to consider the many advances that have been made in the field of renewable energy and storage. 

“LANL has an immense opportunity to modernize and innovate, while also benefiting the environment, our climate, the local economy, and our communities,” said Black.

Throughout the comment period, an array of public constituencies expressed opposition to the project including:

• The majority of attendees at two public meetings held by the NNNS on the proposal cited opposition to the project.
• Tribal leaders expressed their opposition to the project and noted how the government is failing to consult with Tribes during the process
• Local Hispanic leaders spoke out in opposition to the project and called for unity in protecting the Caja del Rio
• The Santa Fe New Mexican editorialized against the powerline
• Los Alamos residents spoke out in opposition to the project

The proposed transmission line will cut across the Caja del Rio, a culturally and ecologically significant landscape that is currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service. In addition to supporting abundant biological diversity, the landscape is culturally and spiritually significant for numerous Pueblos, who have used the area since time immemorial, and for descendants of Spanish settlers, who traveled along the National Historic trail El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro for generations.

Gov. Shapiro is offering his own version of a controversial program to limit climate-warming pollution from power plants and is setting new goals for renewable energy.

The post Josh Shapiro proposes state climate program to replace RGGI, asks for new renewable energy goals appeared first on The Allegheny Front.

The MVP will start transporting gas from West Virginia to Virginia in June. So far, 42 complaints in Virginia allege pollution from construction.

The post As Mountain Valley Pipeline nears completion, some residents say their concerns are being ignored appeared first on The Allegheny Front.

A new international energy report shows that, like a nervous couple on a first date after a big meal, the Albanese Government is massively downplaying how much gas Australia is letting off.

Greenbelt Alliance has been working with Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT), Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and Association of Bay Area Governments (AGAB) on refreshing the Priority Conservation Area Program over the past year. This project, funded by a grant from the Sustainable Agricultural Lands and Conservation (SALC) Program and managed by the California Department of Conservation, supports a refresh of the Priority Conservation Area Program (PCA) planning framework. The refresh effort identifies recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the region’s conservation planning framework, and incorporates a wider range of policy concerns, such as equity and resilience to climate hazards.

Now, MTC and ABAG is seeking public and stakeholder feedback on draft final recommendations emerging from the PCA Refresh. Comments are due by March 31 with the ABAG Executive Board slated to consider the item in May 2024.

Learn more and provide public comments at abag.ca.gov/our-work/land-use/pca-priority-conservation-areas.

Priority Conservation Areas are locations designated for the protection of natural habitats and the preservation of open space for future generations. This includes farming, ranching, recreational and resource lands. This effort emerged as a direct result of advocacy for greater open space protection and funding during the previous Plan Bay Area.

PCAs were first envisioned in 2007. The current refresh effort is the first major update to this framework in 15+ years, shaping PCAs into a more usable land use planning geography while integrating equity and climate adaptation throughout the process

PCAs are categorized by four designations that recognize the vitality of the Bay Area’s natural systems, rural economy and the health of all residents:

• Natural landscapes
• Agricultural lands
• Urban greening
• Regional recreation

A Draft Final Report outlines a recommended suite of reforms to the PCA planning framework for regional policymakers to consider. The Draft Final Report is open for public review through March 31, 2024 before it will be considered by the ABAG Executive Board later this spring. You can email feedback on the Draft Final Report to mgermeraad@bayareametro.gov.

Click here to read the Priority Conservation Area Refresh Draft Final Report.
Click here to explore the Priority Conservation Area Refresh Online Mapping Viewer.

Photo by Karl Nielsen

The post Announcing the Priority Conservation Area Program Refresh Final Report appeared first on Greenbelt Alliance.

Greenbelt Alliance is excited to endorse Cabrillo Unified School District’s (CUSD) Workforce Housing Project, a proposed residential development in Half Moon Bay. This innovative development envisions 60 units with 20% affordability. ​All units will be leased to CUSD employees at heavily discounted rents with 12 deed-restricted units that will include: four at 50% Area Median Income (AMI), 6 at 80% AMI, and 2 at 120% AMI.

The development will be located next to the school district offices and Hatch Elementary School, allowing district employees to live in affordable housing where they work. Units will be offered to district teachers or staff for seven year terms which will allow for increased housing stability and staff retention.

The Workforce Housing Project development is modeled after the successful Jefferson Union High School District Educational Housing in Daly City, which has been incredibly successful with a long waitlist of interested residents. According to a survey conducted by the developer, over 80 school district employees were interested in the housing out of a total of 126 survey respondents, showing the immense need for this type of project.

The site is in a central location that is a less than five-minute walk to downtown Half Moon Bay and located on a primary N/S bus route through Half Moon Bay and the Coastside. Additionally, the site is walkable or bikeable to 75% of the jobs within the Cabrillo Unified School District. For work distances that are not walkable, bikeable, or transit-oriented, a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program will be developed including facility shuttles.

According to GreenTRIP—a free online tool created by Transform that models traffic and greenhouse gas impacts of residential projects in California—the Cabrillo Unified School District’s Workforce Housing Project will result in:

• 59 fewer miles driven every day compared to the San Mateo County average.
• 3% fewer GHG impacts every day compared to the San Mateo County average.

Greenbelt Alliance is proud to support this project and looks forward to the impact of the Cabrillo Unified School District Workforce Housing Project not just in the district, but in impacting the expansion of innovative, sustainable, workforce housing developments across the Bay Area.

Greenbelt Alliance’s Climate SMART—Sustainable, Mixed, Affordable, Resilient, Transit-Oriented— Development Endorsement Program goals call for fully protecting the Bay Area’s greenbelt, directing growth within existing communities, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and accomplishing both in a way that equitably benefits all Bay Area residents. Our Endorsement Program supports projects that advance the right kind of development in the right places. By promoting climate SMART development, we can create thriving, resilient neighborhoods with ready access to transit and housing choices for all of the Bay Area’s people. Find out more about our Endorsement Program here. Feel free to contact our team for more information and support.

The post Greenbelt Alliance Endorsed: Cabrillo Unified School District Workforce Housing Project appeared first on Greenbelt Alliance.

Clean Air Council has local air monitoring program in South and Southwest Philadelphia funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At no charge, Clean Air Council staff can install a particulate matter air monitor on your property and the live readings will be available here.

You can also visit purpleair.com

Click here to sign up for a free air monitor. Air monitors hosts will be given $50 gift cards as a stipend.

Clean Air Council has a local air monitoring program in Delaware County funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At no charge, Clean Air Council staff can install a particulate matter air monitor on your property and the live readings will be available here.

You can also visit purpleair.com

Click here to sign up for a free air monitor. Air monitors hosts will be given $50 gift cards as a stipend.

Penn State researchers looked at 50 years of data on honey production as a way of measuring how the landscape of available flowers has shifted over that time.

The post Climate change could contribute to honey declines, study says appeared first on The Allegheny Front.

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network and others objected to holding the public meeting at a union hall instead of a more accessible location.

The post Environmentalists clash with Gov. Shapiro at hydrogen energy meeting in Philly appeared first on The Allegheny Front.

Ozone changes with the amount of light, so a total solar eclipse gives researchers an opportunity to study ozone when sunlight is blocked by the moon.

The post During total solar eclipse, Drexel researchers will send a balloon into the stratosphere to measure ozone appeared first on The Allegheny Front.

PENNSYLVANIA (March 13, 2024) – Today, Governor Shapiro announced an energy plan today that would increase the use of renewable energy and establish a cap-and-invest program for the state’s power sector. The Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS) would require clean energy to make up 35% of the state’s energy by 2035. Pennsylvania currently ranks 45th in the nation in renewable energy production; just 3% of Pennsylvania’s energy comes from renewable sources. Expanding and diversifying renewable energy usage requirements for utilities will increase energy reliability, create family-sustaining jobs, and reduce air pollution in the state. 

The Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Initiative (PACER) is the Governor’s plan for a Pennsylvania-specific cap-and-invest program. This program, which is similar to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in design, would set a cap on carbon emissions from Pennsylvania’s largest power plants and require them to purchase credits from the Commonwealth to offset their emissions. PACER will operate within Pennsylvania: the carbon cap and credit price would be set by the state and revenue from the program would go toward consumer electricity bill rebates and energy efficiency investments for large energy producing facilities. 

Clean Air Council Executive Director Alex Bomstein issued the following statement.

“We are enthused that Governor Shapiro is giving long overdue attention to our right to a healthy environment. PACER and PRESS demonstrate the Governor’s commitment to putting Pennsylvanians first. The Governor is taking a critically needed step to increase renewables in the Commonwealth’s energy mix through PRESS, growing the clean energy market, improving energy reliability, and reducing air pollution. We are optimistic that with robust community input, the final version of PRESS will boost only true renewable energy such as wind and solar. And while we still view RGGI as the best power sector cap-and-invest program for Pennsylvania, we are excited to work with the Governor and the legislature on PACER to realize the greatest possible benefits for Pennsylvania residents, ratepayers, and workers alike.”