Defenders of Wildlife - California

Right idea, wrong place: Groups sue solar project to protect imperiled wildlife and wild lands

Tue, 27 Mar 2012

The proposed California-based Calico solar project fails to meet basic environmental protection requirements and threatens imperiled wildlife, according to Defenders of Wildlife, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club. The groups are filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior after failing to reach agreement with the developers and the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to move the project to a location without major environmental conflicts.

Obama administration charts new course for nation's forests

Fri, 23 Mar 2012

The U.S. Forest Service released today its final forest-planning rule, which will guide the management of 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands across the country.

March Wildlife eNews: Shamefull Wolf Cull; Send Us Your Photos!

Fri, 9 Mar 2012

National Solar Energy Plan Moves Closer to Final Stages

Mon, 30 Jan 2012

On the heels of President Obama’s State of the Union remarks to expand clean energy development, the Interior Department is moving to finalize the nation’s first solar energy program for public lands with the closing of the public comment period today. Over the past 90 days, the Bureau of Land Management has been seeking input on the Supplemental Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (SPEIS) for solar development on public lands in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

California Dreaming: Lone wolf entering California marks historic conservation success

Fri, 30 Dec 2011

WASHINGTON (Dec. 30, 2011) – A lone dispersing wolf from Oregon, known as OR7, has crossed the border into northern California.

Lessons Learned: The Case Against a Scattershot Approach to Siting Solar

Wed, 16 Nov 2011

Last year, the Secretary of the Interior approved the first ever utility-scale solar power plants on public lands in the West. Despite increasing success in the utility-scale solar industry, federal land managers continue to evaluate the many pending applications in a reactive manner: solar companies submit applications to construct power plants and federal land managers react to those applications. This reactive process is incapable of providing the certainty necessary to build a successful solar industry.

Transmission: Revised Solar Plan Makes the Connection

Wed, 16 Nov 2011

The Interior Department’s revised solar energy plan for public lands will ensure existing transmission capacity can be accessed and needed new transmission will be developed in a timely manner.

California Sea Otter Fund Extended for Five More Years

Wed, 16 Nov 2011

Sea otters in California received some great news in September 2011 as Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation re-establishing the California Sea Otter Fund, the main source of funding for sea otter research and conservation efforts in the Golden State.

Summary of the Supplement to Draft PEIS: Revised Solar Plan Headed in Right Direction

Wed, 16 Nov 2011

The Interior Department’s revised solar plan for solar energy development on public lands proposes a three-part approach to balancing the need for clean energy with protection of sensitive resources. And it does so without changing the rules of the game for companies with pending applications. This revised plan was developed in response to extensive public comment, including joint recommendations offered by developers, major utilities, and conservation groups.

Flexibility: Revised Solar Plan Makes Room

Wed, 16 Nov 2011

The revised solar plan allows sufficient flexibility to meet the public land’s share of regional clean energy needs and support development of a strong American solar industry.