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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the first time in over a century, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/11762/river-otters-are-thriving-all-over-the-bay-area\">North American river otter\u003c/a> was spotted on the San Mateo County coast. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The semi-aquatic mammal was captured on a camera trap and has been seen twice now — once in July and once in September — cruising around the coastal prairie and waterways of the Cloverdale Ranch Open Space Reserve, just south of Pescadero.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We opened up the images and all celebrated and were really excited because we had never heard of a river otter in this area, or really anywhere on the San Mateo County coast,” said Matt Sharp Chaney, a wildlife ecologist with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, which acquired the 6,700-acre preserve in 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">River otters used to live all along the West Coast, from Alaska to Santa Barbara, before they were almost entirely wiped out in the 1800s by the fur trade. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where this individual creature came from and how he or she got to the ranch is a mystery. The nearest documented sighting of a river otter is 20 miles away, down near Lexington Reservoir in the Santa Cruz Mountains — quite a distance to travel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261026-RIVER-OTTERS-02-KQED-1-36ecf1b2-bbe9eb27.jpg\" alt=\"A serene landscape featuring winding blue waterways nestled among lush green hills and dense forests under a clear sky.\" class=\"wp-image-12106639\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261026-RIVER-OTTERS-02-KQED-1-36ecf1b2-bbe9eb27.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261026-RIVER-OTTERS-02-KQED-1-36ecf1b2-bbe9eb27-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261026-RIVER-OTTERS-02-KQED-1-36ecf1b2-bbe9eb27-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Cloverdale Ranch Open Space Preserve, on the San Mateo County coast. The river otter was seen on a camera trap, stationed in the vast preserve. (Courtesy of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’d really love to hear if anybody on the San Mateo County coast has seen a river otter or signs of a river otter,” Sharp Chaney said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless, conservationists are taking the otter’s presence as a signal that restoration of the area is working. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The fact that this watershed is healthy enough to support a river otter, that has really high energetic needs and can feed on fish and frogs and turtles and birds’ eggs and a wide variety of items, is just really exciting,” Sharp Chaney said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said he hopes members of the public will upload their animal sightings to the River Otter Ecology Project’s community science platform, \u003ca href=\"https://riverotterecology.org/become-an-otter-spotter/\">Otter Spotter\u003c/a>. More sightings, he said, could help fill in the gaps and give clues to where this otter came from. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">River otters are known to live on the other side of the Peninsula, on the Bay side. There is also a healthy population on the Pacific Coast side in Marin County — one of which may have swam down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sharp Chaney said he once saw a river otter swimming in Puget Sound in Washington. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It is possible that this individual moved across and through the Pacific Ocean to get where it is,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cloverdale Ranch Open Space Preserve is still working agricultural land, where cattle graze in rotation. It is also the site of numerous restoration projects and animals like Coho salmon and the San Francisco garter snake. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s a very resilient and amazing landscape that supports a lot of rare species,” Sharp Chaney said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The public can access some areas of the ranch, and more open access is in the works. Meanwhile, otter fans in the region will be keen to see if any other individuals show up. Sharp Chaney said he hopes for the area’s current intrepid explorer to find a mate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I would be very excited if another otter distributed into the same area and they were able to start a family unit,” he said. “That would be extremely exciting news for me.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The semi-aquatic mammal was captured on a camera trap and has been seen twice now — once in July and once in September — cruising around the coastal prairie and waterways of the Cloverdale Ranch Open Space Reserve, just south of Pescadero.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The semi-aquatic mammal was captured on a camera trap and has been seen twice now — once in July and once in September — cruising around the coastal prairie and waterways of the Cloverdale Ranch Open Space Reserve, just south of Pescadero.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We opened up the images and all celebrated and were really excited because we had never heard of a river otter in this area, or really anywhere on the San Mateo County coast,” said Matt Sharp Chaney, a wildlife ecologist with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, which acquired the 6,700-acre preserve in 2023. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We opened up the images and all celebrated and were really excited because we had never heard of a river otter in this area, or really anywhere on the San Mateo County coast,” said Matt Sharp Chaney, a wildlife ecologist with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, which acquired the 6,700-acre preserve in 2023. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>River otters used to live all along the West Coast, from Alaska to Santa Barbara, before they were almost entirely wiped out in the 1800s by the fur trade. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Where this individual creature came from and how he or she got to the ranch is a mystery. The nearest documented sighting of a river otter is 20 miles away, down near Lexington Reservoir in the Santa Cruz Mountains — quite a distance to travel. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Where this individual creature came from and how he or she got to the ranch is a mystery. The nearest documented sighting of a river otter is 20 miles away, down near Lexington Reservoir in the Santa Cruz Mountains — quite a distance to travel. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261026-RIVER-OTTERS-02-KQED-1-36ecf1b2-bbe9eb27.jpg\" alt=\"A serene landscape featuring winding blue waterways nestled among lush green hills and dense forests under a clear sky.\" class=\"wp-image-12106639\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261026-RIVER-OTTERS-02-KQED-1-36ecf1b2-bbe9eb27.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261026-RIVER-OTTERS-02-KQED-1-36ecf1b2-bbe9eb27-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261026-RIVER-OTTERS-02-KQED-1-36ecf1b2-bbe9eb27-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Cloverdale Ranch Open Space Preserve, on the San Mateo County coast. The river otter was seen on a camera trap, stationed in the vast preserve. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’d really love to hear if anybody on the San Mateo County coast has seen a river otter or signs of a river otter,” Sharp Chaney said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The fact that this watershed is healthy enough to support a river otter, that has really high energetic needs and can feed on fish and frogs and turtles and birds’ eggs and a wide variety of items, is just really exciting,” Sharp Chaney said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said he hopes members of the public will upload their animal sightings to the River Otter Ecology Project’s community science platform, \u003ca href=\"https://riverotterecology.org/become-an-otter-spotter/\">Otter Spotter\u003c/a>. More sightings, he said, could help fill in the gaps and give clues to where this otter came from. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>River otters are known to live on the other side of the Peninsula, on the Bay side. There is also a healthy population on the Pacific Coast side in Marin County — one of which may have swam down. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sharp Chaney said he once saw a river otter swimming in Puget Sound in Washington. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It is possible that this individual moved across and through the Pacific Ocean to get where it is,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cloverdale Ranch Open Space Preserve is still working agricultural land, where cattle graze in rotation. It is also the site of numerous restoration projects and animals like Coho salmon and the San Francisco garter snake. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a very resilient and amazing landscape that supports a lot of rare species,” Sharp Chaney said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The public can access some areas of the ranch, and more open access is in the works. Meanwhile, otter fans in the region will be keen to see if any other individuals show up. Sharp Chaney said he hopes for the area’s current intrepid explorer to find a mate. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The public can access some areas of the ranch, and more open access is in the works. Meanwhile, otter fans in the region will be keen to see if any other individuals show up. Sharp Chaney said he hopes for the area’s current intrepid explorer to find a mate. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I would be very excited if another otter distributed into the same area and they were able to start a family unit,” he said. “That would be extremely exciting news for me.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The rare wildlife sighting highlights habitat restoration success on California’s coast and raises questions about the otter's origins.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the first time in over a century, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/11762/river-otters-are-thriving-all-over-the-bay-area\">North American river otter\u003c/a> was spotted on the San Mateo County coast. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The semi-aquatic mammal was captured on a camera trap and has been seen twice now — once in July and once in September — cruising around the coastal prairie and waterways of the Cloverdale Ranch Open Space Reserve, just south of Pescadero.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We opened up the images and all celebrated and were really excited because we had never heard of a river otter in this area, or really anywhere on the San Mateo County coast,” said Matt Sharp Chaney, a wildlife ecologist with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, which acquired the 6,700-acre preserve in 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">River otters used to live all along the West Coast, from Alaska to Santa Barbara, before they were almost entirely wiped out in the 1800s by the fur trade. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where this individual creature came from and how he or she got to the ranch is a mystery. The nearest documented sighting of a river otter is 20 miles away, down near Lexington Reservoir in the Santa Cruz Mountains — quite a distance to travel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261026-RIVER-OTTERS-02-KQED-1-36ecf1b2-bbe9eb27.jpg\" alt=\"A serene landscape featuring winding blue waterways nestled among lush green hills and dense forests under a clear sky.\" class=\"wp-image-12106639\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261026-RIVER-OTTERS-02-KQED-1-36ecf1b2-bbe9eb27.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261026-RIVER-OTTERS-02-KQED-1-36ecf1b2-bbe9eb27-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261026-RIVER-OTTERS-02-KQED-1-36ecf1b2-bbe9eb27-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Cloverdale Ranch Open Space Preserve, on the San Mateo County coast. The river otter was seen on a camera trap, stationed in the vast preserve. (Courtesy of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’d really love to hear if anybody on the San Mateo County coast has seen a river otter or signs of a river otter,” Sharp Chaney said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless, conservationists are taking the otter’s presence as a signal that restoration of the area is working. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The fact that this watershed is healthy enough to support a river otter, that has really high energetic needs and can feed on fish and frogs and turtles and birds’ eggs and a wide variety of items, is just really exciting,” Sharp Chaney said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said he hopes members of the public will upload their animal sightings to the River Otter Ecology Project’s community science platform, \u003ca href=\"https://riverotterecology.org/become-an-otter-spotter/\">Otter Spotter\u003c/a>. More sightings, he said, could help fill in the gaps and give clues to where this otter came from. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">River otters are known to live on the other side of the Peninsula, on the Bay side. There is also a healthy population on the Pacific Coast side in Marin County — one of which may have swam down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sharp Chaney said he once saw a river otter swimming in Puget Sound in Washington. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It is possible that this individual moved across and through the Pacific Ocean to get where it is,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cloverdale Ranch Open Space Preserve is still working agricultural land, where cattle graze in rotation. It is also the site of numerous restoration projects and animals like Coho salmon and the San Francisco garter snake. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s a very resilient and amazing landscape that supports a lot of rare species,” Sharp Chaney said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The public can access some areas of the ranch, and more open access is in the works. Meanwhile, otter fans in the region will be keen to see if any other individuals show up. Sharp Chaney said he hopes for the area’s current intrepid explorer to find a mate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I would be very excited if another otter distributed into the same area and they were able to start a family unit,” he said. “That would be extremely exciting news for me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "big-basins-return-has-been-slow-and-measured-its-also-an-opportunity",
"title": "Big Basin’s Return Has Been Slow and Measured. It’s Also an Opportunity",
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},
"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On a ridge overlooking \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540\">Big Basin State Park\u003c/a>, David Cowman, director of land stewardship for the Sempervirens Fund, pulled over to take in the view. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ahead, the Pacific Ocean stretched to the horizon. Below, the footprint of the southern core of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834046/thousands-forced-to-evacuate-as-wildfires-rage-from-north-bay-to-peninsula\">CZU fire\u003c/a>, which burned more than 85,000 acres here in 2020, dominated the landscape.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Big Basin is the oldest state park in California and home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco and some of the oldest trees in the world. \u003ca href=\"https://journal.wildlife.ca.gov/2023/04/12/impacts-of-the-czu-lightning-complex-fire-of-august-2020-on-the-forests-of-big-basin-redwoods-state-park/\">The park burned 97%\u003c/a> during the once-in-a-generation blaze, in what Cowman calls “a wake-up call” for people who work and live in these forests.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We had this kind of misconception that redwood forests and particularly old-growth redwood forests were somewhat immune to high-intensity fire,” he said. “And for the last 100 years, we’ve kind of been lulled into a sense of complacency.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the devastation, many of the forest’s trees — its bigger, older redwoods, in particular — survived.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-68-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-68-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-68-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-68-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, the rolling hills below are a patchwork of surviving redwoods, their new sprouts giving them the look of dark green pipe cleaners. They stand, just as tall but not quite as wide, next to stark-white brambles of charred Douglas fir trees, which could not withstand the crushing heat of the fire. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the foreground, Cowman said, are Knobcone pines, now mostly reduced to stumps after they, too, succumbed to the fire. The usual busy underbrush of the redwood forest disintegrated, replaced primarily by Ceanothus, a quick-growing shrub that thrives in post-fire landscapes — 20 feet high in some parts of the park.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Before the fire, it would have looked a lot more … homogeneous,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you’re a trained forester like Cowman, especially one who witnessed firsthand as the blaze descended on California’s oldest state park, the telltale signs of the CZU fire are clear — and devastating. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dark, humid, mystical park is no longer. Today, Big Basin is hot, airy and overexposed, its foliage painstakingly healing like a patient in recovery.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-43-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092795\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-43-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-43-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-43-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Cowman, director of land stewardship at Sempervirens Fund, at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We do still have a forest, but it just looks a little bit different,” he said. “A little less green than it did before the fire.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just as gradual is the rehabilitation of its recreation. The park’s campgrounds remain closed, its buildings and water systems mostly demolished, and only a few trails in the park are open to hikers — notably, the famed Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail is still mostly inaccessible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For those who remember the park in all of its glory, the Big Basin of yore is gone. Since it reopened in 2022, just 1.2 million people have visited the park. That’s compared to around a \u003ca href=\"https://www.savetheredwoods.org/explore/stories/post-fire-big-basin-offers-visitors-a-forest-of-hope/\">million visitors\u003c/a> it got every year before the fire. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When you think about the trees themselves and the experience of being in Big Basin, a lot will be different for many decades,” said Matt Shaffer, spokesperson for Sempervirens Fund, a land trust dedicated to protecting redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which just won a grant to do forest management in the park. “For the folks who spend a lot of time in redwoods or have a lot of nostalgia for going and being in Big Basin before the fire, it’s a different experience.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But not all is lost. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11837498\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A charred fallen redwood at the Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Sep. 10, 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the past six years, the smell of ash and eerie silence have mostly dissipated as local fauna and flora return. In the famed old-growth Redwood Loop Trail, the Mother and Father of the forest — the park’s tallest and widest trees — still stand, triumphant, whispering the story of their survival. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And next year, one 7-mile portion of the iconic Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, the \u003ca href=\"https://sempervirens.org/support/timms-creek-loop/\">Timms Creek Loop,\u003c/a> is set to open, just in time for the park’s 125th anniversary. It’s taken a lot of work to get to this point, Shaffer said, including the reconstruction of 22 bridges that burned in the fire with new, fire-safe fiberglass.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s going to be a real special addition to the park,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The forest \u003cem>is \u003c/em>returning — and so are the park’s renowned opportunities for recreation. Both are evolving, and geared toward safeguarding the future of the park, not recreating the past.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-35-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092792\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-35-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-35-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-35-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Regrowth at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cowman said the park’s return may well feel glacial to those who still mourn its destruction. But for us humans, who rarely get a glimpse into the full life cycle of these ancient trees, it’s something of an ecological marvel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I think we are a little bit privileged to be able to witness this recovery,” Cowman said. “Although it was devastating for the community of Santa Cruz Mountains, it’s also a huge learning opportunity for all of us.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We get to witness redwood recovery at scale in real time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Big Basin ‘engulfed’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chris Spohrer was the superintendent for the Santa Cruz district of state parks when, in August of 2020, an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834460/fires-continue-to-burn-through-the-bay-area-leaving-at-least-5-dead\">unusually intense dry lightning storm\u003c/a> sparked more than 16,000 lightning strikes on the forest and ignited dozens of small fires throughout the region. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Those small fires, because they were so spread out, were difficult to immediately contain,” Spohrer said. “And when the weather changed, and we had significant dry winds pushing towards the ocean, those fires grew together.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I remember being on the coast at the coastal portion of Big Basin … watching the smoke plume sort of shift and head out over the ocean and see the fire intensity significantly pick up,” he said. “And it was that time where we had to make a very quick decision to evacuate the park.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-16-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092789\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-16-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-16-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-16-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vegetation grows at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"672\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/BigBasin_Diptych_2020_2026-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092801\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/BigBasin_Diptych_2020_2026-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/BigBasin_Diptych_2020_2026-KQED-160x54.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/BigBasin_Diptych_2020_2026-KQED-1536x516.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A road in Big Basin pictured in 2020, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, and in 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What followed was a 24-hour period of “unimaginable” growth of the fire to 42,000 acres, “engulfing Big Basin and many of our communities overnight,” Spohrer said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while everyone in state parks, including Spohrer, reported to work to help with the emergency, there wasn’t much that firefighters could do besides evacuate the more than 1,000 campers in the park and staff living there as quickly as possible. More than 100 park structures were lost in the fire.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Most of the losses in the park happened that first night,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The CZU wildfire would burn for more than a month and resulted in just one casualty. Around 60,000 people would be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834046/thousands-forced-to-evacuate-as-wildfires-rage-from-north-bay-to-peninsula\">displaced from their homes\u003c/a> as 1,500 structures burned across the region. And as the fire was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1974648/last-years-santa-cruz-lightning-fires-still-causing-trouble\">slowly contained\u003c/a> and then put out, residents’ fears turned to the threat of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974714/california-storm-brings-flooding-mudslides-and-power-outages\">mudslides\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But top of mind for everyone, even evacuated residents like Marianne Booth, was the health of the forest and its iconic trees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-59-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092799\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-59-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-59-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-59-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Volunteer Marianne Booth talks with visitors about the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She lives in Boulder Creek and volunteers at Big Basin. She was just coming back from a trip to the Sonoma Coast when the evacuation orders were issued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Booth hadn’t closed any of her windows, “so even though the fire stopped right up at the top of our block, all of the soot came in,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A year after the fire, she came back to the park for the first time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I was working here for 10 years, and you didn’t recognize it,” Booth said. “We went on a walk where the [Redwood] Loop was … and we got lost, because it was so destroyed. You didn’t know where anything was. All the landmarks were missing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following the fire, the park was closed for nearly two years as workers cleaned up dead trees at risk of falling, removed hazardous waste and cleared roadways of debris. In 2021, nearly a year after the blaze, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kron4.com/wildfires/embers-from-czu-wildfire-still-reigniting-in-santa-cruz-mountains/\">workers discovered smoldering remains\u003c/a> of the fire still active in trees and had to put those out, too.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-56-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092798\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-56-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-56-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-56-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Volunteer Marianne Booth talks with visitors about the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The park finally \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919474/as-big-basin-finally-reopens-indigenous-stewardship-key-among-plans-for-parks-rebirth\">reopened in 2022\u003c/a>, and state parks and its partners, including Cowman’s group, have been working ever since on its restoration, to slowly and safely bring visitors back to the park’s iconic trails and campgrounds.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Spohrer and Cowman strolled along the Redwood Loop Trail, they pointed out signs of the fire, the forest’s recovery, and all the work parks staff are doing to keep the trail safe and visitor-friendly. This trail was the first to reopen after the fire.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Booth, who is back working at the interpretive center, said she likes to show visitors today what the park was like before the fire, its lush green canopy that is hard to imagine standing in today’s sun-bleached park. She said many of the visitors she speaks to were themselves affected by the fire or have their own tales to tell about how wildfires have touched their lives.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“And so they sort of understand that it’s a long process to get back,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seeing the forest for the trees\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those who saw the devastation firsthand find these woods a hopeful place. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11835124/some-good-news-many-of-big-basins-ancient-redwoods-appear-to-have-survived\">giant redwoods\u003c/a> that lost the entirety of their canopies are in the midst of resprouting. The forest floor, too, is covered in green — the Ceanothus whose seeds lay dormant under the soil until access to sun and charred soil invited them to emerge and thrive in a post-fire ecology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With fire also comes flowers, Cowman said. In the springtime, the park is full of flowering plants and the pollinator insects that propagate them — much more so than before the fire, he said. There’s a lot more sunlight reaching the forest floor, so on sunny days, the park is much warmer than before. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This loop was beautiful before the fire, and I think it’s beautiful after the fire,” Cowman said. ”We’ve seen acorn woodpeckers, we’ve seen downy woodpeckers, I heard a Pileated woodpecker earlier, so the bird life is clearly thriving here.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56366_053_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11919856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56366_053_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56366_053_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56366_053_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56366_053_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56366_053_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tall grass and wildflowers grow in a meadow at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on May 26, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1020\" height=\"680\" data-id=\"11919855\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56355_042_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1020x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11919855\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56355_042_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56355_042_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56355_042_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56355_042_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56355_042_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">New growth emerges at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on May 26, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1020\" height=\"680\" data-id=\"11919852\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56352_038_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1020x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11919852\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56352_038_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56352_038_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56352_038_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56352_038_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56352_038_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chris Spohrer, state parks superintendent in the Santa Cruz area, points to wildflowers growing at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on May 26, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The omnipresent smell of smoke has mostly faded, and the utter silence of the forest right after the burn has slowly given way to nature’s bustle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s starting to sound a lot more like what we remember,” Cowman said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, the park is home to many dead and dying trees, keeping parks staff, Caltrans and PG&E crews hard at work maintaining roads, trails and the state highway that runs through the park against falling trees and erosion, Cowman said. The park’s population of Douglas firs was decimated entirely.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like Booth, when Jay Chamberlin, chief of state parks’ natural resources division, first saw the park after the fire, he feared the worst.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When I saw it, I was like, ‘Uh-oh, I was wrong,’” he said. “These look like dead trees.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That makes the new growth in the park today feel remarkable, Spohrer said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The forest has come back in a way that I think has surprised even those of us who have worked in forests like this for our whole careers,” he said. “That fire was so intense, and it burned so intensely in the old growth that it appeared at first that maybe the forest wasn’t going to recover, but that’s not the case. It’s recovering really, really well.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And those redwoods that Chamberlin saw? Even they can, and are, coming back, too.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“These trees can burn up completely,” Cowman said. “100% of the canopy can get burned, and six years later you see a pretty good start on a new canopy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, in a recent webinar, California State Parks Senior Environmental Scientist Portia Halbert reminded audiences \u003ca href=\"https://sempervirens.org/webinars/czu-fire-impacts-on-big-basin-redwoods-six-years-later/\">that the redwoods in this park have burned before\u003c/a>, notably in 1903, just one year after the park was created. In 2009, the Lockheed Fire, too, burned in the Santa Cruz Mountains.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is some bad news, Cowman said. Some of the larger trees that appeared to have survived post-fire, and even grew new sprouts in the following years, are now, years later, dying. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They were alive immediately following the fire, but for whatever reason, they are declining in health currently and starting to die out,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-46-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092796\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-46-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-46-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-46-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Visitors look at a map at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even as more and more trees succumb to their wounds, the forest itself persists. Cowman said the key health indicators for an old-growth forest like this one are present — and an event like a fire can even open up features like meadows.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plus, the Ceanothus that dominates the forest floor today isn’t a long-living plant — naturally, they live 20 or 30 years, Cowman said — so he expects that as the redwood canopy begins to close up, the forest will change once again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our experience in this park and this forest, Cowman reminded, is short relative to its lifespan. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This is not the first time that redwoods have seen fire, and this will not be the last time that redwoods will see fire,” he said. “Forests are really a dynamic system. We just get to be witness to that process of dynamism and that process of change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not rebuild, ‘reimagine’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s not just the trees that look different. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The park’s iconic headquarters was reduced to rubble during the fire — today, all that remains are its stone steps, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s — as was almost every other building in the main area of the park. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This area burned very, very intensely,” Spohrer said. “There was really no way to save these structures.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the plan is not to rebuild. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092791\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chris Spohrer, state parks superintendent in the Santa Cruz area, points to regrowth at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026. The CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Called “\u003ca href=\"https://reimaginingbigbasin.org/\">Reimagining Big Basin\u003c/a>,” the new plan for the park is to relocate the main park infrastructure away from the center of the old-growth forest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The nearly $370 million plan will take time to implement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re probably five to 10 years off from it feeling more like a functioning park and less like a recovering ecosystem in some kind of chaos,” Shaffer said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The highest priorities are restoring core infrastructure like water, power and emergency access to and from the park. Then comes the restoration of trails, campgrounds and education programs. And the park is relying on state grants and its nonprofit partners to help fund the work. Last year, a Los Altos resident \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/big-basin-redwoods-donation-bay-area-family-22427824.php\">donated a record $6 million\u003c/a> to Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks to help fund the project.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The facilities that used to be located in the heart of the park, Spohrer said, will be rebuilt higher up at Saddle Mountain, and the campgrounds, too, will be relocated outside of the center of the park. There are also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919474/as-big-basin-finally-reopens-indigenous-stewardship-key-among-plans-for-parks-rebirth\">plans to work with the local Amah Mutsun tribal band\u003c/a> to build a tribal cultural center, called Little Basin, near Saddle Mountain for gatherings and to keep indigenous knowledge and resources at the heart of the park’s recovery. Overall, Spohrer said, there will be far fewer buildings in the main old growth access area than before for many reasons.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, so that they and the people who use and staff them are less at risk. Second, so that controlled burns can be more safely carried out. And third, because after the fire, it became clear that the buildings themselves added to its intensity, Spohrer said, “a hard lesson.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Part of our thinking going forward is to not recreate that experience,” he said, “to move those really critical visitor serving infrastructure outside this old growth.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The park’s trails, like the Timms Creek Loop, are being rebuilt using more fire-resistant materials, Spohrer said, and visitors might notice active fuel management going on — like piles of dead tree branches that can be burned to lower the risk of the park igniting in the future. He said the park has “doubled down” on using prescribed fire, and even plans to host public prescribed burns to educate visitors about the process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There was a huge wake-up call with the CZU fire,” Spohrer said. “In a changing climate, you have conditions that demand that we proactively steward the forest.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And given the heat that now reaches the forest floor, staff are even having to adjust where picnic tables are located and come up with a heat plan for park employees and visitors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s a momentous change from the old Big Basin — the one that generations of visitors have come to love — but change, Chamberlin said, is necessary. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092790\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A family walks on the Redwood Loop Nature Trail at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026. The CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We have to think about adapting our infrastructure and building infrastructure that’s resilient,” he said. “These places are changing, but we can actually change the way we think about these places and create spaces that are more resilient and more sustainable in the long run.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And strategies like relocating park infrastructure away from natural resources at Big Basin could pave the way for change elsewhere, too, Chamberlin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We can now use that as a template,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we will always reimagine parks in the wake of these climate-driven events, but that’s now a true option. Because if we can do it there, then we can really do it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A case study for the future\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another part of the story of this forest, Cowman said, is a warning. While redwoods can and do survive high-intensity fires, compounding that with other stressors, like increased temperature and drought, could make them more vulnerable in the future. The CZU fire burned 22% of all coastal redwoods in the last 100 years — and Cowman said it’s not clear if they can survive repeated exposure to climate-change-driven high-intensity fires.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I feel confident that wildfire will become more prevalent throughout the entirety of the Redwood Range,” Cowman said. “So what’s happening down here in Santa Cruz with the CZU fire could become sort of a case study … as things continue to get hotter and drier.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11919858\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A construction crew works near the remains of the headquarters at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on May 26, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That’s part of why visitor education is at the heart of the reimagination of the park, Spohrer said. The plan is to redevelop its ranger programs and signage to explain what is happening to the forest in real time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If you’re not taking advantage of this type of learning opportunity,” Spohrer said, “you’re missing something.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to visit Big Basin today\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The park is open, but many of the trails that visitors might remember are still closed, so remember to \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28975\">check trail conditions before you head out\u003c/a>. There is no water, no electricity and no Wi-Fi in the park. There are currently no overnight facilities in the park. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It costs $6 to visit the park or $10 without a reservation. \u003ca href=\"https://thatsmypark.org/big-basin-parking/\">Reservations for parking are highly encouraged.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-39-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092793\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-39-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-39-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-39-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Picnic tables at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On weekdays, Spohrer said, it’s still easy to get a parking spot down in the heart of the park. But summer weekends in particular are busy, so the park has a new shuttle service to bring visitors from the Saddle Mountain parking area down to the main park entrance on busy summer weekends.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bikers are also welcome to explore the paved and fire roads that run through the park, but are not allowed on trails.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On a ridge overlooking \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540\">Big Basin State Park\u003c/a>, David Cowman, director of land stewardship for the Sempervirens Fund, pulled over to take in the view. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On a ridge overlooking \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540\">Big Basin State Park\u003c/a>, David Cowman, director of land stewardship for the Sempervirens Fund, pulled over to take in the view. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ahead, the Pacific Ocean stretched to the horizon. Below, the footprint of the southern core of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834046/thousands-forced-to-evacuate-as-wildfires-rage-from-north-bay-to-peninsula\">CZU fire\u003c/a>, which burned more than 85,000 acres here in 2020, dominated the landscape.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ahead, the Pacific Ocean stretched to the horizon. Below, the footprint of the southern core of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834046/thousands-forced-to-evacuate-as-wildfires-rage-from-north-bay-to-peninsula\">CZU fire\u003c/a>, which burned more than 85,000 acres here in 2020, dominated the landscape.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Big Basin is the oldest state park in California and home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco and some of the oldest trees in the world. \u003ca href=\"https://journal.wildlife.ca.gov/2023/04/12/impacts-of-the-czu-lightning-complex-fire-of-august-2020-on-the-forests-of-big-basin-redwoods-state-park/\">The park burned 97%\u003c/a> during the once-in-a-generation blaze, in what Cowman calls “a wake-up call” for people who work and live in these forests.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Big Basin is the oldest state park in California and home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco and some of the oldest trees in the world. \u003ca href=\"https://journal.wildlife.ca.gov/2023/04/12/impacts-of-the-czu-lightning-complex-fire-of-august-2020-on-the-forests-of-big-basin-redwoods-state-park/\">The park burned 97%\u003c/a> during the once-in-a-generation blaze, in what Cowman calls “a wake-up call” for people who work and live in these forests.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We had this kind of misconception that redwood forests and particularly old-growth redwood forests were somewhat immune to high-intensity fire,” he said. “And for the last 100 years, we’ve kind of been lulled into a sense of complacency.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We had this kind of misconception that redwood forests and particularly old-growth redwood forests were somewhat immune to high-intensity fire,” he said. “And for the last 100 years, we’ve kind of been lulled into a sense of complacency.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite the devastation, many of the forest’s trees — its bigger, older redwoods, in particular — survived.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-68-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-68-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-68-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-68-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-68-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092800\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, the rolling hills below are a patchwork of surviving redwoods, their new sprouts giving them the look of dark green pipe cleaners. They stand, just as tall but not quite as wide, next to stark-white brambles of charred Douglas fir trees, which could not withstand the crushing heat of the fire. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Now, the rolling hills below are a patchwork of surviving redwoods, their new sprouts giving them the look of dark green pipe cleaners. They stand, just as tall but not quite as wide, next to stark-white brambles of charred Douglas fir trees, which could not withstand the crushing heat of the fire. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the foreground, Cowman said, are Knobcone pines, now mostly reduced to stumps after they, too, succumbed to the fire. The usual busy underbrush of the redwood forest disintegrated, replaced primarily by Ceanothus, a quick-growing shrub that thrives in post-fire landscapes — 20 feet high in some parts of the park.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the foreground, Cowman said, are Knobcone pines, now mostly reduced to stumps after they, too, succumbed to the fire. The usual busy underbrush of the redwood forest disintegrated, replaced primarily by Ceanothus, a quick-growing shrub that thrives in post-fire landscapes — 20 feet high in some parts of the park.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Before the fire, it would have looked a lot more … homogeneous,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Before the fire, it would have looked a lot more … homogeneous,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’re a trained forester like Cowman, especially one who witnessed firsthand as the blaze descended on California’s oldest state park, the telltale signs of the CZU fire are clear — and devastating. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you’re a trained forester like Cowman, especially one who witnessed firsthand as the blaze descended on California’s oldest state park, the telltale signs of the CZU fire are clear — and devastating. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The dark, humid, mystical park is no longer. Today, Big Basin is hot, airy and overexposed, its foliage painstakingly healing like a patient in recovery.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The dark, humid, mystical park is no longer. Today, Big Basin is hot, airy and overexposed, its foliage painstakingly healing like a patient in recovery.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-43-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092795\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-43-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-43-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-43-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Cowman, director of land stewardship at Sempervirens Fund, at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-43-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092795\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Cowman, director of land stewardship at Sempervirens Fund, at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We do still have a forest, but it just looks a little bit different,” he said. “A little less green than it did before the fire.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We do still have a forest, but it just looks a little bit different,” he said. “A little less green than it did before the fire.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Just as gradual is the rehabilitation of its recreation. The park’s campgrounds remain closed, its buildings and water systems mostly demolished, and only a few trails in the park are open to hikers — notably, the famed Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail is still mostly inaccessible. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Just as gradual is the rehabilitation of its recreation. The park’s campgrounds remain closed, its buildings and water systems mostly demolished, and only a few trails in the park are open to hikers — notably, the famed Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail is still mostly inaccessible. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For those who remember the park in all of its glory, the Big Basin of yore is gone. Since it reopened in 2022, just 1.2 million people have visited the park. That’s compared to around a \u003ca href=\"https://www.savetheredwoods.org/explore/stories/post-fire-big-basin-offers-visitors-a-forest-of-hope/\">million visitors\u003c/a> it got every year before the fire. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For those who remember the park in all of its glory, the Big Basin of yore is gone. Since it reopened in 2022, just 1.2 million people have visited the park. That’s compared to around a \u003ca href=\"https://www.savetheredwoods.org/explore/stories/post-fire-big-basin-offers-visitors-a-forest-of-hope/\">million visitors\u003c/a> it got every year before the fire. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When you think about the trees themselves and the experience of being in Big Basin, a lot will be different for many decades,” said Matt Shaffer, spokesperson for Sempervirens Fund, a land trust dedicated to protecting redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which just won a grant to do forest management in the park. “For the folks who spend a lot of time in redwoods or have a lot of nostalgia for going and being in Big Basin before the fire, it’s a different experience.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When you think about the trees themselves and the experience of being in Big Basin, a lot will be different for many decades,” said Matt Shaffer, spokesperson for Sempervirens Fund, a land trust dedicated to protecting redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which just won a grant to do forest management in the park. “For the folks who spend a lot of time in redwoods or have a lot of nostalgia for going and being in Big Basin before the fire, it’s a different experience.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But not all is lost. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But not all is lost. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11837498\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A charred fallen redwood at the Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Sep. 10, 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11837498\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A charred fallen redwood at the Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Sep. 10, 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over the past six years, the smell of ash and eerie silence have mostly dissipated as local fauna and flora return. In the famed old-growth Redwood Loop Trail, the Mother and Father of the forest — the park’s tallest and widest trees — still stand, triumphant, whispering the story of their survival. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Over the past six years, the smell of ash and eerie silence have mostly dissipated as local fauna and flora return. In the famed old-growth Redwood Loop Trail, the Mother and Father of the forest — the park’s tallest and widest trees — still stand, triumphant, whispering the story of their survival. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And next year, one 7-mile portion of the iconic Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, the \u003ca href=\"https://sempervirens.org/support/timms-creek-loop/\">Timms Creek Loop,\u003c/a> is set to open, just in time for the park’s 125th anniversary. It’s taken a lot of work to get to this point, Shaffer said, including the reconstruction of 22 bridges that burned in the fire with new, fire-safe fiberglass.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And next year, one 7-mile portion of the iconic Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, the \u003ca href=\"https://sempervirens.org/support/timms-creek-loop/\">Timms Creek Loop,\u003c/a> is set to open, just in time for the park’s 125th anniversary. It’s taken a lot of work to get to this point, Shaffer said, including the reconstruction of 22 bridges that burned in the fire with new, fire-safe fiberglass.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s going to be a real special addition to the park,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s going to be a real special addition to the park,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The forest \u003cem>is \u003c/em>returning — and so are the park’s renowned opportunities for recreation. Both are evolving, and geared toward safeguarding the future of the park, not recreating the past.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The forest \u003cem>is \u003c/em>returning — and so are the park’s renowned opportunities for recreation. Both are evolving, and geared toward safeguarding the future of the park, not recreating the past.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-35-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092792\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-35-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-35-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-35-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Regrowth at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-35-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092792\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Regrowth at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cowman said the park’s return may well feel glacial to those who still mourn its destruction. But for us humans, who rarely get a glimpse into the full life cycle of these ancient trees, it’s something of an ecological marvel. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Cowman said the park’s return may well feel glacial to those who still mourn its destruction. But for us humans, who rarely get a glimpse into the full life cycle of these ancient trees, it’s something of an ecological marvel. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think we are a little bit privileged to be able to witness this recovery,” Cowman said. “Although it was devastating for the community of Santa Cruz Mountains, it’s also a huge learning opportunity for all of us.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think we are a little bit privileged to be able to witness this recovery,” Cowman said. “Although it was devastating for the community of Santa Cruz Mountains, it’s also a huge learning opportunity for all of us.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We get to witness redwood recovery at scale in real time.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>We get to witness redwood recovery at scale in real time.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Big Basin ‘engulfed’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Big Basin ‘engulfed’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Big Basin ‘engulfed’\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chris Spohrer was the superintendent for the Santa Cruz district of state parks when, in August of 2020, an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834460/fires-continue-to-burn-through-the-bay-area-leaving-at-least-5-dead\">unusually intense dry lightning storm\u003c/a> sparked more than 16,000 lightning strikes on the forest and ignited dozens of small fires throughout the region. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Chris Spohrer was the superintendent for the Santa Cruz district of state parks when, in August of 2020, an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834460/fires-continue-to-burn-through-the-bay-area-leaving-at-least-5-dead\">unusually intense dry lightning storm\u003c/a> sparked more than 16,000 lightning strikes on the forest and ignited dozens of small fires throughout the region. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Those small fires, because they were so spread out, were difficult to immediately contain,” Spohrer said. “And when the weather changed, and we had significant dry winds pushing towards the ocean, those fires grew together.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Those small fires, because they were so spread out, were difficult to immediately contain,” Spohrer said. “And when the weather changed, and we had significant dry winds pushing towards the ocean, those fires grew together.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I remember being on the coast at the coastal portion of Big Basin … watching the smoke plume sort of shift and head out over the ocean and see the fire intensity significantly pick up,” he said. “And it was that time where we had to make a very quick decision to evacuate the park.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-16-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092789\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-16-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-16-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-16-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vegetation grows at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-16-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092789\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vegetation grows at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/BigBasin_Diptych_2020_2026-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092801\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/BigBasin_Diptych_2020_2026-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/BigBasin_Diptych_2020_2026-KQED-160x54.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/BigBasin_Diptych_2020_2026-KQED-1536x516.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A road in Big Basin pictured in 2020, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, and in 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/BigBasin_Diptych_2020_2026-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092801\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A road in Big Basin pictured in 2020, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, and in 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What followed was a 24-hour period of “unimaginable” growth of the fire to 42,000 acres, “engulfing Big Basin and many of our communities overnight,” Spohrer said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>What followed was a 24-hour period of “unimaginable” growth of the fire to 42,000 acres, “engulfing Big Basin and many of our communities overnight,” Spohrer said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And while everyone in state parks, including Spohrer, reported to work to help with the emergency, there wasn’t much that firefighters could do besides evacuate the more than 1,000 campers in the park and staff living there as quickly as possible. More than 100 park structures were lost in the fire.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And while everyone in state parks, including Spohrer, reported to work to help with the emergency, there wasn’t much that firefighters could do besides evacuate the more than 1,000 campers in the park and staff living there as quickly as possible. More than 100 park structures were lost in the fire.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Most of the losses in the park happened that first night,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Most of the losses in the park happened that first night,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The CZU wildfire would burn for more than a month and resulted in just one casualty. Around 60,000 people would be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834046/thousands-forced-to-evacuate-as-wildfires-rage-from-north-bay-to-peninsula\">displaced from their homes\u003c/a> as 1,500 structures burned across the region. And as the fire was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1974648/last-years-santa-cruz-lightning-fires-still-causing-trouble\">slowly contained\u003c/a> and then put out, residents’ fears turned to the threat of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974714/california-storm-brings-flooding-mudslides-and-power-outages\">mudslides\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The CZU wildfire would burn for more than a month and resulted in just one casualty. Around 60,000 people would be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834046/thousands-forced-to-evacuate-as-wildfires-rage-from-north-bay-to-peninsula\">displaced from their homes\u003c/a> as 1,500 structures burned across the region. And as the fire was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1974648/last-years-santa-cruz-lightning-fires-still-causing-trouble\">slowly contained\u003c/a> and then put out, residents’ fears turned to the threat of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974714/california-storm-brings-flooding-mudslides-and-power-outages\">mudslides\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But top of mind for everyone, even evacuated residents like Marianne Booth, was the health of the forest and its iconic trees. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But top of mind for everyone, even evacuated residents like Marianne Booth, was the health of the forest and its iconic trees. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-59-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092799\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-59-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-59-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-59-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Volunteer Marianne Booth talks with visitors about the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-59-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092799\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Volunteer Marianne Booth talks with visitors about the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She lives in Boulder Creek and volunteers at Big Basin. She was just coming back from a trip to the Sonoma Coast when the evacuation orders were issued. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She lives in Boulder Creek and volunteers at Big Basin. She was just coming back from a trip to the Sonoma Coast when the evacuation orders were issued. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Booth hadn’t closed any of her windows, “so even though the fire stopped right up at the top of our block, all of the soot came in,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Booth hadn’t closed any of her windows, “so even though the fire stopped right up at the top of our block, all of the soot came in,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A year after the fire, she came back to the park for the first time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A year after the fire, she came back to the park for the first time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was working here for 10 years, and you didn’t recognize it,” Booth said. “We went on a walk where the [Redwood] Loop was … and we got lost, because it was so destroyed. You didn’t know where anything was. All the landmarks were missing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I was working here for 10 years, and you didn’t recognize it,” Booth said. “We went on a walk where the [Redwood] Loop was … and we got lost, because it was so destroyed. You didn’t know where anything was. All the landmarks were missing.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Following the fire, the park was closed for nearly two years as workers cleaned up dead trees at risk of falling, removed hazardous waste and cleared roadways of debris. In 2021, nearly a year after the blaze, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kron4.com/wildfires/embers-from-czu-wildfire-still-reigniting-in-santa-cruz-mountains/\">workers discovered smoldering remains\u003c/a> of the fire still active in trees and had to put those out, too.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Following the fire, the park was closed for nearly two years as workers cleaned up dead trees at risk of falling, removed hazardous waste and cleared roadways of debris. In 2021, nearly a year after the blaze, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kron4.com/wildfires/embers-from-czu-wildfire-still-reigniting-in-santa-cruz-mountains/\">workers discovered smoldering remains\u003c/a> of the fire still active in trees and had to put those out, too.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-56-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092798\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-56-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-56-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-56-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Volunteer Marianne Booth talks with visitors about the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-56-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092798\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Volunteer Marianne Booth talks with visitors about the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The park finally \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919474/as-big-basin-finally-reopens-indigenous-stewardship-key-among-plans-for-parks-rebirth\">reopened in 2022\u003c/a>, and state parks and its partners, including Cowman’s group, have been working ever since on its restoration, to slowly and safely bring visitors back to the park’s iconic trails and campgrounds.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The park finally \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919474/as-big-basin-finally-reopens-indigenous-stewardship-key-among-plans-for-parks-rebirth\">reopened in 2022\u003c/a>, and state parks and its partners, including Cowman’s group, have been working ever since on its restoration, to slowly and safely bring visitors back to the park’s iconic trails and campgrounds.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As Spohrer and Cowman strolled along the Redwood Loop Trail, they pointed out signs of the fire, the forest’s recovery, and all the work parks staff are doing to keep the trail safe and visitor-friendly. This trail was the first to reopen after the fire.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As Spohrer and Cowman strolled along the Redwood Loop Trail, they pointed out signs of the fire, the forest’s recovery, and all the work parks staff are doing to keep the trail safe and visitor-friendly. This trail was the first to reopen after the fire.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Booth, who is back working at the interpretive center, said she likes to show visitors today what the park was like before the fire, its lush green canopy that is hard to imagine standing in today’s sun-bleached park. She said many of the visitors she speaks to were themselves affected by the fire or have their own tales to tell about how wildfires have touched their lives.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Booth, who is back working at the interpretive center, said she likes to show visitors today what the park was like before the fire, its lush green canopy that is hard to imagine standing in today’s sun-bleached park. She said many of the visitors she speaks to were themselves affected by the fire or have their own tales to tell about how wildfires have touched their lives.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And so they sort of understand that it’s a long process to get back,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“And so they sort of understand that it’s a long process to get back,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Seeing the forest for the trees",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seeing the forest for the trees\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seeing the forest for the trees\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those who saw the devastation firsthand find these woods a hopeful place. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11835124/some-good-news-many-of-big-basins-ancient-redwoods-appear-to-have-survived\">giant redwoods\u003c/a> that lost the entirety of their canopies are in the midst of resprouting. The forest floor, too, is covered in green — the Ceanothus whose seeds lay dormant under the soil until access to sun and charred soil invited them to emerge and thrive in a post-fire ecology.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Those who saw the devastation firsthand find these woods a hopeful place. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11835124/some-good-news-many-of-big-basins-ancient-redwoods-appear-to-have-survived\">giant redwoods\u003c/a> that lost the entirety of their canopies are in the midst of resprouting. The forest floor, too, is covered in green — the Ceanothus whose seeds lay dormant under the soil until access to sun and charred soil invited them to emerge and thrive in a post-fire ecology.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With fire also comes flowers, Cowman said. In the springtime, the park is full of flowering plants and the pollinator insects that propagate them — much more so than before the fire, he said. There’s a lot more sunlight reaching the forest floor, so on sunny days, the park is much warmer than before. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>With fire also comes flowers, Cowman said. In the springtime, the park is full of flowering plants and the pollinator insects that propagate them — much more so than before the fire, he said. There’s a lot more sunlight reaching the forest floor, so on sunny days, the park is much warmer than before. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This loop was beautiful before the fire, and I think it’s beautiful after the fire,” Cowman said. ”We’ve seen acorn woodpeckers, we’ve seen downy woodpeckers, I heard a Pileated woodpecker earlier, so the bird life is clearly thriving here.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This loop was beautiful before the fire, and I think it’s beautiful after the fire,” Cowman said. ”We’ve seen acorn woodpeckers, we’ve seen downy woodpeckers, I heard a Pileated woodpecker earlier, so the bird life is clearly thriving here.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The omnipresent smell of smoke has mostly faded, and the utter silence of the forest right after the burn has slowly given way to nature’s bustle.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s starting to sound a lot more like what we remember,” Cowman said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, the park is home to many dead and dying trees, keeping parks staff, Caltrans and PG&E crews hard at work maintaining roads, trails and the state highway that runs through the park against falling trees and erosion, Cowman said. The park’s population of Douglas firs was decimated entirely.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Like Booth, when Jay Chamberlin, chief of state parks’ natural resources division, first saw the park after the fire, he feared the worst.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When I saw it, I was like, ‘Uh-oh, I was wrong,’” he said. “These look like dead trees.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That makes the new growth in the park today feel remarkable, Spohrer said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The forest has come back in a way that I think has surprised even those of us who have worked in forests like this for our whole careers,” he said. “That fire was so intense, and it burned so intensely in the old growth that it appeared at first that maybe the forest wasn’t going to recover, but that’s not the case. It’s recovering really, really well.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The forest has come back in a way that I think has surprised even those of us who have worked in forests like this for our whole careers,” he said. “That fire was so intense, and it burned so intensely in the old growth that it appeared at first that maybe the forest wasn’t going to recover, but that’s not the case. It’s recovering really, really well.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And those redwoods that Chamberlin saw? Even they can, and are, coming back, too.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These trees can burn up completely,” Cowman said. “100% of the canopy can get burned, and six years later you see a pretty good start on a new canopy.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In fact, in a recent webinar, California State Parks Senior Environmental Scientist Portia Halbert reminded audiences \u003ca href=\"https://sempervirens.org/webinars/czu-fire-impacts-on-big-basin-redwoods-six-years-later/\">that the redwoods in this park have burned before\u003c/a>, notably in 1903, just one year after the park was created. In 2009, the Lockheed Fire, too, burned in the Santa Cruz Mountains.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In fact, in a recent webinar, California State Parks Senior Environmental Scientist Portia Halbert reminded audiences \u003ca href=\"https://sempervirens.org/webinars/czu-fire-impacts-on-big-basin-redwoods-six-years-later/\">that the redwoods in this park have burned before\u003c/a>, notably in 1903, just one year after the park was created. In 2009, the Lockheed Fire, too, burned in the Santa Cruz Mountains.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There is some bad news, Cowman said. Some of the larger trees that appeared to have survived post-fire, and even grew new sprouts in the following years, are now, years later, dying. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They were alive immediately following the fire, but for whatever reason, they are declining in health currently and starting to die out,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-46-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092796\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-46-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-46-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-46-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Visitors look at a map at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-46-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092796\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Visitors look at a map at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even as more and more trees succumb to their wounds, the forest itself persists. Cowman said the key health indicators for an old-growth forest like this one are present — and an event like a fire can even open up features like meadows.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Plus, the Ceanothus that dominates the forest floor today isn’t a long-living plant — naturally, they live 20 or 30 years, Cowman said — so he expects that as the redwood canopy begins to close up, the forest will change once again.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Plus, the Ceanothus that dominates the forest floor today isn’t a long-living plant — naturally, they live 20 or 30 years, Cowman said — so he expects that as the redwood canopy begins to close up, the forest will change once again.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Our experience in this park and this forest, Cowman reminded, is short relative to its lifespan. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is not the first time that redwoods have seen fire, and this will not be the last time that redwoods will see fire,” he said. “Forests are really a dynamic system. We just get to be witness to that process of dynamism and that process of change.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Not rebuild, ‘reimagine’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not rebuild, ‘reimagine’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s not just the trees that look different. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The park’s iconic headquarters was reduced to rubble during the fire — today, all that remains are its stone steps, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s — as was almost every other building in the main area of the park. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The park’s iconic headquarters was reduced to rubble during the fire — today, all that remains are its stone steps, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s — as was almost every other building in the main area of the park. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This area burned very, very intensely,” Spohrer said. “There was really no way to save these structures.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the plan is not to rebuild. \u003c/p>\n",
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092791\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chris Spohrer, state parks superintendent in the Santa Cruz area, points to regrowth at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026. The CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092791\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chris Spohrer, state parks superintendent in the Santa Cruz area, points to regrowth at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026. The CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Called “\u003ca href=\"https://reimaginingbigbasin.org/\">Reimagining Big Basin\u003c/a>,” the new plan for the park is to relocate the main park infrastructure away from the center of the old-growth forest.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Called “\u003ca href=\"https://reimaginingbigbasin.org/\">Reimagining Big Basin\u003c/a>,” the new plan for the park is to relocate the main park infrastructure away from the center of the old-growth forest.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The nearly $370 million plan will take time to implement.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re probably five to 10 years off from it feeling more like a functioning park and less like a recovering ecosystem in some kind of chaos,” Shaffer said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The highest priorities are restoring core infrastructure like water, power and emergency access to and from the park. Then comes the restoration of trails, campgrounds and education programs. And the park is relying on state grants and its nonprofit partners to help fund the work. Last year, a Los Altos resident \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/big-basin-redwoods-donation-bay-area-family-22427824.php\">donated a record $6 million\u003c/a> to Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks to help fund the project.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The facilities that used to be located in the heart of the park, Spohrer said, will be rebuilt higher up at Saddle Mountain, and the campgrounds, too, will be relocated outside of the center of the park. There are also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919474/as-big-basin-finally-reopens-indigenous-stewardship-key-among-plans-for-parks-rebirth\">plans to work with the local Amah Mutsun tribal band\u003c/a> to build a tribal cultural center, called Little Basin, near Saddle Mountain for gatherings and to keep indigenous knowledge and resources at the heart of the park’s recovery. Overall, Spohrer said, there will be far fewer buildings in the main old growth access area than before for many reasons.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The facilities that used to be located in the heart of the park, Spohrer said, will be rebuilt higher up at Saddle Mountain, and the campgrounds, too, will be relocated outside of the center of the park. There are also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919474/as-big-basin-finally-reopens-indigenous-stewardship-key-among-plans-for-parks-rebirth\">plans to work with the local Amah Mutsun tribal band\u003c/a> to build a tribal cultural center, called Little Basin, near Saddle Mountain for gatherings and to keep indigenous knowledge and resources at the heart of the park’s recovery. Overall, Spohrer said, there will be far fewer buildings in the main old growth access area than before for many reasons.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>First, so that they and the people who use and staff them are less at risk. Second, so that controlled burns can be more safely carried out. And third, because after the fire, it became clear that the buildings themselves added to its intensity, Spohrer said, “a hard lesson.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>First, so that they and the people who use and staff them are less at risk. Second, so that controlled burns can be more safely carried out. And third, because after the fire, it became clear that the buildings themselves added to its intensity, Spohrer said, “a hard lesson.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Part of our thinking going forward is to not recreate that experience,” he said, “to move those really critical visitor serving infrastructure outside this old growth.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Part of our thinking going forward is to not recreate that experience,” he said, “to move those really critical visitor serving infrastructure outside this old growth.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The park’s trails, like the Timms Creek Loop, are being rebuilt using more fire-resistant materials, Spohrer said, and visitors might notice active fuel management going on — like piles of dead tree branches that can be burned to lower the risk of the park igniting in the future. He said the park has “doubled down” on using prescribed fire, and even plans to host public prescribed burns to educate visitors about the process.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The park’s trails, like the Timms Creek Loop, are being rebuilt using more fire-resistant materials, Spohrer said, and visitors might notice active fuel management going on — like piles of dead tree branches that can be burned to lower the risk of the park igniting in the future. He said the park has “doubled down” on using prescribed fire, and even plans to host public prescribed burns to educate visitors about the process.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There was a huge wake-up call with the CZU fire,” Spohrer said. “In a changing climate, you have conditions that demand that we proactively steward the forest.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There was a huge wake-up call with the CZU fire,” Spohrer said. “In a changing climate, you have conditions that demand that we proactively steward the forest.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And given the heat that now reaches the forest floor, staff are even having to adjust where picnic tables are located and come up with a heat plan for park employees and visitors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And given the heat that now reaches the forest floor, staff are even having to adjust where picnic tables are located and come up with a heat plan for park employees and visitors.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s a momentous change from the old Big Basin — the one that generations of visitors have come to love — but change, Chamberlin said, is necessary. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s a momentous change from the old Big Basin — the one that generations of visitors have come to love — but change, Chamberlin said, is necessary. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092790\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A family walks on the Redwood Loop Nature Trail at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026. The CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092790\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A family walks on the Redwood Loop Nature Trail at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026. The CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have to think about adapting our infrastructure and building infrastructure that’s resilient,” he said. “These places are changing, but we can actually change the way we think about these places and create spaces that are more resilient and more sustainable in the long run.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have to think about adapting our infrastructure and building infrastructure that’s resilient,” he said. “These places are changing, but we can actually change the way we think about these places and create spaces that are more resilient and more sustainable in the long run.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And strategies like relocating park infrastructure away from natural resources at Big Basin could pave the way for change elsewhere, too, Chamberlin said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And strategies like relocating park infrastructure away from natural resources at Big Basin could pave the way for change elsewhere, too, Chamberlin said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We can now use that as a template,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we will always reimagine parks in the wake of these climate-driven events, but that’s now a true option. Because if we can do it there, then we can really do it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We can now use that as a template,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we will always reimagine parks in the wake of these climate-driven events, but that’s now a true option. Because if we can do it there, then we can really do it.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A case study for the future\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A case study for the future\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another part of the story of this forest, Cowman said, is a warning. While redwoods can and do survive high-intensity fires, compounding that with other stressors, like increased temperature and drought, could make them more vulnerable in the future. The CZU fire burned 22% of all coastal redwoods in the last 100 years — and Cowman said it’s not clear if they can survive repeated exposure to climate-change-driven high-intensity fires.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Another part of the story of this forest, Cowman said, is a warning. While redwoods can and do survive high-intensity fires, compounding that with other stressors, like increased temperature and drought, could make them more vulnerable in the future. The CZU fire burned 22% of all coastal redwoods in the last 100 years — and Cowman said it’s not clear if they can survive repeated exposure to climate-change-driven high-intensity fires.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I feel confident that wildfire will become more prevalent throughout the entirety of the Redwood Range,” Cowman said. “So what’s happening down here in Santa Cruz with the CZU fire could become sort of a case study … as things continue to get hotter and drier.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I feel confident that wildfire will become more prevalent throughout the entirety of the Redwood Range,” Cowman said. “So what’s happening down here in Santa Cruz with the CZU fire could become sort of a case study … as things continue to get hotter and drier.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11919858\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A construction crew works near the remains of the headquarters at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on May 26, 2022.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11919858\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A construction crew works near the remains of the headquarters at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on May 26, 2022.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s part of why visitor education is at the heart of the reimagination of the park, Spohrer said. The plan is to redevelop its ranger programs and signage to explain what is happening to the forest in real time.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That’s part of why visitor education is at the heart of the reimagination of the park, Spohrer said. The plan is to redevelop its ranger programs and signage to explain what is happening to the forest in real time.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you’re not taking advantage of this type of learning opportunity,” Spohrer said, “you’re missing something.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If you’re not taking advantage of this type of learning opportunity,” Spohrer said, “you’re missing something.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "How to visit Big Basin today",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to visit Big Basin today\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to visit Big Basin today\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The park is open, but many of the trails that visitors might remember are still closed, so remember to \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28975\">check trail conditions before you head out\u003c/a>. There is no water, no electricity and no Wi-Fi in the park. There are currently no overnight facilities in the park. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The park is open, but many of the trails that visitors might remember are still closed, so remember to \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28975\">check trail conditions before you head out\u003c/a>. There is no water, no electricity and no Wi-Fi in the park. There are currently no overnight facilities in the park. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It costs $6 to visit the park or $10 without a reservation. \u003ca href=\"https://thatsmypark.org/big-basin-parking/\">Reservations for parking are highly encouraged.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It costs $6 to visit the park or $10 without a reservation. \u003ca href=\"https://thatsmypark.org/big-basin-parking/\">Reservations for parking are highly encouraged.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-39-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092793\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-39-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-39-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-39-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Picnic tables at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-39-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092793\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Picnic tables at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On weekdays, Spohrer said, it’s still easy to get a parking spot down in the heart of the park. But summer weekends in particular are busy, so the park has a new shuttle service to bring visitors from the Saddle Mountain parking area down to the main park entrance on busy summer weekends.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On weekdays, Spohrer said, it’s still easy to get a parking spot down in the heart of the park. But summer weekends in particular are busy, so the park has a new shuttle service to bring visitors from the Saddle Mountain parking area down to the main park entrance on busy summer weekends.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bikers are also welcome to explore the paved and fire roads that run through the park, but are not allowed on trails.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bikers are also welcome to explore the paved and fire roads that run through the park, but are not allowed on trails.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Most of the park’s famed redwoods survived the devastating 2020 fire, but the way visitors can appreciate them has changed. So has the park’s vision for the future.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On a ridge overlooking \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540\">Big Basin State Park\u003c/a>, David Cowman, director of land stewardship for the Sempervirens Fund, pulled over to take in the view. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ahead, the Pacific Ocean stretched to the horizon. Below, the footprint of the southern core of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834046/thousands-forced-to-evacuate-as-wildfires-rage-from-north-bay-to-peninsula\">CZU fire\u003c/a>, which burned more than 85,000 acres here in 2020, dominated the landscape.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Big Basin is the oldest state park in California and home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco and some of the oldest trees in the world. \u003ca href=\"https://journal.wildlife.ca.gov/2023/04/12/impacts-of-the-czu-lightning-complex-fire-of-august-2020-on-the-forests-of-big-basin-redwoods-state-park/\">The park burned 97%\u003c/a> during the once-in-a-generation blaze, in what Cowman calls “a wake-up call” for people who work and live in these forests.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We had this kind of misconception that redwood forests and particularly old-growth redwood forests were somewhat immune to high-intensity fire,” he said. “And for the last 100 years, we’ve kind of been lulled into a sense of complacency.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the devastation, many of the forest’s trees — its bigger, older redwoods, in particular — survived.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-68-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-68-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-68-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-68-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, the rolling hills below are a patchwork of surviving redwoods, their new sprouts giving them the look of dark green pipe cleaners. They stand, just as tall but not quite as wide, next to stark-white brambles of charred Douglas fir trees, which could not withstand the crushing heat of the fire. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the foreground, Cowman said, are Knobcone pines, now mostly reduced to stumps after they, too, succumbed to the fire. The usual busy underbrush of the redwood forest disintegrated, replaced primarily by Ceanothus, a quick-growing shrub that thrives in post-fire landscapes — 20 feet high in some parts of the park.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Before the fire, it would have looked a lot more … homogeneous,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you’re a trained forester like Cowman, especially one who witnessed firsthand as the blaze descended on California’s oldest state park, the telltale signs of the CZU fire are clear — and devastating. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dark, humid, mystical park is no longer. Today, Big Basin is hot, airy and overexposed, its foliage painstakingly healing like a patient in recovery.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-43-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092795\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-43-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-43-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-43-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Cowman, director of land stewardship at Sempervirens Fund, at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We do still have a forest, but it just looks a little bit different,” he said. “A little less green than it did before the fire.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just as gradual is the rehabilitation of its recreation. The park’s campgrounds remain closed, its buildings and water systems mostly demolished, and only a few trails in the park are open to hikers — notably, the famed Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail is still mostly inaccessible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For those who remember the park in all of its glory, the Big Basin of yore is gone. Since it reopened in 2022, just 1.2 million people have visited the park. That’s compared to around a \u003ca href=\"https://www.savetheredwoods.org/explore/stories/post-fire-big-basin-offers-visitors-a-forest-of-hope/\">million visitors\u003c/a> it got every year before the fire. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When you think about the trees themselves and the experience of being in Big Basin, a lot will be different for many decades,” said Matt Shaffer, spokesperson for Sempervirens Fund, a land trust dedicated to protecting redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which just won a grant to do forest management in the park. “For the folks who spend a lot of time in redwoods or have a lot of nostalgia for going and being in Big Basin before the fire, it’s a different experience.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But not all is lost. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11837498\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/RS44881_077_KQED_BigBasin_Fire_09102020-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A charred fallen redwood at the Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Sep. 10, 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the past six years, the smell of ash and eerie silence have mostly dissipated as local fauna and flora return. In the famed old-growth Redwood Loop Trail, the Mother and Father of the forest — the park’s tallest and widest trees — still stand, triumphant, whispering the story of their survival. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And next year, one 7-mile portion of the iconic Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, the \u003ca href=\"https://sempervirens.org/support/timms-creek-loop/\">Timms Creek Loop,\u003c/a> is set to open, just in time for the park’s 125th anniversary. It’s taken a lot of work to get to this point, Shaffer said, including the reconstruction of 22 bridges that burned in the fire with new, fire-safe fiberglass.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s going to be a real special addition to the park,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The forest \u003cem>is \u003c/em>returning — and so are the park’s renowned opportunities for recreation. Both are evolving, and geared toward safeguarding the future of the park, not recreating the past.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-35-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092792\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-35-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-35-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-35-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Regrowth at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cowman said the park’s return may well feel glacial to those who still mourn its destruction. But for us humans, who rarely get a glimpse into the full life cycle of these ancient trees, it’s something of an ecological marvel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I think we are a little bit privileged to be able to witness this recovery,” Cowman said. “Although it was devastating for the community of Santa Cruz Mountains, it’s also a huge learning opportunity for all of us.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We get to witness redwood recovery at scale in real time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Big Basin ‘engulfed’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chris Spohrer was the superintendent for the Santa Cruz district of state parks when, in August of 2020, an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834460/fires-continue-to-burn-through-the-bay-area-leaving-at-least-5-dead\">unusually intense dry lightning storm\u003c/a> sparked more than 16,000 lightning strikes on the forest and ignited dozens of small fires throughout the region. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Those small fires, because they were so spread out, were difficult to immediately contain,” Spohrer said. “And when the weather changed, and we had significant dry winds pushing towards the ocean, those fires grew together.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I remember being on the coast at the coastal portion of Big Basin … watching the smoke plume sort of shift and head out over the ocean and see the fire intensity significantly pick up,” he said. “And it was that time where we had to make a very quick decision to evacuate the park.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-16-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092789\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-16-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-16-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-16-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vegetation grows at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"672\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/BigBasin_Diptych_2020_2026-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092801\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/BigBasin_Diptych_2020_2026-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/BigBasin_Diptych_2020_2026-KQED-160x54.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/BigBasin_Diptych_2020_2026-KQED-1536x516.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A road in Big Basin pictured in 2020, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, and in 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What followed was a 24-hour period of “unimaginable” growth of the fire to 42,000 acres, “engulfing Big Basin and many of our communities overnight,” Spohrer said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while everyone in state parks, including Spohrer, reported to work to help with the emergency, there wasn’t much that firefighters could do besides evacuate the more than 1,000 campers in the park and staff living there as quickly as possible. More than 100 park structures were lost in the fire.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Most of the losses in the park happened that first night,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The CZU wildfire would burn for more than a month and resulted in just one casualty. Around 60,000 people would be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11834046/thousands-forced-to-evacuate-as-wildfires-rage-from-north-bay-to-peninsula\">displaced from their homes\u003c/a> as 1,500 structures burned across the region. And as the fire was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1974648/last-years-santa-cruz-lightning-fires-still-causing-trouble\">slowly contained\u003c/a> and then put out, residents’ fears turned to the threat of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974714/california-storm-brings-flooding-mudslides-and-power-outages\">mudslides\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But top of mind for everyone, even evacuated residents like Marianne Booth, was the health of the forest and its iconic trees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-59-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092799\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-59-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-59-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-59-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Volunteer Marianne Booth talks with visitors about the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She lives in Boulder Creek and volunteers at Big Basin. She was just coming back from a trip to the Sonoma Coast when the evacuation orders were issued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Booth hadn’t closed any of her windows, “so even though the fire stopped right up at the top of our block, all of the soot came in,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A year after the fire, she came back to the park for the first time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I was working here for 10 years, and you didn’t recognize it,” Booth said. “We went on a walk where the [Redwood] Loop was … and we got lost, because it was so destroyed. You didn’t know where anything was. All the landmarks were missing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following the fire, the park was closed for nearly two years as workers cleaned up dead trees at risk of falling, removed hazardous waste and cleared roadways of debris. In 2021, nearly a year after the blaze, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kron4.com/wildfires/embers-from-czu-wildfire-still-reigniting-in-santa-cruz-mountains/\">workers discovered smoldering remains\u003c/a> of the fire still active in trees and had to put those out, too.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-56-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092798\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-56-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-56-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-56-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Volunteer Marianne Booth talks with visitors about the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The park finally \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919474/as-big-basin-finally-reopens-indigenous-stewardship-key-among-plans-for-parks-rebirth\">reopened in 2022\u003c/a>, and state parks and its partners, including Cowman’s group, have been working ever since on its restoration, to slowly and safely bring visitors back to the park’s iconic trails and campgrounds.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Spohrer and Cowman strolled along the Redwood Loop Trail, they pointed out signs of the fire, the forest’s recovery, and all the work parks staff are doing to keep the trail safe and visitor-friendly. This trail was the first to reopen after the fire.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Booth, who is back working at the interpretive center, said she likes to show visitors today what the park was like before the fire, its lush green canopy that is hard to imagine standing in today’s sun-bleached park. She said many of the visitors she speaks to were themselves affected by the fire or have their own tales to tell about how wildfires have touched their lives.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“And so they sort of understand that it’s a long process to get back,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seeing the forest for the trees\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those who saw the devastation firsthand find these woods a hopeful place. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11835124/some-good-news-many-of-big-basins-ancient-redwoods-appear-to-have-survived\">giant redwoods\u003c/a> that lost the entirety of their canopies are in the midst of resprouting. The forest floor, too, is covered in green — the Ceanothus whose seeds lay dormant under the soil until access to sun and charred soil invited them to emerge and thrive in a post-fire ecology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With fire also comes flowers, Cowman said. In the springtime, the park is full of flowering plants and the pollinator insects that propagate them — much more so than before the fire, he said. There’s a lot more sunlight reaching the forest floor, so on sunny days, the park is much warmer than before. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This loop was beautiful before the fire, and I think it’s beautiful after the fire,” Cowman said. ”We’ve seen acorn woodpeckers, we’ve seen downy woodpeckers, I heard a Pileated woodpecker earlier, so the bird life is clearly thriving here.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56366_053_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11919856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56366_053_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56366_053_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56366_053_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56366_053_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56366_053_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tall grass and wildflowers grow in a meadow at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on May 26, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1020\" height=\"680\" data-id=\"11919855\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56355_042_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1020x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11919855\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56355_042_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56355_042_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56355_042_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56355_042_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56355_042_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">New growth emerges at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on May 26, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1020\" height=\"680\" data-id=\"11919852\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56352_038_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1020x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11919852\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56352_038_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56352_038_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56352_038_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56352_038_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56352_038_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chris Spohrer, state parks superintendent in the Santa Cruz area, points to wildflowers growing at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on May 26, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The omnipresent smell of smoke has mostly faded, and the utter silence of the forest right after the burn has slowly given way to nature’s bustle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s starting to sound a lot more like what we remember,” Cowman said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, the park is home to many dead and dying trees, keeping parks staff, Caltrans and PG&E crews hard at work maintaining roads, trails and the state highway that runs through the park against falling trees and erosion, Cowman said. The park’s population of Douglas firs was decimated entirely.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like Booth, when Jay Chamberlin, chief of state parks’ natural resources division, first saw the park after the fire, he feared the worst.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When I saw it, I was like, ‘Uh-oh, I was wrong,’” he said. “These look like dead trees.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That makes the new growth in the park today feel remarkable, Spohrer said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The forest has come back in a way that I think has surprised even those of us who have worked in forests like this for our whole careers,” he said. “That fire was so intense, and it burned so intensely in the old growth that it appeared at first that maybe the forest wasn’t going to recover, but that’s not the case. It’s recovering really, really well.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And those redwoods that Chamberlin saw? Even they can, and are, coming back, too.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“These trees can burn up completely,” Cowman said. “100% of the canopy can get burned, and six years later you see a pretty good start on a new canopy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, in a recent webinar, California State Parks Senior Environmental Scientist Portia Halbert reminded audiences \u003ca href=\"https://sempervirens.org/webinars/czu-fire-impacts-on-big-basin-redwoods-six-years-later/\">that the redwoods in this park have burned before\u003c/a>, notably in 1903, just one year after the park was created. In 2009, the Lockheed Fire, too, burned in the Santa Cruz Mountains.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is some bad news, Cowman said. Some of the larger trees that appeared to have survived post-fire, and even grew new sprouts in the following years, are now, years later, dying. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They were alive immediately following the fire, but for whatever reason, they are declining in health currently and starting to die out,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-46-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092796\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-46-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-46-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-46-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Visitors look at a map at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even as more and more trees succumb to their wounds, the forest itself persists. Cowman said the key health indicators for an old-growth forest like this one are present — and an event like a fire can even open up features like meadows.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plus, the Ceanothus that dominates the forest floor today isn’t a long-living plant — naturally, they live 20 or 30 years, Cowman said — so he expects that as the redwood canopy begins to close up, the forest will change once again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our experience in this park and this forest, Cowman reminded, is short relative to its lifespan. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This is not the first time that redwoods have seen fire, and this will not be the last time that redwoods will see fire,” he said. “Forests are really a dynamic system. We just get to be witness to that process of dynamism and that process of change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not rebuild, ‘reimagine’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s not just the trees that look different. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The park’s iconic headquarters was reduced to rubble during the fire — today, all that remains are its stone steps, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s — as was almost every other building in the main area of the park. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This area burned very, very intensely,” Spohrer said. “There was really no way to save these structures.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the plan is not to rebuild. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092791\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-30-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chris Spohrer, state parks superintendent in the Santa Cruz area, points to regrowth at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026. The CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Called “\u003ca href=\"https://reimaginingbigbasin.org/\">Reimagining Big Basin\u003c/a>,” the new plan for the park is to relocate the main park infrastructure away from the center of the old-growth forest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The nearly $370 million plan will take time to implement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re probably five to 10 years off from it feeling more like a functioning park and less like a recovering ecosystem in some kind of chaos,” Shaffer said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The highest priorities are restoring core infrastructure like water, power and emergency access to and from the park. Then comes the restoration of trails, campgrounds and education programs. And the park is relying on state grants and its nonprofit partners to help fund the work. Last year, a Los Altos resident \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/big-basin-redwoods-donation-bay-area-family-22427824.php\">donated a record $6 million\u003c/a> to Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks to help fund the project.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The facilities that used to be located in the heart of the park, Spohrer said, will be rebuilt higher up at Saddle Mountain, and the campgrounds, too, will be relocated outside of the center of the park. There are also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919474/as-big-basin-finally-reopens-indigenous-stewardship-key-among-plans-for-parks-rebirth\">plans to work with the local Amah Mutsun tribal band\u003c/a> to build a tribal cultural center, called Little Basin, near Saddle Mountain for gatherings and to keep indigenous knowledge and resources at the heart of the park’s recovery. Overall, Spohrer said, there will be far fewer buildings in the main old growth access area than before for many reasons.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, so that they and the people who use and staff them are less at risk. Second, so that controlled burns can be more safely carried out. And third, because after the fire, it became clear that the buildings themselves added to its intensity, Spohrer said, “a hard lesson.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Part of our thinking going forward is to not recreate that experience,” he said, “to move those really critical visitor serving infrastructure outside this old growth.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The park’s trails, like the Timms Creek Loop, are being rebuilt using more fire-resistant materials, Spohrer said, and visitors might notice active fuel management going on — like piles of dead tree branches that can be burned to lower the risk of the park igniting in the future. He said the park has “doubled down” on using prescribed fire, and even plans to host public prescribed burns to educate visitors about the process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There was a huge wake-up call with the CZU fire,” Spohrer said. “In a changing climate, you have conditions that demand that we proactively steward the forest.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And given the heat that now reaches the forest floor, staff are even having to adjust where picnic tables are located and come up with a heat plan for park employees and visitors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s a momentous change from the old Big Basin — the one that generations of visitors have come to love — but change, Chamberlin said, is necessary. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092790\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A family walks on the Redwood Loop Nature Trail at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026. The CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We have to think about adapting our infrastructure and building infrastructure that’s resilient,” he said. “These places are changing, but we can actually change the way we think about these places and create spaces that are more resilient and more sustainable in the long run.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And strategies like relocating park infrastructure away from natural resources at Big Basin could pave the way for change elsewhere, too, Chamberlin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We can now use that as a template,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we will always reimagine parks in the wake of these climate-driven events, but that’s now a true option. Because if we can do it there, then we can really do it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A case study for the future\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another part of the story of this forest, Cowman said, is a warning. While redwoods can and do survive high-intensity fires, compounding that with other stressors, like increased temperature and drought, could make them more vulnerable in the future. The CZU fire burned 22% of all coastal redwoods in the last 100 years — and Cowman said it’s not clear if they can survive repeated exposure to climate-change-driven high-intensity fires.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I feel confident that wildfire will become more prevalent throughout the entirety of the Redwood Range,” Cowman said. “So what’s happening down here in Santa Cruz with the CZU fire could become sort of a case study … as things continue to get hotter and drier.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11919858\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/07/RS56316_001_KQED_BigBasinRedwoods_05262022-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A construction crew works near the remains of the headquarters at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on May 26, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That’s part of why visitor education is at the heart of the reimagination of the park, Spohrer said. The plan is to redevelop its ranger programs and signage to explain what is happening to the forest in real time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If you’re not taking advantage of this type of learning opportunity,” Spohrer said, “you’re missing something.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to visit Big Basin today\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The park is open, but many of the trails that visitors might remember are still closed, so remember to \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28975\">check trail conditions before you head out\u003c/a>. There is no water, no electricity and no Wi-Fi in the park. There are currently no overnight facilities in the park. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It costs $6 to visit the park or $10 without a reservation. \u003ca href=\"https://thatsmypark.org/big-basin-parking/\">Reservations for parking are highly encouraged.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-39-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092793\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-39-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-39-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260721-BigBasinComeback-39-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Picnic tables at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July 21, 2026, after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned much of the area in 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On weekdays, Spohrer said, it’s still easy to get a parking spot down in the heart of the park. But summer weekends in particular are busy, so the park has a new shuttle service to bring visitors from the Saddle Mountain parking area down to the main park entrance on busy summer weekends.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bikers are also welcome to explore the paved and fire roads that run through the park, but are not allowed on trails.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Fire Crews Battle Blaze in Oakland-Berkeley Hills",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A vegetation fire broke out in the Oakland-\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> Hills late Tuesday morning, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> fire officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The blaze started around 11:45 a.m. on the 1000 block of Panoramic Way, above UC Berkeley’s campus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At least 60 firefighters from across the East Bay, including the Oakland and Berkeley Fire Departments, rushed to the scene, and were able to stall forward progress within a few hours, according to OFD spokesperson Michael Hunt.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fire had burned about one and a half acres of vegetation by 1:50 p.m., and caused “limited damage” to the roof of one home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunt said no injuries or fatalities have been reported, and no evacuations have been ordered. UC Berkeley told students that roads were closed at Stadium Rim Way and Centennial Drive and Prospect Street and Channing Way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The blaze sparked not far from where almost exactly 35 years ago, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11893199/the-oakland-hills-fire-transformed-firefighting-along-a-citys-edge-in-california\">1991 Tunnel Fire\u003c/a> broke out along the border of the Oakland-Berkeley Hills. That blaze killed 25 people and charred more than 3,000 homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What started as a small grass fire on Oct. 19, 1991, and firefighters presumed was under control by that night, exploded the following day, roaring through the drought-dry wooded hills in strong Diablo winds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The firestorm, which burned 1,500 acres, spurred major changes to the East Bay’s fire preparedness efforts: fire departments added new stations in the hills, cities revised evacuation routes and residents implemented home hardening tactics to increase their own properties’ fire resilience. But wildfires are still a major threat to the area, where the roads are narrow and homes are nestled in often dry and overgrown brush and trees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a developing story and will be updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The blaze sparked not far from where almost exactly 35 years ago, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11893199/the-oakland-hills-fire-transformed-firefighting-along-a-citys-edge-in-california\">1991 Tunnel Fire\u003c/a> broke out along the border of the Oakland-Berkeley Hills. That blaze killed 25 people and charred more than 3,000 homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The vegetation fire that started just before noon Tuesday has spread a half acre and has impacted at least one structure.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A vegetation fire broke out in the Oakland-\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> Hills late Tuesday morning, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> fire officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The blaze started around 11:45 a.m. on the 1000 block of Panoramic Way, above UC Berkeley’s campus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At least 60 firefighters from across the East Bay, including the Oakland and Berkeley Fire Departments, rushed to the scene, and were able to stall forward progress within a few hours, according to OFD spokesperson Michael Hunt.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fire had burned about one and a half acres of vegetation by 1:50 p.m., and caused “limited damage” to the roof of one home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunt said no injuries or fatalities have been reported, and no evacuations have been ordered. UC Berkeley told students that roads were closed at Stadium Rim Way and Centennial Drive and Prospect Street and Channing Way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The blaze sparked not far from where almost exactly 35 years ago, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11893199/the-oakland-hills-fire-transformed-firefighting-along-a-citys-edge-in-california\">1991 Tunnel Fire\u003c/a> broke out along the border of the Oakland-Berkeley Hills. That blaze killed 25 people and charred more than 3,000 homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What started as a small grass fire on Oct. 19, 1991, and firefighters presumed was under control by that night, exploded the following day, roaring through the drought-dry wooded hills in strong Diablo winds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The firestorm, which burned 1,500 acres, spurred major changes to the East Bay’s fire preparedness efforts: fire departments added new stations in the hills, cities revised evacuation routes and residents implemented home hardening tactics to increase their own properties’ fire resilience. But wildfires are still a major threat to the area, where the roads are narrow and homes are nestled in often dry and overgrown brush and trees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a developing story and will be updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Esmeralda, a new neighborhood in the North Bay where \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/siliconvalley\">Silicon Valley\u003c/a> thinkers and culture makers can gather and share ideas, got a preliminary green light on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Cloverdale City Council voted 3-2 to approve the project’s overall plan for some 600 homes, a resort hotel, an event center, a preschool and more than 160 acres of parks and open space — making it one of the largest developments in the small Sonoma County town’s recent history. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A second reading of an ordinance to approve the project is scheduled for mid-November. It would include changes to the site’s current zoning, a draft map of the project and an extensive developer agreement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the project faced \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059557/esmeralda-courts-locals-as-it-tries-to-learn-from-california-forevers-mistakes\">little organized opposition\u003c/a> when former software engineer and Esmeralda Land Company CEO Devon Zuegel first started hosting informational public meetings about the project in 2024, backlash began to grow as it inched closer to reality. Earlier this year, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103065/as-new-north-bay-neighborhood-nears-approval-environmental-concerns-weigh-heavy\">vocal group of residents\u003c/a> started raising concerns about the project’s environmental impacts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102962\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Land Company founder and president Devon Zuegel speaks during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Following the meeting, Zuegel acknowledged the recent backlash and the work ahead. “This was a really important step forward that showed us that the city is really taking seriously all the work we have done to be as transparent as possible,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the five-hour meeting, residents were evenly split on whether to proceed with the project. Vice Mayor Todd Lands said overwhelming public sentiment — including residents not present for public testimony — favored approving Esmeralda, which promises to revitalize the rural community’s dwindling population and jobs’ base. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’ll never please every single person, but we have been elected or appointed to be here to represent you,” Lands said before casting a vote in favor of the project. “Sometimes, we have to make the hard decisions, and we have to do what is best for the entire community as a whole.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Skeptics of the project, however, have called the approval premature and are asking for more environmental review before it can proceed. The project would be sited on an approximately 260-acre property that once housed a wood treatment plant that was known to discharge hazardous waste into the soil and groundwater before it shut down in 1976.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But rather than complete a new environmental impact report, the project’s developers are relying on an update — or addendum — to an existing report completed in 2009. Cloverdale city staff concluded the more focused review was sufficient for the project. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jennifer Sullivan, a staunch opponent, said she’s concerned new construction could unearth dangerous chemicals, hurting existing residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m not anti-growth, I’m about doing things right,” she said. “A [full environmental impact report] takes time because good planning takes time.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proponents pushed back, however, pointing out that the site had been extensively studied by the developer, the site owner and state agencies, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.cloverdale.net/DocumentCenter/View/6953/EIR-Addendum\">verified it had been decontaminated\u003c/a> of hazardous waste in 2012. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Esmeralda Land Company has also agreed to conduct more studies to ensure the site is safe for people to live there before starting construction and to have a city-hired environmental consultant review those studies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The whole point of it is to do additional testing, if additional testing is needed, and then to report that testing and to develop a soil management plan for those specific contaminants if those contaminants are found,” said Michael Yarne, Esmeralda’s director of development. “No construction before testing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ann Elston, who said she has lived in Cloverdale for the past 30 years, argued the project would provide much-needed tax revenue for the city, which has seen its population decline in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What is the plan to attract new businesses and new residents to increase that tax base?” she asked. “We all love the small town charm of Cloverdale. And if we’re honest, there probably is a little bit of NIMBYism in all of us. Unfortunately, towns that are not growing and well-funded wither and may eventually fade away.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102957\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mural in downtown Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The City Council was originally scheduled to vote on Esmeralda last week, but ultimately postponed the vote so they could spend more time talking with residents and reading over the project’s lengthy entitlements package. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At Wednesday’s meeting, Zuegel said the project’s investors were getting nervous that it might never progress if the council refused to make a decision. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What our investors need to hear — if Cloverdale wants to have this happen— is that [the council is] even interested in taking it to the next step,” she said. “We don’t need a final approval tonight.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But two council members — Andres Marquez and Marjorie Morgenstern, who are both running for reelection this year and voted against the project — made it clear they didn’t mind making the investors wait. They want to refrain from making a decision until the city hosts a series of public meetings, scheduled later this month, to discuss community concerns, including questions about the project’s completed environmental reviews. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think it’s an opportunity to share information with the community [and] have the involvement that people are requesting,” Marquez said. “I think people are asking for time and that’s what we can give them.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102962\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Land Company founder and president Devon Zuegel speaks during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102962\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Land Company founder and president Devon Zuegel speaks during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Following the meeting, Zuegel acknowledged the recent backlash and the work ahead. “This was a really important step forward that showed us that the city is really taking seriously all the work we have done to be as transparent as possible,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Following the meeting, Zuegel acknowledged the recent backlash and the work ahead. “This was a really important step forward that showed us that the city is really taking seriously all the work we have done to be as transparent as possible,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the five-hour meeting, residents were evenly split on whether to proceed with the project. Vice Mayor Todd Lands said overwhelming public sentiment — including residents not present for public testimony — favored approving Esmeralda, which promises to revitalize the rural community’s dwindling population and jobs’ base. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During the five-hour meeting, residents were evenly split on whether to proceed with the project. Vice Mayor Todd Lands said overwhelming public sentiment — including residents not present for public testimony — favored approving Esmeralda, which promises to revitalize the rural community’s dwindling population and jobs’ base. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You’ll never please every single person, but we have been elected or appointed to be here to represent you,” Lands said before casting a vote in favor of the project. “Sometimes, we have to make the hard decisions, and we have to do what is best for the entire community as a whole.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You’ll never please every single person, but we have been elected or appointed to be here to represent you,” Lands said before casting a vote in favor of the project. “Sometimes, we have to make the hard decisions, and we have to do what is best for the entire community as a whole.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Skeptics of the project, however, have called the approval premature and are asking for more environmental review before it can proceed. The project would be sited on an approximately 260-acre property that once housed a wood treatment plant that was known to discharge hazardous waste into the soil and groundwater before it shut down in 1976.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Skeptics of the project, however, have called the approval premature and are asking for more environmental review before it can proceed. The project would be sited on an approximately 260-acre property that once housed a wood treatment plant that was known to discharge hazardous waste into the soil and groundwater before it shut down in 1976.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But rather than complete a new environmental impact report, the project’s developers are relying on an update — or addendum — to an existing report completed in 2009. Cloverdale city staff concluded the more focused review was sufficient for the project. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But rather than complete a new environmental impact report, the project’s developers are relying on an update — or addendum — to an existing report completed in 2009. Cloverdale city staff concluded the more focused review was sufficient for the project. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jennifer Sullivan, a staunch opponent, said she’s concerned new construction could unearth dangerous chemicals, hurting existing residents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jennifer Sullivan, a staunch opponent, said she’s concerned new construction could unearth dangerous chemicals, hurting existing residents. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m not anti-growth, I’m about doing things right,” she said. “A [full environmental impact report] takes time because good planning takes time.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m not anti-growth, I’m about doing things right,” she said. “A [full environmental impact report] takes time because good planning takes time.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Proponents pushed back, however, pointing out that the site had been extensively studied by the developer, the site owner and state agencies, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.cloverdale.net/DocumentCenter/View/6953/EIR-Addendum\">verified it had been decontaminated\u003c/a> of hazardous waste in 2012. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Proponents pushed back, however, pointing out that the site had been extensively studied by the developer, the site owner and state agencies, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.cloverdale.net/DocumentCenter/View/6953/EIR-Addendum\">verified it had been decontaminated\u003c/a> of hazardous waste in 2012. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Esmeralda Land Company has also agreed to conduct more studies to ensure the site is safe for people to live there before starting construction and to have a city-hired environmental consultant review those studies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Esmeralda Land Company has also agreed to conduct more studies to ensure the site is safe for people to live there before starting construction and to have a city-hired environmental consultant review those studies. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The whole point of it is to do additional testing, if additional testing is needed, and then to report that testing and to develop a soil management plan for those specific contaminants if those contaminants are found,” said Michael Yarne, Esmeralda’s director of development. “No construction before testing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The whole point of it is to do additional testing, if additional testing is needed, and then to report that testing and to develop a soil management plan for those specific contaminants if those contaminants are found,” said Michael Yarne, Esmeralda’s director of development. “No construction before testing.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ann Elston, who said she has lived in Cloverdale for the past 30 years, argued the project would provide much-needed tax revenue for the city, which has seen its population decline in recent years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ann Elston, who said she has lived in Cloverdale for the past 30 years, argued the project would provide much-needed tax revenue for the city, which has seen its population decline in recent years. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What is the plan to attract new businesses and new residents to increase that tax base?” she asked. “We all love the small town charm of Cloverdale. And if we’re honest, there probably is a little bit of NIMBYism in all of us. Unfortunately, towns that are not growing and well-funded wither and may eventually fade away.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What is the plan to attract new businesses and new residents to increase that tax base?” she asked. “We all love the small town charm of Cloverdale. And if we’re honest, there probably is a little bit of NIMBYism in all of us. Unfortunately, towns that are not growing and well-funded wither and may eventually fade away.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102957\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mural in downtown Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102957\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mural in downtown Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The City Council was originally scheduled to vote on Esmeralda last week, but ultimately postponed the vote so they could spend more time talking with residents and reading over the project’s lengthy entitlements package. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The City Council was originally scheduled to vote on Esmeralda last week, but ultimately postponed the vote so they could spend more time talking with residents and reading over the project’s lengthy entitlements package. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At Wednesday’s meeting, Zuegel said the project’s investors were getting nervous that it might never progress if the council refused to make a decision. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At Wednesday’s meeting, Zuegel said the project’s investors were getting nervous that it might never progress if the council refused to make a decision. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What our investors need to hear — if Cloverdale wants to have this happen— is that [the council is] even interested in taking it to the next step,” she said. “We don’t need a final approval tonight.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What our investors need to hear — if Cloverdale wants to have this happen— is that [the council is] even interested in taking it to the next step,” she said. “We don’t need a final approval tonight.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But two council members — Andres Marquez and Marjorie Morgenstern, who are both running for reelection this year and voted against the project — made it clear they didn’t mind making the investors wait. They want to refrain from making a decision until the city hosts a series of public meetings, scheduled later this month, to discuss community concerns, including questions about the project’s completed environmental reviews. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But two council members — Andres Marquez and Marjorie Morgenstern, who are both running for reelection this year and voted against the project — made it clear they didn’t mind making the investors wait. They want to refrain from making a decision until the city hosts a series of public meetings, scheduled later this month, to discuss community concerns, including questions about the project’s completed environmental reviews. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think it’s an opportunity to share information with the community [and] have the involvement that people are requesting,” Marquez said. “I think people are asking for time and that’s what we can give them.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think it’s an opportunity to share information with the community [and] have the involvement that people are requesting,” Marquez said. “I think people are asking for time and that’s what we can give them.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The Cloverdale City Council voted Wednesday to forward Esmeralda, a controversial new housing development and event center in the small Sonoma County town. The project faced a recent wave of backlash over environmental concerns. ",
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"title": "Software Engineer’s Proposed Neighborhood, Event Center Gets Preliminary Green Light | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Esmeralda, a new neighborhood in the North Bay where \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/siliconvalley\">Silicon Valley\u003c/a> thinkers and culture makers can gather and share ideas, got a preliminary green light on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Cloverdale City Council voted 3-2 to approve the project’s overall plan for some 600 homes, a resort hotel, an event center, a preschool and more than 160 acres of parks and open space — making it one of the largest developments in the small Sonoma County town’s recent history. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A second reading of an ordinance to approve the project is scheduled for mid-November. It would include changes to the site’s current zoning, a draft map of the project and an extensive developer agreement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the project faced \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059557/esmeralda-courts-locals-as-it-tries-to-learn-from-california-forevers-mistakes\">little organized opposition\u003c/a> when former software engineer and Esmeralda Land Company CEO Devon Zuegel first started hosting informational public meetings about the project in 2024, backlash began to grow as it inched closer to reality. Earlier this year, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103065/as-new-north-bay-neighborhood-nears-approval-environmental-concerns-weigh-heavy\">vocal group of residents\u003c/a> started raising concerns about the project’s environmental impacts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102962\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Land Company founder and president Devon Zuegel speaks during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Following the meeting, Zuegel acknowledged the recent backlash and the work ahead. “This was a really important step forward that showed us that the city is really taking seriously all the work we have done to be as transparent as possible,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the five-hour meeting, residents were evenly split on whether to proceed with the project. Vice Mayor Todd Lands said overwhelming public sentiment — including residents not present for public testimony — favored approving Esmeralda, which promises to revitalize the rural community’s dwindling population and jobs’ base. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’ll never please every single person, but we have been elected or appointed to be here to represent you,” Lands said before casting a vote in favor of the project. “Sometimes, we have to make the hard decisions, and we have to do what is best for the entire community as a whole.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Skeptics of the project, however, have called the approval premature and are asking for more environmental review before it can proceed. The project would be sited on an approximately 260-acre property that once housed a wood treatment plant that was known to discharge hazardous waste into the soil and groundwater before it shut down in 1976.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But rather than complete a new environmental impact report, the project’s developers are relying on an update — or addendum — to an existing report completed in 2009. Cloverdale city staff concluded the more focused review was sufficient for the project. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jennifer Sullivan, a staunch opponent, said she’s concerned new construction could unearth dangerous chemicals, hurting existing residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m not anti-growth, I’m about doing things right,” she said. “A [full environmental impact report] takes time because good planning takes time.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proponents pushed back, however, pointing out that the site had been extensively studied by the developer, the site owner and state agencies, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.cloverdale.net/DocumentCenter/View/6953/EIR-Addendum\">verified it had been decontaminated\u003c/a> of hazardous waste in 2012. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Esmeralda Land Company has also agreed to conduct more studies to ensure the site is safe for people to live there before starting construction and to have a city-hired environmental consultant review those studies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The whole point of it is to do additional testing, if additional testing is needed, and then to report that testing and to develop a soil management plan for those specific contaminants if those contaminants are found,” said Michael Yarne, Esmeralda’s director of development. “No construction before testing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ann Elston, who said she has lived in Cloverdale for the past 30 years, argued the project would provide much-needed tax revenue for the city, which has seen its population decline in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What is the plan to attract new businesses and new residents to increase that tax base?” she asked. “We all love the small town charm of Cloverdale. And if we’re honest, there probably is a little bit of NIMBYism in all of us. Unfortunately, towns that are not growing and well-funded wither and may eventually fade away.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102957\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mural in downtown Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The City Council was originally scheduled to vote on Esmeralda last week, but ultimately postponed the vote so they could spend more time talking with residents and reading over the project’s lengthy entitlements package. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At Wednesday’s meeting, Zuegel said the project’s investors were getting nervous that it might never progress if the council refused to make a decision. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What our investors need to hear — if Cloverdale wants to have this happen— is that [the council is] even interested in taking it to the next step,” she said. “We don’t need a final approval tonight.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But two council members — Andres Marquez and Marjorie Morgenstern, who are both running for reelection this year and voted against the project — made it clear they didn’t mind making the investors wait. They want to refrain from making a decision until the city hosts a series of public meetings, scheduled later this month, to discuss community concerns, including questions about the project’s completed environmental reviews. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think it’s an opportunity to share information with the community [and] have the involvement that people are requesting,” Marquez said. “I think people are asking for time and that’s what we can give them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "88000-pge-customers-could-lose-power-including-in-5-bay-area-counties",
"title": "88,000 PG&E Customers Could Lose Power — Including in 5 Bay Area Counties",
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"headTitle": "88,000 PG&E Customers Could Lose Power — Including in 5 Bay Area Counties | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pge\">PG&E\u003c/a> has warned nearly 88,000 customers, including 11,000 in the Bay Area, that they could lose power as early as Wednesday evening.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The move would be part of a “public safety power shutoff,” a last resort to prevent utility lines from causing wildfires, due to the upcoming “statewide fire weather event,” according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">press release\u003c/a> on Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cutoff could impact customers in 29 counties — including roughly 11,000 customers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties, the press release said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Joe Merchant, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said that while they will be messaging “elevated to near-critical fire weather concerns,” he does not anticipate NWS issuing red flag warnings for most of the Bay Area, due to a lack of strong winds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040711\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fire warning signs in the Berkeley and Oakland Hills. (Mark Andrew Boyer/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Merchant said that conditions remain dry across the Bay. Fire risk will be \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/wrh/TextProduct?product=fwfmtr\">elevated\u003c/a> in the East Bay Hills and the North Bay Mountains, with winds around 25 to 35 mph. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tamar Sarkissian, a spokesperson for PG&E, said that if they do decide to shut off the power, “all hands are on deck.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>PG&E is also working with over 40 community resource centers in 23 of the impacted counties to provide device charging, Wi-Fi, air conditioning and other supplies, according to their \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">latest\u003c/a> press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sarkissian said that they are working closely with the NWS as well as PG&E’s internal weather team to make final calls on whether or not to shut off power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have weather stations in the field that send back data and information. We also have, you know, folks in the fields who are our eyes and ears of what’s really going on,” Sarkissian said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Residents can look up their address \u003ca href=\"https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/psps-updates/?WT.mc_id=Vanity_pspsupdates-a\">online\u003c/a> to see if they might be impacted and prepare for potential power loss.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We really encourage those customers who’ve received notifications that they’re in scope to start preparing now,” Sarkissian said, who also advised people to charge their devices and to fill their freezers with ice packs and water bottles.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said that public safety power shutoffs can last longer than standard power shutoffs. Instead of fixing one issue, as they would with a standard outage, they have to wait for the weather event to end before going out and patrolling all of the lines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We start going out and patrolling both by foot and helicopter to make sure that there is nothing on our lines, no vegetation, no debris, nothing that could spark an issue,” Sarkissian said. “If there is damage, we have to make repairs to it. Once all of that is done, that’s when we’re able to turn our customers back on safely.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If this shutoff happens, it would be the sixth shutoff of the year, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>PG&E’s utility lines have caused \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094546/pge-will-pay-22-million-for-mosquito-fire-biggest-blaze-of-2022\">numerous\u003c/a> deadly fires in the past decade. Earlier this month, they \u003ca href=\"https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/PGE-Files-10-Year-Electrical-Undergrounding-Plan-to-Deliver-Permanent-Wildfire-Protection-and-Improve-Safety-Reliability-and-Affordability/default.aspx\">filed\u003c/a> a 10-year plan to put nearly 5,000 miles of utility lines underground to reduce the risk of wildfire during events like this one.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pge\">PG&E\u003c/a> has warned nearly 88,000 customers, including 11,000 in the Bay Area, that they could lose power as early as Wednesday evening.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pge\">PG&E\u003c/a> has warned nearly 88,000 customers, including 11,000 in the Bay Area, that they could lose power as early as Wednesday evening.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The move would be part of a “public safety power shutoff,” a last resort to prevent utility lines from causing wildfires, due to the upcoming “statewide fire weather event,” according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">press release\u003c/a> on Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The move would be part of a “public safety power shutoff,” a last resort to prevent utility lines from causing wildfires, due to the upcoming “statewide fire weather event,” according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">press release\u003c/a> on Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The cutoff could impact customers in 29 counties — including roughly 11,000 customers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties, the press release said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The cutoff could impact customers in 29 counties — including roughly 11,000 customers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties, the press release said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Joe Merchant, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said that while they will be messaging “elevated to near-critical fire weather concerns,” he does not anticipate NWS issuing red flag warnings for most of the Bay Area, due to a lack of strong winds. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Joe Merchant, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said that while they will be messaging “elevated to near-critical fire weather concerns,” he does not anticipate NWS issuing red flag warnings for most of the Bay Area, due to a lack of strong winds. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040711\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fire warning signs in the Berkeley and Oakland Hills. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Mark Andrew Boyer/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Merchant said that conditions remain dry across the Bay. Fire risk will be \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/wrh/TextProduct?product=fwfmtr\">elevated\u003c/a> in the East Bay Hills and the North Bay Mountains, with winds around 25 to 35 mph. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Merchant said that conditions remain dry across the Bay. Fire risk will be \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/wrh/TextProduct?product=fwfmtr\">elevated\u003c/a> in the East Bay Hills and the North Bay Mountains, with winds around 25 to 35 mph. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tamar Sarkissian, a spokesperson for PG&E, said that if they do decide to shut off the power, “all hands are on deck.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tamar Sarkissian, a spokesperson for PG&E, said that if they do decide to shut off the power, “all hands are on deck.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>PG&E is also working with over 40 community resource centers in 23 of the impacted counties to provide device charging, Wi-Fi, air conditioning and other supplies, according to their \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">latest\u003c/a> press release. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>PG&E is also working with over 40 community resource centers in 23 of the impacted counties to provide device charging, Wi-Fi, air conditioning and other supplies, according to their \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">latest\u003c/a> press release. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sarkissian said that they are working closely with the NWS as well as PG&E’s internal weather team to make final calls on whether or not to shut off power. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have weather stations in the field that send back data and information. We also have, you know, folks in the fields who are our eyes and ears of what’s really going on,” Sarkissian said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Residents can look up their address \u003ca href=\"https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/psps-updates/?WT.mc_id=Vanity_pspsupdates-a\">online\u003c/a> to see if they might be impacted and prepare for potential power loss.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Residents can look up their address \u003ca href=\"https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/psps-updates/?WT.mc_id=Vanity_pspsupdates-a\">online\u003c/a> to see if they might be impacted and prepare for potential power loss.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We really encourage those customers who’ve received notifications that they’re in scope to start preparing now,” Sarkissian said, who also advised people to charge their devices and to fill their freezers with ice packs and water bottles.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We really encourage those customers who’ve received notifications that they’re in scope to start preparing now,” Sarkissian said, who also advised people to charge their devices and to fill their freezers with ice packs and water bottles.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said that public safety power shutoffs can last longer than standard power shutoffs. Instead of fixing one issue, as they would with a standard outage, they have to wait for the weather event to end before going out and patrolling all of the lines. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She said that public safety power shutoffs can last longer than standard power shutoffs. Instead of fixing one issue, as they would with a standard outage, they have to wait for the weather event to end before going out and patrolling all of the lines. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We start going out and patrolling both by foot and helicopter to make sure that there is nothing on our lines, no vegetation, no debris, nothing that could spark an issue,” Sarkissian said. “If there is damage, we have to make repairs to it. Once all of that is done, that’s when we’re able to turn our customers back on safely.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We start going out and patrolling both by foot and helicopter to make sure that there is nothing on our lines, no vegetation, no debris, nothing that could spark an issue,” Sarkissian said. “If there is damage, we have to make repairs to it. Once all of that is done, that’s when we’re able to turn our customers back on safely.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If this shutoff happens, it would be the sixth shutoff of the year, she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>PG&E’s utility lines have caused \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094546/pge-will-pay-22-million-for-mosquito-fire-biggest-blaze-of-2022\">numerous\u003c/a> deadly fires in the past decade. Earlier this month, they \u003ca href=\"https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/PGE-Files-10-Year-Electrical-Undergrounding-Plan-to-Deliver-Permanent-Wildfire-Protection-and-Improve-Safety-Reliability-and-Affordability/default.aspx\">filed\u003c/a> a 10-year plan to put nearly 5,000 miles of utility lines underground to reduce the risk of wildfire during events like this one.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>PG&E’s utility lines have caused \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094546/pge-will-pay-22-million-for-mosquito-fire-biggest-blaze-of-2022\">numerous\u003c/a> deadly fires in the past decade. Earlier this month, they \u003ca href=\"https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/PGE-Files-10-Year-Electrical-Undergrounding-Plan-to-Deliver-Permanent-Wildfire-Protection-and-Improve-Safety-Reliability-and-Affordability/default.aspx\">filed\u003c/a> a 10-year plan to put nearly 5,000 miles of utility lines underground to reduce the risk of wildfire during events like this one.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "PG&E may cut power to reduce wildfire risk as strong winds and warm weather pick up across the state. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pge\">PG&E\u003c/a> has warned nearly 88,000 customers, including 11,000 in the Bay Area, that they could lose power as early as Wednesday evening.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The move would be part of a “public safety power shutoff,” a last resort to prevent utility lines from causing wildfires, due to the upcoming “statewide fire weather event,” according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">press release\u003c/a> on Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cutoff could impact customers in 29 counties — including roughly 11,000 customers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties, the press release said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Joe Merchant, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said that while they will be messaging “elevated to near-critical fire weather concerns,” he does not anticipate NWS issuing red flag warnings for most of the Bay Area, due to a lack of strong winds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040711\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fire warning signs in the Berkeley and Oakland Hills. (Mark Andrew Boyer/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Merchant said that conditions remain dry across the Bay. Fire risk will be \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/wrh/TextProduct?product=fwfmtr\">elevated\u003c/a> in the East Bay Hills and the North Bay Mountains, with winds around 25 to 35 mph. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tamar Sarkissian, a spokesperson for PG&E, said that if they do decide to shut off the power, “all hands are on deck.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>PG&E is also working with over 40 community resource centers in 23 of the impacted counties to provide device charging, Wi-Fi, air conditioning and other supplies, according to their \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">latest\u003c/a> press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sarkissian said that they are working closely with the NWS as well as PG&E’s internal weather team to make final calls on whether or not to shut off power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have weather stations in the field that send back data and information. We also have, you know, folks in the fields who are our eyes and ears of what’s really going on,” Sarkissian said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Residents can look up their address \u003ca href=\"https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/psps-updates/?WT.mc_id=Vanity_pspsupdates-a\">online\u003c/a> to see if they might be impacted and prepare for potential power loss.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We really encourage those customers who’ve received notifications that they’re in scope to start preparing now,” Sarkissian said, who also advised people to charge their devices and to fill their freezers with ice packs and water bottles.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said that public safety power shutoffs can last longer than standard power shutoffs. Instead of fixing one issue, as they would with a standard outage, they have to wait for the weather event to end before going out and patrolling all of the lines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We start going out and patrolling both by foot and helicopter to make sure that there is nothing on our lines, no vegetation, no debris, nothing that could spark an issue,” Sarkissian said. “If there is damage, we have to make repairs to it. Once all of that is done, that’s when we’re able to turn our customers back on safely.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If this shutoff happens, it would be the sixth shutoff of the year, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>PG&E’s utility lines have caused \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094546/pge-will-pay-22-million-for-mosquito-fire-biggest-blaze-of-2022\">numerous\u003c/a> deadly fires in the past decade. Earlier this month, they \u003ca href=\"https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/PGE-Files-10-Year-Electrical-Undergrounding-Plan-to-Deliver-Permanent-Wildfire-Protection-and-Improve-Safety-Reliability-and-Affordability/default.aspx\">filed\u003c/a> a 10-year plan to put nearly 5,000 miles of utility lines underground to reduce the risk of wildfire during events like this one.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Why Your Phone Might Get an Earthquake Test Alert Thursday (and What to Do)",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Your phone might get a loud \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/earthquake\">earthquake\u003c/a> test alert on Thursday morning. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At least, it will if you’re one of over 4.5 million Californians who have the \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/06/24/californias-earthquake-warning-system-notified-over-one-million-people-ahead-of-northern-california-quake/\">MyShake earthquake warning app downloaded\u003c/a> on your phone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The MyShake test alert for app users will be part of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.shakeout.org/\">Annual Great ShakeOut\u003c/a> quake preparedness drill that takes place across the globe. And the purpose of this particular test alert is to bring home the importance of a warning even a few seconds before an earthquake strikes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MyShake was developed in the Bay Area at \u003ca href=\"https://earthquakes.berkeley.edu/\">UC Berkeley’s Seismology Lab\u003c/a> and is funded by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.caloes.ca.gov/\">California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)\u003c/a>. It’s powered by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.shakealert.org/media-kit/\">U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeAlert system\u003c/a>, which uses a network of seismic sensors to detect earthquakes in real time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once an event is detected, and if the quake is \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/faq.html#troubleshooting\">estimated to be magnitude 4.5 or greater\u003c/a>, MyShake will send an alert to phones in the affected area, giving them anywhere from a few seconds to half a minute to react and instructing users to take life-saving actions — “drop, cover and hold on” — before the ground starts moving.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#drop-cover\">Why experts say ‘drop, cover and hold on’ is more likely to save your life than standing in a door frame\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here’s what you need to know about this latest test alert on Thursday and what you should actually do in the event of an earthquake warning — plus more ways to get these earthquake warnings for real.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When will the MyShake earthquake test alert happen?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Thursday morning, this phone alert will only be received by people with the MyShake app who live in California, Oregon and Washington.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1977213/heres-where-to-download-californias-earthquake-early-warning-app\">MyShake app\u003c/a> will send the test alert to Bay Area users at 10:14 a.m. Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1261\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12059706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP-160x105.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP-1536x1009.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">If you’re one of the over 4 million Californians who have the MyShake earthquake warning app downloaded, you might get a loud alert on Thursday morning. This test will be part of the Annual Great ShakeOut quake preparedness drill, taking place across the globe. (Courtesy of Suresh Raman)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>People in the greater Los Angeles area who have MyShake downloaded to their phone will get their alert at 10:15 a.m. The rest of the state — plus Washington and Oregon — will receive the alert at 10:16 a.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What will the MyShake alert sound like?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/FAQ_en.html#shakeout2\">MyShake test alert\u003c/a> audio will say “Earthquake drill. Earthquake drill. When you hear this message, practice: Drop, cover and hold on. Practice: Drop, cover and hold on.” It’ll be accompanied by a visual alert signifying that this is a test drill.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/faq.html#shakeout2026-q3\">preview how the alert will sound \u003c/a>on the MyShake website.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"drop-cover\">What does ‘Drop, cover and hold on’ really mean in practice?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>First, you “drop” to the ground, on the spot — because it’s unlikely you’ll even be able to \u003cem>stay \u003c/em>standing during the shaking from a real earthquake, said Jose Lara, branch chief for seismic hazards with the California governor’s office of emergency services. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This kind of shaking and rolling “truly does rock people’s world, and not in a good way,” he said. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>Some of the larger earthquakes could go on for minutes, depending on the magnitude. And so after a while, you’re going to find yourself on the ground one way or another.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many injuries during an earthquake happen due to people falling, Lara said — so resist the urge to run.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp> “You cannot run through this. You don’t want to. Not in California,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, you “cover” your head — because many other injuries happen when objects fall \u003cem>onto \u003c/em>you, he said. As you do that, “hold on” to anything sturdy: for example, a table. “We know from years of research that this is the safest thing that you can do during strong shaking,” Lara said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What about guidance you may have heard in the past to stand in a door frame? That advice is actually outdated now, explained Lara, because it “has a lot to do with some of the former building codes and other material that was used to build houses and buildings.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But we know now, with all the research, that the most important thing that you can do during strong shaking is to drop, cover and hold on on the spot,” Lara said. “Building codes in California are really much more advanced, and we know that buildings and homes will survive an earthquake — and so you will be able to walk out of there.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I want this MyShake alert — how can I make sure I get it?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you have an iPhone, you can \u003ca href=\"https://apps.apple.com/us/app/myshake/id1467058529\">download the MyShake app from the Apple App Store\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you have an Android phone, you can \u003ca href=\"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.berkeley.bsl.myshake&pli=1\">download MyShake from the Google Play Store\u003c/a> — but Android phones will also get these alerts automatically through the Android operating system (more on this below).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I have the app, but what if I don’t get the test alert?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you have the MyShake app and you still don’t get the alert on your phone on Thursday, don’t worry: It might be due to a few reasons.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Your alerts and notifications might be disabled for the MyShake app, or MyShake may not have permission to run in your phone’s background. Since the alert will be sent to phones in California, Oregon and Washington, the app will rely on your location data in order to send you the test alert.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1088\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095098\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01-160x87.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01-1536x836.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck about 2.5 miles north of San Leandro in August 2026, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey. (Courtesy of USGS)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This means that if you have your location services turned off, you might not be able to receive the alert. You can \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/\">contact MyShake suppor\u003c/a>t if you think you’ve encountered a problem with the app.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>(If you did install MyShake in the past on your iPhone but you still don’t receive the alert, check that you don’t have the “Offload Unused Apps” feature turned on. This feature could have automatically uninstalled MyShake to save storage space if you haven’t used it in a while.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If my phone is off or on airplane mode, will I receive the alert?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just like a normal alert, MyShake is unable to send test alerts to phones that are off or in airplane mode.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For people who have the MyShake app and prefer not to receive the alerts on Thursday morning, \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/faq.html#shakeout\">MyShake advises people to turn off notifications on their phones\u003c/a> from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on that day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>For iOS, go to Phone Settings then Notifications, find “MyShake” and turn off “Allow Notifications and Critical Alerts”.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>For Android, go to Phone Settings then Notifications, find “MyShake” under “App notifications,” then turn MyShake off. \u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Don’t forget to turn your MyShake notifications back on after the drill.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/FAQ_en.html#science\">Find more frequently asked questions about MyShake here.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are other ways than MyShake to get an alert if a real earthquake hits?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System (EEW) from USGS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency sends \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-do-i-sign-shakealertr-earthquake-early-warning-system\">earthquake alerts to people’s phones in multiple ways.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The most widespread way is through Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), which sends loud alerts to all cellphones. If an earthquake is expected to be magnitude 5 or greater, \u003ca href=\"https://earthquake.ca.gov/wireless-emergency-alerts/#:~:text=WEA%20alerts%20will%20be%20sent,5.0%20with%20shaking%20intensity%204.\">USGS and FEMA will send a WEA to all capable devices.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11999988\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-1920x1278.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The nation’s first statewide Earthquake Early Warning System, also known as the MyShake app, developed by professor Richard Allen, director of the UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, is displayed in Oakland, California, on Oct. 17, 2019. (Yichuan Cao/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>ShakeAlert also powers other systems like MyShake alerts and \u003ca href=\"https://www.readysandiego.org/SDEmergencyApp/\">the ShakeReadySD app for San Diego residents.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1968352/android-phones-will-now-automatically-receive-california-earthquake-warnings\">Android phones have also been capable of receiving earthquake early warning alerts\u003c/a> through Google’s Android operating system — though users should still check their settings to make sure that earthquake alerts are enabled.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MyShake differs from other alert delivery tools in that it collects user experience reports for earthquakes greater than magnitude 3.5 and uses motion data captured by phones for research purposes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/dventon\">Danielle Venton\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The MyShake test alert for app users will be part of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.shakeout.org/\">Annual Great ShakeOut\u003c/a> quake preparedness drill that takes place across the globe. And the purpose of this particular test alert is to bring home the importance of a warning even a few seconds before an earthquake strikes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The MyShake test alert for app users will be part of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.shakeout.org/\">Annual Great ShakeOut\u003c/a> quake preparedness drill that takes place across the globe. And the purpose of this particular test alert is to bring home the importance of a warning even a few seconds before an earthquake strikes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>MyShake was developed in the Bay Area at \u003ca href=\"https://earthquakes.berkeley.edu/\">UC Berkeley’s Seismology Lab\u003c/a> and is funded by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.caloes.ca.gov/\">California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)\u003c/a>. It’s powered by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.shakealert.org/media-kit/\">U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeAlert system\u003c/a>, which uses a network of seismic sensors to detect earthquakes in real time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>MyShake was developed in the Bay Area at \u003ca href=\"https://earthquakes.berkeley.edu/\">UC Berkeley’s Seismology Lab\u003c/a> and is funded by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.caloes.ca.gov/\">California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)\u003c/a>. It’s powered by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.shakealert.org/media-kit/\">U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeAlert system\u003c/a>, which uses a network of seismic sensors to detect earthquakes in real time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Once an event is detected, and if the quake is \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/faq.html#troubleshooting\">estimated to be magnitude 4.5 or greater\u003c/a>, MyShake will send an alert to phones in the affected area, giving them anywhere from a few seconds to half a minute to react and instructing users to take life-saving actions — “drop, cover and hold on” — before the ground starts moving.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Once an event is detected, and if the quake is \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/faq.html#troubleshooting\">estimated to be magnitude 4.5 or greater\u003c/a>, MyShake will send an alert to phones in the affected area, giving them anywhere from a few seconds to half a minute to react and instructing users to take life-saving actions — “drop, cover and hold on” — before the ground starts moving.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#drop-cover\">Why experts say ‘drop, cover and hold on’ is more likely to save your life than standing in a door frame\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here’s what you need to know about this latest test alert on Thursday and what you should actually do in the event of an earthquake warning — plus more ways to get these earthquake warnings for real.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Here’s what you need to know about this latest test alert on Thursday and what you should actually do in the event of an earthquake warning — plus more ways to get these earthquake warnings for real.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When will the MyShake earthquake test alert happen?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday morning, this phone alert will only be received by people with the MyShake app who live in California, Oregon and Washington.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Thursday morning, this phone alert will only be received by people with the MyShake app who live in California, Oregon and Washington.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1977213/heres-where-to-download-californias-earthquake-early-warning-app\">MyShake app\u003c/a> will send the test alert to Bay Area users at 10:14 a.m. Thursday.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1977213/heres-where-to-download-californias-earthquake-early-warning-app\">MyShake app\u003c/a> will send the test alert to Bay Area users at 10:14 a.m. Thursday.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP-160x105.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP-1536x1009.png 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12059706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP-160x105.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP-1536x1009.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">If you’re one of the over 4 million Californians who have the MyShake earthquake warning app downloaded, you might get a loud alert on Thursday morning. This test will be part of the Annual Great ShakeOut quake preparedness drill, taking place across the globe.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Suresh Raman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12059706\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">If you’re one of the over 4 million Californians who have the MyShake earthquake warning app downloaded, you might get a loud alert on Thursday morning. This test will be part of the Annual Great ShakeOut quake preparedness drill, taking place across the globe.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Suresh Raman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>People in the greater Los Angeles area who have MyShake downloaded to their phone will get their alert at 10:15 a.m. The rest of the state — plus Washington and Oregon — will receive the alert at 10:16 a.m.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>People in the greater Los Angeles area who have MyShake downloaded to their phone will get their alert at 10:15 a.m. The rest of the state — plus Washington and Oregon — will receive the alert at 10:16 a.m.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "What will the MyShake alert sound like?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What will the MyShake alert sound like?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/FAQ_en.html#shakeout2\">MyShake test alert\u003c/a> audio will say “Earthquake drill. Earthquake drill. When you hear this message, practice: Drop, cover and hold on. Practice: Drop, cover and hold on.” It’ll be accompanied by a visual alert signifying that this is a test drill.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/FAQ_en.html#shakeout2\">MyShake test alert\u003c/a> audio will say “Earthquake drill. Earthquake drill. When you hear this message, practice: Drop, cover and hold on. Practice: Drop, cover and hold on.” It’ll be accompanied by a visual alert signifying that this is a test drill.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/faq.html#shakeout2026-q3\">preview how the alert will sound \u003c/a>on the MyShake website.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>You can \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/faq.html#shakeout2026-q3\">preview how the alert will sound \u003c/a>on the MyShake website.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
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"text": "What does ‘Drop, cover and hold on’ really mean in practice?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>First, you “drop” to the ground, on the spot — because it’s unlikely you’ll even be able to \u003cem>stay \u003c/em>standing during the shaking from a real earthquake, said Jose Lara, branch chief for seismic hazards with the California governor’s office of emergency services. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>First, you “drop” to the ground, on the spot — because it’s unlikely you’ll even be able to \u003cem>stay \u003c/em>standing during the shaking from a real earthquake, said Jose Lara, branch chief for seismic hazards with the California governor’s office of emergency services. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This kind of shaking and rolling “truly does rock people’s world, and not in a good way,” he said. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>Some of the larger earthquakes could go on for minutes, depending on the magnitude. And so after a while, you’re going to find yourself on the ground one way or another.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This kind of shaking and rolling “truly does rock people’s world, and not in a good way,” he said. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>Some of the larger earthquakes could go on for minutes, depending on the magnitude. And so after a while, you’re going to find yourself on the ground one way or another.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many injuries during an earthquake happen due to people falling, Lara said — so resist the urge to run.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many injuries during an earthquake happen due to people falling, Lara said — so resist the urge to run.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp> “You cannot run through this. You don’t want to. Not in California,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp> “You cannot run through this. You don’t want to. Not in California,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then, you “cover” your head — because many other injuries happen when objects fall \u003cem>onto \u003c/em>you, he said. As you do that, “hold on” to anything sturdy: for example, a table. “We know from years of research that this is the safest thing that you can do during strong shaking,” Lara said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Then, you “cover” your head — because many other injuries happen when objects fall \u003cem>onto \u003c/em>you, he said. As you do that, “hold on” to anything sturdy: for example, a table. “We know from years of research that this is the safest thing that you can do during strong shaking,” Lara said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What about guidance you may have heard in the past to stand in a door frame? That advice is actually outdated now, explained Lara, because it “has a lot to do with some of the former building codes and other material that was used to build houses and buildings.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>What about guidance you may have heard in the past to stand in a door frame? That advice is actually outdated now, explained Lara, because it “has a lot to do with some of the former building codes and other material that was used to build houses and buildings.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“But we know now, with all the research, that the most important thing that you can do during strong shaking is to drop, cover and hold on on the spot,” Lara said. “Building codes in California are really much more advanced, and we know that buildings and homes will survive an earthquake — and so you will be able to walk out of there.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“But we know now, with all the research, that the most important thing that you can do during strong shaking is to drop, cover and hold on on the spot,” Lara said. “Building codes in California are really much more advanced, and we know that buildings and homes will survive an earthquake — and so you will be able to walk out of there.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "I want this MyShake alert — how can I make sure I get it?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I want this MyShake alert — how can I make sure I get it?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I want this MyShake alert — how can I make sure I get it?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you have an iPhone, you can \u003ca href=\"https://apps.apple.com/us/app/myshake/id1467058529\">download the MyShake app from the Apple App Store\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you have an iPhone, you can \u003ca href=\"https://apps.apple.com/us/app/myshake/id1467058529\">download the MyShake app from the Apple App Store\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you have an Android phone, you can \u003ca href=\"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.berkeley.bsl.myshake&pli=1\">download MyShake from the Google Play Store\u003c/a> — but Android phones will also get these alerts automatically through the Android operating system (more on this below).\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you have an Android phone, you can \u003ca href=\"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.berkeley.bsl.myshake&pli=1\">download MyShake from the Google Play Store\u003c/a> — but Android phones will also get these alerts automatically through the Android operating system (more on this below).\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "I have the app, but what if I don’t get the test alert?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I have the app, but what if I don’t get the test alert?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you have the MyShake app and you still don’t get the alert on your phone on Thursday, don’t worry: It might be due to a few reasons.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you have the MyShake app and you still don’t get the alert on your phone on Thursday, don’t worry: It might be due to a few reasons.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Your alerts and notifications might be disabled for the MyShake app, or MyShake may not have permission to run in your phone’s background. Since the alert will be sent to phones in California, Oregon and Washington, the app will rely on your location data in order to send you the test alert.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Your alerts and notifications might be disabled for the MyShake app, or MyShake may not have permission to run in your phone’s background. Since the alert will be sent to phones in California, Oregon and Washington, the app will rely on your location data in order to send you the test alert.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01-160x87.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01-1536x836.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095098\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01-160x87.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01-1536x836.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck about 2.5 miles north of San Leandro in August 2026, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of USGS)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095098\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck about 2.5 miles north of San Leandro in August 2026, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of USGS)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This means that if you have your location services turned off, you might not be able to receive the alert. You can \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/\">contact MyShake suppor\u003c/a>t if you think you’ve encountered a problem with the app.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This means that if you have your location services turned off, you might not be able to receive the alert. You can \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/\">contact MyShake suppor\u003c/a>t if you think you’ve encountered a problem with the app.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>(If you did install MyShake in the past on your iPhone but you still don’t receive the alert, check that you don’t have the “Offload Unused Apps” feature turned on. This feature could have automatically uninstalled MyShake to save storage space if you haven’t used it in a while.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>(If you did install MyShake in the past on your iPhone but you still don’t receive the alert, check that you don’t have the “Offload Unused Apps” feature turned on. This feature could have automatically uninstalled MyShake to save storage space if you haven’t used it in a while.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "If my phone is off or on airplane mode, will I receive the alert?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If my phone is off or on airplane mode, will I receive the alert?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Just like a normal alert, MyShake is unable to send test alerts to phones that are off or in airplane mode.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Just like a normal alert, MyShake is unable to send test alerts to phones that are off or in airplane mode.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For people who have the MyShake app and prefer not to receive the alerts on Thursday morning, \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/faq.html#shakeout\">MyShake advises people to turn off notifications on their phones\u003c/a> from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on that day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For people who have the MyShake app and prefer not to receive the alerts on Thursday morning, \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/faq.html#shakeout\">MyShake advises people to turn off notifications on their phones\u003c/a> from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on that day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"For Android, go to Phone Settings then Notifications, find “MyShake” under “App notifications,” then turn MyShake off. "
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>For iOS, go to Phone Settings then Notifications, find “MyShake” and turn off “Allow Notifications and Critical Alerts”.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>For iOS, go to Phone Settings then Notifications, find “MyShake” and turn off “Allow Notifications and Critical Alerts”.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>For Android, go to Phone Settings then Notifications, find “MyShake” under “App notifications,” then turn MyShake off. \u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>For Android, go to Phone Settings then Notifications, find “MyShake” under “App notifications,” then turn MyShake off. \u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Don’t forget to turn your MyShake notifications back on after the drill.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Don’t forget to turn your MyShake notifications back on after the drill.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/FAQ_en.html#science\">Find more frequently asked questions about MyShake here.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/FAQ_en.html#science\">Find more frequently asked questions about MyShake here.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "What are other ways than MyShake to get an alert if a real earthquake hits?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System (EEW) from USGS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency sends \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-do-i-sign-shakealertr-earthquake-early-warning-system\">earthquake alerts to people’s phones in multiple ways.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System (EEW) from USGS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency sends \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-do-i-sign-shakealertr-earthquake-early-warning-system\">earthquake alerts to people’s phones in multiple ways.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The most widespread way is through Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), which sends loud alerts to all cellphones. If an earthquake is expected to be magnitude 5 or greater, \u003ca href=\"https://earthquake.ca.gov/wireless-emergency-alerts/#:~:text=WEA%20alerts%20will%20be%20sent,5.0%20with%20shaking%20intensity%204.\">USGS and FEMA will send a WEA to all capable devices.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The most widespread way is through Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), which sends loud alerts to all cellphones. If an earthquake is expected to be magnitude 5 or greater, \u003ca href=\"https://earthquake.ca.gov/wireless-emergency-alerts/#:~:text=WEA%20alerts%20will%20be%20sent,5.0%20with%20shaking%20intensity%204.\">USGS and FEMA will send a WEA to all capable devices.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11999988\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-1920x1278.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The nation’s first statewide Earthquake Early Warning System, also known as the MyShake app, developed by professor Richard Allen, director of the UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, is displayed in Oakland, California, on Oct. 17, 2019.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Yichuan Cao/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11999988\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The nation’s first statewide Earthquake Early Warning System, also known as the MyShake app, developed by professor Richard Allen, director of the UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, is displayed in Oakland, California, on Oct. 17, 2019.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Yichuan Cao/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>ShakeAlert also powers other systems like MyShake alerts and \u003ca href=\"https://www.readysandiego.org/SDEmergencyApp/\">the ShakeReadySD app for San Diego residents.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>ShakeAlert also powers other systems like MyShake alerts and \u003ca href=\"https://www.readysandiego.org/SDEmergencyApp/\">the ShakeReadySD app for San Diego residents.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1968352/android-phones-will-now-automatically-receive-california-earthquake-warnings\">Android phones have also been capable of receiving earthquake early warning alerts\u003c/a> through Google’s Android operating system — though users should still check their settings to make sure that earthquake alerts are enabled.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Since 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1968352/android-phones-will-now-automatically-receive-california-earthquake-warnings\">Android phones have also been capable of receiving earthquake early warning alerts\u003c/a> through Google’s Android operating system — though users should still check their settings to make sure that earthquake alerts are enabled.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>MyShake differs from other alert delivery tools in that it collects user experience reports for earthquakes greater than magnitude 3.5 and uses motion data captured by phones for research purposes.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>MyShake differs from other alert delivery tools in that it collects user experience reports for earthquakes greater than magnitude 3.5 and uses motion data captured by phones for research purposes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/dventon\">Danielle Venton\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/dventon\">Danielle Venton\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Find out how California’s MyShake earthquake app works, what to expect from emergency test alerts and how to set up your phone for more early earthquake warnings.",
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"title": "Why Your Phone Might Get an Earthquake Test Alert Thursday (and What to Do) | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Your phone might get a loud \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/earthquake\">earthquake\u003c/a> test alert on Thursday morning. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At least, it will if you’re one of over 4.5 million Californians who have the \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/06/24/californias-earthquake-warning-system-notified-over-one-million-people-ahead-of-northern-california-quake/\">MyShake earthquake warning app downloaded\u003c/a> on your phone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The MyShake test alert for app users will be part of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.shakeout.org/\">Annual Great ShakeOut\u003c/a> quake preparedness drill that takes place across the globe. And the purpose of this particular test alert is to bring home the importance of a warning even a few seconds before an earthquake strikes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MyShake was developed in the Bay Area at \u003ca href=\"https://earthquakes.berkeley.edu/\">UC Berkeley’s Seismology Lab\u003c/a> and is funded by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.caloes.ca.gov/\">California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)\u003c/a>. It’s powered by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.shakealert.org/media-kit/\">U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeAlert system\u003c/a>, which uses a network of seismic sensors to detect earthquakes in real time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once an event is detected, and if the quake is \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/faq.html#troubleshooting\">estimated to be magnitude 4.5 or greater\u003c/a>, MyShake will send an alert to phones in the affected area, giving them anywhere from a few seconds to half a minute to react and instructing users to take life-saving actions — “drop, cover and hold on” — before the ground starts moving.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#drop-cover\">Why experts say ‘drop, cover and hold on’ is more likely to save your life than standing in a door frame\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here’s what you need to know about this latest test alert on Thursday and what you should actually do in the event of an earthquake warning — plus more ways to get these earthquake warnings for real.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When will the MyShake earthquake test alert happen?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Thursday morning, this phone alert will only be received by people with the MyShake app who live in California, Oregon and Washington.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1977213/heres-where-to-download-californias-earthquake-early-warning-app\">MyShake app\u003c/a> will send the test alert to Bay Area users at 10:14 a.m. Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1261\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12059706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP-160x105.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/MyShake_WP-1536x1009.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">If you’re one of the over 4 million Californians who have the MyShake earthquake warning app downloaded, you might get a loud alert on Thursday morning. This test will be part of the Annual Great ShakeOut quake preparedness drill, taking place across the globe. (Courtesy of Suresh Raman)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>People in the greater Los Angeles area who have MyShake downloaded to their phone will get their alert at 10:15 a.m. The rest of the state — plus Washington and Oregon — will receive the alert at 10:16 a.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What will the MyShake alert sound like?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/FAQ_en.html#shakeout2\">MyShake test alert\u003c/a> audio will say “Earthquake drill. Earthquake drill. When you hear this message, practice: Drop, cover and hold on. Practice: Drop, cover and hold on.” It’ll be accompanied by a visual alert signifying that this is a test drill.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/faq.html#shakeout2026-q3\">preview how the alert will sound \u003c/a>on the MyShake website.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"drop-cover\">What does ‘Drop, cover and hold on’ really mean in practice?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>First, you “drop” to the ground, on the spot — because it’s unlikely you’ll even be able to \u003cem>stay \u003c/em>standing during the shaking from a real earthquake, said Jose Lara, branch chief for seismic hazards with the California governor’s office of emergency services. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This kind of shaking and rolling “truly does rock people’s world, and not in a good way,” he said. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>Some of the larger earthquakes could go on for minutes, depending on the magnitude. And so after a while, you’re going to find yourself on the ground one way or another.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many injuries during an earthquake happen due to people falling, Lara said — so resist the urge to run.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp> “You cannot run through this. You don’t want to. Not in California,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, you “cover” your head — because many other injuries happen when objects fall \u003cem>onto \u003c/em>you, he said. As you do that, “hold on” to anything sturdy: for example, a table. “We know from years of research that this is the safest thing that you can do during strong shaking,” Lara said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What about guidance you may have heard in the past to stand in a door frame? That advice is actually outdated now, explained Lara, because it “has a lot to do with some of the former building codes and other material that was used to build houses and buildings.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But we know now, with all the research, that the most important thing that you can do during strong shaking is to drop, cover and hold on on the spot,” Lara said. “Building codes in California are really much more advanced, and we know that buildings and homes will survive an earthquake — and so you will be able to walk out of there.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I want this MyShake alert — how can I make sure I get it?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you have an iPhone, you can \u003ca href=\"https://apps.apple.com/us/app/myshake/id1467058529\">download the MyShake app from the Apple App Store\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you have an Android phone, you can \u003ca href=\"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.berkeley.bsl.myshake&pli=1\">download MyShake from the Google Play Store\u003c/a> — but Android phones will also get these alerts automatically through the Android operating system (more on this below).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I have the app, but what if I don’t get the test alert?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you have the MyShake app and you still don’t get the alert on your phone on Thursday, don’t worry: It might be due to a few reasons.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Your alerts and notifications might be disabled for the MyShake app, or MyShake may not have permission to run in your phone’s background. Since the alert will be sent to phones in California, Oregon and Washington, the app will rely on your location data in order to send you the test alert.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1088\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095098\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01-160x87.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-Earthquake-01-1536x836.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck about 2.5 miles north of San Leandro in August 2026, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey. (Courtesy of USGS)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This means that if you have your location services turned off, you might not be able to receive the alert. You can \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/\">contact MyShake suppor\u003c/a>t if you think you’ve encountered a problem with the app.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>(If you did install MyShake in the past on your iPhone but you still don’t receive the alert, check that you don’t have the “Offload Unused Apps” feature turned on. This feature could have automatically uninstalled MyShake to save storage space if you haven’t used it in a while.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If my phone is off or on airplane mode, will I receive the alert?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just like a normal alert, MyShake is unable to send test alerts to phones that are off or in airplane mode.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For people who have the MyShake app and prefer not to receive the alerts on Thursday morning, \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/faq.html#shakeout\">MyShake advises people to turn off notifications on their phones\u003c/a> from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on that day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>For iOS, go to Phone Settings then Notifications, find “MyShake” and turn off “Allow Notifications and Critical Alerts”.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>For Android, go to Phone Settings then Notifications, find “MyShake” under “App notifications,” then turn MyShake off. \u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Don’t forget to turn your MyShake notifications back on after the drill.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/FAQ_en.html#science\">Find more frequently asked questions about MyShake here.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are other ways than MyShake to get an alert if a real earthquake hits?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System (EEW) from USGS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency sends \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-do-i-sign-shakealertr-earthquake-early-warning-system\">earthquake alerts to people’s phones in multiple ways.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The most widespread way is through Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), which sends loud alerts to all cellphones. If an earthquake is expected to be magnitude 5 or greater, \u003ca href=\"https://earthquake.ca.gov/wireless-emergency-alerts/#:~:text=WEA%20alerts%20will%20be%20sent,5.0%20with%20shaking%20intensity%204.\">USGS and FEMA will send a WEA to all capable devices.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11999988\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-1920x1278.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The nation’s first statewide Earthquake Early Warning System, also known as the MyShake app, developed by professor Richard Allen, director of the UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, is displayed in Oakland, California, on Oct. 17, 2019. (Yichuan Cao/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>ShakeAlert also powers other systems like MyShake alerts and \u003ca href=\"https://www.readysandiego.org/SDEmergencyApp/\">the ShakeReadySD app for San Diego residents.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1968352/android-phones-will-now-automatically-receive-california-earthquake-warnings\">Android phones have also been capable of receiving earthquake early warning alerts\u003c/a> through Google’s Android operating system — though users should still check their settings to make sure that earthquake alerts are enabled.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>MyShake differs from other alert delivery tools in that it collects user experience reports for earthquakes greater than magnitude 3.5 and uses motion data captured by phones for research purposes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/dventon\">Danielle Venton\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "newsom-apologized-to-tribes-for-historic-harms-but-vetoed-2-bills-that-would-have-empowered-them",
"title": "Newsom Apologized to Tribes for Historic Harms, but Vetoed 2 Bills That Would Have Empowered Them",
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"headTitle": "Newsom Apologized to Tribes for Historic Harms, but Vetoed 2 Bills That Would Have Empowered Them | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Five days after signing a law formalizing a state apology for “harms and atrocities” against California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/indigenous\">Native peoples\u003c/a>, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two additional bills that California tribes had championed, one on water and the other on sacred sites.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tribal leaders say the vetoes leave them shut out of decisions about their ancestral waters and sacred places.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of Newsom’s vetoes struck down a measure that would have compelled state agencies to address water shortages faced by tribes. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2218\">Assembly Bill 2218\u003c/a> by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/ash-kalra-100938\">Ash Kalra\u003c/a>, a Santa Clara County Democrat, would have established a state policy to address water-related inequities and would have required a dispute between a tribe and any state water agency over water projects in the tribe’s ancestral territory to go through a mediation process, run by the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians co-sponsored the legislation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12036066\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, California, on May 10, 2024. Newsom vetoed a number of bills that would have given tribal leaders more power. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom also rejected a bill that would have barred state agencies from significantly interfering with tribal religious practices on state land unless the state showed a compelling reason and chose the approach that interfered least. Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/james-ramos-149649\">James Ramos\u003c/a>, a Democrat from San Bernardino and the Legislature’s only Native American member, authored \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1881\">AB 1881\u003c/a>, which was called the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Only tribes could sue to enforce Ramos’ bill. Agencies would also have had to seek and document a tribe’s written consent before significantly changing a site they know is sacred, though an agency could ask for consultation if a tribe objected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ramos is a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and is a former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Neither bill drew a “no” vote in the Assembly, though 23 members did not vote on the water bill and 15 on the sacred-sites bill, many Republican. Not voting counts the same as a no vote, and lawmakers are known to skip votes that might offend their supporters and donors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In his veto message for the water bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-2218.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that the bill was “not sufficiently clear about how its new policy will be implemented” and that “adding new sources of uncertainty will delay our urgent fight to secure Californians’ water supplies.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About Ramos’ bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-1881.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that he was “sympathetic to the goals of this measure” but that it could have “far-reaching impacts” on state government operations and management of state property, and that “this uncertainty calls for further discussion and review.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The governor’s office referred to Newsom’s veto messages in response to a request for comment on this article.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tribes-criticize-water-bill-veto\">Tribes criticize water bill veto\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tribes need to be at the table when decisions are being made, not brought in after the important decisions have already been made,” said Russell “Buster” Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shingle Springs Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba called the veto of the water bill a “backhanded betrayal of California tribes and a direct contradiction of his apology and promises of reconciliation.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her government, like other tribes, can sue or lodge formal objections to state water projects, she said, but those steps don’t guarantee an outcome. The final language of the bill would have added a mediation process that paused an agency’s action while the state and affected tribe discussed a resolution. Tayaba said \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/tribal_affairs/policy_project.html\">the status quo\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/08/california-water-agency-investigation-discrimination/\">excludes\u003c/a> her tribe from meaningful consultation on water projects in its ancestral lands and contributes to “a decimation” in salmon runs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046548\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trinity River flows through the Hoopa Valley in Northern California. (Mark McKenna for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the vetoed bill, the State Water Board would have had to consult with any tribe whose ancestral territory included a water body at issue in a water-rights investigation. It also would have required agencies to offer financial assistance to tribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The bill represented a step toward building a more meaningful relationship between California and tribal nations,” Tayaba said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Association of California Water Agencies opposed the bill, saying it created a “new and poorly defined standard under the Water Code” and that the mediation process would be inadequate because it would not be binding. Under the rejected bill, a tribe could have withdrawn at any point, according to a legislative analysis — including if the tribe believed the state was not acting in good faith. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We cannot say with certainty how this bill will be implemented and what its impacts will be on water supply,” Andrea Abergel, an advocate for the California Municipal Utilities Association, testified before the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality in July. The organization, which represents more than 80 public utility agencies across the state, opposed the bill. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"current-law-doesn-t-prevent-sacred-site-destruction\">Current law doesn’t prevent sacred site destruction\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ramos said the sacred sites bill, sponsored by Indigenous Justice, an advocacy group, would have afforded Native Americans greater protections to practice their faith.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tribal members are routinely questioned or harassed for wearing regalia or carrying ceremonial items in public places,” Ramos told the Senate Judiciary Committee in July. “We have the right to assemble and practice our customs and traditions in a state whose ancestral lands are traditional lands of Indian people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bill would also have treated restrictions on regalia and other ceremonial items at state buildings as a burden on religious practice, requiring that the items be allowed in and inspected by hand when possible.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1245\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg\" alt=\"Helen Gaddie (L) stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum's 45th annual powwow on August 6, 2016.\" class=\"wp-image-11049382\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-400x259.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-800x519.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-1180x765.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-960x623.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Helen Gaddie, left, wears regalia and stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum’s 45th annual powwow on Aug. 6, 2016. (Vanessa Rancano/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, a Democrat from Cupertino and a co-author of the bill, criticized the veto. “The least we can do as a government is allow Native Americans unburdened access to state lands to honor their heritage,” he said in a statement to CalMatters and ICT.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters say the bill was needed because harm to sacred sites is a direct result of state and federal policies. Landmark Supreme Court cases such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-291_5i26.pdf\">Apache Stronghold v. United States\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/485/439/\">Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association\u003c/a> have allowed federal projects to go forward on sacred lands despite tribes’ religious-freedom claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An Assembly analysis of the bill also notes state law restricts severe damage to sacred sites on public property unless there is a clear and convincing showing that the public interest requires it — but tribes have criticized state agencies for \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-22/caltrans-indigenous-burial-site\">failing\u003c/a> to prevent damage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the bill’s findings, authors emphasize that Native American religions are land-based, meaning their practices are often inextricably linked to specific geographic locations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Chamber of Commerce applauded both vetoes. The bills “would have created serious legal barriers” to building water storage and infrastructure, wrote John Myers, spokesman for the chamber. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kristopher Anderson, a policy adviser for the California Chamber of Commerce, testified in July against the sacred sites bill. “This bill is about much more than access,” he said. “It is about the way land and water are managed — and the consequences of this bill would have severe ramifications for the water supply reliability of communities and local economies throughout the state.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"apology-and-the-vetoes\">Apology and the vetoes\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom declared \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/governor-newsom-proclaims-a-day-of-remembrance-for-indian-boarding-schools/\">Sept. 30\u003c/a> a Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, which Tayaba called “ironic” considering he rejected bills that would have expanded tribal power the same day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California was home to 13 federal Indian boarding schools between 1892 and 1974 that forcibly removed thousands of Native children from their families. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June 2019, Newsom signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/6.18.19-Executive-Order.pdf\">executive order\u003c/a> apologizing on behalf of the state to California Native Americans and creating a Truth and Healing Council, \u003ca href=\"https://colorlines.com/articles/california-governor-apologizes-native-americans-genocide\">saying\u003c/a> they “suffered violence, discrimination and exploitation sanctioned by (the) state government.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Sept. 25, Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2115\">AB 2115\u003c/a> into law, formalizing an apology to California Native peoples for harms experienced as a result of state policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Newsom acknowledges the state’s historical violence against California’s Indigenous People, but when given the chance to rectify those harms and finalize the bills … he disappointed us and failed to follow through,” said Kasil Willie, policy director of the environmental group Save California Salmon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom, who is not eligible for re-election, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americansgovernor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americans/\">signed\u003c/a> a package of tribal bills, including making Native American Day a paid state holiday and making the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent. His office says the state has returned more than 100,000 acres to tribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, tribal leaders including Tayaba from Shingle Springs said they plan to continue their efforts to boost tribal consultation and co-stewardship.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“His apology, what does it really mean?” Tayaba said. “Man, did he really hurt us on his way out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is co-published by CalMatters and ICT, a news partnership that covers Indigenous communities in California.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/newsom-uc-cal-state-billion-dollars-more/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Five days after signing a law formalizing a state apology for “harms and atrocities” against California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/indigenous\">Native peoples\u003c/a>, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two additional bills that California tribes had championed, one on water and the other on sacred sites.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Five days after signing a law formalizing a state apology for “harms and atrocities” against California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/indigenous\">Native peoples\u003c/a>, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two additional bills that California tribes had championed, one on water and the other on sacred sites.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tribal leaders say the vetoes leave them shut out of decisions about their ancestral waters and sacred places.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tribal leaders say the vetoes leave them shut out of decisions about their ancestral waters and sacred places.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of Newsom’s vetoes struck down a measure that would have compelled state agencies to address water shortages faced by tribes. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2218\">Assembly Bill 2218\u003c/a> by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/ash-kalra-100938\">Ash Kalra\u003c/a>, a Santa Clara County Democrat, would have established a state policy to address water-related inequities and would have required a dispute between a tribe and any state water agency over water projects in the tribe’s ancestral territory to go through a mediation process, run by the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians co-sponsored the legislation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of Newsom’s vetoes struck down a measure that would have compelled state agencies to address water shortages faced by tribes. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2218\">Assembly Bill 2218\u003c/a> by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/ash-kalra-100938\">Ash Kalra\u003c/a>, a Santa Clara County Democrat, would have established a state policy to address water-related inequities and would have required a dispute between a tribe and any state water agency over water projects in the tribe’s ancestral territory to go through a mediation process, run by the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians co-sponsored the legislation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12036066\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, California, on May 10, 2024. Newsom vetoed a number of bills that would have given tribal leaders more power. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12036066\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, California, on May 10, 2024. Newsom vetoed a number of bills that would have given tribal leaders more power. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom also rejected a bill that would have barred state agencies from significantly interfering with tribal religious practices on state land unless the state showed a compelling reason and chose the approach that interfered least. Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/james-ramos-149649\">James Ramos\u003c/a>, a Democrat from San Bernardino and the Legislature’s only Native American member, authored \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1881\">AB 1881\u003c/a>, which was called the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom also rejected a bill that would have barred state agencies from significantly interfering with tribal religious practices on state land unless the state showed a compelling reason and chose the approach that interfered least. Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/james-ramos-149649\">James Ramos\u003c/a>, a Democrat from San Bernardino and the Legislature’s only Native American member, authored \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1881\">AB 1881\u003c/a>, which was called the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Only tribes could sue to enforce Ramos’ bill. Agencies would also have had to seek and document a tribe’s written consent before significantly changing a site they know is sacred, though an agency could ask for consultation if a tribe objected. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Only tribes could sue to enforce Ramos’ bill. Agencies would also have had to seek and document a tribe’s written consent before significantly changing a site they know is sacred, though an agency could ask for consultation if a tribe objected. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ramos is a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and is a former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ramos is a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and is a former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Neither bill drew a “no” vote in the Assembly, though 23 members did not vote on the water bill and 15 on the sacred-sites bill, many Republican. Not voting counts the same as a no vote, and lawmakers are known to skip votes that might offend their supporters and donors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Neither bill drew a “no” vote in the Assembly, though 23 members did not vote on the water bill and 15 on the sacred-sites bill, many Republican. Not voting counts the same as a no vote, and lawmakers are known to skip votes that might offend their supporters and donors.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In his veto message for the water bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-2218.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that the bill was “not sufficiently clear about how its new policy will be implemented” and that “adding new sources of uncertainty will delay our urgent fight to secure Californians’ water supplies.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In his veto message for the water bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-2218.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that the bill was “not sufficiently clear about how its new policy will be implemented” and that “adding new sources of uncertainty will delay our urgent fight to secure Californians’ water supplies.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About Ramos’ bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-1881.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that he was “sympathetic to the goals of this measure” but that it could have “far-reaching impacts” on state government operations and management of state property, and that “this uncertainty calls for further discussion and review.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>About Ramos’ bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-1881.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that he was “sympathetic to the goals of this measure” but that it could have “far-reaching impacts” on state government operations and management of state property, and that “this uncertainty calls for further discussion and review.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The governor’s office referred to Newsom’s veto messages in response to a request for comment on this article.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The governor’s office referred to Newsom’s veto messages in response to a request for comment on this article.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Tribes criticize water bill veto",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tribes-criticize-water-bill-veto\">Tribes criticize water bill veto\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tribes-criticize-water-bill-veto\">Tribes criticize water bill veto\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Tribes need to be at the table when decisions are being made, not brought in after the important decisions have already been made,” said Russell “Buster” Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Tribes need to be at the table when decisions are being made, not brought in after the important decisions have already been made,” said Russell “Buster” Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shingle Springs Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba called the veto of the water bill a “backhanded betrayal of California tribes and a direct contradiction of his apology and promises of reconciliation.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shingle Springs Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba called the veto of the water bill a “backhanded betrayal of California tribes and a direct contradiction of his apology and promises of reconciliation.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Her government, like other tribes, can sue or lodge formal objections to state water projects, she said, but those steps don’t guarantee an outcome. The final language of the bill would have added a mediation process that paused an agency’s action while the state and affected tribe discussed a resolution. Tayaba said \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/tribal_affairs/policy_project.html\">the status quo\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/08/california-water-agency-investigation-discrimination/\">excludes\u003c/a> her tribe from meaningful consultation on water projects in its ancestral lands and contributes to “a decimation” in salmon runs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Her government, like other tribes, can sue or lodge formal objections to state water projects, she said, but those steps don’t guarantee an outcome. The final language of the bill would have added a mediation process that paused an agency’s action while the state and affected tribe discussed a resolution. Tayaba said \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/tribal_affairs/policy_project.html\">the status quo\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/08/california-water-agency-investigation-discrimination/\">excludes\u003c/a> her tribe from meaningful consultation on water projects in its ancestral lands and contributes to “a decimation” in salmon runs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046548\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trinity River flows through the Hoopa Valley in Northern California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Mark McKenna for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046548\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trinity River flows through the Hoopa Valley in Northern California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Mark McKenna for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under the vetoed bill, the State Water Board would have had to consult with any tribe whose ancestral territory included a water body at issue in a water-rights investigation. It also would have required agencies to offer financial assistance to tribes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under the vetoed bill, the State Water Board would have had to consult with any tribe whose ancestral territory included a water body at issue in a water-rights investigation. It also would have required agencies to offer financial assistance to tribes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The bill represented a step toward building a more meaningful relationship between California and tribal nations,” Tayaba said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The bill represented a step toward building a more meaningful relationship between California and tribal nations,” Tayaba said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Association of California Water Agencies opposed the bill, saying it created a “new and poorly defined standard under the Water Code” and that the mediation process would be inadequate because it would not be binding. Under the rejected bill, a tribe could have withdrawn at any point, according to a legislative analysis — including if the tribe believed the state was not acting in good faith. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Association of California Water Agencies opposed the bill, saying it created a “new and poorly defined standard under the Water Code” and that the mediation process would be inadequate because it would not be binding. Under the rejected bill, a tribe could have withdrawn at any point, according to a legislative analysis — including if the tribe believed the state was not acting in good faith. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We cannot say with certainty how this bill will be implemented and what its impacts will be on water supply,” Andrea Abergel, an advocate for the California Municipal Utilities Association, testified before the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality in July. The organization, which represents more than 80 public utility agencies across the state, opposed the bill. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We cannot say with certainty how this bill will be implemented and what its impacts will be on water supply,” Andrea Abergel, an advocate for the California Municipal Utilities Association, testified before the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality in July. The organization, which represents more than 80 public utility agencies across the state, opposed the bill. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Current law doesn’t prevent sacred site destruction",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"current-law-doesn-t-prevent-sacred-site-destruction\">Current law doesn’t prevent sacred site destruction\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ramos said the sacred sites bill, sponsored by Indigenous Justice, an advocacy group, would have afforded Native Americans greater protections to practice their faith.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ramos said the sacred sites bill, sponsored by Indigenous Justice, an advocacy group, would have afforded Native Americans greater protections to practice their faith.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Tribal members are routinely questioned or harassed for wearing regalia or carrying ceremonial items in public places,” Ramos told the Senate Judiciary Committee in July. “We have the right to assemble and practice our customs and traditions in a state whose ancestral lands are traditional lands of Indian people.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Tribal members are routinely questioned or harassed for wearing regalia or carrying ceremonial items in public places,” Ramos told the Senate Judiciary Committee in July. “We have the right to assemble and practice our customs and traditions in a state whose ancestral lands are traditional lands of Indian people.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bill would also have treated restrictions on regalia and other ceremonial items at state buildings as a burden on religious practice, requiring that the items be allowed in and inspected by hand when possible.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bill would also have treated restrictions on regalia and other ceremonial items at state buildings as a burden on religious practice, requiring that the items be allowed in and inspected by hand when possible.\u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "Helen Gaddie (L) stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum's 45th annual powwow on August 6, 2016.",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg\" alt=\"Helen Gaddie (L) stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum's 45th annual powwow on August 6, 2016.\" class=\"wp-image-11049382\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-400x259.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-800x519.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-1180x765.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-960x623.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Helen Gaddie, left, wears regalia and stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum’s 45th annual powwow on Aug. 6, 2016.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vanessa Rancano/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg\" alt=\"Helen Gaddie (L) stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum's 45th annual powwow on August 6, 2016.\" class=\"wp-image-11049382\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Helen Gaddie, left, wears regalia and stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum’s 45th annual powwow on Aug. 6, 2016.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vanessa Rancano/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, a Democrat from Cupertino and a co-author of the bill, criticized the veto. “The least we can do as a government is allow Native Americans unburdened access to state lands to honor their heritage,” he said in a statement to CalMatters and ICT.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, a Democrat from Cupertino and a co-author of the bill, criticized the veto. “The least we can do as a government is allow Native Americans unburdened access to state lands to honor their heritage,” he said in a statement to CalMatters and ICT.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supporters say the bill was needed because harm to sacred sites is a direct result of state and federal policies. Landmark Supreme Court cases such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-291_5i26.pdf\">Apache Stronghold v. United States\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/485/439/\">Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association\u003c/a> have allowed federal projects to go forward on sacred lands despite tribes’ religious-freedom claims. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Supporters say the bill was needed because harm to sacred sites is a direct result of state and federal policies. Landmark Supreme Court cases such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-291_5i26.pdf\">Apache Stronghold v. United States\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/485/439/\">Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association\u003c/a> have allowed federal projects to go forward on sacred lands despite tribes’ religious-freedom claims. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An Assembly analysis of the bill also notes state law restricts severe damage to sacred sites on public property unless there is a clear and convincing showing that the public interest requires it — but tribes have criticized state agencies for \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-22/caltrans-indigenous-burial-site\">failing\u003c/a> to prevent damage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>An Assembly analysis of the bill also notes state law restricts severe damage to sacred sites on public property unless there is a clear and convincing showing that the public interest requires it — but tribes have criticized state agencies for \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-22/caltrans-indigenous-burial-site\">failing\u003c/a> to prevent damage.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the bill’s findings, authors emphasize that Native American religions are land-based, meaning their practices are often inextricably linked to specific geographic locations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The California Chamber of Commerce applauded both vetoes. The bills “would have created serious legal barriers” to building water storage and infrastructure, wrote John Myers, spokesman for the chamber. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kristopher Anderson, a policy adviser for the California Chamber of Commerce, testified in July against the sacred sites bill. “This bill is about much more than access,” he said. “It is about the way land and water are managed — and the consequences of this bill would have severe ramifications for the water supply reliability of communities and local economies throughout the state.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kristopher Anderson, a policy adviser for the California Chamber of Commerce, testified in July against the sacred sites bill. “This bill is about much more than access,” he said. “It is about the way land and water are managed — and the consequences of this bill would have severe ramifications for the water supply reliability of communities and local economies throughout the state.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom declared \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/governor-newsom-proclaims-a-day-of-remembrance-for-indian-boarding-schools/\">Sept. 30\u003c/a> a Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, which Tayaba called “ironic” considering he rejected bills that would have expanded tribal power the same day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom declared \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/governor-newsom-proclaims-a-day-of-remembrance-for-indian-boarding-schools/\">Sept. 30\u003c/a> a Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, which Tayaba called “ironic” considering he rejected bills that would have expanded tribal power the same day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California was home to 13 federal Indian boarding schools between 1892 and 1974 that forcibly removed thousands of Native children from their families. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California was home to 13 federal Indian boarding schools between 1892 and 1974 that forcibly removed thousands of Native children from their families. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In June 2019, Newsom signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/6.18.19-Executive-Order.pdf\">executive order\u003c/a> apologizing on behalf of the state to California Native Americans and creating a Truth and Healing Council, \u003ca href=\"https://colorlines.com/articles/california-governor-apologizes-native-americans-genocide\">saying\u003c/a> they “suffered violence, discrimination and exploitation sanctioned by (the) state government.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In June 2019, Newsom signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/6.18.19-Executive-Order.pdf\">executive order\u003c/a> apologizing on behalf of the state to California Native Americans and creating a Truth and Healing Council, \u003ca href=\"https://colorlines.com/articles/california-governor-apologizes-native-americans-genocide\">saying\u003c/a> they “suffered violence, discrimination and exploitation sanctioned by (the) state government.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Sept. 25, Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2115\">AB 2115\u003c/a> into law, formalizing an apology to California Native peoples for harms experienced as a result of state policy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Sept. 25, Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2115\">AB 2115\u003c/a> into law, formalizing an apology to California Native peoples for harms experienced as a result of state policy.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Newsom acknowledges the state’s historical violence against California’s Indigenous People, but when given the chance to rectify those harms and finalize the bills … he disappointed us and failed to follow through,” said Kasil Willie, policy director of the environmental group Save California Salmon. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom, who is not eligible for re-election, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americansgovernor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americans/\">signed\u003c/a> a package of tribal bills, including making Native American Day a paid state holiday and making the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent. His office says the state has returned more than 100,000 acres to tribes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom, who is not eligible for re-election, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americansgovernor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americans/\">signed\u003c/a> a package of tribal bills, including making Native American Day a paid state holiday and making the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent. His office says the state has returned more than 100,000 acres to tribes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, tribal leaders including Tayaba from Shingle Springs said they plan to continue their efforts to boost tribal consultation and co-stewardship.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“His apology, what does it really mean?” Tayaba said. “Man, did he really hurt us on his way out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“His apology, what does it really mean?” Tayaba said. “Man, did he really hurt us on his way out.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is co-published by CalMatters and ICT, a news partnership that covers Indigenous communities in California.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/newsom-uc-cal-state-billion-dollars-more/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two bills that would’ve given tribal governments a greater voice in water projects and in preventing the destruction of sacred Indigenous religious sites on state land.",
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"title": "Newsom Apologized to Tribes for Historic Harms, but Vetoed 2 Bills That Would Have Empowered Them | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Five days after signing a law formalizing a state apology for “harms and atrocities” against California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/indigenous\">Native peoples\u003c/a>, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two additional bills that California tribes had championed, one on water and the other on sacred sites.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tribal leaders say the vetoes leave them shut out of decisions about their ancestral waters and sacred places.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of Newsom’s vetoes struck down a measure that would have compelled state agencies to address water shortages faced by tribes. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2218\">Assembly Bill 2218\u003c/a> by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/ash-kalra-100938\">Ash Kalra\u003c/a>, a Santa Clara County Democrat, would have established a state policy to address water-related inequities and would have required a dispute between a tribe and any state water agency over water projects in the tribe’s ancestral territory to go through a mediation process, run by the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians co-sponsored the legislation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12036066\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, California, on May 10, 2024. Newsom vetoed a number of bills that would have given tribal leaders more power. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom also rejected a bill that would have barred state agencies from significantly interfering with tribal religious practices on state land unless the state showed a compelling reason and chose the approach that interfered least. Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/james-ramos-149649\">James Ramos\u003c/a>, a Democrat from San Bernardino and the Legislature’s only Native American member, authored \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1881\">AB 1881\u003c/a>, which was called the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Only tribes could sue to enforce Ramos’ bill. Agencies would also have had to seek and document a tribe’s written consent before significantly changing a site they know is sacred, though an agency could ask for consultation if a tribe objected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ramos is a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and is a former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Neither bill drew a “no” vote in the Assembly, though 23 members did not vote on the water bill and 15 on the sacred-sites bill, many Republican. Not voting counts the same as a no vote, and lawmakers are known to skip votes that might offend their supporters and donors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In his veto message for the water bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-2218.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that the bill was “not sufficiently clear about how its new policy will be implemented” and that “adding new sources of uncertainty will delay our urgent fight to secure Californians’ water supplies.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About Ramos’ bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-1881.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that he was “sympathetic to the goals of this measure” but that it could have “far-reaching impacts” on state government operations and management of state property, and that “this uncertainty calls for further discussion and review.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The governor’s office referred to Newsom’s veto messages in response to a request for comment on this article.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tribes-criticize-water-bill-veto\">Tribes criticize water bill veto\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tribes need to be at the table when decisions are being made, not brought in after the important decisions have already been made,” said Russell “Buster” Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shingle Springs Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba called the veto of the water bill a “backhanded betrayal of California tribes and a direct contradiction of his apology and promises of reconciliation.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her government, like other tribes, can sue or lodge formal objections to state water projects, she said, but those steps don’t guarantee an outcome. The final language of the bill would have added a mediation process that paused an agency’s action while the state and affected tribe discussed a resolution. Tayaba said \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/tribal_affairs/policy_project.html\">the status quo\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/08/california-water-agency-investigation-discrimination/\">excludes\u003c/a> her tribe from meaningful consultation on water projects in its ancestral lands and contributes to “a decimation” in salmon runs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046548\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trinity River flows through the Hoopa Valley in Northern California. (Mark McKenna for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the vetoed bill, the State Water Board would have had to consult with any tribe whose ancestral territory included a water body at issue in a water-rights investigation. It also would have required agencies to offer financial assistance to tribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The bill represented a step toward building a more meaningful relationship between California and tribal nations,” Tayaba said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Association of California Water Agencies opposed the bill, saying it created a “new and poorly defined standard under the Water Code” and that the mediation process would be inadequate because it would not be binding. Under the rejected bill, a tribe could have withdrawn at any point, according to a legislative analysis — including if the tribe believed the state was not acting in good faith. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We cannot say with certainty how this bill will be implemented and what its impacts will be on water supply,” Andrea Abergel, an advocate for the California Municipal Utilities Association, testified before the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality in July. The organization, which represents more than 80 public utility agencies across the state, opposed the bill. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"current-law-doesn-t-prevent-sacred-site-destruction\">Current law doesn’t prevent sacred site destruction\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ramos said the sacred sites bill, sponsored by Indigenous Justice, an advocacy group, would have afforded Native Americans greater protections to practice their faith.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tribal members are routinely questioned or harassed for wearing regalia or carrying ceremonial items in public places,” Ramos told the Senate Judiciary Committee in July. “We have the right to assemble and practice our customs and traditions in a state whose ancestral lands are traditional lands of Indian people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bill would also have treated restrictions on regalia and other ceremonial items at state buildings as a burden on religious practice, requiring that the items be allowed in and inspected by hand when possible.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1245\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg\" alt=\"Helen Gaddie (L) stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum's 45th annual powwow on August 6, 2016.\" class=\"wp-image-11049382\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-400x259.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-800x519.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-1180x765.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-960x623.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Helen Gaddie, left, wears regalia and stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum’s 45th annual powwow on Aug. 6, 2016. (Vanessa Rancano/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, a Democrat from Cupertino and a co-author of the bill, criticized the veto. “The least we can do as a government is allow Native Americans unburdened access to state lands to honor their heritage,” he said in a statement to CalMatters and ICT.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters say the bill was needed because harm to sacred sites is a direct result of state and federal policies. Landmark Supreme Court cases such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-291_5i26.pdf\">Apache Stronghold v. United States\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/485/439/\">Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association\u003c/a> have allowed federal projects to go forward on sacred lands despite tribes’ religious-freedom claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An Assembly analysis of the bill also notes state law restricts severe damage to sacred sites on public property unless there is a clear and convincing showing that the public interest requires it — but tribes have criticized state agencies for \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-22/caltrans-indigenous-burial-site\">failing\u003c/a> to prevent damage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the bill’s findings, authors emphasize that Native American religions are land-based, meaning their practices are often inextricably linked to specific geographic locations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Chamber of Commerce applauded both vetoes. The bills “would have created serious legal barriers” to building water storage and infrastructure, wrote John Myers, spokesman for the chamber. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kristopher Anderson, a policy adviser for the California Chamber of Commerce, testified in July against the sacred sites bill. “This bill is about much more than access,” he said. “It is about the way land and water are managed — and the consequences of this bill would have severe ramifications for the water supply reliability of communities and local economies throughout the state.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"apology-and-the-vetoes\">Apology and the vetoes\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom declared \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/governor-newsom-proclaims-a-day-of-remembrance-for-indian-boarding-schools/\">Sept. 30\u003c/a> a Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, which Tayaba called “ironic” considering he rejected bills that would have expanded tribal power the same day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California was home to 13 federal Indian boarding schools between 1892 and 1974 that forcibly removed thousands of Native children from their families. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June 2019, Newsom signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/6.18.19-Executive-Order.pdf\">executive order\u003c/a> apologizing on behalf of the state to California Native Americans and creating a Truth and Healing Council, \u003ca href=\"https://colorlines.com/articles/california-governor-apologizes-native-americans-genocide\">saying\u003c/a> they “suffered violence, discrimination and exploitation sanctioned by (the) state government.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Sept. 25, Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2115\">AB 2115\u003c/a> into law, formalizing an apology to California Native peoples for harms experienced as a result of state policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Newsom acknowledges the state’s historical violence against California’s Indigenous People, but when given the chance to rectify those harms and finalize the bills … he disappointed us and failed to follow through,” said Kasil Willie, policy director of the environmental group Save California Salmon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom, who is not eligible for re-election, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americansgovernor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americans/\">signed\u003c/a> a package of tribal bills, including making Native American Day a paid state holiday and making the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent. His office says the state has returned more than 100,000 acres to tribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, tribal leaders including Tayaba from Shingle Springs said they plan to continue their efforts to boost tribal consultation and co-stewardship.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“His apology, what does it really mean?” Tayaba said. “Man, did he really hurt us on his way out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is co-published by CalMatters and ICT, a news partnership that covers Indigenous communities in California.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/newsom-uc-cal-state-billion-dollars-more/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Episode Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:00] \u003c/em>In 1970, as California was building freeways and developing dams and levees, Governor Ronald Reagan signed the California Environmental Quality Act into law. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:10] \u003c/em>CEQA, as it’s known, requires public agencies to consider the environmental impact of big projects. How rivers could be impacted by new dams and levees, or how local marshland could face more noise pollution. It’s a way of saying, look before you leap, or in this case, build. But housing advocates have often taken issue with CEQa. Arguing that it’s been used to block or stall much needed development here in California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:43] \u003c/em>Now, Prop 45 seeks to change the landmark statute by tightening the timeframe for the environmental review process. Those who oppose the proposition aren’t just worried about what it means for the environment, but also whether it can open the door to more data centers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:02] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara, host of The Bay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:06] \u003c/em>And I’m Olivia Ellen Price, host of Bay Curious, and you made it to the final edition of PropFest 2026. This has been a collaboration between the Bay and Bay Curios, and this is the 14th and final prop. Are you ready, Ericka? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:22] \u003c/em>I sure am, Olivia. Here’s how Prop 45 will read on your ballot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:30] \u003c/em>Prop 45, modifies environmental review for certain projects. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:36] \u003c/em>Here to walk us through Proposition 45 is KQED’s climate reporter Laura Klivans. Hey Laura.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:43] \u003c/em>Hello \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:44] \u003c/em>So Laura, Prop 45 would overhaul the California Environmental Quality Act. First, what is the California environmental quality act, otherwise known as CEQA? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:58] \u003c/em>So CEQA is this major California environmental law, and it was passed in 1970 under then-Governor Reagan. And the goal was to require government agencies to study and share potential environmental impacts of public projects like dams and highways and power plants and to do what was possible to reduce or mitigate those impacts. Over time, there have been many lawsuits around it, and it is now applicable to not just public projects, but private ones. Proponents view this law as an essential environmental law for California to protect our environment and think about longer term consequences to building. Critics do not like CEQA because they say it offers people with special interests the opportunity to delay and block projects in the name of the environment. So therefore it’s been like very controversial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:55] \u003c/em>Private projects as in… Maybe a new apartment building or a new housing complex?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:02] \u003c/em>Yeah \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:04] \u003c/em>So Prop 45 would make some tweaks to CEQA. How exactly could CEQA change under Prop 45? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:11] \u003c/em>So the proposition is saying let’s speed up the environmental reviews for certain projects that it calls essential. So those would be things like housing or clean energy, not including nuclear, hospitals, clinics, schools, fire, wildfire risk reductions, like things that sound really important, transportation, and here’s an interesting category, broadband access. We’ll come back to why that’s so interesting. So Prop 45 would put a timeline on CEQA review for these essential categories I mentioned. It would set a 365 day time limit on environmental reviews for these projects. It would require courts to rule on CEQA related lawsuits within 270 days. And then it also changes some other details. So like here’s an example of one, a government agency that’s overseeing a review. They would need to specify all the information that they’d like to get from the application, from the builder, at the time that it needs to be submitted, rather than going back to the builder again and again and saying, we need more info for this and more info for that. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:22] \u003c/em>Who put this on the ballot and why are we as voters being asked to potentially make some changes to CEQA?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:29] \u003c/em>So the California Chamber of Commerce has sponsored this proposition, and they represent businesses, they advocate for them, they lobby for them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jennifer Barrera: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:38] \u003c/em>The CEQA law was well-intentioned, but we have seen, obviously, the law be abused and misused in order to block projects by groups who don’t want to see any development, don’t want to any growth here in California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:50] \u003c/em>Jennifer Barrera is the CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce, and she is saying we have an issue with growth, nothing’s affordable here, and this would basically advance projects that they designated as essential more quickly and easily. It would streamline legal challenges, reduce frivolous lawsuits, things like that. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jennifer Barrera: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:10] \u003c/em>When we talk about delay, and I’ll keep going back to housing just because it is such an important point of our affordability crisis and a part of this ballot initiative, but when you delay ultimate housing, I mean that creates inequity in our population. That creates losers with regards to those who can’t afford and those who can’t afford. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:28] \u003c/em>Proponents say, you know, you’re still going to have environmental review, we’re just going to put like a shot clock on it, as they say. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:38] \u003c/em>So you mentioned the California Chamber of Commerce. Who else is in favor of this measure?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:45] \u003c/em>There are groups that represent places that need to build, like hospitals or some housing organizations and some building industries, like the workers. Also notably, Buffy Wicks, she’s a California Assembly member, and she is one of the people who championed change last year to CEQA. That has exempted housing that is already on developed areas from CEQA review. So that was a major reform that already happened last year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:17] \u003c/em>We’ll have more on Prop 45 with KQED’s Laura Klivans, right after this break. By the way, did you know that KQED is funded almost entirely by everyday listeners just like you? Consider becoming a sustaining KQED member by going to donate.kqed.org/podcasts. We’ll be right back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:46] \u003c/em>So you have some folks who say that these changes to CEQA are necessary in order to address this housing crisis that we’re in, in part. Who is coming out in opposition to this measure and what are their arguments?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:59] \u003c/em>There are a bunch of other folks who are against this, like environmental groups, environmental justice groups, health groups, unions that represent teachers and firefighters, for example, are against us. One major argument is that, hey, this is too broad. This is our landmark environmental regulation. Let’s keep it. And state Senator Catherine Blakespear represents northern San Diego and part of Orange County and has come out in opposition. She chairs the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sen. Catherine Blakespear: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:27] \u003c/em>It’s really important that California continue to be a bulwark against the backsliding and we continue to fight climate change and to protect our environment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:36] \u003c/em>She’s saying it’s going to allow for more homes to be built in something called the wildland urban interface, which is like basically places that butt up against beautiful nature areas, but are therefore very fire prone. And so she and some other state legislators are saying this is a terrible idea. We don’t need to build more housing in those areas. And this would allow for that. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sen. Catherine Blakespear: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:01] \u003c/em>It really just goes way too far and creates these very big loopholes and changes our system of CEQA and our environmental review, which is our landmark environmental laws in California since the 1970s. And it is far, far too broad. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:16] \u003c/em>I think we all know that it takes a long time to build housing in California and that one of the main arguments for Prop 45 is the idea that we need to build more housing more quickly. What about pro-housing or YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) groups? What do they think about this measure? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:35] \u003c/em>Yeah, so it’s mixed. There are some housing groups that support Proposition 45. And then, actually, interestingly, this one large group, California YMBY, YIMBY stands for ‘Yes in My Backyard,’ they have come out with no position on this. They are neutral. That’s because they see both reasons to support this measure and reasons to oppose it. And on the one hand, it could fast track sprawl, which is not something they support, so. Maybe it makes it easier to build a highway, makes it easy to build housing that is not in a dense or already populated area. On the other hand, it might make it easier to build clean energy and clean energy infrastructure, which is something that they would support. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:23] \u003c/em>So we’ve been talking about CEQA in the context of building more housing, but it of course applies to all kinds of projects in California. And when it comes to Prop 45, there’s actually one specific kind of project that has made its way into the debate and that’s data centers? Can you explain why data centers have become part of the conversation around Prop 45?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:48] \u003c/em>Yes, so people who support Prop 45 say this does not apply to data centers. And opponents, people who are saying no to this proposition, they say, oh, but it could. Look at the broadband access category. The language is broad enough that it could be construed to include data centers, Opponents are also saying, listen, the people who wrote this made carve-outs for what it doesn’t make exclusions for. There’s this huge category of transportation And it says in the language that it doesn’t include high-speed rail. There’s a category for clean energy. Also in the Language for Prop 45, it says that doesn’t including nuclear. So if this truly does not include data centers, wouldn’t the people who wrote this get ahead of that and write, this doesn’t included data centers in the language? And the people that wrote it are saying, well, we weren’t thinking of that because broadband access doesn’t includes data centers. That’s just as simple as that. So that is up in the air. And now data centers is such a wild issue now, and it’s really, we’ve seen it explode politically, that that has impacted this proposition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:55] \u003c/em>Enough people are worried about it that they are, I don’t know, seeing data centers in Prop 45 and adding it to the debate, it sounds like. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:03] \u003c/em>Right. Right. And then this is super interesting. So pulling from the Public Policy Institute of California showed support among likely voters was at 73% in July and in September it is 49 percent. In that time, the data center conversation started happening. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:26] \u003c/em>Let’s talk about campaign spending here, Laura. What are we seeing on the pro-Prop 45 side in terms of spending? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:35] \u003c/em>There’s a lot of money. When I checked last, over $40 million. We see a lot of Silicon Valley tech people, Google executives, like the former CEO, Eric Schmidt, and more. We also see money coming in from the building trades. And then against, still some money there, $15 million. But this was interesting when I was looking at the money because one of the top donors is Wendy Schmidt, who is married to Eric Schmidt. And she has put $5 million in against Prop 45. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:06] \u003c/em>Laura, thank you so much. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:08] \u003c/em>Thank you for having me.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:13] \u003c/em>In a nutshell, a yes vote on this measure means environmental reviews can be expedited for certain projects. A no vote means projects would continue to use existing project review and court challenge procedures under CEQA. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:30] \u003c/em>We made it to the finish line, y’all. Thanks so much for joining us on this wild ride. We hope you’re feeling more prepared than ever to cast your ballot this November.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:38] \u003c/em>And if you don’t, you can always go back and listen to the entire Prop Fest series again at kqed.org/propfest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:48] \u003c/em>Do us a favor and send Prop Fest to one friend right now. Word of mouth really helps us grow our shows. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:57] \u003c/em>Prop Fest is made possible thanks to Katrina Schwartz Pauline Bartolone Anna Casalme Olivia Allen Price Gabriela Glick Christopher Beale, Alan Montecillo and me, Ericka Cruz Guevarra\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:11] \u003c/em>We get extra support from Maha Sanad, Katie Springer, Jen Chien. Ethan Toven Lindsey. And everyone on Team KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:20] \u003c/em>Our show is made in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. Support for the Bay is provided in part by the Osher Production Fund. Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco, Northern California Local. I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:42] \u003c/em>And I’m Olivia Allen Price. Good luck with your ballot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:43] \u003c/em>Now, Prop 45 seeks to change the landmark statute by tightening the timeframe for the environmental review process. Those who oppose the proposition aren’t just worried about what it means for the environment, but also whether it can open the door to more data centers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:43] \u003c/em>Now, Prop 45 seeks to change the landmark statute by tightening the timeframe for the environmental review process. Those who oppose the proposition aren’t just worried about what it means for the environment, but also whether it can open the door to more data centers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:02] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara, host of The Bay. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:02] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara, host of The Bay. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:06] \u003c/em>And I’m Olivia Ellen Price, host of Bay Curious, and you made it to the final edition of PropFest 2026. This has been a collaboration between the Bay and Bay Curios, and this is the 14th and final prop. Are you ready, Ericka? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:06] \u003c/em>And I’m Olivia Ellen Price, host of Bay Curious, and you made it to the final edition of PropFest 2026. This has been a collaboration between the Bay and Bay Curios, and this is the 14th and final prop. Are you ready, Ericka? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:22] \u003c/em>I sure am, Olivia. Here’s how Prop 45 will read on your ballot. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:22] \u003c/em>I sure am, Olivia. Here’s how Prop 45 will read on your ballot. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:30] \u003c/em>Prop 45, modifies environmental review for certain projects. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:30] \u003c/em>Prop 45, modifies environmental review for certain projects. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:36] \u003c/em>Here to walk us through Proposition 45 is KQED’s climate reporter Laura Klivans. Hey Laura.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:36] \u003c/em>Here to walk us through Proposition 45 is KQED’s climate reporter Laura Klivans. Hey Laura.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:43] \u003c/em>Hello \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:44] \u003c/em>So Laura, Prop 45 would overhaul the California Environmental Quality Act. First, what is the California environmental quality act, otherwise known as CEQA? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:44] \u003c/em>So Laura, Prop 45 would overhaul the California Environmental Quality Act. First, what is the California environmental quality act, otherwise known as CEQA? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:58] \u003c/em>So CEQA is this major California environmental law, and it was passed in 1970 under then-Governor Reagan. And the goal was to require government agencies to study and share potential environmental impacts of public projects like dams and highways and power plants and to do what was possible to reduce or mitigate those impacts. Over time, there have been many lawsuits around it, and it is now applicable to not just public projects, but private ones. Proponents view this law as an essential environmental law for California to protect our environment and think about longer term consequences to building. Critics do not like CEQA because they say it offers people with special interests the opportunity to delay and block projects in the name of the environment. So therefore it’s been like very controversial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:58] \u003c/em>So CEQA is this major California environmental law, and it was passed in 1970 under then-Governor Reagan. And the goal was to require government agencies to study and share potential environmental impacts of public projects like dams and highways and power plants and to do what was possible to reduce or mitigate those impacts. Over time, there have been many lawsuits around it, and it is now applicable to not just public projects, but private ones. Proponents view this law as an essential environmental law for California to protect our environment and think about longer term consequences to building. Critics do not like CEQA because they say it offers people with special interests the opportunity to delay and block projects in the name of the environment. So therefore it’s been like very controversial. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:55] \u003c/em>Private projects as in… Maybe a new apartment building or a new housing complex?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:55] \u003c/em>Private projects as in… Maybe a new apartment building or a new housing complex?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:02] \u003c/em>Yeah \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:04] \u003c/em>So Prop 45 would make some tweaks to CEQA. How exactly could CEQA change under Prop 45? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:04] \u003c/em>So Prop 45 would make some tweaks to CEQA. How exactly could CEQA change under Prop 45? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:11] \u003c/em>So the proposition is saying let’s speed up the environmental reviews for certain projects that it calls essential. So those would be things like housing or clean energy, not including nuclear, hospitals, clinics, schools, fire, wildfire risk reductions, like things that sound really important, transportation, and here’s an interesting category, broadband access. We’ll come back to why that’s so interesting. So Prop 45 would put a timeline on CEQA review for these essential categories I mentioned. It would set a 365 day time limit on environmental reviews for these projects. It would require courts to rule on CEQA related lawsuits within 270 days. And then it also changes some other details. So like here’s an example of one, a government agency that’s overseeing a review. They would need to specify all the information that they’d like to get from the application, from the builder, at the time that it needs to be submitted, rather than going back to the builder again and again and saying, we need more info for this and more info for that. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:11] \u003c/em>So the proposition is saying let’s speed up the environmental reviews for certain projects that it calls essential. So those would be things like housing or clean energy, not including nuclear, hospitals, clinics, schools, fire, wildfire risk reductions, like things that sound really important, transportation, and here’s an interesting category, broadband access. We’ll come back to why that’s so interesting. So Prop 45 would put a timeline on CEQA review for these essential categories I mentioned. It would set a 365 day time limit on environmental reviews for these projects. It would require courts to rule on CEQA related lawsuits within 270 days. And then it also changes some other details. So like here’s an example of one, a government agency that’s overseeing a review. They would need to specify all the information that they’d like to get from the application, from the builder, at the time that it needs to be submitted, rather than going back to the builder again and again and saying, we need more info for this and more info for that. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:22] \u003c/em>Who put this on the ballot and why are we as voters being asked to potentially make some changes to CEQA?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:22] \u003c/em>Who put this on the ballot and why are we as voters being asked to potentially make some changes to CEQA?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:29] \u003c/em>So the California Chamber of Commerce has sponsored this proposition, and they represent businesses, they advocate for them, they lobby for them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:29] \u003c/em>So the California Chamber of Commerce has sponsored this proposition, and they represent businesses, they advocate for them, they lobby for them. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jennifer Barrera: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:38] \u003c/em>The CEQA law was well-intentioned, but we have seen, obviously, the law be abused and misused in order to block projects by groups who don’t want to see any development, don’t want to any growth here in California. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jennifer Barrera: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:38] \u003c/em>The CEQA law was well-intentioned, but we have seen, obviously, the law be abused and misused in order to block projects by groups who don’t want to see any development, don’t want to any growth here in California. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:50] \u003c/em>Jennifer Barrera is the CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce, and she is saying we have an issue with growth, nothing’s affordable here, and this would basically advance projects that they designated as essential more quickly and easily. It would streamline legal challenges, reduce frivolous lawsuits, things like that. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:50] \u003c/em>Jennifer Barrera is the CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce, and she is saying we have an issue with growth, nothing’s affordable here, and this would basically advance projects that they designated as essential more quickly and easily. It would streamline legal challenges, reduce frivolous lawsuits, things like that. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jennifer Barrera: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:10] \u003c/em>When we talk about delay, and I’ll keep going back to housing just because it is such an important point of our affordability crisis and a part of this ballot initiative, but when you delay ultimate housing, I mean that creates inequity in our population. That creates losers with regards to those who can’t afford and those who can’t afford. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jennifer Barrera: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:10] \u003c/em>When we talk about delay, and I’ll keep going back to housing just because it is such an important point of our affordability crisis and a part of this ballot initiative, but when you delay ultimate housing, I mean that creates inequity in our population. That creates losers with regards to those who can’t afford and those who can’t afford. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:28] \u003c/em>Proponents say, you know, you’re still going to have environmental review, we’re just going to put like a shot clock on it, as they say. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:28] \u003c/em>Proponents say, you know, you’re still going to have environmental review, we’re just going to put like a shot clock on it, as they say. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:38] \u003c/em>So you mentioned the California Chamber of Commerce. Who else is in favor of this measure?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:38] \u003c/em>So you mentioned the California Chamber of Commerce. Who else is in favor of this measure?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:45] \u003c/em>There are groups that represent places that need to build, like hospitals or some housing organizations and some building industries, like the workers. Also notably, Buffy Wicks, she’s a California Assembly member, and she is one of the people who championed change last year to CEQA. That has exempted housing that is already on developed areas from CEQA review. So that was a major reform that already happened last year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:45] \u003c/em>There are groups that represent places that need to build, like hospitals or some housing organizations and some building industries, like the workers. Also notably, Buffy Wicks, she’s a California Assembly member, and she is one of the people who championed change last year to CEQA. That has exempted housing that is already on developed areas from CEQA review. So that was a major reform that already happened last year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:17] \u003c/em>We’ll have more on Prop 45 with KQED’s Laura Klivans, right after this break. By the way, did you know that KQED is funded almost entirely by everyday listeners just like you? Consider becoming a sustaining KQED member by going to donate.kqed.org/podcasts. We’ll be right back.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:17] \u003c/em>We’ll have more on Prop 45 with KQED’s Laura Klivans, right after this break. By the way, did you know that KQED is funded almost entirely by everyday listeners just like you? Consider becoming a sustaining KQED member by going to donate.kqed.org/podcasts. We’ll be right back.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:46] \u003c/em>So you have some folks who say that these changes to CEQA are necessary in order to address this housing crisis that we’re in, in part. Who is coming out in opposition to this measure and what are their arguments?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:46] \u003c/em>So you have some folks who say that these changes to CEQA are necessary in order to address this housing crisis that we’re in, in part. Who is coming out in opposition to this measure and what are their arguments?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:59] \u003c/em>There are a bunch of other folks who are against this, like environmental groups, environmental justice groups, health groups, unions that represent teachers and firefighters, for example, are against us. One major argument is that, hey, this is too broad. This is our landmark environmental regulation. Let’s keep it. And state Senator Catherine Blakespear represents northern San Diego and part of Orange County and has come out in opposition. She chairs the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:59] \u003c/em>There are a bunch of other folks who are against this, like environmental groups, environmental justice groups, health groups, unions that represent teachers and firefighters, for example, are against us. One major argument is that, hey, this is too broad. This is our landmark environmental regulation. Let’s keep it. And state Senator Catherine Blakespear represents northern San Diego and part of Orange County and has come out in opposition. She chairs the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sen. Catherine Blakespear: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:27] \u003c/em>It’s really important that California continue to be a bulwark against the backsliding and we continue to fight climate change and to protect our environment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sen. Catherine Blakespear: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:27] \u003c/em>It’s really important that California continue to be a bulwark against the backsliding and we continue to fight climate change and to protect our environment.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:36] \u003c/em>She’s saying it’s going to allow for more homes to be built in something called the wildland urban interface, which is like basically places that butt up against beautiful nature areas, but are therefore very fire prone. And so she and some other state legislators are saying this is a terrible idea. We don’t need to build more housing in those areas. And this would allow for that. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:36] \u003c/em>She’s saying it’s going to allow for more homes to be built in something called the wildland urban interface, which is like basically places that butt up against beautiful nature areas, but are therefore very fire prone. And so she and some other state legislators are saying this is a terrible idea. We don’t need to build more housing in those areas. And this would allow for that. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sen. Catherine Blakespear: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:01] \u003c/em>It really just goes way too far and creates these very big loopholes and changes our system of CEQA and our environmental review, which is our landmark environmental laws in California since the 1970s. And it is far, far too broad. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sen. Catherine Blakespear: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:01] \u003c/em>It really just goes way too far and creates these very big loopholes and changes our system of CEQA and our environmental review, which is our landmark environmental laws in California since the 1970s. And it is far, far too broad. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:16] \u003c/em>I think we all know that it takes a long time to build housing in California and that one of the main arguments for Prop 45 is the idea that we need to build more housing more quickly. What about pro-housing or YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) groups? What do they think about this measure? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:16] \u003c/em>I think we all know that it takes a long time to build housing in California and that one of the main arguments for Prop 45 is the idea that we need to build more housing more quickly. What about pro-housing or YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) groups? What do they think about this measure? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:35] \u003c/em>Yeah, so it’s mixed. There are some housing groups that support Proposition 45. And then, actually, interestingly, this one large group, California YMBY, YIMBY stands for ‘Yes in My Backyard,’ they have come out with no position on this. They are neutral. That’s because they see both reasons to support this measure and reasons to oppose it. And on the one hand, it could fast track sprawl, which is not something they support, so. Maybe it makes it easier to build a highway, makes it easy to build housing that is not in a dense or already populated area. On the other hand, it might make it easier to build clean energy and clean energy infrastructure, which is something that they would support. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:35] \u003c/em>Yeah, so it’s mixed. There are some housing groups that support Proposition 45. And then, actually, interestingly, this one large group, California YMBY, YIMBY stands for ‘Yes in My Backyard,’ they have come out with no position on this. They are neutral. That’s because they see both reasons to support this measure and reasons to oppose it. And on the one hand, it could fast track sprawl, which is not something they support, so. Maybe it makes it easier to build a highway, makes it easy to build housing that is not in a dense or already populated area. On the other hand, it might make it easier to build clean energy and clean energy infrastructure, which is something that they would support. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:23] \u003c/em>So we’ve been talking about CEQA in the context of building more housing, but it of course applies to all kinds of projects in California. And when it comes to Prop 45, there’s actually one specific kind of project that has made its way into the debate and that’s data centers? Can you explain why data centers have become part of the conversation around Prop 45?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:48] \u003c/em>Yes, so people who support Prop 45 say this does not apply to data centers. And opponents, people who are saying no to this proposition, they say, oh, but it could. Look at the broadband access category. The language is broad enough that it could be construed to include data centers, Opponents are also saying, listen, the people who wrote this made carve-outs for what it doesn’t make exclusions for. There’s this huge category of transportation And it says in the language that it doesn’t include high-speed rail. There’s a category for clean energy. Also in the Language for Prop 45, it says that doesn’t including nuclear. So if this truly does not include data centers, wouldn’t the people who wrote this get ahead of that and write, this doesn’t included data centers in the language? And the people that wrote it are saying, well, we weren’t thinking of that because broadband access doesn’t includes data centers. That’s just as simple as that. So that is up in the air. And now data centers is such a wild issue now, and it’s really, we’ve seen it explode politically, that that has impacted this proposition. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:48] \u003c/em>Yes, so people who support Prop 45 say this does not apply to data centers. And opponents, people who are saying no to this proposition, they say, oh, but it could. Look at the broadband access category. The language is broad enough that it could be construed to include data centers, Opponents are also saying, listen, the people who wrote this made carve-outs for what it doesn’t make exclusions for. There’s this huge category of transportation And it says in the language that it doesn’t include high-speed rail. There’s a category for clean energy. Also in the Language for Prop 45, it says that doesn’t including nuclear. So if this truly does not include data centers, wouldn’t the people who wrote this get ahead of that and write, this doesn’t included data centers in the language? And the people that wrote it are saying, well, we weren’t thinking of that because broadband access doesn’t includes data centers. That’s just as simple as that. So that is up in the air. And now data centers is such a wild issue now, and it’s really, we’ve seen it explode politically, that that has impacted this proposition. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:55] \u003c/em>Enough people are worried about it that they are, I don’t know, seeing data centers in Prop 45 and adding it to the debate, it sounds like. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:55] \u003c/em>Enough people are worried about it that they are, I don’t know, seeing data centers in Prop 45 and adding it to the debate, it sounds like. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:03] \u003c/em>Right. Right. And then this is super interesting. So pulling from the Public Policy Institute of California showed support among likely voters was at 73% in July and in September it is 49 percent. In that time, the data center conversation started happening. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:03] \u003c/em>Right. Right. And then this is super interesting. So pulling from the Public Policy Institute of California showed support among likely voters was at 73% in July and in September it is 49 percent. In that time, the data center conversation started happening. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:26] \u003c/em>Let’s talk about campaign spending here, Laura. What are we seeing on the pro-Prop 45 side in terms of spending? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:26] \u003c/em>Let’s talk about campaign spending here, Laura. What are we seeing on the pro-Prop 45 side in terms of spending? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:35] \u003c/em>There’s a lot of money. When I checked last, over $40 million. We see a lot of Silicon Valley tech people, Google executives, like the former CEO, Eric Schmidt, and more. We also see money coming in from the building trades. And then against, still some money there, $15 million. But this was interesting when I was looking at the money because one of the top donors is Wendy Schmidt, who is married to Eric Schmidt. And she has put $5 million in against Prop 45. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:35] \u003c/em>There’s a lot of money. When I checked last, over $40 million. We see a lot of Silicon Valley tech people, Google executives, like the former CEO, Eric Schmidt, and more. We also see money coming in from the building trades. And then against, still some money there, $15 million. But this was interesting when I was looking at the money because one of the top donors is Wendy Schmidt, who is married to Eric Schmidt. And she has put $5 million in against Prop 45. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:06] \u003c/em>Laura, thank you so much. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:06] \u003c/em>Laura, thank you so much. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:08] \u003c/em>Thank you for having me.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:08] \u003c/em>Thank you for having me.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:13] \u003c/em>In a nutshell, a yes vote on this measure means environmental reviews can be expedited for certain projects. A no vote means projects would continue to use existing project review and court challenge procedures under CEQA. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:13] \u003c/em>In a nutshell, a yes vote on this measure means environmental reviews can be expedited for certain projects. A no vote means projects would continue to use existing project review and court challenge procedures under CEQA. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:30] \u003c/em>We made it to the finish line, y’all. Thanks so much for joining us on this wild ride. We hope you’re feeling more prepared than ever to cast your ballot this November.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:30] \u003c/em>We made it to the finish line, y’all. Thanks so much for joining us on this wild ride. We hope you’re feeling more prepared than ever to cast your ballot this November.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:38] \u003c/em>And if you don’t, you can always go back and listen to the entire Prop Fest series again at kqed.org/propfest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:38] \u003c/em>And if you don’t, you can always go back and listen to the entire Prop Fest series again at kqed.org/propfest. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:48] \u003c/em>Do us a favor and send Prop Fest to one friend right now. Word of mouth really helps us grow our shows. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:48] \u003c/em>Do us a favor and send Prop Fest to one friend right now. Word of mouth really helps us grow our shows. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:57] \u003c/em>Prop Fest is made possible thanks to Katrina Schwartz Pauline Bartolone Anna Casalme Olivia Allen Price Gabriela Glick Christopher Beale, Alan Montecillo and me, Ericka Cruz Guevarra\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:57] \u003c/em>Prop Fest is made possible thanks to Katrina Schwartz Pauline Bartolone Anna Casalme Olivia Allen Price Gabriela Glick Christopher Beale, Alan Montecillo and me, Ericka Cruz Guevarra\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:11] \u003c/em>We get extra support from Maha Sanad, Katie Springer, Jen Chien. Ethan Toven Lindsey. And everyone on Team KQED. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:11] \u003c/em>We get extra support from Maha Sanad, Katie Springer, Jen Chien. Ethan Toven Lindsey. And everyone on Team KQED. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:20] \u003c/em>Our show is made in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. Support for the Bay is provided in part by the Osher Production Fund. Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco, Northern California Local. I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:20] \u003c/em>Our show is made in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. Support for the Bay is provided in part by the Osher Production Fund. Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco, Northern California Local. I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:42] \u003c/em>And I’m Olivia Allen Price. Good luck with your ballot. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Episode Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:00] \u003c/em>In 1970, as California was building freeways and developing dams and levees, Governor Ronald Reagan signed the California Environmental Quality Act into law. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:10] \u003c/em>CEQA, as it’s known, requires public agencies to consider the environmental impact of big projects. How rivers could be impacted by new dams and levees, or how local marshland could face more noise pollution. It’s a way of saying, look before you leap, or in this case, build. But housing advocates have often taken issue with CEQa. Arguing that it’s been used to block or stall much needed development here in California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:43] \u003c/em>Now, Prop 45 seeks to change the landmark statute by tightening the timeframe for the environmental review process. Those who oppose the proposition aren’t just worried about what it means for the environment, but also whether it can open the door to more data centers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:02] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara, host of The Bay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:06] \u003c/em>And I’m Olivia Ellen Price, host of Bay Curious, and you made it to the final edition of PropFest 2026. This has been a collaboration between the Bay and Bay Curios, and this is the 14th and final prop. Are you ready, Ericka? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:22] \u003c/em>I sure am, Olivia. Here’s how Prop 45 will read on your ballot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:30] \u003c/em>Prop 45, modifies environmental review for certain projects. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:36] \u003c/em>Here to walk us through Proposition 45 is KQED’s climate reporter Laura Klivans. Hey Laura.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:43] \u003c/em>Hello \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:44] \u003c/em>So Laura, Prop 45 would overhaul the California Environmental Quality Act. First, what is the California environmental quality act, otherwise known as CEQA? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:58] \u003c/em>So CEQA is this major California environmental law, and it was passed in 1970 under then-Governor Reagan. And the goal was to require government agencies to study and share potential environmental impacts of public projects like dams and highways and power plants and to do what was possible to reduce or mitigate those impacts. Over time, there have been many lawsuits around it, and it is now applicable to not just public projects, but private ones. Proponents view this law as an essential environmental law for California to protect our environment and think about longer term consequences to building. Critics do not like CEQA because they say it offers people with special interests the opportunity to delay and block projects in the name of the environment. So therefore it’s been like very controversial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:55] \u003c/em>Private projects as in… Maybe a new apartment building or a new housing complex?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:02] \u003c/em>Yeah \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:04] \u003c/em>So Prop 45 would make some tweaks to CEQA. How exactly could CEQA change under Prop 45? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:11] \u003c/em>So the proposition is saying let’s speed up the environmental reviews for certain projects that it calls essential. So those would be things like housing or clean energy, not including nuclear, hospitals, clinics, schools, fire, wildfire risk reductions, like things that sound really important, transportation, and here’s an interesting category, broadband access. We’ll come back to why that’s so interesting. So Prop 45 would put a timeline on CEQA review for these essential categories I mentioned. It would set a 365 day time limit on environmental reviews for these projects. It would require courts to rule on CEQA related lawsuits within 270 days. And then it also changes some other details. So like here’s an example of one, a government agency that’s overseeing a review. They would need to specify all the information that they’d like to get from the application, from the builder, at the time that it needs to be submitted, rather than going back to the builder again and again and saying, we need more info for this and more info for that. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:22] \u003c/em>Who put this on the ballot and why are we as voters being asked to potentially make some changes to CEQA?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:29] \u003c/em>So the California Chamber of Commerce has sponsored this proposition, and they represent businesses, they advocate for them, they lobby for them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jennifer Barrera: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:38] \u003c/em>The CEQA law was well-intentioned, but we have seen, obviously, the law be abused and misused in order to block projects by groups who don’t want to see any development, don’t want to any growth here in California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:50] \u003c/em>Jennifer Barrera is the CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce, and she is saying we have an issue with growth, nothing’s affordable here, and this would basically advance projects that they designated as essential more quickly and easily. It would streamline legal challenges, reduce frivolous lawsuits, things like that. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jennifer Barrera: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:10] \u003c/em>When we talk about delay, and I’ll keep going back to housing just because it is such an important point of our affordability crisis and a part of this ballot initiative, but when you delay ultimate housing, I mean that creates inequity in our population. That creates losers with regards to those who can’t afford and those who can’t afford. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:28] \u003c/em>Proponents say, you know, you’re still going to have environmental review, we’re just going to put like a shot clock on it, as they say. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:38] \u003c/em>So you mentioned the California Chamber of Commerce. Who else is in favor of this measure?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:45] \u003c/em>There are groups that represent places that need to build, like hospitals or some housing organizations and some building industries, like the workers. Also notably, Buffy Wicks, she’s a California Assembly member, and she is one of the people who championed change last year to CEQA. That has exempted housing that is already on developed areas from CEQA review. So that was a major reform that already happened last year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:17] \u003c/em>We’ll have more on Prop 45 with KQED’s Laura Klivans, right after this break. By the way, did you know that KQED is funded almost entirely by everyday listeners just like you? Consider becoming a sustaining KQED member by going to donate.kqed.org/podcasts. We’ll be right back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:46] \u003c/em>So you have some folks who say that these changes to CEQA are necessary in order to address this housing crisis that we’re in, in part. Who is coming out in opposition to this measure and what are their arguments?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:59] \u003c/em>There are a bunch of other folks who are against this, like environmental groups, environmental justice groups, health groups, unions that represent teachers and firefighters, for example, are against us. One major argument is that, hey, this is too broad. This is our landmark environmental regulation. Let’s keep it. And state Senator Catherine Blakespear represents northern San Diego and part of Orange County and has come out in opposition. She chairs the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sen. Catherine Blakespear: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:27] \u003c/em>It’s really important that California continue to be a bulwark against the backsliding and we continue to fight climate change and to protect our environment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:36] \u003c/em>She’s saying it’s going to allow for more homes to be built in something called the wildland urban interface, which is like basically places that butt up against beautiful nature areas, but are therefore very fire prone. And so she and some other state legislators are saying this is a terrible idea. We don’t need to build more housing in those areas. And this would allow for that. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sen. Catherine Blakespear: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:01] \u003c/em>It really just goes way too far and creates these very big loopholes and changes our system of CEQA and our environmental review, which is our landmark environmental laws in California since the 1970s. And it is far, far too broad. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:16] \u003c/em>I think we all know that it takes a long time to build housing in California and that one of the main arguments for Prop 45 is the idea that we need to build more housing more quickly. What about pro-housing or YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) groups? What do they think about this measure? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:35] \u003c/em>Yeah, so it’s mixed. There are some housing groups that support Proposition 45. And then, actually, interestingly, this one large group, California YMBY, YIMBY stands for ‘Yes in My Backyard,’ they have come out with no position on this. They are neutral. That’s because they see both reasons to support this measure and reasons to oppose it. And on the one hand, it could fast track sprawl, which is not something they support, so. Maybe it makes it easier to build a highway, makes it easy to build housing that is not in a dense or already populated area. On the other hand, it might make it easier to build clean energy and clean energy infrastructure, which is something that they would support. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:23] \u003c/em>So we’ve been talking about CEQA in the context of building more housing, but it of course applies to all kinds of projects in California. And when it comes to Prop 45, there’s actually one specific kind of project that has made its way into the debate and that’s data centers? Can you explain why data centers have become part of the conversation around Prop 45?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:48] \u003c/em>Yes, so people who support Prop 45 say this does not apply to data centers. And opponents, people who are saying no to this proposition, they say, oh, but it could. Look at the broadband access category. The language is broad enough that it could be construed to include data centers, Opponents are also saying, listen, the people who wrote this made carve-outs for what it doesn’t make exclusions for. There’s this huge category of transportation And it says in the language that it doesn’t include high-speed rail. There’s a category for clean energy. Also in the Language for Prop 45, it says that doesn’t including nuclear. So if this truly does not include data centers, wouldn’t the people who wrote this get ahead of that and write, this doesn’t included data centers in the language? And the people that wrote it are saying, well, we weren’t thinking of that because broadband access doesn’t includes data centers. That’s just as simple as that. So that is up in the air. And now data centers is such a wild issue now, and it’s really, we’ve seen it explode politically, that that has impacted this proposition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:55] \u003c/em>Enough people are worried about it that they are, I don’t know, seeing data centers in Prop 45 and adding it to the debate, it sounds like. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:03] \u003c/em>Right. Right. And then this is super interesting. So pulling from the Public Policy Institute of California showed support among likely voters was at 73% in July and in September it is 49 percent. In that time, the data center conversation started happening. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:26] \u003c/em>Let’s talk about campaign spending here, Laura. What are we seeing on the pro-Prop 45 side in terms of spending? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:35] \u003c/em>There’s a lot of money. When I checked last, over $40 million. We see a lot of Silicon Valley tech people, Google executives, like the former CEO, Eric Schmidt, and more. We also see money coming in from the building trades. And then against, still some money there, $15 million. But this was interesting when I was looking at the money because one of the top donors is Wendy Schmidt, who is married to Eric Schmidt. And she has put $5 million in against Prop 45. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:06] \u003c/em>Laura, thank you so much. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Laura Klivans: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:08] \u003c/em>Thank you for having me.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:13] \u003c/em>In a nutshell, a yes vote on this measure means environmental reviews can be expedited for certain projects. A no vote means projects would continue to use existing project review and court challenge procedures under CEQA. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:30] \u003c/em>We made it to the finish line, y’all. Thanks so much for joining us on this wild ride. We hope you’re feeling more prepared than ever to cast your ballot this November.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:38] \u003c/em>And if you don’t, you can always go back and listen to the entire Prop Fest series again at kqed.org/propfest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:48] \u003c/em>Do us a favor and send Prop Fest to one friend right now. Word of mouth really helps us grow our shows. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:57] \u003c/em>Prop Fest is made possible thanks to Katrina Schwartz Pauline Bartolone Anna Casalme Olivia Allen Price Gabriela Glick Christopher Beale, Alan Montecillo and me, Ericka Cruz Guevarra\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:11] \u003c/em>We get extra support from Maha Sanad, Katie Springer, Jen Chien. Ethan Toven Lindsey. And everyone on Team KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:20] \u003c/em>Our show is made in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. Support for the Bay is provided in part by the Osher Production Fund. Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco, Northern California Local. I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:42] \u003c/em>And I’m Olivia Allen Price. Good luck with your ballot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "as-new-north-bay-neighborhood-nears-approval-environmental-concerns-weigh-heavy",
"title": "As New North Bay Neighborhood Nears Approval, Environmental Concerns Weigh Heavily",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>For the past 11 months, Jennifer Sullivan has been anxiously trying to sound an alarm.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059557/esmeralda-courts-locals-as-it-tries-to-learn-from-california-forevers-mistakes\">Esmeralda Land Company\u003c/a> has proposed building a resort hotel, hundreds of homes, an event center, a preschool and a public park on a roughly 260-acre property that once housed a wood treatment plant.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tucked in the Sonoma County town of Cloverdale, the 8-acre plant was known to use harmful chemicals and discharged them into the soil and groundwater, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sullivan worries that disturbing the site with new development could resurface those chemicals and expose current residents to new harms.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is the community that I live in,” Sullivan said. “The decision to approve this development is serious — it’s got serious consequences for our water, for public health.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102961\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-25-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen to speakers during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12102956\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102956\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “No Esmeralda” sign is displayed in downtown Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12102955\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102955\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“Yes on Esmeralda” signs are displayed in Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, the Cloverdale City Council will consider whether to approve the project — one of the largest developments in the city’s recent history — along with its extensive community benefits package and already-completed environmental reviews, essentially clearing the path for its eventual construction. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As it does, however, council members are weighing the homes, jobs and tax revenue such a project might generate against a new wave of concerns from residents over environmental harms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Esmeralda CEO Devon Zuegel said she generally understands those concerns but argues the project has already undergone extensive environmental reviews. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This site has been studied for over two decades continuously,” Zuegel said. “And if 20 years is not a long enough review, I just don’t understand, is 100 years enough — 25 years? What is the point where it becomes enough?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, Sullivan isn’t satisfied. And she’s preparing to take the fight to voters.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the city council approves the Esmeralda development as is, Sullivan wants a referendum and said she’ll start collecting signatures to place such a measure on a ballot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-17-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103230\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-17-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-17-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-17-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vice Mayor Todd Lands speaks with a resident before a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>But some officials are skeptical about how widespread Sullivan’s concerns are among the general population. Vice-Mayor Todd Lands said the opposition might be loud, but he has seen more support for the project through letters from residents and conversations in the community. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve noticed it’s about the same 15 to 20 people that have been anti-Esmeralda,” he said. “As the letters start steadily coming in, I’m starting to learn more about how the public actually feels as a whole.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, the Cloverdale Planning Commission voted 4-1 to recommend the council approve Esmeralda’s plan with conditions that seek to address some of Sullivan’s concerns, including requiring the developer to hire a consultant to monitor compliance with all environmental mitigation measures.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Officials with the Esmeralda Land Company have hosted several informational town hall meetings with residents since 2024, but Sullivan said she didn’t hear about it until last winter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The scale of the project surprised her, she said, particularly the fact that Esmeralda wants to build a resort hotel with up to 160 rooms and more than 600 homes on site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102957\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mural in downtown Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“This would be a luxury hotel and, when you live in a small town, you’re like ‘Wow, that’s a lot of people, this is a big change,’” she said. “I just started doing some research into the property itself, and then that’s when I went down the rabbit hole.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sullivan began pulling records on the site’s history and looking into environmental mitigation reports. She started a \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/2111526989254995/\">Facebook page\u003c/a> for opponents of the project and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/defend-cloverdale-from-esmeraldas-shortcuts\">GoFundMe campaign\u003c/a> to hire a land use attorney who could push the city to require more environmental reviews.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For her, it’s personal, she said. When she was 38, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. While medical research has found that genetics play a large role in cases, environmental factors play a role too. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The environment that we live in has a huge impact on our health,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 8 acres of the property where Esmeralda hopes to build was previously used as a wood treatment plant, which closed in 1976. Following the closure, state agencies and the site’s owners spent the next several decades remediating the area and the groundwater below.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103228\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-22-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103228\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-22-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-22-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-22-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jennifer Sullivan speaks with a fellow resident at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building before a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103227\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-34-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103227\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-34-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-34-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-34-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen to speakers during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2009, a different developer proposed the Alexander Valley Resort. Like Esmeralda’s proposal, the project included a hotel, spa, fitness center, offices and shops, but it envisioned an 18-hole golf course and less open space. Though the developer eventually abandoned the project, city officials had \u003ca href=\"https://ceqanet.lci.ca.gov/2003072142/4\">approved \u003c/a>environmental reviews and cleared it for construction. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As part of the site’s ongoing remediation efforts, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cloverdale.net/DocumentCenter/View/6953/EIR-Addendum\">North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a certification\u003c/a> in 2012 verifying that the site had been decontaminated of hazardous waste. The following year, state agencies sectioned off the portion used as a wood treatment plant, along with a 14.5-acre buffer zone, and prohibited any schools, homes, hospitals or day care centers from ever being built there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Esmeralda officials felt their project was similar, if not better for the environment than the previous project, partly because it would use less water, would have more dense housing and had more open space. They even conducted their own environmental reviews, including studying how to protect existing animals, habitats and rare plant species on site. The project’s design made sure to avoid building any homes, schools or day care centers on the previously contaminated land. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Esmeralda submitted an addendum environmental impact report — a narrower version of the full report — that’s used “when there’s been small tweaks or changes to a particular project,” according to Tamara Galanter, an environmental attorney at the law firm Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The only time you can do an addendum is if there’s no new information,” Galanter said, adding that, in order for a project to qualify, “There [can’t be any] changes to the project that will result in a new significant environmental impact.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sullivan argues that Esmeralda’s project shouldn’t qualify because it’s too different from the Alexander Valley Resort to rely on the same reviews. Esmeralda would include significantly more homes, a senior living center and potentially a K-6 school. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Esmeralda is majorly different from the Alexander Valley Resort,” she said. “I believed from the start, I was like, ‘They should be doing a newer updated [environmental report].’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the decision on whether a project requires an addendum or a full environmental review is determined by the city, said Chris Elmendorf, a land use law professor at the University of California at Davis. And courts have historically sided with the city’s determination of what is appropriate for a project, he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a gray area,” Elmendorf said. “If there’s reasonable arguments both ways about whether there’s substantial new information or a substantial change in the project with implications to the environment, cities get the benefit of the doubt.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the Planning Commission’s meeting, city staff made it clear they felt an addendum was sufficient. That document had been rigorously reviewed by a city-hired consultant, who found Esmeralda’s project would not introduce any new significant environmental effects. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102960\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-23-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-23-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-23-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen to speakers during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>But it was also clear many residents didn’t agree with that finding and that Sullivan’s skepticism had seeped into public opinion. Many residents demanded more environmental reviews, and some pointed to Sullivan’s Facebook page as a place they turned to for information about the project. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cloverdale resident Nancy Brown said, originally, she really liked Esmeralda’s plan and was excited about the project’s fancy hotel, spa and restaurants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can use the revenue in this town, but when Jennifer Sullivan posted all the information about the site being contaminated, it all changed,” Brown said. “It’s our health and safety. We’re 100% invested in that. So we demand a new [environmental review].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While commissioners ultimately recommended approving the project, they conditioned it on a number of requests, including a new recycled water study and a requirement for routine soil testing, among other items. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Zuegel said she’s sympathetic — to an extent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102962\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Land Company founder and president Devon Zuegel speaks during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“You definitely don’t want people to be building, especially homes, on a property that is dirty,” she said. “But that’s why California has such high standards for environmental cleanup; it’s to protect people and to protect the environment.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What’s more, she said, is that her project is a form of “brownfield development,” where a developer takes old commercial or industrial land and redevelops it “for higher and better use.” The alternatives would be to develop the project on pristine agricultural land or to develop it within a city, which she said could displace businesses or residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Brownfield is considered amazing,” Zuegel said. “When you do the development, you end up cleaning [the land] to much higher standards than if you weren’t going to be redeveloping it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many Cloverdale residents agree and are urging the city council to ultimately approve the project. Jon Lambert has lived in Cloverdale for the past 20 years. This spring, he started his own Facebook page, called \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/1761744191457347\">Hello Esmeralda\u003c/a>, with hopes that it would be a neutral space where residents could share information. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-02-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102954\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-02-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-02-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-02-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jon Lambert, a Cloverdale resident who supports the proposed Esmeralda development, sits in his front yard in Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Personally, Lambert is a big supporter and worries the city might miss out on a great opportunity if officials don’t approve the project.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Something like this may not come around again, and if it does come around again, it may be something that is not a good fit for Cloverdale,” he said. “What Esmeralda wants to do right now is the best possible thing that you could do with that piece of land, including not leaving it vacant.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Councilmember Andrés Marquez said that in his conversations with people on both sides, he’s found it’s not so black-and-white. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just because somebody says they’re for the project doesn’t mean they’re for all the concessions the city might give,” he said. “If somebody says that they are against the project, it doesn’t mean that they don’t want any of this to happen, but they might feel they want certain protections in place.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Marquez said Wednesday’s council meeting is going to be about compromise. “What is the right thing to do for the residents of Cloverdale?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the current size of Esmeralda’s proposed project site. While an earlier proposal stated it would be 266 acres, roughly five of those acres have since been removed from the site plan. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For the past 11 months, Jennifer Sullivan has been anxiously trying to sound an alarm.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059557/esmeralda-courts-locals-as-it-tries-to-learn-from-california-forevers-mistakes\">Esmeralda Land Company\u003c/a> has proposed building a resort hotel, hundreds of homes, an event center, a preschool and a public park on a roughly 260-acre property that once housed a wood treatment plant.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059557/esmeralda-courts-locals-as-it-tries-to-learn-from-california-forevers-mistakes\">Esmeralda Land Company\u003c/a> has proposed building a resort hotel, hundreds of homes, an event center, a preschool and a public park on a roughly 260-acre property that once housed a wood treatment plant.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tucked in the Sonoma County town of Cloverdale, the 8-acre plant was known to use harmful chemicals and discharged them into the soil and groundwater, she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tucked in the Sonoma County town of Cloverdale, the 8-acre plant was known to use harmful chemicals and discharged them into the soil and groundwater, she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sullivan worries that disturbing the site with new development could resurface those chemicals and expose current residents to new harms.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is the community that I live in,” Sullivan said. “The decision to approve this development is serious — it’s got serious consequences for our water, for public health.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This is the community that I live in,” Sullivan said. “The decision to approve this development is serious — it’s got serious consequences for our water, for public health.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102961\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-25-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen to speakers during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102961\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen to speakers during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102956\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “No Esmeralda” sign is displayed in downtown Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102956\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “No Esmeralda” sign is displayed in downtown Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102955\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“Yes on Esmeralda” signs are displayed in Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102955\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“Yes on Esmeralda” signs are displayed in Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, the Cloverdale City Council will consider whether to approve the project — one of the largest developments in the city’s recent history — along with its extensive community benefits package and already-completed environmental reviews, essentially clearing the path for its eventual construction. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, the Cloverdale City Council will consider whether to approve the project — one of the largest developments in the city’s recent history — along with its extensive community benefits package and already-completed environmental reviews, essentially clearing the path for its eventual construction. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As it does, however, council members are weighing the homes, jobs and tax revenue such a project might generate against a new wave of concerns from residents over environmental harms. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Esmeralda CEO Devon Zuegel said she generally understands those concerns but argues the project has already undergone extensive environmental reviews. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Esmeralda CEO Devon Zuegel said she generally understands those concerns but argues the project has already undergone extensive environmental reviews. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This site has been studied for over two decades continuously,” Zuegel said. “And if 20 years is not a long enough review, I just don’t understand, is 100 years enough — 25 years? What is the point where it becomes enough?” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This site has been studied for over two decades continuously,” Zuegel said. “And if 20 years is not a long enough review, I just don’t understand, is 100 years enough — 25 years? What is the point where it becomes enough?” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, Sullivan isn’t satisfied. And she’s preparing to take the fight to voters.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Still, Sullivan isn’t satisfied. And she’s preparing to take the fight to voters.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If the city council approves the Esmeralda development as is, Sullivan wants a referendum and said she’ll start collecting signatures to place such a measure on a ballot.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If the city council approves the Esmeralda development as is, Sullivan wants a referendum and said she’ll start collecting signatures to place such a measure on a ballot.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-17-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103230\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-17-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-17-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-17-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vice Mayor Todd Lands speaks with a resident before a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-17-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103230\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vice Mayor Todd Lands speaks with a resident before a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But some officials are skeptical about how widespread Sullivan’s concerns are among the general population. Vice-Mayor Todd Lands said the opposition might be loud, but he has seen more support for the project through letters from residents and conversations in the community. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But some officials are skeptical about how widespread Sullivan’s concerns are among the general population. Vice-Mayor Todd Lands said the opposition might be loud, but he has seen more support for the project through letters from residents and conversations in the community. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve noticed it’s about the same 15 to 20 people that have been anti-Esmeralda,” he said. “As the letters start steadily coming in, I’m starting to learn more about how the public actually feels as a whole.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’ve noticed it’s about the same 15 to 20 people that have been anti-Esmeralda,” he said. “As the letters start steadily coming in, I’m starting to learn more about how the public actually feels as a whole.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, the Cloverdale Planning Commission voted 4-1 to recommend the council approve Esmeralda’s plan with conditions that seek to address some of Sullivan’s concerns, including requiring the developer to hire a consultant to monitor compliance with all environmental mitigation measures.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, the Cloverdale Planning Commission voted 4-1 to recommend the council approve Esmeralda’s plan with conditions that seek to address some of Sullivan’s concerns, including requiring the developer to hire a consultant to monitor compliance with all environmental mitigation measures.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Officials with the Esmeralda Land Company have hosted several informational town hall meetings with residents since 2024, but Sullivan said she didn’t hear about it until last winter. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Officials with the Esmeralda Land Company have hosted several informational town hall meetings with residents since 2024, but Sullivan said she didn’t hear about it until last winter. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This would be a luxury hotel and, when you live in a small town, you’re like ‘Wow, that’s a lot of people, this is a big change,’” she said. “I just started doing some research into the property itself, and then that’s when I went down the rabbit hole.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sullivan began pulling records on the site’s history and looking into environmental mitigation reports. She started a \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/2111526989254995/\">Facebook page\u003c/a> for opponents of the project and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/defend-cloverdale-from-esmeraldas-shortcuts\">GoFundMe campaign\u003c/a> to hire a land use attorney who could push the city to require more environmental reviews.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For her, it’s personal, she said. When she was 38, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. While medical research has found that genetics play a large role in cases, environmental factors play a role too. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About 8 acres of the property where Esmeralda hopes to build was previously used as a wood treatment plant, which closed in 1976. Following the closure, state agencies and the site’s owners spent the next several decades remediating the area and the groundwater below.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-22-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103228\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jennifer Sullivan speaks with a fellow resident at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building before a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-34-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103227\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen to speakers during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2009, a different developer proposed the Alexander Valley Resort. Like Esmeralda’s proposal, the project included a hotel, spa, fitness center, offices and shops, but it envisioned an 18-hole golf course and less open space. Though the developer eventually abandoned the project, city officials had \u003ca href=\"https://ceqanet.lci.ca.gov/2003072142/4\">approved \u003c/a>environmental reviews and cleared it for construction. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As part of the site’s ongoing remediation efforts, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cloverdale.net/DocumentCenter/View/6953/EIR-Addendum\">North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a certification\u003c/a> in 2012 verifying that the site had been decontaminated of hazardous waste. The following year, state agencies sectioned off the portion used as a wood treatment plant, along with a 14.5-acre buffer zone, and prohibited any schools, homes, hospitals or day care centers from ever being built there. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As part of the site’s ongoing remediation efforts, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cloverdale.net/DocumentCenter/View/6953/EIR-Addendum\">North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a certification\u003c/a> in 2012 verifying that the site had been decontaminated of hazardous waste. The following year, state agencies sectioned off the portion used as a wood treatment plant, along with a 14.5-acre buffer zone, and prohibited any schools, homes, hospitals or day care centers from ever being built there. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Esmeralda officials felt their project was similar, if not better for the environment than the previous project, partly because it would use less water, would have more dense housing and had more open space. They even conducted their own environmental reviews, including studying how to protect existing animals, habitats and rare plant species on site. The project’s design made sure to avoid building any homes, schools or day care centers on the previously contaminated land. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Esmeralda officials felt their project was similar, if not better for the environment than the previous project, partly because it would use less water, would have more dense housing and had more open space. They even conducted their own environmental reviews, including studying how to protect existing animals, habitats and rare plant species on site. The project’s design made sure to avoid building any homes, schools or day care centers on the previously contaminated land. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Esmeralda submitted an addendum environmental impact report — a narrower version of the full report — that’s used “when there’s been small tweaks or changes to a particular project,” according to Tamara Galanter, an environmental attorney at the law firm Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The only time you can do an addendum is if there’s no new information,” Galanter said, adding that, in order for a project to qualify, “There [can’t be any] changes to the project that will result in a new significant environmental impact.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sullivan argues that Esmeralda’s project shouldn’t qualify because it’s too different from the Alexander Valley Resort to rely on the same reviews. Esmeralda would include significantly more homes, a senior living center and potentially a K-6 school. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sullivan argues that Esmeralda’s project shouldn’t qualify because it’s too different from the Alexander Valley Resort to rely on the same reviews. Esmeralda would include significantly more homes, a senior living center and potentially a K-6 school. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Esmeralda is majorly different from the Alexander Valley Resort,” she said. “I believed from the start, I was like, ‘They should be doing a newer updated [environmental report].’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Esmeralda is majorly different from the Alexander Valley Resort,” she said. “I believed from the start, I was like, ‘They should be doing a newer updated [environmental report].’” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the decision on whether a project requires an addendum or a full environmental review is determined by the city, said Chris Elmendorf, a land use law professor at the University of California at Davis. And courts have historically sided with the city’s determination of what is appropriate for a project, he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But the decision on whether a project requires an addendum or a full environmental review is determined by the city, said Chris Elmendorf, a land use law professor at the University of California at Davis. And courts have historically sided with the city’s determination of what is appropriate for a project, he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a gray area,” Elmendorf said. “If there’s reasonable arguments both ways about whether there’s substantial new information or a substantial change in the project with implications to the environment, cities get the benefit of the doubt.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s a gray area,” Elmendorf said. “If there’s reasonable arguments both ways about whether there’s substantial new information or a substantial change in the project with implications to the environment, cities get the benefit of the doubt.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the Planning Commission’s meeting, city staff made it clear they felt an addendum was sufficient. That document had been rigorously reviewed by a city-hired consultant, who found Esmeralda’s project would not introduce any new significant environmental effects. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During the Planning Commission’s meeting, city staff made it clear they felt an addendum was sufficient. That document had been rigorously reviewed by a city-hired consultant, who found Esmeralda’s project would not introduce any new significant environmental effects. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102960\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-23-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-23-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-23-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen to speakers during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102960\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen to speakers during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But it was also clear many residents didn’t agree with that finding and that Sullivan’s skepticism had seeped into public opinion. Many residents demanded more environmental reviews, and some pointed to Sullivan’s Facebook page as a place they turned to for information about the project. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But it was also clear many residents didn’t agree with that finding and that Sullivan’s skepticism had seeped into public opinion. Many residents demanded more environmental reviews, and some pointed to Sullivan’s Facebook page as a place they turned to for information about the project. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cloverdale resident Nancy Brown said, originally, she really liked Esmeralda’s plan and was excited about the project’s fancy hotel, spa and restaurants. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We can use the revenue in this town, but when Jennifer Sullivan posted all the information about the site being contaminated, it all changed,” Brown said. “It’s our health and safety. We’re 100% invested in that. So we demand a new [environmental review].”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We can use the revenue in this town, but when Jennifer Sullivan posted all the information about the site being contaminated, it all changed,” Brown said. “It’s our health and safety. We’re 100% invested in that. So we demand a new [environmental review].”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While commissioners ultimately recommended approving the project, they conditioned it on a number of requests, including a new recycled water study and a requirement for routine soil testing, among other items. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Zuegel said she’s sympathetic — to an extent. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102962\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Land Company founder and president Devon Zuegel speaks during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102962\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Land Company founder and president Devon Zuegel speaks during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You definitely don’t want people to be building, especially homes, on a property that is dirty,” she said. “But that’s why California has such high standards for environmental cleanup; it’s to protect people and to protect the environment.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You definitely don’t want people to be building, especially homes, on a property that is dirty,” she said. “But that’s why California has such high standards for environmental cleanup; it’s to protect people and to protect the environment.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What’s more, she said, is that her project is a form of “brownfield development,” where a developer takes old commercial or industrial land and redevelops it “for higher and better use.” The alternatives would be to develop the project on pristine agricultural land or to develop it within a city, which she said could displace businesses or residents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>What’s more, she said, is that her project is a form of “brownfield development,” where a developer takes old commercial or industrial land and redevelops it “for higher and better use.” The alternatives would be to develop the project on pristine agricultural land or to develop it within a city, which she said could displace businesses or residents. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Brownfield is considered amazing,” Zuegel said. “When you do the development, you end up cleaning [the land] to much higher standards than if you weren’t going to be redeveloping it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Brownfield is considered amazing,” Zuegel said. “When you do the development, you end up cleaning [the land] to much higher standards than if you weren’t going to be redeveloping it.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many Cloverdale residents agree and are urging the city council to ultimately approve the project. Jon Lambert has lived in Cloverdale for the past 20 years. This spring, he started his own Facebook page, called \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/1761744191457347\">Hello Esmeralda\u003c/a>, with hopes that it would be a neutral space where residents could share information. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many Cloverdale residents agree and are urging the city council to ultimately approve the project. Jon Lambert has lived in Cloverdale for the past 20 years. This spring, he started his own Facebook page, called \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/1761744191457347\">Hello Esmeralda\u003c/a>, with hopes that it would be a neutral space where residents could share information. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-02-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102954\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-02-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-02-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-02-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jon Lambert, a Cloverdale resident who supports the proposed Esmeralda development, sits in his front yard in Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-02-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102954\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jon Lambert, a Cloverdale resident who supports the proposed Esmeralda development, sits in his front yard in Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Personally, Lambert is a big supporter and worries the city might miss out on a great opportunity if officials don’t approve the project.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Personally, Lambert is a big supporter and worries the city might miss out on a great opportunity if officials don’t approve the project.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Something like this may not come around again, and if it does come around again, it may be something that is not a good fit for Cloverdale,” he said. “What Esmeralda wants to do right now is the best possible thing that you could do with that piece of land, including not leaving it vacant.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Something like this may not come around again, and if it does come around again, it may be something that is not a good fit for Cloverdale,” he said. “What Esmeralda wants to do right now is the best possible thing that you could do with that piece of land, including not leaving it vacant.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Councilmember Andrés Marquez said that in his conversations with people on both sides, he’s found it’s not so black-and-white. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Councilmember Andrés Marquez said that in his conversations with people on both sides, he’s found it’s not so black-and-white. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Just because somebody says they’re for the project doesn’t mean they’re for all the concessions the city might give,” he said. “If somebody says that they are against the project, it doesn’t mean that they don’t want any of this to happen, but they might feel they want certain protections in place.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Just because somebody says they’re for the project doesn’t mean they’re for all the concessions the city might give,” he said. “If somebody says that they are against the project, it doesn’t mean that they don’t want any of this to happen, but they might feel they want certain protections in place.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Marquez said Wednesday’s council meeting is going to be about compromise. “What is the right thing to do for the residents of Cloverdale?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Marquez said Wednesday’s council meeting is going to be about compromise. “What is the right thing to do for the residents of Cloverdale?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the current size of Esmeralda’s proposed project site. While an earlier proposal stated it would be 266 acres, roughly five of those acres have since been removed from the site plan. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the current size of Esmeralda’s proposed project site. While an earlier proposal stated it would be 266 acres, roughly five of those acres have since been removed from the site plan. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The Cloverdale City Council will vote Wednesday on whether to approve Esmeralda, a controversial event center and new neighborhood in the small Sonoma County town that’s faced a recent wave of backlash over concerns that the site is contaminated.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>For the past 11 months, Jennifer Sullivan has been anxiously trying to sound an alarm.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059557/esmeralda-courts-locals-as-it-tries-to-learn-from-california-forevers-mistakes\">Esmeralda Land Company\u003c/a> has proposed building a resort hotel, hundreds of homes, an event center, a preschool and a public park on a roughly 260-acre property that once housed a wood treatment plant.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tucked in the Sonoma County town of Cloverdale, the 8-acre plant was known to use harmful chemicals and discharged them into the soil and groundwater, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sullivan worries that disturbing the site with new development could resurface those chemicals and expose current residents to new harms.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is the community that I live in,” Sullivan said. “The decision to approve this development is serious — it’s got serious consequences for our water, for public health.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102961\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-25-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen to speakers during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12102956\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102956\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “No Esmeralda” sign is displayed in downtown Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12102955\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102955\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“Yes on Esmeralda” signs are displayed in Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, the Cloverdale City Council will consider whether to approve the project — one of the largest developments in the city’s recent history — along with its extensive community benefits package and already-completed environmental reviews, essentially clearing the path for its eventual construction. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As it does, however, council members are weighing the homes, jobs and tax revenue such a project might generate against a new wave of concerns from residents over environmental harms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Esmeralda CEO Devon Zuegel said she generally understands those concerns but argues the project has already undergone extensive environmental reviews. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This site has been studied for over two decades continuously,” Zuegel said. “And if 20 years is not a long enough review, I just don’t understand, is 100 years enough — 25 years? What is the point where it becomes enough?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, Sullivan isn’t satisfied. And she’s preparing to take the fight to voters.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the city council approves the Esmeralda development as is, Sullivan wants a referendum and said she’ll start collecting signatures to place such a measure on a ballot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-17-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103230\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-17-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-17-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-17-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vice Mayor Todd Lands speaks with a resident before a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>But some officials are skeptical about how widespread Sullivan’s concerns are among the general population. Vice-Mayor Todd Lands said the opposition might be loud, but he has seen more support for the project through letters from residents and conversations in the community. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve noticed it’s about the same 15 to 20 people that have been anti-Esmeralda,” he said. “As the letters start steadily coming in, I’m starting to learn more about how the public actually feels as a whole.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, the Cloverdale Planning Commission voted 4-1 to recommend the council approve Esmeralda’s plan with conditions that seek to address some of Sullivan’s concerns, including requiring the developer to hire a consultant to monitor compliance with all environmental mitigation measures.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Officials with the Esmeralda Land Company have hosted several informational town hall meetings with residents since 2024, but Sullivan said she didn’t hear about it until last winter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The scale of the project surprised her, she said, particularly the fact that Esmeralda wants to build a resort hotel with up to 160 rooms and more than 600 homes on site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102957\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mural in downtown Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“This would be a luxury hotel and, when you live in a small town, you’re like ‘Wow, that’s a lot of people, this is a big change,’” she said. “I just started doing some research into the property itself, and then that’s when I went down the rabbit hole.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sullivan began pulling records on the site’s history and looking into environmental mitigation reports. She started a \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/2111526989254995/\">Facebook page\u003c/a> for opponents of the project and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/defend-cloverdale-from-esmeraldas-shortcuts\">GoFundMe campaign\u003c/a> to hire a land use attorney who could push the city to require more environmental reviews.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For her, it’s personal, she said. When she was 38, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. While medical research has found that genetics play a large role in cases, environmental factors play a role too. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The environment that we live in has a huge impact on our health,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 8 acres of the property where Esmeralda hopes to build was previously used as a wood treatment plant, which closed in 1976. Following the closure, state agencies and the site’s owners spent the next several decades remediating the area and the groundwater below.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103228\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-22-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103228\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-22-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-22-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-22-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jennifer Sullivan speaks with a fellow resident at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building before a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103227\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-34-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103227\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-34-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-34-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-EsmeraldaProject-34-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen to speakers during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2009, a different developer proposed the Alexander Valley Resort. Like Esmeralda’s proposal, the project included a hotel, spa, fitness center, offices and shops, but it envisioned an 18-hole golf course and less open space. Though the developer eventually abandoned the project, city officials had \u003ca href=\"https://ceqanet.lci.ca.gov/2003072142/4\">approved \u003c/a>environmental reviews and cleared it for construction. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As part of the site’s ongoing remediation efforts, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cloverdale.net/DocumentCenter/View/6953/EIR-Addendum\">North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a certification\u003c/a> in 2012 verifying that the site had been decontaminated of hazardous waste. The following year, state agencies sectioned off the portion used as a wood treatment plant, along with a 14.5-acre buffer zone, and prohibited any schools, homes, hospitals or day care centers from ever being built there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Esmeralda officials felt their project was similar, if not better for the environment than the previous project, partly because it would use less water, would have more dense housing and had more open space. They even conducted their own environmental reviews, including studying how to protect existing animals, habitats and rare plant species on site. The project’s design made sure to avoid building any homes, schools or day care centers on the previously contaminated land. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Esmeralda submitted an addendum environmental impact report — a narrower version of the full report — that’s used “when there’s been small tweaks or changes to a particular project,” according to Tamara Galanter, an environmental attorney at the law firm Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The only time you can do an addendum is if there’s no new information,” Galanter said, adding that, in order for a project to qualify, “There [can’t be any] changes to the project that will result in a new significant environmental impact.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sullivan argues that Esmeralda’s project shouldn’t qualify because it’s too different from the Alexander Valley Resort to rely on the same reviews. Esmeralda would include significantly more homes, a senior living center and potentially a K-6 school. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Esmeralda is majorly different from the Alexander Valley Resort,” she said. “I believed from the start, I was like, ‘They should be doing a newer updated [environmental report].’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the decision on whether a project requires an addendum or a full environmental review is determined by the city, said Chris Elmendorf, a land use law professor at the University of California at Davis. And courts have historically sided with the city’s determination of what is appropriate for a project, he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a gray area,” Elmendorf said. “If there’s reasonable arguments both ways about whether there’s substantial new information or a substantial change in the project with implications to the environment, cities get the benefit of the doubt.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the Planning Commission’s meeting, city staff made it clear they felt an addendum was sufficient. That document had been rigorously reviewed by a city-hired consultant, who found Esmeralda’s project would not introduce any new significant environmental effects. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102960\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-23-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-23-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-23-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen to speakers during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>But it was also clear many residents didn’t agree with that finding and that Sullivan’s skepticism had seeped into public opinion. Many residents demanded more environmental reviews, and some pointed to Sullivan’s Facebook page as a place they turned to for information about the project. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cloverdale resident Nancy Brown said, originally, she really liked Esmeralda’s plan and was excited about the project’s fancy hotel, spa and restaurants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can use the revenue in this town, but when Jennifer Sullivan posted all the information about the site being contaminated, it all changed,” Brown said. “It’s our health and safety. We’re 100% invested in that. So we demand a new [environmental review].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While commissioners ultimately recommended approving the project, they conditioned it on a number of requests, including a new recycled water study and a requirement for routine soil testing, among other items. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Zuegel said she’s sympathetic — to an extent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102962\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-29-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Land Company founder and president Devon Zuegel speaks during a Planning Commission public hearing on the proposed Esmeralda development at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“You definitely don’t want people to be building, especially homes, on a property that is dirty,” she said. “But that’s why California has such high standards for environmental cleanup; it’s to protect people and to protect the environment.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What’s more, she said, is that her project is a form of “brownfield development,” where a developer takes old commercial or industrial land and redevelops it “for higher and better use.” The alternatives would be to develop the project on pristine agricultural land or to develop it within a city, which she said could displace businesses or residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Brownfield is considered amazing,” Zuegel said. “When you do the development, you end up cleaning [the land] to much higher standards than if you weren’t going to be redeveloping it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many Cloverdale residents agree and are urging the city council to ultimately approve the project. Jon Lambert has lived in Cloverdale for the past 20 years. This spring, he started his own Facebook page, called \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/1761744191457347\">Hello Esmeralda\u003c/a>, with hopes that it would be a neutral space where residents could share information. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-02-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102954\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-02-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-02-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-ESMERALDAPROJECT-02-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jon Lambert, a Cloverdale resident who supports the proposed Esmeralda development, sits in his front yard in Cloverdale on Oct. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Personally, Lambert is a big supporter and worries the city might miss out on a great opportunity if officials don’t approve the project.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Something like this may not come around again, and if it does come around again, it may be something that is not a good fit for Cloverdale,” he said. “What Esmeralda wants to do right now is the best possible thing that you could do with that piece of land, including not leaving it vacant.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Councilmember Andrés Marquez said that in his conversations with people on both sides, he’s found it’s not so black-and-white. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just because somebody says they’re for the project doesn’t mean they’re for all the concessions the city might give,” he said. “If somebody says that they are against the project, it doesn’t mean that they don’t want any of this to happen, but they might feel they want certain protections in place.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Marquez said Wednesday’s council meeting is going to be about compromise. “What is the right thing to do for the residents of Cloverdale?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the current size of Esmeralda’s proposed project site. While an earlier proposal stated it would be 266 acres, roughly five of those acres have since been removed from the site plan. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "golden-gate-fields-on-track-to-become-waterfront-park",
"title": "Golden Gate Fields on Track to Become Waterfront Park",
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"headTitle": "Golden Gate Fields on Track to Become Waterfront Park | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>East Bay officials took a goodbye tour on Monday of the shuttered Golden Gate Fields racetrack, which is slated to take the first step toward becoming a vast public open space for residents later this year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In July, California agreed to foot the bulk of the $175 million bill for the nonprofit Trust for Public Land to purchase the 160-acre parcel at the border of Albany and Berkeley, with hopes to transform the Bay Area’s final horseracing track into a waterfront park. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The officials picture walking trails, sports fields and cafes replacing the iconic red and green grandstands and milelong oval track that drew horseracing fans — and college students looking for a cheap beer — for more than 80 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This place is so intertwined with so many people’s memories, and it’s super exciting to be… protecting this place for generations to come to continue to play,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, the Trust for Public Land’s state director. “But play something different — bet on kids running and not necessarily horses going around a racetrack.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103025\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103139\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103139\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103148\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103148\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June of 2024, Golden Gate Fields held its final race, bringing an 83-year run and horse racing in the Bay Area, to an end. Rodriguez recalled that as a UC Berkeley student in the 1990s, attending the track’s Sunday “Dollar Days,” featuring $1 entry tickets, hot dogs and beers, was a “rite of passage.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s where we filled up with all our carbs,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the bay, the racetrack at Tanforan in San Bruno shuttered more than 60 years ago. Bay Meadows in San Mateo closed in 2008 as interest in the sport waned and concerns grew about the safety of the horses at the tracks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Animal rights activists estimated that \u003ca href=\"https://localnewsmatters.org/2024/06/07/golden-gate-fields-bows-out-storied-horse-track-goes-dark-after-final-race-this-sunday/\">thousands of horses died\u003c/a> at Golden Gate Fields during its operation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both other tracks have been replaced with massive developments — a sprawling shopping center where Tanforan once stood and mixed-use housing and commercial space at Bay Meadows.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said that while those uses make sense for their locations, when Golden Gate Fields shuttered, it was the public’s turn to get a new open space. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trust for Public Land announced earlier this year that it would purchase the property from the Canadian-owned Stronach Group, which still operates Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia, and transfer it to the East Bay Regional Park District.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While restoration and recreation will be at the forefront, what exactly will become of the parcel that once housed more than 1,000 horses and hundreds of workers in its “backstretch” hasn’t yet been decided. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said there will be a robust community engagement process with nearby cities, which already began in Albany last week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Peggy McQuaid said between the 100 people who packed into the Albany Community Center in person and even more who joined the meeting virtually, there were “a lot of different ideas from the community” — from public access to revenue-generating development.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Everyone is excited about what’s really possible and exploring all the options,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The elected officials who toured the site on Monday expressed similar hopes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m really excited to have it go back to nature, to have this open shoreline, to have beautiful fields. There are a lot of folks interested in having sports fields,” Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii said. “I have three dogs, so I’m very excited to be able to bring them here and walk.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California State Senator Jesse Arreguín said he would love to see some sort of museum or educational site focused on the natural habitat and role of the waterfront, which was wetlands before the racetrack was built. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103029\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103141\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103141\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103147\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103147\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mayor of Albany Peggy McQuaid takes photos at Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also expressed support for some commercial use, especially since Golden Gate Fields generated more than $1 million in special revenue for the city of Albany, and about $700,000 for its school district.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I would see some level of development in terms of restaurants or cafes … that also I think add to the attractiveness of open space,” East Bay Assemblymember Buffy Wicks said. “That also gives more revenue-generating opportunities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot that can be done with this, and I think the mayor of Albany said it best — It’s such an enormous space that we can have all of these things,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103143\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assemblymember Buffy Wicks speaks at Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Wicks said that when she first learned the track would close and land use would transition, she immediately asked whether it could be used for housing. While residential development isn’t entirely off the table, she said, it would come with “unique challenges.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because of the land’s zoning, Albany voters would have to approve any residential development, according to Wicks. Adding the infrastructure needed to support housing on the land would also come with a significant cost.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These are not insurmountable things, but they also just present a different kind of reality,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>There are also parameters to the funding that the Trust for Public Land will use to purchase the $175 million parcel. Nearly three-fourths will come from statewide funds for Proposition 4, a voter-approved bond for climate projects, including land conservation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The park district has pledged $20 million for the project, and the nonprofit is raising the remaining $30 million through private donors and additional public funding.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The East Bay Regional Park District is expected to formally accept that it will take ownership of the property at a meeting on Oct. 20. The California Wildlife Conservation Board and California State Coastal Conservancy, two of the entities responsible for the state funds, will both hold votes on whether to approve the appropriations in November and December, respectively. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After all three votes, Rodriguez said the Trust for Public Land has until Dec. 15 to exercise its option agreement to purchase the property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re ending the preamble, and now the work begins,” McQuaid, the Albany mayor, said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The officials picture walking trails, sports fields and cafes replacing the iconic red and green grandstands and milelong oval track that drew horseracing fans — and college students looking for a cheap beer — for more than 80 years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This place is so intertwined with so many people’s memories, and it’s super exciting to be… protecting this place for generations to come to continue to play,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, the Trust for Public Land’s state director. “But play something different — bet on kids running and not necessarily horses going around a racetrack.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In June of 2024, Golden Gate Fields held its final race, bringing an 83-year run and horse racing in the Bay Area, to an end. Rodriguez recalled that as a UC Berkeley student in the 1990s, attending the track’s Sunday “Dollar Days,” featuring $1 entry tickets, hot dogs and beers, was a “rite of passage.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Across the bay, the racetrack at Tanforan in San Bruno shuttered more than 60 years ago. Bay Meadows in San Mateo closed in 2008 as interest in the sport waned and concerns grew about the safety of the horses at the tracks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Animal rights activists estimated that \u003ca href=\"https://localnewsmatters.org/2024/06/07/golden-gate-fields-bows-out-storied-horse-track-goes-dark-after-final-race-this-sunday/\">thousands of horses died\u003c/a> at Golden Gate Fields during its operation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Both other tracks have been replaced with massive developments — a sprawling shopping center where Tanforan once stood and mixed-use housing and commercial space at Bay Meadows.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said that while those uses make sense for their locations, when Golden Gate Fields shuttered, it was the public’s turn to get a new open space. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trust for Public Land announced earlier this year that it would purchase the property from the Canadian-owned Stronach Group, which still operates Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia, and transfer it to the East Bay Regional Park District.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While restoration and recreation will be at the forefront, what exactly will become of the parcel that once housed more than 1,000 horses and hundreds of workers in its “backstretch” hasn’t yet been decided. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said there will be a robust community engagement process with nearby cities, which already began in Albany last week. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mayor Peggy McQuaid said between the 100 people who packed into the Albany Community Center in person and even more who joined the meeting virtually, there were “a lot of different ideas from the community” — from public access to revenue-generating development.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Everyone is excited about what’s really possible and exploring all the options,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The elected officials who toured the site on Monday expressed similar hopes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m really excited to have it go back to nature, to have this open shoreline, to have beautiful fields. There are a lot of folks interested in having sports fields,” Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii said. “I have three dogs, so I’m very excited to be able to bring them here and walk.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California State Senator Jesse Arreguín said he would love to see some sort of museum or educational site focused on the natural habitat and role of the waterfront, which was wetlands before the racetrack was built. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103029\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He also expressed support for some commercial use, especially since Golden Gate Fields generated more than $1 million in special revenue for the city of Albany, and about $700,000 for its school district.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I would see some level of development in terms of restaurants or cafes … that also I think add to the attractiveness of open space,” East Bay Assemblymember Buffy Wicks said. “That also gives more revenue-generating opportunities.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot that can be done with this, and I think the mayor of Albany said it best — It’s such an enormous space that we can have all of these things,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wicks said that when she first learned the track would close and land use would transition, she immediately asked whether it could be used for housing. While residential development isn’t entirely off the table, she said, it would come with “unique challenges.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Because of the land’s zoning, Albany voters would have to approve any residential development, according to Wicks. Adding the infrastructure needed to support housing on the land would also come with a significant cost.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These are not insurmountable things, but they also just present a different kind of reality,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There are also parameters to the funding that the Trust for Public Land will use to purchase the $175 million parcel. Nearly three-fourths will come from statewide funds for Proposition 4, a voter-approved bond for climate projects, including land conservation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>There are also parameters to the funding that the Trust for Public Land will use to purchase the $175 million parcel. Nearly three-fourths will come from statewide funds for Proposition 4, a voter-approved bond for climate projects, including land conservation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The park district has pledged $20 million for the project, and the nonprofit is raising the remaining $30 million through private donors and additional public funding.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The East Bay Regional Park District is expected to formally accept that it will take ownership of the property at a meeting on Oct. 20. The California Wildlife Conservation Board and California State Coastal Conservancy, two of the entities responsible for the state funds, will both hold votes on whether to approve the appropriations in November and December, respectively. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The East Bay Regional Park District is expected to formally accept that it will take ownership of the property at a meeting on Oct. 20. The California Wildlife Conservation Board and California State Coastal Conservancy, two of the entities responsible for the state funds, will both hold votes on whether to approve the appropriations in November and December, respectively. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After all three votes, Rodriguez said the Trust for Public Land has until Dec. 15 to exercise its option agreement to purchase the property.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re ending the preamble, and now the work begins,” McQuaid, the Albany mayor, said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>East Bay officials took a goodbye tour on Monday of the shuttered Golden Gate Fields racetrack, which is slated to take the first step toward becoming a vast public open space for residents later this year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In July, California agreed to foot the bulk of the $175 million bill for the nonprofit Trust for Public Land to purchase the 160-acre parcel at the border of Albany and Berkeley, with hopes to transform the Bay Area’s final horseracing track into a waterfront park. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The officials picture walking trails, sports fields and cafes replacing the iconic red and green grandstands and milelong oval track that drew horseracing fans — and college students looking for a cheap beer — for more than 80 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This place is so intertwined with so many people’s memories, and it’s super exciting to be… protecting this place for generations to come to continue to play,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, the Trust for Public Land’s state director. “But play something different — bet on kids running and not necessarily horses going around a racetrack.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103025\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103139\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103139\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103148\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103148\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June of 2024, Golden Gate Fields held its final race, bringing an 83-year run and horse racing in the Bay Area, to an end. Rodriguez recalled that as a UC Berkeley student in the 1990s, attending the track’s Sunday “Dollar Days,” featuring $1 entry tickets, hot dogs and beers, was a “rite of passage.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s where we filled up with all our carbs,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the bay, the racetrack at Tanforan in San Bruno shuttered more than 60 years ago. Bay Meadows in San Mateo closed in 2008 as interest in the sport waned and concerns grew about the safety of the horses at the tracks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Animal rights activists estimated that \u003ca href=\"https://localnewsmatters.org/2024/06/07/golden-gate-fields-bows-out-storied-horse-track-goes-dark-after-final-race-this-sunday/\">thousands of horses died\u003c/a> at Golden Gate Fields during its operation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both other tracks have been replaced with massive developments — a sprawling shopping center where Tanforan once stood and mixed-use housing and commercial space at Bay Meadows.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said that while those uses make sense for their locations, when Golden Gate Fields shuttered, it was the public’s turn to get a new open space. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trust for Public Land announced earlier this year that it would purchase the property from the Canadian-owned Stronach Group, which still operates Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia, and transfer it to the East Bay Regional Park District.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While restoration and recreation will be at the forefront, what exactly will become of the parcel that once housed more than 1,000 horses and hundreds of workers in its “backstretch” hasn’t yet been decided. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said there will be a robust community engagement process with nearby cities, which already began in Albany last week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Peggy McQuaid said between the 100 people who packed into the Albany Community Center in person and even more who joined the meeting virtually, there were “a lot of different ideas from the community” — from public access to revenue-generating development.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Everyone is excited about what’s really possible and exploring all the options,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The elected officials who toured the site on Monday expressed similar hopes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m really excited to have it go back to nature, to have this open shoreline, to have beautiful fields. There are a lot of folks interested in having sports fields,” Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii said. “I have three dogs, so I’m very excited to be able to bring them here and walk.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California State Senator Jesse Arreguín said he would love to see some sort of museum or educational site focused on the natural habitat and role of the waterfront, which was wetlands before the racetrack was built. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103029\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103141\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103141\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103147\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103147\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mayor of Albany Peggy McQuaid takes photos at Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also expressed support for some commercial use, especially since Golden Gate Fields generated more than $1 million in special revenue for the city of Albany, and about $700,000 for its school district.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I would see some level of development in terms of restaurants or cafes … that also I think add to the attractiveness of open space,” East Bay Assemblymember Buffy Wicks said. “That also gives more revenue-generating opportunities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot that can be done with this, and I think the mayor of Albany said it best — It’s such an enormous space that we can have all of these things,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103143\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assemblymember Buffy Wicks speaks at Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Wicks said that when she first learned the track would close and land use would transition, she immediately asked whether it could be used for housing. While residential development isn’t entirely off the table, she said, it would come with “unique challenges.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because of the land’s zoning, Albany voters would have to approve any residential development, according to Wicks. Adding the infrastructure needed to support housing on the land would also come with a significant cost.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These are not insurmountable things, but they also just present a different kind of reality,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>There are also parameters to the funding that the Trust for Public Land will use to purchase the $175 million parcel. Nearly three-fourths will come from statewide funds for Proposition 4, a voter-approved bond for climate projects, including land conservation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The park district has pledged $20 million for the project, and the nonprofit is raising the remaining $30 million through private donors and additional public funding.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The East Bay Regional Park District is expected to formally accept that it will take ownership of the property at a meeting on Oct. 20. The California Wildlife Conservation Board and California State Coastal Conservancy, two of the entities responsible for the state funds, will both hold votes on whether to approve the appropriations in November and December, respectively. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After all three votes, Rodriguez said the Trust for Public Land has until Dec. 15 to exercise its option agreement to purchase the property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re ending the preamble, and now the work begins,” McQuaid, the Albany mayor, said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "newsom-signs-coal-terminal-law-as-oakland-wins-key-court-fight",
"title": "Newsom Signs Coal Terminal Law as Oakland Wins Key Court Fight",
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"headTitle": "Newsom Signs Coal Terminal Law as Oakland Wins Key Court Fight | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A controversial \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914067/trump-administration-shovels-75-million-into-controversial-oakland-coal-terminal\">proposed coal terminal\u003c/a> in West Oakland was dealt two major blows this week, presenting new obstacles for the Trump administration-backed project.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, a Kentucky federal court threw out a $1 billion lawsuit against Oakland from one of the developers behind the proposed export facility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company in that case, Insight Terminal Solutions, argued that the city interfered with its plans to build a facility that would process millions of tons of coal, leading to the company’s bankruptcy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same day, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 40 into law, which requires that developers prepare an environmental impact report before building a large-volume bulk coal facility. The law applies to any such new facility in the state but its author, Oakland Assemblymember Mia Bonta, designed the bill to apply to the so-called West Gateway Terminal project. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084670\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about his state budget proposal on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Sacramento, California. Newsom signed AB 40 into law this week, which requires developers prepare an environmental impact report before building a large-volume bulk coal facility. (Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If approved, more than 13 million tons of coal per year would be shipped overseas from the facility and stored in the open, according to a recent \u003ca href=\"https://ruic.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Port-Study-RUIC-Bulk-Commodity-Ocean-Terminals-Study.pdf\">report\u003c/a> prepared for investors. After lawsuits from the city of Oakland bogged the project down for decades, the Trump administration announced a $75 million investment into the project in June. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The project, which would be built on part of the former Oakland Army Base, is being pushed by developer Oakland Bulk Oversized Terminal, and formerly by Kentucky-based ITS, which was contracted to ship the coal out of the terminal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After a years-long legal battle with the city, OBOT succeeded through appeals last year and is still moving forward with the project. But the court drama didn’t end there. In 2025, a Kentucky bankruptcy judge found that Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/us/oakland-coal-port-budget-bankruptcy.html#commentsContainer\">burdened\u003c/a> ITS, and could owe the company between $230 and $654 million. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Kicked from Kentucky court \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a higher court, however, ITS’s case ran into challenges. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In his decision Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Benjamin Beaton said he chose to abstain from the case because it likely belonged in a California court instead, and vacated the 2025 bankruptcy ruling. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ITS’s decision to file an adversary proceeding in bankruptcy court in Kentucky, rather than to sue in the California courts, carries at least a whiff of forum shopping,” Beaton wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087608\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty-1536x1003.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A train loaded with coal approaches the Levin-Richmond Terminal in Richmond, California, on July 23, 2015. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The City of Oakland maintained from the start that this case was improper and should be dismissed,” the Oakland city attorney’s office said in a statement. “The district court agreed, and we’re pleased with the result.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Had Oakland been forced to pay ITS, it also could have also pushed the city to bankruptcy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is wonderful news for Oakland, and I think it takes the sword off of their neck,” said Ben Eichenberg, a senior staff attorney for pollution watchdog group San Francisco Baykeeper. “It’s my hope that what this means is that the city feels it can once again take a stand representing the majority of people in Oakland who do not want this terminal.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">New roadblocks and concerns \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though the coal would not be burned in Oakland, residents and environmental justice advocates worry that coal dust from uncovered trains blowing through the city could \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11749299/asthma-rates-higher-in-californias-historically-redlined-communities-new-study-finds\">add to existing health burdens\u003c/a>. Parts of West and East Oakland already suffer from some of the highest asthma-related emergency room visits and hospitalization \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/ab617-community-health/air-pollution-and-health-risks_oakland-060418-pdf.pdf?la=en\">rates\u003c/a> in the country due to pollution from highways and industrial operations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bonta’s Community First Coal Review Act specifically addresses West Oakland’s environmental justice concerns. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“West Oakland residents are predominantly people of color, and the life expectancy for an African American child born and raised in West Oakland is at least 15 years fewer than for a white child born and raised in wealthier Oakland neighborhoods,” reads part of the legislation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Local advocates who have been opposing the development for years applauded the governor’s signing of AB 40. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This clears the way for a very comprehensive examination of the environmental impacts and requirements for mitigating all of those impacts,” Ted Franklin, an organizer with No Coal in Oakland said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A 2023 \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/news/coal-trains-increase-air-pollution-san-francisco-bay-area\">study\u003c/a> by UC Davis researchers looked at trains carrying coal on the way to a terminal in Richmond and found that the transportation, handling and storage of coal all significantly increase community exposure to PM 2.5, or fine particulate matter. Exposure to fine particulate matter can \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4740125/\">cause\u003c/a> asthma and respiratory inflammation, jeopardize lung functions and even promote cancers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The adverse effects are borne disproportionately by the most vulnerable, including infants, children and the elderly, people of color, those with low incomes, and those with underlying health conditions,” the study’s authors wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Advocates have repeatedly raised those concerns despite assurances from developers that they would make a state-of-the-art facility to minimize health impacts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At least some of the concerns were validated by the \u003ca href=\"https://ruic.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Port-Study-RUIC-Bulk-Commodity-Ocean-Terminals-Study.pdf\">recent\u003c/a> investor report, which contained a surprising revelation: that the coal would be stored in “open-air bunkers.” That appeared to contradict previous assurances from developers that they would store the coal in covered silos to minimize the spread of toxic dust. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In this incredibly windy area we live in, all that coal is gonna get blown all around and really impact the community,” Eichenberg said “And the developer had promised to have a state-of-the-art facility with everything covered. So we’re deeply disappointed that these kinds of impacts are being imposed on the community.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That same day, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 40 into law, which requires that developers prepare an environmental impact report before building a large-volume bulk coal facility. The law applies to any such new facility in the state but its author, Oakland Assemblymember Mia Bonta, designed the bill to apply to the so-called West Gateway Terminal project. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084670\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about his state budget proposal on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Sacramento, California. Newsom signed AB 40 into law this week, which requires developers prepare an environmental impact report before building a large-volume bulk coal facility.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084670\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about his state budget proposal on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Sacramento, California. Newsom signed AB 40 into law this week, which requires developers prepare an environmental impact report before building a large-volume bulk coal facility.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If approved, more than 13 million tons of coal per year would be shipped overseas from the facility and stored in the open, according to a recent \u003ca href=\"https://ruic.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Port-Study-RUIC-Bulk-Commodity-Ocean-Terminals-Study.pdf\">report\u003c/a> prepared for investors. After lawsuits from the city of Oakland bogged the project down for decades, the Trump administration announced a $75 million investment into the project in June. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If approved, more than 13 million tons of coal per year would be shipped overseas from the facility and stored in the open, according to a recent \u003ca href=\"https://ruic.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Port-Study-RUIC-Bulk-Commodity-Ocean-Terminals-Study.pdf\">report\u003c/a> prepared for investors. After lawsuits from the city of Oakland bogged the project down for decades, the Trump administration announced a $75 million investment into the project in June. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The project, which would be built on part of the former Oakland Army Base, is being pushed by developer Oakland Bulk Oversized Terminal, and formerly by Kentucky-based ITS, which was contracted to ship the coal out of the terminal. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The project, which would be built on part of the former Oakland Army Base, is being pushed by developer Oakland Bulk Oversized Terminal, and formerly by Kentucky-based ITS, which was contracted to ship the coal out of the terminal. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After a years-long legal battle with the city, OBOT succeeded through appeals last year and is still moving forward with the project. But the court drama didn’t end there. In 2025, a Kentucky bankruptcy judge found that Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/us/oakland-coal-port-budget-bankruptcy.html#commentsContainer\">burdened\u003c/a> ITS, and could owe the company between $230 and $654 million. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After a years-long legal battle with the city, OBOT succeeded through appeals last year and is still moving forward with the project. But the court drama didn’t end there. In 2025, a Kentucky bankruptcy judge found that Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/us/oakland-coal-port-budget-bankruptcy.html#commentsContainer\">burdened\u003c/a> ITS, and could owe the company between $230 and $654 million. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Kicked from Kentucky court ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Kicked from Kentucky court \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a higher court, however, ITS’s case ran into challenges. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In his decision Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Benjamin Beaton said he chose to abstain from the case because it likely belonged in a California court instead, and vacated the 2025 bankruptcy ruling. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In his decision Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Benjamin Beaton said he chose to abstain from the case because it likely belonged in a California court instead, and vacated the 2025 bankruptcy ruling. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ITS’s decision to file an adversary proceeding in bankruptcy court in Kentucky, rather than to sue in the California courts, carries at least a whiff of forum shopping,” Beaton wrote. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“ITS’s decision to file an adversary proceeding in bankruptcy court in Kentucky, rather than to sue in the California courts, carries at least a whiff of forum shopping,” Beaton wrote. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty-1536x1003.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087608\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty-1536x1003.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A train loaded with coal approaches the Levin-Richmond Terminal in Richmond, California, on July 23, 2015. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087608\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A train loaded with coal approaches the Levin-Richmond Terminal in Richmond, California, on July 23, 2015. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The City of Oakland maintained from the start that this case was improper and should be dismissed,” the Oakland city attorney’s office said in a statement. “The district court agreed, and we’re pleased with the result.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The City of Oakland maintained from the start that this case was improper and should be dismissed,” the Oakland city attorney’s office said in a statement. “The district court agreed, and we’re pleased with the result.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Had Oakland been forced to pay ITS, it also could have also pushed the city to bankruptcy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is wonderful news for Oakland, and I think it takes the sword off of their neck,” said Ben Eichenberg, a senior staff attorney for pollution watchdog group San Francisco Baykeeper. “It’s my hope that what this means is that the city feels it can once again take a stand representing the majority of people in Oakland who do not want this terminal.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This is wonderful news for Oakland, and I think it takes the sword off of their neck,” said Ben Eichenberg, a senior staff attorney for pollution watchdog group San Francisco Baykeeper. “It’s my hope that what this means is that the city feels it can once again take a stand representing the majority of people in Oakland who do not want this terminal.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Though the coal would not be burned in Oakland, residents and environmental justice advocates worry that coal dust from uncovered trains blowing through the city could \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11749299/asthma-rates-higher-in-californias-historically-redlined-communities-new-study-finds\">add to existing health burdens\u003c/a>. Parts of West and East Oakland already suffer from some of the highest asthma-related emergency room visits and hospitalization \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/ab617-community-health/air-pollution-and-health-risks_oakland-060418-pdf.pdf?la=en\">rates\u003c/a> in the country due to pollution from highways and industrial operations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Though the coal would not be burned in Oakland, residents and environmental justice advocates worry that coal dust from uncovered trains blowing through the city could \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11749299/asthma-rates-higher-in-californias-historically-redlined-communities-new-study-finds\">add to existing health burdens\u003c/a>. Parts of West and East Oakland already suffer from some of the highest asthma-related emergency room visits and hospitalization \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/ab617-community-health/air-pollution-and-health-risks_oakland-060418-pdf.pdf?la=en\">rates\u003c/a> in the country due to pollution from highways and industrial operations.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bonta’s Community First Coal Review Act specifically addresses West Oakland’s environmental justice concerns. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“West Oakland residents are predominantly people of color, and the life expectancy for an African American child born and raised in West Oakland is at least 15 years fewer than for a white child born and raised in wealthier Oakland neighborhoods,” reads part of the legislation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“West Oakland residents are predominantly people of color, and the life expectancy for an African American child born and raised in West Oakland is at least 15 years fewer than for a white child born and raised in wealthier Oakland neighborhoods,” reads part of the legislation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Local advocates who have been opposing the development for years applauded the governor’s signing of AB 40. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This clears the way for a very comprehensive examination of the environmental impacts and requirements for mitigating all of those impacts,” Ted Franklin, an organizer with No Coal in Oakland said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This clears the way for a very comprehensive examination of the environmental impacts and requirements for mitigating all of those impacts,” Ted Franklin, an organizer with No Coal in Oakland said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A 2023 \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/news/coal-trains-increase-air-pollution-san-francisco-bay-area\">study\u003c/a> by UC Davis researchers looked at trains carrying coal on the way to a terminal in Richmond and found that the transportation, handling and storage of coal all significantly increase community exposure to PM 2.5, or fine particulate matter. Exposure to fine particulate matter can \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4740125/\">cause\u003c/a> asthma and respiratory inflammation, jeopardize lung functions and even promote cancers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A 2023 \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/news/coal-trains-increase-air-pollution-san-francisco-bay-area\">study\u003c/a> by UC Davis researchers looked at trains carrying coal on the way to a terminal in Richmond and found that the transportation, handling and storage of coal all significantly increase community exposure to PM 2.5, or fine particulate matter. Exposure to fine particulate matter can \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4740125/\">cause\u003c/a> asthma and respiratory inflammation, jeopardize lung functions and even promote cancers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The adverse effects are borne disproportionately by the most vulnerable, including infants, children and the elderly, people of color, those with low incomes, and those with underlying health conditions,” the study’s authors wrote.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The adverse effects are borne disproportionately by the most vulnerable, including infants, children and the elderly, people of color, those with low incomes, and those with underlying health conditions,” the study’s authors wrote.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Advocates have repeatedly raised those concerns despite assurances from developers that they would make a state-of-the-art facility to minimize health impacts.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Advocates have repeatedly raised those concerns despite assurances from developers that they would make a state-of-the-art facility to minimize health impacts.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At least some of the concerns were validated by the \u003ca href=\"https://ruic.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Port-Study-RUIC-Bulk-Commodity-Ocean-Terminals-Study.pdf\">recent\u003c/a> investor report, which contained a surprising revelation: that the coal would be stored in “open-air bunkers.” That appeared to contradict previous assurances from developers that they would store the coal in covered silos to minimize the spread of toxic dust. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At least some of the concerns were validated by the \u003ca href=\"https://ruic.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Port-Study-RUIC-Bulk-Commodity-Ocean-Terminals-Study.pdf\">recent\u003c/a> investor report, which contained a surprising revelation: that the coal would be stored in “open-air bunkers.” That appeared to contradict previous assurances from developers that they would store the coal in covered silos to minimize the spread of toxic dust. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In this incredibly windy area we live in, all that coal is gonna get blown all around and really impact the community,” Eichenberg said “And the developer had promised to have a state-of-the-art facility with everything covered. So we’re deeply disappointed that these kinds of impacts are being imposed on the community.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“In this incredibly windy area we live in, all that coal is gonna get blown all around and really impact the community,” Eichenberg said “And the developer had promised to have a state-of-the-art facility with everything covered. So we’re deeply disappointed that these kinds of impacts are being imposed on the community.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The developer must now contend with environmental review red tape, as concerns grow over coal dust and health risks.",
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"title": "Newsom Signs Coal Terminal Law as Oakland Wins Key Court Fight | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A controversial \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914067/trump-administration-shovels-75-million-into-controversial-oakland-coal-terminal\">proposed coal terminal\u003c/a> in West Oakland was dealt two major blows this week, presenting new obstacles for the Trump administration-backed project.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, a Kentucky federal court threw out a $1 billion lawsuit against Oakland from one of the developers behind the proposed export facility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company in that case, Insight Terminal Solutions, argued that the city interfered with its plans to build a facility that would process millions of tons of coal, leading to the company’s bankruptcy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same day, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 40 into law, which requires that developers prepare an environmental impact report before building a large-volume bulk coal facility. The law applies to any such new facility in the state but its author, Oakland Assemblymember Mia Bonta, designed the bill to apply to the so-called West Gateway Terminal project. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084670\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about his state budget proposal on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Sacramento, California. Newsom signed AB 40 into law this week, which requires developers prepare an environmental impact report before building a large-volume bulk coal facility. (Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If approved, more than 13 million tons of coal per year would be shipped overseas from the facility and stored in the open, according to a recent \u003ca href=\"https://ruic.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Port-Study-RUIC-Bulk-Commodity-Ocean-Terminals-Study.pdf\">report\u003c/a> prepared for investors. After lawsuits from the city of Oakland bogged the project down for decades, the Trump administration announced a $75 million investment into the project in June. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The project, which would be built on part of the former Oakland Army Base, is being pushed by developer Oakland Bulk Oversized Terminal, and formerly by Kentucky-based ITS, which was contracted to ship the coal out of the terminal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After a years-long legal battle with the city, OBOT succeeded through appeals last year and is still moving forward with the project. But the court drama didn’t end there. In 2025, a Kentucky bankruptcy judge found that Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/us/oakland-coal-port-budget-bankruptcy.html#commentsContainer\">burdened\u003c/a> ITS, and could owe the company between $230 and $654 million. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Kicked from Kentucky court \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a higher court, however, ITS’s case ran into challenges. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In his decision Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Benjamin Beaton said he chose to abstain from the case because it likely belonged in a California court instead, and vacated the 2025 bankruptcy ruling. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ITS’s decision to file an adversary proceeding in bankruptcy court in Kentucky, rather than to sue in the California courts, carries at least a whiff of forum shopping,” Beaton wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087608\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CoalOaklandGetty-1536x1003.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A train loaded with coal approaches the Levin-Richmond Terminal in Richmond, California, on July 23, 2015. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The City of Oakland maintained from the start that this case was improper and should be dismissed,” the Oakland city attorney’s office said in a statement. “The district court agreed, and we’re pleased with the result.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Had Oakland been forced to pay ITS, it also could have also pushed the city to bankruptcy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is wonderful news for Oakland, and I think it takes the sword off of their neck,” said Ben Eichenberg, a senior staff attorney for pollution watchdog group San Francisco Baykeeper. “It’s my hope that what this means is that the city feels it can once again take a stand representing the majority of people in Oakland who do not want this terminal.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">New roadblocks and concerns \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though the coal would not be burned in Oakland, residents and environmental justice advocates worry that coal dust from uncovered trains blowing through the city could \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11749299/asthma-rates-higher-in-californias-historically-redlined-communities-new-study-finds\">add to existing health burdens\u003c/a>. Parts of West and East Oakland already suffer from some of the highest asthma-related emergency room visits and hospitalization \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/ab617-community-health/air-pollution-and-health-risks_oakland-060418-pdf.pdf?la=en\">rates\u003c/a> in the country due to pollution from highways and industrial operations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bonta’s Community First Coal Review Act specifically addresses West Oakland’s environmental justice concerns. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“West Oakland residents are predominantly people of color, and the life expectancy for an African American child born and raised in West Oakland is at least 15 years fewer than for a white child born and raised in wealthier Oakland neighborhoods,” reads part of the legislation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Local advocates who have been opposing the development for years applauded the governor’s signing of AB 40. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This clears the way for a very comprehensive examination of the environmental impacts and requirements for mitigating all of those impacts,” Ted Franklin, an organizer with No Coal in Oakland said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A 2023 \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/news/coal-trains-increase-air-pollution-san-francisco-bay-area\">study\u003c/a> by UC Davis researchers looked at trains carrying coal on the way to a terminal in Richmond and found that the transportation, handling and storage of coal all significantly increase community exposure to PM 2.5, or fine particulate matter. Exposure to fine particulate matter can \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4740125/\">cause\u003c/a> asthma and respiratory inflammation, jeopardize lung functions and even promote cancers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The adverse effects are borne disproportionately by the most vulnerable, including infants, children and the elderly, people of color, those with low incomes, and those with underlying health conditions,” the study’s authors wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Advocates have repeatedly raised those concerns despite assurances from developers that they would make a state-of-the-art facility to minimize health impacts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At least some of the concerns were validated by the \u003ca href=\"https://ruic.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Port-Study-RUIC-Bulk-Commodity-Ocean-Terminals-Study.pdf\">recent\u003c/a> investor report, which contained a surprising revelation: that the coal would be stored in “open-air bunkers.” That appeared to contradict previous assurances from developers that they would store the coal in covered silos to minimize the spread of toxic dust. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In this incredibly windy area we live in, all that coal is gonna get blown all around and really impact the community,” Eichenberg said “And the developer had promised to have a state-of-the-art facility with everything covered. So we’re deeply disappointed that these kinds of impacts are being imposed on the community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "air-district-reconsidering-prescribed-burns-following-smoky-skies",
"title": "Bay Area Air District Reconsiders Permit Process for Prescribed Burns",
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"headTitle": "Bay Area Air District Reconsiders Permit Process for Prescribed Burns | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>After a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100934/angel-island-prescribed-burn-to-resume-this-week\">controlled burn on Angel Island\u003c/a> this week sent smoke into residential areas across the Bay Area — and pushed air quality along the Richmond coast above 400 on the Air Quality Index — regulators said they’re now considering changing how permits are issued for future prescribed fires.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The saga began with a planned burn of 260 acres of the state park on Sept. 8. That attempt, however, was called off the following day, after discussions with the Bay Area Air District and complaints about smoke.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In planning a second attempt on Sept. 23 with California State Parks and Cal Fire, Andrea Polidori, deputy executive officer of science with the Bay Area Air District, said his staff reviewed weather conditions, multiple forecasts and lessons learned the first time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our meteorologists looked at conditions that are expected to minimize smoke impact in the community,” Polidori said. “The forecast on that day indicated conditions favorable for smoke to rise and disperse into the atmosphere.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3685-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101359\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3685-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3685-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3685-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Smoke from a prescribed burn on Angel Island lingers along the coast of Point Richmond on the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. Further burns have been put on hold for the remainder of the year due to air quality concerns. (Brian Krans/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, the prescribed burn on Angel Island had to be called off early for a second time, after smoke from the fires dramatically impacted air quality for residents nearby. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wednesday began as an atypically windless early fall morning on the Bay, which was remarkably still. Fire crews \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31756\">started burning at 10 a.m\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the wind shifted by the early afternoon, sending plumes of smoke to San Francisco and West Contra Costa County — the latter of which already has \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/ab617-community-health/richmond/richmondsanpabloairmonitoringplanjuly2020-pdf.pdf?la=en\">high rates of asthma\u003c/a> due to chronic air pollution from the fossil fuel and other industries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They were wrong, and all of us were negatively impacted,” John Gioia, a Contra Costa County supervisor and member of the air district’s board, said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Ddpgg6Ky9pa/\">post on Instagram\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Notifications on air quality apps in Richmond glowed purple and showed an avatar wearing a respiratory mask. Even a few minutes in the air without a mask left this reporter with burning nostrils and a stinging headache. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From atop the hills of Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline — known for its clear, panoramic views of the Bay — smoke blocked the view of Angel Island. By 2 p.m., Gioia \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/supejohngioia/status/2102879544432885913\">posted\u003c/a> that the Air District had called off the burn for the day and the rest of the year due to worsening air conditions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Air District said it received one complaint of someone with asthma needing to seek medical care due to the smoke. Polidori said the task was to minimize the impact of smoke to the community using information from weather forecasts and models.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Of course, these models are not perfect. There is always a kind of a level of uncertainty, and so we made the best decision with what we had, and, unfortunately, the wind shifted,” Polidori said. “What was difficult to forecast and predict was the ground concentration of fine particulate matter from the smoke, and so the impact was more than we predicted.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3684-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101358\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3684-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3684-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3684-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Smoke from a prescribed burn on Angel Island lingers along the coast of Point Richmond on the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. Further burns have been put on hold for the remainder of the year due to air quality concerns. (Brian Krans/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Smoke lingered over west Contra Costa County until the early evening hours. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gioia said he \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Ddpgg6Ky9pa/\">plans\u003c/a> to bring up the controlled burn permit review process at the air district’s Oct. 7 board \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/en/about-the-air-district/board-of-directors/resolutionsagendasminutes?event=c93d0b10-f389-42cb-8535-4a8c3cae892d\">meeting\u003c/a> in San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prescribed burns are an important part of forest management because they prevent larger, uncontrolled wildfires from being more destructive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fire experts say controlled burns can only be safely done during small windows of time, while taking into consideration factors like weather conditions and predicted smoke movement, among other things. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ryan Forbes, a spokesperson for the State Parks Department, said that though the wind shifting pushed the smoke into residential areas, it was still a better scenario than if the smoke came from a wildfire because firefighters were already on the ground and had much greater control of when the fire started and ended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We don’t want to diminish in any way the impacts that can happen, particularly to those in sensitive groups, and that’s another big reason … to do it as a prescribed burn,” he said. “It makes it able for people to hopefully plan around this and try and mitigate those smoke impacts to themselves, as opposed with a wildfire, where we’re not going to get much notice.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100944\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fire crews start a prescribed burn on Angel Island on Sept. 8. State Parks burned 62 acres but did not finish, following discussions with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District on the island. (Courtesy of Cal Fire)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Forbes said that crews were able to burn 147 of the 260 acres they planned. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That could help lessen damage from a future wildfire, which requires fire equipment and personnel from off the island, which Forbes said is no simple task.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The thing with Angel Island that makes that so scary is there’s really only one landing craft in the Bay capable of moving fire trucks onto the island,” Forbes said. “In the event that we have to respond to a fire on the island, getting resources over to stop it is a very potentially concerning task because you can only move so quickly.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Polidori apologized for any impact the smoke had on the community. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As public servants, our role and our duty is to protect the health of the community that we serve,” he said. “This is definitely an opportunity for us to go back, reassess the process, reassess the situation, and really try to do better next time.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our meteorologists looked at conditions that are expected to minimize smoke impact in the community,” Polidori said. “The forecast on that day indicated conditions favorable for smoke to rise and disperse into the atmosphere.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3685-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101359\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3685-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3685-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3685-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Smoke from a prescribed burn on Angel Island lingers along the coast of Point Richmond on the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. Further burns have been put on hold for the remainder of the year due to air quality concerns.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian Krans/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, the prescribed burn on Angel Island had to be called off early for a second time, after smoke from the fires dramatically impacted air quality for residents nearby. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wednesday began as an atypically windless early fall morning on the Bay, which was remarkably still. Fire crews \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31756\">started burning at 10 a.m\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the wind shifted by the early afternoon, sending plumes of smoke to San Francisco and West Contra Costa County — the latter of which already has \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/ab617-community-health/richmond/richmondsanpabloairmonitoringplanjuly2020-pdf.pdf?la=en\">high rates of asthma\u003c/a> due to chronic air pollution from the fossil fuel and other industries. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They were wrong, and all of us were negatively impacted,” John Gioia, a Contra Costa County supervisor and member of the air district’s board, said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Ddpgg6Ky9pa/\">post on Instagram\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Notifications on air quality apps in Richmond glowed purple and showed an avatar wearing a respiratory mask. Even a few minutes in the air without a mask left this reporter with burning nostrils and a stinging headache. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Notifications on air quality apps in Richmond glowed purple and showed an avatar wearing a respiratory mask. Even a few minutes in the air without a mask left this reporter with burning nostrils and a stinging headache. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>From atop the hills of Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline — known for its clear, panoramic views of the Bay — smoke blocked the view of Angel Island. By 2 p.m., Gioia \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/supejohngioia/status/2102879544432885913\">posted\u003c/a> that the Air District had called off the burn for the day and the rest of the year due to worsening air conditions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>From atop the hills of Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline — known for its clear, panoramic views of the Bay — smoke blocked the view of Angel Island. By 2 p.m., Gioia \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/supejohngioia/status/2102879544432885913\">posted\u003c/a> that the Air District had called off the burn for the day and the rest of the year due to worsening air conditions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Air District said it received one complaint of someone with asthma needing to seek medical care due to the smoke. Polidori said the task was to minimize the impact of smoke to the community using information from weather forecasts and models.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Air District said it received one complaint of someone with asthma needing to seek medical care due to the smoke. Polidori said the task was to minimize the impact of smoke to the community using information from weather forecasts and models.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Of course, these models are not perfect. There is always a kind of a level of uncertainty, and so we made the best decision with what we had, and, unfortunately, the wind shifted,” Polidori said. “What was difficult to forecast and predict was the ground concentration of fine particulate matter from the smoke, and so the impact was more than we predicted.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Of course, these models are not perfect. There is always a kind of a level of uncertainty, and so we made the best decision with what we had, and, unfortunately, the wind shifted,” Polidori said. “What was difficult to forecast and predict was the ground concentration of fine particulate matter from the smoke, and so the impact was more than we predicted.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3684-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101358\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3684-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3684-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3684-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Smoke from a prescribed burn on Angel Island lingers along the coast of Point Richmond on the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. Further burns have been put on hold for the remainder of the year due to air quality concerns.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian Krans/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3684-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101358\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Smoke from a prescribed burn on Angel Island lingers along the coast of Point Richmond on the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. Further burns have been put on hold for the remainder of the year due to air quality concerns.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian Krans/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Smoke lingered over west Contra Costa County until the early evening hours. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Smoke lingered over west Contra Costa County until the early evening hours. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gioia said he \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Ddpgg6Ky9pa/\">plans\u003c/a> to bring up the controlled burn permit review process at the air district’s Oct. 7 board \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/en/about-the-air-district/board-of-directors/resolutionsagendasminutes?event=c93d0b10-f389-42cb-8535-4a8c3cae892d\">meeting\u003c/a> in San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gioia said he \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Ddpgg6Ky9pa/\">plans\u003c/a> to bring up the controlled burn permit review process at the air district’s Oct. 7 board \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/en/about-the-air-district/board-of-directors/resolutionsagendasminutes?event=c93d0b10-f389-42cb-8535-4a8c3cae892d\">meeting\u003c/a> in San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prescribed burns are an important part of forest management because they prevent larger, uncontrolled wildfires from being more destructive. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prescribed burns are an important part of forest management because they prevent larger, uncontrolled wildfires from being more destructive. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fire experts say controlled burns can only be safely done during small windows of time, while taking into consideration factors like weather conditions and predicted smoke movement, among other things. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Fire experts say controlled burns can only be safely done during small windows of time, while taking into consideration factors like weather conditions and predicted smoke movement, among other things. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ryan Forbes, a spokesperson for the State Parks Department, said that though the wind shifting pushed the smoke into residential areas, it was still a better scenario than if the smoke came from a wildfire because firefighters were already on the ground and had much greater control of when the fire started and ended. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ryan Forbes, a spokesperson for the State Parks Department, said that though the wind shifting pushed the smoke into residential areas, it was still a better scenario than if the smoke came from a wildfire because firefighters were already on the ground and had much greater control of when the fire started and ended. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We don’t want to diminish in any way the impacts that can happen, particularly to those in sensitive groups, and that’s another big reason … to do it as a prescribed burn,” he said. “It makes it able for people to hopefully plan around this and try and mitigate those smoke impacts to themselves, as opposed with a wildfire, where we’re not going to get much notice.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We don’t want to diminish in any way the impacts that can happen, particularly to those in sensitive groups, and that’s another big reason … to do it as a prescribed burn,” he said. “It makes it able for people to hopefully plan around this and try and mitigate those smoke impacts to themselves, as opposed with a wildfire, where we’re not going to get much notice.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100944\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fire crews start a prescribed burn on Angel Island on Sept. 8. State Parks burned 62 acres but did not finish, following discussions with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District on the island.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Cal Fire)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100944\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fire crews start a prescribed burn on Angel Island on Sept. 8. State Parks burned 62 acres but did not finish, following discussions with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District on the island.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Cal Fire)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Forbes said that crews were able to burn 147 of the 260 acres they planned. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Forbes said that crews were able to burn 147 of the 260 acres they planned. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That could help lessen damage from a future wildfire, which requires fire equipment and personnel from off the island, which Forbes said is no simple task.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That could help lessen damage from a future wildfire, which requires fire equipment and personnel from off the island, which Forbes said is no simple task.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The thing with Angel Island that makes that so scary is there’s really only one landing craft in the Bay capable of moving fire trucks onto the island,” Forbes said. “In the event that we have to respond to a fire on the island, getting resources over to stop it is a very potentially concerning task because you can only move so quickly.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The thing with Angel Island that makes that so scary is there’s really only one landing craft in the Bay capable of moving fire trucks onto the island,” Forbes said. “In the event that we have to respond to a fire on the island, getting resources over to stop it is a very potentially concerning task because you can only move so quickly.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Polidori apologized for any impact the smoke had on the community. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Polidori apologized for any impact the smoke had on the community. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As public servants, our role and our duty is to protect the health of the community that we serve,” he said. “This is definitely an opportunity for us to go back, reassess the process, reassess the situation, and really try to do better next time.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“As public servants, our role and our duty is to protect the health of the community that we serve,” he said. “This is definitely an opportunity for us to go back, reassess the process, reassess the situation, and really try to do better next time.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Shifting winds sent smoke from a planned wildfire intervention effort into San Francisco and western Contra Costa County.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>After a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100934/angel-island-prescribed-burn-to-resume-this-week\">controlled burn on Angel Island\u003c/a> this week sent smoke into residential areas across the Bay Area — and pushed air quality along the Richmond coast above 400 on the Air Quality Index — regulators said they’re now considering changing how permits are issued for future prescribed fires.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The saga began with a planned burn of 260 acres of the state park on Sept. 8. That attempt, however, was called off the following day, after discussions with the Bay Area Air District and complaints about smoke.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In planning a second attempt on Sept. 23 with California State Parks and Cal Fire, Andrea Polidori, deputy executive officer of science with the Bay Area Air District, said his staff reviewed weather conditions, multiple forecasts and lessons learned the first time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our meteorologists looked at conditions that are expected to minimize smoke impact in the community,” Polidori said. “The forecast on that day indicated conditions favorable for smoke to rise and disperse into the atmosphere.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3685-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101359\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3685-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3685-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3685-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Smoke from a prescribed burn on Angel Island lingers along the coast of Point Richmond on the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. Further burns have been put on hold for the remainder of the year due to air quality concerns. (Brian Krans/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, the prescribed burn on Angel Island had to be called off early for a second time, after smoke from the fires dramatically impacted air quality for residents nearby. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wednesday began as an atypically windless early fall morning on the Bay, which was remarkably still. Fire crews \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31756\">started burning at 10 a.m\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the wind shifted by the early afternoon, sending plumes of smoke to San Francisco and West Contra Costa County — the latter of which already has \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/ab617-community-health/richmond/richmondsanpabloairmonitoringplanjuly2020-pdf.pdf?la=en\">high rates of asthma\u003c/a> due to chronic air pollution from the fossil fuel and other industries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They were wrong, and all of us were negatively impacted,” John Gioia, a Contra Costa County supervisor and member of the air district’s board, said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Ddpgg6Ky9pa/\">post on Instagram\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Notifications on air quality apps in Richmond glowed purple and showed an avatar wearing a respiratory mask. Even a few minutes in the air without a mask left this reporter with burning nostrils and a stinging headache. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From atop the hills of Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline — known for its clear, panoramic views of the Bay — smoke blocked the view of Angel Island. By 2 p.m., Gioia \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/supejohngioia/status/2102879544432885913\">posted\u003c/a> that the Air District had called off the burn for the day and the rest of the year due to worsening air conditions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Air District said it received one complaint of someone with asthma needing to seek medical care due to the smoke. Polidori said the task was to minimize the impact of smoke to the community using information from weather forecasts and models.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Of course, these models are not perfect. There is always a kind of a level of uncertainty, and so we made the best decision with what we had, and, unfortunately, the wind shifted,” Polidori said. “What was difficult to forecast and predict was the ground concentration of fine particulate matter from the smoke, and so the impact was more than we predicted.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3684-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101358\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3684-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3684-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/IMG_3684-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Smoke from a prescribed burn on Angel Island lingers along the coast of Point Richmond on the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. Further burns have been put on hold for the remainder of the year due to air quality concerns. (Brian Krans/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Smoke lingered over west Contra Costa County until the early evening hours. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gioia said he \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Ddpgg6Ky9pa/\">plans\u003c/a> to bring up the controlled burn permit review process at the air district’s Oct. 7 board \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/en/about-the-air-district/board-of-directors/resolutionsagendasminutes?event=c93d0b10-f389-42cb-8535-4a8c3cae892d\">meeting\u003c/a> in San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prescribed burns are an important part of forest management because they prevent larger, uncontrolled wildfires from being more destructive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fire experts say controlled burns can only be safely done during small windows of time, while taking into consideration factors like weather conditions and predicted smoke movement, among other things. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ryan Forbes, a spokesperson for the State Parks Department, said that though the wind shifting pushed the smoke into residential areas, it was still a better scenario than if the smoke came from a wildfire because firefighters were already on the ground and had much greater control of when the fire started and ended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We don’t want to diminish in any way the impacts that can happen, particularly to those in sensitive groups, and that’s another big reason … to do it as a prescribed burn,” he said. “It makes it able for people to hopefully plan around this and try and mitigate those smoke impacts to themselves, as opposed with a wildfire, where we’re not going to get much notice.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100944\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fire crews start a prescribed burn on Angel Island on Sept. 8. State Parks burned 62 acres but did not finish, following discussions with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District on the island. (Courtesy of Cal Fire)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Forbes said that crews were able to burn 147 of the 260 acres they planned. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That could help lessen damage from a future wildfire, which requires fire equipment and personnel from off the island, which Forbes said is no simple task.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The thing with Angel Island that makes that so scary is there’s really only one landing craft in the Bay capable of moving fire trucks onto the island,” Forbes said. “In the event that we have to respond to a fire on the island, getting resources over to stop it is a very potentially concerning task because you can only move so quickly.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Polidori apologized for any impact the smoke had on the community. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As public servants, our role and our duty is to protect the health of the community that we serve,” he said. “This is definitely an opportunity for us to go back, reassess the process, reassess the situation, and really try to do better next time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"soldout": {
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"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
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"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
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