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"content": "\u003cp>A week after Valero \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036695/shocking-news-valero-announces-plans-to-end-operations-at-benicia-refinery\">announced plans\u003c/a> to “idle, restructure or cease” operations at its massive Benicia oil refinery by next April, company executives said that while the plant’s closure was more than likely, it was not yet a foregone conclusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an \u003ca href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4777736-valero-energy-corporation-vlo-q1-2025-earnings-call-transcript\">earnings call\u003c/a> Thursday, Valero executives left open the possibility of a Hail Mary, saying they had plans to meet with state and local officials to discuss potential options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do think there’s a genuine interest in California to avoid the closure,” Richard Walsh, Valero’s executive vice president, said during the call. But he quickly added, “Our current intent right now is to close the refinery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero CEO Lane Riggs cited California’s tough “regulatory and enforcement environment” as the main driver behind the company’s intent to cease operations at the sprawling North Bay facility. The sixth-largest refinery in the state, it currently produces up to 145,000 barrels of crude oil a day, accounting for \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/californias-petroleum-market/californias-oil-refineries\">about 9%\u003c/a> of the state’s production.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California has been pursuing policies to move away from fossil fuels for really the past 20 years,” Riggs said, calling the state’s regulations “the most stringent and difficult of anywhere else in North America.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia Mayor Steve Young doesn’t disagree with the assessment, but said he wishes the company had provided more lead time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12036242 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/ValeroBenicia-1020x765.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to get moving on this quickly because 12 months is not a long time given the severity of the economic impact,” said Young, noting that nearly 20% of Benicia’s $60 million budget comes from the refinery. “I think that’s part of my frustration, is how little time we have to try to plan for some kind of an alternative.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shutting down the facility, he added, would also be a major blow to the hundreds of residents who work there, not to mention the scores of restaurants, hotels and other businesses that provide services to those workers in this city of some 27,000 residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Valero refinery is also the exclusive supplier of jet fuel to nearby Travis Air Force Base, which it delivers through a direct pipeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that is stopped, what does that mean to the base?” Young said. “Travis uses an amazing amount of fuel to fly all their planes, much more than can be easily replaced, and certainly not replaced within a year. So I think that this becomes a matter of real concern to the Defense Department and it’s potentially a national security issue.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero dropped its bombshell April 16 announcement roughly six months after regional and state air regulators fined the company a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">record $82 million\u003c/a> for secretly exceeding toxic emissions standards for at least 15 years. And last month, city leaders voted unanimously to impose moderate \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029845/benicia-moves-toward-tougher-oversight-of-valero-refinery\">new safety regulations\u003c/a> on the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11906319\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 345px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11906319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png\" alt=\"Map showing location of Valero's Benicia refinery\" width=\"345\" height=\"362\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png 940w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-800x839.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-160x168.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 345px) 100vw, 345px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u003ci>Map by Matthew Green/KQED\u003c/i>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I suspect that compared to other refinery operators, they’re a pretty good business operator. But they’ve also had a pretty bad track record on public safety,” said Terry Mollica, who leads a group of residents that pushed for the city’s new safety rules to increase oversight of the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Mollica said that he doesn’t think anybody in his group is particularly excited about the possibility of the facility closing altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There would be long-term and short-term impacts on the community,” he said. “People would lose their jobs. None of us want to see that happen particularly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has owned and operated the Benicia refinery since 2000. The refinery was originally built in 1968 for Humble Oil, later called Exxon, and began operations the following year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Its possible closure comes amid a growing exodus of traditional oil refiners in California. \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/phillips-66-rodeo-conversion-project-to-begin-operations-in-q1\">Phillips 66’s refinery in Rodeo\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/marathon-martinez-biorefinery-to-reach-full-capacity-by-year-end\">Marathon’s facility in Martinez \u003c/a>both recently converted operations to biofuel production. Phillips 66 also \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-10-16/phillips-66-will-shut-historic-wilmington-refinery\">plans to close\u003c/a> its Los Angeles-area refinery — the seventh largest in the state — later this year.[aside postID=news_12011785 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2016/10/Refinery-1920x1440.jpg']And Valero executives, in this week’s earnings call, hinted that they may also soon consider “strategic alternatives” for the company’s only other California refinery, located near Los Angeles, which accounts for more than 5% of the state’s crude oil supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is phasing out its gasoline consumption and refiners see that coming,” said Severin Borenstein, a UC Berkeley energy economist. “We should be seriously concerned about how all that gasoline supply is going to get replaced.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has dramatically reduced its reliance on fossil fuels in recent decades, but most residents still drive gas-powered cars and will continue to do so for years to come, Borenstein said, even though the state already has some of the highest gas prices in the nation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom underscored that sense of urgency this week \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GovNewsomLetterCECGunda.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in a letter (PDF)\u003c/a> to California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda. He urged the commission to “redouble” its efforts to ensure refiners “continue to see the value in serving the California market, even as demand for fossil fuels continues its gradual decline over the coming decades.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am directing you … to reinforce the State’s openness to a collaborative relationship and our firm belief that Californians can be protected from price spikes and refiners can profitably operate in California — a market where demand for gasoline will still exist for years to come,” Newsom wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12037805\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1947px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12037805\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1947\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed.jpg 1947w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-800x548.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-1020x698.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-1536x1052.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-1920x1315.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1947px) 100vw, 1947px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A customer prepares to pump gas into his truck at a Valero gas station on July 22, 2013 in Mill Valley. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Almost immediately after Valero’s announcement, Newsom was lambasted by state Assembly Republicans, who said the potential closure was among the growing number of “real-world consequences” of [his] war on California energy producers that was “becoming clearer by the day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his letter, Newsom defended two different laws he signed in the last two years that give the state more oversight of the oil industry and regulate backup supply when refineries go offline in order to prevent market irregularities. He also asked state energy and environmental officials to produce a report by July 1 on “any changes in the State’s approach that are needed to ensure adequate supply during this transition.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The California Energy Commission continues to be committed to working with stakeholders to explore options to ensure an affordable, reliable, and safe transportation fuel supply,” Sandy Louey, a spokesperson for the commission, said in an email in response to Newsom’s letter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young, whose city has long felt the health impacts of the refinery’s toxic releases, said he understands the motivation behind California’s ambitious regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think certainly [California’s] done them for lots of good environmental reasons, and that obviously climate change is a real thing and burning fossil fuels is a direct contributor to it,” he said. “Did they go too far? I don’t want to say that. But it certainly has created an environment where oil companies feel that either they’ve been unfairly targeted or they are just seeing this as perhaps a way to negotiate some rollbacks of some of those things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young acknowledged that the refinery’s closure would yield some “net benefit” to the health and safety of his community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And so from an environmental point of view, sure, it’s certainly possible to look at it as a silver lining,” he said. “But overall, given how quick this is unfolding, I’m certainly not celebrating it by any means.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero CEO Lane Riggs cited California’s tough “regulatory and enforcement environment” as the main driver behind the company’s intent to cease operations at the sprawling North Bay facility. The sixth-largest refinery in the state, it currently produces up to 145,000 barrels of crude oil a day, accounting for \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/californias-petroleum-market/californias-oil-refineries\">about 9%\u003c/a> of the state’s production.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California has been pursuing policies to move away from fossil fuels for really the past 20 years,” Riggs said, calling the state’s regulations “the most stringent and difficult of anywhere else in North America.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia Mayor Steve Young doesn’t disagree with the assessment, but said he wishes the company had provided more lead time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to get moving on this quickly because 12 months is not a long time given the severity of the economic impact,” said Young, noting that nearly 20% of Benicia’s $60 million budget comes from the refinery. “I think that’s part of my frustration, is how little time we have to try to plan for some kind of an alternative.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shutting down the facility, he added, would also be a major blow to the hundreds of residents who work there, not to mention the scores of restaurants, hotels and other businesses that provide services to those workers in this city of some 27,000 residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Valero refinery is also the exclusive supplier of jet fuel to nearby Travis Air Force Base, which it delivers through a direct pipeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that is stopped, what does that mean to the base?” Young said. “Travis uses an amazing amount of fuel to fly all their planes, much more than can be easily replaced, and certainly not replaced within a year. So I think that this becomes a matter of real concern to the Defense Department and it’s potentially a national security issue.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero dropped its bombshell April 16 announcement roughly six months after regional and state air regulators fined the company a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">record $82 million\u003c/a> for secretly exceeding toxic emissions standards for at least 15 years. And last month, city leaders voted unanimously to impose moderate \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029845/benicia-moves-toward-tougher-oversight-of-valero-refinery\">new safety regulations\u003c/a> on the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11906319\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 345px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11906319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png\" alt=\"Map showing location of Valero's Benicia refinery\" width=\"345\" height=\"362\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery.png 940w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-800x839.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/BeniciaRefinery-160x168.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 345px) 100vw, 345px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u003ci>Map by Matthew Green/KQED\u003c/i>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I suspect that compared to other refinery operators, they’re a pretty good business operator. But they’ve also had a pretty bad track record on public safety,” said Terry Mollica, who leads a group of residents that pushed for the city’s new safety rules to increase oversight of the refinery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Mollica said that he doesn’t think anybody in his group is particularly excited about the possibility of the facility closing altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There would be long-term and short-term impacts on the community,” he said. “People would lose their jobs. None of us want to see that happen particularly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero has owned and operated the Benicia refinery since 2000. The refinery was originally built in 1968 for Humble Oil, later called Exxon, and began operations the following year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Its possible closure comes amid a growing exodus of traditional oil refiners in California. \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/phillips-66-rodeo-conversion-project-to-begin-operations-in-q1\">Phillips 66’s refinery in Rodeo\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/marathon-martinez-biorefinery-to-reach-full-capacity-by-year-end\">Marathon’s facility in Martinez \u003c/a>both recently converted operations to biofuel production. Phillips 66 also \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-10-16/phillips-66-will-shut-historic-wilmington-refinery\">plans to close\u003c/a> its Los Angeles-area refinery — the seventh largest in the state — later this year.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>And Valero executives, in this week’s earnings call, hinted that they may also soon consider “strategic alternatives” for the company’s only other California refinery, located near Los Angeles, which accounts for more than 5% of the state’s crude oil supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is phasing out its gasoline consumption and refiners see that coming,” said Severin Borenstein, a UC Berkeley energy economist. “We should be seriously concerned about how all that gasoline supply is going to get replaced.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has dramatically reduced its reliance on fossil fuels in recent decades, but most residents still drive gas-powered cars and will continue to do so for years to come, Borenstein said, even though the state already has some of the highest gas prices in the nation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom underscored that sense of urgency this week \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GovNewsomLetterCECGunda.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in a letter (PDF)\u003c/a> to California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda. He urged the commission to “redouble” its efforts to ensure refiners “continue to see the value in serving the California market, even as demand for fossil fuels continues its gradual decline over the coming decades.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am directing you … to reinforce the State’s openness to a collaborative relationship and our firm belief that Californians can be protected from price spikes and refiners can profitably operate in California — a market where demand for gasoline will still exist for years to come,” Newsom wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12037805\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1947px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12037805\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1947\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed.jpg 1947w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-800x548.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-1020x698.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-1536x1052.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/174246469_qed-1920x1315.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1947px) 100vw, 1947px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A customer prepares to pump gas into his truck at a Valero gas station on July 22, 2013 in Mill Valley. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Almost immediately after Valero’s announcement, Newsom was lambasted by state Assembly Republicans, who said the potential closure was among the growing number of “real-world consequences” of [his] war on California energy producers that was “becoming clearer by the day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his letter, Newsom defended two different laws he signed in the last two years that give the state more oversight of the oil industry and regulate backup supply when refineries go offline in order to prevent market irregularities. He also asked state energy and environmental officials to produce a report by July 1 on “any changes in the State’s approach that are needed to ensure adequate supply during this transition.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The California Energy Commission continues to be committed to working with stakeholders to explore options to ensure an affordable, reliable, and safe transportation fuel supply,” Sandy Louey, a spokesperson for the commission, said in an email in response to Newsom’s letter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young, whose city has long felt the health impacts of the refinery’s toxic releases, said he understands the motivation behind California’s ambitious regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think certainly [California’s] done them for lots of good environmental reasons, and that obviously climate change is a real thing and burning fossil fuels is a direct contributor to it,” he said. “Did they go too far? I don’t want to say that. But it certainly has created an environment where oil companies feel that either they’ve been unfairly targeted or they are just seeing this as perhaps a way to negotiate some rollbacks of some of those things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young acknowledged that the refinery’s closure would yield some “net benefit” to the health and safety of his community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And so from an environmental point of view, sure, it’s certainly possible to look at it as a silver lining,” he said. “But overall, given how quick this is unfolding, I’m certainly not celebrating it by any means.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12035621/historic-deal-end-point-reyes-ranching-threatened-republicans-probe\">congressional probe\u003c/a> into the historic settlement between ranchers and environmentalists at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/point-reyes\">Point Reyes National Seashore\u003c/a> is uniting the unexpected allies over a clear message: Leave the deal alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>House Republicans who launched the investigation this month had accused the Nature Conservancy of “muzzling” ranchers and expressed concerns over a lack of transparency and the environmental and legal consequences of the deal. A dozen ranchers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021426/point-reyes-ranching-will-all-but-end-under-new-deal-capping-decades-long-conflict\">agreed in January to lease buyouts\u003c/a> by the Nature Conservancy, setting up the end of most ranching in the longtime North Bay agricultural region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Republicans alleged that many leaseholders were unhappy with the buyout terms, ranchers have called the deal their “only viable path forward,” one that promised compensation and an end to years of environmental litigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are sincerely thankful for the resources that the Nature Conservancy brought to bear to resolve what for us was an untenable situation,” seven of the departing ranch owners, who are members of the Point Reyes Seashore Ranchers Association, wrote last week in a joint letter to Rep. Bruce Westerman, the chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources and one of the Republicans who initiated the probe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The investigation was started without the knowledge of the top-ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Jared Huffman, who represents \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/marin-county\">West Marin\u003c/a> and previously told KQED that the move could “blow up” the historic land deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12035621 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PointReyesNationalSeashoreGetty-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The deal, which the ranchers’ statement called “an opportunity and a lifeline,” sent shockwaves through West Marin, where family-run operations say they have spearheaded sustainable farming practices since shortly after the Gold Rush and where many low-income workers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030718/marin-county-declares-shelter-crisis-ranch-workers-poised-lose-homes\">rely on ranches’ affordable housing\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It promised to halt an ongoing lawsuit by three environmental groups in 2022 as they \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936802/cattle-ranching-is-at-the-center-of-a-battle-brewing-in-point-reyes\">sparred with ranchers\u003c/a> over land use, alleging that the ranchers dump large amounts of pollutants and greenhouse gases, causing ecological damage and harming the tule elk population that grazes there. It would also bar future similar litigation as the ranches finish out their existing property leases, some of which are set to last nearly 20 more years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, preventing future lawsuits hinges on the ranchers meeting the settlement’s terms for ceasing operations, according to a letter that environmental groups Advocates for the West, the Resource Renewal Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Western Watersheds Project sent Thursday in response to a document request from the House committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ranchers say that there isn’t any turning back on the deal and that the investigation only threatens to upend their protection from litigation and their payouts from the Nature Conservancy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One ranch has already closed down,” according to the letter from the members of the Point Reyes Seashore Ranchers Association. “Another ranch has purchased property elsewhere. Many of the families are currently cleaning out their ranch buildings and surroundings and removing possessions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12021428\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12021428\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/PointReyesCattleGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/PointReyesCattleGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/PointReyesCattleGetty-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/PointReyesCattleGetty-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/PointReyesCattleGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/PointReyesCattleGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/PointReyesCattleGetty-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cows in a meadow in Point Reyes National Seashore, located in Marin County, California, on Nov. 17, 2017. \u003ccite>(Gili Yaari/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>An attorney writing on behalf of three additional dairies sent a second letter to the Committee on Natural Resources last week, requesting that it allow the settlement to move forward without requiring their confidential mediation documents to be revealed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My clients are asking that their decisions be respected and that they be allowed to fulfill their\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>legal obligations under the agreements to close down their ranches in an orderly and appropriate manner and complete the transaction within the agreed timeline,” it reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the environmental groups targeted by the congressional investigation handed over more than 3,500 pages of documents related to the deal but said their mediation documents would not be released, citing attorney-client privilege and work product.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While they amplified the ranchers’ request to allow the settlement to continue, the environmental groups didn’t echo the ranchers’ other plea to Congress: to strengthen legal protections for ranchers on public lands elsewhere.[aside postID=news_12029675 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/NimanRanchGetty-1020x680.jpg']The dairies called for additional protections against “predatory litigation” by environmental activists, which they said has made it impossible for them to remain in Marin and the wider Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The dairies said they “urge our elected officials to examine how and why a state like California, where dairy, made up almost entirely of family farms, has been strangled by hostile regulations, activism, and litigation instead of being protected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029675/niman-ranch-challenges-point-reyes-seashore-settlement-in-lawsuit-over-ranching\">lawsuits fighting the settlement\u003c/a> deal have already been filed on behalf of ranching families and tenants who have long resided there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bill and Nicolette Niman, who operate one of the two ranches that isn’t party to the settlement, sued the National Park Service, alleging that its move to bar agricultural operations on most of the 28,000-acre seashore fails to account for Congress’ goal to preserve the area’s “ranching and agricultural heritage.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They believe the land should continue to be available to future generations of ranchers, even after those who have signed onto the settlement leave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other remaining ranch owner, David Evans, joined the Nimans’ suit, and in his own letter to the House committee, he urged it to provide protections from “green groups,” according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/most-point-reyes-seashore-ranchers-signal-support-for-buyout-deal-after-hou/?ref=home-icymysmallstories\">reporting by the \u003cem>Press Democrat\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Congress, when it authorized the seashore and created the seashore, granted the park service and the Secretary of the Interior the authority — should the initial ranchers decide to leave, as most have now done — to lease that land to a new generation of ranchers,” said Peter Prows, the attorney representing the Nimans. “That alternative of leasing it to others is something that the park service hasn’t considered in violation of the law, and it’s really unfortunate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12035621/historic-deal-end-point-reyes-ranching-threatened-republicans-probe\">congressional probe\u003c/a> into the historic settlement between ranchers and environmentalists at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/point-reyes\">Point Reyes National Seashore\u003c/a> is uniting the unexpected allies over a clear message: Leave the deal alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>House Republicans who launched the investigation this month had accused the Nature Conservancy of “muzzling” ranchers and expressed concerns over a lack of transparency and the environmental and legal consequences of the deal. A dozen ranchers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021426/point-reyes-ranching-will-all-but-end-under-new-deal-capping-decades-long-conflict\">agreed in January to lease buyouts\u003c/a> by the Nature Conservancy, setting up the end of most ranching in the longtime North Bay agricultural region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Republicans alleged that many leaseholders were unhappy with the buyout terms, ranchers have called the deal their “only viable path forward,” one that promised compensation and an end to years of environmental litigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The deal, which the ranchers’ statement called “an opportunity and a lifeline,” sent shockwaves through West Marin, where family-run operations say they have spearheaded sustainable farming practices since shortly after the Gold Rush and where many low-income workers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030718/marin-county-declares-shelter-crisis-ranch-workers-poised-lose-homes\">rely on ranches’ affordable housing\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It promised to halt an ongoing lawsuit by three environmental groups in 2022 as they \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936802/cattle-ranching-is-at-the-center-of-a-battle-brewing-in-point-reyes\">sparred with ranchers\u003c/a> over land use, alleging that the ranchers dump large amounts of pollutants and greenhouse gases, causing ecological damage and harming the tule elk population that grazes there. It would also bar future similar litigation as the ranches finish out their existing property leases, some of which are set to last nearly 20 more years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, preventing future lawsuits hinges on the ranchers meeting the settlement’s terms for ceasing operations, according to a letter that environmental groups Advocates for the West, the Resource Renewal Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Western Watersheds Project sent Thursday in response to a document request from the House committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ranchers say that there isn’t any turning back on the deal and that the investigation only threatens to upend their protection from litigation and their payouts from the Nature Conservancy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One ranch has already closed down,” according to the letter from the members of the Point Reyes Seashore Ranchers Association. “Another ranch has purchased property elsewhere. Many of the families are currently cleaning out their ranch buildings and surroundings and removing possessions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12021428\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12021428\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/PointReyesCattleGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/PointReyesCattleGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/PointReyesCattleGetty-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/PointReyesCattleGetty-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/PointReyesCattleGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/PointReyesCattleGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/PointReyesCattleGetty-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cows in a meadow in Point Reyes National Seashore, located in Marin County, California, on Nov. 17, 2017. \u003ccite>(Gili Yaari/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>An attorney writing on behalf of three additional dairies sent a second letter to the Committee on Natural Resources last week, requesting that it allow the settlement to move forward without requiring their confidential mediation documents to be revealed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My clients are asking that their decisions be respected and that they be allowed to fulfill their\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>legal obligations under the agreements to close down their ranches in an orderly and appropriate manner and complete the transaction within the agreed timeline,” it reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the environmental groups targeted by the congressional investigation handed over more than 3,500 pages of documents related to the deal but said their mediation documents would not be released, citing attorney-client privilege and work product.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While they amplified the ranchers’ request to allow the settlement to continue, the environmental groups didn’t echo the ranchers’ other plea to Congress: to strengthen legal protections for ranchers on public lands elsewhere.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The dairies called for additional protections against “predatory litigation” by environmental activists, which they said has made it impossible for them to remain in Marin and the wider Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The dairies said they “urge our elected officials to examine how and why a state like California, where dairy, made up almost entirely of family farms, has been strangled by hostile regulations, activism, and litigation instead of being protected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029675/niman-ranch-challenges-point-reyes-seashore-settlement-in-lawsuit-over-ranching\">lawsuits fighting the settlement\u003c/a> deal have already been filed on behalf of ranching families and tenants who have long resided there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bill and Nicolette Niman, who operate one of the two ranches that isn’t party to the settlement, sued the National Park Service, alleging that its move to bar agricultural operations on most of the 28,000-acre seashore fails to account for Congress’ goal to preserve the area’s “ranching and agricultural heritage.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They believe the land should continue to be available to future generations of ranchers, even after those who have signed onto the settlement leave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other remaining ranch owner, David Evans, joined the Nimans’ suit, and in his own letter to the House committee, he urged it to provide protections from “green groups,” according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/most-point-reyes-seashore-ranchers-signal-support-for-buyout-deal-after-hou/?ref=home-icymysmallstories\">reporting by the \u003cem>Press Democrat\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Congress, when it authorized the seashore and created the seashore, granted the park service and the Secretary of the Interior the authority — should the initial ranchers decide to leave, as most have now done — to lease that land to a new generation of ranchers,” said Peter Prows, the attorney representing the Nimans. “That alternative of leasing it to others is something that the park service hasn’t considered in violation of the law, and it’s really unfortunate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "this-startup-promises-to-recycle-the-junk-your-curbside-service-wont-take",
"title": "This Earth Day, a Startup Promises to Recycle the Junk Your Curbside Service Won’t Take",
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"headTitle": "This Earth Day, a Startup Promises to Recycle the Junk Your Curbside Service Won’t Take | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dropcap]G[/dropcap]abrielle LeCompte has long been suspicious of her curbside recycling service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt that I was throwing everything into the recycling bin,” she said. “And I didn’t feel like it was doing anything. I really felt like it’s not making a difference, like they’re going to throw it all in the landfill.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LeCompte was particularly perplexed by the never-ending supply of plastic material that rapidly accumulated in her small Alameda home — the food wrappers, produce bags, Amazon packaging and other omnipresent detritus of modern life that most curbside services don’t accept.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My biggest goal was to make the least amount of trash possible,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About a year ago, LeCompte signed up for a new subscription-based pickup service called Ridwell that now collects most of her used plastic packaging, old clothing, and other common household items that can’t go in the blue bin. The Seattle-based, venture capital-backed startup acts as a middleman, partnering with a bevy of nonprofits and manufacturers who use recycled materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Before, I was making like one bag of trash every three or four weeks,” she said. “And now I’m making about one bag of trash every eight to nine weeks, maybe even less.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LeCompte is among a small but growing army of eco-conscious, consumer-guilt-ridden Bay Area residents who, when it comes down to it, want to have their cake and recycle its packaging, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026746\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026746\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00025_grid.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00025_grid.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00025_grid-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00025_grid-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00025_grid-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00025_grid-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00025_grid-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some of the items collected and sorted at the Ridwell processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ridwell now operates in a swath of cities across the region — from Novato to San José — the company’s growth marked by a proliferation of its signature square-foot white metal collection containers outside customers’ front doors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A basic subscription, for $14 a month, includes pickups every two weeks of plastic film, batteries, lightbulbs, old clothing and shoes, along with a revolving “featured category,” like art supplies, bottle caps and bread bag cinches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For an additional $4, you can add in multilayer plastic material — the crinkly chip bags, candy wrappers and other stuff you can’t stick your fingers through. Additional tiers include even harder-to-recycle materials, like plastic foam and fluorescent light bulbs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re consumer-driven, right? [Companies] really influence us to buy, buy, buy,” LeCompte said. “But there’s no way to get rid of the stuff that we have. “So, for me, Ridwell is the easiest thing to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Launched in 2018, Ridwell is the brainchild of Ryan Metzger. The Seattle resident became increasingly frustrated with the inconvenience of tracking down responsible disposal options for dead batteries and other common household items, like paint, that you’re not supposed to toss in the trash but can’t put in the blue bin. He started a small “recycling carpool,” taking his 6-year-old son along on rides to collect items from neighbors and deliver them to local disposal sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As more neighbors signed up, entrepreneurship took root.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ridwell is \u003ca href=\"https://www.rabbitrecycling.com/\">among a small cadre\u003c/a> of recently launched pickup companies around the country that have identified a burgeoning market among consumers who seek to generate less waste without necessarily changing their consumption habits — and who feel increasingly hindered by the limitations of their municipal recycling programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new services come amid growing public awareness about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11901288/you-cant-recycle-your-way-out-californias-plastic-problem-and-what-to-do-about-it\">how relatively few things — especially plastic — actually get recycled\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_11901288]But it remains to be seen whether a company like Ridwell, which has yet to turn a profit, can ultimately become a viable business model in the competitive world of waste management while also continuing to fulfill its promise to divert an ever-expanding volume of crap out of landfills.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Junk matchmaker\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ridwell now has more than 110,000 members in the eight metropolitan areas it operates in — including Seattle, Atlanta, Austin, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Denver and Portland. The Bay Area has quickly become one of its fastest-growing markets. Since launching here in 2022 — starting first in the city of Alameda — nearly 15,000 households have signed up, and more than 1.5 million pounds of waste have so far been diverted from local landfills, the company said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This service “is for busy people who want to feel better about where their stuff goes,” said Gerrine Pan, Ridwell’s vice president of partnerships, who calls herself a “serial entrepreneur-turned-climate enthusiast.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026740\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026740\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00815-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00815-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00815-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00815-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00815-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00815-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00815-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joan Maravilla carries sorted plastics at the Ridwell processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Pan is a matchmaker of sorts. It’s her job to find homes for the multitude of disparate junk that arrives every day at Ridwell’s regional warehouse in San Leandro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everything is trucked here. We’re probably on the brink of needing to find another facility or looking for more space,” Pan said, gesturing toward barrels of old batteries, a giant crate of plastic foam blocks, and a 15-foot-tall hill of bags, each packed with plastic film.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The warehouse is surprisingly quiet: no conveyor belts or other major machinery you’d find in a recycling facility — just a small crew of workers sifting through materials by hand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a place where we are consolidating so that we can make efficient loads out the door,” Pan said, noting that Ridwell doesn’t actually do any of the recycling itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026737\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026737\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joseph Barboza (left) and Juan Alvarado, sort plastics at the Ridwell processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We identify and vet recyclers or reuse partners who are able to use those materials to the best of their ability,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ridwell’s website \u003ca href=\"https://www.ridwell.com/transparency\">lists the manufacturers it works with, all based in North America\u003c/a>, including ones that make new decking material from the plastic film (polyethylene) or picture frames from the plastic foam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ridwell also partners with several local recyclers who extract metal and chemicals from the dead batteries, strip Christmas lights for their wiring and recycle the glass and mercury from the lightbulbs. It even collected political yard signs in December, shipping some to a plastics company in Canada that melted them down into post-consumer resin for new products, Pan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A tsunami of plastic\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>But finding — and retaining — those partners can be a difficult proposition, given the tsunami of plastic waste. Despite the familiar chasing arrows symbol printed on most containers, not all plastic is created equal, and only a tiny percentage actually gets recycled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent U.S. Department of Energy study found that Americans \u003ca href=\"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/04/28/2431659/0/en/NREL-Calculates-Lost-Value-of-Landfilled-Plastic-in-U-S.html\">generated an estimated 44 million tons of plastic waste\u003c/a> in 2019 alone, of which just 5% was recycled — with most of the rest dumped in our ever-growing landfills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even in California — which in 2014 became the first state to ban single-use plastic grocery bags and this year is beginning a\u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2022-06-30/california-new-law-phase-out-single-use-plastics-containers\"> broader phaseout of single-use plastics\u003c/a> — about 5.4 million tons of plastic waste was dumped in landfills in 2021, according to the most recent \u003ca href=\"https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/Publications/Details/1738\">statewide disposal data\u003c/a>. That means Californians toss about \u003ca href=\"https://calrecycle.ca.gov/packaging/packaging-epr/\">290 Olympic swimming pools\u003c/a> worth of plastic every day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The ‘wishcycling’ is substantial,” said Pan, referring to the common habit of indiscriminately tossing various types of plastic into the blue bin, most of which gets filtered out and winds up in the garbage. And that’s because it’s generally \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/10/24/1131131088/recycling-plastic-is-practically-impossible-and-the-problem-is-getting-worse\">far more expensive for manufacturers to recycle\u003c/a> most kinds of plastic than it is for them to just make more of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027813\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027813\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joan Maravilla sorts plastics at Ridwell’s processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ridwell actually pays most of its partners to take the plastic off its hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The supply-demand balance of this is just off. You couldn’t get paid for that,” she said. “We are fighting for our share of capacity with all these partners.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Equally challenging is the constant search for reuse partners, Pan added, pointing to a section of the warehouse packed with overflowing boxes of clothing and a random array of household items, including an entire crate of cosmetics and a pallet of three-month-old Halloween candy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If it looks overwhelming, that’s because it is,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ridwell partners with local nonprofits, including food pantries and thrift stores, that accept items when they can. But that exchange isn’t always steady or predictable, and stuff — like the stale Halloween candy — often ends up piling up here for months, taking up scarce, very costly space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have been sitting here since November,” Pan said, pointing to a crate of baking tins. “And they will continue to sit here until we have another collection of home kitchen items and we have more partners who might raise their hand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A trash disruptor\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While Ridwell sees itself as filling a major waste management gap, it has also — in true startup fashion — run afoul of more traditional trash collection services. Soon after launching in Portland in 2021, for instance, \u003ca href=\"https://www.wweek.com/news/2021/12/01/whos-afraid-of-a-ridwell-box/\">some businesses complained to the city\u003c/a>, arguing Ridwell was skirting the many regulations and accountability measures that long-established haulers were required to follow to retain their city contracts. And several smaller neighboring cities even ordered the company to halt operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For its part, Ridwell insisted it’s designed to complement the curbside service, not overlap with it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our relationship with waste management companies can vary,” Pan said, noting that some recognize the service as a net benefit. “But in some areas, there is sometimes conflict and concern where people don’t quite understand what we’re trying to do. In reality, we are trying to take a lot of things out of the system that they do not want in the system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some industry insiders also question the viability of Ridwell’s business model. The company is still very much dependent on its VC funding and has yet to turn a profit — although Pan insisted they are “right on the cusp.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026745\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026745\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00067_duo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00067_duo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00067_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00067_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00067_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00067_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00067_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Latoya Grant, a driver-flex, sorts mixed and clear plastics at the Ridwell processing plant in San Leandro. Right: Mike Coggins sorts reusable bags at the Ridwell plant. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think there’s a competition issue,” said Martin Bourque, executive director of The Ecology Center, a Berkeley nonprofit that launched the nation’s first curbside recycling program more than 50 years ago and continues to collect for the city. “There is sort of this disruptive venture capitalist, tech component to it that feels a little like the new Uber or something.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Startups like Uber and Lyft, he noted, offered artificially low rates when they first launched because their goal was to get into the market and disrupt the highly regulated taxi industry. But eventually, ride rates shot up as the companies became subject to more regulations and pressure to make profits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Ridwell is sort of at the very early phase of that,” Bourque said, arguing that its current subscription rates seem unrealistically low, given the shakiness of the recycling market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As they start to be required by cities to have a franchise agreement and pay for use of roads and access to customers, will that model pencil out?” he said. “I think it’s an interesting experiment, but let’s see how it unfolds. Because when push comes to shove, investors want a return on their investment, and that can lead to bad decisions for the environmental community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026744\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026744\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00722.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00722.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00722-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00722-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00722-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00722-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00722-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Alvarado sorts plastics at the Ridwell processing plant. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bourque pointed to TerraCycle, a similar service, as a cautionary tale. The New Jersey-based company, which operates a nationwide custom mail-in recycling program, \u003ca href=\"https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2021/11/17/terracycle-and-brands-settle-california-labeling-lawsuit/\">was sued in 2021\u003c/a> by a California environmental group, which accused it of making recyclability claims that were “deceptive to a reasonable consumer.” The company has since settled and agreed to provide additional documentation to support its claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their markets were unstable, and they ended up stockpiling a whole bunch of stuff and telling people it was getting recycled when really they were just warehousing it,” Bourque said. “Where’s it going to go eventually? Either some low-grade market or the landfill, or maybe it’s getting exported someplace. So nobody really knows where it’s going.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite his skepticism, Bourque said it’s gratifying to see so many people interested in further reducing their waste footprint — even if they’re not necessarily willing to change their consumption habits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is encouraging that all of the work that we’ve done over the last 50 years to educate the public has created a community that is very committed to these values and willing to spend their hard-earned money to do the right thing,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Zero-waste lifestyle’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Back in Alameda, Juan Lopez drove one of the company’s white vans through a residential neighborhood, pulling over every few blocks to pick up junk that customers had left in their boxes. A former Amazon driver, Lopez was hired at Ridwell right after it launched in the Bay Area and has since become the regional operations supervisor, helping to manage about 20 employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now, we’re averaging about 300 new members a week, which is almost like two routes a week getting added,” he said. “So, another two people we have to hire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026743\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026743\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250131_Ridwell_DB_00246.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250131_Ridwell_DB_00246.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250131_Ridwell_DB_00246-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250131_Ridwell_DB_00246-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250131_Ridwell_DB_00246-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250131_Ridwell_DB_00246-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250131_Ridwell_DB_00246-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Lopez, regional operations supervisor for Ridwell, makes a stop to collect recyclable materials from a home in Alameda on Jan. 31. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lopez pulled up to a small bungalow on a quiet residential street and emptied the bin as a subscriber named Lianne Jones watched from the doorway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I already was trying to live a zero-waste lifestyle, so this was just one extra tool for me to continue doing that,” said Jones, who signed up more than two years ago and now encourages her neighbors to drop off their stuff with her before her biweekly collection day. “It definitely has made me think more about, when I’m in the store, my decisions about what I’m purchasing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asked if she’s achieved her zero-waste goal, Jones paused to consider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean, you can’t live a zero-waste lifestyle. That’s kind of a misnomer,” she said. “But I’m doing everything that I can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Correction: The original version of this story mistakenly stated that the lawsuit against Terra\u003cbr>\nCycle was “last year.” In fact, it was in 2021.\u003c/i> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Ridwell, a pickup service aiming to recycle items that wouldn't be otherwise, has grown rapidly since coming to the Bay Area 3 years ago. Can such companies grow into viable businesses while fulfilling promises to divert junk from landfills?",
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"title": "This Earth Day, a Startup Promises to Recycle the Junk Your Curbside Service Won’t Take | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">G\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>abrielle LeCompte has long been suspicious of her curbside recycling service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt that I was throwing everything into the recycling bin,” she said. “And I didn’t feel like it was doing anything. I really felt like it’s not making a difference, like they’re going to throw it all in the landfill.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LeCompte was particularly perplexed by the never-ending supply of plastic material that rapidly accumulated in her small Alameda home — the food wrappers, produce bags, Amazon packaging and other omnipresent detritus of modern life that most curbside services don’t accept.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My biggest goal was to make the least amount of trash possible,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About a year ago, LeCompte signed up for a new subscription-based pickup service called Ridwell that now collects most of her used plastic packaging, old clothing, and other common household items that can’t go in the blue bin. The Seattle-based, venture capital-backed startup acts as a middleman, partnering with a bevy of nonprofits and manufacturers who use recycled materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Before, I was making like one bag of trash every three or four weeks,” she said. “And now I’m making about one bag of trash every eight to nine weeks, maybe even less.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LeCompte is among a small but growing army of eco-conscious, consumer-guilt-ridden Bay Area residents who, when it comes down to it, want to have their cake and recycle its packaging, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026746\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026746\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00025_grid.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00025_grid.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00025_grid-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00025_grid-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00025_grid-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00025_grid-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00025_grid-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some of the items collected and sorted at the Ridwell processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ridwell now operates in a swath of cities across the region — from Novato to San José — the company’s growth marked by a proliferation of its signature square-foot white metal collection containers outside customers’ front doors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A basic subscription, for $14 a month, includes pickups every two weeks of plastic film, batteries, lightbulbs, old clothing and shoes, along with a revolving “featured category,” like art supplies, bottle caps and bread bag cinches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For an additional $4, you can add in multilayer plastic material — the crinkly chip bags, candy wrappers and other stuff you can’t stick your fingers through. Additional tiers include even harder-to-recycle materials, like plastic foam and fluorescent light bulbs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re consumer-driven, right? [Companies] really influence us to buy, buy, buy,” LeCompte said. “But there’s no way to get rid of the stuff that we have. “So, for me, Ridwell is the easiest thing to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Launched in 2018, Ridwell is the brainchild of Ryan Metzger. The Seattle resident became increasingly frustrated with the inconvenience of tracking down responsible disposal options for dead batteries and other common household items, like paint, that you’re not supposed to toss in the trash but can’t put in the blue bin. He started a small “recycling carpool,” taking his 6-year-old son along on rides to collect items from neighbors and deliver them to local disposal sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As more neighbors signed up, entrepreneurship took root.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ridwell is \u003ca href=\"https://www.rabbitrecycling.com/\">among a small cadre\u003c/a> of recently launched pickup companies around the country that have identified a burgeoning market among consumers who seek to generate less waste without necessarily changing their consumption habits — and who feel increasingly hindered by the limitations of their municipal recycling programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new services come amid growing public awareness about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11901288/you-cant-recycle-your-way-out-californias-plastic-problem-and-what-to-do-about-it\">how relatively few things — especially plastic — actually get recycled\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But it remains to be seen whether a company like Ridwell, which has yet to turn a profit, can ultimately become a viable business model in the competitive world of waste management while also continuing to fulfill its promise to divert an ever-expanding volume of crap out of landfills.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Junk matchmaker\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ridwell now has more than 110,000 members in the eight metropolitan areas it operates in — including Seattle, Atlanta, Austin, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Denver and Portland. The Bay Area has quickly become one of its fastest-growing markets. Since launching here in 2022 — starting first in the city of Alameda — nearly 15,000 households have signed up, and more than 1.5 million pounds of waste have so far been diverted from local landfills, the company said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This service “is for busy people who want to feel better about where their stuff goes,” said Gerrine Pan, Ridwell’s vice president of partnerships, who calls herself a “serial entrepreneur-turned-climate enthusiast.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026740\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026740\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00815-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00815-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00815-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00815-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00815-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00815-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00815-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joan Maravilla carries sorted plastics at the Ridwell processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Pan is a matchmaker of sorts. It’s her job to find homes for the multitude of disparate junk that arrives every day at Ridwell’s regional warehouse in San Leandro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everything is trucked here. We’re probably on the brink of needing to find another facility or looking for more space,” Pan said, gesturing toward barrels of old batteries, a giant crate of plastic foam blocks, and a 15-foot-tall hill of bags, each packed with plastic film.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The warehouse is surprisingly quiet: no conveyor belts or other major machinery you’d find in a recycling facility — just a small crew of workers sifting through materials by hand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a place where we are consolidating so that we can make efficient loads out the door,” Pan said, noting that Ridwell doesn’t actually do any of the recycling itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026737\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026737\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joseph Barboza (left) and Juan Alvarado, sort plastics at the Ridwell processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We identify and vet recyclers or reuse partners who are able to use those materials to the best of their ability,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ridwell’s website \u003ca href=\"https://www.ridwell.com/transparency\">lists the manufacturers it works with, all based in North America\u003c/a>, including ones that make new decking material from the plastic film (polyethylene) or picture frames from the plastic foam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ridwell also partners with several local recyclers who extract metal and chemicals from the dead batteries, strip Christmas lights for their wiring and recycle the glass and mercury from the lightbulbs. It even collected political yard signs in December, shipping some to a plastics company in Canada that melted them down into post-consumer resin for new products, Pan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A tsunami of plastic\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>But finding — and retaining — those partners can be a difficult proposition, given the tsunami of plastic waste. Despite the familiar chasing arrows symbol printed on most containers, not all plastic is created equal, and only a tiny percentage actually gets recycled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent U.S. Department of Energy study found that Americans \u003ca href=\"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/04/28/2431659/0/en/NREL-Calculates-Lost-Value-of-Landfilled-Plastic-in-U-S.html\">generated an estimated 44 million tons of plastic waste\u003c/a> in 2019 alone, of which just 5% was recycled — with most of the rest dumped in our ever-growing landfills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even in California — which in 2014 became the first state to ban single-use plastic grocery bags and this year is beginning a\u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2022-06-30/california-new-law-phase-out-single-use-plastics-containers\"> broader phaseout of single-use plastics\u003c/a> — about 5.4 million tons of plastic waste was dumped in landfills in 2021, according to the most recent \u003ca href=\"https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/Publications/Details/1738\">statewide disposal data\u003c/a>. That means Californians toss about \u003ca href=\"https://calrecycle.ca.gov/packaging/packaging-epr/\">290 Olympic swimming pools\u003c/a> worth of plastic every day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The ‘wishcycling’ is substantial,” said Pan, referring to the common habit of indiscriminately tossing various types of plastic into the blue bin, most of which gets filtered out and winds up in the garbage. And that’s because it’s generally \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/10/24/1131131088/recycling-plastic-is-practically-impossible-and-the-problem-is-getting-worse\">far more expensive for manufacturers to recycle\u003c/a> most kinds of plastic than it is for them to just make more of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027813\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027813\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joan Maravilla sorts plastics at Ridwell’s processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ridwell actually pays most of its partners to take the plastic off its hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The supply-demand balance of this is just off. You couldn’t get paid for that,” she said. “We are fighting for our share of capacity with all these partners.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Equally challenging is the constant search for reuse partners, Pan added, pointing to a section of the warehouse packed with overflowing boxes of clothing and a random array of household items, including an entire crate of cosmetics and a pallet of three-month-old Halloween candy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If it looks overwhelming, that’s because it is,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ridwell partners with local nonprofits, including food pantries and thrift stores, that accept items when they can. But that exchange isn’t always steady or predictable, and stuff — like the stale Halloween candy — often ends up piling up here for months, taking up scarce, very costly space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have been sitting here since November,” Pan said, pointing to a crate of baking tins. “And they will continue to sit here until we have another collection of home kitchen items and we have more partners who might raise their hand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A trash disruptor\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While Ridwell sees itself as filling a major waste management gap, it has also — in true startup fashion — run afoul of more traditional trash collection services. Soon after launching in Portland in 2021, for instance, \u003ca href=\"https://www.wweek.com/news/2021/12/01/whos-afraid-of-a-ridwell-box/\">some businesses complained to the city\u003c/a>, arguing Ridwell was skirting the many regulations and accountability measures that long-established haulers were required to follow to retain their city contracts. And several smaller neighboring cities even ordered the company to halt operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For its part, Ridwell insisted it’s designed to complement the curbside service, not overlap with it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our relationship with waste management companies can vary,” Pan said, noting that some recognize the service as a net benefit. “But in some areas, there is sometimes conflict and concern where people don’t quite understand what we’re trying to do. In reality, we are trying to take a lot of things out of the system that they do not want in the system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some industry insiders also question the viability of Ridwell’s business model. The company is still very much dependent on its VC funding and has yet to turn a profit — although Pan insisted they are “right on the cusp.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026745\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026745\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00067_duo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00067_duo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00067_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00067_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00067_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00067_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00067_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Latoya Grant, a driver-flex, sorts mixed and clear plastics at the Ridwell processing plant in San Leandro. Right: Mike Coggins sorts reusable bags at the Ridwell plant. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think there’s a competition issue,” said Martin Bourque, executive director of The Ecology Center, a Berkeley nonprofit that launched the nation’s first curbside recycling program more than 50 years ago and continues to collect for the city. “There is sort of this disruptive venture capitalist, tech component to it that feels a little like the new Uber or something.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Startups like Uber and Lyft, he noted, offered artificially low rates when they first launched because their goal was to get into the market and disrupt the highly regulated taxi industry. But eventually, ride rates shot up as the companies became subject to more regulations and pressure to make profits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Ridwell is sort of at the very early phase of that,” Bourque said, arguing that its current subscription rates seem unrealistically low, given the shakiness of the recycling market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As they start to be required by cities to have a franchise agreement and pay for use of roads and access to customers, will that model pencil out?” he said. “I think it’s an interesting experiment, but let’s see how it unfolds. Because when push comes to shove, investors want a return on their investment, and that can lead to bad decisions for the environmental community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026744\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026744\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00722.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00722.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00722-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00722-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00722-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00722-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_00722-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Alvarado sorts plastics at the Ridwell processing plant. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bourque pointed to TerraCycle, a similar service, as a cautionary tale. The New Jersey-based company, which operates a nationwide custom mail-in recycling program, \u003ca href=\"https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2021/11/17/terracycle-and-brands-settle-california-labeling-lawsuit/\">was sued in 2021\u003c/a> by a California environmental group, which accused it of making recyclability claims that were “deceptive to a reasonable consumer.” The company has since settled and agreed to provide additional documentation to support its claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their markets were unstable, and they ended up stockpiling a whole bunch of stuff and telling people it was getting recycled when really they were just warehousing it,” Bourque said. “Where’s it going to go eventually? Either some low-grade market or the landfill, or maybe it’s getting exported someplace. So nobody really knows where it’s going.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite his skepticism, Bourque said it’s gratifying to see so many people interested in further reducing their waste footprint — even if they’re not necessarily willing to change their consumption habits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is encouraging that all of the work that we’ve done over the last 50 years to educate the public has created a community that is very committed to these values and willing to spend their hard-earned money to do the right thing,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Zero-waste lifestyle’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Back in Alameda, Juan Lopez drove one of the company’s white vans through a residential neighborhood, pulling over every few blocks to pick up junk that customers had left in their boxes. A former Amazon driver, Lopez was hired at Ridwell right after it launched in the Bay Area and has since become the regional operations supervisor, helping to manage about 20 employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now, we’re averaging about 300 new members a week, which is almost like two routes a week getting added,” he said. “So, another two people we have to hire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026743\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026743\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250131_Ridwell_DB_00246.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250131_Ridwell_DB_00246.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250131_Ridwell_DB_00246-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250131_Ridwell_DB_00246-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250131_Ridwell_DB_00246-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250131_Ridwell_DB_00246-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250131_Ridwell_DB_00246-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Lopez, regional operations supervisor for Ridwell, makes a stop to collect recyclable materials from a home in Alameda on Jan. 31. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lopez pulled up to a small bungalow on a quiet residential street and emptied the bin as a subscriber named Lianne Jones watched from the doorway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I already was trying to live a zero-waste lifestyle, so this was just one extra tool for me to continue doing that,” said Jones, who signed up more than two years ago and now encourages her neighbors to drop off their stuff with her before her biweekly collection day. “It definitely has made me think more about, when I’m in the store, my decisions about what I’m purchasing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asked if she’s achieved her zero-waste goal, Jones paused to consider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean, you can’t live a zero-waste lifestyle. That’s kind of a misnomer,” she said. “But I’m doing everything that I can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Correction: The original version of this story mistakenly stated that the lawsuit against Terra\u003cbr>\nCycle was “last year.” In fact, it was in 2021.\u003c/i> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "california-ebike-incentive-project-voucher-lottery-when-do-applications-open-2025-april",
"title": "California Could Give You Up To $2,000 for an E-Bike Again. Here’s When 2025 Applications Open",
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"headTitle": "California Could Give You Up To $2,000 for an E-Bike Again. Here’s When 2025 Applications Open | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>May\u003cstrong> 9 update: The California Air Resources Board (CARB) — the agency that manages the E-Bike Incentive Project — has confirmed that May 29, 2025 will be the new date to apply for the program’s second round after CARB’s website experienced technical issues on the original April 29 application date.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The multimillion-dollar state fund that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018160/california-will-give-you-up-to-2000-for-an-e-bike-if-youre-eligible\">offers Californians up to $2,000 each to buy a brand new electric bicycle\u003c/a> will once again start \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/apply/\">accepting applications on April 29 at 5 p.m. PT\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the second round of the California E-Bike Incentive Project, which is distributing $7.5 million to help lower- and middle-income families buy an e-bike — a purchase which can help riders with faster commutes and make it easier to transport young kids or groceries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Having an e-bike makes longer distances much more achievable,” said Kendra Ramsey, executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike), which helped design and promote the voucher program. But while an e-bike is cheaper than a car, she acknowledged it’s still a pricey purchase for many people — and the E-Bike Incentive Project gets bikes “in the hands of folks who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And for every e-bike trip on the road, that is one car trip someone’s not taking,” she said, “making sure that the air we breathe in our communities is cleaner and is safer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California E-Bike Incentive Project, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018160/california-will-give-you-up-to-2000-for-an-e-bike-if-youre-eligible\">launched by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) back in 2024\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/\">offers $1,750 in vouchers to each qualifying individual\u003c/a> — along with an extra $250 if they meet additional income requirements. The voucher can be used at hundreds of participating e-bike retailers all over the state to cover the cost of an e-bike, with the program covering a wide range of e-bikes to match the needs of each rider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12035335 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250415_BIKETARIFF_GC-3-KQED-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the program’s first round in December, state officials set aside 1,500 vouchers, or about 10% of the total money in the program. But this time, only 1,000 vouchers will be given out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As well as a third fewer vouchers being available, the rules to apply are also slightly different this year. On April 29 — which falls on a Tuesday — applicants will have to join a “virtual waiting room” from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. PT in order to even get the \u003cem>chance \u003c/em>to apply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for everything you need to know about applying for the second round of California’s e-bike voucher program when applications open later this month, including who qualifies for the money and what kinds of e-bikes can be purchased.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Who is eligible to apply for an e-bike voucher through the California E-Bike Incentive Project?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There are only two requirements to apply for the voucher program \u003ca href=\"https://ebikeincentives.org/apply/\">starting Wednesday, April. 25 at 5 p.m.\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>You must be a California resident 18 years of age or older.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>You must report a household income of 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) or less.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>You can provide your residency with a state ID, like a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027050/apply-for-real-id-deadline-may-7-can-i-fly-without\">driver’s license\u003c/a>. For the income requirement, keep in mind that the program takes into account how many people are in your household — including your spouse, kids, parents or roommates. You can check if you qualify using this chart below from CARB:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12036518\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Image-12-13-24-at-11.30%E2%80%AFAM-scaled-e1734118378975-1020x796-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1020\" height=\"796\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Image-12-13-24-at-11.30 AM-scaled-e1734118378975-1020x796-1.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Image-12-13-24-at-11.30 AM-scaled-e1734118378975-1020x796-1-800x624.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Image-12-13-24-at-11.30 AM-scaled-e1734118378975-1020x796-1-160x125.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for proving your income when completing the application, the preferred way is to upload your IRS tax transcript: A document that includes only the most essential information you’ll find on your 1040. To access your IRS tax transcript, you’ll need to make an IRS Individual Online Account at irs.gov.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can also upload other types of documents for this requirement, including:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Your W-2 or pay stubs for the past three months.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A 1099 if you are self-employed.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>An award letter confirming you’re unemployed and are receiving benefits from a state or federal agency.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>If you did not file taxes last year, the program provides \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Income-Verification-Flowchart-and-List.pdf\">a list of other documents you can provide to check off this requirement (PDF)\u003c/a> — and remember, you just need to provide one of these documents.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>\u003ca id=\"apply-for-california-ebike-incentive\">\u003c/a>How can I apply for the California E-Bike Incentive Project this time around?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For the second round of the program, officials are encouraging applicants to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/apply/\">visit the E-Bike Incentive Project’s website\u003c/a> on April 29 between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. During that time, you can join the virtual waiting room by clicking the “APPLY” button at the upper right corner of the website. (This waiting room process might be familiar to you if you’ve ever purchased tickets online for a super-popular event or concert.)[aside postID=forum_2010101908121 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2024/12/GettyImages-2164252533-1-1020x574.jpg']When you’re admitted to the waiting room, don’t navigate away from this page — because at 6 p.m., everyone who is in the waiting room will be randomly assigned a number which will show on your screen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you receive a number between 1 and 1,000, you’ll then be able to move out of the waiting room and begin your application. If your number you’re given is higher than 1,000, you can stick around in the waiting room and wait to see if your number gets called later — which could happen if other people ahead of you in line drop out of the application process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re number 50,000 in line, you … can probably just log off because there will not be a voucher for you at that time,” said Ramsey from CalBike. “But say you’re number 1,500, or number 1,900: You may want to wait for an additional hour or so and see, because not everyone who started an application last time finished.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while she encouraged folks to apply, Ramsey noted that “this program is not funded in a way that everyone who is eligible will get a voucher.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if you are able to get a good, low number and reach the application process, she said, “it’s a little more like a lottery than a guaranteed ticket to get something.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because the demand for this program is so high, Ramsey recommends that applicants have all their documents ready ahead of entering the waiting room at 5 p.m. on April 29.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalBike will also be \u003ca href=\"https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eOlTZzqURM2Ik_QE3N54sg#/registration\">hosting a webinar over Zoom at 12 p.m. on April 22\u003c/a> which will walk people through the application process. The session will be recorded and \u003ca href=\"https://www.calbike.org/what-to-know-about-the-next-california-e-bike-voucher-application-window/\">be available later that day on CalBike’s website\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036526\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036526\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2206292184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2206292184.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2206292184-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2206292184-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2206292184-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An electric bicycle with cargo basket secured to a sidewalk rack in San Francisco on March 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>If I’m able to complete an application, when can I get my e-bike?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Once CARB has your application, they’ll take several weeks to process it and let you know if you’ve been selected to receive a voucher — or if there’s anything missing from your materials. According to the agency, this process could take up to 60 days, so it’s likely that you may have to wait till summer for your new ride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If everything looks good on your application and you’re chosen to receive a voucher, you’ll receive information through the email address you provided that explains how to make your purchase.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>If I do get a California E-Bike Incentive Project voucher, can I buy an e-bike wherever I want?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Not necessarily. The program has a list of hundreds of bike shops, athletic stores and other businesses all over California that are approved retailers for the program. You can find a store that’s closest to you \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/approved-retailer-map/\">using this map and see what’s available\u003c/a>, including approved home delivery, based on your zip code.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not all bikes at an approved retailer are included in the program, either — because your voucher only covers the cost of three types of e-bikes:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Class 1–3 e-bikes, with top speeds of 28 miles per hour.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Cargo e-bikes.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Adaptive e-bikes (adult electric trikes, handcycles, recumbents, wheelchair tandems).[aside postID=news_11910495 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/04/RS55017_GettyImages-1387412608-qut.jpg']There is also \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Eligible-Ebike-List-3.6.25.pdf\">a full list of approved e-bike brands and models\u003c/a>. But don’t worry: “You don’t have to know what bikes you’re going to purchase before you apply for the voucher,” Ramsey said. “So you do have some time.”\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>She recommends visiting a local bike shop — ideally one already approved by the program — and talking to staff about what type of e-bike would work best for your own needs. “Let them know what types of things you’ll be doing,” she said, adding that she uses her e-bike to pick up her child from school. “You might need cargo space if you’re taking trips to school, like I do.” \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/eligible-e-bikes/\">Read more about which e-bikes are eligible in the program.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Something else to keep in mind: \u003ca href=\"https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3283879/chinas-e-bikes-delight-consumers-roil-governments-overseas-competitors\">a large portion of e-bikes sold in the U.S. are either imported from China\u003c/a> or require key parts — like batteries — manufactured in that country. The Trump administration announced on April 15 that Chinese goods coming into the U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-ensures-national-security-and-economic-resilience-through-section-232-actions-on-processed-critical-minerals-and-derivative-products/\">will now be charged tariffs as high as 245%\u003c/a>. Newsite Electrek reports that e-bike companies \u003ca href=\"https://electrek.co/2025/04/10/trumps-massive-tariffs-and-sudden-backtrack-bring-chaos-to-e-bike-prices/\">are preparing for higher costs when selling in the U.S.\u003c/a>, which could mean higher prices when looking for your e-bike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brad Branan, a spokesperson for CARB, told KQED that this agency is monitoring the impact of global tariffs on e-bike prices, but confirmed that the existing cash amounts provided by the voucher program remain unchanged.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>I submitted an application but wasn’t awarded the voucher. What are my options?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you weren’t chosen this time around, it’s likely you didn’t meet one of \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/eligibility/\">the state’s very specific income requirements for the e-bike program\u003c/a>. But even among the folks who \u003cem>do \u003c/em>qualify under those restrictions, the need for these e-bikes is “far greater” than the program can actually meet, said Ramsey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All over California, there are still other regional programs and community groups that offer affordable alternatives to get people moving on bicycles and e-bikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, San Francisco, San José, Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville are part of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.lyft.com/bikes/bay-wheels/bike-share-for-all\">Bike Share for All program\u003c/a>, which in partnership with Lyft, provides unlimited 60-minute rides in the bikes you see stationed throughout these cities. You may be eligible for this program if you qualify for CalFresh, SFMTA Lifeline Pass, or PG&E CARE. Members pay $5 for the whole first year and then $5 per month after that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community groups like \u003ca href=\"https://bikeeastbay.org/\">Bike East Bay\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bicisdelpueblo/\">Bicis del Pueblo\u003c/a> in San Francisco also offer weekly bike repair workshops and opportunities for members to build their own bicycles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story includes reporting from KQED’s Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The California E-Bike Incentive Project is taking applications once again on April 29. But this time around, applying for this money looks different.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>May\u003cstrong> 9 update: The California Air Resources Board (CARB) — the agency that manages the E-Bike Incentive Project — has confirmed that May 29, 2025 will be the new date to apply for the program’s second round after CARB’s website experienced technical issues on the original April 29 application date.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The multimillion-dollar state fund that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018160/california-will-give-you-up-to-2000-for-an-e-bike-if-youre-eligible\">offers Californians up to $2,000 each to buy a brand new electric bicycle\u003c/a> will once again start \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/apply/\">accepting applications on April 29 at 5 p.m. PT\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the second round of the California E-Bike Incentive Project, which is distributing $7.5 million to help lower- and middle-income families buy an e-bike — a purchase which can help riders with faster commutes and make it easier to transport young kids or groceries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Having an e-bike makes longer distances much more achievable,” said Kendra Ramsey, executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike), which helped design and promote the voucher program. But while an e-bike is cheaper than a car, she acknowledged it’s still a pricey purchase for many people — and the E-Bike Incentive Project gets bikes “in the hands of folks who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And for every e-bike trip on the road, that is one car trip someone’s not taking,” she said, “making sure that the air we breathe in our communities is cleaner and is safer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California E-Bike Incentive Project, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018160/california-will-give-you-up-to-2000-for-an-e-bike-if-youre-eligible\">launched by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) back in 2024\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/\">offers $1,750 in vouchers to each qualifying individual\u003c/a> — along with an extra $250 if they meet additional income requirements. The voucher can be used at hundreds of participating e-bike retailers all over the state to cover the cost of an e-bike, with the program covering a wide range of e-bikes to match the needs of each rider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the program’s first round in December, state officials set aside 1,500 vouchers, or about 10% of the total money in the program. But this time, only 1,000 vouchers will be given out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As well as a third fewer vouchers being available, the rules to apply are also slightly different this year. On April 29 — which falls on a Tuesday — applicants will have to join a “virtual waiting room” from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. PT in order to even get the \u003cem>chance \u003c/em>to apply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for everything you need to know about applying for the second round of California’s e-bike voucher program when applications open later this month, including who qualifies for the money and what kinds of e-bikes can be purchased.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Who is eligible to apply for an e-bike voucher through the California E-Bike Incentive Project?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There are only two requirements to apply for the voucher program \u003ca href=\"https://ebikeincentives.org/apply/\">starting Wednesday, April. 25 at 5 p.m.\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>You must be a California resident 18 years of age or older.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>You must report a household income of 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) or less.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>You can provide your residency with a state ID, like a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027050/apply-for-real-id-deadline-may-7-can-i-fly-without\">driver’s license\u003c/a>. For the income requirement, keep in mind that the program takes into account how many people are in your household — including your spouse, kids, parents or roommates. You can check if you qualify using this chart below from CARB:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12036518\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Image-12-13-24-at-11.30%E2%80%AFAM-scaled-e1734118378975-1020x796-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1020\" height=\"796\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Image-12-13-24-at-11.30 AM-scaled-e1734118378975-1020x796-1.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Image-12-13-24-at-11.30 AM-scaled-e1734118378975-1020x796-1-800x624.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Image-12-13-24-at-11.30 AM-scaled-e1734118378975-1020x796-1-160x125.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for proving your income when completing the application, the preferred way is to upload your IRS tax transcript: A document that includes only the most essential information you’ll find on your 1040. To access your IRS tax transcript, you’ll need to make an IRS Individual Online Account at irs.gov.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can also upload other types of documents for this requirement, including:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Your W-2 or pay stubs for the past three months.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A 1099 if you are self-employed.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>An award letter confirming you’re unemployed and are receiving benefits from a state or federal agency.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>If you did not file taxes last year, the program provides \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Income-Verification-Flowchart-and-List.pdf\">a list of other documents you can provide to check off this requirement (PDF)\u003c/a> — and remember, you just need to provide one of these documents.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>\u003ca id=\"apply-for-california-ebike-incentive\">\u003c/a>How can I apply for the California E-Bike Incentive Project this time around?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For the second round of the program, officials are encouraging applicants to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/apply/\">visit the E-Bike Incentive Project’s website\u003c/a> on April 29 between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. During that time, you can join the virtual waiting room by clicking the “APPLY” button at the upper right corner of the website. (This waiting room process might be familiar to you if you’ve ever purchased tickets online for a super-popular event or concert.)\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>When you’re admitted to the waiting room, don’t navigate away from this page — because at 6 p.m., everyone who is in the waiting room will be randomly assigned a number which will show on your screen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you receive a number between 1 and 1,000, you’ll then be able to move out of the waiting room and begin your application. If your number you’re given is higher than 1,000, you can stick around in the waiting room and wait to see if your number gets called later — which could happen if other people ahead of you in line drop out of the application process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re number 50,000 in line, you … can probably just log off because there will not be a voucher for you at that time,” said Ramsey from CalBike. “But say you’re number 1,500, or number 1,900: You may want to wait for an additional hour or so and see, because not everyone who started an application last time finished.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while she encouraged folks to apply, Ramsey noted that “this program is not funded in a way that everyone who is eligible will get a voucher.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if you are able to get a good, low number and reach the application process, she said, “it’s a little more like a lottery than a guaranteed ticket to get something.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because the demand for this program is so high, Ramsey recommends that applicants have all their documents ready ahead of entering the waiting room at 5 p.m. on April 29.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalBike will also be \u003ca href=\"https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eOlTZzqURM2Ik_QE3N54sg#/registration\">hosting a webinar over Zoom at 12 p.m. on April 22\u003c/a> which will walk people through the application process. The session will be recorded and \u003ca href=\"https://www.calbike.org/what-to-know-about-the-next-california-e-bike-voucher-application-window/\">be available later that day on CalBike’s website\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036526\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036526\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2206292184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2206292184.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2206292184-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2206292184-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2206292184-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An electric bicycle with cargo basket secured to a sidewalk rack in San Francisco on March 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>If I’m able to complete an application, when can I get my e-bike?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Once CARB has your application, they’ll take several weeks to process it and let you know if you’ve been selected to receive a voucher — or if there’s anything missing from your materials. According to the agency, this process could take up to 60 days, so it’s likely that you may have to wait till summer for your new ride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If everything looks good on your application and you’re chosen to receive a voucher, you’ll receive information through the email address you provided that explains how to make your purchase.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>If I do get a California E-Bike Incentive Project voucher, can I buy an e-bike wherever I want?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Not necessarily. The program has a list of hundreds of bike shops, athletic stores and other businesses all over California that are approved retailers for the program. You can find a store that’s closest to you \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/approved-retailer-map/\">using this map and see what’s available\u003c/a>, including approved home delivery, based on your zip code.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not all bikes at an approved retailer are included in the program, either — because your voucher only covers the cost of three types of e-bikes:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Class 1–3 e-bikes, with top speeds of 28 miles per hour.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Cargo e-bikes.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Adaptive e-bikes (adult electric trikes, handcycles, recumbents, wheelchair tandems).\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>There is also \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Eligible-Ebike-List-3.6.25.pdf\">a full list of approved e-bike brands and models\u003c/a>. But don’t worry: “You don’t have to know what bikes you’re going to purchase before you apply for the voucher,” Ramsey said. “So you do have some time.”\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>She recommends visiting a local bike shop — ideally one already approved by the program — and talking to staff about what type of e-bike would work best for your own needs. “Let them know what types of things you’ll be doing,” she said, adding that she uses her e-bike to pick up her child from school. “You might need cargo space if you’re taking trips to school, like I do.” \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/eligible-e-bikes/\">Read more about which e-bikes are eligible in the program.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Something else to keep in mind: \u003ca href=\"https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3283879/chinas-e-bikes-delight-consumers-roil-governments-overseas-competitors\">a large portion of e-bikes sold in the U.S. are either imported from China\u003c/a> or require key parts — like batteries — manufactured in that country. The Trump administration announced on April 15 that Chinese goods coming into the U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-ensures-national-security-and-economic-resilience-through-section-232-actions-on-processed-critical-minerals-and-derivative-products/\">will now be charged tariffs as high as 245%\u003c/a>. Newsite Electrek reports that e-bike companies \u003ca href=\"https://electrek.co/2025/04/10/trumps-massive-tariffs-and-sudden-backtrack-bring-chaos-to-e-bike-prices/\">are preparing for higher costs when selling in the U.S.\u003c/a>, which could mean higher prices when looking for your e-bike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brad Branan, a spokesperson for CARB, told KQED that this agency is monitoring the impact of global tariffs on e-bike prices, but confirmed that the existing cash amounts provided by the voucher program remain unchanged.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>I submitted an application but wasn’t awarded the voucher. What are my options?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you weren’t chosen this time around, it’s likely you didn’t meet one of \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebikeincentives.org/eligibility/\">the state’s very specific income requirements for the e-bike program\u003c/a>. But even among the folks who \u003cem>do \u003c/em>qualify under those restrictions, the need for these e-bikes is “far greater” than the program can actually meet, said Ramsey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All over California, there are still other regional programs and community groups that offer affordable alternatives to get people moving on bicycles and e-bikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, San Francisco, San José, Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville are part of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.lyft.com/bikes/bay-wheels/bike-share-for-all\">Bike Share for All program\u003c/a>, which in partnership with Lyft, provides unlimited 60-minute rides in the bikes you see stationed throughout these cities. You may be eligible for this program if you qualify for CalFresh, SFMTA Lifeline Pass, or PG&E CARE. Members pay $5 for the whole first year and then $5 per month after that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community groups like \u003ca href=\"https://bikeeastbay.org/\">Bike East Bay\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bicisdelpueblo/\">Bicis del Pueblo\u003c/a> in San Francisco also offer weekly bike repair workshops and opportunities for members to build their own bicycles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story includes reporting from KQED’s Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated at 4:15 p.m. April 16\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> City Council unanimously approved a proposal Tuesday night to require a 5-foot buffer zone around houses, decks and outbuildings in a section of the Berkeley Hills with the highest wildfire risk — making it one of the first cities in the state to adopt such stringent landscaping rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the council signs off on the second and final reading of the ordinance next month, which is all be assured, some 900 hundred homes in neighborhoods bordering Tilden Regional Park will have to remove nearly all vegetation and other flammable materials from their immediate perimeters by January, when the new rules take effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contrary to the expectations of many observers — this reporter included — the meeting remained largely positive and non-confrontational, with most public commenters voicing support for the proposed rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under what’s known as the \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/city-council-meetings/2025-04-15%20Special%20Agenda%20Packet%20-%20Council%20-%20WEB.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EMBER proposal\u003c/a>, drafted by the city’s fire department, Berkeley would change its fire code to require residents living in areas with the highest fire risk to remove most vegetation within 5 feet of their homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposed rules, prompted by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/eaton-fire\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">catastrophic fires\u003c/a> in Los Angeles in January, would initially apply to homes mostly between Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Wildcat Canyon Road, as well as the Panoramic Hill neighborhood. The rules would also likely extend in the coming year to adjacent neighborhoods a bit further down the hill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters argue the 5-foot buffer zone — referred to as “zone zero” — is essential to help prevent embers from igniting homes during the kind of wind-driven wildfires that incinerated LA’s Pacific Palisades and Altadena communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to prevent the embers that fly out in these ember storms from igniting anything near your house that will then catch the house on fire and create a structure-to-structure fire,” said Brent Blackaby, a Berkeley City Council member who worked closely with the city’s fire department on the ordinance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He noted that wildfire danger in the area has grown dramatically in recent decades amid a longer, hotter dry season and the rapid accumulation of fuels in the neighboring forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036096\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12036096 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-01-KQED-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-01-KQED-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-01-KQED-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-01-KQED-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-01-KQED-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-01-KQED-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-01-KQED-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Berkeley City Councilmember Brent Blackaby in front of Berkeley City Hall on April 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The reality has changed,” Blackaby told KQED. “The facts of where we are in terms of climate change are not going to change. The only thing that can change is our response and our preparedness to it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The latest version of the proposal, introduced last week, would also require homeowners in the area to remove all combustible materials within zone zero, including wood or vinyl fences, playsets, trellises, trash bins and attached window boxes. Trees in the zone would also have to be torn out unless they are taller than the house and their lowest branches are at least 10 feet above the roof.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley Fire Chief David Sprague called the proposal a science-based, “holistic community” approach to reducing the risk of wind-blown embers igniting combustible material.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When those receptive fuel beds have connectivity to a structure, the structure is far more likely to burn,” he said in a statement to KQED, citing separate \u003ca href=\"https://ibhs.org/wildfire/near-building-noncombustible-zone/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wildfire-mitigation studies.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036033\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036033\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Fire-map-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1386\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Fire-map-2.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Fire-map-2-800x554.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Fire-map-2-1020x707.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Fire-map-2-160x111.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Fire-map-2-1536x1064.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Fire-map-2-1920x1331.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Under proposed fire safety rules, about 900 homes in Berkeley Hills’ highest fire risk zone (shown in red) would be required to clear most vegetation within 5 feet of their structures. The regulations are set to take effect in January, with similar measures expected for adjacent zones in the future. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the city of Berkeley)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2025-02-11%20Special%20Item%2001a%20Effective%20Mitigations%20for%20Berkeley%E2%80%99s%20Ember%20-%20Fire%20Code.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">previous draft \u003c/a>(PDF) of the proposal, Sprague said the city had “a moral imperative to shift our focus away from only the response,” noting that the hills around Berkeley experience a “significant wildfire” about once every 20 years — and are well past due for another.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is time to voraciously engage with what we know will save homes and lives,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposed new rules would go into effect next January, with the city offering some financial and physical assistance to help lower-income residents comply, Blackaby added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The great part is if we pass this here, we’ve got at least six months of preparation time and ramp-up time until the new standards officially go into place. I think of this more about providing lots of carrots as opposed to sticks,” he said. “Yes, there will be enforcement … yes, there will be fines. But my hope is that we don’t get to that point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that comes as cold comfort to some residents in the high-risk zone, many of whom have lived there for decades and lovingly nurtured the bougainvillea vines, camellia trees and other foliage that fringe the homes of their leafy, affluent neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036044\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036044\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-05-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-05-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-05-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Homes in the Berkeley Hills on April 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ruth Langridge was among the slew of residents who wrote letters to the City Council opposing the proposal. The focus, she argued, should be on “not letting the fire happen in the first place” through better fire management in Tilden and more brush removal near power lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If my wonderful pear tree remains in zone 0 and next to a stucco wall (a tree that I have nurtured for over 20 years and supplies me with abundant delicious pears each year), it will not be the cause of my house burning down in a fire,” she wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Janice Thomas, vice president of the Panoramic Hill Association, said the proposal was developed without adequate public input and goes well beyond what’s required in the state fire code.[aside postID=news_12035344 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250408-CAL-TECH-TESTING-113-ZS-KQED-1020x680.jpg']“This is really extreme,” she told KQED, arguing that stripping out vegetation in the 5-foot zone would also create serious drainage issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re a hillside neighborhood. And if you have no vegetation 5 feet from the house, there’s a real concern about where that water will go and how it flows and what you have to do to capture it,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Cindy Rosenthal, who lives in nearby Park Hills and is president of its neighborhood association, said she supports the proposal because the situation calls for collective action, no matter how unpleasant that may be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is that we can do everything possible to try to protect our homes, but if our neighbors are not also doing the things that they need to do to mitigate risk, then no one is safe,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Henry DeNero, president of the Berkeley FireSafe Council, whose group has agreed to help some residents remove their plants, said the proposed rules are essential first steps in a longer series of actions to manage vegetation and harden homes in the highest-risk neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036042\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12036042 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-03-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-03-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-03-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A home in the Berkeley Hills on April 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“One of the number one causes of a structure igniting is vegetation burning right next to the structure that eventually ignites the structure,” said DeNero, who lives in the hills just below the targeted zone. “It’s the most important element to prevent houses from igniting in an ember storm, which is what happened in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And regardless, DeNero added, insurance companies may soon insist that homeowners do it anyway if they want to keep their policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s highly likely that these measures will be required in order to maintain your insurance in the near future,” he said. “That’s one of the things I think people aren’t thinking about. The Berkeley Fire Department’s trying to get out ahead of this, and I applaud them for that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blackaby is hardly surprised by the opposition the proposal has generated, particularly in a city where many residents are \u003ca href=\"https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/08/08/yimby-bay-area-housing-regulations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">passionate about their flora\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean, look, this is a hard ask. I get it,” he said. “I’ve lived in the same home for 20 years. I’m in this zone, so I’ll have to be doing the same kind of defensible space work around my home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes, change is hard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/skennedy?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAACreV8g5aIxmhJvUk7AZMatAGIv0X&gclid=Cj0KCQjwh_i_BhCzARIsANimeoHs2shckqVFGJjLR4jomGmlKiW5KGyHTMdNCkarfqkuvYswkpL5UcsaAvLBEALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Samantha Kennedy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed reporting.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The proposal, prompted by January’s catastrophic fires in Los Angeles, won unanimous support Tuesday night and will initially apply to about 900 homes near Tilden Regional Park — pending final approval next month.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated at 4:15 p.m. April 16\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> City Council unanimously approved a proposal Tuesday night to require a 5-foot buffer zone around houses, decks and outbuildings in a section of the Berkeley Hills with the highest wildfire risk — making it one of the first cities in the state to adopt such stringent landscaping rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the council signs off on the second and final reading of the ordinance next month, which is all be assured, some 900 hundred homes in neighborhoods bordering Tilden Regional Park will have to remove nearly all vegetation and other flammable materials from their immediate perimeters by January, when the new rules take effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contrary to the expectations of many observers — this reporter included — the meeting remained largely positive and non-confrontational, with most public commenters voicing support for the proposed rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under what’s known as the \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/city-council-meetings/2025-04-15%20Special%20Agenda%20Packet%20-%20Council%20-%20WEB.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EMBER proposal\u003c/a>, drafted by the city’s fire department, Berkeley would change its fire code to require residents living in areas with the highest fire risk to remove most vegetation within 5 feet of their homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposed rules, prompted by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/eaton-fire\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">catastrophic fires\u003c/a> in Los Angeles in January, would initially apply to homes mostly between Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Wildcat Canyon Road, as well as the Panoramic Hill neighborhood. The rules would also likely extend in the coming year to adjacent neighborhoods a bit further down the hill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters argue the 5-foot buffer zone — referred to as “zone zero” — is essential to help prevent embers from igniting homes during the kind of wind-driven wildfires that incinerated LA’s Pacific Palisades and Altadena communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to prevent the embers that fly out in these ember storms from igniting anything near your house that will then catch the house on fire and create a structure-to-structure fire,” said Brent Blackaby, a Berkeley City Council member who worked closely with the city’s fire department on the ordinance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He noted that wildfire danger in the area has grown dramatically in recent decades amid a longer, hotter dry season and the rapid accumulation of fuels in the neighboring forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036096\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12036096 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-01-KQED-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-01-KQED-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-01-KQED-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-01-KQED-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-01-KQED-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-01-KQED-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-01-KQED-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Berkeley City Councilmember Brent Blackaby in front of Berkeley City Hall on April 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The reality has changed,” Blackaby told KQED. “The facts of where we are in terms of climate change are not going to change. The only thing that can change is our response and our preparedness to it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The latest version of the proposal, introduced last week, would also require homeowners in the area to remove all combustible materials within zone zero, including wood or vinyl fences, playsets, trellises, trash bins and attached window boxes. Trees in the zone would also have to be torn out unless they are taller than the house and their lowest branches are at least 10 feet above the roof.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley Fire Chief David Sprague called the proposal a science-based, “holistic community” approach to reducing the risk of wind-blown embers igniting combustible material.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When those receptive fuel beds have connectivity to a structure, the structure is far more likely to burn,” he said in a statement to KQED, citing separate \u003ca href=\"https://ibhs.org/wildfire/near-building-noncombustible-zone/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wildfire-mitigation studies.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036033\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036033\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Fire-map-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1386\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Fire-map-2.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Fire-map-2-800x554.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Fire-map-2-1020x707.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Fire-map-2-160x111.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Fire-map-2-1536x1064.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Fire-map-2-1920x1331.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Under proposed fire safety rules, about 900 homes in Berkeley Hills’ highest fire risk zone (shown in red) would be required to clear most vegetation within 5 feet of their structures. The regulations are set to take effect in January, with similar measures expected for adjacent zones in the future. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the city of Berkeley)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2025-02-11%20Special%20Item%2001a%20Effective%20Mitigations%20for%20Berkeley%E2%80%99s%20Ember%20-%20Fire%20Code.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">previous draft \u003c/a>(PDF) of the proposal, Sprague said the city had “a moral imperative to shift our focus away from only the response,” noting that the hills around Berkeley experience a “significant wildfire” about once every 20 years — and are well past due for another.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is time to voraciously engage with what we know will save homes and lives,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposed new rules would go into effect next January, with the city offering some financial and physical assistance to help lower-income residents comply, Blackaby added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The great part is if we pass this here, we’ve got at least six months of preparation time and ramp-up time until the new standards officially go into place. I think of this more about providing lots of carrots as opposed to sticks,” he said. “Yes, there will be enforcement … yes, there will be fines. But my hope is that we don’t get to that point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that comes as cold comfort to some residents in the high-risk zone, many of whom have lived there for decades and lovingly nurtured the bougainvillea vines, camellia trees and other foliage that fringe the homes of their leafy, affluent neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036044\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036044\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-05-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-05-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-05-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Homes in the Berkeley Hills on April 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ruth Langridge was among the slew of residents who wrote letters to the City Council opposing the proposal. The focus, she argued, should be on “not letting the fire happen in the first place” through better fire management in Tilden and more brush removal near power lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If my wonderful pear tree remains in zone 0 and next to a stucco wall (a tree that I have nurtured for over 20 years and supplies me with abundant delicious pears each year), it will not be the cause of my house burning down in a fire,” she wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Janice Thomas, vice president of the Panoramic Hill Association, said the proposal was developed without adequate public input and goes well beyond what’s required in the state fire code.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“This is really extreme,” she told KQED, arguing that stripping out vegetation in the 5-foot zone would also create serious drainage issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re a hillside neighborhood. And if you have no vegetation 5 feet from the house, there’s a real concern about where that water will go and how it flows and what you have to do to capture it,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Cindy Rosenthal, who lives in nearby Park Hills and is president of its neighborhood association, said she supports the proposal because the situation calls for collective action, no matter how unpleasant that may be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is that we can do everything possible to try to protect our homes, but if our neighbors are not also doing the things that they need to do to mitigate risk, then no one is safe,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Henry DeNero, president of the Berkeley FireSafe Council, whose group has agreed to help some residents remove their plants, said the proposed rules are essential first steps in a longer series of actions to manage vegetation and harden homes in the highest-risk neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036042\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12036042 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-03-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-03-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250415-BERKELEY-PLANTS-MD-03-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A home in the Berkeley Hills on April 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“One of the number one causes of a structure igniting is vegetation burning right next to the structure that eventually ignites the structure,” said DeNero, who lives in the hills just below the targeted zone. “It’s the most important element to prevent houses from igniting in an ember storm, which is what happened in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And regardless, DeNero added, insurance companies may soon insist that homeowners do it anyway if they want to keep their policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s highly likely that these measures will be required in order to maintain your insurance in the near future,” he said. “That’s one of the things I think people aren’t thinking about. The Berkeley Fire Department’s trying to get out ahead of this, and I applaud them for that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blackaby is hardly surprised by the opposition the proposal has generated, particularly in a city where many residents are \u003ca href=\"https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/08/08/yimby-bay-area-housing-regulations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">passionate about their flora\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean, look, this is a hard ask. I get it,” he said. “I’ve lived in the same home for 20 years. I’m in this zone, so I’ll have to be doing the same kind of defensible space work around my home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes, change is hard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/skennedy?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAACreV8g5aIxmhJvUk7AZMatAGIv0X&gclid=Cj0KCQjwh_i_BhCzARIsANimeoHs2shckqVFGJjLR4jomGmlKiW5KGyHTMdNCkarfqkuvYswkpL5UcsaAvLBEALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Samantha Kennedy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed reporting.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "miles-of-delta-levees-are-at-risk-of-floods-repairs-could-cost-3-billion",
"title": "Miles of Delta Levees Are at Risk of Floods. Repairs Could Cost $3 billion",
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"headTitle": "Miles of Delta Levees Are at Risk of Floods. Repairs Could Cost $3 billion | KQED",
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"content": "\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\u003cp>As winter storms soaked California in \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/01/california-floods-sacramento-valley/\">early 2023\u003c/a>, the Sacramento River swelled toward flood stage. Levees protecting large expanses of farmland and many towns sprung leaks. At one site, response crews drove metal sheets into the earthen berm and lined the levee face with heavy rock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The work cost almost $700,000, paid by local farmers who had to take out a loan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was way beyond our means, but we had to do it,” said Daniel Wilson, a farmer near the Delta town of Walnut Grove and trustee of the management agency responsible for the levee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because the region was declared a disaster zone, funding help was available through the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_dr-4699-ca-public-notice-004.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Federal Emergency Management Agency (PDF)\u003c/a>. But two years later, the money still hasn’t arrived. Other districts in the region also are waiting for reimbursements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is facing a funding crisis that has bogged down efforts to repair and maintain an aging network of about 1,100 miles of levees that protect the region from floods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These protective ridges of dirt and rocks, mostly on private land, are at growing risk of rupturing, which would endanger half a million people, mostly in Stockton but also in smaller towns and farmsteads. Also threatened are thousands of acres of farmland, highways and water supply pumps that send water to much of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The summer of 2004 saw a major failure when the privately owned levee surrounding a large parcel of farmers’ fields called \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/bay_delta/california_waterfix/exhibits/docs/PPorgans/porgans_301.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jones Tract (PDF)\u003c/a>, which mostly sits below sea level, burst. Water surged through the break, flooding 12,000 acres, which remained swamped for months. Dozens of barns and a few homes were submerged. The response and repair effort — including rebuilding hundreds of feet of levee and pumping out the water — cost $90 million in government and private funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More recently, last year, water seeped under a levee that rings Victoria Island west of Stockton, just a few miles north of pumping stations that send water to 30 million Californians and vast tracts of farmland. A breach would have created powerful suction, drawing in large volumes of brackish San Francisco Bay water and forcing the pumps to shut down for weeks. Crews drove sheet piles deep into the levee to stem the leak and stop the flow of water under the levee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without substantial improvements to Delta levees in the next 25 years, “more than $10 billion in agricultural, residential, commercial, and infrastructure assets and nearly $2 billion in annual economic activity would be exposed to flooding,” according to an estimate from the Delta Stewardship Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeffrey Mount, a geomorphologist and water infrastructure expert with the Public Policy Institute of California, said the recent near-miss at Victoria Island could be a harbinger of more dangerous levee breaks to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12025860 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/09/GettyImages-1252054830-1020x574.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That is considered one of the really good levees, and they nearly lost it,” Mount said. “So what about the other ones?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With state and federal assistance programs falling behind on reimbursements or losing funding, landowners are struggling to keep pace with maintenance. Many are in debt from recent projects, and the backlog of upgrades and repairs is growing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Billions of dollars are needed to upgrade the Delta’s levees to basic safety standards, but the estimated costs far exceed the funding metered out by state and federal agencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Repairing Delta levees could cost at least $3.2 billion by 2050, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://deltacouncil.ca.gov/pdf/delta-plan/2024-11-18-delta-adapts-draft-adaptation-plan.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Delta Stewardship Council (PDF)\u003c/a>. State water officials estimate that about \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Work-With-Us/Grants-And-Loans/Delta-Levees-Special-Flood-Control-Projects/Files/Compilation-of-2018-Delta-Levees-Five-Year-Plan-Data.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$1.06 billion (PDF)\u003c/a> is needed for Delta levee upgrades in just the next five years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the entire Central Valley, the problem balloons to $30 billion in overdue upgrades to protect against worst-case scenario flooding, which could cause $1 trillion in damage, according to the state’s 2022 \u003ca href=\"https://cvfpb.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Central_Valley_Flood_Protection_Plan_Update_2022_ADOPTED.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (PDF)\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All the districts in the Central Valley have a list of projects that they would like to get accomplished,” said Meegan Nagy, general manager of the Sacramento River West Side Levee District, which manages levees upstream of the state capital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few miles southeast of Sacramento, a privately owned levee system beside the Cosumnes River ruptured on New Year’s Eve in 2022 during a powerful downpour. The \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/01/california-floods-sacramento-valley/\">flooding\u003c/a> killed three people, swamped homes, shut down Highway 99 and washed away vehicles. The local levee management agency, funded by its landowners, was \u003ca href=\"https://www.therivervalleytimes.com/2025/02/05/522291/sloughhouse-levee-erosion-prompts-emergency-declaration\">reportedly still waiting\u003c/a> for federal emergency relief money two years later and, as of January, still owed the bank $7 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12035463\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12035463\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/010323-WILTON-FLOODING-REUTERS-FG-CM-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1402\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/010323-WILTON-FLOODING-REUTERS-FG-CM-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/010323-WILTON-FLOODING-REUTERS-FG-CM-copy-800x561.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/010323-WILTON-FLOODING-REUTERS-FG-CM-copy-1020x715.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/010323-WILTON-FLOODING-REUTERS-FG-CM-copy-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/010323-WILTON-FLOODING-REUTERS-FG-CM-copy-1536x1077.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/010323-WILTON-FLOODING-REUTERS-FG-CM-copy-1920x1346.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crews repair a levee on the north side of the Cosumnes River on Jan. 2, 2023, after it was breached by heavy rains that flooded Sacramento County roads and properties near Wilton. \u003ccite>(Fred Greaves/Reuters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Stockton, on the eastern edge of the Delta, faces a constant risk of flooding. U.S. Rep. Josh Harder, a Democrat from Tracy, said the problem stems from inadequate federal funding for levee upkeep and red tape that hinders maintenance and repairs by local agencies. He has co-authored a bill, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5304/text\">Safeguarding Our Levees Act\u003c/a>, that would address some of these issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For too long we’ve been left behind in federal funding,” Harder said. “No family should have to watch floodwater pour into their living room while government stalls.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parts of the region are essentially on borrowed time, with levees facing a uniquely overbearing workload, said Steven Deverel, a hydrologist at HydroFocus, Inc., who has studied Delta levees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most levees, he explained, hold back water only during high flow events. But in the Delta, “levees are really more like dams in that they have to hold back water 24–7.” This unique arrangement makes much of the region particularly vulnerable to flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You basically have holes in the ground as much as 25 feet deep, and the only thing that holds back the water is levees,” Mount said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pumping the water out is increasingly expensive because of rising electricity rates, said engineer Gilbert Cosio with River Delta Consulting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The last few years have been a perfect storm for expenditures,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Landowners in debt for fixing levees\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Since the 1970s, California has invested \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/36t9s0mp#:~:text=%3E%20%24700%20million%20since%20the%20mid%2D1970s\">more than $700 million\u003c/a> in Delta levee work. Just the last two budget cycles have dedicated $560 million to flood response and flood protection statewide, plus other investments, according to Laura Hollender, the California Department of Water Resources’ deputy director of flood management and dam safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Delta locals worry that critical programs protecting their region are being sidelined. The state cut a key levee maintenance fund from the budget this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sluggish state reimbursements on cost-shared projects through the \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/Work-With-Us/Grants-And-Loans/Delta-Levees-Maintenance-Subventions\">Delta Levees Maintenance Subventions Program\u003c/a> leaves local landowners — who must front the costs of repairs — accruing interest on loans they can’t pay back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s expensive and these districts go into debt to do these projects,” said Emily Pappalardo, an engineer with the local firm that designed and directed Wilson’s levee repair in 2023, DCC Engineering Co., in Walnut Grove. “Every dollar these districts spend should be on improving and maintaining their levees instead of chasing after the money to do it … or paying interest on loans.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson said that the FEMA reimbursement would not cover the costs of borrowing money to pay for the repairs. “The whole time the interest clock is ticking,” he said. That means less money for further levee upkeep. “If we had an issue this winter or last winter, we’d have been in a world of hurt,” Wilson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12035467\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12035467\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"833\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6-800x267.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6-1020x340.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6-2048x682.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6-1920x640.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: River Road, also known as State Route 160, runs along a levee on the Sacramento River. Right: A repaired section of the levee near Isleton on the Sacramento River. \u003ccite>(Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Until several years ago, according to sources, levee upgrades completed in the fall were followed by state reimbursements in the spring. “By the end of June, everyone had their money” in time to start working on spring and summer levee projects, said Cosio, at River Delta Consulting. “Now, it’s not until the fall or later that we get the money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farmer Harvey Correia, who has orchards near Isleton, said state claim filing requirements and slow processing mean that in some cases more than two years can pass before landowners are reimbursed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So we’re paying interest on loans while we’re waiting for money from the state,” Correia said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jason Ince, a spokesperson at the Department of Water Resources, said the agency strives to process payments “as quickly as possible” but said each request must be investigated and verified through site visits and coordination with other agencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson, near Walnut Grove, said many local levee managers are financially swamped. “They’re in debt beyond their ability to pay it back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pappalardo, who grew up in the Delta, wants to see more consistent funding of the levees subventions program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the program relies on periodic bond funding. The current cash pool amounts to about $14 million and derives from bonds that voters approved in 2014 and 2006, Ince said.[aside postID=science_1994168 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240820-PajaroFolo-112-BL-2-1020x680.jpg']Late last year, voters approved \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/11/california-election-news-proposition-4-environment/\">Proposition 4\u003c/a>, a $10 billion water, wildlife and climate bond, directing \u003ca href=\"https://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2024/general/pdf/prop4-text-proposed-laws.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$150 million (PDF)\u003c/a> to Delta flood protection, levee upgrades and climate resiliency work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sources said they expect it will provide more money for the program, but they emphasized that it, too, will run out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These levees aren’t going anywhere,” Pappalardo said. “This is infrastructure and these costs are always going to be here … this is general maintenance.” Ideally, she said, money would come from the state’s general fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also frustrated at the trickling pace of subventions funding for Delta levees is Stockton attorney Dante Nomellini, Jr., who has represented the Central Delta Water Agency and several Delta reclamation districts. He said the program is “well-oiled” but that its funding could be more reliable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The funding dries up every few years and we have to fight to get more,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Neudeck, a levee engineer whose firm — Kjeldsen, Sinnock & Neudeck, Inc — repaired the Victoria Island breach this winter, believes the flagging funding for levees has a simple explanation:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s called the flood memory half-life,” he said. “How long does a politician hold memory of a disaster? Many say it’s six months, others say nine months … If we don’t have a flood event every year, we’re screwed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>An uncertain future for the Delta\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Levee upgrades come in different forms. Some are relatively quick and easy, involving basic materials — like riprap, the rocks and boulders that line many levees — to provide armoring against erosion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others are more sophisticated. One nearly finished project near the Delta town of Isleton, along Highway 160, builds in fish and bird habitat in the form of vegetated “benches” near the water line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The benches serve a double purpose,” said Pappalardo, whose firm designed the project. “While they provide habitat, they also reduce the velocity of the river.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because Pappalardo’s project provides multiple benefits, the upgrade qualified for a 94% funding reimbursement from the state. But the total cost was about $18 million for 1.4 miles of levee, and the 6% that the reclamation district must cover on its own “is still a heavy lift for them,” Pappalardo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12035471\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12035471\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/040125_Isleton-Delta_MG_10-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/040125_Isleton-Delta_MG_10-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/040125_Isleton-Delta_MG_10-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/040125_Isleton-Delta_MG_10-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/040125_Isleton-Delta_MG_10-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/040125_Isleton-Delta_MG_10-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/040125_Isleton-Delta_MG_10-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Emily Pappalardo, principal engineer at DCC Engineering Co. Inc., is shown on the banks of the Sacramento River near Isleton. Pappalardo helped oversee the Sacramento River Erosion Repair and Habitat Enhancement Project to reduce bank erosion by planting native vegetation along the Sacramento River and levees. \u003ccite>(Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12035473\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12035473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"833\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7-800x267.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7-1020x340.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7-2048x682.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7-1920x640.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">First: Native vegetation is protected by beaver fencing on the bank of the Sacramento River near Isleton. Last: Tule was planted along the banks of the Sacramento River near Isleton. The native plants reduce erosion of the river’s levee system. \u003ccite>(Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Though costly and tangled in thickets of program and agency acronyms, most levee upgrade projects are not terribly complicated. They often involve dump trucks dropping material on top of or down a slope of a levee. Barges can help. The goal in most projects is to build the levee, vertically and horizontally, to dimensions defined by several distinct \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Work-With-Us/Grants-And-Loans/Delta-Levees-Special-Flood-Control-Projects/Files/Compilation-of-2018-Delta-Levees-Five-Year-Plan-Data.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">standards (PDF)\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These federal and state standards call for a range of parameters in levee height, width and slope steepness. Among these standards is that of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Emergency-Operations/PL-84-99/#:~:text=Public%20Law%2084%2D99%2C%20Emergency,and%20after%20a%20flood%20event.\">Public Law 84-99\u003c/a>. Certain levees built to this standard are eligible for support from the Army Corps should they leak or break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2019, the \u003ca href=\"https://cvfpb.ca.gov/news/dwr-has-released-the-flood-maintenance-assistance-program-fmap-guidelines/\">Flood Maintenance Assistance Program\u003c/a>, enacted by the Department of Water Resources, has provided local levee maintenance agencies with $40 million to help their levees comply with the federal standard.[aside postID=news_12016813 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/170111_KingTide_bhs14-1020x680.jpg']This has leveraged massive amounts of federal funding when levees damaged by high waters need to be repaired, said Nagy at the Sacramento River West Side Levee District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In my district alone, since 2017, we have had about $30 million worth of federal funding for post-flood repairs,” Nagy said. The program “is one of the most successful programs the department has executed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the state’s Flood Maintenance Assistance Program was put “on hold” this year due to budget constraints, according to the Department of Water Resources. Nagy worries this could accelerate levee deterioration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we have multiple years when that program is not funded, then every year we get closer to losing eligibility for federal funding post-flood,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/36t9s0mp\">assessment\u003c/a> of Delta levee vulnerability in 2016, Deverel and several coauthors wrote that although general compliance with various standards is “encouraging,” fully protecting any given island in the Delta “requires 100% compliance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nomellini thinks full protection is achievable. “This is not rocket science,” he said. “This is dirt and rock. If there was the political will, we could have the best levees west of the Mississippi.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mount said the amount of money needed to maintain the Delta’s levees may be the most insurmountable obstacle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What do you do if you don’t have the money?” he said. “What is the long-term vision for the Delta?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the Delta Stewardship Council, Jeff Henderson, deputy executive officer of planning and performance, said parts of the western Delta more exposed to the influence of tides and rising sea level may face an uncertain future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In such locations, reinforcing levees may become technically or financially unsustainable over time, prompting conversations about alternative strategies,” Henderson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Erosion and weathering are just two factors gnawing at levee integrity. Burrowing beavers cause occasional collapses. So have invasive \u003ca href=\"https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives/Species/Nutria/Infestation\">nutria\u003c/a>, semi-aquatic rodents native to South America and now a recognized nuisance to California’s wetlands and levees. Toppling trees, too, can tear out the flank of a levee, and earthquakes are considered a constant danger — though just how serious is debated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another matter that has progressively compromised the Delta’s levees is subsidence — the land is sinking, an outcome of when \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/what-peat-subsidence-and-how-can-countries-prevent-environmental-disaster#:~:text=As%20a%20result%2C%20the%20previously,carbon%20losses%20%2C%20which%20triggers%20subsidence.\">peat soil\u003c/a> is exposed to oxygen and breaks down, emitting carbon dioxide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 2 billion cubic meters of Delta soil volume has disappeared since the 1850s, according to Deverel’s 2016 paper. Today, much cropland and scattered residences lie a precarious 15 to 20 feet and more \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/36t9s0mp#:~:text=Land%20surface%20elevations\">below sea level\u003c/a>. All the while, the ocean is rising, though slowly, and winter flooding is growing more extreme.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have rising sea level, increasing winter storms and atmospheric rivers, and the longer it’s been since the last earthquake the closer we are to the next,” Mount said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He predicts that lower-value land will eventually go underwater as levees wear out and the will to maintain them wanes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Will the Delta look like this forever?” he asked. “The answer is no.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was updated on April 8 to clarify a grower’s comments on why reimbursements sometimes take two years.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2025/04/delta-levees-risk-of-floods-repairs-cost-3-billion/\">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\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The Delta faces a funding crisis to repair and maintain an aging network of 1,100 miles of levees. These earthen berms, mostly on private land, could rupture and endanger half a million people and flood thousands of acres of farmland.",
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"title": "Miles of Delta Levees Are at Risk of Floods. Repairs Could Cost $3 billion | KQED",
"description": "The Delta faces a funding crisis to repair and maintain an aging network of 1,100 miles of levees. These earthen berms, mostly on private land, could rupture and endanger half a million people and flood thousands of acres of farmland.",
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"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/alastair-bland/\">Alastair Bland\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\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\u003cp>As winter storms soaked California in \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/01/california-floods-sacramento-valley/\">early 2023\u003c/a>, the Sacramento River swelled toward flood stage. Levees protecting large expanses of farmland and many towns sprung leaks. At one site, response crews drove metal sheets into the earthen berm and lined the levee face with heavy rock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The work cost almost $700,000, paid by local farmers who had to take out a loan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was way beyond our means, but we had to do it,” said Daniel Wilson, a farmer near the Delta town of Walnut Grove and trustee of the management agency responsible for the levee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because the region was declared a disaster zone, funding help was available through the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_dr-4699-ca-public-notice-004.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Federal Emergency Management Agency (PDF)\u003c/a>. But two years later, the money still hasn’t arrived. Other districts in the region also are waiting for reimbursements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is facing a funding crisis that has bogged down efforts to repair and maintain an aging network of about 1,100 miles of levees that protect the region from floods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These protective ridges of dirt and rocks, mostly on private land, are at growing risk of rupturing, which would endanger half a million people, mostly in Stockton but also in smaller towns and farmsteads. Also threatened are thousands of acres of farmland, highways and water supply pumps that send water to much of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The summer of 2004 saw a major failure when the privately owned levee surrounding a large parcel of farmers’ fields called \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/bay_delta/california_waterfix/exhibits/docs/PPorgans/porgans_301.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jones Tract (PDF)\u003c/a>, which mostly sits below sea level, burst. Water surged through the break, flooding 12,000 acres, which remained swamped for months. Dozens of barns and a few homes were submerged. The response and repair effort — including rebuilding hundreds of feet of levee and pumping out the water — cost $90 million in government and private funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More recently, last year, water seeped under a levee that rings Victoria Island west of Stockton, just a few miles north of pumping stations that send water to 30 million Californians and vast tracts of farmland. A breach would have created powerful suction, drawing in large volumes of brackish San Francisco Bay water and forcing the pumps to shut down for weeks. Crews drove sheet piles deep into the levee to stem the leak and stop the flow of water under the levee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without substantial improvements to Delta levees in the next 25 years, “more than $10 billion in agricultural, residential, commercial, and infrastructure assets and nearly $2 billion in annual economic activity would be exposed to flooding,” according to an estimate from the Delta Stewardship Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeffrey Mount, a geomorphologist and water infrastructure expert with the Public Policy Institute of California, said the recent near-miss at Victoria Island could be a harbinger of more dangerous levee breaks to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That is considered one of the really good levees, and they nearly lost it,” Mount said. “So what about the other ones?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With state and federal assistance programs falling behind on reimbursements or losing funding, landowners are struggling to keep pace with maintenance. Many are in debt from recent projects, and the backlog of upgrades and repairs is growing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Billions of dollars are needed to upgrade the Delta’s levees to basic safety standards, but the estimated costs far exceed the funding metered out by state and federal agencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Repairing Delta levees could cost at least $3.2 billion by 2050, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://deltacouncil.ca.gov/pdf/delta-plan/2024-11-18-delta-adapts-draft-adaptation-plan.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Delta Stewardship Council (PDF)\u003c/a>. State water officials estimate that about \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Work-With-Us/Grants-And-Loans/Delta-Levees-Special-Flood-Control-Projects/Files/Compilation-of-2018-Delta-Levees-Five-Year-Plan-Data.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$1.06 billion (PDF)\u003c/a> is needed for Delta levee upgrades in just the next five years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the entire Central Valley, the problem balloons to $30 billion in overdue upgrades to protect against worst-case scenario flooding, which could cause $1 trillion in damage, according to the state’s 2022 \u003ca href=\"https://cvfpb.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Central_Valley_Flood_Protection_Plan_Update_2022_ADOPTED.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (PDF)\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All the districts in the Central Valley have a list of projects that they would like to get accomplished,” said Meegan Nagy, general manager of the Sacramento River West Side Levee District, which manages levees upstream of the state capital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few miles southeast of Sacramento, a privately owned levee system beside the Cosumnes River ruptured on New Year’s Eve in 2022 during a powerful downpour. The \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/01/california-floods-sacramento-valley/\">flooding\u003c/a> killed three people, swamped homes, shut down Highway 99 and washed away vehicles. The local levee management agency, funded by its landowners, was \u003ca href=\"https://www.therivervalleytimes.com/2025/02/05/522291/sloughhouse-levee-erosion-prompts-emergency-declaration\">reportedly still waiting\u003c/a> for federal emergency relief money two years later and, as of January, still owed the bank $7 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12035463\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12035463\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/010323-WILTON-FLOODING-REUTERS-FG-CM-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1402\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/010323-WILTON-FLOODING-REUTERS-FG-CM-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/010323-WILTON-FLOODING-REUTERS-FG-CM-copy-800x561.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/010323-WILTON-FLOODING-REUTERS-FG-CM-copy-1020x715.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/010323-WILTON-FLOODING-REUTERS-FG-CM-copy-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/010323-WILTON-FLOODING-REUTERS-FG-CM-copy-1536x1077.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/010323-WILTON-FLOODING-REUTERS-FG-CM-copy-1920x1346.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crews repair a levee on the north side of the Cosumnes River on Jan. 2, 2023, after it was breached by heavy rains that flooded Sacramento County roads and properties near Wilton. \u003ccite>(Fred Greaves/Reuters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Stockton, on the eastern edge of the Delta, faces a constant risk of flooding. U.S. Rep. Josh Harder, a Democrat from Tracy, said the problem stems from inadequate federal funding for levee upkeep and red tape that hinders maintenance and repairs by local agencies. He has co-authored a bill, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5304/text\">Safeguarding Our Levees Act\u003c/a>, that would address some of these issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For too long we’ve been left behind in federal funding,” Harder said. “No family should have to watch floodwater pour into their living room while government stalls.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parts of the region are essentially on borrowed time, with levees facing a uniquely overbearing workload, said Steven Deverel, a hydrologist at HydroFocus, Inc., who has studied Delta levees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most levees, he explained, hold back water only during high flow events. But in the Delta, “levees are really more like dams in that they have to hold back water 24–7.” This unique arrangement makes much of the region particularly vulnerable to flooding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You basically have holes in the ground as much as 25 feet deep, and the only thing that holds back the water is levees,” Mount said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pumping the water out is increasingly expensive because of rising electricity rates, said engineer Gilbert Cosio with River Delta Consulting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The last few years have been a perfect storm for expenditures,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Landowners in debt for fixing levees\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Since the 1970s, California has invested \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/36t9s0mp#:~:text=%3E%20%24700%20million%20since%20the%20mid%2D1970s\">more than $700 million\u003c/a> in Delta levee work. Just the last two budget cycles have dedicated $560 million to flood response and flood protection statewide, plus other investments, according to Laura Hollender, the California Department of Water Resources’ deputy director of flood management and dam safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Delta locals worry that critical programs protecting their region are being sidelined. The state cut a key levee maintenance fund from the budget this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sluggish state reimbursements on cost-shared projects through the \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/Work-With-Us/Grants-And-Loans/Delta-Levees-Maintenance-Subventions\">Delta Levees Maintenance Subventions Program\u003c/a> leaves local landowners — who must front the costs of repairs — accruing interest on loans they can’t pay back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s expensive and these districts go into debt to do these projects,” said Emily Pappalardo, an engineer with the local firm that designed and directed Wilson’s levee repair in 2023, DCC Engineering Co., in Walnut Grove. “Every dollar these districts spend should be on improving and maintaining their levees instead of chasing after the money to do it … or paying interest on loans.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson said that the FEMA reimbursement would not cover the costs of borrowing money to pay for the repairs. “The whole time the interest clock is ticking,” he said. That means less money for further levee upkeep. “If we had an issue this winter or last winter, we’d have been in a world of hurt,” Wilson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12035467\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12035467\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"833\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6-800x267.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6-1020x340.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6-2048x682.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-6-1920x640.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: River Road, also known as State Route 160, runs along a levee on the Sacramento River. Right: A repaired section of the levee near Isleton on the Sacramento River. \u003ccite>(Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Until several years ago, according to sources, levee upgrades completed in the fall were followed by state reimbursements in the spring. “By the end of June, everyone had their money” in time to start working on spring and summer levee projects, said Cosio, at River Delta Consulting. “Now, it’s not until the fall or later that we get the money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farmer Harvey Correia, who has orchards near Isleton, said state claim filing requirements and slow processing mean that in some cases more than two years can pass before landowners are reimbursed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So we’re paying interest on loans while we’re waiting for money from the state,” Correia said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jason Ince, a spokesperson at the Department of Water Resources, said the agency strives to process payments “as quickly as possible” but said each request must be investigated and verified through site visits and coordination with other agencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson, near Walnut Grove, said many local levee managers are financially swamped. “They’re in debt beyond their ability to pay it back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pappalardo, who grew up in the Delta, wants to see more consistent funding of the levees subventions program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the program relies on periodic bond funding. The current cash pool amounts to about $14 million and derives from bonds that voters approved in 2014 and 2006, Ince said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Late last year, voters approved \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/11/california-election-news-proposition-4-environment/\">Proposition 4\u003c/a>, a $10 billion water, wildlife and climate bond, directing \u003ca href=\"https://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2024/general/pdf/prop4-text-proposed-laws.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$150 million (PDF)\u003c/a> to Delta flood protection, levee upgrades and climate resiliency work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sources said they expect it will provide more money for the program, but they emphasized that it, too, will run out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These levees aren’t going anywhere,” Pappalardo said. “This is infrastructure and these costs are always going to be here … this is general maintenance.” Ideally, she said, money would come from the state’s general fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also frustrated at the trickling pace of subventions funding for Delta levees is Stockton attorney Dante Nomellini, Jr., who has represented the Central Delta Water Agency and several Delta reclamation districts. He said the program is “well-oiled” but that its funding could be more reliable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The funding dries up every few years and we have to fight to get more,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Neudeck, a levee engineer whose firm — Kjeldsen, Sinnock & Neudeck, Inc — repaired the Victoria Island breach this winter, believes the flagging funding for levees has a simple explanation:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s called the flood memory half-life,” he said. “How long does a politician hold memory of a disaster? Many say it’s six months, others say nine months … If we don’t have a flood event every year, we’re screwed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>An uncertain future for the Delta\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Levee upgrades come in different forms. Some are relatively quick and easy, involving basic materials — like riprap, the rocks and boulders that line many levees — to provide armoring against erosion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others are more sophisticated. One nearly finished project near the Delta town of Isleton, along Highway 160, builds in fish and bird habitat in the form of vegetated “benches” near the water line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The benches serve a double purpose,” said Pappalardo, whose firm designed the project. “While they provide habitat, they also reduce the velocity of the river.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because Pappalardo’s project provides multiple benefits, the upgrade qualified for a 94% funding reimbursement from the state. But the total cost was about $18 million for 1.4 miles of levee, and the 6% that the reclamation district must cover on its own “is still a heavy lift for them,” Pappalardo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12035471\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12035471\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/040125_Isleton-Delta_MG_10-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/040125_Isleton-Delta_MG_10-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/040125_Isleton-Delta_MG_10-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/040125_Isleton-Delta_MG_10-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/040125_Isleton-Delta_MG_10-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/040125_Isleton-Delta_MG_10-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/040125_Isleton-Delta_MG_10-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Emily Pappalardo, principal engineer at DCC Engineering Co. Inc., is shown on the banks of the Sacramento River near Isleton. Pappalardo helped oversee the Sacramento River Erosion Repair and Habitat Enhancement Project to reduce bank erosion by planting native vegetation along the Sacramento River and levees. \u003ccite>(Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12035473\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12035473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"833\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7-800x267.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7-1020x340.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7-2048x682.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/Copy-of-KQED-side-by-side-downpage-image-7-1920x640.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">First: Native vegetation is protected by beaver fencing on the bank of the Sacramento River near Isleton. Last: Tule was planted along the banks of the Sacramento River near Isleton. The native plants reduce erosion of the river’s levee system. \u003ccite>(Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Though costly and tangled in thickets of program and agency acronyms, most levee upgrade projects are not terribly complicated. They often involve dump trucks dropping material on top of or down a slope of a levee. Barges can help. The goal in most projects is to build the levee, vertically and horizontally, to dimensions defined by several distinct \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Work-With-Us/Grants-And-Loans/Delta-Levees-Special-Flood-Control-Projects/Files/Compilation-of-2018-Delta-Levees-Five-Year-Plan-Data.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">standards (PDF)\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These federal and state standards call for a range of parameters in levee height, width and slope steepness. Among these standards is that of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Emergency-Operations/PL-84-99/#:~:text=Public%20Law%2084%2D99%2C%20Emergency,and%20after%20a%20flood%20event.\">Public Law 84-99\u003c/a>. Certain levees built to this standard are eligible for support from the Army Corps should they leak or break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2019, the \u003ca href=\"https://cvfpb.ca.gov/news/dwr-has-released-the-flood-maintenance-assistance-program-fmap-guidelines/\">Flood Maintenance Assistance Program\u003c/a>, enacted by the Department of Water Resources, has provided local levee maintenance agencies with $40 million to help their levees comply with the federal standard.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>This has leveraged massive amounts of federal funding when levees damaged by high waters need to be repaired, said Nagy at the Sacramento River West Side Levee District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In my district alone, since 2017, we have had about $30 million worth of federal funding for post-flood repairs,” Nagy said. The program “is one of the most successful programs the department has executed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the state’s Flood Maintenance Assistance Program was put “on hold” this year due to budget constraints, according to the Department of Water Resources. Nagy worries this could accelerate levee deterioration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we have multiple years when that program is not funded, then every year we get closer to losing eligibility for federal funding post-flood,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/36t9s0mp\">assessment\u003c/a> of Delta levee vulnerability in 2016, Deverel and several coauthors wrote that although general compliance with various standards is “encouraging,” fully protecting any given island in the Delta “requires 100% compliance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nomellini thinks full protection is achievable. “This is not rocket science,” he said. “This is dirt and rock. If there was the political will, we could have the best levees west of the Mississippi.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mount said the amount of money needed to maintain the Delta’s levees may be the most insurmountable obstacle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What do you do if you don’t have the money?” he said. “What is the long-term vision for the Delta?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the Delta Stewardship Council, Jeff Henderson, deputy executive officer of planning and performance, said parts of the western Delta more exposed to the influence of tides and rising sea level may face an uncertain future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In such locations, reinforcing levees may become technically or financially unsustainable over time, prompting conversations about alternative strategies,” Henderson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Erosion and weathering are just two factors gnawing at levee integrity. Burrowing beavers cause occasional collapses. So have invasive \u003ca href=\"https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives/Species/Nutria/Infestation\">nutria\u003c/a>, semi-aquatic rodents native to South America and now a recognized nuisance to California’s wetlands and levees. Toppling trees, too, can tear out the flank of a levee, and earthquakes are considered a constant danger — though just how serious is debated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another matter that has progressively compromised the Delta’s levees is subsidence — the land is sinking, an outcome of when \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/what-peat-subsidence-and-how-can-countries-prevent-environmental-disaster#:~:text=As%20a%20result%2C%20the%20previously,carbon%20losses%20%2C%20which%20triggers%20subsidence.\">peat soil\u003c/a> is exposed to oxygen and breaks down, emitting carbon dioxide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 2 billion cubic meters of Delta soil volume has disappeared since the 1850s, according to Deverel’s 2016 paper. Today, much cropland and scattered residences lie a precarious 15 to 20 feet and more \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/36t9s0mp#:~:text=Land%20surface%20elevations\">below sea level\u003c/a>. All the while, the ocean is rising, though slowly, and winter flooding is growing more extreme.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have rising sea level, increasing winter storms and atmospheric rivers, and the longer it’s been since the last earthquake the closer we are to the next,” Mount said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He predicts that lower-value land will eventually go underwater as levees wear out and the will to maintain them wanes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Will the Delta look like this forever?” he asked. “The answer is no.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was updated on April 8 to clarify a grower’s comments on why reimbursements sometimes take two years.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2025/04/delta-levees-risk-of-floods-repairs-cost-3-billion/\">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\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "where-to-go-camping-in-the-south-bay",
"title": "Where to Go Camping in the South Bay",
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"content": "\u003cp>Access to nature — and the abundance of beautiful campgrounds within driving distance — is one of the big perks of life in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you’ve assumed you’ll always need to travel several hours to go camping, good news: There are actually a wealth of campsites right on your doorstep if you live in or near the South Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for some excellent options for camping within Santa Clara County (or very nearby), with a focus on campsites run by the county park system. Some include options for RV camping, and even one with yurts, if pitching a tent just isn’t your thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A quick note about reserving camping sites: For both Santa Clara County Parks and State Parks, reservations typically open six months in advance. You can reserve county park sites at \u003ca href=\"https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov\">parks.santaclaracounty.gov\u003c/a>, and state parks at \u003ca href=\"http://reservecalifornia.com\">ReserveCalifornia.com\u003c/a> (apart from \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=26658\">Castle Rock State Park, which uses a different system\u003c/a>).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11953853/how-to-find-a-camping-spot-in-california-when-they-always-seem-to-be-fully-booked\">read more tips and tricks for successfully securing a camping spot in California\u003c/a>, especially when they always seem to be booked.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Joseph D. Grant County Park \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At just under 11,000 acres, Joseph D. Grant is the largest park of 28 in the Santa Clara County Park system, just east of the San José foothills off Mount Hamilton Road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_11953853 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66535_GettyImages-523679818-1-qut-1020x686.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I always say Joseph D. Grant is sort of that hidden gem,” said Nadine Abousalem, the senior communications officer for the park system. “It does give you that state park feel, but it’s a county park. It’s just wide open space — it’s beautiful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to \u003ca href=\"https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/things-do/camp/tent-campsites\">almost 40 tent camping sites\u003c/a>, Joseph D. Grant County Park offers eight equestrian sites where visitors can bring their horses and trailers and offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1993717/where-to-watch-perseids-meteor-shower-peak-bay-area-best-places-to-see\">great stargazing opportunities\u003c/a> for overnight campers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://gooutsideandplay.org/reservation/camping/index.asp\">\u003cstrong>Reserve a campsite at Joseph D. Grant County Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Mount Madonna County Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara County calls Mount Madonna one of the county’s “most majestic” spots, and given that this county park allows you to bask among the towering redwoods just an hour from downtown San José, you might be inclined to agree.[aside postID=science_1996323 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/03/GettyImages-1141101456-1020x680.jpg']The park has room for all kinds of visitors, with around 120 campsites offering spaces for tents, RVs, horse trailers and group camping. Mount Madonna is also the only park in the county system to offer \u003ca href=\"https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/things-do/camp/yurts\">a small — but very popular — selection of yurts for camping\u003c/a>, which include bunk beds and futons, depending on size.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An added bonus: During the summer, when temperatures are peaking across the region, the dense forests of the Santa Cruz Mountain range help make the park \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1984306/best-bay-area-hikes-fall-cool-temperatures\">a slightly cooler respite\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://gooutsideandplay.org/reservation/camping/index.asp\">\u003cstrong>Reserve a campsite at Mount Madonna County Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Henry W. Coe State Park \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Henry W. Coe State Park is actually the largest state park in Northern California, sprawling across nearly 90,000 acres in the Diablo Mountain Range. Offering canyons, creeks and miles of trails, this rugged terrain is particularly beautiful in springtime, when it fills with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1996323/where-to-see-wildflowers-near-you-in-the-bay-area\">wildflowers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The huge park offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25829\">traditional 20 drive-in campsites,\u003c/a> including “primitive” campsites, as well as hike-in group camping spots — along with plenty of activities like fishing, mountain biking and backpacking by permit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://reservecalifornia.com/Web/Default.aspx#!park/656\">\u003cstrong>Reserve a campsite at Henry W. Coe State Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Castle Rock State Park \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Largely in Santa Cruz County, Castle Rock State Park also extends into portions of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and connects with other regional open space preserves.[aside postID=news_11910495 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/04/RS55017_GettyImages-1387412608-qut.jpg']This state park is famous for its sandstone outcroppings, including its namesake Castle Rock, and offers a superb place for rock climbing, as well as 34 miles of trails among forests filled with evergreens and black oaks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The park offers over 20 primitive camping sites with water and pit toilets to trail hikers at the Castle Rock trail camp. But unlike other state parks, you can’t make a reservation through \u003ca href=\"http://reservecalifornia.com\">ReserveCalifornia.com\u003c/a> and should instead use the \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=26658\">Backcountry Trail Camp Request Form\u003c/a>. Five of these sites will also be available to walk-ins without a reservation on a first-come, first-served basis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=26658\">\u003cstrong>Reserve a campsite at Castle Rock State Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Sanborn County Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Abutting Castle Rock State Park and other nature preserves, Sanborn County Park spreads over more than 3,400 acres of redwoods and tanbark oaks and offers \u003ca href=\"https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/things-do/camp/tent-campsites\">33 hike-in campsites\u003c/a> for people willing to make a roughly 20-minute trek to their site.[aside postID=news_11979339 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/GettyImages-1244474782_qut.jpg']With its 18 miles of trails, Sanborn County Park also offers accommodations for RV camping, and picnicking, and is surprisingly close to downtown Los Gatos and Saratoga.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The park is also one of several county facilities that offer spaces for rent for weddings and other events in Sequoia Peterson Grove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://gooutsideandplay.org/reservation/camping/index.asp\">\u003cstrong>Reserve a campsite at Sanborn County Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Coyote Lake in Harvey Bear Ranch County Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Perhaps best known for its fishing and recreational boating opportunities in the 3-mile long Coyote Lake reservoir, \u003ca href=\"https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/locations/coyote-lake-harvey-bear-ranch-county-park\">Harvey Bear Ranch Park\u003c/a> in the hills east of Gilroy also offers 33 miles of trails for hiking, biking and equestrians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Visitors who want more time to explore the park’s nearly 7,000 acres can stay overnight in any of 73 campsites for tents or RVs, including group camping sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://gooutsideandplay.org/reservation/camping/index.asp\">\u003cstrong>Reserve a campsite at Coyote Lake\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Uvas Canyon County Park \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With just over 1,100 acres of lush woodlands and several spots to enjoy flowing natural waterways and waterfalls, Uvas Canyon County Park, to the west of Morgan Hill, is a sure bet to lift your spirits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With around 7 miles of hiking trails, \u003ca href=\"https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/things-do/camp/tent-campsites\">the park offers 25 sites for tent campers\u003c/a>, as well as group camping areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Online reviewers call Uvas Canyon “\u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/california/uvas-canyon-county-park\">remote, yet very accessible\u003c/a>,” and a place where you can find “\u003ca href=\"https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g32744-d3514214-r953077773-Uvas_Canyon_County_Park-Morgan_Hill_California.html\">peace and tranquility\u003c/a>.” Be aware that at the time of publication, the county said that large vehicles, trailers, and RVs are \u003ca href=\"https://gooutsideandplay.org/reservation/camping/index.asp\">“not recommended” to visit Uvas Canyon\u003c/a> due to narrow road conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://gooutsideandplay.org/reservation/camping/index.asp\">\u003cstrong>Reserve a campsite at Uvas Canyon County Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story contains reporting by KQED’s Carly Severn.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "You don’t have to drive hours to go camping if you live in the South Bay. We’ve rounded up a selection of beautiful campsites within a short distance of San José.",
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"title": "Where to Go Camping in the South Bay | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Access to nature — and the abundance of beautiful campgrounds within driving distance — is one of the big perks of life in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you’ve assumed you’ll always need to travel several hours to go camping, good news: There are actually a wealth of campsites right on your doorstep if you live in or near the South Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for some excellent options for camping within Santa Clara County (or very nearby), with a focus on campsites run by the county park system. Some include options for RV camping, and even one with yurts, if pitching a tent just isn’t your thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A quick note about reserving camping sites: For both Santa Clara County Parks and State Parks, reservations typically open six months in advance. You can reserve county park sites at \u003ca href=\"https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov\">parks.santaclaracounty.gov\u003c/a>, and state parks at \u003ca href=\"http://reservecalifornia.com\">ReserveCalifornia.com\u003c/a> (apart from \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=26658\">Castle Rock State Park, which uses a different system\u003c/a>).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11953853/how-to-find-a-camping-spot-in-california-when-they-always-seem-to-be-fully-booked\">read more tips and tricks for successfully securing a camping spot in California\u003c/a>, especially when they always seem to be booked.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Joseph D. Grant County Park \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At just under 11,000 acres, Joseph D. Grant is the largest park of 28 in the Santa Clara County Park system, just east of the San José foothills off Mount Hamilton Road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I always say Joseph D. Grant is sort of that hidden gem,” said Nadine Abousalem, the senior communications officer for the park system. “It does give you that state park feel, but it’s a county park. It’s just wide open space — it’s beautiful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to \u003ca href=\"https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/things-do/camp/tent-campsites\">almost 40 tent camping sites\u003c/a>, Joseph D. Grant County Park offers eight equestrian sites where visitors can bring their horses and trailers and offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1993717/where-to-watch-perseids-meteor-shower-peak-bay-area-best-places-to-see\">great stargazing opportunities\u003c/a> for overnight campers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://gooutsideandplay.org/reservation/camping/index.asp\">\u003cstrong>Reserve a campsite at Joseph D. Grant County Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Mount Madonna County Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara County calls Mount Madonna one of the county’s “most majestic” spots, and given that this county park allows you to bask among the towering redwoods just an hour from downtown San José, you might be inclined to agree.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The park has room for all kinds of visitors, with around 120 campsites offering spaces for tents, RVs, horse trailers and group camping. Mount Madonna is also the only park in the county system to offer \u003ca href=\"https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/things-do/camp/yurts\">a small — but very popular — selection of yurts for camping\u003c/a>, which include bunk beds and futons, depending on size.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An added bonus: During the summer, when temperatures are peaking across the region, the dense forests of the Santa Cruz Mountain range help make the park \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1984306/best-bay-area-hikes-fall-cool-temperatures\">a slightly cooler respite\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://gooutsideandplay.org/reservation/camping/index.asp\">\u003cstrong>Reserve a campsite at Mount Madonna County Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Henry W. Coe State Park \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Henry W. Coe State Park is actually the largest state park in Northern California, sprawling across nearly 90,000 acres in the Diablo Mountain Range. Offering canyons, creeks and miles of trails, this rugged terrain is particularly beautiful in springtime, when it fills with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1996323/where-to-see-wildflowers-near-you-in-the-bay-area\">wildflowers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The huge park offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25829\">traditional 20 drive-in campsites,\u003c/a> including “primitive” campsites, as well as hike-in group camping spots — along with plenty of activities like fishing, mountain biking and backpacking by permit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://reservecalifornia.com/Web/Default.aspx#!park/656\">\u003cstrong>Reserve a campsite at Henry W. Coe State Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Castle Rock State Park \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Largely in Santa Cruz County, Castle Rock State Park also extends into portions of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and connects with other regional open space preserves.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>This state park is famous for its sandstone outcroppings, including its namesake Castle Rock, and offers a superb place for rock climbing, as well as 34 miles of trails among forests filled with evergreens and black oaks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The park offers over 20 primitive camping sites with water and pit toilets to trail hikers at the Castle Rock trail camp. But unlike other state parks, you can’t make a reservation through \u003ca href=\"http://reservecalifornia.com\">ReserveCalifornia.com\u003c/a> and should instead use the \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=26658\">Backcountry Trail Camp Request Form\u003c/a>. Five of these sites will also be available to walk-ins without a reservation on a first-come, first-served basis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=26658\">\u003cstrong>Reserve a campsite at Castle Rock State Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Sanborn County Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Abutting Castle Rock State Park and other nature preserves, Sanborn County Park spreads over more than 3,400 acres of redwoods and tanbark oaks and offers \u003ca href=\"https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/things-do/camp/tent-campsites\">33 hike-in campsites\u003c/a> for people willing to make a roughly 20-minute trek to their site.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>With its 18 miles of trails, Sanborn County Park also offers accommodations for RV camping, and picnicking, and is surprisingly close to downtown Los Gatos and Saratoga.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The park is also one of several county facilities that offer spaces for rent for weddings and other events in Sequoia Peterson Grove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://gooutsideandplay.org/reservation/camping/index.asp\">\u003cstrong>Reserve a campsite at Sanborn County Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Coyote Lake in Harvey Bear Ranch County Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Perhaps best known for its fishing and recreational boating opportunities in the 3-mile long Coyote Lake reservoir, \u003ca href=\"https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/locations/coyote-lake-harvey-bear-ranch-county-park\">Harvey Bear Ranch Park\u003c/a> in the hills east of Gilroy also offers 33 miles of trails for hiking, biking and equestrians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Visitors who want more time to explore the park’s nearly 7,000 acres can stay overnight in any of 73 campsites for tents or RVs, including group camping sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://gooutsideandplay.org/reservation/camping/index.asp\">\u003cstrong>Reserve a campsite at Coyote Lake\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Uvas Canyon County Park \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With just over 1,100 acres of lush woodlands and several spots to enjoy flowing natural waterways and waterfalls, Uvas Canyon County Park, to the west of Morgan Hill, is a sure bet to lift your spirits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With around 7 miles of hiking trails, \u003ca href=\"https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/things-do/camp/tent-campsites\">the park offers 25 sites for tent campers\u003c/a>, as well as group camping areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Online reviewers call Uvas Canyon “\u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/california/uvas-canyon-county-park\">remote, yet very accessible\u003c/a>,” and a place where you can find “\u003ca href=\"https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g32744-d3514214-r953077773-Uvas_Canyon_County_Park-Morgan_Hill_California.html\">peace and tranquility\u003c/a>.” Be aware that at the time of publication, the county said that large vehicles, trailers, and RVs are \u003ca href=\"https://gooutsideandplay.org/reservation/camping/index.asp\">“not recommended” to visit Uvas Canyon\u003c/a> due to narrow road conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://gooutsideandplay.org/reservation/camping/index.asp\">\u003cstrong>Reserve a campsite at Uvas Canyon County Park\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story contains reporting by KQED’s Carly Severn.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Congress has launched an investigation into the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021426/point-reyes-ranching-will-all-but-end-under-new-deal-capping-decades-long-conflict\">controversial settlement deal\u003c/a> that is set to end most dairy and cattle ranching along the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/point-reyes\">Point Reyes National Seashore\u003c/a>, according to a letter this week from Republican members, including many on the House Committee on Natural Resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rep. Jared Huffman, the committee’s ranking Democrat, said the move could “blow up” the historic land deal, which had seemed poised to end years of environmental strife over the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The settlement was announced in January, when the National Park Service said that a dozen ranchers had agreed to cede their leases in exchange for a buyout from the Nature Conservancy. The park service also said it would revise its general management plan to rezone about 16,000 acres of the seashore to disallow most agricultural operations and add \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936802/cattle-ranching-is-at-the-center-of-a-battle-brewing-in-point-reyes\">protections for the tule elk\u003c/a> population there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the letter sent Thursday to the Nature Conservancy and other environmental organizations who were party to the deal, Congress members are concerned about the “lack of transparency” and potential “environmental and legal consequences” of the deal, as well as the environmental nonprofit’s part in it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The terms of the deal have been kept mostly private, and ranchers had to sign non-disclosure agreements related to the settlement and their compensation, according to the letter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Congress members are now alleging that the NDAs have “muzzled” lessies who agreed to the deal and that many aren’t happy with its terms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11936879\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11936879\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/DSC5237-scaled-e1672877098790.jpg\" alt=\"Four male elk walk down a grassy hillside\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Once abundant in Point Reyes, Tule elk were nearly hunted to extinction. In the 1970s, the Parks Service designated the northern tip of Point Reyes as an elk preserve. \u003ccite>(Amanda Font/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The committee understands that not only are some parties uncomfortable with the settlement agreement, but also that [Nature Conservancy] donors and environmental advocates have expressed displeasure with the settlement,” the letter reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Nature Conservancy said in a statement that it “was not part of the Point Reyes litigation, but was asked by all of the litigating parties, including the ranchers, to join their mediation as an honest broker and help find a compromise to end the long-standing conflict.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As an organization, we have a long history of partnering with ranchers, farmers and communities who work closest to the land to help conserve the lands and waters that sustain us all,” the statement reads. “We have long considered farmers and ranchers some of our greatest conservation allies.”[aside postID=news_12029675 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/NimanRanchGetty-1020x680.jpg']The settlement came after three environmental groups — Resource Renewal Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Western Watersheds Project — sued the park service in 2022, faulting it for part of the ecological damage done by ranchers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the deal spurred anger and anxiety within the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/marin-county\">West Marin\u003c/a> community, where ranching had been an economic backbone for generations. One rancher who agreed to the buyout told KQED at the time that even though he ultimately took the settlement, he and other ranchers “felt so much in a corner that [they] didn’t know what else to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nicolette Hahn Niman and her husband, William, who own Niman Ranch, refused the deal and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029675/niman-ranch-challenges-point-reyes-seashore-settlement-in-lawsuit-over-ranching\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against the park service in March, saying that the move to bar ranching would cause environmental damage and failed to account for Congress’ goal to preserve the “ranching and agricultural heritage” of the seashore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A second lawsuit filed against the park service, Nature Conservancy and Department of Interior alleges that they conspired to pay off the ranchers. West Marin attorney Andrew Giacomini filed the suit on behalf of local workers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12002972/west-marin-worker-housing-often-substandard-and-faulty-new-report-finds\">who live in housing on the ranches\u003c/a> — one of few affordable options in the area — and are now poised to be evicted in the coming year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The members of Congress are requesting wide-ranging communication records between the Nature Conservancy, the environmental groups that brought the 2022 suit, the National Park Service, and the ranchers who are party to the settlement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12035708\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12035708\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240426_DeptofLaborAnnouncement-11_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240426_DeptofLaborAnnouncement-11_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240426_DeptofLaborAnnouncement-11_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240426_DeptofLaborAnnouncement-11_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240426_DeptofLaborAnnouncement-11_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240426_DeptofLaborAnnouncement-11_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240426_DeptofLaborAnnouncement-11_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman speaks during a press conference in Santa Rosa on April 26, 2024. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They also seem to be reviewing the Nature Conservancy’s new role helping manage the seashore under the park service’s revision to the General Management Plan this year, which they believe could be a conflict of interest because of the nonprofit’s part in the land deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Huffman, whose district includes West Marin, said he didn’t have any advance knowledge that the probe was being launched and that the representatives investigating never asked for information regarding the settlement before now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s nothing to hide here,” he said. “I would have gladly brought them to Point Reyes, had them sit down and talk to the ranchers. There’s nothing controversial or scandalous in any of this, it’s just a painful and difficult business decision that these ranching families have made.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said that the probe has the possibility to reverse the historic deal unless the ranchers who agreed to it back it up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ranching families who “have largely been silent for the last few months … [are] going to need to explain that they want this deal and that people should knock it off and stop politicizing it,” Huffman said. “If they do that, then we can probably still move forward, but if they’ve changed their minds, then we’re probably in a new place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Congress has launched an investigation into the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021426/point-reyes-ranching-will-all-but-end-under-new-deal-capping-decades-long-conflict\">controversial settlement deal\u003c/a> that is set to end most dairy and cattle ranching along the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/point-reyes\">Point Reyes National Seashore\u003c/a>, according to a letter this week from Republican members, including many on the House Committee on Natural Resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rep. Jared Huffman, the committee’s ranking Democrat, said the move could “blow up” the historic land deal, which had seemed poised to end years of environmental strife over the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The settlement was announced in January, when the National Park Service said that a dozen ranchers had agreed to cede their leases in exchange for a buyout from the Nature Conservancy. The park service also said it would revise its general management plan to rezone about 16,000 acres of the seashore to disallow most agricultural operations and add \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936802/cattle-ranching-is-at-the-center-of-a-battle-brewing-in-point-reyes\">protections for the tule elk\u003c/a> population there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the letter sent Thursday to the Nature Conservancy and other environmental organizations who were party to the deal, Congress members are concerned about the “lack of transparency” and potential “environmental and legal consequences” of the deal, as well as the environmental nonprofit’s part in it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The terms of the deal have been kept mostly private, and ranchers had to sign non-disclosure agreements related to the settlement and their compensation, according to the letter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Congress members are now alleging that the NDAs have “muzzled” lessies who agreed to the deal and that many aren’t happy with its terms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11936879\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11936879\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/DSC5237-scaled-e1672877098790.jpg\" alt=\"Four male elk walk down a grassy hillside\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Once abundant in Point Reyes, Tule elk were nearly hunted to extinction. In the 1970s, the Parks Service designated the northern tip of Point Reyes as an elk preserve. \u003ccite>(Amanda Font/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The committee understands that not only are some parties uncomfortable with the settlement agreement, but also that [Nature Conservancy] donors and environmental advocates have expressed displeasure with the settlement,” the letter reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Nature Conservancy said in a statement that it “was not part of the Point Reyes litigation, but was asked by all of the litigating parties, including the ranchers, to join their mediation as an honest broker and help find a compromise to end the long-standing conflict.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As an organization, we have a long history of partnering with ranchers, farmers and communities who work closest to the land to help conserve the lands and waters that sustain us all,” the statement reads. “We have long considered farmers and ranchers some of our greatest conservation allies.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The settlement came after three environmental groups — Resource Renewal Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Western Watersheds Project — sued the park service in 2022, faulting it for part of the ecological damage done by ranchers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the deal spurred anger and anxiety within the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/marin-county\">West Marin\u003c/a> community, where ranching had been an economic backbone for generations. One rancher who agreed to the buyout told KQED at the time that even though he ultimately took the settlement, he and other ranchers “felt so much in a corner that [they] didn’t know what else to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nicolette Hahn Niman and her husband, William, who own Niman Ranch, refused the deal and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029675/niman-ranch-challenges-point-reyes-seashore-settlement-in-lawsuit-over-ranching\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against the park service in March, saying that the move to bar ranching would cause environmental damage and failed to account for Congress’ goal to preserve the “ranching and agricultural heritage” of the seashore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A second lawsuit filed against the park service, Nature Conservancy and Department of Interior alleges that they conspired to pay off the ranchers. West Marin attorney Andrew Giacomini filed the suit on behalf of local workers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12002972/west-marin-worker-housing-often-substandard-and-faulty-new-report-finds\">who live in housing on the ranches\u003c/a> — one of few affordable options in the area — and are now poised to be evicted in the coming year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The members of Congress are requesting wide-ranging communication records between the Nature Conservancy, the environmental groups that brought the 2022 suit, the National Park Service, and the ranchers who are party to the settlement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12035708\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12035708\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240426_DeptofLaborAnnouncement-11_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240426_DeptofLaborAnnouncement-11_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240426_DeptofLaborAnnouncement-11_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240426_DeptofLaborAnnouncement-11_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240426_DeptofLaborAnnouncement-11_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240426_DeptofLaborAnnouncement-11_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240426_DeptofLaborAnnouncement-11_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman speaks during a press conference in Santa Rosa on April 26, 2024. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They also seem to be reviewing the Nature Conservancy’s new role helping manage the seashore under the park service’s revision to the General Management Plan this year, which they believe could be a conflict of interest because of the nonprofit’s part in the land deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Huffman, whose district includes West Marin, said he didn’t have any advance knowledge that the probe was being launched and that the representatives investigating never asked for information regarding the settlement before now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s nothing to hide here,” he said. “I would have gladly brought them to Point Reyes, had them sit down and talk to the ranchers. There’s nothing controversial or scandalous in any of this, it’s just a painful and difficult business decision that these ranching families have made.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said that the probe has the possibility to reverse the historic deal unless the ranchers who agreed to it back it up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ranching families who “have largely been silent for the last few months … [are] going to need to explain that they want this deal and that people should knock it off and stop politicizing it,” Huffman said. “If they do that, then we can probably still move forward, but if they’ve changed their minds, then we’re probably in a new place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Martinez Residents Call for Delayed Reopening of Refinery After Massive Fire",
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"content": "\u003cp>Martinez residents used words like “traumatized” and “terrorized” to describe living through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025377/huge-martinez-refinery-fire-renews-neighbors-fear-frustration\">the East Bay refinery fire\u003c/a> that broke out on Feb. 1, sending a column of black smoke hundreds of feet above the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a town hall meeting last week, residents recounted watching from their driveways as flames and smoke licked over pipelines at the Martinez Refining Co. amid a roar that sounded like a jet taking off. Some who feared a catastrophic explosion or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026572/10-days-after-martinez-refinery-fire-new-details-toxic-chemicals-released\">toxic release\u003c/a> said they fled the city with their families and pets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those worst-case scenarios didn’t materialize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the March 13 meeting, regulators told around 200 residents who attended that first responders and refinery crews contained the fire within several hours; that six workers who received first aid hadn’t sustained serious injuries; that the smoke that contained hazardous and cancer-causing chemicals blew away from densely populated neighborhoods and that preliminary air, water and soil testing detected no excessive levels of toxic chemicals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those preliminary findings did little to assuage residents’ anger over the fire, leading some to question the refinery’s plan to reopen in April before investigations into the fire’s cause and the consequences for workers, residents and the environment are complete.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire was the latest in a series of major incidents since 2020 that have fueled widespread criticism and fostered mistrust in the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 24, 2022, the refinery released a cloud of spent catalyst that blanked the town in a powdery white substance that looked like ash. The refinery operator failed to notify regulators on time and issued conflicting information about the material released.[aside postID=news_12026572 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-46-1020x680.jpg']On July 11, 2023, and Oct. 6, 2023, the refinery unintentionally released petroleum coke dust — a refining byproduct that looks like soot and is made up of particulate matter that can irritate lungs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Clearly, the refinery does not care about any of the penalties associated with their violations if these types of situations keep happening,” said Elizabeth Butler, who has lived in Martinez for more than a decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What if there was an explosion? Martinez would be gone,” Butler continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How is anyone in this room supposed to have any amount of hope moving forward?” said Justin Gomez, an activist with local watchdog group Healthy Martinez. “The policies as they exist now, whether it’s the industrial safety ordinance, whether it’s the state investigations — it doesn’t seem like there’s any lever that can be pulled that will disincentivize this insanity that’s happening over and over again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Martinez Refining Co. took over operations in 2020 after New Jersey-based parent company PBF Energy purchased the facility from Shell. The Bay Area Air District has issued 173 notice of violation tickets to the refinery since MRC began operations and is working with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office on an enforcement case for “nearly all” of the outstanding violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Refinery manager Dan Ingram told town hall attendees that the company prioritizes worker and community safety and that it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in environmental and safety compliance and other regulatory requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have lots of policies, procedures, things to prevent accidents like this from occurring,” Ingram said. “We need to finish the root-cause investigation so we can understand exactly what took place here, so we can work to prevent it in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He added, “That is our commitment to this community: to work night and day until we understand it and we can work to prevent it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ingram said only the refinery units undamaged by the fire will resume fuel production next month. Damaged units will require an estimated $30 million to repair but should be running again in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community advocates say the reopening of the refinery should be contingent upon the completion of all the investigations into the root cause of the fire, whether any safety regulations were violated and whether toxicology reports point to any long-term health effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company said its root-cause investigation should be completed by the end of March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nicole Heath, the county’s director of Hazardous Materials Programs, said the agency hopes to hire a company to complete an independent investigation into the cause of the fire by the end of April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contra Costa Health will retain oversight of the refinery and ensure that the company conducts a pre-startup safety review for each production unit they plan to restart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a\u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/home/showpublisheddocument/31645/638779686790030000\"> letter\u003c/a> to refinery officials earlier this week, Heath said oversight will continue “until safe startup of the refinery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heath said her agency is giving added scrutiny to the refinery’s recovery due to the severity of the Feb. 1 incident and past safety incidents at the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fire was classified as a major chemical accident or release, posing a serious threat to workers, residents and the environment,” Heath added. “Given the refinery’s history of safety incidents, Contra Costa Health is taking proactive steps to ensure compliance with all state and local regulations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District has issued three notices of violation to PBF Energy in connection with the fire, citing it as a public nuisance and for excessive smoke and soot fallout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ This was a serious event, but it was not captured by nearby air pollution monitors because of the favorable meteorological conditions,” air district senior spokesperson Viet Tran said at the town hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tran emphasized that the number of notices does not indicate the level of fines likely to be issued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ We consider the extent, duration, harm and other factors in assessing penalties,” he said. “We are continuing to investigate, and additional violations are possible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air board will have final results from air samples by the end of March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal/OSHA declined to comment on its ongoing investigation into the Feb. 1 fire. The agency has up to six months to issue citations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve had numerous town halls, numerous meetings, both big public meetings and small meetings, asking for change and improvement,” Martinez Mayor Brianne Zorn told KQED after the town hall, noting that moving the needle will require county regulators to exercise their full oversight powers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The industrial safety ordinance gives them quite a few powers to do quite a few things after incidents and major chemical releases that they may not have taken advantage of after the spent catalyst release or the coke dust incidents,” Zorn said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shanelle Scales-Preston, a Contra Costa Board of Supervisors member whose district includes Martinez, convened last week’s town hall. She told residents she’s identified one power the county hasn’t used in relation to the Martinez refinery: a full facility audit that would allow the county to assess the safety and compliance of every unit in the facility, as well as safety procedures and training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ We’re going to make sure we’re on-site and make sure they’re doing everything they need to do,” Scales said. “ We want to make sure you’re safe.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "At a community meeting, Martinez residents and officials clashed with East Bay refinery chiefs, who plan to reopen undamaged units in April. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Martinez residents used words like “traumatized” and “terrorized” to describe living through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025377/huge-martinez-refinery-fire-renews-neighbors-fear-frustration\">the East Bay refinery fire\u003c/a> that broke out on Feb. 1, sending a column of black smoke hundreds of feet above the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a town hall meeting last week, residents recounted watching from their driveways as flames and smoke licked over pipelines at the Martinez Refining Co. amid a roar that sounded like a jet taking off. Some who feared a catastrophic explosion or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026572/10-days-after-martinez-refinery-fire-new-details-toxic-chemicals-released\">toxic release\u003c/a> said they fled the city with their families and pets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those worst-case scenarios didn’t materialize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the March 13 meeting, regulators told around 200 residents who attended that first responders and refinery crews contained the fire within several hours; that six workers who received first aid hadn’t sustained serious injuries; that the smoke that contained hazardous and cancer-causing chemicals blew away from densely populated neighborhoods and that preliminary air, water and soil testing detected no excessive levels of toxic chemicals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those preliminary findings did little to assuage residents’ anger over the fire, leading some to question the refinery’s plan to reopen in April before investigations into the fire’s cause and the consequences for workers, residents and the environment are complete.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire was the latest in a series of major incidents since 2020 that have fueled widespread criticism and fostered mistrust in the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 24, 2022, the refinery released a cloud of spent catalyst that blanked the town in a powdery white substance that looked like ash. The refinery operator failed to notify regulators on time and issued conflicting information about the material released.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>On July 11, 2023, and Oct. 6, 2023, the refinery unintentionally released petroleum coke dust — a refining byproduct that looks like soot and is made up of particulate matter that can irritate lungs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Clearly, the refinery does not care about any of the penalties associated with their violations if these types of situations keep happening,” said Elizabeth Butler, who has lived in Martinez for more than a decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What if there was an explosion? Martinez would be gone,” Butler continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How is anyone in this room supposed to have any amount of hope moving forward?” said Justin Gomez, an activist with local watchdog group Healthy Martinez. “The policies as they exist now, whether it’s the industrial safety ordinance, whether it’s the state investigations — it doesn’t seem like there’s any lever that can be pulled that will disincentivize this insanity that’s happening over and over again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Martinez Refining Co. took over operations in 2020 after New Jersey-based parent company PBF Energy purchased the facility from Shell. The Bay Area Air District has issued 173 notice of violation tickets to the refinery since MRC began operations and is working with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office on an enforcement case for “nearly all” of the outstanding violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Refinery manager Dan Ingram told town hall attendees that the company prioritizes worker and community safety and that it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in environmental and safety compliance and other regulatory requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have lots of policies, procedures, things to prevent accidents like this from occurring,” Ingram said. “We need to finish the root-cause investigation so we can understand exactly what took place here, so we can work to prevent it in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He added, “That is our commitment to this community: to work night and day until we understand it and we can work to prevent it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ingram said only the refinery units undamaged by the fire will resume fuel production next month. Damaged units will require an estimated $30 million to repair but should be running again in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Community advocates say the reopening of the refinery should be contingent upon the completion of all the investigations into the root cause of the fire, whether any safety regulations were violated and whether toxicology reports point to any long-term health effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company said its root-cause investigation should be completed by the end of March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nicole Heath, the county’s director of Hazardous Materials Programs, said the agency hopes to hire a company to complete an independent investigation into the cause of the fire by the end of April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contra Costa Health will retain oversight of the refinery and ensure that the company conducts a pre-startup safety review for each production unit they plan to restart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a\u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/home/showpublisheddocument/31645/638779686790030000\"> letter\u003c/a> to refinery officials earlier this week, Heath said oversight will continue “until safe startup of the refinery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heath said her agency is giving added scrutiny to the refinery’s recovery due to the severity of the Feb. 1 incident and past safety incidents at the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fire was classified as a major chemical accident or release, posing a serious threat to workers, residents and the environment,” Heath added. “Given the refinery’s history of safety incidents, Contra Costa Health is taking proactive steps to ensure compliance with all state and local regulations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District has issued three notices of violation to PBF Energy in connection with the fire, citing it as a public nuisance and for excessive smoke and soot fallout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ This was a serious event, but it was not captured by nearby air pollution monitors because of the favorable meteorological conditions,” air district senior spokesperson Viet Tran said at the town hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tran emphasized that the number of notices does not indicate the level of fines likely to be issued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ We consider the extent, duration, harm and other factors in assessing penalties,” he said. “We are continuing to investigate, and additional violations are possible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air board will have final results from air samples by the end of March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal/OSHA declined to comment on its ongoing investigation into the Feb. 1 fire. The agency has up to six months to issue citations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve had numerous town halls, numerous meetings, both big public meetings and small meetings, asking for change and improvement,” Martinez Mayor Brianne Zorn told KQED after the town hall, noting that moving the needle will require county regulators to exercise their full oversight powers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The industrial safety ordinance gives them quite a few powers to do quite a few things after incidents and major chemical releases that they may not have taken advantage of after the spent catalyst release or the coke dust incidents,” Zorn said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shanelle Scales-Preston, a Contra Costa Board of Supervisors member whose district includes Martinez, convened last week’s town hall. She told residents she’s identified one power the county hasn’t used in relation to the Martinez refinery: a full facility audit that would allow the county to assess the safety and compliance of every unit in the facility, as well as safety procedures and training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ We’re going to make sure we’re on-site and make sure they’re doing everything they need to do,” Scales said. “ We want to make sure you’re safe.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "californians-approved-1-5-billion-for-wildfire-prevention-how-will-the-state-spend-it",
"title": "Californians Approved $1.5 Billion for Wildfire Prevention. How Will the State Spend it?",
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"content": "\u003cp>Go broad or go deep? That’s one of the big questions state lawmakers are debating as they grapple with how to most effectively use $\u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4958\">1.5 billion \u003c/a>that voters approved last year for projects to reduce the impact of California wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That money comes from \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/11/california-election-news-proposition-4-environment/\">Proposition 4\u003c/a>, the November ballot measure that authorized a $10 billion bond to pay for climate-related projects such as water systems and wildfire mitigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his January budget proposal, Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/gavin-newsom/\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> recommended that $325 million of the bond money should be allocated in the upcoming fiscal year to a variety of wildfire prevention programs. The remainder would be spent over the next five years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Democratic Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/steve-bennett-165417\">Steve Bennett\u003c/a>, chair of the budget subcommittee on climate, energy and transportation, told the administration in a hearing on Wednesday that the state should pursue a focused strategy to make the most use of limited resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It can’t be a little bit here, and a little bit here, and a little bit here,” said Bennett, who represents Oxnard. “We need a comprehensive plan to say these are the resources we have; by linking these things together, this is how we could maximize our effectiveness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Robyn Fennig, assistant director for Hazard Mitigation for the state’s Office of Emergency Services, described the proposal for the upcoming fiscal year as one part of a broader strategy that might include trying to secure matching federal funds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bennett also noted that the state faces an enormous challenge to address the threats from climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There has been a sea change in terms of what’s happening as a result of climate change,” Bennett said. “The home insurance crisis was serious, but it’s now going to be unmanageable for California if we don’t find a way to decrease our losses when these wildfires sweep it near or into communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant, defended the administration’s approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I completely agree that [home-hardening] has to be a focal point, but our strategy has to be doing all of these things together,” he told lawmakers. “If we’re not managing the forest, we’re going to have large forest fires that burn right into our communities. ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bond measure language, approved by the Legislature last year, offers some flexibility on how to spend the money, Rachel Ehlers, a policy analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office, said at the hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that flexibility leaves some questions for lawmakers, she said, flagging a proposal in the governor’s budget plan to add an additional $9 million to a pilot program that gives homeowners financial assistance to make their homes more fire-resistant. [aside postID=\"news_12016417,news_12023814\" label=\"Related Stories\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Do you want the funding to go deep and have fewer structures that are protected, but have more of them covered? Or do you want it wide, where you’re giving smaller grants that won’t protect the whole structure, but maybe more properties get access to it? What regions of the state do you want to focus on?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the pilot program, established in 2019,the administration’s approach was to target the most vulnerable communities, Berlant said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Six counties currently are participating in it, based on factors including population health and age, as well as wildfire risk and other climate data. The state reports 17 homes have completed the fire-proofing process and another 23 are in progress. The additional money could expand the program to two more counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The selection process could be similar for one of the new programs proposed under the Prop. 4 funding: providing financial assistance to vulnerable Californians to create a five-foot zone around their home that could protect it from burning down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You talked about, how do we prioritize? We can’t help everybody,” said Berlant. “We can educate everybody, but those that are most vulnerable who can’t physically do this work, who can’t financially afford to do this work, this program will provide funding to assist them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The administration noted that Newsom’s budget proposal is a work in progress — one that was drafted prior to the Southern California wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I recognize we have to do all the above and I recognize it is fiendishly difficult to try to figure out, “Do we do 10% here, etcetera there,” Bennett said at the hearing. “In my mind, there has not been enough focus yet on (home) hardening and I think we’re starting to recognize that.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "The governor has proposed spending climate bond money dedicated to wildfire mitigation in various ways. Some lawmakers think a focused strategy would be more effective.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Go broad or go deep? That’s one of the big questions state lawmakers are debating as they grapple with how to most effectively use $\u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4958\">1.5 billion \u003c/a>that voters approved last year for projects to reduce the impact of California wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That money comes from \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/11/california-election-news-proposition-4-environment/\">Proposition 4\u003c/a>, the November ballot measure that authorized a $10 billion bond to pay for climate-related projects such as water systems and wildfire mitigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his January budget proposal, Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/gavin-newsom/\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> recommended that $325 million of the bond money should be allocated in the upcoming fiscal year to a variety of wildfire prevention programs. The remainder would be spent over the next five years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Democratic Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/steve-bennett-165417\">Steve Bennett\u003c/a>, chair of the budget subcommittee on climate, energy and transportation, told the administration in a hearing on Wednesday that the state should pursue a focused strategy to make the most use of limited resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It can’t be a little bit here, and a little bit here, and a little bit here,” said Bennett, who represents Oxnard. “We need a comprehensive plan to say these are the resources we have; by linking these things together, this is how we could maximize our effectiveness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Robyn Fennig, assistant director for Hazard Mitigation for the state’s Office of Emergency Services, described the proposal for the upcoming fiscal year as one part of a broader strategy that might include trying to secure matching federal funds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bennett also noted that the state faces an enormous challenge to address the threats from climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There has been a sea change in terms of what’s happening as a result of climate change,” Bennett said. “The home insurance crisis was serious, but it’s now going to be unmanageable for California if we don’t find a way to decrease our losses when these wildfires sweep it near or into communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant, defended the administration’s approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I completely agree that [home-hardening] has to be a focal point, but our strategy has to be doing all of these things together,” he told lawmakers. “If we’re not managing the forest, we’re going to have large forest fires that burn right into our communities. ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bond measure language, approved by the Legislature last year, offers some flexibility on how to spend the money, Rachel Ehlers, a policy analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office, said at the hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that flexibility leaves some questions for lawmakers, she said, flagging a proposal in the governor’s budget plan to add an additional $9 million to a pilot program that gives homeowners financial assistance to make their homes more fire-resistant. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Do you want the funding to go deep and have fewer structures that are protected, but have more of them covered? Or do you want it wide, where you’re giving smaller grants that won’t protect the whole structure, but maybe more properties get access to it? What regions of the state do you want to focus on?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the pilot program, established in 2019,the administration’s approach was to target the most vulnerable communities, Berlant said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Six counties currently are participating in it, based on factors including population health and age, as well as wildfire risk and other climate data. The state reports 17 homes have completed the fire-proofing process and another 23 are in progress. The additional money could expand the program to two more counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The selection process could be similar for one of the new programs proposed under the Prop. 4 funding: providing financial assistance to vulnerable Californians to create a five-foot zone around their home that could protect it from burning down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You talked about, how do we prioritize? We can’t help everybody,” said Berlant. “We can educate everybody, but those that are most vulnerable who can’t physically do this work, who can’t financially afford to do this work, this program will provide funding to assist them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The administration noted that Newsom’s budget proposal is a work in progress — one that was drafted prior to the Southern California wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I recognize we have to do all the above and I recognize it is fiendishly difficult to try to figure out, “Do we do 10% here, etcetera there,” Bennett said at the hearing. “In my mind, there has not been enough focus yet on (home) hardening and I think we’re starting to recognize that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Last month’s firestorm destroyed more than 9,000 homes and buildings in Los Angeles County. In the unincorporated community of Altadena, the Eaton Fire leveled entire neighborhoods and, in some cases, left behind only chimneys and fireplaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the homes here were built in the Arts and Crafts style, which was popular around a century ago. And some of them included distinctive tiles that were created by a local artist. A few weeks after the fire tore through this community, a group called \u003ca href=\"https://www.savethetiles.org\">Save the Tiles\u003c/a> formed to begin saving historical fireplace tiles from those chimneys so homeowners can include them in their rebuilt houses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It started with Eric Garland, whose home barely survived. He’d been on vacation with his family when the fire struck, and his neighbors saved his house by dumping water from a nearby pool. His family is still displaced, but one day, he was walking through the neighborhood after the fire with his 18-year-old daughter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028436\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028436\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0003.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0003.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0003-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0003-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0003-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0003-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0003-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers dig through the rubble to find Batchelder tiles in Altadena on Feb. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Nick Agro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“And it was just an exercise in taking a few steps and weeping, and taking a few steps and weeping. And part of it was just incremental loss, wading into the next neighbor and the next and the next. And part of it was gasping at what remained … There’s nothing. It’s just a debris field,” Garland said. “And in the middle of the ash pile, where that house should be, is this beautiful, red brick chimney, standing in the middle of nowhere and at the base of it, this perfect work of art — this fireplace that was just like the day it was made.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the Arts and Crafts-style homes in Altadena featured tiles made by artist \u003ca href=\"https://pasadenahistory.org/batchelder-part-1/\">Ernest Batchelder\u003c/a>. In fact, Batchelder tiles became the \u003ca href=\"https://pasadenahistory.org/research/museum-collections-batchelder-tile-registry/\">defining characteristic\u003c/a> of Altadena and nearby Pasadena homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029031\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029031\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/0A4A2460.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/0A4A2460.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/0A4A2460-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/0A4A2460-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/0A4A2460-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/0A4A2460-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/0A4A2460-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A decorative Ernest Batchelder tile from a fireplace in Altadena on Feb. 8, 2025. \u003ccite>(Julie Leopo for LAist)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Batchelder moved to the area in the early 1900s and started making handmade, decorated art tile in a backyard kiln behind his bungalow. His small setup allowed him to make only 150 tiles at a time. The tiles are soft, metallic colors in brown and blue hues. Some have detailed scenes depicting majestic trees, peacocks and other animals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And these tiles survived the Eaton Fire because they’re a product of fire themselves. The flames from the fire acted like a second firing in a kiln. So when Garland walked the neighborhood with his daughter, she turned to him with an observation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028433\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028433\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_0295.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_0295.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_0295-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_0295-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_0295-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_0295-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_0295-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An Ernest Batchelder tile from a fireplace in Altadena on Feb. 8, 2025. \u003ccite>(Susan Valot)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“‘Dad, that’s all they have left,’” Garland recalled his daughter Lucy telling him. “And I said, ‘Lucy, I think that’s all this neighborhood has left.’ And she said, ‘Well, who’s going to save the fireplaces?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the idea to “save the tiles, save the town” was born. By chance, the Garlands found a post on Reddit by a mason who wanted to do the same thing. So they teamed up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029033\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029033\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-14.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-14.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-14-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-14-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-14-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-14-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-14-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Eric Garland, Founder of Save the Tiles, and Stanley Zucker, Save the Tiles volunteer on Feb. 8, 2025, in Altadena. \u003ccite>(Julie Leopo for LAist)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a single weekend earlier this month, about 50 volunteers canvassed the entire fire disaster zone, cataloging 200 surviving fireplaces with historic tiles in the area, including Batchelder tiles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group started contacting owners for permission to bring in masons to remove the tiles and restore them for free so they can be used in rebuilds — bringing a tiny bit of the home’s DNA to live into the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Devon Douglas and her mason dad, Cliff, are part of a professional crew that’s been carefully chiseling tile from the rubble. On a recent Sunday, she filled boxes with \u003ca href=\"https://www.acstickley.com/category/art-pottery/claycraft-pottery/\">Claycraft Pottery tiles\u003c/a> and stuffed the pockets of her apron with small tiles to add to the stacks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029032\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029032\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-16-e1740704222450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"1650\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-16-e1740704222450.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-16-e1740704222450-800x990.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-16-e1740704222450-1020x1263.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-16-e1740704222450-160x198.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-16-e1740704222450-1241x1536.jpg 1241w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Save the Tiles volunteers Devon Douglas, Cliff Douglas and Mary Gandsey at the site of the Feb. 8, 2025 recovery. Cliff runs a Masonry family business; Mary is a retired wood finisher. \u003ccite>(Julie Leopo for LAist)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s so big of a devastation for everybody involved, and it’s just the smallest piece of something that we can do,” Douglas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said the fire was so hot that, in many cases, the flames burned off dirt and grime from the tiles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They look new. And it’s almost bigger than just the tile. It’s symbolic [on] its own,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this crew of volunteers is working against the clock. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already started clearing lots with bulldozers, making way for people to rebuild. Garland said they are trying to beat the bulldozers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028437\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028437\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0006.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0006.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0006-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0006-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0006-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0006-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0006-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A fireplace with decorative tiles. \u003ccite>(Nick Agro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To speed up the process, Garland said they are trying to find funding to bring in workers to help. They’ve started a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-fire-victims-recover-whats-left-save-the-tiles\">GoFundMe campaign\u003c/a>. And they’re looking for volunteers who have expertise in masonry, as well as a longer-term place to store the tiles since rebuilding will take a while.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They hope their work will build Altadena’s future, one tile at a time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s better than stars aligning because it’s people aligning,” Garland said. “It’s a community aligning around what we can do together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Last month’s firestorm destroyed more than 9,000 homes and buildings in Los Angeles County. In the unincorporated community of Altadena, the Eaton Fire leveled entire neighborhoods and, in some cases, left behind only chimneys and fireplaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the homes here were built in the Arts and Crafts style, which was popular around a century ago. And some of them included distinctive tiles that were created by a local artist. A few weeks after the fire tore through this community, a group called \u003ca href=\"https://www.savethetiles.org\">Save the Tiles\u003c/a> formed to begin saving historical fireplace tiles from those chimneys so homeowners can include them in their rebuilt houses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It started with Eric Garland, whose home barely survived. He’d been on vacation with his family when the fire struck, and his neighbors saved his house by dumping water from a nearby pool. His family is still displaced, but one day, he was walking through the neighborhood after the fire with his 18-year-old daughter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028436\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028436\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0003.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0003.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0003-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0003-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0003-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0003-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0003-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers dig through the rubble to find Batchelder tiles in Altadena on Feb. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Nick Agro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“And it was just an exercise in taking a few steps and weeping, and taking a few steps and weeping. And part of it was just incremental loss, wading into the next neighbor and the next and the next. And part of it was gasping at what remained … There’s nothing. It’s just a debris field,” Garland said. “And in the middle of the ash pile, where that house should be, is this beautiful, red brick chimney, standing in the middle of nowhere and at the base of it, this perfect work of art — this fireplace that was just like the day it was made.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the Arts and Crafts-style homes in Altadena featured tiles made by artist \u003ca href=\"https://pasadenahistory.org/batchelder-part-1/\">Ernest Batchelder\u003c/a>. In fact, Batchelder tiles became the \u003ca href=\"https://pasadenahistory.org/research/museum-collections-batchelder-tile-registry/\">defining characteristic\u003c/a> of Altadena and nearby Pasadena homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029031\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029031\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/0A4A2460.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/0A4A2460.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/0A4A2460-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/0A4A2460-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/0A4A2460-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/0A4A2460-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/0A4A2460-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A decorative Ernest Batchelder tile from a fireplace in Altadena on Feb. 8, 2025. \u003ccite>(Julie Leopo for LAist)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Batchelder moved to the area in the early 1900s and started making handmade, decorated art tile in a backyard kiln behind his bungalow. His small setup allowed him to make only 150 tiles at a time. The tiles are soft, metallic colors in brown and blue hues. Some have detailed scenes depicting majestic trees, peacocks and other animals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And these tiles survived the Eaton Fire because they’re a product of fire themselves. The flames from the fire acted like a second firing in a kiln. So when Garland walked the neighborhood with his daughter, she turned to him with an observation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028433\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028433\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_0295.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_0295.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_0295-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_0295-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_0295-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_0295-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_0295-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An Ernest Batchelder tile from a fireplace in Altadena on Feb. 8, 2025. \u003ccite>(Susan Valot)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“‘Dad, that’s all they have left,’” Garland recalled his daughter Lucy telling him. “And I said, ‘Lucy, I think that’s all this neighborhood has left.’ And she said, ‘Well, who’s going to save the fireplaces?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the idea to “save the tiles, save the town” was born. By chance, the Garlands found a post on Reddit by a mason who wanted to do the same thing. So they teamed up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029033\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029033\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-14.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-14.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-14-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-14-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-14-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-14-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-14-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Eric Garland, Founder of Save the Tiles, and Stanley Zucker, Save the Tiles volunteer on Feb. 8, 2025, in Altadena. \u003ccite>(Julie Leopo for LAist)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a single weekend earlier this month, about 50 volunteers canvassed the entire fire disaster zone, cataloging 200 surviving fireplaces with historic tiles in the area, including Batchelder tiles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group started contacting owners for permission to bring in masons to remove the tiles and restore them for free so they can be used in rebuilds — bringing a tiny bit of the home’s DNA to live into the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Devon Douglas and her mason dad, Cliff, are part of a professional crew that’s been carefully chiseling tile from the rubble. On a recent Sunday, she filled boxes with \u003ca href=\"https://www.acstickley.com/category/art-pottery/claycraft-pottery/\">Claycraft Pottery tiles\u003c/a> and stuffed the pockets of her apron with small tiles to add to the stacks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029032\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029032\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-16-e1740704222450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"1650\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-16-e1740704222450.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-16-e1740704222450-800x990.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-16-e1740704222450-1020x1263.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-16-e1740704222450-160x198.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SAVE-THE-TILES-16-e1740704222450-1241x1536.jpg 1241w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Save the Tiles volunteers Devon Douglas, Cliff Douglas and Mary Gandsey at the site of the Feb. 8, 2025 recovery. Cliff runs a Masonry family business; Mary is a retired wood finisher. \u003ccite>(Julie Leopo for LAist)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s so big of a devastation for everybody involved, and it’s just the smallest piece of something that we can do,” Douglas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said the fire was so hot that, in many cases, the flames burned off dirt and grime from the tiles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They look new. And it’s almost bigger than just the tile. It’s symbolic [on] its own,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this crew of volunteers is working against the clock. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already started clearing lots with bulldozers, making way for people to rebuild. Garland said they are trying to beat the bulldozers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028437\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028437\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0006.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0006.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0006-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0006-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0006-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0006-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/SaveTheTiles_0006-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A fireplace with decorative tiles. \u003ccite>(Nick Agro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To speed up the process, Garland said they are trying to find funding to bring in workers to help. They’ve started a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-fire-victims-recover-whats-left-save-the-tiles\">GoFundMe campaign\u003c/a>. And they’re looking for volunteers who have expertise in masonry, as well as a longer-term place to store the tiles since rebuilding will take a while.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They hope their work will build Altadena’s future, one tile at a time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s better than stars aligning because it’s people aligning,” Garland said. “It’s a community aligning around what we can do together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>A California boat captain has captured rare video of a super pod of more than 2,000 dolphins breaching off the coast of Monterey, including the more elusive northern right whale dolphin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Northern right whale dolphins are often spotted farther away from shore and in deeper waters, but Evan Brodsky, a captain and videographer with private boat tour company Monterey Bay Whale Watch, encountered the mammals last week about 11 miles from the harbor. The dolphins are one of two dolphin species without a dorsal fin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re all smooth,” said Brodsky and joked, “When they jump, they look like flying eyebrows.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO88Os1DoRk\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brodsky was out around noon Friday with two other crew members conducting research when they spotted a dozen dolphins. They followed the pod until they estimated there were more than 2,000 dolphins, including light gray baby calves, and several hundred Pacific white-sided dolphins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were so excited it was hard to hold in our emotions. We had the biggest grins from ear to ear,” he said, adding that one of his coworkers may have shed a tear at the sight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Northern right whale dolphins live in pods of 100 to 200 dolphins, according to the nonprofit Whale and Dolphin Conservation. They are gregarious and highly social and often mix with other dolphin species, including Risso’s dolphins, a super pod of which Brodsky captured on drone video last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adults are about 10 feet long and weigh over 200 pounds, Brodsky said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People come from around the world to try to see a northern right whale dolphin in the bay’s deep underwater canyons, said Colleen Talty, a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said the dolphins could be clustering to fend off predators, feed on the same food or socialize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t always see baby dolphins,” she said, “so that’s pretty nice.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A California boat captain has captured rare video of a super pod of more than 2,000 dolphins breaching off the coast of Monterey, including the more elusive northern right whale dolphin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Northern right whale dolphins are often spotted farther away from shore and in deeper waters, but Evan Brodsky, a captain and videographer with private boat tour company Monterey Bay Whale Watch, encountered the mammals last week about 11 miles from the harbor. The dolphins are one of two dolphin species without a dorsal fin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re all smooth,” said Brodsky and joked, “When they jump, they look like flying eyebrows.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/SO88Os1DoRk'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/SO88Os1DoRk'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Brodsky was out around noon Friday with two other crew members conducting research when they spotted a dozen dolphins. They followed the pod until they estimated there were more than 2,000 dolphins, including light gray baby calves, and several hundred Pacific white-sided dolphins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were so excited it was hard to hold in our emotions. We had the biggest grins from ear to ear,” he said, adding that one of his coworkers may have shed a tear at the sight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Northern right whale dolphins live in pods of 100 to 200 dolphins, according to the nonprofit Whale and Dolphin Conservation. They are gregarious and highly social and often mix with other dolphin species, including Risso’s dolphins, a super pod of which Brodsky captured on drone video last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adults are about 10 feet long and weigh over 200 pounds, Brodsky said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People come from around the world to try to see a northern right whale dolphin in the bay’s deep underwater canyons, said Colleen Talty, a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said the dolphins could be clustering to fend off predators, feed on the same food or socialize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t always see baby dolphins,” she said, “so that’s pretty nice.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
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}
},
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"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"meta": {
"site": "radio",
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"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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},
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"meta": {
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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}
},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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},
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"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?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
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