Governor Gavin Newsom recently pledged to conserve 30% of California by 2030. The goal is based on a scientific consensus that conserving that much land is necessary to prevent a catastrophic loss of biodiversity and climate change. And now, the government wants to hear from the public about how best to go about doing that. So, he created this survey that any Californian can fill out and let him know how best to accomplish that goal.
Posts by Matthew Simmons
Action Alert: 30X30 Survey
Tuesday, May 4th, 2021By Matthew Simmons
Climate Change and the Coast Redwood
Monday, May 3rd, 2021By Matthew Simmons
We all know that climate change is having and will continue to have a dramatic impact on our planet. But knowing exactly what that impact will be can be a tricky business. Our planet’s weather patterns are the result of a delicate balance of a multitude of factors. And so, tracking how increasing global temperatures will impact specific regions takes a lot of scientific inquiry. Even more complicated is understanding what climate change’s impact on specific species will be.
EPIC Submits Comments on Destructive Logging in Jackson Demonstration State Forest
Monday, March 29th, 2021By Matthew Simmons
EPIC has been working to change the way CAL FIRE manages Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF). In order to accomplish this, we’ve partnered with local and national environmental organizations like the Mendocino Trail Stewards, Jug Handle Creek Farm & Nature Center, Mendocino Coast Audubon Society, Forests Forever Foundation, and Center for Biological Diversity. We are also working with the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, the original stewards of the forest, to ensure that our advocacy is respectful of their connection to this land. Recently, we asked you to help comment on the Mitchell Creek THP, which will negatively impact important areas of JDSF. At the same time, we’ve been hard at work drafting our own comments, which you can read in full here.
EPIC Uncovers Mendocino Redwood Company Violations That Endanger Northern Spotted Owls
Monday, March 22nd, 2021By Matthew Simmons
The Northern Spotted Owl (“NSO”) is an iconic species of the forest defense movement. And because of decades of activism and laws like the Endangered Species Act, timber companies are required to follow certain practices designed to protect the owl. But what happens when a private timber company decides to ignore those rules and CAL FIRE looks the other way? EPIC is there to call them out and make sure the law is followed.
Grading Biden’s First 28 Days in Office
Tuesday, February 16th, 2021By Matthew Simmons
President Biden has a lot on his plate. And the flurry of executive actions, legislative horse trading, and agency rulemaking coming out of Washington makes it hard to keep track of what is happening. So, we here at EPIC decided to look back at the first 28 days of Biden’s presidency and discuss what we like and don’t like about the environmental actions taken by our new president.
ACTION ALERT: Tell CAL FIRE Not to Log 90 Year Old Forest Adjacent to Mendocino Woodlands
Monday, February 1st, 2021By Matthew Simmons
Take action! Last month, EPIC asked our members to tell CAL FIRE not to proceed with the Mitchell Creek Timber Harvest Plan (THP) or any THPs in the heavily used western portion of Jackson Demonstration State Forest. Despite hundreds of you writing in to tell them not to, CAL FIRE has decided to move forward with a nearby THP that could be even more destructive. CAL FIRE needs to know that we are watching them and that these plans are opposed.
EPIC Celebrates Black History Month
Monday, February 1st, 2021By Matthew Simmons
We here at EPIC would like to wish all of our members a happy Black History Month. The past year has been an incredibly difficult time for all of us, but has been especially challenging for Black communities. The police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and countless other Black Americans sparked the largest protests against police brutality in American history. Despite this, calls for substantive police reform have gone largely unanswered.
ACTION ALERT: Tell CAL FIRE Not To Log The Western Jackson Demonstration State Forest
Monday, December 14th, 2020By Matthew Simmons
CAL FIRE intends to conduct extensive logging in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF). Second-growth forests like JDSF are exceedingly rare. Because they are so rare, second-growth forests provide critical habitat for a wide variety of threatened species, such as northern spotted owls. The JDSF also contains some of the last remaining coho salmon in California and any logging operation will threaten the spawning of these crucial salmonids. Let CAL FIRE know that California’s state lands are better used by wildlife, recreational users, and for carbon sequestration.
The Bounty of Tanoaks
Thursday, November 19th, 2020By Matthew Simmons
For many Americans, winter is associated with ham, eggnog and pecan pie, but for the Indigenous Peoples of California winter has traditionally meant acorns. Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples of what we now call California have consumed this nutritious nut. But don’t try to eat acorns right off the ground. The tannins within raw acorns make them toxic if consumed raw. Thousands of years ago, Indigenous women developed an ingenious system for safely preparing acorns which involves pounding them into a meal and then leaching out the tannins with water.
Welcome Matt Simmons: EPIC’s Newest Legal Fellow
Tuesday, November 10th, 2020By Matthew Simmons
We are thrilled to introduce you all to our newest legal fellow, Matt Simmons. Matt graduated from UCLA School of Law, specializing in public interest and environmental law. Matt worked with the American Civil Liberties Union and interned with the Natural Resources Defense Council before applying for a fellowship with EPIC. Matt recently moved to Humboldt County to pursue this fellowship and we are lucky to have him here. Please welcome Matt to the EPIC Team!
