M A
K I N G
A D I
F F E R
E N C E
Wildlife Rehabbing April Classes
If you would like to learn more about
the fascinating lives of El Dorado County wildlife, or if you are
interested in caring for orphaned and injured birds or animals,
Sierra Wildlife Rescue will continue its 2008 wildlife classes in
April. Classes will be held on the following wildlife species in
April: Fawns, April 5, 10 a.m. – noon; Raptors, April 9, 7--9 p.m;
Opossums, April 12, 10 a.m.--noon; and Crows, Ravens and Magpies,
the same day, from 2--4 p.m.
Baby Bird Nursery Volunteer Training will also be held on April 5,
from 1--3 p.m. and on April 16, from 7--9 p.m. You need only take
one class to qualify. The Baby Bird Nursery cares for many hundreds
of orphaned baby birds each summer, from May 1 through July, and
needs many volunteers, in four-hour shifts, 12 hours a day, 7 days
a week. Schedules are flexible, and you may choose your own.
Additional, hands-on volunteer training for the nursery will be
held every Saturday, at 9:00 a.m. from May through July.
All classes are held at the SWR Center, 6236C Pleasant Valley Road,
in the El Dorado Shopping Center, El Dorado, and are free to
members of Sierra Wildlife Rescue; a $5.00 donation is requested
from members of the public. For more information on the classes,
please call Barbara Barker, at 530-621-2650. If you would like more
information on joining Sierra Wildlife, rehabbing, other volunteer
opportunities, or upcoming events, or if you find an orphaned or
injured wild animal or bird: 530-621-4661.
Back to Top
California Paves Way for Rubber Roads
State provides
$150,000 to Improve Roads and the Environment
SACRAMENTO -- The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB)
approved a $150,000 incentive grant for the City of Claremont (Los
Angeles County) to use rubberized asphalt concrete (RAC), utilizing
approximately 2,000 recycled tires per lane mile, while diverting
waste tires from landfills and protecting our environment.
California produces more than 40 million waste tires annually.
Although approximately 75 percent of this amount is diverted from
landfill disposal, the state faces the challenge of dealing with
roughly 10 million surplus tires annually in which the majority
ends up in our landfills and some in illegal stockpiles.
Over the past few years, California has recycled millions of waste
tires in RAC paving projects. "It's very encouraging to see
communities seeking products designed from recycled materials, in
this case tires," said Board Chair Margo Reid Brown. "California is
a leader when it comes to all things innovative and recycling
should always be part of that innovation. Increasing the use of
rubberized asphalt concrete not only helps divert tires, but also
provides quieter, longer-lasting roads." Funds from the Board's
Targeted Rubberized Asphalt Concrete Incentive Grant Pro-gram help
first-time and/or limited RAC users cover the difference in costs
of using RAC in lieu of conventional asphalt paving.
The program is funded from the $1.75 fee the state collects on the
sale of each new tire in California. The Board receives $1.00 of
this amount. The remaining portion of the tire fee is used to fund
tire-related air emission programs. Made by blending rubber from
recycled waste tires with asphalt, and then applying the mix to
road surfaces, RAC has been successfully used in street paving
projects by state and local transportation agencies throughout
California and Arizona. Studies have shown RAC to be a long-lasting
replacement over conventional asphalt concrete that significantly
reduces the level of traffic noise in surrounding neighborhoods.
Compared to a
4-inch think layer of conventional asphalt, a two-inch layer of RAC
can save up to $50,000 in maintenance and repair costs per lane
mile over time. Moreover, RAC resists cracking, retains its
original color so that road markings are more clearly visible and
has the potential to reduce the number and size of illegal waste
tire collections in California. The California Integrated Waste
Management Board is the state's leading authority on recycling and
waste reduction. It promotes zero waste California in partnership
with local governments, industry, and the public.
This means reducing waste whenever possible, managing all materials
to their highest and best use and protecting public health and
safety and the environment. The California Integrated Waste
Management Board is one of six boards, departments, and offices
within the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA).
Back to Top
CHILD ABUSE; YOU CAN
HELP
Last year there were a total of 799 reports
of child abuse in Calaveras County involving over 900 children. The
goal of the Prevent Child Abuse Calaveras Council is to protect the
children of Calaveras County from any form of abuse. We could use
your help.
The problem of child abuse
is huge but it is not insurmountable. If you are able to help, the
Prevent Child Abuse Calaveras Council needs you. We are looking for
the support of individuals, businesses and community groups to
assist us in our mission of preventing child abuse in our county.
To make a donation, please
look for the Children’s Trust Fund donation slip inserted in your
Property Tax bill. The money donated to the Children’s Trust Fund
is tax-deductible and goes directly to the Prevent Child Abuse
Calaveras Council. Every penny of every donation stays right here
in Calaveras County and is used to support the outreach our council
provides.
The Calaveras County
Children’s Trust Fund is administered by Calaveras County. Please
make your donation check payable to Calaveras County Children’s
Trust Fund. Mail it to: Calaveras County Treasurer/ Tax Collector,
Children’s Trust Fund, 891 Mountain Ranch Road, San Andreas, CA
95249. Every child has the right to live abuse-free. Visit online
at: www.pcacalaveras.org
for info.
Back to Top
L
ong before the City got involved with this
mitigation site the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was going to
stop progress on the 49 Bypass for two years while we would be
forced to use upwards of a million dollars to conduct red-legged
frog surveys for a two mile radius around the bypass alignment.
Given all that's gone on with state transportation funding since
then, the bypass would not be built today if that had happened.
Instead what happened is
the City, the County, the ACTC and our federal legislators put
enough pressure on USFWS that they removed their demand in return
that this 130+/- acre Erickson Ranch be purchased and left
undisturbed in perpetuity as open space/wild land.
The California
Transportation Commission and Caltrans supported the deal and
purchased the ranch for Sutter Creek to preserve. The ACTC and
others enjoying the bypass today need to thank Sutter Creek for
taking on this responsibility. -Chas (Charles Field) Executive
Director, Amador County Transportation Commission,
charles@actc-amador.org
(209) 267-2282.
Back to Top
New Website Teaches Youth How to
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
The California Integrated Waste Management
Board (CIWMB) announced the launch of their youth website "www.kidsbegreen.org."
The purpose of the website is to educate children between the ages
of 6 and 12 about the three environmental R's: Reduce, Reuse, and
Recycle.
The website has numerous
components to engage children including: how-to fact sheets, a
coloring book, and an interactive game - "3R's Most Extreme
Challenge!" Each component helps explain how to reduce use, which
items are good for reuse, and which items can be recycled. The
CIWMB has partnered with Sacramento's Radio Disney station to help
promote the website and to educate children about the environment.
Radio Disney will run a variety of Public Service Announcements and
promote the new "Kids Be Green" website at a series of Disney
sponsored events throughout Sacramento.
In addition, many kids
will have a chance to be the CIWMB environmental spokesperson for
on-air PSA's when they compete at several of Radio Disney's "Kidscaster
Tryouts." "By teaching today's children about waste reduction,
proper reuse, and recycling, we will be influencing the leaders of
tomorrow and making a sustain-able California for us and for
generations still to come," said CIWMB Chair Margo Reid Brown.
The California Integrated
Waste Management Board is the state's leading authority on
recycling and waste reduction. It promotes reducing waste whenever
possible, managing all materials to their highest and best use and
protecting public health and safety and the environment.
The California Integrated
Waste Management Board is one of six boards, departments, and
offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency
(Cal/EPA). Visit us soon online at
www.ciwmb.ca.gov to learn
more about reducing waste. Zero Waste California. Go for it!
Back to Top
