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Southern California steelhead trout now considered endangered by California Fish and Game Commission

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Southern California steelhead trout now considered endangered by California Fish and Game Commission


SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Fish and Game Commission unanimously voted the Southern California steelhead trout as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) Thursday.

The steelhead species typically need cool clean water to survive but the Southern steelhead can survive in warmer water.

Healthy Southern Steelhead populations indicate the safety of drinking water for watersheds people and their protection will help restoration efforts in rivers.

The California Trout organization offered a statement in support of the measure through spokeswoman Sandra Jacobson.

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“The California Fish and Game Commission today voted unanimously to list Southern California steelhead trout as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). This landmark decision provides critically important protections for this iconic species, which teeters on the brink of extinction. California Trout applauds the Fish and Game Commission for underscoring the urgency of the situation with this vote today, and we thank the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for their comprehensive species status review as part of the CESA process and their long-standing support for Southern steelhead recovery.

CalTrout has been actively advocating for this listing since 2021, when we submitted a petition to the California Fish and Game Commission to fully protect Southern steelhead as endangered under the state’s Endangered Species Act. The action today would not have been possible without the tireless efforts and advocacy of our many partners in Southern California working to save this species.”

“Southern steelhead are crucial indicators of watershed health and river ecosystem integrity. Historically, tens of thousands of these fish swam in Southern California rivers and streams. Today, it’s rare to see even a few. Their numbers have dipped dangerously low due to impacts from habitat loss, fragmentation, and urbanization.

“We look forward to working with our partners to implement the state’s conservation plan for these iconic fish, including continuing our work in the South Coast region on behalf of Southern steelhead. Our current projects include removing fish passage barriers and expediting removal of obsolete dams on the Ventura River (Matilija Dam), Malibu Creek (Rindge Dam), Trabuco Creek, the Santa Margarita River, and more; removing non-native aquatic species that threaten prime steelhead habitat; securing instream flow by reducing surface water diversions and groundwater pumping and increasing the use of recycled water; and restoring watersheds.

“All of these actions will also benefit human communities. For example, improving aging infrastructure will reduce the risk of flooding and increase public safety. Holistic watershed restoration will enforce and build strong relationships throughout the community. Ensuring our watersheds are hospitable to Southern steelhead indicates clean water which benefits all communities.”

Representatives of California Trout are available for interviews about this breaking news and about any of the work happening in the region to support Southern steelhead.”

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Sandra Jacobson, PhD, South Coast and Sierra Regions Director for California Trout

For more information on Southern steelhead trout species, visit the California Trout website.



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'California Stop' Is Costing Californians Millions In Tickets

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'California Stop' Is Costing Californians Millions In Tickets


The “California Stop,” also known as the “California Roll,” is the act of not coming to a full and complete stop at a stop sign. Whatever it’s called where you live, it’s illegal and can get you a $200+ ticket and can land you in hot water with your driving record when it’s issued by an agency with authority. One California agency however, with no type of traffic authority has been issuing thousands of rolling stop tickets by secretly recording drivers.

KTLA reports that California’s Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority issues around 17,000 rolling stop tickets each year, bringing in over $1.1 million in revenue annually. What exactly is the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority? According to the agencies site, it’s described as “a local public agency dedicated to the acquisition, preservation and protection of open space, wildlife habitat, and urban, mountain and river parkland that is easily accessible to the public.”

So how exactly does a state park agency that oversees over 75,000 acres of park lands in Southern California issue that many tickets? In secret, as KTLA described:

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At 12:15 p.m. on a warm, sunny day last July, Andrew Rice’s adult kid did a rolling stop in a Prius while leaving the Temescal Canyon parking lot near Pacific Palisades.

What Rice’s kid didn’t know was that he was being filmed as he did so. And the recording would result in a $100 “administrative citation” from the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, or MRCA…

The problem with these tickets — aside from being issued by a state park agency with no real authority to issue them — is that they’re technically not citations. It seems their sole purpose is to bring in revenue for the MRCA as one Prius driver who was ticketed discovered. “They’re engaged in a deceptive practice of pretending to enforce the motor vehicle code when they don’t have the authority to do that, and they’re tricking people into paying these tickets,” they told KTLA.

Jamie Court, president of the Los Angeles advocacy group Consumer Watchdog says even though they’re not actually tickets with no legal consequence, they can still hurt drivers financially. And that’s what forces people to pay them. “But it could go on your credit score and hurt your chances of getting a mortgage or a loan, and no one wants to deal with that. So people just pay it rather than fight it.”

What’s worse is that nothing has been done to stop it. A spokesperson for the agency told KTLA that the cameras and citations are about “public safety.” It seems though it’s more about collecting money with no oversight. “This is a program that is meant to make income for the park system. It’s a terrible abuse. And the fact that it’s gone on for a decade or more without anyone doing anything is really shameful,” Court said.



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Falling rock kills hiker near Mt. Whitney in California; third fatality in a week

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Falling rock kills hiker near Mt. Whitney in California; third fatality in a week


A hiker was killed near Mt. Whitney on Sunday after being struck by a falling rock, marking the third fatality within a week near California’s highest peak, authorities said.

The hiker was in the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek Trail when bystanders reported that a rock fell and severely injured the individual, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office said.

Search and rescue crews immediately responded to the scene via helicopter and lowered a team member down to the site of the accident. Rescuers determined the injured hiker had died from their injuries, the sheriff’s office said.

The hiker’s body was then airlifted to Lone Pine and turned over to the Inyo County Coroner. Officials did not immediately release the identity of the hiker or provide additional details.

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BODIES OF MISSING HIKERS RECOVERED, IDENTIFIED AFTER DISAPPEARING ON HIKE UP CALIFORNIA’S HIGHEST PEAK

A rescue helicopter responded to the injured hiker’s location in the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek Trail. The hiker was pronounced dead at the scene. (Inyo County Sheriff’s Office)

It was the third hiker fatality in the Mt. Whitney region within a week. 

The bodies of two missing hikers were recovered from the north face of Mount Whitney on Thursday. The hikers were identified as Andrew Niziol, 28, a resident of South Lake Tahoe, and Patty Bolan, 29. The pair were on a long-term hiking trip across the state of California.

Couple on Mount Shasta days before death

The two previous fatalities were Andrew Niziol, 28, and Patty Bolan, 29. Their bodies were found on the north face of Mount Whitney after the couple went missing.  (iStock/Andrew Niziol Facebook)

UTAH HUNTER FINDS SKELETAL REMAINS OF MAN MISSING SINCE 2019 IN REMOTE MOUNTAINS

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Officials cautioned those visiting the area to be aware of the changing weather conditions as the seasons shift.

Mt. Whitney

Mt. Whitney has an elevation of 14,505 feet. (Santi Visalli/ Getty Images, File)

“Early spring conditions prevail on the mountain, with treacherous steep snow, loose rock, and variable weather,” the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office said. “Parties venturing onto Mt. Whitney should stay together, turn around before deteriorating conditions become unmanageable, make responsible decisions, and be prepared and fit.”

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Mt. Whitney is the highest mountain in the contiguous U.S., reaching an elevation of 14,505 feet. More than 25,000 visitors per year seek to summit Mt. Whitney, according to the National Park Service.

Fox News’ Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

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California’s wealthiest farming family threatens to reshape small town with new mega-warehouse for big-box retailers that will transform area into an international trading hub

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California’s wealthiest farming family threatens to reshape small town with new mega-warehouse for big-box retailers that will transform area into an international trading hub


The wealthiest farming family in California is planning to expand an industrial warehouse complex to transform a small town into an international trading hub. 

Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the billionaires behind The Wonderful Company, already own a sprawling distribution center in Shafter, northwest of Bakersfield. 

Now they are eager to expand the center to create an international hub to position the county at the forefront of the global shift to online shopping, according to a report in The LA Times. 

The move would convert 1,800 acres of the company’s Kern County almond groves into additional warehousing space.

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The proposal has come under fire over environmental concerns with critics saying it will increase truck traffic and worsen air quality. 

Billionaire owners of the Wonderful Company, Stewart and Lynda Resnick, own a distribution center in Shafter, northwest of Bakersfield

The development would transform Shafter from a small town, with a population of just 20,162, into a booming trade hub.  

As part of the redevelopment, the company is proposing building a new highway that would divert trucks from the center of Shafter. 

They also want to build an inland rail terminal – at a cost of at least $120 million – to funnel products from port by rail, reducing the reliance on State Route 99. 

Wonderful already build and lease warehouses to huge online shopping companies for the storage of goods and processing of orders. 

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They say that the expansion project and the accompanying infrastructure plans are different to a flock of giant distribution centers that have proliferated in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. 

While many residents welcome the plans and the new jobs but others are concerned about the environmental impacts. 

Gustavo Aguirre, assistant director of the Delano-based Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment told the LA Times: ‘I understand that company says it will bring jobs; this is true to some extent.

‘But it is also true that it’s going to bring health and environmental impacts that are going to impact the neighbors who live near the industrial park.’

They want to expand the center to create a international hub to position the county at the forefront of the global shift to online shopping

They want to expand the center to create a international hub to position the county at the forefront of the global shift to online shopping

The move would convert 1,800 acres of the company's almond groves into additional warehousing space

The move would convert 1,800 acres of the company’s almond groves into additional warehousing space

The industrial park has generated about 10,000 jobs, including warehouse employees, truck drivers and services handling shipping logistics, according to Wonderful Co. 

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They say that with the planned expansion the complex eventually could support 50,000 jobs.

But some are concerned that increased automation means the expansion won’t generate as many jobs as promised. 

As technology develops and more companies use robotics to manufacture, process and deliver goods, some industrial jobs have been made redundant.  

UC Riverside’s Ellen Reese told the LA Times: ‘Warehouses are both job creators and job destroyers.’

Wonderful build and lease warehouses to huge online shopping companies for the storage of goods and processing of orders

Wonderful build and lease warehouses to huge online shopping companies for the storage of goods and processing of orders

They want to build an inland rail terminal - at a cost of at least $120 million - to funnel products from port by rail, reducing the reliance on State Route 99

They want to build an inland rail terminal – at a cost of at least $120 million – to funnel products from port by rail, reducing the reliance on State Route 99

She added: ‘A lot of the research actually suggests that more automated warehouses have higher injury rates than less automated warehouses.’

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The Resnicks are known for their philanthropy, donating to climate research, scholarships and wellness centers in the area. 

Through The Wonderful Company they own POM Wonderful, Fiji Water, Wonderful Pistachios and Almonds, Wonderful Halos, Wonderful Seedless Lemons, JUSTIN Wines, Landmark Wines, JNSQ Wines and the Teleflora floral wire service company.

Aguirre is helping negotiate with the company for a broader community benefits agreement to ensure the people who live near Shafter get more than jobs out of the expansion.

He said: ‘The residents recognize that [this project] could bring jobs, but they come with a price.   

‘Because of this, they say, “What are you going to do for our community?”‘

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DailyMail.com contacted The Wonderful Co. for comment.  



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