Eel River Advocate Pushes Message in D.C.
The director of a local river protection advocacy group was in Washington, D.C. last week to push for enhanced protection of the Eel River and other watersheds.

Nadananda, director of the Garberville-based Friends of the Eel River, joined 130 other watershed advocates at Capital Hill to inform legislators of the effects of national policies on local waterways. It’s an annual event organized by the American Rivers non-profit group, and Nadananda was there to alert aides of Congressman Mike Thompson and Senator Dianne Feinstein about the impacts of Eel River water diversion. (Read more)

Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Draft Sonoma County General Plan 2020
All counties are now doing their General Plan updates. Here you will find FOER's comments based on the draft Sonoma County General Plan 2020 public hearing draft. Comments on Draft EIR for the proposed Draft Sonoma County General Plan 2020 Update (SCH No. 2003012020), January 2006 (“DEIR”)

An open letter to Jim Wattenburger asking him to honor his campaign commitment to limit development! This letter and action are vital if Ukiah and the inland valleys of Mendocino are going to be allowed to develop with a well thought-out and sustainable plan for the future of the whole northcoast. Learn more from the Ukian Valley Smart Growth Organization: http://www.ukiahsmartgrowth.org/
Read and sign the letter here: http://uvsg.mecgrassroots.org/openletter/

Take Action
Water for Fish:
The government is destroying our rivers and our fish!
The state and federal bureaucracies are moving ahead with California water plans that do not consider the needs of fish. If we don't act now, then our fisheries will perish. Together, we can make a difference. Please take one minute and log on to www.water4fish.org, a website where California fishermen and concerned citizens are fighting back! To send your letters, click on the "Sign the Letter and Petition” tab. Water4fish supports health and restoration of many California rivers including the Eel River. Click on the “Petition Objectives” tab and then the “Click for Comments on Other Rivers” link to read statements about several rivers including the Eel River.

Railroad Matters:

We won this round against the NCRA/Novato. The NCRA has to do the full EIR from one end of the line to the other. John Wooley, Humboldt County Supervisor and member of the NCRA Board of Directors says the NCRA will appeal. He used to be a good environmentalist from Arcata. What happened to him, did he get run over by a train?

Case still goes to trial May 6, in Marin Superior Court.
Read PDF of Judges Ruling here

North Coast rail freight sidetracked
Judge's preliminary ruling calls for completed environmental study before repairs are made
By STEVE HART, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT 1/8/08
Read article.

Why Novato's freight suit needs support
Staff Report
Article Launched: 12/06/2007 12:07:04 AM PST
Nadananda
IN OCTOBER, Novato sued the North Coast Railroad Authority for violations of the California Environmental Quality Act, the Brown Act and other laws governing the actions of local government agencies. Read more.

Environmental Coalition Lawsuit Asserts
Rail Authority Fails to Disclose Freight Impacts
A coalition of North Coast environmental organizations has announced intent to file an amicus brief in support of the City of Novato’s lawsuit against the North Coast Rail Authority (NCRA). The brief, which asserts that the NCRA has failed to disclose the ecological impacts of its proposed freight operation in the Eel River Canyon in Trinity County will be filed in Marin Superior Court said Nadananda, executive director for Friends of the Eel River. Read full press release
Full Amicus Brief (PDF)

EPIC Responds to Editorial
Your editorial criticizing Marin County supervisors for supporting Novato’s challenge to the North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA) contained some egregious factual errors. Read more.

Freight trains raise ruckus in Novato
Rob Rogers
Article Launched: 07/09/2007 11:27:32 PM PDT
Novato and Marin County officials say the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit board greatly underestimated the number of trains that will pass through downtown Novato under a plan for restored freight train service.
Read more

Novato Sues the NCRA
FOER Join Suit
Full Petition (PDF)
Watershed Preservation Network Amicus Brief

Sonoma seeks millions from Bureau of Reclamation to export more water
Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) is seeking millions of dollars from the Bureau of Reclamation to build a huge pipe and pumping network, in order to export treated wastewater from their contractor cities to southern Sonoma and Napa valleys for more agricultural irrigation. This would put added demands on SCWA water sources – including our Eel River – to supply new growth, rather than maximize the reuse of treated wastewater to first displace potable water demands for landscaping, toilets, industrial and commercial uses.

Senate Bill S.1472 (Feinstein, Boxer) and H.R.236 (Thompson, Woolsey) are funding bills requested by SCWA for this purpose, and they have already been heard in subcommittees in both the House and Senate. Friends of the Eel River (FOER) urges you to write to Senator Bingamen (D, NM) expressing your opposition, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  We provide our letter to modify or send as is, key addresses and a link to the complete bills here.

MASSIVE CALIFORNIA WATER RECLAMATION SCHEME FULL OF HOLES — EPA Warns of Unproven Approach, Severe Eco-Effects and Huge Taxpayer Costs. Read the News Release here
Take Action through the Friends of the Trinity River site

Mendocino County General Plan

Humboldt County General Plan

Sonoma County General Plan

Marin County General Plan

Lake County General Plan

News

World's Water Supply at Risk
By Kevin Danaher and Shannon Biggs and Jason Mark, PoliPoint Press
Posted on September 26, 2007

Eel River Reporter, Fall 2007
This issue carries the article about Sonoma County General Plan since it applies to all counties, it is a must read. You will also find articles about wonderful happenings at our new River Center in Fortuna, and reports from a few river clean-up efforts in many parts of this massive river system. Articles about the ongoing river clean-ups reveal a new level of threat to our drinking water and the health of our rivers by the new and increasing number of homeless drifting about this country. The numbers of people falling through the cracks and the effects on the watershed are staggering.

The NMFS/FERC Biological Opinion for how PG&E is to run the PVP
Link added June 14th

Turning Water into Wine, June 1, 2007
an article from the SF Chronicle with a follow up by David Keller, FOER Bay Area Director

"Thirst: Fighting the Corporate Theft of Our Water"
from Wiley imprint Jossey-Bass

RE: Proposed alternatives to Restructured Agreement for Water Supply, Section 2.4, Potter Valley Project acquisition
SCWA staff and attorneys have provided their first response to the problems identified in the Restructured Agreement for Water Supply regarding purchasing the Potter Valley Project, with its financial and environmental costs and ratepayer risks. Friends of the Eel River has presented alternative language controlling such risks.
To: Our community of water consumers, Water Contractors, fisheries supporters and watershed restorers