This Saturday! 15th Annual Panther Meadows Community Restoration Day

The annual Panther Meadows Community Restoration Day and Plant Walk will be held Saturday September 24th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mount Shasta. This 15th yearly event is a collaboration of the H.O.M.E. (Honor Our Mountain Environment) Stewardship Project of the Mount Shasta Bioregional  Ecology Center, and the USFS Mount Shasta Ranger District. The new District Ranger, Carolyn Napper, will attend the event, among others. All are welcome to participate in the event.

Volunteers have the option to either meet in the lower Ski Bowl parking area at 10 a.m., or carpool at 9:30 a.m. from the Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center at 418 South Mount Shasta Boulevard  (across from Mike and Tony’s Restaurant) in Mount Shasta City.

Participants should bring a lunch and be prepared to work outdoors. Sturdy shoes and a hat are recommended, as well as work gloves. All tools will be provided.

During the event, volunteers from the community join with the dedicated meadow monitors who take care of the area during the summer months into fall. People who have been up to Panther Meadows recently have noticed how lush it looks, especially this year when everything seems to be blooming at once. Gathering together to care for this beautiful inspiring place is truly a joyful experience!

The plan this Saturday is to do some planting in sensitive areas in the meadow and also among the stepping stone path that crosses the upper meadow, as well as other restoration work in overused areas. Some of the species that will be planted include arnica, wild onion and sedges.

On the Plant Walk led by botanist Twyla Miller, participants will learn to identify native flora and gather seeds from plants in the upper and lower meadows to be propagated in the Forest Service greenhouse for next year’s planting. A highlight of the day is when everyone gathers for lunch to learn about some of the lore of the area from heritage resources manager Julie Cassidy and resident naturalist Johnny Dame. Members of the Winnemen Wintu Tribe have been invited to participate.

For more info, please contact Michelle Berditschevsky, Conservation Director at the Ecology Center, 926-5655 or Michelle@MountShastaEcology.org.

Standards changing for fluorescent lighting

Changes to federal efficacy standards for fluorescent lamps and ballasts may help businesses considering fluorescent lighting upgrades decide to act sooner rather than later.

Efficacy is a measure of the amount of light delivered per watt of energy consumed (lumens/watt). New national efficacy standards for the manufacture of linear fluorescent lamps will become effective on July 14, 2012. Most types of T12 linear fluorescent lamps (and some T8 lamps) will not meet the new efficacy requirements and cannot be manufactured after this date.

Revised federal standards also require the use of electronic ballasts instead of magnetic ballasts for all new fixtures. These standards do not permit magnetic ballasts to be manufactured for sale as replacement ballasts as of October 1, 2010.

What changes mean

The new federal standards will limit the availability of replacement parts for T12 lighting systems as manufacturers cease production of most T12 lamps and magnetic ballasts. Upgrading to T8 or T5 lighting systems generates significant energy and cost savings, provides better quality light, and prepares facilities for the phase-out of most T12 lamps in 2012.

Pacific Power offers incentives for retrofitting T12 light fixtures to newer, more efficient premium T8 or T5 fluorescent technologies. These incentives help reduce project payback. Incentives for upgrades could change, and may not be available for standard T8 lighting systems once they become standard equipment.

Take advantage of current incentives

Pacific Power’s FinAnswer® Express program provides pre-calculated cash incentives when customers install high-efficiency lighting, HVAC and other equipment at their facilities.

This table gives some examples of incentives currently available for replacing T12 lights with more efficient T8 lighting technology.

Before starting a lighting upgrade or other energy efficiency project, customers should contact their account manager, inquire online at pacificpower.net/inquiry or call toll free at 1-800-222-4335

Earth day, every day: energy-saving green tech

In addition to reducing costs for energy and waste disposal, and improving productivity, companies that embrace environmentally friendly information technology – also known as green IT – are often recognized as responsible community leaders.

Buying green

When purchasing IT equipment, focus on energy-efficient products and on reconfiguring equipment to reduce power consumption and waste while improving productivity:

• Replace CRT monitors with LCD monitors, which can save as much as 70 percent in related energy costs.
• Consider ENERGY STAR® and Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) products. These products are tested and certified to be more energy efficient than standard equipment.
• Purchase multi-functional equipment rather than individual printers, fax machines, scanners and copiers.

Recycling, disposal

Green IT practices that encourage recycling and proper disposal contribute significantly to environmental sustainability and reduced operating costs.

• To learn more about recycling electronics, check the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s eCycling pages at www.epa.gov.
• When disposing of equipment it is important to protect sensitive data. Moreover, equipment disposal must be in compliance with government environmental regulations. Consider using a reputable IT asset disposal provider to manage the process.

Pacific Power’s online Business Solutions Toolkit has more energy-saving information and tools. For details, please visit pacificpower.net/toolkit.

Source: Pacific Power and Tech Resources Inc.

Renewable Energy: Grants and Assistance Programs

Fall Classes in Natural Resources and Sustainable Communities at COS

College of the Siskiyous

There is still time to enroll in fall courses for Resource Technology and Sustainable Communities Programs:

Forest Ecology ERRT 11 – 3 units

Study of abiotic and biotic variables in forest ecosystems.
Wednesdays 9 – 9:50 and Fridays 9 – 12:50. Started Aug 18th

Introduction to Surveying ERRT 22 – 3 units

Covers the use and applications of basic engineering equipment.
Mondays and Wednesdays 11 – 1:30. Started Aug 16th

Silviculture ERRT 30 – 3 units

Covers concepts of managing forests for establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests on a sustained yield basis, using varying techniques.
Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 – 11:15.  Started Aug 17th.

Introduction to Sustainable Communities ERSC 1 – 3 units

Examines the interactions between humans and global ecosystems.
Mondays 5:30 – 8:30.  Started Aug 16th.

Sustainable Communities Skills Lab ERSC 50 - 2 units

Emphasizes applied sustainability principles through integrated hands-on lab activities and field trips in various areas of Sustainable Communities.
Tuesdays 11 – 2:50.  Started Aug 17th.

Outdoor Adventure Leadership Skills ERSC 3 – 3 units

Introduction to the history and philosophy of Outdoor Adventure Education with applications to current trends and opportunities for the future.
Fridays 10 – 1.  Starts Aug 27th.

Greening Your World ERSC 51 – 3 units

Students will research and implement strategies to incorporate lower impact practices at home, at work, on campus, and in their communities.
Mondays 2 – 4, Wednesdays 2 – 5.  Starts Sept 8th.

Renewable Energy ERSC 53 -1 unit

Offers participants an overview of efficiency and renewable living options for Siskiyou County, highlighting on solar power.
Four Wednesdays 6 – 9 and Saturday Oct 23rd 9-4.  Starts Oct 6th.

Exploring Business Opportunities BA 60 – 2 units

Explores the emerging opportunities within the business, nonprofit and government sectors for green jobs and entrepreneurship.
Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 – 10:50.  Starts Sept 21st.

It’s Your Business BA 86 – 2 units

Participants will be given all the tools and concepts necessary to complete a creative business plan for small business success.  Yreka Campus with distance learning to Butte Valley.
Tuesdays 5:30 – 8:30.  Starts Sept. 21st.

Please Call to Register 938-5555 or go to www.siskiyous.edu Late Registration Welcome.

Check out the website: www.siskiyous.edu/cte/er

Do you have program questions? Please contact Joy von S at vonskepsgardh@siskiyous.edu

Great Backyard Bird Count

Join in the 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count taking place February 12-15

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.

We invite you to add your observations to this ever-growing database of observations via the GBBC website.  Explore reports coming in from across the continent, upload images for the photo contest, and tweet about the birds you see, adding the gbbc tag to have your comments appear in the Twitter widget on the GBBC home page. Just by participating in the GBBC you’ll be entered into a drawing for great prizes. The GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society with new Canadian partner, Bird Studies Canada and sponsorship from Wild Birds Unlimited.

Dollars for dishwashers

By Lynn Teuscher of Aiello-Goodrich-Teuscher

A few months ago, the federal government had a program called “Cash for Clunkers,” which gave rebates to the auto dealers for sales of energy efficient vehicles purchased by the consumers. Coming soon to consumers in late 2009 or early 2010 will be a federally-funded program run by each individual state to give rebates on purchases of “Energy Star” appliances; sort of a “Cash for Clunker Appliances” program.   The rebates will commonly range from $50 to $250 depending on the product being purchased.

The “Stimulus Bill” (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) provided $300 million to states for consumer rebates on the following ENERGY STAR qualified appliances:

• Central air conditioners
• Heat pumps (air source and geothermal)
• Boilers
• Furnaces (oil and gas)
• Room air conditioners
• Clothes washers
• Dishwashers
• Refrigerators/freezers
• Water heaters

This appliance stimulus rebate is different than the recent “Cash for Clunker” vehicle program in that the federal government is not doing the paperwork for each consumer transaction, instead they have asked the individual states to run the program, and the federal government will fund it. Each state has been given the authority to decide which appliances and what level of efficiency of that category of appliances will be eligible for rebates. The states were required to submit their plans to the Federal Department of Energy by October 15, 2009 for review. The manufacturers of appliances are concerned that it will be very difficult for them to have their products ready for 50 different state strategies in the upcoming months.

Dollars for dishwashers and other appliances are coming soon, so keep in contact with your appliance dealer for further details.

Beautification efforts recognized in Mt. Shasta

Executive Director Siskiyou Land Trust — open position

The Siskiyou Land Trust (SLT), a 501(c)(3) with offices in Weed, CA, is seeking a one-half-time Executive Director to manage its affairs. SLT is a private conservation organization governed by an eight-member Board of Directors which is “dedicated to long-term stewardship of agricultural, forest and wildlands in Siskiyou County by working with willing landowners, agencies and organ-izations.”

Contact SLT at (530) 926-2259 for a position description and application information. The deadline for applications is November 13, 2009.

Environmental Resources program to start at COS

The California Community College Chancellor’s Office approved the Environmental Resources program at the College of the Siskiyous.

Classes will start September 8th!

The C.O.S. Department of Career and Technical Education offers three new programs:

1)  Environmental Resources – Sustainable Communities (ERSC)

2) Environmental Resources – Power Generation Technology (ERPG)

3) Environmental Resources – Environmental Resources Technology (ERRT)

Students can choose to complete an Associate of Science degree or a Certificate in the new programs.

For more information on ALL the new Environmental Resources programs please visit:

http://www.siskiyous.edu/cte/environmental/or call Christy Cummings Dawson at 530-938-5305 or email: cummingsc@siskiyous.edu